Zoran Chronicles Volume 1 A Dragon in Our Town (53 page)

            
The furnishings left everything to be desired, he noted, following Petr into his war
room, a large, bare-walled room. Blackened oil lanterns long in need of a cleaning
valiantly attempted to illuminate the rough map he had laid out on the table. “Yellers
occupy all the lands west of here, down to the ocean, we think. We’ve got daily patrols
that go from here to here, keeping them at bay from our meager crop lands. ‘Course, that
ain’t saying much. They barely make enough for half a winter. We are forced to buy
more from Ves just to get by. As promised, our new road to Ves ought to be done by first
snow. No idea if Warlord Sabina will keep her word and have it connected to yours by
then. How much is a wagon of grain going to cost us if’n we get it from you instead?”

            
“That I don’t know off hand. I will check and see. How many wagons could you
use this winter?” Warlord Petr took this opportunity to rattle off his long list of supplies
that he greatly desired to acquire by any means. He was definitely prepared for this
meeting with his new Baron, Karel pointed out, as he copied down the items ranging
from grain to cloth to weapons. After lunch and a large round of honey ale, Zoran
decided it was time to meet the Yellers.

            
Warlord Petr loaned him some horses and a guide, but refused to come with him,
citing important organizational matters. As they rode along, Karel commented, “Some
organizational matters — I bet he didn’t want anything to do with these ferocious
animals.” Bernard agreed with him. Their guide led them about a half day’s ride
westward to their perimeter line, which was heavily patrolled. Their well-marked horse
trail led northward and southward from this valley. Here, their guide explained that he
would await their return. Although the guide didn’t say it, Zoran picked up his unspoken
words, “that is, if you ever return.” Indeed, the warlord and their guide figured this
might be the end of their baron. Only fools went after the Yellers directly.

            
Since darkness would come in about an hour, the Mages cast one of their Safe
House spells, which created a large room in which men and horses could safely spend
the night free from worry about attacks. The house was extra-dimensional and not
visible on Adapazan. Of course, their guide was impressed with their spell and eagerly
shared their evening meal with them. From the way he ate, Zoran guessed that the man
was having a veritable feast.

            
The next morning, they cast their Skin of Stone spells on their bodies and
prepared to continue westward on foot. “Remember, when we make contact with the
Yellers, do not draw your swords. We want to somehow see if we can parley with them,”
Zoran reminded them of his wishes.

            
“Let’s hope that they understand a few words like my dogs do,” Bernard
grumbled. He liked this less and less. “They are just animals, after all.” Zoran hoped and
prayed this was not the case.

            
“Remember, each security man is to stand next to one of us Mages. If trouble
does come, we will teleport ourselves out of here.” The six guards appreciated this bit of
encouragement, but General Janos had faith that Zoran must know what he was doing.
In his mind, a baron always did. Since there were no trails to follow, Zoran headed them
up the side of the valley into the next one, hoping that they would not have to travel for
days to find them.

            
After a long struggle to climb up and over the valley walls, they descended into
the next western valley. As they reached the bottom and stood admiring the tall, rugged
mountains, Zoran’s inner senses began alerting him to eminent danger. This he relayed
to the others. Suddenly, from behind the pine trees a loud, scary, high pitched yelling
accompanied the rush of a dozen seven foot tall Yellers, brandishing large clubs. Zoran
saw at once that these creatures, who wore fur loin cloths, had the intelligence to
surround them before attacking. That was a good sign, he thought, although General
Janos and the others saw this in an entirely different light. Only with extreme effort did
the men resist the powerful, self-preservation move of drawing their swords. Zoran
raised both of his hands high in the air, hoping that this gesture of submission would
somehow be recognized by the Yellers.

            
The Mages had long since cast their Universal Translator spell. Zoran hoped —
no, he had counted upon these creatures having a spoken language. “Peace. We will not
fight you. Speak to your leader. Hold. No fight. Speak leader.” Zoran called out loudly, as
the dozen were now dangerously close to them and within clubbing distance.

            
Suddenly, one of the tall Yellers stopped and cried out in utter shock and
surprise, “Animals speak our language? Hold. Animals can speak?” he addressed Zoran.

            
“Yes, we can speak your language. I am Zoran. I wish to speak to your leader,
chief, boss, the top man. We come in peace. Not harm you. You not harm us. We speak
to leader.”

            
Something he said must have sounded funny, because several of the Yellers
chuckled. “We never knew wild animals could speak! Leave sharp metals on ground
here. Come with us. Glock will be famous now,” he said to his men. Zoran asked his
party to do as they asked, dropping both of his short swords onto the ground first. One
by one, his companions reluctantly followed his lead.

            
Another Yeller commented, “Glock, they are doing it! You will be famous now.
Capture speaking animals!” Glock smiled and gestured for them to follow him.
Surrounded by the dozen Yellers who towered over them, to say nothing of their vicious
looking clubs, the group followed the one called Glock.

            
Zoran’s group had to almost jog to keep up with the swift footed Yellers, who took
long strides. On down this new valley they marched for nearly two hours. Soon, Zoran
saw tell-tale smoke clouds drifting upwards towards the billowing white clouds and blue
sky. A village of sorts must lie ahead, which he found very encouraging. The others had
an entirely different feeling!

            
Not long after that, they walked into a large village unlike anything they had ever
seen before. Hundreds of other Yellers, some old, some young children, came out to
taunt them. Uniformly, they all wore fur loin cloths and went barefoot, even their
women wore the same thing, their breasts quite visible, startling the men. Their homes
were hide domes, round hemispherical affairs. Bent wooden saplings could be seen
holding them up. Numerous cooking fires dotted the village.

            
Glock marched them up to one specific hut, all the while calling out, “Look, the
white animals can talk! Come and hear what we found!” As they approached the hut,
Glock called out, “Animals, wait here.” His eleven men made sure that Zoran and his
group did as asked.

            
Zoran’s danger sense was at a continuous low key pitch, which he tended to block
out, focusing on just who their leader was and how amenable they would be to
constructive talks. Glock opened the hide door and held it open for his leader. Out
stepped an elderly woman, taking them all by surprise. Glock said, “Animals, speak to
leader. This is leader.” He was keeping his speech to short sentences, probably, Zoran
thought, because he thought that he was speaking to a dumb animal.

            
“I am called Zhou. Hunter Glock says that white animals speak. Is this so?” she
asked. Her voice betrayed a hint of curiosity.

            
“Hello, Zhou. Yes, we all speak well. I am called Zoran. I came to talk with your
leaders. It is important that we speak.” Of course, as soon as he spoke, the whole village
erupted into a raucous — wild comments flying in all directions. Evidently, the Yellers
thought that the white animals were just efficient dumb animals, as the humans did the
Yellers!

            
She motioned for them to sit by her cooking fire, and she sat down as well. Zoran,
smaller in size than she, found it a little embarrassing to find himself staring straight at
her breasts. “I am sorry that for years my people have been attacking your people,
driving them clear across the land to this location and in the far north. I came to offer
your people a new land in which there are none of we white animals, and I will give you
my word that we whites will not go there unless you ask for our aid.”

            
“We are called Chou and we once numbered many tribes, before the white
animals came with their metal cutters. My grandmother was very angry and ordered
many unsuccessful attacks on the white animals. She told me of how the Chou had once
been free to roam from coast to coast, but now had retreated to the western half. My
mother feared greatly the white animals and sought to gather as many of us as possible
together, strength in numbers. Alas, even that has failed. Now I lead my village here to
the edge of the world. We have no more room to retreat and must make our last stand
here, though we know that we cannot survive.” Her apathy touched Zoran. He realized
that the centuries of slaughter and constant movement westward had driven them down
to anger, then to fear, and now they were in apathy, ready to accept their fate.

            
“Yes, you and your people can survive and thrive and multiply once more. Across
the waters is another land which no whites have touched. It is ten times larger than this
area here that your people occupy. To make amends for our butchery of your people for
so many, many years, I would like to help all your people move to this new land and get
settled there. We have looked the whole land over and have seen no white animals there.
I give you my word that in the future, none of us will set one foot into this new land of
yours, unless you invite us to come. I know that this is asking a lot of you to trust me
that I speak the truth.”

            
“You speak of trust, yet your white animals kill us every chance they get,” she
replied sadly.

            
“I know. For that, I am sorry. We thought of your people as also dumb animals
too. What I propose is for me to take six of your people to see this new land that I am
giving to you. Let them see for themselves if this land is suitable for your people. While I
am gone with them, I will leave my friends here with you as hostages to guarantee that I
return with your people. Will you agree to let me try to make amends with you and your
people?”

            
“How will you get there? No one can cross the endless waters,” she asked
somewhat fearfully.

            
“By magic. How long will your men need to see if this new land is a good one for
your people? As far as I can tell, it is very similar to all of the lands here.”

            
“A day perhaps. I will see if you speak truth,” she decided. She called out six
names, and the men quickly moved to her, standing proudly before her. “You are to go
with Zoran here. He says he will show you a new land where we can live in peace. See for
yourselves if he speaks truth. I will hold his friends here as hostages until you return. Be
back by dark,” she ordered.

            
“But you cannot trust them,” one protested. She raised her hand and he was
silent. Zoran noted that she held implicit power over the men, concluding this must be a
matriarchal society.

            
“Take these men. Be back by dark. If not, we will kill your men. Go now,” she
ordered.

            
“Are you sure?” General Janos asked Zoran.

            
“Yes, it must be done. I have to show them the land. I will be back by dark,” he
replied. He had the six men hold hands and then took one’s hand and cast his teleport
spell, arriving near the northeastern coast, where a mountain stream came down to the
sea. He wanted them to see that there was fresh water, which was why he chose this
spot.

            
The men blinked, unable to grasp what had happened to themselves. Suddenly,
they were looking at a strange place, a location that they had never seen before. “I will
wait here by the stream. You check out the land. Be sure that you return before dark.
Yell if you need any help,” he explained and then sat down on a boulder to wait.

            
He watched as the men fanned out and began reconnoitering the area. Now he
waited and prayed the land would be to their liking. Hours passed before the men
reappeared. Actually, they returned so silently that he was surprised by them. Zoran
filed this datum for future reference. These were highly skilled hunters. “We return
now,” one said to him. After making sure that all six were present, he again teleported
them back to their village.

            
Bernard looked very relieved to see Zoran suddenly appear with the Yellers.
“Whew,” he muttered under his breath. The six Security Men also visibly relaxed; they
had been extremely tense while he was gone. General Janos merely sat back and smoked
his pipe.