Detail:
<Continued from previous entry>
I bowed my head and nodded. Accepting Ursi’s offer.
He clapped a hand on my shoulder.
“We will make preparations.” He said simply.
The circle erupted with applause, hoots, and howls. The response was deafening and I trembled with a resurgence of adrenaline. The circle closed in around me, tugging on my hands, patting on my shoulders, embracing, kissing, groping. I was floating in a sea of affection until Ursi parted the waters with his words.
“The bride. Where is she?”
I felt a lancing panic that struck to my core. I looked up and the youths from earlier were there. They were smiling along with the rest. I eyed them and shook my head emphatically. Babik picked up on my wariness immediately.
“I will go with them. My friend. We will retrieve your bride. I will retrieve your bride.”
Each time they said the word “bride”, it struck against my reason like a smith’s hammer.
“I should go. I should go.”
“It wouldn’t be proper that you see your bride before you are to be married.” Babik stated plainly.
I rolled my eyes.
Stupid traditions.
“She-. She is at the Jagdhaus. She is under the care of a woman named Kostanza. Tell her that Bani Elkind sent you.” I said, hoping that it was enough, “Oksana will respond to Amelie. Call her, she will come. She’s a good dog.”
That sounded so very wrong.
I shook myself at the words. I was in a daze. I looked up at the two young men and Babik. I raised a fist and produced an emphatic rude gesture at the older of the two men. Babik burst out laughing. The younger of the two joined in with Babik. The older one looked a little hurt, but then smirked as well, recognizing the recent turnabout. They turned and left the circle together.
I was a stone in the babbling brook now. Preparations blossomed around me. Ursi stood close.
“So, G-man. What is this organization you belong to?”
“Nachtrichter. We are the Night Watch.”
I thumbed at the badge from my belt and I handed it to Ursi.
“Your symbol is a wolf’s head?”
The belly laugh erupted again. The camp quieted briefly at his response.
“How very fitting,” he brushed the mirth from his cheeks as he spoke, “You are not from here. Yes? Your accent is Burgundian?”
“Yes. That’s where we will go after this.”
“Realize that you will be a part of our family, as well. You will always have a home with the Kalderari.”
I furrowed my brow with the thought.
“How could I show anyone? How would they even know?”
He inclined his head, toward the woman who orchestrated the pat down. She had been moving among the others, blending in, but her eyes were always on Ursi. Ever watchful. She’d be just as devastating as the hulking woman I encountered earlier. Invisible behind a smile and a swirl of colorful silks. The best bodyguard you could ask for.
She moved purposefully forward and offered me a braided necklace with glass and ceramic colored beads.
“This is temporary. We will have one made for you and your bride, as is tradition, when you join the family.” He glanced at the woman in colored silks, desire lining his features, then turned back to me, “These are strange times, Bani. You are well aligned with our cause, especially now. I expect you will be an agent of change for your brothers and sisters.”
I tilted my head at the comment with a bewildered smile. I looked around. Realizing that I was the one being adopted into the tribe. My marriage to Oksana, who was considered the outsider, would bring her into the family.
“There are ways, then. Ways that we can find a compromise within your traditions?” I said, nodding my head.
He gave a wry smile, but revealed nothing more. He lifted a hand and waved to a group with instruments gathered at the edge of the circle. Music erupted and there was a joyful quickstep that happened among the preparations. I pulled my jacket off and tossed it over Babik’s own, further burying my weapons.
Once Ursi left my company, others gathered around me, wishing me well, shaking hands, embracing. The large woman returned and gripped me around the middle, hugging me off the ground and popping my back in a few places in the process. She had a wide smile showing that several teeth were missing, most likely from fights.
I took the affection in stride. Finding my place amongst my new family.
Lights swept across the trees and through the wagons. I looked toward the road in anticipation and was nearly clobbered by a cluster of attending elderly ladies as they turned me away from the sight.
Men beckoned me over to the fireside and poured me a drink of densely fortifying wine. It was a heady experience on my empty stomach. They brought the tray of meats, cheeses, nuts, and bread to me first, as a guest of honor, I assumed. I took what I recognized and savored their skillful preparation. I cleared a tray or two just to keep myself from slipping into a drunken stupor too quickly. The remaining trays began circulating their way through the camp. Another tray arrived with what looked like small sugar-spun candies placed in neat rows was brought to me. I waved it off and they scoffed at me. I watched others consume them, their faces flushed red, eyes dilating. I watched closely, recognizing the same series of responses that Blanka went through when casting.
Those might be worth investigating?
There was a trilling sound, and the woman wrapped in colorful silks emerged again, this time with metal cymbals on her fingers, announcing attention. At the foot of the grand wagon was Ursi with the well worn tome. The woman spun around him, clacking the cymbals rhythmically until the camp quieted down to a low murmur of voices.
The woman produced a tambourine and stepped up with the band rattling with diminishing intensity. Ursi raised his voice.
“We welcome a brother and a sister to our tribe. Their union bonds them to us. As family, they come to our aid as we will come to theirs. As family, they will protect as we will protect them. As family, this bond is beyond blood, it is a bond of the soul.”
Ursi lifted a hand and waved me forward. One of the men on the side flagged me forward, giving me direction as to where to stand. Ursi then inclined his head, looking to the back of the crowd, a cluster of women emerged leading a woman forward who wore a delightfully loud dress, hair pulled into dark braids, bundled in spirals at the sides of her head. Her crystal blue eyes were full of a bewilderment.
My heart climbed into my throat as I recognized Oksana.
One of the older women escorting her wasn’t pleased with Oksana not enjoying herself. She grabbed two of the spun sugar candies and pushed them in her mouth. She braced briefly then flushed, her pupils dilating and a gentle calm seemed to spread over her.
She locked eyes with me, and smiled in recognition, blinking dreamily. I returned the smile, feeling my eyes brimming with her attention. I felt love. I inhaled at the experience, taking in the chaos around me. This was the nobility I didn’t mind being a part of. I fully embraced the experience.
Ursi began to speak in a language I did not understand. It had sounds from Gaulic, Beryant, and Alaman, but none of it formed words I recognized. He motioned for our hands, the women surrounding Oksana lifted her hand. He looked to me and I started raising my hand.
“No. You must choose someone to help you lift that burden.” Ursi said, nodding toward my hand.
I looked through the crowd and saw Babik the Peddler. I motioned him over with a bob of my head. A big grin spread across his face and he hobbled over. The numerous women were holding Oksana’s hand up, Babik took my arm by the wrist and put it under Oksana’s palm. He held it in place. There were tears in the old man’s eyes balancing against the ever widening smile.
Thick silk ribbons of different colors were tied around our wrists. Ursi then looked to me, still speaking in a language I couldn’t understand. He stopped on what sounded like a question, paused, looking intently at me. It took a moment to sink in.
“I … do.” I said, nodding in acknowledgement.
Ursi grinned and winked. Babik’s grasp dropped away, he bowed and retreated back to the edge of the circle.
Ursi then turned toward Oksana, whatever the spun sugar had done to her had worn off, but her smile wasn’t fading. She was brightly aware, her eyes wide. Her bewilderment was a happy bewilderment. He paused and looked at her.
Oksana then looked to me for guidance. I met her crystal blue eyes. They were unsure. A confused, almost impish smile moved across her face. She said something in Beryat, then she gave me that unpracticed shrug. I bent with a laugh.
“I do.” I said, clearly mouthing the words to her, then nodding toward Ursi.
She turned toward Ursi, blinking lightly.
“I do.” She echoed it perfectly.
The moment stirred in me. The potentials echoed out from her words. I watched as the women’s hands fell away as they retreated. I looked at the ribbons that bonded us together. Everything slowed as my gaze moved back to Oksana who was intently looking at Ursi. I could hear my heart beating in my chest, but also, I could hear her heartbeat. I knew, it was hers, like recognizing something in a dream. I could hear Ursi speaking, but my eyes remained on Oksana.
Cheers erupted around us and the world sped up again. Oksana looked at me, bouncing up and down like she’d won a prize. I pulled her into an embrace. She leaned into me and pressed an aggressive, unpracticed kiss on me. Her eyes were moving all around the chaos. Her wide smile looked permanent. Her vibrance was stunning.
Music started playing and everyone pointed at us. Our hands were still bound. I looked around for guidance.
“Dance with her!” Babik called out from the edge of the circle.
Without hesitation, I faced her and cupped my arm around her waist. We bounded around the circle. She had no sense of rhythm, so it was mostly bouncing in time with the music as best we could. After a moment, she recognized that I was attempting to follow the beat of the tambourine and leaned into it.
After the dance, Babik and the cluster of women came out and untied the ribbons, freeing our hands. One of the women gathered the ribbons and departed.
Faces emerged from the crowd, taking their turns dancing with either of us. Oksana kept moving back to me, taking me for another loop around the circle then breaking away to another dance partner. Her smile shone brightly in the firelight.
The night continued at a fervent pace. I did my best to keep up with the festivities. Ursi and the woman dressed in silks often disappeared during the festivities. This latest time, his pants were clearly undone.
“It is time!” He called out, raising his hands in our direction, “Take them to their room!”
We were swept away into a procession across camp, led to the entrance of a well adorned wagon likely decorated for this occasion. I stood with a smirk, my disbelief catching up with me.
Oksana stepped to the stairs, then turned toward me and tilted her head, her wide smile stuck permanently in place. She reached out her hand. I grinned, moving past her hand, scooping her up in my arms, and climbing the stairs into the wagon. Cheers erupted behind us. After a moment of negotiation, I was able to navigate the dress and her head unharmed through the doorway. I set her down inside. She let out a light tittering laugh, her smiling face rosey with a deep blush. Tears leaked out the sides of her eyes.
She gazed at me, emotion touching her brow, and spoke.
“Yesli eto son, ya nadeyus' umeret' do togo, kak prosnus'.”
I smiled at her and shrugged, then pulled her close and kissed her passionately. Another cheer erupted from the audience. I released her and moved to just inside the threshold, stooping forward to look out on all the smiling faces in the low light. I kissed my hand and waved outward with a flourish, then clenched my fist and held it to my chest, above my heart. Emotions welled through constant cheers. I bowed into the wagon, closing the door behind me.
Oksana was wrestling with the bulky dress and looked at me with a sort of panic.
“Pomogi mne.” She said, turning her back toward me, then pointing at the dress emphatically.
There was a series of clasps, ties, and buttons. Some of the ties and buttons required participation from the bride herself. The final test was a chastity dress put together like a cooperative puzzle box.
“Oh, this is just cruel.” I said with a chuckle.
The first few buttons were easy, then I tugged at a string that went around to the front of the dress. She recognized the string as I pulled and patted herself down.
“Da, da.” She nodded quickly and fiddled with the front of her dress pulling at the ties until the strings loosened.
I was able to continue. Sweat soaked the interior of the dress as we worked through the puzzle. Interior buttons holding the dress together required me to slip my hands up against her bare skin to release them.
I recognized that the puzzle was less of a test, and more of a lesson in intimacy. As the back parted with each button. Clasps needed to be released from around her breasts. Her breath shuddered with my touch. I slowed my progress, revelling in the amorous moment. Another pull of a string that clung tightly around her hips and she led my hand from outside the dress to another knot, sitting just above her navel. The knot released and the dress fell away. I let my hand remain, pulling her close to me, smelling her hair; perfumes mingled with sweat and campfire. Goosebumps ran over her body.
I could feel every rib under my touch and was reminded of the condition I found her in. Half starved, completely alone, and hunted.
Not anymore.
Oksana shook herself from the momentary daze and spun around quickly, looking at my clothes as an inconvenience. She started pulling at my shirt buttons, then belt. I held up my hands trying to express that I could remove my own clothes. She batted my hands away, in the thin lamplight of the wagon, I saw that impish look and wry smile.
After a moment of study, she deftly negotiated the buttons and belt. While my clothes were more straightforward, she did not spare her touch.
She moved backwards toward the bed clutching my hands. The bed itself was layers of brightly colored fabrics filled with stuffing, acting as a makeshift mattress made from misshapen pillows. The heat of the wagon didn’t warrant the need to use blankets, but there were some closeby. It was clear that this shelter had not been arranged for sleeping.
She laid back, pulling me toward her. She was anxious, trembling.
“YA ne mogu v eto poverit'. Boyus' v eto poverit'.”
She spoke the flurry of Beryat in a fervent whisper, her eyes shifting back and forth as she looked in my eyes. I saw her anxiety and calmly put my hand on the side of her face. She leaned into it, closing her eyes, wetting it with tears.
Sparks flew through the night. There were moments, in the heat of passion, where her other nature showed through: lengthened teeth, bristling hair along her back, and predator’s shine to her eyes. I was reminded of her animal core, but I did not fear her. Eventually exhaustion took hold of both of us and we lay still in a naked embrace.
The late morning light hit a colorful stained glass window. The heat from the sun made sweat stand out on my body. I was already dehydrated and needed to find a tree or bathroom in short order. Thirst was cruel when coupled with the need to urinate.
I watched Oksana’s placid face in the scintillating colors from the stained glass. A deep calm smoothed her features; her breaths were deep and even. I lifted her arm from around me, and slipped from the tangled bed. She remained asleep as I tugged my pants on. With this urgency, there was no time for shoes or a shirt.
I exited the wagon. The cool moisture of the mid-morning air hit me bracingly. Goosebumps covered my torso as I moved quickly toward the edge of the forest. As I crossed the camp, there were congratulatory nods, but the camp was respectfully quiet as they went about the chores.
After taking care of business, I returned to the camp, revelling in the smell of the campfire smoke that rose around me. I looked at the close forest, then around to the rustic smattering of wagons. I had a new respect for the Kalderari, this family I’d joined. The outpouring of love over the last night, alone, was far more than I’d experienced from the many years I was joined to Cassandra’s family.
And there was no way in hell she’d be caught in a place like this.
I grinned at the discards: spent wooden plates, metal utensils, and husks of meat, cheese, and bread scattered through the common area. Children were dutifully cleaning up the mess, interspersed with games of tag or wrestling in the dew soaked grass. It would take them a while, but they were having fun doing it.
I checked the table where I had disarmed myself, but my coat, Babik’s coat, and all of the implements had been whisked away, even the table had been repurposed for dining purposes. I flagged at one of the men who was just finishing up a late breakfast.
“Water?” I asked with a catch in my throat, it was the first time I’d spoken this morning.
He recognized me and smiled, nodding his congratulations. He offered a sweating metal pitcher and waved for me to keep it. I turned the spout on myself and drank deeply, feeling the chill trickle through my core. A headache I didn’t know I had responded sharply then ebbed into the background.
I returned with the pitcher to my bride. She was sitting up, looking concerned when I first opened the wagon door. Her smile reappeared and her eyes brightened as she saw me. I moved toward her and sat next to her on the bed, handing her the pitcher. She gulped twice, then looked to have the same urgency that I had earlier.
“Wait a moment. I’ll be back.” I said, holding up a finger.
I moved back out, leaving the door slightly ajar. This time I’d retrieved my shirt from the floor and buttoned it as I navigated barefoot through the wet grass. I moved to Babik’s trailer. He was outside with the small boy fetching implements and boiling water. His eyes were a little bleary. When he saw me he smiled widely with a row of crooked teeth.
“I hate to ask for more, Babik. She needs a bathroom and clothes. I am pretty sure that the wedding dress requires an expert to get back into.”
He laughed heartily, then his eyes followed something behind me and laughed again, I looked back to see what it was and a dark loping hound made its way into the forest. I turned back with a weak smile, feeling suddenly lightheaded.
This life is going to be strange.
“Well, just clothes then.”
He nodded.
“And breakfast, yes?”
“Yes, please!”
I rubbed at the sides of my head. The headache would come and go.
“There’s a question, Babik. And I don’t know how to answer it.”
He looked at me thoughtfully.
“Her nature... her gift... Uh, her ‘condition’... how, uh, contagious is it? Should I be worried?”
He gave me a sidelong glance with a wry smile.
“You mean?” he glanced down on my crotch then back to my eyes.
“Well, yeah. For one.”
“No, my friend, you’ll be fine. She didn’t bite you, yes?”
“Oh, no. Nothing like that.”
“Not all can give the gift to someone else. You may never know, or have the chance to find out. But, your children? That is something to consider.”
Children.
“I’ll keep that in mind. If it comes to that.”
He nodded.
“As for clothes? Follow me. My niece may be able to surrender some of her clothes.”
As we walked through the camp, Babik opened up.
“You have given me credibility in this place. Something that I’ve never had. I didn’t deserve it, truly, but now having it makes me want to honor it.” He looked up as he shuffled alongside me, “You bring out a good in people. Even in me. It was a good I didn’t know I had. I have never seen someone do what you did last night and I don’t think I ever will again.”
He put his hand on my shoulder, pulling himself up a little, and then patted it heavily. We rounded the corner to another wagon. He rapped on the door and announced himself. Heated words were exchanged from the far side of the door. He responded kindly, bobbing his head along, letting the rapid fire of a young woman’s words wash over him.
The door opened quickly and a blur of a colorful dress smacked Babik in the face.
He responded with something that was intoned like a “thank you”. Then pulled the dress from his face and handed the bundle to me.
“Shoes?” I asked.
He looked around and saw bulky, black lace up boots hanging from the side of the wagon. He grabbed them and handed them to me, shrugging, as he walked past me back toward his wagon.
“I’ll get some breakfast started, if you’d like to join the lad and I?”
I nodded at the invitation.
Oksana was removing grass and drying the dew from her legs when I returned. She immediately stood, naked, as I moved into the wagon. She moved forward, putting her hand behind my head, then drew me in for a kiss. It was calm; peaceful, even. Her crystal blue eyes looked into mine, dancing back and forth between both, down to my mouth, and then back up.
“Pust' eta mechta nikogda ne zakonchitsya.”
Oksana stood on her tiptoes and pulled me in again for another kiss, then retreated with a smile. I reveled in the moment.
I am not looking forward to learning Beryat.
Then realized what I had in my hands. I held out the dress and handed her the black boots. She busied herself with getting dressed.
The dress fit well, it hung loosely around her chest and torso, but it was the right length. She swayed back and forth, watching the colorful dress catch the air. She plopped down on the edge of the bed and tugged on the boots. She inspected the laces and her brow furrowed.
“Sdelay eto. YA budu smotret'.”
She thrust out her right booted foot and pointed at it, moving her hands in a tugging gesture.
I moved up, putting the sole of the boot against my chest then went through the motions of tying her boot. She was intensely focused on the process then gave a single nod as I completed the bow.
She lifted her other foot and inspected the threads and tied the knot in a mirror image of what I tied.
“Pravil'nost'!” She said firmly.
Chills ran up my spine as I looked up at her. She flushed at my recognition, then tilted her head with a wide smile. I stood and extended my hands to her, she took them and I lifted her from the bed. The boots clomped against the floor and she stomped in them, getting used to the weight. She didn’t look exactly pleased, but there was a certain joy in the experience.
I looked around the wagon, making sure I hadn’t left anything behind. It was a reminder of how strange the last two days had been.
We joined Babik for breakfast. He presented a rustic wooden box and lifted the lid. The “anytool” sat in the box. In its inert form it remained a lump of clay. There was a paper with a list of words and their pronunciations showing the different forms that it could turn into. I was thrilled when I saw it the first time, this was where our bond started. It was something that he had planned to sell me for a considerable amount only two days ago.
“It’s a wedding gift.” Then he grimaced, “A wedding discount. I still need to put food on the table.”
“I am good for it, Babik.” I pulled a wad of Lyra, overpaying his discounted price by a fair amount.
“You are too good, my brother.” He smiled then remembered with an exclamation, “Your coat and weapons!”
A few rapid fire words to the boy and he moved off.
“You will want to speak with Ursi before you go. You left an impression. Be aware that impressions also bring expectations. You made a lot of promises last night. Be sure to remember them.”
I nodded, acknowledging his insight.
The boy brought back my bundle of weapons. I dutifully strapped the leathers back into place. Babik respectfully looked on me as I inspected each weapon and holstered them. I finally snapped the whip back into place in the small of my back.
“I am glad it didn’t come to that.” He said, looking upon the proceedings in a daze.
“Believe me, I am, too.” I said.
Oksana and I moved to the central campfire.
“I request an audience with the King.” I said, bowing at the waist.
I waited a moment, and the woman who was both bodyguard and consort to the King emerged, wearing a far more demure set of silks: pale green and black. The presentation was more direct, less flowery. She instantly recognized that I was fully armed and stood directly before me, bristling. Oksana reacted to her reaction, but I put my hand out to calm both of them. I nodded to the king’s consort apologetically.
“Love, we are brothers bound at the soul.” He said, descending the stairs, “I know his heart and his mind.”
The woman looked unsure, stepping to the side opposite of Oksana, but still remaining very close. I respected her instincts. Bjorn would have done exactly the same.
The king moved right in with a grappling hug, pinning both my arms briefly. He released, stepped back, and patted both shoulders, his hazy eyes wandering close to my own, but still not quite locking in.
“I would offer words of advice, but I don’t think you need it. Mr. Elkind. The G-man.” He grinned, looking bit weary from the events himself.
He patted at his neck, looking in the direction of his guardian. Her brow furrowed briefly and she glanced sidelong at me, then departed.
He waved Oksana in closer and put his hands on both of our shoulders.
“I expect to hear from you. From both of you. There’s a long journey ahead, I expect you will take it in stride.”
The woman returned with an ornately crafted box closed with a metal clasp. She opened the clasp and held the box open toward Ursi. He retrieved a braided necklace, without looking at it and held it in front of me.
“This is yours, Bani. Made from the silken threads of your union. You will be known by this necklace to other Kalderari. These red beads, they represent courage. One means great courage. We have given you three. The black beads mean secret, obscured. You are of the Night Watch. And the silver,” He paused briefly, “This is an unusual addition for us. I don’t believe it has ever been defined, much less used. I requested it because it reminded me of you. It’ll make an impression on whoever sees it.”
Ursi placed the necklace over my head and adjusted it so that the three bold red beads stood in front. He shook his head with a chuckle.
“Oksana.” He lifted the other necklace from the box without looking, “Precious child. It would have been a great loss if Bani had not accepted the requirements of tradition.”
His eyes glazed momentarily with emotion. I clenched my jaw, keeping my own in check.
“These clear glass beads with a hint of blue, they are your eyes, they show clarity, intelligence, and understanding. They are surrounded by colorless glass beads, your past has been erased, and your future is open to you. These clear glass beads with a hint of yellow are the sunlight that shines through you. A joy that has always wanted to come out.”
He fingered one remaining bead.
“This is unknown. Onyx.” He paused while he held it then shook his head then continued, “It belongs here, but I can’t yet see why.”
His face was pensive for a moment as he placed the necklace over Oksana’s head, then a smile creased his lips.
‘It’s time for you to go home.”
I moved in and hugged the man. His consort bristled again, eyes narrowing. Oksana lit up and hugged Ursi as well.
Ursi’s consort approached with the box after he retreated and handed the box to Oksana. She stepped forward and whispered in her ear. Oksana, took a deep breath and looked at the box in her hand. She then turned to me with bright eyes and a smile.
She turned to speak to both of us.
“When the time comes, take this to the wise woman at any Kalderari camp. She will know what to do.” Her voice was husky and low, she allowed a slight smile and tipped her head forward then added, “Hunt well.”
There was too much to process at the moment. I bowed away taking Oksana’s hand and weaving my way through the wagons. As we approached the edge closest to the road, I realized that this was where the rest of the camp had gone. A line of parked cars stretched out along the lane. The foot traffic responded to the calling out of wares, demonstrations of blades, and the clank of pots and pans. Performers plucked away at stringed instruments. I marveled at the different worlds of the Kalderari. The one that faced inward, and the one that faced everyone else.
I sat on the motorcycle, kicking back the stand, and bearing down on the kickstart. The engine cackled to life and the sweet smell of bluegas exhaust eddied around us. I looked back at Oksana and waved her forward. She hiked up the dress and straddled the seat behind me. She pulled in close. I felt her warmth fold in around me. I pulled both of her wrists forward, bringing her hands together to interlock around my waist. She clung tight as I slowly took off. My own inexperience was even more of a concern now.
The first stop was the Jagdhaus to retrieve the sidecar and settle any affairs. Oksana watched as I backed the bike up to the hitch that connected the motorcycle to the sidecar. She grimaced at the sidecar itself and looked at me.
She wasn’t going to be happy with what I’m going to ask her to do when we got close to the border.
She remained on the back of the motorcycle instead of taking a place in the sidecar. I cherished the feeling of her close to me. Her eyes marveled at the passing countryside. We headed South down the highway, winding down roads for hours. The sun was high in the sky when we pulled off to a secluded spot in a small copse of trees.
Oksana furrowed her brow as I pulled out the phrasebook. She’d begun associating it with me asking her things she didn’t want to do. She waited patiently as we rested in the shade of the trees.
I did my best to explain that we needed to cross the border and she had to be ‘Amelie’ to do so. Her face held some disappointment, but more annoyance. She crossed her arms. Her pale blue eyes locked with mine and she nodded. Oksana bent, a gasp of pain escaped as her clothes loosened around her. The pale eyed hound emerged, looking up at me, head tilted. I smiled at her and opened the cover of the sidecar. I picked up the clothes and put them in the duffel then pushed it into the footwell. I removed all of my weapons, putting them into the sidecar. I’d rather not attract any unnecessary attention. I made sure my papers were in my riding jacket.
I patted the seat and she readily hopped in. She sat with her head rising just above the lip of the sidecar. I started the motorcycle and merged back onto the road a few kilometers from the border crossing. It was only moments before I saw Amelie’s tongue lolling out in a dog’s grin as the wind swept around her.
I smiled in spite of myself. In spite of everything.
The border was uneventful, normal paperwork sufficed for crossing over. Another half hour and we had arrived at Oberisk. The familiar streets, the old bridge, hotel, and small side streets. I could hear the whistle of trains at the station. No airship was currently docked.
I wove through the familiar streets and parked at my apartment. I beckoned the hound and pulled my gear from the sidecar. The door unlocked easily and we pressed in. I moved toward the flight of stairs, but the hound was intent on investigating, nose busily sniffing the air. The indecision whether to follow me or follow her instincts was clear. I clicked my tongue to make that decision a little easier. We climbed to my apartment—our apartment—and I held the door. She trotted in, scenting the furniture and rugs. I dropped my duffel and shut the door behind us.
“Oksana. This is home.”
She looked up at me. I motioned my hands up and she took the cue, I heard the uncomfortable sounds of change. Her face grimaced with the effort, she blinked a few times then smiled as the fog of her hound form faded from her.
I reached toward her and she responded by tackling me with a kiss.
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