Xuhn nodded and said,

“So, do you want me to talk to the other villagers about awakening Mortugal?”

Mother and daughter exchanged looks.

“You think they would want to help us?” Ruponi said. “Yes, we did come here with the sole purpose of convincing your people to help us but… Whenever I talk about vampires to any villager they seem to get angry. They say it’s bad luck even to mention vampires.”

“But you do need the help, don’t you?” Xuhn said.

“If whatever is written in the scroll is true,” said Ritika, “then even a single human is enough to help us.”

As it dawned upon Xuhn what she meant, a voice inside his head told him to be cautious. They were vampires after all.

“You want me to help you?”

“Yes,” said Ritika, with a look at Ruponi.

Xuhn pursed his lips. Should he believe the two vampires? What if he helped them awaken the dragon and then it began attacking humans? He would be responsible for everything. At the same time he could not see any reason why Ritika and Ruponi would risk lying to him, since it would ultimately result in bringing the vampires into even poorer light. Besides, he was just unable to answer ‘no’ to Ritika. Her eyes were so hopeful.

“What will I have to do?”

A look of great relief passed over the faces of Ritika and Ruponi.

“There was this big nail that I found along with the scroll in the chest,” said Ruponi. “We'll draw two concentric circles in the middle of the lake for you, and you must bury the nail at the centre of the circles.”

“Can we do it today and be done?” Xuhn asked.

“No, the morning is already gone," said Ruponi. "It has to be done in the early hours of morning. We can do it tomorrow if you agree.”

“Then tomorrow morning it shall be,” Xuhn said. Then a thought came to him. “But…”

“But?” asked Ritika.

“I will help only on one occasion?”

“What occasion?” the new tension was clear in Ritika’s voice.

“You must leave our kingdom after Mortugal is awakened. It’s not that I don’t trust you or anything, but I would like my kingdom to remain peaceful.”

“We understand,” said Ruponi, her face crestfallen. “We will leave once Mortugal is awakened.”

After Xuhn had sold all his firewood, he returned to his house. He kept thinking about the day’s events even as he cooked lunch. First Mitral, and then Ritika and her mother. Had he made a mistake by trying to find out if the newcomers were vampires? Even on the occasion that Ritika and Ruponi were speaking the truth, he could not ignore the fact they had themselves accepted their inability to decipher the entire scroll. What if the dragon made matters worse instead of fixing them?

Forget boasting about seeing the beast under the lake. Xuhn would be remembered as the one who messed up the war between the vampires and the werewolves.

Xuhn sighed as he served himself lunch. He had given his word already and he wasn’t turning back now. All he could do was wait for the events to unfold.

***

Feeling something soft rub against his face, Xuhn opened his eyes. Once the blur faded, he saw that it was none other than Mayesha’s pigeon, Ritu, a letter tied to its leg. Xuhn sat up and held the bird to untie the letter. He read it.

Xuhn,

I have arrived at your village. We are staying at a hill top just near the frozen lake. Come along please, maybe we can have a glimpse of each other.

Mayesha

Xuhn looked out through the window. The sun had yet to rise and it was still relatively dark outside. Mayesha had said yesterday that she would send him a letter before she left from home. But apparently she had already reached. All Xuhn wanted to do was fall back into the world of dreams under the blanket’s warmth. But of course that was out of question now. Pleasing a girl sometimes involved doing without some sleep. Besides, he really wanted to lay his eyes on her again after two months.

Xuhn jumped out of the bed, put Ritu in the cage, flung a cloak around himself and went out into the cold. Mist was thick outside and the frozen lake in the distance was not visible at all. But he put one foot in front of the other and went along in the lake’s direction. Despite the deerskin cloak, the cold bit his skin and he caught a chill. He increased his pace, hoping to generate some heat with the exertion.

Chilly as it was, Xuhn couldn’t help but admire the twilight. He was used to waking up early, but this was even better. Some might feel spooked, but Xuhn enjoyed the quietness. By the time he reached the Frozen Lake, the sun peeped out of the hills in the far east, and Xuhn marvelled at the delightful sight.

Then Xuhn waited, looking around.

There were three hills near the frozen lake. So which one?

Then, just near the peak of the hill at the foot of which he often cut wood, he saw a figure waving at him. It was a woman no doubt, clad in white. Although he couldn’t clearly see her face, light from the newly risen sun bathed her and she looked simply majestic.

Mayesha.

Xuhn began his climb of the hill. He wondered why Mayesha and whoever was with her were staying at the hill top. The path that people from outside mostly took to come to their village was actually near Xuhn’s house and few ever came through passes in the hills. But all that was secondary. What mattered was that he was going to see Mayesha.

It took him almost half-an-hour to reach the peak. Mayesha wasn’t there.

Is she playing games on me?

“Hey, where are you?” he called. “This is what, a hide-and-seek game? I can’t wait any longer.”

Xuhn expected to hear some giggles and see Mayesha reveal herself from behind some tree. Nothing such happened.

“Hey Mayesha!” he called again, getting desperate. “Where are you?”

The silence puzzled him. Then fear crept up his spine. Had something happened to Mayesha?

Getting worried, Xuhn decided to search for her on the other side of the hill. He climbed around the peak and went to the other side, battling the fauna and the steep hill face. At the foot of the hill on the other side he saw smoke rising. The mist was lightening by now and it wasn’t hard to distinguish the smoke.

That must be where Mayesha is, Xuhn thought. Somebody, maybe her father, might have called her and so she had to go. Xuhn considered making his way down. He imagined Mayesha’s father— Xuhn hadn’t really seen the man before— a foul-mouthed grey-haired man. Xuhn’s mind contrasted the man with Mayesha in every way possible since beautiful girls often had hot-headed fathers who were ready to rip out the eyes of any man who dared to look toward their daughters. Xuhn had no intention of losing his eyes, plus he was sure Mayesha would only be happy if he spared her any awkward scene. He instead returned to the side of the hill that faced the frozen lake. He sat down on a stone there and hoped Mayesha would eventually come after sometime.