Chapter 34 – Warrior's Village Kids

Flik dodged, unconscious mind and trained muscles working of their own volition even while his will was processing the enormity of those knife blades. His knees bent, legs flexing, hips shifting, one foot pivoting slightly, and the rest of his body went along for the ride. They were subtle motions, but enough. He registered one blade chafing across the leather over his thigh, the other a glint that disappeared under his chin and reappeared beyond him, having caught nothing in between.

He felt a moment's relief, then began to turn his head to look at something out of the corner of his eye. It was the side of Tengaar's face, rapidly growing larger in his vision. Calmly, detachedly, Flik's reasoning will waited for his mind and muscles to reflexively do something. They did, returning control of his body back over to his consciousness, as if to say, "You get us out of this mess!" His reason shouted back, "I'm not the one who decided to lunge right at her!"

They collided, her shoulder and elbow crunching into his chest, his arms flying out to either side of her, tangling with her hair, raking across her chin. The crowd of the inn suddenly roared in his ears, but he could also distinctly hear Tengaar's outraged gasp, Viktor's footsteps, and Hix saying "Huh?" Flik thought he smelled some sort of flower scent from her red hair, as if she'd washed it earlier.

He rocked back a little, but maintained his balance. Tengaar stumbled back a step, but caught herself before falling. Still between his arms, she whirled back to face him, but her outrage abruptly turned to recognition.

"Flik, is that you?" she asked, astonished. Without waiting for an answer, she leapt forward to embrace him, confirming his reality by wrapping her arms around him.

Flik struggled to breathe, spots swimming in his eyes. He certainly didn't have the presence to complete his end of the hug, his arms remaining outstretched by the impact.

Viktor casually strolled up to join the reunion, smiling mirthfully. "Long time no see, you two."

He might've said more, but Tengaar disengaged herself from Flik and jumped over to hug Viktor, saying, "Mister Viktor, you too? You're both alive?" She took a step away from Viktor to appraise both of them. "What happened?" She frowned. "Nobody knew anything about your whereabouts after the fall of Gregminster."

Viktor rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, we've been hearing that a lot lately."

Flik took the moment to get a good look at Tengaar. At first glance, nothing much had changed since he'd seen her last. Tomboyish and athletic, she was still wearing the same short-sleeved, long tan dress that she usually wore. It even had the same slit on the left side. On the other hand, she had gained a couple of inches of height, and she was filling that dress out in places she hadn't two years ago. Come to think of it, had she moved that slit further up her leg?

Hix spoke, greeting them cheerfully. "Mister Flik, Mister Viktor, I'm so glad you're all right." Hix had also grown in the two years; the beanpole youth now had the height to look Flik right in the eye. He didn't have Flik's build, though, his yellow shirt and aquamarine vest hung loosely on his frame. Come to think of it, his belted white pants were narrower at the waist than Flik's black pants. He'd also substituted a blue bandanna, of the same color as his vest, for the green one he'd worn when he was younger.

Flik shrugged. "Well, it's not my fault. I was too injured to go out. By the time I recovered, Viktor wanted me to come to Jowston with him."

Viktor rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry! It's not like you ever said you wanted to return to Warrior's Village. You could've written them a letter if you were so concerned."

Riou appeared, walking between Viktor and Flik, eyes carefully reading the situation. "Is everything okay?" Gengen was at his side, sheathing his sword now that it appeared the trouble was past. Nanami was hanging back, maybe a little intimidated by Tengaar.

"Just a bit of a misunderstanding," Flik explained. "This," he gestured towards Riou, "is Lord Riou, leader of the New State Army. Viktor and I are fighting for him, kind of like the old days with Tir McDohl. Riou, this is Tengaar and Hix. They're Warrior's Village kids who helped us during the Liberation War."

Hix stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Lord Riou." Riou nodded and shook Hix's hand in answer.

Forgotten amid the confusion of the greeting, Flik remembered the conversation that had drawn him over to the table. "Hix, you've begun your ritual journey of manhood?"

Hix abruptly let go of Riou's hand. "I…yes."

Tengaar jumped into the conversation. "Of course he has. Hix is going to be a great warrior, just you see." He blushed at her praise.

The news, though not unexpected, brought mixed emotions to Flik. Even after all this time, his antipathy for the philosophy of his homeland was raw. But looking at Hix, he couldn't help but feel proud of the young man. After all, he'd been Hix's first tutor in swordplay, many years ago. "Is that so?" Flik replied. "I hope you succeed."

"Mister Flik, when will you be returning home?"

Hix's question caught him off guard. The truth was that he did not plan on ever returning to Warrior's Village. During the Liberation War, he'd gone back simply as a member of Tir McDohl's army. Neither he nor the elders of the village had treated it as the completion of his journey.

"Hix, you shouldn't tease him like that," Tengaar declared. "After all, Flik's ritual journey remains unfinished."

Her comment stung Flik more than the question. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, a look that suggested she knew she'd touched a sore spot. He bit down on the inside of his lip to keep from scowling. Hastily, he fumbled for a retort. "You're wearing your hair differently than the last time I saw you, Tengaar. Aren't unmarried Warrior's Village women supposed to have two braids?"

On impulse she reached around to touch her single braid, stopped, and sniffed loudly. "I'll be married soon enough," she replied haughtily. "As soon as Hix is accepted as a full-fledged warrior."

Viktor chuckled at the by-play, then turned to speak with Hix. "So, where does your manhood journey take you next?"

"Kobold Village," Hix answered. "They say there's a trial called 'The Test of the Unicorn' in that village. Tengaar wants me to try it." He looked less than enthused by the prospect, but smiled when she looked over at him.

"We're heading for the same place," Riou chimed in. "Maybe we could help you?"

Hix opened his mouth, but Tengaar was the one who answered, shaking her head vigorously. "No, no, it has to be done by Hix alone. Otherwise it wouldn't be much of a test of his manhood."

Nanami finally spoke up. "Sounds pretty tough." Her face brightened with excitement. "Is there really a unicorn?"

"That's what the legends say," Tengaar confirmed. "But Hix has to face it alone."

"I understand," Riou said. "At least we can travel together."

"Sure!" Hix answered excitedly, but turned to see what Tengaar thought.

She yawned hugely. "That's fine, as long as they stay out of the way during the test. I'm going to bed now."

Her yawn worked its way from person to person until all of them were blinking sleepily. The innkeeper scurried on over to announce that a couple of the guests had graciously decided to voluntarily give up their rooms so that Riou and his party could sleep in peace. Flik wondered if the innkeeper's bouncers had done some arm-twisting, but was too tired to press him on the subject. Apparently Riou was too tired as well, and made no argument about it.

Tengaar and Nanami ended up sharing one room, while the four men and kobold were jammed into the other. Viktor's soldiers would spend the night sleeping in the common room. The innkeeper brought up a couple of extra cots for the men's room, but Flik decided to try his luck with the wooden floor. He rolled up his cape to serve as a pillow and closed his eyes. Viktor started snoring loudly. Flik shrugged, at least the room wasn't too cold.

His dreams carried him back to his time with Odessa, and towards his homeland. It was nighttime, and they were sheltering against the lee side of an embankment, without so much as a fire to warm the cool air. The day had been difficult; a meeting with an informant in Antei had turned into a cunning double-cross, and they'd had to run for their lives.

Flik looked over at Odessa, her face partially lit by the moons. She was beautiful, but always seemed sad, rarely smiling. He'd only been with her organization for a few months, but he knew about the death of her fiancée. Her eyes were closed, she seemed to be resting, so Flik let his gaze linger on her. If only he could make her smile somehow, then her beauty would be radiant.

A foot stepped on the top of the embankment, showering loose dirt down into the hollow. Odessa's eyes flew open and Flik quickly snapped his head away, feeling a blush creeping up his cheeks. He remembered to stand up and draw his sword, preparing to face the intruder.

He relaxed when he saw that it was only the third member of their group, Humphrey Mintz. The taciturn swordsman nodded to Flik and spoke gravely to Odessa. "They've stopped pursuing." He walked past Flik and took a seat against the slope.

She closed her eyes again, sighing bitterly. "I don't understand," she whispered. "I thought for certain that he was loyal to our cause. Why would he betray us?"

Humphrey shrugged. "Potch. Position. Women. Maybe he just didn't give a damn." Flik blinked, that was more words at one time out of the former Elite Guard than he'd ever heard.

"He doesn't give a damn?" Odessa exploded. "How can people not see that the emperor is growing more and more despotic? Doesn't anyone care that he's abusing the Sovereign Rune to enslave people's minds?" Sarcastically she added, "If we're just going to meekly submit to overlords with True Runes, then we should've stayed a part of Harmonia. They have so much more experience with slaves!"

She pulled up her knees almost to her chin, wrapped her arms around her legs, and hid her face from view. From the way she was shaking, Flik could tell that she was crying. He and Humphrey exchanged a glance, neither man entirely sure how to comfort Odessa, or if it was even proper to do so. But it tore at his heart to leave her like that.

Looking at Humphrey one more time for moral support, he knelt next to Odessa and placed his hand on her shoulder. She tensed and looked up questioningly at him. For a moment it was all Flik could do to keep his hand on her shoulder, so badly did he want to either pull away from her or rush forward and embrace her. Finally he mustered up the courage to say, "Things will get better, my lady. We can find more allies. We will win in the end."

Her tears had etched streaks through the dust on her face, but when she replied by smiling shyly, an upward twitch at the corners of her mouth, Flik knew that he'd been right about that making her shine. Embarrassed, he took his hand off her shoulder and sat back against the dirt, catching glimpses of her out of the corner of his eyes. "Thank you, Flik," she murmured.

They sat in silence for a while, but the mood was no longer depressed. Flik could tell that Odessa's agile mind was working on some new scheme. She was astounding in her ability to change plans when the need arose. After a quarter hour of thinking, she turned her head in his direction. "Flik, I don't think I've asked before, but you come from Warrior's Village, yes?"

The very name brought waves of revulsion to Flik's stomach. He bit the inside of his lips to keep the grimace off his face. "I was born there," he answered as naturally as he could.

She hesitated before asking her next question. "I was wondering if you might tell me about their views on our conflict."

"You've sent messengers to them before?" Flik asked. When she nodded, he continued, "What was their answer?"

"They have always declined to aid us, but at least they don't help the emperor, either."

Flik laughed derisively, letting out a bit of his anger in one short burst. Both Odessa and Humphrey looked at him, surprise evident on their faces. "They're not going to help you," Flik explained. "It would violate their precious neutrality. You see, in Warrior's Village, they spend all their time in training, honing their skills. Life is nothing but a series of challenges, where a warrior pits himself against great beasts, famous knights, or high mountains, all to prove his worth over and over to the elders."

Some flying bug buzzed too close to his ear, and he paused to swing wildly at it, filling the strike with as much vengeance as he could. Not surprisingly, he didn't hit the insect. Gathering his breath, Flik continued to describe his homeland. "But they don't care much about solving real problems. During the Succession War, I remember how the elders refused to let us participate. They said it was not our place to get involved in a war over the throne. Think how things would've been different if we'd joined Barbarossa's side in the beginning. The war would've ended much sooner, Jowston wouldn't have invaded, Gregminster wouldn't have been burned, the Kalekka Incident would never have happened."

Humphrey shifted uncomfortably at the mention of the massacre that had turned him against his own commander, changing the course of his life forever. Odessa continued to smile. "Now I see why you are so vehement about helping people."

"I could never stand by and boast about the beasts I've killed when people are out here suffering and being enslaved."

Odessa giggled, but quickly turned serious. "Humphrey, Flik, I'm glad that both of you care. I hope that all of us will be there at the end, when we finally see all of our troubles vanquished."

The dream rolled away, submerged in the roiling forth of Flik's subconscious. He cried out and stirred in his sleep, but the noise was masked by Viktor's snores. Eventually Flik's sleep grew easy.

He did not wake until nearly midmorning. Luckily, everyone else in the party was also sleeping in, exhausted from the festivities and staying up late. The innkeeper remained solicitous, offering a hearty breakfast that consisted of a lot of fried fish and fried potato, sliced thinly. One of the first things Flik noticed this morning was that Tengaar had rebraided her hair into two braids. She sniffed at him, as if to say that she meant to have her hair in this style.

Hix came down later, carrying several bags on his back and in his hands. Everyone else was finishing their meal when Hix deposited his stuff on the floor and sat down to eat.

Viktor experimentally kicked one the sacks. "What you got in there? Feels pretty substantial."

"Stuff for our journey," Hix mumbled around a bite of fish. "Tengaar thinks we might need it."

Viktor plunged a hand into the bag he'd kicked. "Hey!" Tengaar squawked indignantly. "Don't touch that."

"Interesting," Viktor observed, pulling an article of clothing out of the bag. It was a red article of clothing. A red dress. A very close tailored red dress of silk, with a gold fringe at the ends of the sleeves, the high neckline, and the long skirt. There was also gold outlining a fairly substantial circular cutout in the bosom. And that was precisely where Viktor's hand was, having grabbed the back of the dress through that hole to pull it out of the bag.

"Don't touch a woman's things," Tengaar shouted, leaping up from her spot next to Nanami and stomping towards Viktor.

Amazingly, Viktor complied, his hands jerking away from the garment as if it were as hot as the color suggested. Tengaar swooped in and grabbed the dress, cradling it against her body.

Flik suddenly had a hard time speaking. "Is that…for your journey too?"

"It was a gift from General Milich after the war," Tengaar snapped. "He said the style was from someplace called Armes, and that it was the height of fashion among the ladies."

Flik wondered what General Milich was after, giving her that dress, but was distracted by the sudden thought that the men of Armes were extremely lucky. He shook his head, only to find that he was now imagining Odessa wearing the red dress. Vaguely, he wondered if she'd had the right build for it, but found his daydream had already adjusted her physique.

Then Tengaar stuffed the dress back into the bag, snuffing out the fantasy like an extinguished candle. Flik shook his head again, aware of the glaze in Viktor's eyes and the furious blush on Hix's face. Nanami leaned over to whisper harshly in Riou's ear, and he began blinking rapidly. One of Viktor's men was drooling, right into the remains of his breakfast.

To turn his mind from the dress, Flik opened another bag, a much heavier bag. Grunting, he pulled out the haft of a three-headed morning star, the balls dangling at the ends of three separate chains. The whole contraption had to weigh more than forty pounds. "Hix," Flik set his feet to stabilize himself, "have you been carrying this around for the last two years?"

Tengaar didn't give him a chance to answer. "It's time to get going," she announced. "We don't want to waste the whole day sitting here."

Hix looked down at his mostly full plate. "Can we wait until I've finished eating?"

Tengaar grabbed him by the arm and started pulling him towards the door. "Real men don't whine," she lectured. "Come on, we're leaving." She looked back at the bags on the floor. "Flik, Viktor, bring that stuff along. And don't peek at any of it!"

Such was the force of her order that Flik was hefting two of the bags before he knew it.

The day was bright and very warm under a cloudless sky, with a gentle, dry wind from the southwest. Tengaar's bags were shared out among Viktor's men, and the whole party set out afoot at a leisurely pace. Tengaar quickly started badgering Viktor and Flik for information about their part in the war. Viktor and Flik traded storytelling duties, one picking up for the other when each got tired. Riou added his own parts to the tale, telling of how he and Jowy got their runes and of their exploration of the Sindar Ruins.

When they were done, Tengaar looked appraisingly at Riou. "Did you really lead three hundred men against a Highland general?"

"I did," Riou answered, voice betraying no pride.

"Were you frightened?"

Riou thought about his response for several minutes. Flik could hear dirt crunching under people's boots and shoes as they continued walking. Finally, Riou said, "I was scared beforehand, but when I had to do it, I realized that everyone was counting on me. I didn't want everybody's efforts to be in vain."

Tengaar smiled happily. "You see, Hix, that's exactly the right attitude. Don't worry so much about whether you can pass the Test of the Unicorn. Once you're in it, you won't fail."

"If you say so," Hix answered uneasily.

Tengaar betrayed no agitation at Hix's lackluster response, instead striking up a conversation with Nanami and Riou about Master Genkaku's training style. The remainder of that day passed easily enough. The rutted dirt road was quiet, as if the recent battle was still weighing on traders' minds. They spent that night camping on the Tigermouth Road, about halfway between Two River and Kobold Village.

The following day brought no shift in the weather, it was still hot and dry. Around noon Flik spotted the dense woodland that was the Forest of the Unicorn. As before, he was struck by how the trees simply stopped about ten yards from the road.

Viktor whistled slowly. "That's impressive. Kind of reminds you of the Forest of Illusion in Toran."

Tengaar looked excited. "That's where the test is, I bet. It looks so wild!"

"Uh…yeah," Hix added.

"Is there really a unicorn in there?" Tengaar asked Gengen, echoing the question Flik had asked the kobold the first time he'd heard the name.

"It's an old tradition," Gengen explained. "I believe it, but nobody's gone into the deepest parts of the forest since before I was born."

This new did not dampen Tengaar's spirits. "We'll just have to be the first since that time." Hix slumped resignedly.

They continued on with the forest at their right hand, and the road slowly turned towards the west. This time they were not accosted by any kobold patrols, but approached the village unescorted. Soon enough, Flik could discern the reason for that. As they entered, they found the village to be in a riot of activity. Kobolds thronged in the streets, greeting each other, or passing around food and drink. Festival streamers were strung amongst the houses and trees, and everywhere they looked there seemed to be some sort of celebration going on.

Hix looked around at all the excitement and started smiling. "Some of that food looks tasty," he commented. "Let's stop and get something to eat."

"No!" Tengaar shouted over the noise. "We have to find the chief." She looked at Flik and Gengen. "Go ahead, lead us there."

Gengen looked disappointed. For that matter, Flik wanted to find out what the festival was about. He shrugged his shoulders, knowing he'd learn soon enough, and walked into the village. Caught up in their merrymaking, the kobolds seemed to accept the new arrivals as just another group of humans. Even with the festival, there were still some merchants doing business. One was capitalizing on the kobold's propensity towards things that shined brightly, selling an assortment of stones in various colors, including yellow, purple, and blue. Another was showing a set of elaborate chimes, colored bells strung together. A third was dealing in roses, bouquets of white, pink, and red flowers.

They made their way to the largest house in the town, farthest from the entrance, right against the deeper woods. "This is the place, isn't it?" Tengaar asked. Without waiting for confirmation, she grabbed Hix by the arm and pushed him towards the entrance.

"Do I really have to?" Hix protested, looking around for some escape.

"You want to be a real man?" Tengaar scolded. "Then in you go." She shoved him through the open door and followed in after him.

Viktor glanced at Flik. "Are all Warrior's Village women so…pushy?"

"No," Flik replied. "Just Warrior's Village women in a hurry to get married."

"She shouldn't pressure him that much," Riou added.

Nanami giggled. "I think it's cute."

They entered the chief's house. No one seemed to notice; all of the occupants were focused on Tengaar and Hix, who stood in front of the chief. Flik recognized Cham immediately. The elder was shaking his head and said, "I cannot permit you to enter the deepest part of the Forest of the Unicorn. I do not even let my fiercest warriors in there."

"But we came all this way," Tengaar cried, exasperated.

Hix, oddly enough, looked downhearted too. "We can find another test, Tengaar. Let's just forget this one."

"No!" Tengaar exclaimed. "No, this is the one. The legends state that a Unicorn shall appear for a 'Noble Warrior and a Pure-hearted Maiden.' Don't you get it? If you defeat the Unicorn, that proves that you're a true warrior. No one will ever be able to dispute that."

Cham barked a few slow laughs. "That's such an old custom, too. Nobody ever thinks about it anymore. I don't know that anybody even believes in the Unicorn, though we say the forest is sacred."

"How can you say that?" Tengaar responded.

"I believe in the Unicorn!" growled a voice from Flik's side. It was Gengen, who boldly walked towards Cham. "Let them go in, elder. The Unicorn will surely appear."

Cham chuckled again. "Such faith, warrior Gengen, but let's talk about it some other time. I see that you've brought several more humans with you. Is that Flik that I see? Come, you have arrived in time for our celebration. Tonight we celebrate the victory at Two River City!" He raised his voice into a howl.

Hix eagerly turned to Tengaar. "We can't refuse a celebration, especially for victorious warriors. Besides, it'll be good to relax a little."

"Are you tired?" Tengaar snapped. "What a fine warrior you'll make," she continued sarcastically. "Why, they'll throw you the greatest parade in the history of Warrior's Village." She stormed towards the doorway, forcing Gengen, Flik, and Viktor to jump aside.

Cham turned to Hix. "You two come from Warrior's Village?" Hix was too distraught to answer. He took a deep breath and rushed after Tengaar. Cham closed his eyes, pondering something. "Never mind," he said. "Let us prepare for the great feast."

Several long tables and rows of benches were placed out in front of the elder's house. The kobold cooks, who'd been laboring all day for this moment, brought out huge platters filled with varying food, though the cuisine did lean heavily towards the meat end of the spectrum. Flik thought he recognized one dish as kobold pie. Then the participants arrived. The newcomers, being guests of honor, were seated around Cham at the middle of the table. Tengaar, in fact, took the seat at his right hand, while Flik sat to his immediate left. He found the table to be much too low for his liking.

One of the first things Flik did was to introduce Riou as the leader of the New State Army. Cham immediately jumped up on his bench and said, "I saw you in the battle, using the rune of the hero Genkaku. I like your mettle, young warrior. Know that my kobolds will stand beside you as you drive the Highland Army from our country." He punctuated that statement with another howl, which was taken up by all the kobolds around him.

The kobolds, like all good sentient creatures, had an alcoholic drink that they liked to overindulge in during their celebrations. However, it looked like nothing Flik had ever seen. It wasn't made by fermenting grains or grapes but, as Cham told him with relish, by fermenting goat's milk. Flik took a couple of sips and found it to be as sour as it was potent. Viktor, not surprisingly, started quaffing the stuff by the gobletful and the kobolds, more surprisingly, used rather large goblets. Flik found it amusing, watching them lap the stuff out of their overlarge containers.

Some hours later, the party came to a lethargic end. Viktor was face down on the table, snoring loudly, several half-finished goblets scattered all around him. Nanami had also fallen asleep, though Flik didn't know if she was drunk or simply tired. Riou, noticing her condition, gathered her in his arms and started walking back towards the elder's house. Cham was busy listening to Tengaar, who seemed to be whispering excitedly in his ear. Hix, ignored by Tengaar, looked despondent. After a moment, he got up from the table to help Riou. Flik also stood up, stretched out his arms and legs, and followed them back to the elder's house.

After tucking Nanami into one of the beds in the back of the house, the three men found that some bedrolls had been spread out for them behind a cloth partition. They sat down, but no one was ready to go to sleep just yet.

Flik looked over at Hix and read his worried expression. "How are you feeling? Tengaar seemed pretty upset earlier."

Hix shrugged uncertainly. "No, it's all my fault. Mister Flik, you must be so ashamed to see what I've become, a coward. And Riou, wasn't it, I'm sorry that you've been dragged into my problems."

Flik looked directly at his former pupil. "I don't think you're a coward. You were very brave when you helped us fight Neclord."

Hix shook his head. "But I had you and Mister Viktor and all the others to help me. Besides, I was still afraid."

Flik was busy working out a suitable response when Riou chimed in. "What's the purpose behind your trip, if I may ask?"

Hix looked at Flik to explain. Once again, Flik had to wrestle with his emotions on the subject, but opted to leave his own experiences aside for the moment. "In Warrior's Village, when a young man reaches the age of maturity, he must set out on a mission to justify his worth as a warrior, and justify the years of training that he received." He saw Riou's confused look and searched for a metaphor. "It's like at a university. As the time for graduation nears, the student submits a paper to a panel of his teachers. That paper is supposed to be the culmination of all his years of learning and must reflect that. If the panel deems the paper worthy, the student is then graduated, if not, then all those years of study are called into question."

Now Hix took up the conversation. "And Tengaar wants me to become a really great warrior, so my mission must reflect that. I know she cares about me, she's always fighting for my best interests." He looked away and sighed. "But I don't know if I can live up to her expectations. I mean, I'm not a great warrior like you, Mister Flik, or Mister Viktor. I haven't even faced down an enemy general like Riou did."

Of course, in Tengaar's estimation Flik probably wasn't a great warrior, since he hadn't yet completed his journey, Flik decided ruefully. He didn't say that to Hix. Instead, he said, "I know you are a great warrior, Hix. I fought alongside you during the Liberation War. You were with me, with my unit, at the Floating Fortress, and then at Gregminster. I don't think anyone could doubt your ability."

Hix looked down at his feet. "But I do, and I know that makes me weak. Now Tengaar is mad at me, too. I wish, with everything in my heart, that I was strong enough to make her happy." With those words, he lay down on his roll and turned away, ending the conversation.

Flik got up and blew out the lights, then returned to try and sleep. He understood Hix's words, for they paralleled his own early feelings with Odessa. He also knew that Hix would not listen to him. After all, it was not Flik's approval that he craved, but Tengaar's. With a yawn, he resolved to speak to her about that in the morning. She would probably tell him to mind his own business, but at least he would try. With that thought in his head, he rolled over and went to sleep.

That night he dreamed of his youth in Warrior's Village, but as is often the case with such dreams, things got jumbled. Viktor was there, and Odessa. Mathiu seemed to be their instructor, but all he kept saying was "Do not forget the sacrifice!" over and over again. Then Tengaar and Hix were there, too, but the earth suddenly opened up at her feet and she fell into a crevice. Hix screamed after her, and that was what woke Flik up.

"Tengaar! Tengaar! Please wake up, Tengaar!" The tone in Hix's voice brought Flik to wakefulness in moments.

Viktor, in the bedroll next to Flik's, rolled over and mumbled, "Why does it have to be so early in the morning?"

Riou was already up, walking from the room, but stopped abruptly when he got a good look into the girls' bedroom. "What happened?" he asked, appalled.

Whatever it was, Flik knew it was bad. The sadness, loss, and despair evident in Hix's voice were akin to the feelings he had felt immediately after learning the truth of Odessa's death. With trepidation settling on him like a cloak, Flik got up and walked to the adjoining room.