[Hilde Bracegirdle]

Surinen

Surinen suggested to Narayad that they play a game to while away the time and to keep his fellow outrider from brooding further over the lost incense pot. The sun had long since grown hot, the air wavering over the land as he gathered a large handful of pebbles. Narayad settled himself down, deftly carving small dimples in the dust in front of the lean-to with his dagger, from time to time the rise and fall of distant conversations breaking the quiet, as the camp returned to life again after the heat of the afternoon. Sitting down cross-legged, facing his friend, Surinen pulled his legs closer to his body and leaned forward distributing the stones among the cups. “You begin,” he told Narayad. But the outrider seemed preoccupied, and sat, the shadow of the lance he had driven into the ground casting a thick line across his knee.

“As you wish,” Narayad replied, shifting the pebbles quickly, and looking up again to check the old man who watched them disinterestedly, from under the shade of the lean-to.

Surinen followed Narayad gaze, noting that Narayad made no hurry to return to the game after Surinen had played out his turn. “Again,” he said, looking back to his opponent and rapping his knee sharply, with the back of his hand. “Relax, I will help you watch.”

“Like you watched the other? No, I think I had better keep my eye and this one,” Narayad said a smile growing on his face.

Surinen scowled at the barb. “But I had no idea he would try that,” he said in an injured tone, pulling his shawl over his darkly tousled head with one hand. “Miri, that curious scamp! The little thing had better take Kron’s advice and forget all about the strange words Rôg spoke, or she will have the Elders descending upon her tent, and they will keep her from the other children.”

“Yes, as though she had some sickness. It is a shame,” Narayad murmured, looking at the game.

Surinen reached out to take the stones there before him, but stopped, having caught sight of the old man shaking his hoary head ‘no’ under the shelter of felted wool. Slowly shifting his strategy, the outrider took those from a neighboring hole, earning a nod of approval from their ‘guest’.

“Perhaps, you would like to play, old man?” Narayad said sarcastically, without looking up. Surinen grinned broadly carefully enunciating each syllable as he translated into common tongue. When the invitation was not accepted immediately, Surinen waved the man over patting the ground next to him.

“Two minds against your perceptive eye! A more even chance don’t you think?” he said. Narayad shot him a withering look; resting his hand on the end of his lance as the old fellow sidled forward, out from under the shade. Squinting in the bright sun, he stretched briefly and took up a position leaning on his staff over looking the two outriders who sat in the dust, playing with stones, and as the game progressed Surinen consulted the old man continually. “Ah see! We have won!” he announced within a few turns, clearing most of the stones off the ground.

Standing up Surinen clapped the old man’ the back, thanking him profusely. He did not often win against Narayad, and was determined to enjoy it. But as he stood beaming, and Narayad moved to stand up also, three brothers arrived, and Surinen saw they were sons of one of the elders. “We have prepared a place for the visitors,” the eldest and stoutest said. “Quickly, let us move them there, before the children again wander the camp.”

“We have only this one with us, the other Kron has taken to speak with Narika and Thorn,” Narayad replied brushing himself off. “Should I wait and bring him to you when he has finished?”

“No come with us, we can send word to Kron were he should be taken.”

Surinen turned to the wizened guest, trying his best to explain that he was being moved and that Rôg would join him shortly, but growing impatient with the speech they did not understand, the others hurried him along. Quickly grabbing Narayad’s pack, Surinen rushed to follow, but feeling as much as hearing a heavy thump behind him, he turned to see a round incense pot lying on its side directly behind his right foot.

The younger of the elder’s sons bend down and retrieved it, looking it over carefully. “The missing incense burner?” he said eying Narayad. “What is it doing in your pack?”

“I do not know,” the outrider said mystified. “I did know it to be there.”