Dark Travelers Ch. 05

Kirik, grumpy at such a rude awakening, threw Kael an irritated glare, "vhaka vria lur krilatirl il harlo?"

Kael was looking at anything except his brother, although not bothering to hide his smile. "Url nilot krilatirl prahtiz," he replied loftily.

Kirik tightened his jaw and turned his gaze on Andi. The girl had climbed to her feet and was inching her way back towards her sister's direction. Kael swiveled his head to follow her progress, still looking rather pleased by whatever had happened.

"Are you harmed, girl?" Kirik asked her.

Andi shook her head no, but she kept her eyes on the ground, her cheeks reddening even more. Anya observed this and shot Kael a fierce glare. She snatched her jacket, pulled it on angrily and set about gathering their items to pack them away. Andi crawled up beside her to help.

Kirik watched carefully and then he also threw another sharp glower at Kael. The juvenile looked appropriately sheepish for a moment before his smirk returned.

"Did he hurt you?" Anya asked softly, concern coloring her features.

"No. He didn't," Andi mumbled, turning her face away.

Anya placed her hands on Andi's cheeks and forced the girl to look at her. "Then what, exactly, was happening just now? It looked like he was trying to-"

"No." Andi bit her bottom lip and appeared rather guilty. "I actually started it," she began. "He was tossing rocks at me so I went up to him prove that he didn't scare me and-"

"Enough." Anya took a deep breath and peered directly into her sister's eyes, "Do you think this is a game? Do you think he will react like a human boy would if you irritate him? No, he won't. He'll likely just kill you. I warned you to stay away from him, and I meant it. Do not disobey me again."

Andi hung her head and nodded apologetically. "Ok, Anya," she replied softly.

Anya stared at her sister for a second longer before relenting and hugging her. "Good. Now help me pack up. They'll want to leave soon I imagine."

14.

"We've lost enough time, I hope you've rested up." Kirik said, after they'd emerged from the hidden hot spring.

Anya nodded silently and rechecked the straps on her pack before continuing along the trail. There was very little conversation amongst them, the incident that morning had left an awkward silence in its wake.

Andi, still flustered, kept glancing at Kael out of the corner of her eye but the young male had seemingly gone back to ignoring her. Kirik, remaining annoyed with the disruption, also kept a watch on his sibling. Anya, wanting to get this over with, marched steadily onward keeping Andi at her side at all times. Kael, still mourning the interruption, was pondering how to get the girl by herself again so that they could continue their game.

The mountain path started to twist downward and Anya was rather surprised that they'd come to the other side so quickly. It had seemed to take longer when she'd last been this way.

"We're making excellent time. We should make it off of here by late afternoon. Then it's just a journey down the beach. Shouldn't be too difficult."

She glanced back, wondering how Kirik would respond. She desperately wanted to ask what would happen after they reached the wizard. Would they be freed, or...? Anya chewed her bottom lip fretfully, afraid of the answer she'd receive.

"When we arrive, what...what are you going to do with us?" She finally stammered out.

Andi paused momentarily and also sneaked a look back. Kirik didn't respond, only gave them a callous stare. Anya felt that cold place in her belly grow a bit larger. Andi's mouth turned down unhappily and she began to sniffle.

"You told us you'd let us go when this was over," Anya reminded him softly.

Kirik smiled gently and shook his head. "You're mistaken, Pretty. I told you I may let you live. I never said anything about letting you go."

Anya stopped and turned to fully face him, features going white. Andi did likewise, and clutched at her sister.

"I won't go any further unless you tell me what you plan on doing with us. Why should I help you at all if you're just going to kill us anyhow?" She asked, adamantly.

Kirik crouched in front of her and snatched the front of her jacket, pulling her close. He stared at her for a few long moments, eyes seeming to take in every detail about her face, before he answered, "because, woman, if you do not, I will throw your sister over the edge right now."

Andi drew in a large breath and took several steps back, shaking her head in negation. Anya swallowed and searched his face carefully.

He meant it.

Kirik's expression grew solemn and he tightened his grip on her coat, "remember that you are in no position to bargain with me." He paused, smile returning, "I bet she'd scream all the way down. What do you think?"

Andi covered her ears with her hands and began to cry soundlessly. Kael saw this and frowned slightly, tilting his head.

After, he leveled a pointed look at Kirik. "Vhaka zoht lur yolitirl il harlo?"

Something about his tone made Kirik glance up and give him a questioning look. Kael's posture was rather stiff, giving the impression that he'd been bothered by something. Kirik let Anya's jacket go and he stood, facing his brother.

"Praletz drahss khastal harlo lertizat. Harl metzirl wratzeet," he replied, pointing at Anya. He watched his brother closely, wondering what had angered him.

Kael crossed his arms and looked away for a moment, appearing sullen.

"Melitri harlin tri LUTZ, Kirik," he finally replied caustically, jerking a thumb towards Andi.

Kirik was surprised at his brother's reaction and again pondered what exactly had happened between him and the girl while he'd been sleeping. Kael's expression was mullish and set. After a brief pause, Kirik realized that he'd offended him.

"Lur zoht drizz, harl tri. Url vraltz jhonta harlo sholit lurl kraloot, Kael," he answered firmly, touching three fingers to his chest. "Lur neel ta eratz."

Kael studied his brother carefully for a long while. Kirik was being sincere. Kael's face softened and he nodded, apparently appeased. Kirik nodded back and clapped his brother on the shoulder in reassurance before returning his attention to Anya.

"I think we understand each other again, now. Right?"

Anya had gone to comfort Andi and, at the query, only nodded at him resentfully. She'd watched the exchange between the two and her heart squeezed with apprehension each time the men had gestured towards them. Andi only stood there, forlorn, wiping tears off of her cheeks and clinging to her sister. Kael snatched her out of Anya's grasp and gave her a shove forward, gesturing that she ought to start walking again.

Andi shot him a startled look but obliged willingly enough. Anya wasn't sure she liked Kael's sudden change in behavior concerning her sister. He was walking closely behind her now, instead of keeping his distance as he had the previous day. She too wondered what had occurred between the two of them. She resolved to keep an eye on him and not leave him alone with Andi again.

The remainder of the afternoon passed without incident. The trail meandered downward until Anya felt it begin to even out once more. They were approaching the bottom. Relieved to almost be off the treacherous peak, she stopped and cocked her head, listening. Very, very faintly she could hear ocean waves and shrill cries of sea birds. Andi lifted her nose and gave a wan smile.

"I can smell the sea again, Anya."

"Aye, Sweet. Me too."

"I've never been to this side of the beach before," Andi continued, actually looking a bit excited.

Anya was grateful that Andi seemed to be holding up all right despite her fear. She began walking again, more quickly now. She was eager to reach stable ground before nightfall. The prospect of spending another evening on the snow-covered mountain was unappealing at best. The weather had cooperated with them but she could see ominous clouds looming in the distance. The temperature had also dropped again noticeably and the sun was dipping a bit lower on the horizon. Day two was coming to a swift close.

The men had been silent for a long while. If it weren't for their footsteps following, Anya could almost imagine that they didn't exist. She had considered leaving more signs to mark their passage but figured there weren't any detours off the mountain. The only way over it was to follow this old road. If there was a search party tracking them, chances are they'd realize the same thing. Besides, she didn't want to risk discovery. Not when Andi's life had been threatened such a short time ago.

Kirik also noticed the path leveling out and was secretly pleased to have covered so much ground today. He hoped that they could walk through the evening too, but it was unlikely. The two women were showing signs of fatigue once again. They tired out far too quickly for his liking.

Kael was still bursting with energy. He was growing bored with the endless rocky terrain and suddenly ran ahead of the group, vanishing around a sloping bend. As the trio made their way down the last of the trail, they saw that the young male was waiting for them, crouched on another large boulder that rested at the bottom. He twirled his finger in that "let's get going" gesture again, and hopped to the ground as the three caught up with him.

The ground was now a mixture of gravel and sand. The snow had mostly melted away, which would make traveling a bit easier. The scent of ocean was stronger than before and the women could hear the waves much more clearly.

Anya inclined her head at Kirik, who was squatting and rubbing a bit of sand between his thumb and forefinger. "There isn't much cover from here on out. And I don't know if we will happen upon anyone or not."

Kirik rose, wiping his hand on his thigh. "There is no issue. Look," he pointed ahead where the rocks disappeared and the sand took over. They did but saw nothing of interest, just an expanse of undisturbed, white sand.

Anya glanced at him, confused, and Kirik rolled his eyes. "The ground is completely smooth as far as I can see. No tracks. This place is not often used," he explained. "How close are we?"

Anya thought about it. "We'll probably reach the lighthouse the day after tomorrow. Mind you, it's been a long while since I've come this way. I'm going on a distant memory alone."

Kirik ran a hand through his hair distractedly and waved her on. Anya sighed tiredly and took Andi's arm, beginning to walk again. She believed she'd had enough of traveling to last the rest of her life and a wave of homesickness washed over her. At least she wouldn't have to worry about leaving a trail any longer, their footprints were evident as they journeyed on.

The beach had a coldly beautiful quality about it. The tide had gone out, leaving a wide strip of firm, wet sand. The group favored this area as it offered better footing and easier walking than the dry sand. There was no wind breaker any longer, though, being out in the open once again. As the sun disappeared the air dropped in temperature. The women soon grew very cold despite their heavy clothing.

Andi's teeth began to chatter as she wrapped her arms around herself. Anya was torn between wanting to sleep again and wanting to keep walking to generate heat. She glanced up and noticed that the clouds had closed in, there were no stars nor moon visible. If it started raining or snowing again, they would really be in for some discomfort.

The men didn't seem to notice the frigid air and were observing their surroundings with interest. Kirik noticed her glance up and, without waiting for her to ask, generated another green orb to light their way.

Kael jogged to the edge of the water and was watching the waves crashing in the distance. As the water came rushing up, he'd back away quickly, not letting it flow over his boots. Kirik had drawn his sword and was poking and prodding at the various debris that had washed ashore.

The women had turned to watch, walking backwards once more. If the circumstances were different, the women might have been amused by their antics.

Kirik noticed their bemused stares. "I've never seen the sea. Nor Kael," he explained.

"What is it like where you come from?" Anya ventured.

Kirik didn't answer for a moment. He lifted his blade, a limp piece of kelp dangled from the tip. He peered at it with distaste for a moment before flicking the weapon to the side sharply, dislodging the seaweed.

"Our home is quite a ways off. This place is very different. There is too much open space. Too many unfamiliar creatures. I do not like it here," he finally answered.

Anya was puzzled, "what do you mean, 'too much open space'?"

Kirik paused suddenly, catching sight of an unusually large jellyfish that had been beached a short distance from them. Its stinging tentacles stretched out for several feet behind it, ending in a quivering, slimy blob. As they passed, he ruthlessly drove his sword into the middle of the gelatinous mass. When it didn't react, he gave a grunt of satisfaction and withdrew his blade. Anya and Andi stared, speechless.

"Why did you do that? It was just a jellyfish," Anya said.

Kirik turned his attention to her, "when in doubt, kill it."

"Oh," she replied quietly. "Well, just so you know, most of the animals that get washed up on the beach are usually dead to begin with."

Kirik shrugged, "now it definitely is."

Kael, drawn back by his brother's quick movement, nudged the destroyed animal with the toe of his boot. Finding nothing of interest, he rejoined the group and began to walk closely behind Andi once again. The girl shot him a nervous look and sped up slightly. Anya glowered and moved herself in between them.

"Seems he's changed his mind about her," Kirik commented, expression musing.

"What do you mean by that?" Anya asked rather sharply.

Kirik arched a brow at her tone then merely shrugged again.

"Tell me what you meant by that," Anya insisted.

Andi glanced anxiously at the two of them, and then back at Kael. "Is-is he going to hurt me?" She asked fearfully.

"What he does with you is none of my concern. He made that quite apparent already," he answered, darkly amused.

Kael frowned at the three of them, not liking to be left out of the loop. He lifted his head briefly in Kirik's direction, eyes questioning. Kirik spoke to him, pointing first at Anya then Andi. Kael pursed his lips with a sober expression before replying.

Kirik listened and then nodded at Andi, "he said you'll not be harmed unless you give him cause."

Anya paused in mid-step, stumbling in surprise, "you are speaking as if she belongs to him."

Kirik nodded again, "she does."

Anya stared, unsure if she'd heard him correctly. "I beg your pardon?"

He gave an exasperated sigh, "which word did you not understand?"

"She does not belong to anyone. Nor I," Anya said emphatically.

Kirik's tone was patronizing, "tell me, Pretty, if that were true then why are you here?"

"...I don't understand."

"Well surely if you were free to do as you choose, you'd most likely be back in your home and not here with us presently. Correct?"

The cold pit in her stomach began to ache as Anya realized what he was getting at. "W-what are you saying?"

"It's maddening to have to spell everything out for you, woman," he said, annoyed.

Anya felt despair threatening to close in again, "you're not going to let us return home, are you."

"If you were in my position, would you?"

Anya gulped and felt her eyes begin to sting with tears. "W-will you at least make it quick, then?"

He was puzzled, "make what quick?"

Anya looked at him miserably, "our deaths."

Andi had grown pale as the conversation wore on. At the word "deaths" her shoulders slumped and she buried her face in her hands.

"Stupid woman," Kirik snapped. "I never said I was going to kill you. I haven't decided what I shall do with you, if you must know. Now be quiet and lead on. I don't wish to discuss this further."

Some time passed in silence. Kael slowed his pace and fell back a bit until he was walking alongside his elder. The women had gone quiet again, trudging in front of them with their arms around each other. Kirik had given him a quick synopsis of their remaining conversation. He'd said nothing for awhile, thinking his options over.

"Brother," Kirik said pleasantly, acknowledging his presence .

"We must be close now, right?" Kael asked.

"Sooner or later we will arrive," Kirik replied evenly. He cast a sideways glance at his sibling, "so then, are you going to tell me about your sudden change of heart regarding the girl?"

Kael laced his fingers together behind his head and smiled reflectively. "We've some unfinished business now."

"Oh?"

Kael nodded nonchalantly but offered nothing else. After a moment, Kirik shrugged. "As you wish it."

"When we return victorious, I'm going to add her to my belongings. We shall have the first human slaves," Kael went on after a bit.

"Really?"

He nodded with determination, "it'll add to our status. Like you said; slaves are valuable."

Kirik nodded, "they are, yes. But recall, I said they are valuable depending on their usefulness. These two don't strike me as durable enough, especially in our society."

Kael offered a decidedly lecherous grin, "I don't know about that. I'm very creative; you know this. I've a feeling I could find a use or two for her."

Kirik suppressed a laugh. "I see. So she's no longer ugly, then?"

Kael seemed proud of his decision. "She is unique. No other man will have one like her in his harem. I will be envied," he said with satisfaction. "And you? Will you keep the other?"

Kirik was silent for a bit. "I don't know what I'll do with her."

"You still have issues with keeping servants of your own, don't you." Kael said. "I really don't understand it."

"They are a nuisance to take care of. They're worse than pets. You must provide food and shelter for them or they'll just perish. If I wanted to provide for another, I'd mate and have offspring. Too much trouble than they're worth in my opinion. I can manage my home well enough myself."

Kael mulled this over, "well, if you want, I'll look after her too."

Kirik's mouth thinned slightly, wondering why that had irked him, "you will, will you?"

Kael nodded, peering closely at his brother, "I wouldn't touch her, of course, just house her with the other servants. That way, she'll be close by in case you change your mind. Consider it a favor. Unless you just want to sell her off immediately, that is."

"I've already told you; I don't know what I'll do with her," he said curtly, a hint of impatience in his tone.

Kael put both of his hands up, "truce, brother. I concede. There, you see? I'm always thinking of you."

"You're a buffoon, do you realize that?"

"You've called me that so often, I thought it was my actual name as a child."

Kirik smiled despite himself, but for some reason, Kael's words wouldn't leave him. His eyes were drawn back to the woman in front of him. He imagined her in his home for a moment, preforming various chores. It was an odd vision and it wouldn't quite leave, even when he tried to banish it from his mind.

"But enough about the humans, we're becoming distracted," he said suddenly, voice harsh. "Best concentrate on the tasks at hand."

Kael's face grew very somber, and he nodded seriously. Then his mouth twitched, "now who's being defensive?"

He ducked as Kirik took a swing at him and jogged ahead out of reach.

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Translations:

Kraltz jhonta melitri! -- Don't touch that!

Url va haelonirl il zrut malot drotz. -- I am going to find them all.

Vhaka vria lur krilatirl il harlo? -- What were you doing to her?