Grey Eagle - Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

The next morning Arion was stiff, dirty and miserable. He ran a hot bath to soak his aching muscles, finishing off with a brief rinsing shower. As usual, he had received a clean change of clothes last night with his supper. He put these on and sat down at the table, head in his hands. The bath had helped, but it didn't change anything. Not anything important.

Kim came in with his breakfast, setting it in front of him. Reflexively, he smiled his thanks, but it was brief and insincere. She paused, and smiled back, cocking her head slightly. Arion stared at her, shocked. He smiled again, more fully now. Hers widened. She turned then, obviously satisfied with his response, and left.

He gazed after her, fascinated. She was a damat, and he had ignored her, just as she had ignored him, but she had been concerned by his depression, had cared enough to wait for a genuine smile.

He ate his breakfast, feeling unreasonably better. Thank You. I'm so busy worrying about everything that I've forgotten the more important things. I never knew it could be so hard. I never thought... I just can't think right anymore. He sighed, laughed softly to regain the pleasure of Kim's smile, and ate his breakfast.

It was nearly lunchtime when Raach appeared in the doorway. "Hello, Cedrychad."

Arion rose. "Hey."

"So," he said, looking around. "What do you think?"

Arion smiled, amused. Arrogant vampat. "A definite improvement, thank you. But I think I'll be used up s> "In other words, I'm supposed to teach him how to kill me."

"Yes."

"And then?"

"Then he will kill you."

He nodded. "What if I refuse?"

Raach laughed softly. "Then he will beat you to a bloody pulp. It is not in your nature to allow that to happen without a fight."

"I quit before. Maybe I'll quit now."

He shook his head. "You did not quit. You were resisting Sharsa the only way you had left. You fought back when Reegat came. You do not know how to quit. I recognized that the day I met you, but Sharsa would not see it."

Arion was startled by the interpretation, but it pleased him too. "So maybe I'll fight by refusing."

"Yes, you just might. But you will choose to fight. I will see to that. But enough for now. You are not yet strong enough to begin. Think about it, Cedrychad. Two days, maybe three." He turned and left, Reegat following.

Arion sank down on the bed, leaning against the wall, shaking. Too angry to think, he simply sat, unable to do anything else. As he calmed, his thoughts began to come, but they fluttered unpleasantly, unable to focus...

By the time his next meal arrived he felt better, the facts acknowledged. Raach had both the means and the willingness to force him to train Reegat. He knew himself to be ill, both physically and emotionally, but he also understood now that Raach was and feeding him three times a day, and he had at least two days of solid rest ahead. By that time, if he was fit enough to fight, he would also be fit enough to escape.

And so he rested, sleeping as much as possible, reading in bed from his pocket pal when he could not sleep. Raach did not return, though Reegat came several times to stare silently. Arion would stare back, stoic, or resume reading, pretending to ignore him. Disturbed by Reegat's visits, he found himself otherwise delighted. Life once again had a pattern, and he himself had comfort, entertainment, and above all, hope.

The evening of the second day, Arion waited until the house lights went off for the night, (this alone being an unexpectedly pleasant sensation), then went into the bathroom. He picked up the razor, removed the blade, and began cutting at the leash... It wouldn't cut.

Determined, he continued to try, but eventually he gave up, disgusted. He examined the leash. Soft, supple, even mildly elastic, but he couldn't cut it, couldn't snap it. It was the same sort of cord with which Deerta had bound his wrists.

He fetched the pocket match from the bag and returned to bathroom. He fired it, then hesitated. What if it burned too quickly? What if water wouldn't put it out? He held his breath, and put the flame under the leash...

The leash, however, refused to burn at all. He waited, but the only result of any kind was a brown stain. He sighed.

For the umpteenth time he strained at the fusion, trying to break the collar. Nothing. He wandered about, trying to think, but his mind remained skittish and uncooperative. He went to the ring in the wall, trying to work it loose, but it remained solid. Maybe he could break the wall around it?

Pretty stupid. He couldn't be dragging all of this around when he was trying to run away. ...But it seemed to be either that or stay, so... Maybe he could wrap it around his waist.

Something to work with... He returned to the bathroom. Using his nail clippers, he unfastened one of the faucet handles from the sink, and returned with it to the eye hook.

By morning he had chipped enough away to see four anchor rods spreading out from the ring.

"They span the entire wall Cedrychad."

Arion spun around. He hadn't heard Raach approach, and this bothered him almost as much as being caught. Raach came to him slowly, unhurried, but in its way, this frightened Arion still more. He held his hand out and Arion gave him the faucet handle.

He looked at it and nodded. Taking hold of the leash then, Raach examined the brown stain. He smiled, and nodded again. "I suggest you get some rest. You will have company this evening." He left.

Arion plopped down on the mattress, exhausted and angry. Blast that Raach! He had known! He had expected him to try, knowing he would fail. Probably even staged it. He was no idiot, but he had to have a weakness somewhere. Something. Too tired to worry about it now, Arion went to bed and slept.

They came in together, about an hour after supper, bringing with them a young woman. She was clearly frightened, and she looked at Arion and his room with puzzled alarm. "Defend yourself," said Raach, "or defend her."

Arion sighed and nodded. "You won't need her."

Raach also nodded and took the woman out. Reegat stood waiting, still and silent. Unlike his father, he was a bright copper brindle, though his colors did favor the black, and his eyes were the same rich yellow. He wore a Rikshastikan jacket, but it bore no pattern. Instead, his father's pattern was displayed on his right pants leg.

Raach returned. "Benat. We begin now."

Reegat came forward and stood before Arion, hesitant, unsure how to begin. "Coward," said Arion with disgust. "You need someone to hold me down for you again?"

Raach translated, and Reegat's ears twisted back, his eyes flashing with anger. He lunged, and Arion sidestepped, shoving him away. He turned, coming in more slowly, grabbing hold and wrestling. Reegat was somewhat stronger, but utterly ignorant, and Arion twisted free with ease.

He shook his head at Reegat, scornful. "No wonder he wants me half dead for you."

Again Raach translated. Reegat glared at him. "Manar enarashans," he answered darkly.

"Insults can hurt you," said Raach. Arion smiled, believing the full meaning to be somewhat stronger than that. Reegat grabbed him again, wrestling him to the ground. Raach was right - Sharsa had made him weak and slow.

Reegat, however, had no idea how to keep him there, holding his wrists with straightened arms. Utilizing the open space, he planted both feet in Reegat's chest and sent him sprawling. Reegat scrambled to his feet, furious, grabbing hold of the leash and dragging Arion forward. Alarmed and off-balance, Arion scrabbled forward to ease the pressure on his neck.

"Teka moraia," Raach said sharply. Hold your anger.

Reegat glanced at his father and released the cord. He paced a circle around Arion as he stood up, glaring. Arion rubbed his neck, as much to remind Reegat he had lost his cool as to wipe away the irritation.

Reegat advanced slowly, watching. Arion circled, then lunged suddenly. Reegat was startled, frightened, stepping back. Arion did little more than push him, but he laughed derisively as Reegat staggered, taunting him for his fear and failure. Reegat rushed back, furious again.

Arion sidestepped and hit him in the belly as he came in, striking down against the base of his neck as he doubled over. He crumpled, hurt but not damaged.

"Watch your step, Cedrychad," warned Raach, who had not moved. "Your purpose here is to teach him. If you try to hurt him, you will be punished. That was unnecessary. Do not repeat it."

Arion nodded as Reegat climbed to his feet, his ears flattened against his skull.

"Teka moraia," Raach said quietly. "Po manar. Shira kyon." Hold your anger. Ignore the insults. Hurt the mongrel.

Arion sighed slowly, careful not to show he understood. It proved not to matter. Reegat didn't know enough to hurt him, but Arion soon became too tired to stop him anyway.

"Ich. Satat," said Raach at last. Enough. Go now.

Reegat stepped back, hesitating. "Manar anarashans," he said quietly, then turned and left.

Raach looked at Arion, who had made it to his knees. "I suggest you use the nights for sleeping from now on." He left, and Arion crawled into the bed, too exhausted to shower.