Lovers in the Woods (12 page)

The Horlyn had left.

“What happened?” Rayenne asked, sitting up in
her sleeping bag. Her hair was a mess of black locks, her eyes
still puffy from sleep. She disentangled from the sleeping bag and
pulled on her jacket and pants before joining him. “Are you all
right?”

“
The Horlyns have been to
a village.” His voice was high, incredulous. He cleared his throat.
“They watched the people living there. I’ve never seen them in
settlements. Yes, we know of the small, flying ones that take a
trip to the huts and houses, but they never stay long or land to
watch people at their daily work. But the ones I just saw…
They
studied
the men.”

Rayenne pulled up her nose and took a look
around as if checking for more Horlyns to tell them stories.

“Is it so
unusual?”

“
Yes! They never got so
close. And now…” He lacked the words to describe his sudden
anxiety. For as long as men had inhabited Belthraine they had
expected the
adult Horlyns to stay in their large territories. Men
risked their mind and body if they entered the huge woods, but they
were safe outside, as if unseen posts marked the areas. There had
been no reports of Horlyns being within villages. The image the
Horlyn had just sent him turned his knowledge upside down. “If they
have started to watch the settlers, they’ll drive them out sooner
or later.”

“
No, they won’t.” Rayenne put a lock back
behind her ear and groped for a comb inside her jacket. “Mankind
has always known how to defend itself.”

“But the Horlyns are much more powerful than
they showed us.” He looked up to her, still shaken. “They killed a
group of men.”

Rayenne frowned and started combing her
hair.

“Nearby?”

“I can’t tell. The pictures don’t come with a
map. I only know that a group of Horlyns killed armed men in orange
jumpsuits.”

“I suppose the men were out to kill the
Horlyns.”

“Yes, probably.” When he thought about it,
Rayenne’s assumption rang with truth. “Is it possible these men
work for the police?”

“No. Horlyns would only be shot if they
threatened people in their settlements. Otherwise they are left
alone.” She shook her head, thinking. “I’ve never heard of a police
raid through the woods to kill or scare away Horlyns.”

“Then who does it?”

She put away the comb, shrugging.

“
It has been illegal for
more than fifty standard years to hunt animals in Belthraine’s
woods, but that doesn’t mean that criminals respect that rule.” She
waited for him to look up. “If I was to make an assumption, it’s
Sanjongy’s men who are out to kill
Larolydis. All we know is that they
live with the Horlyns. Maybe that’s what you saw.”

“I hate these visions, Ray. I wished I could
get rid of them.”

“But they might be useful sooner than you
think.”

“How do you know?”

“It’s not bad to know about the moves of your
enemies, is it? Though I admit, a map would indeed be useful.”

They rode in silence for the
best part of the day, only stopping to rest the horses and eat a
few bites. Sajitar did not dare turn too often to Rayenne, who
answered when asked, but made clear in her clipped tone that she
had not yet forgiven his lies. To his chagrin, he wished he had not
felt the urge to lie to her in the first place, but it could not be
helped. He understood her harsh reaction and still felt drawn
toward her, even more than before. The old saying
You don’t know what
you have until it's gone
took on a whole new meaning for him.

Lacking another occupation, he
pondered the dream he had. Within the woods, Sajitar usually only
received visions the Horlyns sent him. Fulfilling wishes for a
partner was not on the Horlyns’ list.
Could it be that they play with my
emotions? Do they have access to my memories, even if I
don’t?

In the early afternoon, he directed his
B-horse to a group of trees that stood so close to each other their
trunks created an almost solid wall, protection against the chill
wind that had accompanied them throughout the day. He dismounted,
unsaddled Tessla and put down his saddlebags.

“We could ride on for another hour,” Rayenne
said from the back of her gelding.

Sajitar glanced at her.

“Sure. But our provisions are almost gone and
I need to hunt.”

“What is there to hunt?”

“
A kind of bird.” He shrugged. “I don’t
know if it has a name, but it’s an animal easy to shoot.” He
reached out to her. “If you’d give me my gun, I could be on my
way.”

“
You expect me to trust you with a gun?”
She snorted, then dismounted to take off the saddle. “I still have
my wits, Sajitar. So if you want to hunt, you’ll direct me and I’ll
shoot.”

“You think I’d shoot you and leave?”

Rayenne stared at him, unblinking, gun in
hand.

He shook his head. “Please, Ray, don’t do
that. I wouldn’t hurt you or leave you stranded.”

“
I wouldn’t be stranded, and I know to
defend myself. Still, liars cannot be trusted, and I want you to
stay close to me until I can hand you to a judge.”

She hobbled her B-horse and with a fierce
glance went past him like a cloud of bad weather. He sighed and did
not protest.

Since the noise had scared away the smaller
beasts they had to walk a quarter mile from their makeshift camp
and listen to the sounds of the woods around them. Sajitar directed
Rayenne with short hand signs or tapped her slightly on the
shoulder. He breathed her scent and wished he could stop to embrace
and kiss her. The feeling inside him did not leave just because she
had discovered his secret.

Her denial had made it worse and he was
reminded of Sananda’s hard way with men who had failed her. He had
once seen a man bound tight to a wall. He had not made a sound, and
Sajitar, still in Sananda’s undisclosed favor, had not even asked
her to set him free. At that time he had expected all men to stay
with her of their own free will and love it. No one had ever
complained about her treatment. Who was he to criticize her
actions? If men wanted to stay with her, they accepted the way of
life she offered. For Sajitar, that had been the simple rule to
follow. Sananda had caught him in a silver trap and he had not
wanted out for weeks.

Only during his flight from Belson Park
had he realized how long he had stayed with her. The weeks had
appeared so short! They had been so pleasant. He had worked at the
spaceport and whenever he had thought of Sananda and how wonderful
it would be to be with her, there had been a driver and a carriage
waiting for him, as if he had a mute but effective communication
with Sananda. Every time, she had welcomed him like the only lover
she craved to see. And maybe for a time that had been true. He had
been naïve and young and still not battered by the hard life in the
growing city. Maybe his innocence and rural charm had attracted
her. He could not tell. However, the affection had been
mutual.

His side itched, growing worse. Stopping, he
blew out air and put his hands on his knees. The long ride had not
helped the wound’s healing and he wished to lie down and rest.

“Hey, hang on!”

Sajitar jerked up his head. Rayenne held him
fast at his arms, but he still swayed. He swallowed and
straightened slowly, regaining his balance.

“Sorry, I guess, I’m just tired.”

“And in pain, I see. We should shorten this
venture.”

He squinted up the closest tree.

“
The trick with those birds is they hang
upside down and watch whatever happens on the ground. You can’t
surprise them, but you can wake their curiosity.” He took two steps
forward and waved his arms as if trying to fly.

Rayenne followed his gaze up. There was
movement along the trunk and in one of the bigger branches,
obscured by long orange leaves.

“This is the one?”

Sajitar continued waving and dancing around
the tree.

“
Just shoot if you get a clear
shot.”

“
Will do.” Ray lifted the gun, trying to be
invisible while Sajitar did his little dance. The bird’s head
appeared between two small branches, curious eyes watching him. She
guessed at the rest of the body, took aim and shot. A high and long
shriek followed. Birds flew up, rustling through the leaves. In
their eagerness they dropped their caution and Rayenne shot again.
This time the bird simply stopped in midair and fell down. “Ha! I
can still scoop the kitty!” She looked down to where the bird had
crashed and saw Sajitar slumped on the ground. “Hey, what’s wrong
with you?”

“
What?” Wearily he lifted his head. “Dance
is over. Collect the money and head home.”

She knelt in front of him.

“Will you make it back to the campsite?”

“Go, get the bird. I’ll be on my feet in a
moment.” He tried for a smile, feeling content with the way the day
went on and not only because they would share a hearty meal. “Go.
It might not be dead yet.”

“That’ll change in a sec.” She turned and
went to fetch the bird. “It’s much bigger than I thought,” she
called to him when she dangled her prey in front of his face.
“It’ll make a fine dinner.”

Sajitar clenched his teeth to get up
without yelping in pain. He staggered a few steps then found his
pace and walked back to the B-horses unaided. With the waterskin in
hand, he dropped unceremoniously on the ground beside a trunk and
left the plucking as well as preparing the campsite to Rayenne. She
made no comment. Through half-closed eyes he watched her busying
herself with the cooking pot and then, while the bird steamed, she
pitched the tent, secured the surroundings with her gizmos and fed
the horses with the rest of the grain from her
saddlebags.

Only then did she turn back to him.

“I have to look after the wound.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re stupid.” She cocked her head left and
right. “In more than one way. But I won’t let you get sick if I can
avoid it.”

“I won’t ruin your case against Wang.”

“And I don’t want to bind you on your B-horse
just to get you to Belson Park.”

Sajitar shifted
his position. The pain moved from the side to the center, slightly
lower than his stomach. He tried to straighten, but stopped when
the pain intensified. Deliberately he sat up a little straighter
and put his hand under his shirt. Pressing lightly, he searched for
the bullet running astray through his body, but could not find it.
The image of a solid object moving between his stomach, liver and
kidney dampened his mood. The thought of dying in the forest
appeared unbidden. He also knew that their enemy might still be
informed about their position and could wait until they reached the
outskirts of the city. He would be in no condition to fight.

“Where is the transmission station next to
Belson Park?”

Rayenne looked up, searching his face for
the source of his question. “Atalanta Village.”

Sajitar nodded. He had heard the name before
and briefly wondered why he was unable to remember.

“Shall I give you something against the
pain?”

“No, it’s not that bad.”

“You’re sweating. And you look positively
ill.”

“If I faint, keep something of the bird for
me.”

“It was a long day in the saddle. Why didn’t
you say a word?”

Again, Sajitar fought for a smile. “You
didn’t look very lenient, Ms Officer. I wouldn’t want to upset you.
You might have used that against me.”

Rayenne nodded without giving in. She
checked the progress of the bird, then fetched her first aid kit
and knelt beside him.

“
Lie down.” He just slid to the side,
suppressing a groan. Rayenne lifted his jacket and shirt to examine
the elastic membrane. “It’s still okay, nothing torn. There’s no
blood, so it’s not ripped open. Where does it hurt most?” He put
his hand below his stomach. “So it’s not the wound. May I try and
find it?”

“I already tried. You can’t find it just by
touching.”

She showed him her hands and wiggled her
fingers.

“Let me try.”

“Be my guest.”

Without looking, she let her hands travel
from below his ribcage toward his abdomen and Sajitar did his best
to just stare at the tree-tops, hands loose at his sides. He hardly
breathed. Her care moved him, but at the same moment he knew she
meant what she had said.

“It’s here.”

Sajitar glanced along his lower body.

“It’s a small spot, hard to find, but it
can’t be intestines unless you ate whole nuts while I didn’t
watch.”

His fingers met hers, but he was unable to
detect the spot.

“Can you take it out?”

“No.” She took away her hands and rubbed them
at her pants while he pulled down his shirt. “It’s impossible. It’s
embedded and probably connected to the tissue around. You’ll have
to wait for surgery until we reach a medical care unit.”

Sajitar only nodded, staring at her beautiful
face while a gloomier possibility hung unspoken between them.

With Rayenne’s help he made it back on
horseback in the morning. She wasn’t as closed to him as before,
but still Sajitar felt her reserve like a sting to his heart. When
he tried to talk to her, she cut him short, vaulted into the saddle
and asked him for directions. He had no choice but to sigh and ride
on.

Sajitar felt
more than knew that they were getting closer to the heart of the
old forest. Not only did it get warmer, the vegetation changed
again. The trees appeared like the legs of giants standing close
and watching from above. The branches hung low and more often than
not the two riders had to crouch over the withers to stay in the
saddles. They had to cross a hill, but not even the elevation
granted them a view further than toward the next gigantic trees.
Between them mist had settled like thousands of diamonds in
cobwebs. Insects flew in and out, drinking and parading, finding
others and parting again. He glimpsed small predators vanishing in
the undergrowth and heard the hectic voices of animals fleeing
them. From a large branch on his way a bird lifted into the sky.
Its wings were wider than the span of his arms.