Chapter 6 - Grand Company (Part 1)
As the first sun rose in the early autumn morning, Assilsasta woke blinking her eyes. She had fallen asleep sitting with Isaiah in her arms. She looked down at the snoring lutra boy leaning against her chest, so helpless and small. She locked her gaze on him, she felt the stone orb in her left socket roll faster as strange visions she did not understand passed before her. Blinking and shaking her head, she brought herself back to reality.From behind he the now familiar gravelly voice spoke. "The stone eyes of truth use power of their own. They show you vision of the past or future. With time you will learn to control what you see. For now, what you see will be confusing, even to me.""Why do I have this eye?" She asked while looking up at him."That was part of my original contract, and the link to my deeper power. While you hold the eye you are the key to my bindings. But this is not the time or place for such conversations. We must move on, I feel them coming.""We should look for anything of value, and two of the horses." she said looking at the boy once again, "We are bringing him with us." Nudging Isaiah lightly, "Wake up little one, we need to get ready to leave." Opening his eyes and looking up at her, Isaiah slowly got up and groggily walked away."I have taken everything of value off those left in the tent. There is no need to look there. We should gather what provisions we can carry. I do not know when we will next find such a convenient stock." Noroscureil suggested when he saw Isaiah stager away from Assilsasta toward the tent.Isaiah stopped as if recovering from a trance. Looking down he saw a discarded sword at his feet. Picking it up with both hands the massive weapon stood twice as tall as the two foot lutra pup. Struggling with the huge tool balanced on its blade he looked over at noroscureil, "Can you teach me to use this?"Looking down at the boy, "If you truly wish to learn, you must first find a blade you can lift." He reached down and took the sword from him, it suddenly becoming no more than a dagger in his hand. "Quickly, get what you can. They are drawing close.""Who are?" Isaiah asked.Locking his stone gaze on the lutra pup, "The one's that wish to take your queen." The stones in both Norscureil and Assilsasta's heads rolling in unison, their minds suddenly filled with the vision of a lutra clad in heavy armor, bathed in the blood of battle. "You wish to stay by her side, serve her, and protect her. You will do this thing, but first we must leave here."Nodding his head, Isaiah ran to the nearby carts and began to rummage through them. Shaking the vision out of her head, Assilsasta followed his lead.---The chill of the early autumn morning hung in the air as the twin reptilians huddled close to the fire, frills fully expanded to gather as much of the head as possible. Both sluggish from the cold night in the
camp. Their slender scaled bodies intertwined to share what little body heat their cold blooded forms managed to hold. The camp around them was silent, having yet to come to life while the inhabitants Seven ornate vardo living wagons formed a rough circle only a few yard or so from the main road. The two sat up watching the horses hitched to a line on a nearby group or trees. Metkatho looked up from his sister's side at one of the wagons, "When will that bear wake up? I am freezing."The door of the wagon swung open revealing a large albino gyas, distant relative of the western bears. He hunched over to fit into the confined wagon, draped over his milky white fur was the coat of a tailed tuxedo. He wore the matching pants, with a white shirt in one hand and a hothorn staff in the other. He let out a growled and flinched when the sun broke through the trees directly into his eyes."About damned time, Marco. You can't go into hibernation yet." Metkatho glared as best he could at the seven foot tall bear. "You know what these hours are like for us."Looking back he grumbled, "And whose choice is it to always sit through his sister shit, even after his own?"Metkatho displayed his Frill and hissed at Marco. His sister slapped his shoulder, "You go warm the bed for us, I have to talk to Marco."He left them by the warmth of the fire to the closets of the vardo wagons. It was painted green and decorated with carvings of vines, leaves, and lizards. The five foot reptilian ducked into the wagon and slammed the door behind him.Metkatha looked up at Marco, "Leoric has not returned from Lamenthra, so we don't know if we have work yet. The fire is nice and warm and no one has even made a sound, not that the shadows ever do in daylight" she said as she glanced over at a darkly painted vardo wagon covered with flame and demon carvings. "And I guess it is your turn to tame the clowns." A smile crossed her face as she saw the wince cross his.Dropping his weight on one of the logs closest to the fire, "You had better tame that tongue of your brother's or he might lose it one of these days." He leaned forward on his cane, still in a half sleep.Leaning against his soft fur and rapping her slender scaled arms as far around him as they could reach, "You know how he is this time of year, I just have to get him warmed back up and he will be fine." She sat for a moment reveling in the warmth radiating from his core. "You Be careful, Cassi said she heard some strange beasts last night." with the word of caution she stood and made her way to the vardo where her brother was, closing the door quietly.---Isaiah rummaged through what must have been the cook cart, filling a back with hard bread and cured meats. Assilsasta, behind him, filled several wineskins with the content of barrels that had already been taped. They brought their final prizes out to the horses so Noroscureil
could tie them down on one. Using a discarded crate as a step up, Assilsasta mounted the unburdened horse, taking a side-saddle position she had learned to ride in. Noroscureil lifted the lutra pup in one hand and place him on the saddle behind her. Isaiah instantly wrapped his arms around her waist as he saw the distance off the ground. He had never been on a horse before as his people did not often travel.Looking over her shoulder at him, Assilsasta asked, "Are you scared? Its ok, I was too when I first started to ride. Don't worry, we'll take it slowly, just hold onto me."Noroscureil then tied the long lead from the back horse to the saddle horn. Taking the reins in hand she coaxed the horse into the woods, away from the mainroad. Shortly after getting started, she readjusted herself, straddling the horse as the saddle was design for, nearly knocking Isaiah off the beast. Catching hold of him with one hand, she worked hard to keep the skirt of her dress from riding up revealing her lack of undergarments. Once everything was settled into place, Isaiah held tight and leaning against her back looking out in the new forest. He was now set on a new adventure, into a world he never imagined. The stories of heroes echoing in his mind, and the possibilities of what might await him almost driving out the loss. As his mind wandered, the image of his mother's smile and the smell of fresh fried fish invaded his consciousness, but were quickly replaced with the sounds of screams and look of terror on her face. Closing his eyes and holding in as much as he could, he began to cry. Tears rolling down his cheek into Asslisastas back, he quietly sobes, not wanting to look weak to his new friend, and master.----Marco sat hunched toward the fire eyes locked on the brightly colored vardo wagon that sat under a large tree. Once he was sure he saw no movement out of the rodents' mini-camp he returned his attention to the age leather book in his hand, He scratched a few archaic symbols into a pocket sized book he balance on his knee. Slapping the book shut in his hand, he rubbed his temples and sighed. "What's wrong now, brother bear?" a soft voice came from behind him.Nearly jumping out of his skin, Marco grabbed his staff and twisted to see the five foot tall cream colored felis standing behind him wrapped in dark robe. Her long Black hair hanging down to the center of her back, a black-and-white horned oni mask was raised on top of her head, away from her face. Her hazel eyes met his bright red eyes. "Dammit Demy, where the hell did you come from? You about gave me a heart attack." he said while dramatically to clutch his chest.Her shadow expanding round her, "That can be arranged... if you want." two shadow hands reaching out toward him."I am just surprised to see BOTH of you out in the daylight is all. Come warm up by the fire." he said patting the log next to him, with a
mischievous grin on his face. "Maybe you can help me with those guys." he pointed over at the vardo he was watching.The shadows retreated under her robe. "You can have that." she proclaimed while turning back to her black vardo and silently moving away.As the latch clicked into place a chattering sound erupted from the tree by the colorful cart . Marco's attention is pulled over to that location. Several multi-colored sciurus came rushingout of the tree, their natural red fur dyed every color of the rainbow. They each had wildly colored faces, some with random colored spots all over their bodies, none of them wearing a stitch of clothing to cover their two foot tall frames.Their chattering shattered the peace of the autumn morning, whether speaking a known language of some code between them; the sounds came too rapidly to discern any conversation. Entering and exiting the vardo through the doors or windows, the actual number of these small rodents was undisguisable. Marco was relieved as the rainbow blur of squirrel kin seemed to confine their activities to only the one verdo. He sat and watched in mild amusement as nut, barriers, and unknown shiny objects were tossed back-and-forth and fought over. How Leoric got the little thieves to agree to forming a clown act for his traveling show was beyond Marco. Though their new bright colors made them so much easier to spot with in the camp itself... for the most part.The door of a natural wood colored vardo flung open as a small rainbow puff of fur was launched through the air. "GET OUT!!!" rang from within. The head of the young hystrix peaked out, the narrow strip of quills flattened down to her head. her piercing brown eyes looked over at Marco before disappearing back into the vardo and shutting the door. As the youngest member of the company, Cassidy mostly kept to herself, coming out for her show and when Leoric was in camp.Marco sighed as he slumped down further on the log. "Sometimes I think you guys are more trouble than you're worth." he muttered under his breath.----Leoric rode back toward the caravan camp, disappointed that he was unable to even get in to see anyone about performing for the young princess' birthday. He hated the line the guard gave him; an attack on Lamenthra was unheard of. And closing the city gate was even more unusual. The moderate city was a trading route hub. He scratched the coarse brown fur over his eyes as he pondered the situation. It had been weeks since they last found work, and the supplies were running low. Digging his long badger claws in just a little too hard, he winced and drew a little blood. He had to figure out their next move if he wanted to keep them all feed. With winter fast approaching, jobs were not going to be any easier to find. There was always the option he despised above all else, rent out the troops as caravan guards. It was noble work, but with the new young member, he
was iffy about putting them in danger. Sure she was skilled with a sword on the stage, but how would she fare in real combat if it arose?Shaking his head and talking to himself aloud, "What the hell is happening these days? We have never been turned away from here. Lamenthra is almost our bread and butter stop before winter."Taking hold of the reins he coaxed his horse into a trot, "I had better get this bad news over with. Poor Marco will have to just deal with no nights out. "He forced the horse into a hard ride, just the feel the cold autumn air rush through his thick fur, a sensation he always found exhilarating.