Page 42 of Tiger's Tale
Before he left, Danik picked up Nik’s leg and dragged him over to the fire, not caring that the inert man’s head hit several rocks on the way. Danik only turned the fallen man over when Veru stood next to him, making a sort of whining noise. “Fine,” he said when it was done. “I can’t move the tiger, but I think she’ll be fine. I’ll even put some snow in the pot for the grand mag-ass’stea and fill the hole I dug next to it again with snow for you tigers to drink from. If he wakes up”—he gestured with his hands—“nudge him toward the teapot with a claw to his backside or something.”
As he headed out, Danik stopped to pick up Nikolai’s magic boots and then chucked them hard at Nik’s feet. They landed, bouncing on the bare ground of the hollowed-out spot where they’d slept the night before, next to the listless man to whom they belonged. Veru laid down next to Nik to keep him warm, watching as Danik disappeared.
Once the fire was going again, it was quite warm. Soon all was silent, and it began to snow. The hole was now full of melting snow, and the teapot was bubbling, leaving Veru with nothing to do but guard her sister and friend, watch for Danik’s return, and think.
Within a few hours, her young hunter returned with a medium-sized boar. Veru knew that his kill was not something he’d caught in a trap but something he’d hunted on his own. It didn’t take him long to cut his catch into sections and set some meat roasting over the fire. He cut up several pieces for her and then placed more by Stacia.
The scent of fresh meat was enough to rouse her sister, and Stacia began licking the food. At first with her eyes closed, and then she managed to swallow a few bites. Invigorated, she lifted her head and took more, gulping down her meal in large pieces until every bit was gone. After a while, she got up on shaky legs and walked over to the fire to drink deeply of snowmelt.
Nik had also roused at the scent of food but had to wait a bit for it to finish cooking. Danik, with an expression of great aggravation, thrust a tin mug of hot tea into Nik’s shaking hands. He sipped the steaming brew at first, then began gulping it in earnest and refilled the cup. When Danik passed him a large plate of meat, he didn’t even say, “Thank you,” or take the offered utensil. He just lifted large portions to his lips with his fingers and chewed and swallowed as quickly as possible, the grease dripping down his chin and fingers.
Danik watched him across the fire with a look of disgust, picked up a fork, and began picking at his own plate. His eyes kept darting to Veru, and Nik and Veru could see they were loaded with questions, but Danik kept them contained, at least for the moment. Instead, he watched them in silence, preferring to observe instead.
After Nik polished off several helpings of roast boar, he finally sat back with a sigh and placed his hand on Veru’s back. “Thank you for the food,” he said formally. “I... apologize for my actions of before. I did not mean to accuse you of anything. My only excuse is that our trip has been harrowing. I have a duty, you see, and... anyway...” He trailed off as the golden tiger rose and moved out of his reach.
The young man had begun stroking her head and back, and apparently, she wasn’t having it. She still hadn’t come around to Danik’s side of the fire, but as the hunter lifted the fork to his mouth, he couldn’t help the smile that lifted the corners of it. He chewed and mumbled, “A duty. Right.”
“Yes,” Nik echoed sharply. “A duty. In my worry to find Veru, I forgot the toll traveling so far so fast takes on our bodies.” Turning to glare at the golden tiger, Nik scolded, “We’ve crossed the entire Siberian taiga looking for you. I hope you’re happy with yourself.”
The golden tiger wrinkled her nose in a snarl. She appeared to be very unhappy with the man. Danik, though still puzzled as to their exact relationship, felt his hackles rise and his temper flare. He set down his own mug of tea, and said sharply, “I’m certainshe didn’tmeanto leave you. Especially as seeing you’re such a charming fellow and all. Not that I have an obligation to tell you, but for your information, when I found her, she was caught in a trap. She’s very lucky she healed from her injury. It was quite an awful experience for her, in fact.”
This seemed to have an effect on the young man. He actually winced and began speaking softly to the golden tiger, saying things Danik could not hear but wished he could. Then, more loudly, Nik said, “Yes. Well. I’m just glad we found her. We thank you for your help, sir. Perhaps if you can give us your name and residence, we can see to it that you receive a commendation of some type when our task is completed.”
Danik snorted and shook his head in disbelief just as he felt the press of a large animal behind him. “Well, hello there,” he said, grinning at the big red tiger. Stacia was nudging his bag, looking for more food. “Here you go,” he said, holding out his plate. “You can finish mine. I’m full anyway.”
She took a hunk of meat gently from his plate and dropped it into the snow beside him, settling herself down next to him. Then he slid cooked boar ribs in front of her, which she grabbed between her paws. They, too, were gone quickly, and when they were, she rolled to her side sleepily, her tail flicking back and forth.
Carefully, Danik lifted a hand and touched her back. Stacia lifted her head and glanced at him, curious, but then laid back down, eyes shut. Within a moment, she began to purr. “How marvelous!” Danik said. “You purr as well.” At the same time there came a sharp, low, rumbling growl from the golden tiger. Her dark gray eyes were fixed on Danik’s hand as if she wanted to eat it right off his arm.
“All right,” Danik said, raising his hands, with a grin and a wink at the golden tiger. “I get the message.”
Nik narrowed his gaze on one tiger and the other and then on the stranger seated across the fire. “So,” he began again. “As I said, we’d like to thank you for your help and hospitality. If it’s not an imposition, we’d like to stay here overnight and then head out on our journey in the morning. We’re quite a distance from where we were headed.”
“Oh? Where were you headed?” Danik asked.
“That’s none of your concern, peasant,” Nik snapped rudely.
The golden tiger growled, baring her teeth at Nik.
Grimacing, Nik said, “That is, what I meant to say was, while we are very grateful for the sacrifices you’ve made on our behalf, we’re on official business, so if you could try to curtail your natural curiosity, we’d appreciate it.” The tiger’s chest rumbled again. He continued. “And rest assured, I’ll be certain to take down your name and information so you can be sent a more than generous compensation for any losses you’ve incurred.” He turned to the tiger. “Will that do?”
The golden tiger turned away from him and began licking her paw.
“I see,” Danik replied. He gave Nik a tight smile and a nod. Dusting his hands, he rose and explained, “Well, it’s fine with me if you all want to camp here another night. Since I’m just a... peasant, I wouldn’t expect to have much say in such things anyway. As such, I’m just going to go gather some more firewood for the night. If, of course, that is acceptable to the grand mag-ass?”
Danik gave a tight, crisp bow and a flourish, and when Nik didn’t even notice the insult but just nodded and began rummaging in his pack, Danik laughed softly. When he was ten or so paces away, he turned around and added, “Oh, I forgot. Tsarevna Anastasia, would you like to come with me? There are wolves in this area, and the thought occurs to me that I might need a protector. If not, and you’re still feeling fatigued, then perhaps the tsarevna Verusha might wish to accompany me instead?”
Both tigers immediately rose from their positions and trotted after him while Danik stood there, feet planted in the snow with a wide, knowing smile on his face. Nik stopped his rummaging, his face turning bright red with anger, but he didn’t seem capable of response. With both tigers at his heels, Danik turned, whistling, and headed off into the trees, followed by his companions.
When he returned, still whistling, he set his armful of wood and kindling down near the fire and began adding more sticks to the crackling flames. When he was positioned across the fire once more, staring at the obviously livid man across from him, he took out his favorite hunting knife and began sharpening it. “Perhaps you and I should start again. It appears that unlike you, I was taught good manners. As such, introductions are in order. My name is Danik Andronovich. I’m a hunter and a musician. I don’t expect you to shake my hand in friendship at this point, nor do I seek a reward for doing the right thing.”
Pausing, Danik set down his sharpening stone, reached out, and placed his hand on the golden tiger’s neck, then pointed the tip of his knife at Nik. “But I will have you understand that I would have saved her regardless of her title—rich or poor, old or young, human or animal.
“Now, as for you, I still haven’t figured out who or what you are. For all I know, you are the one who did this to them. Whatisclear to me is that you possess a magic of some sort. Whether that magic is good or evil remains to be seen. I don’t consider myself qualified to make such a determination. And I don’t trust you to tell me the truth either.”
Danik picked up the stone and began sharpening his knife again. He glanced at both tigers, who were now solidly on his side of the fire. “I’m not certain how they feel on the matter. On the surface, it appears as if they mean you no harm, but for all I know they could be”—he waved his knife in Nik’s direction—“ensorcelled to obey you. So, until I am satisfied as to what your intentions are with these two creatures, who appear to answer to the names of our royal tsarevnas, I don’t intend to let you or them out of my sight.”
Nik was so angry he could barely speak. But he swallowed it down, much in the way he did when he dealt with his father oh so very long ago. If the twins hadn’t been watching him at that very moment, he’d kill the hunter. It would be too easy. He’d slip on the boots, grab the man’s own hunting knife, and slit his throat. But then he looked at Veru. At the way her eyes never left the lean hunter’s face. He knew he couldn’t. She’d know. She’d never forgive him. Nik’s hands tightened into fists.
