Lillium sat outside, reading and classifying information she gathered about Hul Term. Last night she hardly slept at all. Lightning during the storm charged the electrit stones. Lord ordered her and many others to make arrow heads out of those.

Maybe she should have stayed in the city with Schnew and Urmead. All that attention she was getting from the boys was pleasant. Her attention was drawn to sobbing figure that jumped off the tree few feet away from her. It was Urmead.

She jumped up and approached him to ask, “What happened?”

“Schnew… he is taken…he is gone.” He was cutting his words with loud cries and sighs.

“Stop crying you are not a child!” Chill in her voice and stern look cut off his cries at once.

“Schnew was abducted by gang while we gambled.”

“Do you know them?”

“No.”

She grabbed him by the chin and lifted his falling head up.

She whispered, “Are you sure? Are you in some kind of a deal with them?” Her whisper was louder than any thunder he ever heard.

“No I’m not. I swear…”

She stopped him. “I will trust you… for now. Do you think they will ask for ransom?”

“I believe he is dead by now. He gambled and took money from some thugs. And he was disrespectful when they demanded money back. They seemed prety sure he was cheating.”

Lillium’s face was pale, almost translucent in the shade of the trees. “Which gang do they belong to?”

He begged, sweating, “Please don’t. They will kill my family and me.”

She pulled out her sword, placing it under his throat. “What makes you think I won’t?”

Urmead’s eyes were wide open. He was not frightened so much by the words as by the certainty and calmness in her voice.

Weeping he said, “I think they are from Altar’s gang. They carried pearl necklaces and that is his sign.”

She pressed him against the tree pushing his chests with the sword.

“Who is Altar?” She whispered in his ear.

“He is the leader of the most powerful gang in town. Please just let it go.”

“I didn’t ask for advice. Where is his territory?”

“He holds almost half of the town.”

“Where is Schnew kidnaped?”

“In the Golden Eye inn which is located thirty trees south of my house.”

“Thank you.” She smiled and removed the sword. He had sunken down the tree bark.

“Please, my family…”

She turned toward the crowd which was gathering and said, “Miratur go in the city and take Urmead’s family in our house. They are our guests.”

And our hostages.

Urmead released bursts of uncontrollable cries. He was broken.

These woods are full of snakes. I have killed at least three of them during my short stay in this place. But people living here are even worse. It is time to decapitate some of the snakes that talk and walk on two legs. If we don’t kill those snakes, their poison will cost us our life.

As soon as she lost the sight of Urmead, she turned into the forest and cried behind the trees. She couldn’t hold it anymore.

She was repeating the same question hundreds of times, ““Who is going to make flowery crowns for me now?”

She understood how childish that question was. Being reasonable was not on the list of her top priorities right now.

I should have been nicer to him. He was nothing but a nice towards me. It was just one small stone and I made a judgment about his whole personality. I have based my opinion on just one trait, one small flaw.

After a while she stood up and calmed herself down. She washed her face in a nearby creek. No one should know that she cried. Sadness was gone. A rage gathering fast like a storm replaced it.

In the meanwhile Subito heard the news. He arranged twelve warriors to assemble in a circle on an open field. Twelve of them kneeled in front of their swords stabbed into the ground. They were humming and whispering song “Father’s goodbye” repeatedly.

I just stood there

Under sapphire sky

I called him to stay,

Tears in my eye

No he couldn’t stay

War called so strong

He kissed my hair

So long my son, so long

Remember well

Words I’m going to say

Those that will kill me

You will have to slay

In the middle of the circle of the warriors was the gate. It was constructed of two scythes with handles stabbed in ground, tips pointing to each other. Subito passed through the “gate” and took a piece of the spirit mushroom and sip of the suind.

He said in a solemn voice, “If I don’t revenge Schnew's death, I should never share a drink or mushrooms with my comrades. I will spend my life and death in shame.”

Warriors in circle shouted, “Let it be that way!”

Lillium and Alma have done the same. They were now sworn to execute ancient tradition of feud amongst Ulans. Schnew had no other relatives who would revenge him. Sabator waited for them outside of the circle. He asked them to put their swords under his feet.

Standing on the swords he recited ancient prayer, “He is dead, but his soul is not at peace. His blood is boiling with rage. His voice is asking for justice. I pray to the wind which knows everything. I pray to the earth which hides everything. I pray to the water which shows everything. I pray to the fire which casts a light on everything. Four elements I ask you to take the seekers to the one who took his life.”

After that one by one three avengers aproached him, he picked up the swords.

“Let the justice lead your hand”, he entrusted weapons in the hands of avengers.

Priest and avengers sat in the circle, surounded by other warriors. They shared pieces of matasart meat dipped into the crumbs of crumbled cracker.

The priest recited from the Book of Voice.

“…Rite of the cracker

“I crumbled a cracker and gave it to my students to eat. I said, ‘Cracker was once Singularity. Then it was many. Then it was Singularity again.’”

He closed his book and said, “When the time comes don’t hesitate. It is true we all are Singularity. It is also true that by killing him you will commit a suicide. Third truth will set you free. Each of us should kill part of Singularity which causes division.”

Subito slaughtered rooster and drained his blood into the cup. Each of them drank from the cup. Carcass of the rooster was given to the dogs to eat it.

“If we don’t execute feud, let our bodies be eaten by dogs. We are same as this offering given to the gods of revenge and justice.”

Every warrior from the circle positioned a stone in front of himself. They have cut their hands with a knife and smeared blood all over their palms. Each of them left a bloody seal on the stone.

They buried the stones under the place where they were sitting. As soon as the warrior would have his stone buried he would walk away not speaking or turning away. Avengers were the last to do it. They walked away together. Subito was in the middle and Lillium and Alma on the sides. Two girls were wearing scythes used to form a gate in the middle of warriors circle. They were ready for incoming battle.

Later that night, they were in Golden Eye inn. Local drinks had strong aroma of bananas and strawberries. Lillium aplied makeup which pointed out her beautiful face and fire in her eyes.

Around her neck was enormous golden necklace. On the thick golden collar hung three owls woven out of golden strings with sapphire eyes. Every finger was adorned with a heavy golden ring. Each of the rings had sigil showing different animals.

She gave rich tip to the barmaid, pulling the btaris out of full bag. The bag was made out of silk decorated with pearls. Even wooden hand on her staff had golden rings on every finger. Her hair was gathered in net made of thin silver strings. She looked like a queen.

One of the customers carefully watched them. His eyes glistened every time Lillium’s jewelry reflected the light toward him. After a while he stood up and walked out of the door. No one tried to go after him. Inn personnel were not bothered by the fact he has not paid his bill. Leaving the inn he heard bird fluttering above his head. The sound distracted him and he couldn’t decide was the shadow he caught in the corner of his eye real or not. He watched around for some time and found nothing.

“My eyes are playing tricks with me. I shouldn’t have that last drink.” He said it loud and laughing to encourage himself.

Passersby descended on lower branches to let him pass. He was a gang member and no one wanted any troubles with him. Several trees away from the inn, number of shady figures waited for him.

They whispered for a long time. Later they climbed the highest branches of surrounding trees.

An hour or so later Mandeur the thug leader watched as Lillium and Subito left the inn. He was the man who watched them hour ago inside of the building. And he came to conclusion they are the birds with golden feathers. You never allow such a bird to fly away.

He was clad in latest Hul Termian fashion. Almost every resident sported shirts and pants with no shoes. His clothes were much more luxurious than those of the commoners. They were made of silk and dyed black. Around his waist was a blue scarf striped white. The scarf held a sharp scimitar and the long dagger. Both weapons were adorned with intriguing writings - protective or enchanting magical formulas.

He already deployed five of his friends in surrounding tree tops. They were ready, aiming their bows at two that have left the inn and walked towards the basket. Up there in the sky, he could hear crow’s caw.

“The bird can sense the blood,” he whispered to his friend.

His friend smiled in response. “And we will feed her. Sometimes we are too good for our own benefit.” Both of them jumped in front of Lillium and Subito.

Unsheathing his sword and pointing it in the chests of our heroes, he demanded, “Give me your gold and live.”

Five arrows nailed around Subito’s legs when he moved. “Be careful I don’t have much patience left.”

Mandeur’s friend pushed Subito with a tip of his sword, grinning like a lunatic and showing his rotten teeth. Reek flushed Subito’s face and made him turn his head away in disgust.

Thug leader was puzzled by Lillium’s insane laughter. It was interrupted by terrible sound of roaring beast above their heads. The robbers ducked instinctively. In a corner of his eye, he saw three of his friends one by one falling off the branches into the darkness below. That was work of Miratur’s arrows and her Eye of the Zurbul.

He heard remaining two breaking branches as they run away. As he turned to his friend he saw the bleeding hole where his head was just a moment ago. In terror he tried to elevate his sword, but strong impact of Subito sword already knocked it out of his hands. Without a word Subito picked him up pulling his shirt.

Lillium introduced her grin into his face. “Lead us to your hideouts.” He was reluctant. “If you show me, you have my word I will surrender you alive to Hul Term authorities, if you can trust the word of a witch. If you don’t tell me, you have my word, you will wish I had given you to Hul Term authorities.” In her eyes he saw the truth. “I am going to untie you and you will lead us.”

Subito frowned but he said nothing. Lillium whispered in thug’s ear that no one is faster than her daughter’s arrows. Pale and shimmering rogue lead them to his hideout in the rotten hole in the tree east of their previous location. Crow was on the Lillium’s shoulder. She saw for them where the thugs are.

Lillium petted the bird and fed it with crackers, “You are a good bird, my eye and my honey.”

Miratur and Alma joined them. Alma pushed two runaway thugs. “They thought they could escape, it seems they didn’t know I can see in the dark.”

Thug leader removed believable imitation of the bark off the hideout entrance. Hideout was the shallow hole, rotten out in the tree. It could fit up to ten people. In the center there was tin cauldron. Such cauldrons were used in Hul Termian houses instead of the fireplace.

There was some still smoking amber in it, revealing that tugs had left not too long ago. Around the cauldron were some rags. They probably used to sit on them. On the 'wall ' was the big blue flag with a circle made out of pearls in the centre of it. It was a sign of Altar’s gang. All across the wall were written messages and names in charcoal, even some more or less good drawings of armed men. Used canisters made of glued leaves were all over the floor, testifying that heavy drinking took place here. Canisters were mixed with the bones of eaten animals. This place was messy.

Subito got into the face of one of the thugs, “So would you tell me who killed my friend Schnew, you know the one that was gambling yesterday in the same inn?” They were pale. “No? All right, we will have to do it another way.” He pulled out his skinning blade, reached into the mouth of one of tugs pulling his tongue out.

Cutting it off he said, “I don’t like noise.”

Then he nailed tug's fists and feet to the wall with arrows. He cut piece by piece of his skin for the next hour salting his wounds.

He remembered when he climbed the Talkvira mountain with friends. The snow covered nakedness of the stone. Hollow song of the wind sent gooseprickles down his spine. Ice hidden under the snow was treacherous under the feet. After long climbing they got to the top. It was worth the trouble. They had the world under their feet. Spreading their hands, they ran around pretending they were Brigs. The wind got under their clothes and pushed into their back like they were flying. It was one of days in his childhood, he would never forget.

The meal of simple bacon and bread, after mountain made them tired and hungry, was a memorable experience. It tasted better than anything down below in another world under the clouds.

Even without a tongue thug was able to produce strong screams which chased away Subito's memories. But sensations were still there - gooseprickles induced by screams and beautiful taste of revenge, pain and thug's soul. The soul was in the blood and he could smell it. It left iron taste in his mouth. He was high above, looking down at the world; above the destiny - he decided about life and death.

It is strange, this world of nightmares. More developed being is, it is more cruel. Plants live on light, earth and water. Animals eat plants and other animals. Humans do the same and kill their own specie. Do killers consume parts of their victims, and grow in the process? At last thug died not being able to sustain any more pain.

Alma poured a bucket of water over his fainted friends. “You shouldn’t shit and piss on yourself, it stinks.”

Subito smiled “Who is next?”

Runaway thug was ready to talk. “Your friend cheated and took much money from our leader Altar. Our leader does not like when someone cheats him, it shows disrespect. He hates even more when someone takes his money. We ambushed him outside of the inn and took all of his money. Your friend was foolish enough to spit in Altar’s face. Altar was furious and threw him to a Zurta worm.”

“What the hell is the Zurta worm?”

“It is a giant worm, danger from below. Most deaths Hul Termians suffer from animals come from Zurta worm. They dwell in giant trees, feeding on it. When they get near humans, if something scares them, they are known to destroy everything in their way. It is easy to startle them. Altar has one of them since the creature was hatched. It was a present from high city official. We have many friends in high places. You should be carefull…”

Subito took tug’s weapons. “I will keep this and you are free to go. Tell to your friends I’ll be waiting for them, if they can find a grain of courage in their slimmy bodies to face me. This city is filled with garbage and I don’t like the smell of it.”

In disbelief, thug disapeared in the dark with haste. No one ever heard of him again. He is probably still hiding if he was not killed by Altar for betrayal or by the family of some poor guy he killed during his thief carrier.

They went back in the hideout and found the chest. Subito broke the rusted lock to find lots of jewelry mixed with several bags of btaris. Alma dipped her hands several times in the chest, taking the treasure and letting it fall back in the chest with a sweet sound of metal ringing. Due to lack of enthusiasm on the side of her friends she left it alone and closed the chest. They were more concerned with Schnew than with gold at the moment. She never liked Schnew.

Next to this chest were five others. Alma opened the chest to the rigt of the first one and jumped away, screaming. The chest was filled with snakes. Her good reflexes saved her life. Subito closed the lid of the chest with his scythe.

Alma slapped thug leader. “Why haven’t you said anything, you bastard? All other chests are filled with snakes, right?”

With his eyes nailed to the floor, he confirmed shaking his head. They weren’t sure should they trust him so they gathered wood and started the fire in the cauldron. When they threw chests in flames they were assured thug told them the truth - other chests were also full of snakes.

They sat around the fire. Subito passed suind around and said, “If Schnew was here now he would pull out his flute and made us dance.”

Miratur started to sob and soon her whole body shook with cries. Subito hugged her staring into the fire, not daring to look at anyone. He knew hw would burst into tears. Lillium also cryed in silence, while tears rolled down her cheeks. She refused to wipe them off. Tears flowed freely to the edge of her cheekbone and gathered there till they would fall off, hit the ground and break into hundreds of pieces.

Alma couldn’t cry, since Utrikats weren’t able to. She lowered on her stomach and released deep sighs. Her eyes were big and round, kind of eyes that only sadness can make. She missed Schnew after all – she got used to him. He annoyed her, but in an interesting way. She will miss their small quarells and his witty jokes.

They tied thug in the corner of the room. Whenever someone would pass next to him, he would use opportunity to kick him or slap him. That way they felt better about the pain they have felt.

Lillium said, “We need a rest. Our duty is not fulfilled yet - Schnew's blood is seeking for the revenge. I can’t calm down till I see this Altar creep dying in the puddle of his own blood.”

Alma added “I will drink from that puddle.”

Spreading hides on the floor Subito said, “Now we will sleep and in the morning we will visit the mayor. It seems he got himself mercenaries he asked for.”

Soon silence of the night hugged our tired travelers, at times interrupted by sharp snoring. That night they went to sleep as rich people. They were richer in terms of money, but they felt poor as they never did before.

***

“White-white-white-black-black-black-white-white-black-white-black-black-white-white-black-white-white-black-black-black-white-white-white-black-black-black-black-white-white-black-white-black-black-white-white-black-black-black-black-black-white-white-black-white-black-black-white-white-white-black-black-black-black-black…”

He repeated same combination whole night. But there was no solution. It looked too long for just one name. It is starting with white and finishing with black, maybe some clue is hiding there. If it was, he wasn’t able to find it.

Desperation consumed him. He was knee deep in wrinkled papers - hundreds of starting overs and failures. When baron Zangahar told him the names of his ancestors were either Zangahar or Musiul, there was not a happier person in the whole world.

Now he was pretty certain no one is more miserable. All he was able to determine so far was that name was not Zangahar, otherwise it would start with white and black which is Z. So it is Musiul, or some other name. Maybe baron Zangahar lied to him. It could be that this ancestor was given different name for some reason. Maybe the tradition of giving same names to every newborn boy was established long after his death. Who would know?

Even if the name is Musiul it wouldn’t help him at all since he didn’t know any of the letters in this name. Why wasn’t it Zangahar? He was so certain in his success, as he was hurrying to his uncle’s house. Flying on the wings of victory, he reached dizzy heights, which made his downfall even more terrible. It could be that Hremo song was wrong, or they interpreted it wrong way - maybe white and black are not Z. All of his conclusions could be wrong. And all of his money was almost gone. He was so close and so far at the same time.

“I need a drink or I will lose my mind.”

Suind was so sweet. It eased some of the noise in his head. He dropped the empty bottle on the table. The buzzing was still there, somewhat muffled, but still there.

“I need to sleep.” He climbed up the rope into his sleeping chamber. “To read a prayer and to sleep.”

As soon as he entered the sleeping chamber he colapsed on the straw and fell asleep.

In his dreams he whispered, “Black… black… white…”

For three days he hasn’t left his sleeping chamber. Utrikat servants would bring him food and water, but every time they were leaving the room shaking their head. Desperation got hold of him. He abandoned all hopes he will ever find a solution.

As he read the same combination of colors again and again, he felt as he was walking away from the true meaning. Maybe there is no true meaning, maybe those are just decorations on the scythe handles and nothing more. Finally he was ready to give up. He grabbed the rope, leting his body to slide down. His uncle was down there speaking with some hunters, he waved to them.

“I am going to ride a bit.”

“Good. Clear air brings clear thoughts. Go on.”

He lacked courage to admit his defeat to the uncle. Not yet. He walked to the far end of the clan house where dogs were tied to the long pools protruding from the wall.

He had chosen to ride young female dog. Her body was thin but muscular indicating she is fast. He saddled her and walked her out. As he rode towards the woods group of the children ran after him cheering. He had to smile. First smile in the last three days - it felt good. When last of the children abandoned pursuit after him, he made dog ran as fast as she could.

Wind cooled his head and dark clouds covering his mind parted. He could hear his heart beats over the panting of the dog. Fuzzy green smudges moved all around him. He nested his head against dog’s neck and closed his eyes. They ran for a long time. Every muscle in his body relaxed, and he was calm again.

He straightened up in the saddle, and slowed the dog down with a gentle jerk of the reins. Now he watched around, listening to the song of birds and the murmur of the leaves. Fresh scent of grass filled his nostrils. He inhaled sweet scent, allowing his stomach to inflate and deflate as he was breathing. To his left he noticed small pond and turned his dog towards it.

He patted his dog on the neck as she drank sparkling water. “You are a good dog, my beauty.”

Her black fur was soft to the touch. She rised her head for the moment to give him smart and sad look. He always thought dogs had a sad look. He dropped on the ground to choose a blade of grass to nibble on. Weak bitterness on his tongue was pleasant. The sound of water calmed him. All worries drown in water. Even when it is frozen water is calming.

He remembered he used to watch snow falling for hours when he was a child and just a student in the Temple. In those moments his head was empty, and yet he was never bored.

Old memory erupted. He couldn’t be more than a five at the time. Maybe it was his first memory, he couldn’t tell for sure. Snow fell and his clan was at Gathering, snowdrifts were over his and Subito’s heads. Uncle made wooden swords for them, and they went out to cut a snow. They never fought each other, they were sword brothers.

In those days (or weeks, he couldn’t remember) snow was their enemy. Soon all around the clan house were big holes in the snow.

He remembered his uncle laughing and saying something like, “We should send them to play on the road, it would soon be clear. Our Utrikat servants could use some rest.”

Schnew and Alma were with them. They had wooden swords of their own, and were also cutting snow. Schnew said something about how people admire pure things, but they can’t let them be. They need to leave their mark, like they need to confirm their existence, to confirm that they were to those who will be.

He analyzed Schnew’s words for a long time; those were his first attempts in resolving the mysteries of life. Zangahar was name given to Scnew by his mother. In the woods he took another name to conceal his identity.

Zangahar… Name was not Zangahar. Solution of the mystery evaded him. He stood up to walk amongst reeds growing on the pond shores. Unsheathing his sword he cut the reed until he got so tired he had to sit and catch a breath.

“If their letters are made of black and white, how the hell do they know where one letter ends and another starts?”

Solution hit him like a lightning. Shaking he took one of the broken reeds and carved code on it.

When he finished, after looking at it for some time, he spoke out loud, “It starts with white, then white again… Stupid me, there it is white followed by a black, its Z. But afterward goes two blacks. What the hell? If it is Zangahar it should be black then white. There it is after those two black and two whites.”

He considered it for some time and then concluded, “They have one sign for start of the letter and separate one for ending of the letter! I have it! I resolved it!”

He jumped up and kissed the startled dog.

“Thank you, gods. Prayer, yes I should pray.

Finishing his prayer, he jumped on his dog and run off. Pond was left behind, calm as ever. It was too dignified to even be surprised with such rush behavior and impatience. The water was to wise to waste her time on the caprices of the mortals. The frog jumped in, sending wrinkles all over the surface, while Melessar and his dog disappeared in the distance. Soon, only thin cloud of dust remained on the horizon, until it also disappeared.

No one could tell that just a few moments ago one man solved one of many questions which follow everyone through the life. Only evidence that someone has been at the pond was the broken reed. Yes, Schnew was right: man always leaves traces behind.