Page 112 of Tiger's Trek
The knight gave him a flask and he drank deeply, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “What now?” he asked.
“Now it’s time for the blackbirds,” the knight said. “But this time we need them to collect the wheat and bring it to us so we can put it in bags.”
Danik mumbled a few lines and then seemed to settle. Before he began, Veru asked, “What are you going to say?”
“Something like, ‘Birds of black, collect the wheat, bring it back, stack it neat, fly true and swift, tilt and drift, so we can beat the bitter hag, by stuffing full our little bag.’”
“Good,” Veru said, putting her hands on his shoulders. “You can do this. You’ll keep them safe, just like the mice. All you need to do is remind them they’ve done it before. Help them remember.”
Danik began to play, and Veru could almost hear the words in her head as he fingered the notes and mouthed them to herself as he did, repeating them over and over. Soon she heard the cry of large blackbirds as they circled overhead, their gleaming eyes peering at them with great intelligence. Like the others, they landed on the ground and tilted their heads, listening to Danik’s song at first. Then, one by one, they took off for the field and began harvesting the wheat, but this time, the birds didn’t explode.
Sumerki quickly spread out a large piece of canvas, and the birds began dropping shafts of wheat onto it. Veru bent and began binding up the wheat into bundles. Once they were grouped together, she moved them aside and bound the next one and the next. It took several hours, but finally, all the wheat was harvested.
The birds finally left, and Veru collapsed next to Danik.
The knight gave them both water from his own flask. “That was very well done,” he said. “Why don’t you two take my horse home, and I’ll come along behind and bring the wheat with me.”
“Are you sure?” Veru said.
“I can handle it,” the knight promised. “I’ll have all of it there before morning.”
“Okay,” Danik said. “And thank you for your help.” He tried to hand the pipe back to the knight, but he wouldn’t take it.
“It’s yours,” he said. “I’ve no use for it. Clearly, such a thing was meant for you. Please, keep it with my regards.”
“Spasibo,” Danik said.
“Pozhaluysta. Safe returns and see you soon.”
“You as well,” Veru said.
The knight handed them the flasks containing the sesame seeds and the others full of rice, and with a wave of farewell, Danik and Veru galloped through the portal amid a clap of thunder and lightning, hoping they would make it back before Yuga.
Chapter27
ONE WHO SEES THE FUTURE WILL STILL MAKE THE SAME CHOICES
Nik realized at once that the Death Draughtsman’s men had gotten there first. His best and only hope was that Pasha and the sisters had managed to escape before they’d arrived. In case anyone had remained to watch for his arrival, he quickly used his tunic to turn invisible again and stole through the suite searching for clues.
Relieved to find no signs of blood, Nik was just about to leave when he caught sight of something small—tiny enough to be overlooked, especially when the room was being tossed over by men. It was a torn piece of Pushka’s veil. Picking it up, Nikolai rubbed it between his fingers, and a blurry image of Pasha appeared before him.
“Sorry we had to leave you, kid. Needed to get out in a hurry. No way to communicate our whereabouts and keep it secret like, without using my power on you. When you picked up the veil, it triggered something only you can access. Thing is, I had to give you a wee little curse to make it work. Won’t hurt or last too long, but you’ll be very thirsty for the next two days. Then your wiz will turn green and sort of pulpy for the next three. It’s one of my favorites. Used for those who cheat on their ladies. Always scares ’em straight. Least for a little while. Like I said, not to worry. Nothing permanent, and it won’t gum up your works, so to speak.
“Now, while I’m talkin’... get out of there. You shouldn’t have gone in my place. You probably saved my gal and her sister though. Appreciate it. Itoldhim I’d come to him. He’s notorious for changing the rules. I should have anticipated that.”
Nik kept his fingers pressed to the cloth and made his way out into the hall. Just in time, too, because as he did, four men dashed past his invisible form and barreled into the room, slashing every inch of the space with their swords. Clearly, they’d been told he could hide. The men looked different from the ones he’d seen in the compound. He wondered if the other men had all been hacked up and fed to the tigers. He shivered and carefully made his way back outside, listening to Pasha’s instructions.
He was to go to a caravan camp outside the Games on the far side of the mountain and search for a fortune teller named Lyudmila. Once he located her, he was to say he was searching for his brother, Gedeon Volkov. Nik smirked at that. Gedeon Volkov meant “mighty warrior.” It was just like Pasha to name himself something like that. Nikolai wondered whathissecret identity would be. Probably Mr. Danger-Always-Finds-Him, or perhaps Mr. I-Have-A-Target-On-My-Back. Honestly, it was likely more along the lines of “I’m-Already-Down-So-Go-Ahead-And-Kick-Me.”
Swallowing, Nik realized his mouth had gone dry. Never in his life had he been so parched. The curse was already at work. Still invisible, he stole two huge mugs of sbiten and drained them immediately, then headed to another stall and took two dippers of water from a barrel. That lasted him until he got outside the walls, where he suddenly had the pressing need to relieve himself, which he did behind a tree.
Thankfully, there was nobody around to hear his scream. “Painless?” he hissed. What came out of him was green all right. It reminded him of the mossy beard the tree spirit, Larix, wore. “That bloody, button-eyed, bitter blister.”
He groaned as he adjusted his pants, realizing he was now thirsty again. He could definitely see why this particular punishment was effective for curbing a man’s enthusiasm for straying. Nik was extremely uncomfortable. Cursing under his breath, he made his way around from camp to camp, trying and failing to look and act normal and becoming more desperate by the moment to scratch himself. He asked everyone who’d bother talking to him long enough if they knew of Lyudmila, and finally, he found someone who did. When he arrived at the formidable woman’s camp, she took one look at his miserable self and clucked her tongue.
Waggling her finger at him, she said, “I do not abide the cheaters. If you are asking me to soften the pain, I will not help you.”
“No. It’s not that.” Nik groaned, longing to clutch his privates. “I’m looking for my brother, Gedeon. Gedeon Volkov? That and a drink, if you have one. Water is fine.”
