Lovers in the Woods Read Online Free PDF Page A

this oxygen-laden atmosphere. Quite strange, if
you ask me. The only thing they managed building was that vertical
tube at the spaceport and that, I remember, caused trouble enough
to keep it working.”
    “ As far as I know there
are other gases included that cause explosions. And the tube works
excellent ly. But that’s not the point. Where did you get this
B-horse?”
    “My ancestors bought several B-horses once
the cross-breeding had been successful.” He patted the mare’s neck.
“I’m glad they did.”
    “Pardon my rudeness, but yours is a
Negov-B-horse, not one of the usual simple country mares farmers
would breed.”
    He hid his astonishment about her
knowledge the best he could. “Yes, she’s one of the best. Did you
know that in the beginning the settlers tried to breed pure horses?
They had to change that fast because the horses suffered and died.
Now all of these animals look like horses, but they are a mix of
two to three species, give or take. I think it’s a pity that the
villagers gave up contests of who could tame a true Yali. They were
fun, said my pa. He had some on his ranch.”
    Rayenne
remained unruffled. “How can a thief afford such an expensive
Negov?”
    Sajitar frowned and tightened his
hands on the reins. “I’m no thief, and to answer your question, I
won it fair and square.”
    “Won it.” Rayenne snorted. “Yeah, I’ll
believe that when it starts snowing on Belthraine.”
    He held her in his stare. “It might
happen. And as long as my guilt’s not proven, shouldn’t you assume
I’m innocent?” He urged the mare south, forcing her to follow
him.
    “Where are you going? That’s not our
direction.”
    “We entered the woods without permission.
That’s not a good idea.”
    “ But we’re already in. What are you doing
now?”
    He dismounted, feeling her gaze
on his back. “Put some fruits on the
path.”
    “And if the animals of the woods or whoever
take it, it means it’s okay we are here?”
    “ More so than not.” Sajitar laid a couple
of small fruits and two hard cookies close to the wide roots of a
tree, then, after a critical look around, mounted again. They rode
on. He felt the presence of a wild, but nevertheless intelligent
being close by. An image consisting of various colors blurring in
the center of trees came to his mind. He gasped from its intensity,
glad to be on horseback. A heartbeat later he had to press his
knees against the saddle to keep from swaying. Closing his eyes, he
tried to make sense of the swirl of colors. He saw wings of orange
and blue, pervaded by light pulsing through it. There were large
bodies with antennae, summoned by a great happening. More beasts
without wings got closer, pressing their bodies against others,
enhancing the lights around them. Their meeting was more important
than any previous meetings and the weight of seriousness stretched
to Sajitar as if he were a part of it. There was tweeting and
chirping and some deep growling, too. Yet, to his chagrin, he did
not understand an iota of its meaning.
    “Did you do that before?”
    Sajitar shook out of his unbidden trance,
lifted his head and swallowed. Automatically, he reached for his
flagon to drink. The beginning of a headache formed behind his
brow.
    Rayenne repeated her question.
    “I prefer to be cautious,” he said, catching
his breath.
    “But how do you know what you have to do to
soothe them?”
    “Let’s say, I got the memo in time.”
    “You know much
for a man who’s said to be the right hand of an assassin.”
    Sajitar preferred not to answer.
     
    * * * *
     
    Rayenne surveyed the
surrounding woods carefully, as if the Horlyns were about to attack
them by the hundreds. Conversation had stopped, since they both
relied on their ears to be warned about the dangers around. The
deeper they got into the woods the darker it became, though it was
not even noon. And in this semi-darkness she could make out neither
a route nor animals lurking beneath the large