A.N.: Let me use this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
I have to say that the year 2010 had its moments, but it wasn't anything special, but next year, the year 2011 is going to be awesome, right? Right.
Galeb lay on the futon in the wagon, in the room hidden behind the red velvet. He stared at the ceiling, watching the play of morning light coming through the round window. This was his third night spent in the wagon and even though the futon on which he was lying was comfortable as any bed, he woke up in the middle of the night quite a few times, but it wasn't because of the sound of the forest, but because of the blond-haired man. He turned sideways, his gaze on the thick double mattress beside him. He could hear breathing, deep and relaxed. He pulled himself up onto his knees, turned sideways and leaned his elbows on the mattress.
Lintai was lying on his side, his head pillowed on his arm. With his tresses fanned over the pillow he looked peaceful and almost angelic, when he was anything but.
Galeb reached out; he wound a golden tassel around his finger. He had been Lintai's Pet for only four days and it wasn't just that his life had taken a turn, but he had the feeling that his life wasn't his anymore. It was Lintai's now. He rested his chin on the mattress beside Lintai's pillow. Feeling like that should scare him or at least have him panicking a little, but no, it -- he couldn't really say it felt good, but it wasn't a bad feeling either. It felt almost like that was the way it should be.
Was that because of the contract? Was that the power of the Mother's seal? But, in his contract he was classified as a companion, he wasn't one of those rare and expensive slaves who were raised and educated for the sole purpose of ending up as somebody's Pet, so there was no need for him to feel like he belonged to Lintai. Not that the feeling of being Lintai's meant that he was going to trust his master or get attached to him, like those slave-pets did. Even if his teachers hadn't rammed into his head that you can only trust yourself and that emotional attachment in his line of work would get him killed, he had learned not to trust or get attached to people before he even got into the academy.
He noticed the shift in Lintai's breathing and saw the subtle movement of iris under Lintai's eyelids. In a second he was lying on his side on the futon, his back to the mattress, his eyes closed and his breath deep and calm, even though his heart was wildly beating in his chest.
He heard a yawn and the rustling of fabric. A few moments later he felt strands of hair on his nape, tickling him, followed by a hand that caressed the line of his jaw, then slid over the curve of his back and pinched his ass.
"Wake up, grumpy."
Galeb sprang forward, his eyes narrowing at a smirking Lintai, who was leaning on his arm, watching him. Why was Lintai always smirking at him? Not that that smirk didn't look good on him. "Damn it."
"Good morning."
"Why did you have to do that?" Galeb rubbed the sore spot. Asshole.
"Because you were pretending to be asleep."
"I was not."
"Hmm." Lintai turned on his back and folded his arms under his head. "If you'd been asleep you would have reacted the same way you did three days ago when I ended up on my back with your knife at my throat. If I hadn't been protected by Mother's seal, you would have cut my throat."
"No, I wouldn't. And I don't carry a knife strapped to my forearm anymore."
"But you have a knife hidden under your pillow."
"How do you know that?" Galeb frowned. "And I wouldn't--"
"It doesn't really matter. You can have a knife under your pillow if it makes you feel better or more safe, it's not like you can hurt me." A smile graced his lips. "Even if you try." He pulled himself up on the pillow, the sheet slid down and pooled in his lap. "Now go, make some tea, please."
Galeb stared at Lintai's toned chest, then his gaze slid lower over the six-pack, navel, the fair trail of fine hair. His mouth suddenly went dry.
"Galeb." Lintai snapped his fingers before Galeb's face. "Tea, please."
"I'm going, I'm going." Galeb tore his eyes from Lintai's torso, got up, slipped on slippers and went through the sliding door into the living area of the wagon.
He stopped before the cabinets opposite o the dining table. This was the fifth time he had seen Lintai naked and as always, the sight put him in a kind of daze. From the cabinets he pulled out a glass teapot and a paper bag of tea leaves. What was wrong with him? Back at the academy he had seen naked, well-defined bodies every day in the common showers after training and they had never made him feel hot and slightly out of breath. Actually, he had hardly noticed them. He peeked in Lintai's direction, catching sight of a naked back before it was covered with a black silken shirt. He quickly looked away. Two years, he would just have to work off two years, ignore this-- whatever this was-- and after two years his life would be his again.
He put a few tea leaves into the pot's filter-lid, closed it and put the pot down under the floating cylinder of water. "Water." Water appeared in the pot, the level of it increasing until Galeb said, "Stop." He lifted the surface of the counter under which the red, heating box was. With the press of a button at the edge of the box he adjusted the thickness of the box's upper side until it glowed with heat. He put the teapot on it. He cleared the bag of tea away, and after Lintai appeared beside him dressed in a black silken shirt and tight black pants, Galeb went back into the sleeping corner. From his chest of drawers in the corner he pulled out brown pants and a simple white shirt. He washed himself and changed his clothes in the cabinet beside the door, which was actually a small bathroom, then hung his sleeping pants and shirt beside Lintai's robe on the hook at the head of the mattress.
When Galeb returned to the living area, Lintai was already sitting behind the table sipping his tea, an opened book before him.
Galeb descended on the bench opposite Lintai and pulled the cup of tea that Lintai had poured for him to his side of the table. He took a sip of tea. It seemed that Lintai wasn't in any hurry to continue with the journey. They could have been in Gamaris two days ago, if Lintai had linked the Triniti boxes together and lifted this box off the ground. But either Lintai liked to travel at a snail's pace or he had something in mind.
After breakfast, Lintai went to harness the horse, Galeb watching him from the bench in the niche at the front of the wagon. The glass that covered the upper front was now pulled up - hidden under the ceiling and Galeb leaned his elbows on the narrow shelf beneath it, his eyes assessing the huge red beast. There was something off with that horse, but he couldn't tell exactly what. He wanted to mention it to Lintai when a wig materialized on his head, the long curls obscuring his vision.
What the…? Galeb tried to pull the wig off, but it was stuck on his head.
"Leave it. It appeared because somebody is coming." Lintai tossed the reins over the shelf and turned, his eyes searching the forest.
A few moments later an old man in a well-worn hunting outfit, with a beagle beside him and a bag on his shoulder, stepped into the meadow. With loud, thundering voice he greeted them both then stepped toward Lintai, pulling a bottle with clear liquid out and offering the brandy to Lintai for a good price.
They bargained and after the price was settled Lintai sent Galeb for credits to pay for the purchase.
Galeb brought the purse, and in passing it to Lintai he didn't miss that not only the bottles and credits, but also a slip of paper exchanged hands. But even if he hadn't noticed that, the amount of credits that Lintai paid for three bottles was ridiculously high. He listened to the chitchat about the weather that continued between the men, watching how Lintai frowned over the man's forecast of clouds and storm.
Galeb frowned. There was something going on. There was not a cloud in the sky, not even a haze, and the day was warm and sunny, without that heavy pressure in the air that announced bad weather. After the man was gone and they were back in the wagon, where Lintai put the brandy away in the cabinet, Galeb mentioned that to Lintai.
"He said that the clouds and storm are over the west road. He didn't say there is going to be a storm."
"So, it was a warning. Does that mean that we are going to make a detour?" Galeb sat down behind the table and pulled the wig off.
"Yes." Lintai said. "What a quick deduction. It seems that pretty head of yours isn't just for decoration."
Galeb frowned. "A warning before what? Does it have anything to do with the paper he gave you?"
"You saw that?" Lintai leaned his hip on the cabinet. "You are too curious for your own good. Stop being nosy and stop asking questions, it doesn't concern you. If I want you to know something, I'll tell you."
Galeb rolled his eyes and stood up. "Jackass," he murmured under his breath. In the next second he found himself pinned against the door, Lintai's hair tickling him.
"A jackass? I'm a jackass?"
Lintai's voice didn't sound angry to Galeb, but then again it never sounded angry. "Sometimes."
"And you can say that after four days?" Lintai's hand slid down Galeb's side, his lips curved into his ever-present smirk.
Galeb swallowed, Lintai was too close, his body too warm and the hand on his hip too gentle. "I could have said that after one hour."
"You are cheeky." Lintai chuckled. His eyes on Galeb's, his fingers slid under Galeb's green tunic, ghosting over Galeb's skin. "I like that. I like you not being on your toes anymore."
Galeb's breathing accelerated and small spark of electricity shook his frame. He should push him away, he shouldn't be so passive, so afraid of the fire that had started to pool in the pit of his stomach, but wanting for it to consume him at the same time. He wanted to melt into the touch, to lean on Lintai, to wrap his arms around his neck and dig his fingers into the braided hair. What the hell was wrong with him? Get a grip on yourself!
"I know there's a lot more hidden under your cool façade. It's quite amusing to see you try to keep a distance between yourself and what's happening to you, how you try to be calm and cool-headed in every situation. How you tried to figure me out and act accordingly." Lintai wrapped his arm around Galeb's waist and leaned closer, a smile on his face. "But don't do that anymore. I want you to be you."
Galeb took a deep breath and wiggled his way out of Lintai's hold. "Curious and asking questions? Just moment ago you didn't like that."
"Curious isn't all that you are." He put his hand on Galeb's shoulder, his face surprisingly serious and grave. "I don't like you asking questions, because the less you know, the better. For your own good."
"You can order me not to tell, and because you are my master I have to stick to that order even if somebody tortures me."
"It wouldn't work, because that order would threaten your life and according to the contract, in that case you wouldn't have to obey it." Lintai's removed his hand from Galeb's shoulder. "Now, we better get moving." He went toward the front of the wagon where he sat down on the bench and took up the reins.
Lintai didn't trust him, not that that surprised Galeb. He had, after all, tried to kill him four days earlier. He followed Lintai and sat beside him. In Lintai's shoes he wouldn't trust himself either.
Lintai smacked the reins and the wagon moved. They were silent, Galeb observing Lintai's profile and listening to the sound of the forest, while Lintai's gaze was on the road. They came to the crossing, where Lintai chose the right, southwest road.
Galeb leaned his head on the side of the wall and turned away from the shine of the sun reflecting off the silver roofs of Higrah castle, floating on an island of earth in the air high above Gamaris City.
"What do you know about the Grand Consul?" Lintai looked up at the castle.
Galeb furrowed his brows together. Lintai probably wasn't asking about the basics: that the Grand Consul had nine members, four of whom were high lords of the houses, four the representatives chosen by the residents every five years, and that the ninth, the honor member, was selected by the Mother. Or that the Consul met the first of every month in Higrah castle, where some of the members also lived. Or that only the lords of the house could be the head of the Consul and that the head was changed every three years. "I know that for the past five years, it has been a member short and that the Lord of Fire is substituting for the House of Air until the Lady of Air becomes of age, and so is holding two seats. I have also heard that this is the reason why the Lord of Metal refuses to step down as head of the Consul, saying that Lord of Fire, whose turn it is to preside, holds too much power already."
"You know more than the average person does."
"Shiern, my ex-master, used to be in the Lord of Metal's service and he still has some connection with the people working for the Metal house. He likes to brag about it."
"I see. And what do you think? Does the Lord of Fire hold too much power?"
"I heard rumours that the honour member comes from Fire house, too. If this is true then, yes, the House of Fire has too much power." Galeb said. "But on the other hand, the Lord of Fire has had this much power for some years now and he has never abused it. People like him and say that he takes good care of his House and its residents and that he is -- despite his young age -- a wise man."
"He is a wise man."
"Do you know him?"
"Maybe."
"Does this mean that whatever that slip of paper was, it has something to do with the Lord of Fire?"
"Maybe."
A crease appeared on Galeb's forehead, and he crossed his arms. "If you don't want to talk about it, why did you bring it up?"
"To see how well acquainted with politics you are." Lintai smiled, faced forward, and with a light crack of the reins propelled Aros into a trot.