Outlanders

Chapter 23: Aqoyraki

Leif sat on a log, feeling alone even with Astrapi prattling at his side. Leif looked contemplatively skyward, but kept his ears trained on Astrapi.

"Leif," came Zoltána's flat voice, "There's someone here who wants to see you."

Looking over his shoulder, he saw Zoltána trudging wearily to him, led by a blonde longswordsman and a short person in an evil-looking cloak and hood.

"Uh..." said Leif, "can I help you?"

"Do you recognize my voice, Leif?" murmured the cloaked one.

Leif's tail twitched as he tried to remember, then he shook his head.

With a step back and a flourish of his hand, the cloaked one uncovered his face.

Leif tilted his head. "Have we met?" What he saw was a young man- aged perhaps twenty- with grim blue eyes and a firm, expressionless mouth. Then Leif sniffed the air a few times, and his ears shot up. "Vlad?" he gasped. "You?"

Vladimir let out a smile and said, "Still alive."

"Vlad... oh my, you look... different..."

"I should hope so, given what I paid for this outfit."

"No, deeper than that. You look happier."

"Happier?" He stepped back, looking as though Leif had drawn a blade.

"But what happened to you? How did you get here? Why didn't you talk to me? You knew I was here, didn't you?"

"I'll tell you everything. But for now, there's something very important I have to talk to you about."

Leif's ears fell back.

"Zoltána, could you leave us?" asked Vladimir.

"Yes, I could," said Zoltána, not moving.

"Fine. Leif, you and Zoltána were plotting to use me as bait for an ambush, then shoot me."

"We weren't talking about you," said Leif, quickly realizing that the secret was out. "And I was never in favor of that plan."

"Do I have your word on that?"

"Yes." Leif took a deep breath. "You have my word that I was not in favor of the plan to sacrifice one of our own soldiers."

"Commander, what did you decide? If you try to do this, you know I have to tell the troops."

"Don't bother," Zoltána mumbled, palming her forehead. "This is getting out of control. No one seems to understand this, but the purpose of that plan was to save lives. If I did it now, it would do the opposite."

"Oh, thank you, dear," Leif sighed.

"Dear?" said Vladimir.

He looked to Leif, then Zoltána. He folded his arms and smiled again. "Of all people..."

"Now you should tell me who this is," said Zoltána, indicating the blond swordsman.

"A traveling companion?" guessed Leif.

"Actually," said Vladimir, "well, yes-"

The blond boy nudged him.

"-fine. This is my lover, Ellis."

"Lover?" said Leif. "I didn't know you were a homosexual."

"It wasn't relevant."

"So that's why you're afraid of women," said Zoltána.