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."I agree." He gathered up the remains of their food and threw it out."Shall we go elsewhere?" He held out a hand to help Ivan up, and was slow to let it go as they walked back to their room.They paused as they passed the third door on the right side, and Ivan looked in to see that Raz was still buried in his bed, all but dead.Biting back the urge to say something, knowing there was nothing that would help, Ivan quietly closed the door and continued to the next door, letting Ailill close it.He collapsed onto the bed nearest the window, the first time he'd really laid down since they'd dragged Raz into town and gotten him to lie down.Now they couldn't get him out of bed.Used to sleeping alone, it was startling but immediately appealing when Ailill lay down next to him, arm sliding around him to tug Ivan close.Lips feathered across his cheek, teeth nipped at his nose, and Ivan opened immediately when Ailill finallygave him a proper kiss.He tasted like sweet tea and green things, a flavor Ivan realized was inseparable from theHighlander.He buried on hand in soft hair and held him close, half-afraid that if he let go, he'd realize he was dreaming.file:///H|/NOVEL/New%20novel/2.htm[9/25/2009 10:21:36 AM]AmaSour Fiction"You're dangerous, Highlander.""I could say the same for you, merc," Ailill said.He gave Ivan another long, slow kiss."We should rest."Ivan nodded and pressed closer, curling into Ailill like it was the most natural thing to do, unsettled at how well they seemed to fit.When they woke, they would have to work on Raz, and the sisters, and figure out how to steal fire feathers.But fornow, he was more than content to let it fall away, and for a few hours enjoy what he'd never thought he'd have."So how precisely does one go about getting a fire feather?" Ailill asked, tugging playfully at Ivan's hair.Ivan slid him a thoughtful glance."Why do I sense that you could simply walk in and ask?""Hardly," Ailill said."It would take them months simply to get over the scandal and outrage." He let go of Ivan's hair and laid back down, wrapping an arm around Ivan's waist, curling up against him."I'd just come out of it with a lot of trouble and no fire feather."Shaking his head, curious but not dumb enough to think Ailill would explain, Ivan kept to the matter at hand."Fire feathers are used by priests and a handful of specially-appointed nobles and soldiers," Ivan said."Obviously the feathers are in the palace then, it's just a matter of where exactly.Perhaps the Cathedral? Or an office, I suppose…"Ailill nodded."Finding out that exact location is going to be as difficult as the theft itself.""A pity Raz is out of it; he always said he'd never attempt a palace job but I know he's just always wanted a good excuse to try." Ivan drummed his fingers on the table."I don't know of another group that'd be up for it.Not when we've got such a small window of time to work in.""Just over two weeks, yes?" Ailill asked softly."Yeah." Unconsciously Ivan pressed a hand to his chest, where the pain had subsided to a steady throb.Just painful enough he never forgot it was there - as if he could anyway."We need Raz…" Heaving a sigh, Ivan disentangled himself from the bed and Ailill and tugged his boots back on, coming a hand through his hair as he walked to the door.He rapped sharply on the door of Raz's room, then shoved it open - only to find the bed empty."He's gone," he said as Ailill appeared beside him."Where did he go?""A good question," Ailill said pensively."Hopefully not to do something stupid."Frowning, Ivan immediately turned and all but ran down the stairs and out the door.Weaving his way through narrow,crowded streets he didn't slow until he reached the pavilion.Ailill appeared at his side a moment later, and Ivan movedforward again, crossing to where two familiar women stood talking quietly to each other."Where'd he go?" Ivan demanded.Shio shrugged."Away.He said he'd be back.""You just let him walk off in the state he's in? What if he tries something stupid?" Like revenge.Ivan could see Raz doing that - it was the quiet ones like him who always got loudest when pushed too far.Shinju rolled her eyes."Since when did you become our leader? Anyway, unless the priests have moved their work to theharbors, we've got nothing to fear.""The harbors?" Ivan frowned."Why would he go there?""Storms if I know," Shio said."He hates water.But he told us to stay here, and he said he'd be back.Now unless you have something useful to say, we're going to go check out the palace."Ivan blinked."What?""How in the Storms' names else are we going to break into the palace?" Shinju looked slyly at Ailill."Unless the Beast wants to tell us."Ailill glared."Leave it, daughters of the dragons.""This is why we hate gods," Ivan said, rolling his eyes."Those of you that take them seriously are all idiots." He left them standing there glaring to find food.When he returned a moment later, whatever they hadn't been saying to each otherseemed to have settled."So what's the plan?"file:///H|/NOVEL/New%20novel/2.htm[9/25/2009 10:21:36 AM]AmaSour Fiction"We'll see what we can learn about the palace," Shio said."You tried to help us with Pechal…" she fell silent a moment, but shook herself after a moment, "the least we can do is help you.I think Raz will, once he…puts himself back together." She reached out to find Shinju's hand, clasping it tightly.Ivan sighed, then forced his somber thoughts aside.He gave the sisters a smile."So how do two women such asyourselves get anywhere near the palace? Or even to the south end of town.""Human," Shinju sniffed, "we've been around longer than you can imagine.We've picked up a few tricks.Figuring out where in the palace those feathers are won't be hard at all." She gave a sudden smile, and Ivan had the strange idea that hesuddenly knew what a shark was."We'll meet you back here this evening, and dinner is on you." With a wink, the sisters departed.Something they said finally hit him."What did they mean 'human' - they're not?" He glared at their backs, barely noticing when Ailill stole a bit of bread straight from his fingers.Ailill chuckled."You should be flattered, Firelander." He stole another piece of bread as Ivan tore it from the small loaf he'd bought, sucking briefly on Ivan's fingers."Mermaids have not been seen on land for hundreds of years.Even my peoplethought they had passed into legend." He looked thoughtfully at the two women as they vanished from the pavilion."Peculiar that they have chosen to reappear in Pozhar, and now of all times…" His lips curved in amusement."Doing something for their father indeed.""Whatever," Ivan said."I don't care [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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."I agree." He gathered up the remains of their food and threw it out."Shall we go elsewhere?" He held out a hand to help Ivan up, and was slow to let it go as they walked back to their room.They paused as they passed the third door on the right side, and Ivan looked in to see that Raz was still buried in his bed, all but dead.Biting back the urge to say something, knowing there was nothing that would help, Ivan quietly closed the door and continued to the next door, letting Ailill close it.He collapsed onto the bed nearest the window, the first time he'd really laid down since they'd dragged Raz into town and gotten him to lie down.Now they couldn't get him out of bed.Used to sleeping alone, it was startling but immediately appealing when Ailill lay down next to him, arm sliding around him to tug Ivan close.Lips feathered across his cheek, teeth nipped at his nose, and Ivan opened immediately when Ailill finallygave him a proper kiss.He tasted like sweet tea and green things, a flavor Ivan realized was inseparable from theHighlander.He buried on hand in soft hair and held him close, half-afraid that if he let go, he'd realize he was dreaming.file:///H|/NOVEL/New%20novel/2.htm[9/25/2009 10:21:36 AM]AmaSour Fiction"You're dangerous, Highlander.""I could say the same for you, merc," Ailill said.He gave Ivan another long, slow kiss."We should rest."Ivan nodded and pressed closer, curling into Ailill like it was the most natural thing to do, unsettled at how well they seemed to fit.When they woke, they would have to work on Raz, and the sisters, and figure out how to steal fire feathers.But fornow, he was more than content to let it fall away, and for a few hours enjoy what he'd never thought he'd have."So how precisely does one go about getting a fire feather?" Ailill asked, tugging playfully at Ivan's hair.Ivan slid him a thoughtful glance."Why do I sense that you could simply walk in and ask?""Hardly," Ailill said."It would take them months simply to get over the scandal and outrage." He let go of Ivan's hair and laid back down, wrapping an arm around Ivan's waist, curling up against him."I'd just come out of it with a lot of trouble and no fire feather."Shaking his head, curious but not dumb enough to think Ailill would explain, Ivan kept to the matter at hand."Fire feathers are used by priests and a handful of specially-appointed nobles and soldiers," Ivan said."Obviously the feathers are in the palace then, it's just a matter of where exactly.Perhaps the Cathedral? Or an office, I suppose…"Ailill nodded."Finding out that exact location is going to be as difficult as the theft itself.""A pity Raz is out of it; he always said he'd never attempt a palace job but I know he's just always wanted a good excuse to try." Ivan drummed his fingers on the table."I don't know of another group that'd be up for it.Not when we've got such a small window of time to work in.""Just over two weeks, yes?" Ailill asked softly."Yeah." Unconsciously Ivan pressed a hand to his chest, where the pain had subsided to a steady throb.Just painful enough he never forgot it was there - as if he could anyway."We need Raz…" Heaving a sigh, Ivan disentangled himself from the bed and Ailill and tugged his boots back on, coming a hand through his hair as he walked to the door.He rapped sharply on the door of Raz's room, then shoved it open - only to find the bed empty."He's gone," he said as Ailill appeared beside him."Where did he go?""A good question," Ailill said pensively."Hopefully not to do something stupid."Frowning, Ivan immediately turned and all but ran down the stairs and out the door.Weaving his way through narrow,crowded streets he didn't slow until he reached the pavilion.Ailill appeared at his side a moment later, and Ivan movedforward again, crossing to where two familiar women stood talking quietly to each other."Where'd he go?" Ivan demanded.Shio shrugged."Away.He said he'd be back.""You just let him walk off in the state he's in? What if he tries something stupid?" Like revenge.Ivan could see Raz doing that - it was the quiet ones like him who always got loudest when pushed too far.Shinju rolled her eyes."Since when did you become our leader? Anyway, unless the priests have moved their work to theharbors, we've got nothing to fear.""The harbors?" Ivan frowned."Why would he go there?""Storms if I know," Shio said."He hates water.But he told us to stay here, and he said he'd be back.Now unless you have something useful to say, we're going to go check out the palace."Ivan blinked."What?""How in the Storms' names else are we going to break into the palace?" Shinju looked slyly at Ailill."Unless the Beast wants to tell us."Ailill glared."Leave it, daughters of the dragons.""This is why we hate gods," Ivan said, rolling his eyes."Those of you that take them seriously are all idiots." He left them standing there glaring to find food.When he returned a moment later, whatever they hadn't been saying to each otherseemed to have settled."So what's the plan?"file:///H|/NOVEL/New%20novel/2.htm[9/25/2009 10:21:36 AM]AmaSour Fiction"We'll see what we can learn about the palace," Shio said."You tried to help us with Pechal…" she fell silent a moment, but shook herself after a moment, "the least we can do is help you.I think Raz will, once he…puts himself back together." She reached out to find Shinju's hand, clasping it tightly.Ivan sighed, then forced his somber thoughts aside.He gave the sisters a smile."So how do two women such asyourselves get anywhere near the palace? Or even to the south end of town.""Human," Shinju sniffed, "we've been around longer than you can imagine.We've picked up a few tricks.Figuring out where in the palace those feathers are won't be hard at all." She gave a sudden smile, and Ivan had the strange idea that hesuddenly knew what a shark was."We'll meet you back here this evening, and dinner is on you." With a wink, the sisters departed.Something they said finally hit him."What did they mean 'human' - they're not?" He glared at their backs, barely noticing when Ailill stole a bit of bread straight from his fingers.Ailill chuckled."You should be flattered, Firelander." He stole another piece of bread as Ivan tore it from the small loaf he'd bought, sucking briefly on Ivan's fingers."Mermaids have not been seen on land for hundreds of years.Even my peoplethought they had passed into legend." He looked thoughtfully at the two women as they vanished from the pavilion."Peculiar that they have chosen to reappear in Pozhar, and now of all times…" His lips curved in amusement."Doing something for their father indeed.""Whatever," Ivan said."I don't care [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]