Leodan the Son of Lion Chapters 1-7

Kuvlad appeared in a lobby in several moments, correcting folds of the chlamys on the run. Casta could clearly read all scale of feelings which captured him on his sleepy face— confusion, bewilderment, surprise, joy.

— "Darnat's gods!" — Kuvlad exclaimed, having clasped the girl in arms and strong kissed. — "My goddess has come to visit her slave. Why did not you warn me about the visit? I would take care of good reception for the bright star."

— "Forgive, darling", — Casta took away hair from a face, smiled guilty to Kuvlad. — "I woke you".

— "And it is nice! We will spend the rest of night, being awake, you know how I value the hours spent with you, my sweet warrior". — Here Kuvlad frowned. -" Gods, what a smell! As from the embalmer! And why are you in armor, with weapon and things?"

— "It`s long to explain, darling. I will tell only that I would not like very much to have same night one more time".

— "What happened?" — The smile left Kuvlad's face.

-" I have troubles. May I come in?"

— "Of course! I order slaves to prepare a hot bathtub for you now. Sit down, my house is yours".

Kuvlad's slaves were prompter, than Casta expected. Through a quarter of hour she already luxuriated in hot water to which the aromas were plentifully added. Then Kuvlad came accompanied by two slaves — one with a silver jug of red Khaestan wine, another with fruit and sweets.

— "Will you allow to join you?" — Kuvlad playfully smiled, put off a tunic.

— "Not now, darling", — Casta told a sleepy voice: heat of a bathtub filled her body with long-awaited rest. Kuvlad's caress would destroy this rest, and in general, she had no time for love. — "Maybe, later".

— "Well", — Kuvlad sat down on a bathroom side, took the girl's hand. — "You can explain nothing to me, my star. I know that happened in circus today. I saw fight. All Darnat speaks only about it. All are delighted by you. You did right thing. This orc was within your power. As well as me, — he bent to Casta and tried to kiss her, but the girl did not allow him to make it".

— "I beg, Kuvlad, only not now".

-"Don`t you love me any more?"

— "If I did not love, I would not come".

— "Then what is the matter?"

— "I killed the person, Kuvlad".

— "Ha, the grief is big! Do you do it all the time, or am I wrong?"

— "I killed the Darnat citizen, darling".

— "Oh!" — Kuvlad smiled, but his face turned pale. — "How did you manage to kill that poor one?"

— "I was attacked". — Casta, without opening eyes, began to tell about everything, what happened to her last evening. Kuvlad listened, nodded and grew dark more and more. At last, Casta became silent and left the bathroom with a sigh. Having darted a glance at Kuvlad, she noticed that he looked not at her, but somewhere aside.

— "Shall I put on?" — she asked.

— "What?" — Kuvlad started, raised eyes on her. The smile on lips of the young man seemed strained and insincere to Casta. — "Of course, no! I haven`t seen you nude for ages. You are charming. Divine Kua will not be compared to you, my pearl! There is no another woman in Darnat with such skin and with such body as yours, I swear by a radiant disk of Ying-Nubas! Your scars only give you delights".

— "Ah, Kuvlad why my heart begins to thaw of your words?" — Casta shook the head, having drenched the lover with a rain of warm odorous drops, nestled on his breast. — "Embrace me more strong. I`m fed up to be Casta the Murderer. I want to feel small, weak and beloved. I want you to warm my heart in the palms and your breath to dry up my tears. I want my body thawed from your kisses and caress. I feel very very bad now".

— "Do not think of what occurred", — Kuvlad touched by lips of her lips, then tenderly ran fingers over her breast. -" I am Kuvlad, not the last person in this city. I will say a word for you in the House of the Law, and you will be left alone".

— "Will you indeed be able to make it?"

— "Even do not doubt. Only we need proofs that you were protected. Do you have witnesses?"

— "No. There was one old gladiator, but these dogs killed him".

— "It is a pity". — Kuvlad suddenly cheerfully and carefree burst out laughing. — "However, all this are just trifles. Let's not to think of bad, my radiant. We are waited by my bedroom and the rest of night which we have to use on more pleasant things, than on talks about our troubles. You missed my caress, say "yes"!"

— "Just now I understood how you are dear to me".

— "Then prove me it!" — Kuvlad picked up the girl on hands and took out from the swimming bath to the convivial hall, and from there to the luxurious bedroom in which the fragrant aromas stupefying reason were already smoked.

Casta dreamed to forget about everything that she happened to endure this evening, and her dream almost came true. Kuvlad was unusually gentle, his hands softly slid on her body, and Casta was taken by the real passion. Today she tried to be obedient and subject to the lover — Kuvlad once, whether for fun, whether in reproach told her that she behaves as the man in their bed. This night she wanted very much to be weak and defenseless. Let Kuvlad caress her, loves her, protects her, owns her. She wanted their last night to be remembered by her for a long time. Let night of love will force her to forget about horror seen in Plague ditches ...

— "There is no, darling, not so", — she whispered when she understood that Kuvlad is going to take her staying back. — "I want to see your eyes".

Kuvlad obeyed, and they appeared face to face again. Casta might see his eyes now, but they were strange — it seemed to her that it was another Kuvlad, not the one whom she had known all these months. In a look of the young man there was not only desire. It seemed to Casta that Kuvlad was confused. That he was afraid of something. His hands were gentle and skillful, but eyes were empty.

— "Well give!" — she whispered, having pulled the lover on herself. — "Or you were tired? I swear by Shante, you cannot lift the spear in any way to hit the target!"

— "No, I only ..."

— "Trifles, darling. Do you want I will help you?" — Casta gently carried out by finger-tips on the men's dignity of Kuvlad become soft.

— "All about wine", — Kuvlad was suddenly rolled on a bed, got up, threw with the embroidered dressing gown. — "Forgive, darling. I drank too much wine today".

— "We have a lot more time", — Casta playfully smiled, shook the magnificent light head of hear, clapped a palm on a bed near herself. — "Everything can be corrected".

— "Forgive. I have to leave you ... for a while. I will return, and we will continue".

— "As you want, my love".

Kuvlad disappeared behind the heavy drapery hiding door to the bedchamber. Casta leaned back on pillows, closed eyes. The unsatisfied body demanded a discharge, the bottom of a stomach was filled with painful weight. Having sighed, Casta put a palm on a stomach, then below, on a crotch, felt how shiver ran on her body, but straightened out a hand right there— a thought that she will achieve release in such away here, in Kuvlad's bed, seemed humiliating to her. It is better to wait, maybe, her lover will return, having realized that offends her and still will bring her necessary satisfaction. To wait, relax a little. Even it is possible to have a sleep. She had such unlucky day that the short dream is simply necessary. Hour or two of dreams. She still has time, the galley leaves Darnat at dawn. Kuvlad will wake her when returns, and she nevertheless will have satisfaction from him.

Or he does not love her any more?

Casta shook the head. Sparks of lamps began to produce long light threads, eyes stuck together. She wanted to wait for Kuvlad. But there was a wish to sleep even more. When will he still return, this boy? Inopportunely he drank wine, absolutely inopportunely. She expected absolutely another night. No — so is not present, in her life greater disappointments happened. There is nothing to be angry with Kuvlad, it is better to have a sleep. It is not enough.

* * *

Tulkan stood, having turned to her with a back. She could hear his hoarse breath, and it seemed to her strange that the orc is still alive. He died there in Ditches — she saw that. The old grave-digger buried him. Why he came to her?

— "The woman to sleep much", — Tulkan told, without turning around. — "It is impossible to sleep. Enemy close. To find Dinche".

— "Why do I need Dinche?" — she asked.

— "In order the woman to speak with Dinche. Very important. The woman has to know".

— " To know what?"

— "Ayvari's stone. The woman to go to Dinche. She to tell what to do".

— "I do not understand you, Tulkan".

— "Silly woman!" — The orc laughed the barking laughter. — "Me to die. Nobody to help the woman. Ayvari's stone. Shenay-eshgan-rokh-ammar-denna!"

— "What does it mean?"

— "It means: "You are a woman with the warrior's soul". Dinche to explain. But already late. You not to get to Dinche".

— "Why?"

-" You to wake up now".

— "Tulkan?"

— "Casta!"

She opened eyes. There were two policemen in a gilded armor with an emblem of the Sacred Legion near bed. One of them, is more senior, held papyrus scroll and an ivory staff in hands. The younger policeman examined naked Casta with visible pleasure. Two more soldiers were standing at the entrance to the bedroom and inconsiderately stared at her too.

— "You are Casta, the Seltonian from Tseruni, the former slave and property of lanist Derak also called Casta the Amazon, the warrior from circus", — the senior told and touched her shoulder with the staff. — "Put on, you will go with us".

— "Where?" — The girl pulled on herself a sheet to be covered from too frank views of legionaries.

— "To the House of the Law. You committed murder of the citizen, and will appear before the court for it".

— "I protected myself!" — Casta exclaimed, perfectly realizing that legionaries do not trust to her words.

— "It is unimportant. Follow us and remember that if you resist the guard of God you will wait by death".

To resist, fight with guards, Casta thought with bitterness — how? From all her things she kept only an amulet with a lock of Elea. Ah, Kuvlad, Kuvlad! That is why you had such look at night, that is why you could not prove to be the man!

Man? Kuvlad is a man?!

She laughed loudly. The elder legionary frowned, asked why she laughs.

— "Four heavy armed soldiers came to arrest the naked little girl, is it not ridiculous unless"? — Casta told. — "And will you stare at me, or will you allow me to put on?"

According to the sign of the elder one of legionaries threw a light green silk tunic and sandals to her legs. Casta learned clothes from her bag. Means, the bastard Kuvlad already gave her belongings to guards.

— "And where is the host?" — she asked the chief of policemen.

— "He did not wish to go with us. This is his right".

— "It is a pity", — Casta told, tying thongs of the right sandal. — "Once I considered him the beloved. It would be desirable to tell him at parting who is he".

— "He will be able to visit you in the Silence Tower".

— "It`s not necessary". — Casta rose, threw tunic over herself, looked the elderly policeman fool in the face. — "Sometimes rats and worms are more pleasant to contemplate, than those who once were dear to you".

CHAPTER 4

The sun over Darnat rose high when Samedyar knocked in gate of the luxurious mansion of merchant Uzmay in Temple Quarter. Gate was opened by the slave gatekeeper and he led Samedyar to a huge shady garden where the host luxuriated in the pool after a midday meal.

Two slaves met Samedyar in the garden , washed his feet and suggested to change clothes to a fresh tunic from fine white cotton and sprinkled the guest with aromas. After dusty and stuffy streets of Darnat Samedyar felt true pleasure having put on clean clothes. Having made toilet, Samedyar on a path, paved with marble slabs, went to the pool. Uzmay slowly floated on a back, having exposed the huge hairy belly from the purest bluish water. Two very young Afaristan slaves dressed only in very narrow loincloths were standing on a pool side, expecting when their owner leaves water to give him a towel and a glass of ice water. Samedyar threw a cursory glance on Afaristan girls, estimated their faultless seductive forms and looked at Uzmay who noticed the guest by this moment.

— "My friend!" — Uzmay waved with a hand to the young man. — "Welcome to my humble house. Freshen up if you have a desire".

— "I thank you, master, but I will better wait for you here".

— "However, what a hot day!" — Uzmay dived, came up, sniffing as a hippopotamus. — "Would not get out of the pool, I swear by breasts of Kua! Did you bring me good news, my friend?"

-" More than good, master".

— "By Ygerabal!" — Uzmay reached a marble ladder, got out of the pool. Wiped a face with towel, ordered to slaves to leave him. — "Well,speak!"

— "I talked with lord Ashran, and he accepted money and told me that the Shofet is ready to adopt his plan".

— "Is it right?"

— "Yes, master. Ashran will not lie. Divine Shofet so fall in love in your daughter that he is ready to make everything if only to achieve her favor."

— "And I really will become the Sea Son?"

— "In the nearest future, master".

— "Thanks to Ygerabal! If only my father and mother would know that once their son will rise so high!" — Uzmay uplifted a look to the sky. — "And order for construction of the new ships?"

— "It is almost ready. Ashran convinced the sovereign to take the credit from rich merchants of Darnat, and Shofet agreed".

— "Repeat once again! Oh, your words sound like gentle music for my hearing! How many vessels The Sun from the House of Sun is going to order?"

— "It is unknown so far. But I learned something from court. For small remuneration they reported under a big secret that war with Sabian pirates is about to happen. And it means that the hightest Shofet needs many ships. Worth thousands sakkars".

— "What good news you have brought today! Truly, you are just a messenger of good luck. I will order to award you generously."

— "I tried not for the sake of award".

— "I know, you are my best friend, Samedyar. I am very grateful to you. — Uzmay tenderly frayed the young man. — Sometimes I treat you, as the son. It is honor for me to have such friend".

— "It is in the power of master make me more than the son. Master could accept me as his son-in-law".

— "Ah, my friend!" — Uzmay frowned. — "You tell about it again! You know that the Shofet ..."

— "Shofet will not be able to marry fine Shemmer-Ta-Nat. His passion will pass. And I am ready to marry her tomorrow".