Eros

Vengeance - 37

A river cascading from the Arolars coursed behind the town they were to stop at. Alora sat on the grass near its bank. She was desperate for a wash, but refused to enter. Not when Kaido was there. The bastard had stripped naked and dived into the water before she could say a word.

The river her tribe used to bathe in was rarely empty, and never had she hesitated to bathe amongst her kindred. But the mere thought of bathing with him made her flustered. She would've jumped in with her leathers on, but they were her only clothes and the air was too chilly to have them dry on a wet body. A sigh brushed past her lips.

At first, she didn't even dare to glance, but the boredom and curiosity turned her gaze despite her will. She got a view of his broad, muscular back. Pale scars laced it. Once he had scrubbed off the dry blood, they were the only remains of the wounds he received at the arena. Her eyes narrowed.

That's odd. Where the scars and the black streaks of the tattoo covering his upper back crossed, it was the paths of the scars that were disrupted, rather than the tattoo's. It wasn't that the skin wasn't cut; it was that the tattoo lied deeper than the skin. As if the flesh was blackened down to the bone. And from the midst of it, that sinister eye stared back at her. Alora shuddered, averting her gaze. Who the hell gets a tattoo like that?

Bored again, she looked about, and saw the rolled map perking out of the cloak Kaido discarded. She retrieved it and spread it on her laps. A route was drawn in red across the map. Departing from Veramora, it crossed Veramor's border into Aurum, then Aurum's border into Anerock. Crosses with dates above them marked several cities and towns across the route. Her brow furrowed. The nearest mark was the town they were to stop at, and the date was today.

"What are you up to?" Kaido asked, crouching over her shoulder. She glanced back at him, and her eyes shot wide open.

"For fuck's sake Kaido, put some clothes on!" She looked away, her alabaster cheeks blushing a fierce red. He laughed and reached for his trousers.

"Say," She cleared her throat, still looking in the opposite direction. "What's that route marked on your map?"

"I bought a used map, it was cheaper."

She frowned. "It has today's date on it."

"Maybe the guy canceled his trip, " He shrugged into his shirt, "Or died. People tend to die in Deadmen's Bay." The tone of his voice was more grim than humorous. Alora still wasn't convinced, but chose to leave it for now.

"Let's get going. The sun is about to set." He slung his cloak across his shoulders.

"But..." She peered at the river with ache, then sighed and turned to her horse.

-

Sebastian Silverwood took the wine bottle and turned it over his glass. A single drop dribbled inside, and a frown clouded his features.

"Another of these." He waved at the empty bottle at the bartender, and was handed a full one in its stead. He poured the red wine into his glass when two masked men burst in and waved blades at the bartender. The small, old tavern was so murky it was as if it asked to be robbed. Sebastian was hardly surprised, yet awfully irritated.

"Will you two kindly take your business elsewhere? I was this pitiful place's only customer today. You will find more coin between the street's pebbles."

"Maybe we should rob you then, eh? Fucking smartass." One of the bandits barked at him, raising his knife as he stepped in his direction.

"I am sorry," Sebastian rose from his stool, his voice turning sharp. "It might've sounded like I was making an offer, rather than a demand." He loosened the sword in its scabbard and the robber's gaze dropped to it. The hilt was sheer black, with a pommel of bronze.