Sons of Chenia

Chapter 36

"Say something, damn it!"

His four friends pulled back on the reins of their horses to stare back at him.

"Anything! I can't stand this."

They looked at each other, unsure who among them should speak first.

"What can we say?" Fyodor said meekly. His dark blue eyes met Nicolai's for but an instant but darted away from his full stare. Nicolai rode his mount up to Fyodor, who sat hunched in his saddle.

"I am not the enemy, my friend," Nicolai responded politely yet firmly.

"Then what are you?" Leo asked.

Nicolai straightened as he rode to meet Leo face-to-face. Unlike his thinner counterpart, Leo showed no apprehension locking his gaze with Nicolai's.

"You've made your point," Dmitri chimed in as he leaned on his saddle horn. "You are a hero, and command respect. You are our savior and should not be shunned."

"Don't patronize me," Nicolai shot back.

"You asked us to say something."

"And now I'm telling you to shut your mouth."

"Enough! All of you," Petrov said as he rode between them. "I'm tired of the lies."

"You hear that, Nicolai?" Dmitri said.

"That goes for you too," Petrov barked.

"What did I do?"

"You and your stepfather found him in Ovolussia. In tatters and near death. Can you honestly tell me you knew nothing of his condition?"

Dimitri's shoulders slumped. "I remember his scars from when my stepfather and I gave him shelter. There were so many of them. They looked even worse then, if my memory serves me well. But as for his . . . I never would have thought that . . ."

Dmitri's words trailed off into silence. No other voices offered to follow. Nicolai searched their faces to find that each was burdened by betrayal and distrust, pity and concern. Such an assemblage of emotions had dogged them since the skirmish two days prior. After the gunfight, the five of them made haste to put as much distance between the carnage and themselves. They rode steadily through the afternoon of that day into the night. Although exhausted, they could not sleep. While their horses rested and grazed, the five tossed for the remainder of the night. At dawn, Dmitri took the lead of their group as they continued their journey through the mountain paths. Nicolai remained at the rear for the entire day's ride, knowing that his friends needed space. At least, that is what he told himself. In truth, he feared what they might say. Yet by dusk, his fear had developed into anxiety, and by the dawn of the following day, frustration. Now, he was enraged for having been ignored, for being written off altogether.

Nicolai would not let the silence resume its dominion over his friends. "I did not believe I was telling a lie," he offered.

Petrov looked to him. "So you had no idea of your, well, condition?"

"I had no concept that it was as developed as it was," he replied, in half-truth and half-lie.

"You lie," Leo muttered loud enough for all to hear. "He knew. Oh, he knew."

"Calm yourself," Fyodor said.

"I won't," Leo barked. "All those mornings he snuck away. Hidden from plain sight. Returning from Ada knows where."