The further south we traveled, the warmer it got. We were headed in the right direction and I didn't need the stars to tell me so, I could smell the ocean in the air. Though we were still perhaps a few days from any beach, the sent was too familiar for me to miss.
I rode atop Friend or walked beside him as we traveled. Demaren flew mostly, coming down to check on me every so often. When he stayed to talk, I noticed his stride was--not slow--deliberate. I noticed his feet were shaped differently than mine. He walked almost constantly on the balls of his feet, like a cat, and one of his toes had migrated toward his heal. Remembering that he had mentioned living in trees, I guessed that the evolution was for better grip on branches.
During the day we didn't talk too much, with Demaren flying high over head. Sometimes I couldn't even spot him, he was so high. So I talked with Friend instead.
"He seems, nice. Don't you think?" I had asked the hop on our first day.
Friend snorted, turning to look at me with one eye on the side of his large head.
"Just an observation," I said, shrugging. Friend was possibly the most intuitive animal I had ever come across.
Every now and then, Demaren would come down from the sky with something in hand for me to look at.
"It's an Ivy Blossom," I said when Demaren brought me several pretty, five petaled flowers. It was a faded sort of blue color.
I took it from his large hand. "See? If you break off the tip where the stem meets the flower--" I broke off the remaining stem then held the flower to my lips "--and suck at the back, nectar comes out."
I smiled at his expression when he copied me, his eyes wide.
When we had nearly made ourselves sick with nectar, I took the empty flowers in my lap and pulled out a string from my fraying slave shirt.
"Watch," I said, stringing several of the flowers together on three separate pieces of string.
I motioned with a finger for Demaren to come closer and tied one of the strings around his neck. He blinked, surprised and lifting the flower necklace to inspect as I tied one around mine and Friend's neck.
It was fun. Everything here was new to Demaren and I loved watching his expressions when I showed him creative things to do with simple items. It reminded me of when Berrik and I were children and we would play at the edge of the Veil, the thick rain forest that ran the length of the easter cost in Gaea. If I thought about it much, it made me sad. But it was hard to sulk when Demaren kept bringing me new things from the forest. Besides, he would ask what was wrong if I looked anything but happy. There was no reason to burden him when he was kindly escorting me out of the wilderness. I could probably find him a map if we came to any of the gypsy towns or caravans of Ellipt, then he could go on his way. The thought made me a little sad, but it was the right thing to do.
"What do you think?" I asked Friend as I walked next to him.
I held up the acorn string for him to look at. Demaren was flying high over head. Friend gave a slight whicker, sniffed at it, and took a chomp.
"Hey!" I said, mildly cuffing his head.
He only acted properly dejected for a moment, then continued happily eating my current craft project.
"I guess I'll take it as a compliment," I muttered, scratching the spot where I had pretended to hit him.
His head bobbed on his long neck, as if he was nodding. Which was ridiculous. Hops weren't supposed to nod, though I was beginning to think they might. When he finished he craned his neck to look at the sky between the trees. The wooded areas were thinning a little now, and we couldn't be more than a day from the sea. The ground soil had become a little sandy, too.
I patted Friend's back.
"I'm sure he'll be down soon," I told him.
The animal had taken a liking to Demaren, and visa verse. It was interesting to watch them "talk" when they thought I wasn't looking. Demaren brought objects for the hop to inspect as well. Sometimes he would randomly pick up things around our campsite and hold them out for the hop to smell. Friend would make different reactions to the things, funny hop-faces for things he didn't like and sometimes eating the things he did like enthusiastically.
Friend shook his mane out of his eyes, looked up at the sky again, and gave a huff through his nostrils.
"Impatient, aren't we?" I asked him, stroking his neck to calm him down.
He seemed to grumble at me.
"Well, I can't help it," I said. "Besides, we can't get too attached. What if he has to leave?"
The hop looked at me now, almost skeptically.
"I won't hold him back," I said firmly. "He hasn't said much, but think it's important he gets where he's going. Soon."
Friend gave a snort.
"Oh! Stop acting like you know everything!" I snapped at him.
He made a sound that could be almost mistaken for a chuckle. I pursed my lips and refused to look at him.
A shadow passed over me and I looked up to see Demaren circling in for a landing. The sight sometimes still took me by surprise; his huge gold tipped wings contrasting with the tanned skin of his bare chest. He seemed to dislike shirts in general, and it must have been common in Tovsyla to go without them, so I tried not to stare. I also tried not to guess at what the women wore, or didn't wear. Though I was happy to have the freedom of dress that my grandmother and Gaea custom had not allowed, I could hardly think of that kind of freedom.
Demaren landed lightly on the other side of Friend with a gust of wind as his feet touched the ground. I smiled at him.
"I was making you something with the acorns you brought me," I said, "but Friend ate it."
"...He what?! Hey!" he said to Friend, frowning at the animal. Friend chomped at the remaining acorn left in his mouth. "Next time she makes you something, I'm going to eat it."
I tried not to laugh as he sulked.
"How was your flight?" I asked, trying for casual.
"Lonely," he said without thinking. I blinked, not sure what to say, but he went on like it didn't matter. "I saw the beach, we're going in the right direction. But there's a huge..." He stopped to circle his arms around in the air to try and convey what he meant, but I was at a loss. "There's a huge... I don't even know what it is."
He looked at me for help, but without further description I had no idea what he was talking about. I bit my lip.
"Um. Are we talking an animal, a thing...? Are there more than one? I need something to go on."
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, a gesture I was beginning to associate with him, and gave a huff.
"There's more than one. There's colors. And they're that way," he pointed, "and--I will just show you!"
I was so wrapped up in watching him try to express himself that I hardly noticed what he meant until something large and solid lifted me off the ground. Demaren had taken off without warning and plucked me from the earth like an afterthought. I must have squeaked, because Demaren held me closer as I threw my arms around his neck.
"Uh. Okay. Um. We're flying. Great. Flying..." I muttered, not daring to look away from where my arms meet at his skin. I heard a high pitched whinny from somewhere far below me.
Demaren chuckled.
"Don't laugh while you're flying!" I squeaked, as if that would make a difference.
"You forget," he said, over the wind rushing passed us. "You're safer up here with me than you would be down there on the ground."
I gulped and glanced up to his light coppery eyes and gave a nervous laugh.
"I know someone with four legs that might disagree," I muttered, looking away.
"Depends who you trust more," he murmured, looking out and away.
For a moment I tried looking at my surroundings. It was not a good idea. I squirmed a little, trying to get closer to Demaren's side if at all possible. His arms tightened and I could feel all the wiry muscles in his arms around me. It was somewhat comforting. As I looked up at him, I saw his eyes narrow for a second, then he spun around in mid air (making me squeak again) and shifted me so that I sat on his shoulder.
"Oh. My." I whispered, clutching his head which was now pressed to my side. His arms were secure around my legs and middle, though.
He pointed to the distance, peeking out from under my arms. "There."
I followed his arm, trying not to look directly down. About half way to the horizon, close to the cost, was a circular display of colorful objects. I squinted, bringing a hand up to shade my eyes without thinking.
"It's a gypsy caravan," I said finally. I could see the tents and festive rooftops of their traveling houses. "They're everywhere in Ellipt. They travel around mostly and have houses on wheels."
"Oh," he said thoughtfully.
Absentmindedly I looked down from where I sat and immediately regretted it. My legs seized up and I lost my breath.
"Is that something we want to avoid?" Demaren asked, still looking at the caravan. When I didn't say anything he glanced up at me and took in my expression. "Oh."
He swung me down into the safety of his arms, holding me close to his chest. I felt our bodies dropping steadily and I left my stomach somewhere in the heights of the sky. Before I realized what happened, we were on the ground again. Demaren set me gently on my feet.
Friend was at my side instantly as I let myself sink to the blessed earth. I patted the ground with both hands and attempted to breathe normally.
"You'll get more used to it," Demaren assured me over Friends inspecting snuffles, "I promise."
I looked up at him with wide, confused eyes. "Used to it?"
He went from paling to bright red for some reason. "That's not what I meant."
"What?" I asked, not knowing what he was talking about.
"Never mind," he muttered, looking away.
I couldn't comprehend his expression at the moment. I was too busy thanking any and all earth goddesses I could think of.
"So, what are we doing?" he asked quickly.
I shook my head to clear it and looked around, "Now? Oh. The caravan. We should be fine to go in. But you can fly over it and meet Friend and I after we get through."
Demaren thought for a moment. "All right."
We agreed to meet a little ways beyond the caravan as long as I went through as quickly as possible.
After Demaren took to the skies again, I hopped into my seat on Friend's back. He trotted along at a steady pace, faster than if I had been walking beside him. As we rode, I began to clean myself up. If we didn't want to make a scene with the gypsies, I had to look as non-slave-like as possible.
With little effort, I ripped off the fraying trousers just above my calf and since the weather was getting warmer every day I took the sleeves off my shirt as well. Friend looked back at me with a curious eye.
"I'll have a new outfit by the time we get there," I said to him, rolling up and tying my pants off at the knee with some of the fabric.
Friend shook his mane out of his eyes.
Making some long cloths, I wrapped the back of my head in them, my long hair spilling out the back and curling at the ends.
***
We didn't make it to the caravan until late afternoon. The sun cast long shadows and sparkled off the water from the ocean. It felt so good to be back by the beach. The sound of waves was like a steady, crashing pulse and almost made me sleepy. Soon, though, I could hear the noise of the caravan up ahead, people talking, laughing, and singing. I gripped Friend's reigns tighter with my left hand, making sure to keep my right hand clenched in my lap. Though it was unlikely, there were some bounty hunters in Ellipt looking to get a price for returning slaves.
A band of tan, thinly clad children met us at the edge of the encampment. Some ran ahead to let others know of a stranger while the rest stayed and tagged along with me.
"Lady! Lady!" some shouted, the oldest perhaps being nine or ten. They babble in some dialect I had never learned.
"Hi," I said to them, one of the younger boys reaching up and taking reign from my hand so he could lead me to camp. I wondered if this was some custom and hoped it wouldn't take long. I could imagine Demaren somewhere high above me pursing his lips.
We passed several wooden houses with large wheels attached to the sides, children and people hanging from the steps and windows watching as I passed. Some people smiled and nodded in greeting. I smiled slightly back, but mostly kept my eyes straight ahead. It was custom here not to look someone directly in the eye.
In the main circle, where most were gathered, were several fires with cauldrons strapped above them for cooking and washing. The children brought me to the largest fire and presented me to a very old woman. She was wrapped in layers of shawls and skirts, a gnarled hand reached out to stir some contents of the black pot in front of her.
"Gitany!" some of the children said to her, calling attention to my presence. One of the littlest girls wriggled her way into the woman's lap.
The old woman glanced my way, fading eyes still sharp and sparkling above an exceptionally long nose.
"You speak Elite?" she said, finally in a speech I could understand. Anyone with a scrap of education could speak the language of the scholars.
I nodded smiling.
"From which way do you come?" she asked then, motioning for me to dismount and sit by her. I hesitated, then swung my leg around and slid off Friend's back.
"Bomo," I said, taking Friend's reign from a child.
She looked me up and down as I sat next to her, one of the children had brought a water bucket for Friend. I thanked him, and he scurried off giggling.
"You wear strange clothes," she noted. I was ready for the question.
"I lost most of my possessions when I came through the swamp," I said. It was true enough.
She nodded thoughtfully, making a smacking sound in reference to the sucking mouths.
"And which way do you go?" she asked.
"Velt," I replied.
Friend had taken to snuffling at some of the children around him. A few were snuffling back and giggling as his nose came at them enthusiastically as if playing a game.
"Back to the Gaea? You must be a stupid girl," said the old woman, reclaiming my attention.
I gave her a half smile. "Isn't the phrase supposed to be 'very brave or very stupid?'"
The woman made a coughing noise which I took for a chuckle. "I am Covetta."
"Ashling," I said, touching my fist to my forehead and glancing at the ground. It was a custom of Gaea, but generally excepted in Ellipt as well.
Covetta nudged the little girl out of her lap and motioned for me to come closer to her. She wrapped a knotted hand around my neck to bring my ear down to her mouth.
Her voice was a gravelly whisper. "You will need new clothes. They will not hide you so well in Gaea."
My back stiffened, she massaged my neck as if to relax me.
"Do not worry. I will not turn you in, but show no one your right hand."
Finger nails dug into my right palm and it took me a moment to realize it had closed into a tight fist. Covetta patted my head thoughtfully.
"Vita no para," she called to a young woman sitting at another fire near by. The crone turned back to me smiling crookedly. "Nieta will give you some clothes."
I blinked. "I have nothing to give you in return."
"We give what we can, in the Ellipt. It is good for the soul in the next life," she said, coughing out a laugh. "Go and you will be in time for supper."
Now I was staying for diner? With the gypsy people pressed around me, smiling and laughing, I felt I had no choice. I nodded a thanks and followed a tall young woman, Nieta, toward a cluster of wheeled homes. She guided me through a bright yellow door and pulled the curtains shut on the peeping children who had followed me. Friend waited outside.
"Elite?" Nieta asked, her dark eyes raking over my figure.
"Yes," I said, trying not to shrink under her appraising gaze. "Do you speak it?"
She only shook her head of curly dark hair, not understanding a word. With difficulty, I was able to negotiate a quick, though very cold, bath. I dried myself quickly and looked for my old clothes, but it seemed Nieta had already confiscated the sad garments. Which meant I would have to find her while only wearing a towel. I stepped out from behind the curtain she had placed around me, blushing furiously. She had a window open and was talking rapidly in her language to another girl that was standing on tip-toe outside. When Nieta saw me she got up and closed the curtain again.
With some searching, Nieta found me a set of flowing tan colored trousers and a burgundy over skirt that billowed out when I walked. Most of her shirts where much to big for my small frame, and she finally had to pull out what looked like a child's chemise that fit me snugly. She walked around me then, studying me as though she might buy me.
"Finished?" I asked hopefully when she tossed me a pair of light slippers.
Nieta only glanced at my face then disappeared into a closet while muttering to herself. I wondered if she was annoyed with her task of clothing me. She came back with a short, dark burgundy vest with glittery gold trim. I gasped at it and Nieta smiled at my appreciation for the garment.
The fit was not exactly to my liking, when the gypsy girl fastened it in front the vest pushed up my chest. I crossed my arms over myself to show my displeasure, but she only rolled her eyes and tugged my arms down. As she did so, she spotted the almost healed scar on my palm. Her eyes widened and I quickly pulled my hand behind my back, scurrying out of the little house.
I turned back when I got down the steps and thanked Nieta without looking at her, making my way quickly to the camp fires. Friend followed closely, sniffing at my new clothes.
The Covetta only glanced at my outfit before handing me a bowl of gruel with bread and cheese. Dusk had fallen and stars were beginning to come out in the east. I wondered if Demaren was watching me and I wished I could bring him some of the warm gypsy food. Friend nudged me and I silently agreed, we needed to leave.
"Thank you so much for your hospitality," I told the elderly woman as she pulled out a long, thin pipe to smoke from after dinner. I stood to leave but she tugged at my skirt.
"You will not be making any where this night, luvan," she said, I could only guess the last word was some sort of pet name.
"I'll be fine," I assured her, scanning the darkening sky for any sign of Demaren.
"You will sleep in the common area," she said with authority. The people nearest her moved automatically, setting up a small bed by an outlying fire.
"Really. I-it's alright," I tried to dissuade them. Everyone was bedding down for the night.
The old crone looked at me steadily. "You should stay the night, luvan. Hospitality should never be ignored."
I flinched, as if she had made to hit me. Was that a threat or a warning?
I went over to the bedding the other gypsies had laid out for me, Friend clopping along at my side. We sat down, him on the ground and I on the bed, and I rubbed his neck.
As soon as they fall asleep, I thought, knowing Demaren was probably out there having a fit.
Friend and I waited for hours, listening to the quiet chatter and whispers that turned into steady breathing and snores. Somewhere across the encampment a lullaby died out as the person singing it fell asleep. I was just about to get up when Nieta was at my side, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Wha-" I started, but she put a finger to her lips and made a motion for me to follow her back toward the wheeled houses.
Friend was asleep beside me, and I glanced at him thoughtfully, but decided against waking him just then. I would be back in a moment.
I followed Nieta away from the glowing coals of spent or dying fires. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust again to the near darkness and moon light outside the caravan.
"Nieta?" I whispered, putting a hand out in front of me so that I wouldn't trip.
With a thud something hit me from behind, almost knocking me to the ground and making stars burst in front of my eyes. Someone had grabbed me around the middle and had one hand over my mouth. My legs kicked but I was off the ground and didn't connect with anything.
"Mmf!" I tried to scream, but the sound was barely a hush.
I felt my right arm being tugged forward, and the small light of a single match was lit by striking it against my palm. Muffled, my cry didn't reach very far. By the light of the match, I saw Nieta standing behind two gypsy men and I could only assume a third held me off the ground. The one holding my hand and the match looked at my palm intently. He smiled at my scar, revealing some gold replacements for teeth.
"Pretty girleen," the man said, letting go of my hand and stroking my cheek. Now that he was close enough, I lashed out and slapped him all the force I could muster. Which wasn't much.
The man bit back a full laugh and settled for a chuckle. The man behind me caught my flailing arm and pinned it back, now holding me up by my arm. My shoulder locked and started to ache.
"Now, no trouble, girleen," he said in broken Elite. "This can be in hard or easy."
Something in the dark spoke out in quiet anger. "Oh. I have a feeling it will be easy."
The two men and Nieta spun around and in our meager light, I could see Demaren. All the pain in my shoulder was forgotten and my head stopped spinning for a moment. He seemed to materialize from the shadows, his wings fanned out behind him like a cloak. His smirk was so wide it was almost a grin, but it didn't hide the fury in his eyes. They gleamed with unreleased aggression.
With a flick of his wings he sent a huge gust of wind at us that blew out the match light. For a moment there was total darkness. In the moment that it took for my eyes to adjust to the moon light, my captor had released me with a jerking movement. I landed unsteadily and looked to the side to find Demaren not inches from me with his fist already dropping from where it struck the man. His arm was already in front of me protectively and he was glaring at the next two men which had stumbled back, one bumping into Nieta and tripping her to the ground.
In another moment, Demaren had his arm around my waist, gently pulling me close as his left wing shielded me. His skin was hot as fire.
"Like I said... Easy." He paused a moment then shouted, "Friend!"
I heard an angry whinny as Demaren shot into the air. The last thing I heard from the ground before the wind filled my ears was that of two people being trampled over. I pressed my face into Demaren's shoulder and clung to his neck, ignoring the pain that ran down my right arm and my throbbing head.
"I'm sure he'll be down soon," I told him.
The animal had taken a liking to Demaren, and visa verse. It was interesting to watch them "talk" when they thought I wasn't looking. Demaren brought objects for the hop to inspect as well. Sometimes he would randomly pick up things around our campsite and hold them out for the hop to smell. Friend would make different reactions to the things, funny hop-faces for things he didn't like and sometimes eating the things he did like enthusiastically.
Friend shook his mane out of his eyes, looked up at the sky again, and gave a huff through his nostrils.
"Impatient, aren't we?" I asked him, stroking his neck to calm him down.
He seemed to grumble at me.
"Well, I can't help it," I said. "Besides, we can't get too attached. What if he has to leave?"
The hop looked at me now, almost skeptically.
"I won't hold him back," I said firmly. "He hasn't said much, but think it's important he gets where he's going. Soon."
Friend gave a snort.
"Oh! Stop acting like you know everything!" I snapped at him.
He made a sound that could be almost mistaken for a chuckle. I pursed my lips and refused to look at him.
A shadow passed over me and I looked up to see Demaren circling in for a landing. The sight sometimes still took me by surprise; his huge gold tipped wings contrasting with the tanned skin of his bare chest. He seemed to dislike shirts in general, and it must have been common in Tovsyla to go without them, so I tried not to stare. I also tried not to guess at what the women wore, or didn't wear. Though I was happy to have the freedom of dress that my grandmother and Gaea custom had not allowed, I could hardly think of that kind of freedom.
Demaren landed lightly on the other side of Friend with a gust of wind as his feet touched the ground. I smiled at him.
"I was making you something with the acorns you brought me," I said, "but Friend ate it."
"...He what?! Hey!" he said to Friend, frowning at the animal. Friend chomped at the remaining acorn left in his mouth. "Next time she makes you something, I'm going to eat it."
I tried not to laugh as he sulked.
"How was your flight?" I asked, trying for casual.
"Lonely," he said without thinking. I blinked, not sure what to say, but he went on like it didn't matter. "I saw the beach, we're going in the right direction. But there's a huge..." He stopped to circle his arms around in the air to try and convey what he meant, but I was at a loss. "There's a huge... I don't even know what it is."
He looked at me for help, but without further description I had no idea what he was talking about. I bit my lip.
"Um. Are we talking an animal, a thing...? Are there more than one? I need something to go on."
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, a gesture I was beginning to associate with him, and gave a huff.
"There's more than one. There's colors. And they're that way," he pointed, "and--I will just show you!"
I was so wrapped up in watching him try to express himself that I hardly noticed what he meant until something large and solid lifted me off the ground. Demaren had taken off without warning and plucked me from the earth like an afterthought. I must have squeaked, because Demaren held me closer as I threw my arms around his neck.
"Uh. Okay. Um. We're flying. Great. Flying..." I muttered, not daring to look away from where my arms meet at his skin. I heard a high pitched whinny from somewhere far below me.
Demaren chuckled.
"Don't laugh while you're flying!" I squeaked, as if that would make a difference.
"You forget," he said, over the wind rushing passed us. "You're safer up here with me than you would be down there on the ground."
I gulped and glanced up to his light coppery eyes and gave a nervous laugh.
"I know someone with four legs that might disagree," I muttered, looking away.
"Depends who you trust more," he murmured, looking out and away.
For a moment I tried looking at my surroundings. It was not a good idea. I squirmed a little, trying to get closer to Demaren's side if at all possible. His arms tightened and I could feel all the wiry muscles in his arms around me. It was somewhat comforting. As I looked up at him, I saw his eyes narrow for a second, then he spun around in mid air (making me squeak again) and shifted me so that I sat on his shoulder.
"Oh. My." I whispered, clutching his head which was now pressed to my side. His arms were secure around my legs and middle, though.
He pointed to the distance, peeking out from under my arms. "There."
I followed his arm, trying not to look directly down. About half way to the horizon, close to the cost, was a circular display of colorful objects. I squinted, bringing a hand up to shade my eyes without thinking.
"It's a gypsy caravan," I said finally. I could see the tents and festive rooftops of their traveling houses. "They're everywhere in Ellipt. They travel around mostly and have houses on wheels."
"Oh," he said thoughtfully.
Absentmindedly I looked down from where I sat and immediately regretted it. My legs seized up and I lost my breath.
"Is that something we want to avoid?" Demaren asked, still looking at the caravan. When I didn't say anything he glanced up at me and took in my expression. "Oh."
He swung me down into the safety of his arms, holding me close to his chest. I felt our bodies dropping steadily and I left my stomach somewhere in the heights of the sky. Before I realized what happened, we were on the ground again. Demaren set me gently on my feet.
Friend was at my side instantly as I let myself sink to the blessed earth. I patted the ground with both hands and attempted to breathe normally.
"You'll get more used to it," Demaren assured me over Friends inspecting snuffles, "I promise."
I looked up at him with wide, confused eyes. "Used to it?"
He went from paling to bright red for some reason. "That's not what I meant."
"What?" I asked, not knowing what he was talking about.
"Never mind," he muttered, looking away.
I couldn't comprehend his expression at the moment. I was too busy thanking any and all earth goddesses I could think of.
"So, what are we doing?" he asked quickly.
I shook my head to clear it and looked around, "Now? Oh. The caravan. We should be fine to go in. But you can fly over it and meet Friend and I after we get through."
Demaren thought for a moment. "All right."
We agreed to meet a little ways beyond the caravan as long as I went through as quickly as possible.
After Demaren took to the skies again, I hopped into my seat on Friend's back. He trotted along at a steady pace, faster than if I had been walking beside him. As we rode, I began to clean myself up. If we didn't want to make a scene with the gypsies, I had to look as non-slave-like as possible.
With little effort, I ripped off the fraying trousers just above my calf and since the weather was getting warmer every day I took the sleeves off my shirt as well. Friend looked back at me with a curious eye.
"I'll have a new outfit by the time we get there," I said to him, rolling up and tying my pants off at the knee with some of the fabric.
Friend shook his mane out of his eyes.
Making some long cloths, I wrapped the back of my head in them, my long hair spilling out the back and curling at the ends.
***
We didn't make it to the caravan until late afternoon. The sun cast long shadows and sparkled off the water from the ocean. It felt so good to be back by the beach. The sound of waves was like a steady, crashing pulse and almost made me sleepy. Soon, though, I could hear the noise of the caravan up ahead, people talking, laughing, and singing. I gripped Friend's reigns tighter with my left hand, making sure to keep my right hand clenched in my lap. Though it was unlikely, there were some bounty hunters in Ellipt looking to get a price for returning slaves.
A band of tan, thinly clad children met us at the edge of the encampment. Some ran ahead to let others know of a stranger while the rest stayed and tagged along with me.
"Lady! Lady!" some shouted, the oldest perhaps being nine or ten. They babble in some dialect I had never learned.
"Hi," I said to them, one of the younger boys reaching up and taking reign from my hand so he could lead me to camp. I wondered if this was some custom and hoped it wouldn't take long. I could imagine Demaren somewhere high above me pursing his lips.
We passed several wooden houses with large wheels attached to the sides, children and people hanging from the steps and windows watching as I passed. Some people smiled and nodded in greeting. I smiled slightly back, but mostly kept my eyes straight ahead. It was custom here not to look someone directly in the eye.
In the main circle, where most were gathered, were several fires with cauldrons strapped above them for cooking and washing. The children brought me to the largest fire and presented me to a very old woman. She was wrapped in layers of shawls and skirts, a gnarled hand reached out to stir some contents of the black pot in front of her.
"Gitany!" some of the children said to her, calling attention to my presence. One of the littlest girls wriggled her way into the woman's lap.
The old woman glanced my way, fading eyes still sharp and sparkling above an exceptionally long nose.
"You speak Elite?" she said, finally in a speech I could understand. Anyone with a scrap of education could speak the language of the scholars.
I nodded smiling.
"From which way do you come?" she asked then, motioning for me to dismount and sit by her. I hesitated, then swung my leg around and slid off Friend's back.
"Bomo," I said, taking Friend's reign from a child.
She looked me up and down as I sat next to her, one of the children had brought a water bucket for Friend. I thanked him, and he scurried off giggling.
"You wear strange clothes," she noted. I was ready for the question.
"I lost most of my possessions when I came through the swamp," I said. It was true enough.
She nodded thoughtfully, making a smacking sound in reference to the sucking mouths.
"And which way do you go?" she asked.
"Velt," I replied.
Friend had taken to snuffling at some of the children around him. A few were snuffling back and giggling as his nose came at them enthusiastically as if playing a game.
"Back to the Gaea? You must be a stupid girl," said the old woman, reclaiming my attention.
I gave her a half smile. "Isn't the phrase supposed to be 'very brave or very stupid?'"
The woman made a coughing noise which I took for a chuckle. "I am Covetta."
"Ashling," I said, touching my fist to my forehead and glancing at the ground. It was a custom of Gaea, but generally excepted in Ellipt as well.
Covetta nudged the little girl out of her lap and motioned for me to come closer to her. She wrapped a knotted hand around my neck to bring my ear down to her mouth.
Her voice was a gravelly whisper. "You will need new clothes. They will not hide you so well in Gaea."
My back stiffened, she massaged my neck as if to relax me.
"Do not worry. I will not turn you in, but show no one your right hand."
Finger nails dug into my right palm and it took me a moment to realize it had closed into a tight fist. Covetta patted my head thoughtfully.
"Vita no para," she called to a young woman sitting at another fire near by. The crone turned back to me smiling crookedly. "Nieta will give you some clothes."
I blinked. "I have nothing to give you in return."
"We give what we can, in the Ellipt. It is good for the soul in the next life," she said, coughing out a laugh. "Go and you will be in time for supper."
Now I was staying for diner? With the gypsy people pressed around me, smiling and laughing, I felt I had no choice. I nodded a thanks and followed a tall young woman, Nieta, toward a cluster of wheeled homes. She guided me through a bright yellow door and pulled the curtains shut on the peeping children who had followed me. Friend waited outside.
"Elite?" Nieta asked, her dark eyes raking over my figure.
"Yes," I said, trying not to shrink under her appraising gaze. "Do you speak it?"
She only shook her head of curly dark hair, not understanding a word. With difficulty, I was able to negotiate a quick, though very cold, bath. I dried myself quickly and looked for my old clothes, but it seemed Nieta had already confiscated the sad garments. Which meant I would have to find her while only wearing a towel. I stepped out from behind the curtain she had placed around me, blushing furiously. She had a window open and was talking rapidly in her language to another girl that was standing on tip-toe outside. When Nieta saw me she got up and closed the curtain again.
With some searching, Nieta found me a set of flowing tan colored trousers and a burgundy over skirt that billowed out when I walked. Most of her shirts where much to big for my small frame, and she finally had to pull out what looked like a child's chemise that fit me snugly. She walked around me then, studying me as though she might buy me.
"Finished?" I asked hopefully when she tossed me a pair of light slippers.
Nieta only glanced at my face then disappeared into a closet while muttering to herself. I wondered if she was annoyed with her task of clothing me. She came back with a short, dark burgundy vest with glittery gold trim. I gasped at it and Nieta smiled at my appreciation for the garment.
The fit was not exactly to my liking, when the gypsy girl fastened it in front the vest pushed up my chest. I crossed my arms over myself to show my displeasure, but she only rolled her eyes and tugged my arms down. As she did so, she spotted the almost healed scar on my palm. Her eyes widened and I quickly pulled my hand behind my back, scurrying out of the little house.
I turned back when I got down the steps and thanked Nieta without looking at her, making my way quickly to the camp fires. Friend followed closely, sniffing at my new clothes.
The Covetta only glanced at my outfit before handing me a bowl of gruel with bread and cheese. Dusk had fallen and stars were beginning to come out in the east. I wondered if Demaren was watching me and I wished I could bring him some of the warm gypsy food. Friend nudged me and I silently agreed, we needed to leave.
"Thank you so much for your hospitality," I told the elderly woman as she pulled out a long, thin pipe to smoke from after dinner. I stood to leave but she tugged at my skirt.
"You will not be making any where this night, luvan," she said, I could only guess the last word was some sort of pet name.
"I'll be fine," I assured her, scanning the darkening sky for any sign of Demaren.
"You will sleep in the common area," she said with authority. The people nearest her moved automatically, setting up a small bed by an outlying fire.
"Really. I-it's alright," I tried to dissuade them. Everyone was bedding down for the night.
The old crone looked at me steadily. "You should stay the night, luvan. Hospitality should never be ignored."
I flinched, as if she had made to hit me. Was that a threat or a warning?
I went over to the bedding the other gypsies had laid out for me, Friend clopping along at my side. We sat down, him on the ground and I on the bed, and I rubbed his neck.
As soon as they fall asleep, I thought, knowing Demaren was probably out there having a fit.
Friend and I waited for hours, listening to the quiet chatter and whispers that turned into steady breathing and snores. Somewhere across the encampment a lullaby died out as the person singing it fell asleep. I was just about to get up when Nieta was at my side, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Wha-" I started, but she put a finger to her lips and made a motion for me to follow her back toward the wheeled houses.
Friend was asleep beside me, and I glanced at him thoughtfully, but decided against waking him just then. I would be back in a moment.
I followed Nieta away from the glowing coals of spent or dying fires. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust again to the near darkness and moon light outside the caravan.
"Nieta?" I whispered, putting a hand out in front of me so that I wouldn't trip.
With a thud something hit me from behind, almost knocking me to the ground and making stars burst in front of my eyes. Someone had grabbed me around the middle and had one hand over my mouth. My legs kicked but I was off the ground and didn't connect with anything.
"Mmf!" I tried to scream, but the sound was barely a hush.
I felt my right arm being tugged forward, and the small light of a single match was lit by striking it against my palm. Muffled, my cry didn't reach very far. By the light of the match, I saw Nieta standing behind two gypsy men and I could only assume a third held me off the ground. The one holding my hand and the match looked at my palm intently. He smiled at my scar, revealing some gold replacements for teeth.
"Pretty girleen," the man said, letting go of my hand and stroking my cheek. Now that he was close enough, I lashed out and slapped him all the force I could muster. Which wasn't much.
The man bit back a full laugh and settled for a chuckle. The man behind me caught my flailing arm and pinned it back, now holding me up by my arm. My shoulder locked and started to ache.
"Now, no trouble, girleen," he said in broken Elite. "This can be in hard or easy."
Something in the dark spoke out in quiet anger. "Oh. I have a feeling it will be easy."
The two men and Nieta spun around and in our meager light, I could see Demaren. All the pain in my shoulder was forgotten and my head stopped spinning for a moment. He seemed to materialize from the shadows, his wings fanned out behind him like a cloak. His smirk was so wide it was almost a grin, but it didn't hide the fury in his eyes. They gleamed with unreleased aggression.
With a flick of his wings he sent a huge gust of wind at us that blew out the match light. For a moment there was total darkness. In the moment that it took for my eyes to adjust to the moon light, my captor had released me with a jerking movement. I landed unsteadily and looked to the side to find Demaren not inches from me with his fist already dropping from where it struck the man. His arm was already in front of me protectively and he was glaring at the next two men which had stumbled back, one bumping into Nieta and tripping her to the ground.
In another moment, Demaren had his arm around my waist, gently pulling me close as his left wing shielded me. His skin was hot as fire.
"Like I said... Easy." He paused a moment then shouted, "Friend!"
I heard an angry whinny as Demaren shot into the air. The last thing I heard from the ground before the wind filled my ears was that of two people being trampled over. I pressed my face into Demaren's shoulder and clung to his neck, ignoring the pain that ran down my right arm and my throbbing head.
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