Arkona

“Say what?” Zduhach frowned, giving Dragomir a suspicious glare.

“I knew you were a terrible person!” Milena took off her shoe and slapped Dragomir’s back.

“Would you stop that?” Dragomir raised his hands in defense. “I gave it to them so it’s only natural I can also take it back!”

“Aww, so you gave it to them, so it’s only natural…” Milena changed the tune of her voice mockingly. “That’s not how you treat the gifts, you, you…!” She started slapping him again. “Why… don’t… you… ask… them… nicely!” With every word, she hit harder.

“But they don’t even know who I am anymore!”

“It’s been just a few years, you said! A nice person who gave something to someone cannot be forgotten so easily!”

“But they did forget! And you will eventually, too!”

The desperation in his voice finally made Milena stop.

Dragomir realized that today’s Milena didn’t know about his circumstances yet.

“Let’s go…” He reached for the sore spot on his back as he started down the hill. “There’s something you need to understand…”

And several minutes later, she understood. He explained everything to Milena, save for the crucial detail that she was once an everyday part of his life.

A wooden sign read ‘Arkona’.

They finally reached it.

From where they stood, the entire village fit within a single glance.

The fields enveloping the village were vast. But empty. A sign at the beginning of the arable land read ‘Keep Out’. Dragomir realized the smell of freshly watered crops was nowhere to be found.

“First, we have to confirm they still have it.”

“What is it that you want to steal, Debilmir?”

“A table.”

“A table?” Zduhach blinked.

Milena stared into the distance. Silent.

“What’s going on, Milena?” Dragomir noticed she was standing perfectly still.

Then he looked in the direction she was staring at.

A well.

A wooden bucket hung from it.

A sense of nostalgia surged through his heart.

An image of Dragomir and Milena sitting by the well, their backs resting against its stone rim, flashed before his eyes.

She must have felt it, too.

Dragomir then led the way further into the village, where a tavern stood.

The door creaked as they stepped inside. The three of them had to squeeze sideways among the tables to get to the bartender.

It was unusually crowded, Dragomir thought.

“We’d like something to eat and a place for an overnight stay.”

The sounds of chewing, slurping and clinking dishes made conversations almost impossible.

The bartender turned to face the visitors. “You’re not from around here, huh?”

“No, we’re travelers.”

“Oh? And where are you traveling to?”

“We’re going to Prav to slay the gods!” Zduhach couldn’t contain himself as he slammed his palm on the bar for dramatic effect.

The whole tavern got awfully quiet.

A man seated at a table in the corner began to tremble. His fork slipped from his hand and clattered to the floor.

Milena and Zduhach scanned the room.

“You don’t know what you’re playing with,” the bartender whispered.

Dragomir put three silver coins in front of him. “Beds. And food.”

The bartender looked at the coins and frowned. “That buys you only the beds.”

“It buys me more. I know about the sacred rule of this tavern.”

The bartender gulped.

“Zduhach, Milena, if you could eat anything you ever wanted. Right here, right now. What would it be?” Dragomir asked.

“Huh? Well, that would be a spicy venison stew!” Zduhach licked his bottom lip. “Two, no, three bowls!”

“Like… anything?” Milena’s gaze lowered. “I guess… fresh bread topped with pork cracklings… just like my father used to make…” Her eyes grew wet.

“You heard them.” Dragomir gestured with his head. “And for me, slow-cooked pork ribs.”

The bartender sighed. Then he disappeared behind the door at the back of the tavern.

The people slowly began to eat but they still stared suspiciously at the guests.

Many of them finished the food, got up and left. But the others were already waiting around the corner to take the vacant spots.

“Hey, you didn’t even pay for the meal you thieves!” Zduhach pointed at the two men heading for the exit, but they didn’t even flinch.

“Sit down and let them be.” Dragomir grabbed his shoulder as Zduhach let himself be seated.

Within a few minutes the bartender returned with a plate of bread and cracklings and placed it before Milena.

The cracklings still steamed as the smell of hot grease filled the air. She gently pressed a finger into the bread, revealing its softness.

“How can this be…? It hasn’t even been five minutes. And I don’t smell anything from behind that door!”

The bartender then returned with the bowl of venison stew in one hand and the pork ribs in the other.

The food was too tempting for other questions. “Eat well!” The trio called out in unison.

By the time the spoon hit the third empty bowl, the tavern was empty.

“The bedrooms are upstairs. Unfortunately, we have only one room with three beds vacant.”

The men looked at Milena, expecting a reply.

Her moist eyes and the hand resting on her belly told them she was somewhere else entirely. “Whatever…” she said finally.

Once they reached the room, Milena collapsed on the bed. A loud burp escaped her, and both men widened their eyes.

However, she didn’t feel the need to apologize, even though both men clearly expected it. Instead, a loud snore followed.

Dragomir and Zduhach exchanged looks and chuckled. “She must have been very exhausted…” Dragomir said, taking off her shoes.

As he removed the second one, Milena opened her eyes and flinched. She curled herself in the corner of the bed, quickly looking at Dragomir, then at Zduhach and then at Dragomir again.

Her breaths came quick and uneven.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have touched your feet like that,” Dragomir smiled and put the shoe in his hand next to the other one.

“Z-Zduhach?” Milena’s voice trembled. “Who is this man? And why are we in a dark room with him?”

Dragomir blinked.

“You don’t know him?” Zduhach pondered for a second, and then he snapped his fingers. “Oooh! But… you weren’t supposed to forget until tomorrow!”

Milena looked around. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead as she searched for the exit. But the two men stood between her and the door.

“Oh damn…” Dragomir ran a hand across his face. His smile looked nothing like the one from earlier. “How could I have been so stupid? And ignorant? Of course! Of course it’s like this… It’s so simple!”

“What are you talking about?” Zduhach tilted his head to the side like a five-year-old.

“Milena, don’t worry… We’re not gonna hurt you. Remember what Shkrat told you? He’s here, Zduhach is here. And I’m just his friend. It’s okay if you don’t know me.”

Dragomir took his stick and opened the door. “I’m going to sleep somewhere else. You two get some rest.”

Dragomir walked down the stairs and approached the bartender once more, another silver coin clinking against the counter. “Please let me sleep among the cows.”

A few moments later, he found himself lying on a heap of straw.

“So you finally figured it out.” Veles sat on one of the cows.

“Five years… Five years I’ve spent trying. And the answer… was so obvious. No kiss. No sunrise. No midnight. It’s sleep, isn’t it?”

The god smiled.

“Bingo!”

Chapter 8: END