His purchases made, Mika led the roan through the myriad of curling streets that led from the marketplace to the street of wine merchants.
Bedlam struck as soon as they turned the final corner. The narrow street was packed with people crowding in as though hurrying toward some irresistible attraction.
The noise was tremendous; loud screeches and terrible moans filled the air like bees droning around a pot of spilled honey. Arms and legs waved everywhere, and even as Mika watched in bewilderment, a large, armor-clad body flew past him and landed in the middle of the crowd, smashing several unfortunates beneath it.
"What on Oerth!" Mika wondered aloud.
"Probably a drunk," said a woman who leaned out of her window, her eyes bright with curiosity. "But it won't last long. Here comes a complement of the guard," she said, nodding toward the street Mika had just left. "Some poor soul will sleep in the dungeon for the next fortnight."
Another body went flying. Mika and his motley band were hemmed in by the crush of people crowding behind them. Curious by nature, Mika was not averse to finding out what had caused such an enormous ruckus and seeing the person who was able to toss such large men so high into the air. There! There went another one, the poor fellow landing head-first on the canopy of a mead-seller's wagon, bringing the vehicle and its contents to the ground in a splintering crash.
Mika's height permitted him to view the proceedings better than most of those who filled the street, and the press of those behind his group brought them closer and closer to the site of the disturbance.
"… teach you to lay your hands on a lady, you thug!" bellowed a deep voice and a large, beetle- browed man arced overhead. The crowd roared its encouragement to the unseen assailant, and Mika could see grushniks passing hands as people wagered on the eventful outcome of the fray.
"… Sell me bad wine, will you?!" roared the voice. "I'll teach you to pick on a poor, defenseless woman!" The crowd ducked as another body was hurled into its midst. Suddenly, Hornsbuck leaned forward and his green eyes grew bright. Standing up in the roan's stirrups, he began to scan the crowd, seemingly searching for someone or something. Concerned, Mika tugged at his leg, but it was like pulling on a hundred-year-old oak and had about as much effect.
"He watered down the wine, the pig-dog!" roared the deep, bass voice, and the crowd roared back its approval.
A wide smile crossed Hornsbuck's face. Following some unspoken command, the roan began to push through the densely packed crowds with Mika, who was unable to stop him, and unwilling to be separated, following behind.
It was difficult to move, but faced with the choice of moving aside or being crushed beneath the hooves of the huge horse, the crowd parted. Mika, the princess, and RedTail brought up the rear.
At last they reached the center of the maelstrom. And to Mika's astonishment, a woman proved to be the cause of ail the noise and trouble. A large woman 10 be sure, a very large woman.
She stood at least a hand taller than Mika's own six feet and was as broad as Hornsbuck. She had white- blond hair woven into two hawserlike braids and was dressed in a thick, leather tunic, similar to Horns- buck's, which covered her huge body from neck to mid-thigh.
Her legs-massive, treelike limbs-were not bare, but were encased in rough, blue cotton trousers. Her boots were of thick, heavy leather tied off below the knee. Her arms were bare and as muscular as Horns- buck's. As Mika watched with awe, she picked up the last of her attackers, a man easily as big as she, squeezed him in an immense bear hug till his ribs could be heard to crack, then lofted him above her head and threw him at a large, white, pasty-faced merchant who stood wringing his hands in despair among the broken remains of his wine cart.
The bully crashed into the wine merchant, and both of them collapsed on the ground. The man crawled to his feet, stumbled over the fallen body of his employer, and then, panic written on his face as he looked back at the angry woman, ran off amid the jeers and catcalls of the boisterous crowd.
"Who else? Who else would seek to subdue a poor, helpless female?" shouted the woman, hands on her broad hips as she turned around slowly, scanning the crowd.
"Lotus Blossom," Hornsbuck crooned into the sudden silence.
"Hornsbuck, be quiet! Not now!" Mika whispered in alarm, punching Hornsbuck on the leg. "The woman's a lunatic, leave her alone!"
Ignoring Mika completely, Hornsbuck placed his hand on top of Mika's turban and leaned forward, resting his entire weight on Mika's head. Mika staggered under the weight, unable to say a word as he tried to keep his legs from buckling. Hornsbuck sat back, releasing him as the woman whipped around, her face purple with her exertions.
As Mika struggled to pull the turban up over his eyebrows, he saw the woman's fists clench and the muscles in the great arms bulge. He edged backward, wondering if he could get away before the woman pinched their heads for daring to speak. Then he heard the welcome sound of the guard as they trudged forward, pushing through the crowd. Maybe all was not lost, maybe the guard would arrive on the scene and arrest the madwoman before he and Hornsbuck were killed.
"Hornsbuck!" cried the woman, the rage fading:: ~n her face, replaced by a huge grin. Her brilliant
~:"..:wer-blue eyes sparkled when she smiled at the nomad as he dismounted from the roan and stumbled toward her with open arms.
"Lotus Blossom," he cooed warmly, folding her into his vast embrace, and the two leather-clad bodies merged like bears in heat.
"Here comes the guard," Mika called hoarsely, almost unable to believe that this enormous woman with the bulging biceps was Hornsbuck's infamous inamorata of whom he had spoken so often.
"Hornsbuck, he tried to cheat me," said the woman, her lower lip trembling as she nestled her head on Hornsbuck's shoulder. "I bought a liter of wine to drink with my dinner. It was watered! When I complained, he laughed and turned his bullies on me. I defended myself and managed to hold my own."
Hornsbuck did not answer, seemingly content to hold the woman in his own mammoth arms.
Mika looked around at the broken jugs, the wine merchant's entire inventory, the smashed wagon, the bullies, all four of them lying unconscious with more than a few limbs twisted in unnatural positions, and thought that Lotus Blossom could probably hold her own against an entire squad of guards. Judging from the sound of marching feet behind them, she might just get the opportunity to prove it.
"Quick, the guard!" he said, repeating the warning even more loudly.
"Come, my sweet, let us remove ourselves from this unruly mob," Lotus Blossom said with great dignity, offering Hornsbuck her arm.
Hornsbuck responded rather slowly, linking his arm through hers as though uncertain of what he was doing or why. Lotus Blossom batted her eyelids coyly and smiled a shy, dimpled smile, her grapefruit-sized cheeks glowing red with vibrant health.
"Here, merchant, this should cover your damages," Mika said as he half-emptied his sack of money, showering the recumbent form with a sprinkling of grushniks which would not have begun to make good the damage.
"But do not let us hear of any further complaints, or we will return and mark paid to the business that the lady began."
The sight of Hornsbuck, coupled with the mighty woman, was more than the poor merchant could bear, and he sank back on the wine-wet cobbles and groaned.
The crowd began to disperse, confusing and inhibiting the guards' progress. Mika seized the roan's reins and, whistling for the wolves, slowly followed the leather-clad pair as they sauntered down the street, foreheads touching, Lotus Blossom murmuring soft nothings in Hornsbuck's ear.
Halfway down the street, the captain of the guard trotted up alongside Mika and touched his wolf-tail- embellished cap in greeting.
"Good brother, it seems we have come too late to break up the fight that has disturbed this street. Did you sec what happened? Can you describe the ruffians?"
"Indeed," answered Mika, touching his turban in turn, thankful that it was he who had been asked. "It was two men, dark they were. One had a ring through his left nostril. The other had a knife scar running the length of his face. They looked like Blackmoorian cutthroats. I think they tried to rob the wine merchant. They ran off down that side street yonder. If you hurry, you can catch them still."
"Many thanks, brother," said the guardsman. Calling to his men, he rode off down the street, bypassing Hornsbuck and Lotus Blossom without a second glance.
Lotus Blossom stopped in front of a slope-roofed, evil-looking dive. Foul fumes speaking of lost evenings and wasted lives wafted out of the open door. A ragged, reeking wastrel lay sleeping in the doorway, his snores and exhalations containing enough alcohol to drug a wolf.
Lotus Blossom pushed the fellow away with the toe of her boot and ushered the still bedazed Hornsbuck inside. Mika stood outside, trying to think of what to do. It seemed unlikely that he would be able to persuade Hornsbuck to leave. Although his friend had recognized the woman, Mika knew that Hornsbuck was still bereft of his senses.
Mika liked to lift a drink as well as the next man, maybe even more, and having a drink had been part of his plan, but he did not like the look of the place and did not care to watch Hornsbuck drool in public. But since he could not propound an alternative, he sighed and tied the horse to a nearby post, leaving the soundly wheezing TamTur strapped over the roan's back. Then he entered the dark doorway, dragging the princess behind him. RedTail entered without hesitation, and Mika surmised that he had followed Hornsbuck into many such a place during their years together.
It took a while for Mika's eyes to adjust to the dark, and when they did, he was not overly encouraged, for the interior looked much the same as the exterior.
A long, low hearth, constructed of fieldstones, ran the entire length of the left-hand side of the building. An ox was spitted over the glowing embers, turned by a filthy, rag-clad urchin of indeterminate years and sex. Rabbits, pheasants, guinea hens, and marmots sizzled and browned on stakes suspended over the coals, and potatoes baked on flat rocks.
The wholesome smell of the cooking meat competed with the stench of whiskey, wine, and mead which had been spilled on the wooden floor until it could absorb no more and formed a tacky, sticky surface that gripped the foot in an unpleasant manner.
Mika made his way across the dark room, bumping into the occasional chair and table, all but unseen in the murk, for a dense cloud seemed to fill the upper level of the room, a permanent stratocumulus of smoke from the hearth and pipes of now-absent customers.
The woman had seated herself at a smallish table. Hornsbuck, still gripped by his confusion, stood alongside, not understanding what was required of him, his eyes vacant and foolish.
Mika slid into the chair meant for Hornsbuck. The woman stared at him with open displeasure and then glanced up at Hornsbuck, her eyes narrowing as she noticed, perhaps for the first time, that something was wrong.
"Who be yourself, and what be wrong with Hornsbuck?" she asked in a tighdy controlled voice.
"My name is Mika, and I am of Hornsbuck's clan," Mika replied, kicking out at the princess as she tried to bite the underside of his thigh. "Hornsbuck tangled with an umber hulk and was bravely felled. He was powerfully stunned and has failed to come out of the magical confusion, though it happened some time ago. I keep hoping he'll get better, but he hasn't yet."
"Looks like you've got a few problems yourself," said Lotus Blossom as she eyed Mika critically. Mika clutched his new cloak and straightened the pink silk turban with a chain-metaled hand, trying to look dignified.
"Hornsbuck's always been a bit confused," said the woman. "Needs me to take care of him. You leave him to me. I know something that'll fix him right up. Make yourself at home, Mika, we might be a while."
Lotus Blossom rose from the table and, without another glance at Mika, slowly led the bemused Hornsbuck off by the hand. The last Mika saw of them, they were vanishing up a flight of stairs.
Mika heaved a large sigh and settled back in his chair as he examined the rest of the room, noting that on his right a large bar ran the length of the room. Shelves covered the walls and were filled with jars and bottles of every size and shape. Mika felt certain that they contained a wide variety of interesting and unusual liquors. Given the large number of foreigners who visited the city, such an assortment was probably necessary. His interest in the place began to quicken.
The room was barely lighted with a number of thick candles set in cheap pottery bowls. The tables and chairs were constructed of rough wood and were none too comfortable. RedTail pressed against his leg and began licking a spill of burgundy wine that had puddled on the table and dripped onto the floor.
The princess crouched beneath a chair, a grimace of distaste replacing the snarl that had become her one expression, as she lifted one paw and then another as though wishing she could levitate. Mika laughed.
The look of hatred returned, and then the princess leaped up onto a chair and began licking her footpads gingerly with obvious displeasure.
Realizing that he was likely to be there for a while, Mika went outside, untied Tam, carried him inside, and placed him beneath his chair where he would draw the least amount of attention. Then, raising his hand, he shook the money pouch in the air, clinking the few remaining coins together. A heartbeat later, the charcoal-smudged waif appeared at his side. Mika ordered food and a skin of wine. The princess sneered.
The food came. Mika ate his fill of sweet marmot meat and a bowl of stewed ground beans and onions. He ate till he could hold no more and then tossed the bones to the waiting wolves. Then he stretched and waited and looked toward the stairs, wondering when Hornsbuck would come back.
"Best be forgettin' them, laddie. You'll not be seein' them agin afore mornin', if then," said a gravelly voice.
Mika turned around and saw a small man dressed in faded blue cotton seated at the table next to him. For a heartbeat, the very briefest of time, Mika thought that the fellow's eyes glowed an eerie shade of carneiian red. Mika started! He leaned forward, but it was gone-the man's eyes were brown.
"Take my word for it," the man said, gesturing with a long-stemmed, white clay pipe. "Our Lotus Blossom has strong urges."
"You mean Hornsbuck and that… that… creature are, are…?" Too overcome for words, Mika rose to his feet, his hand reaching for his sword, his mind blanching at the horrible thought.
"Best hush, laddie," said the man, laying a hand of caution on Mika's arm as he glanced around to see if any had overheard Mika's comments. "Them as come in Jayne's think highly of Lotus Blossom. She's their champion. It would be unwise to insult her in their hearing. Also, yon nomad could do worse. She's a kx of woman."
Mika fought back a shudder and forced his mind on to other thoughts. "Jayne's, you say. That's the name of this… establishment?"
"Aye, finest international drinking parlor in the city. You'll find folks here from all over the known Oerth. I, myself, am from the ocean of Solnor.
"My captain and I, we come to bargain for a load of amber and hornwood. We stopped for a drink." The man's eyes grew cloudy with remembrance. "See there," he said, pointing to a spot behind Mika.
Mika turned his head and saw a large wicker basket positioned beneath a small table. Squinting to focus, he saw that it was filled nearly to the brim with human arms that had been wrenched off at the shoulder. Mika felt the bile rising in his throat, but he fought it down as he stared at the fly-covered basket in helpless fascination.
"My captain accepted the woman's challenge," continued the man, not appearing to notice Mika's discomfort, "and now, here I am, stranded. She won all our money, as well as his life. I do odd jobs around the place to earn my keep."
Mika choked down a cup of wine, too overcome to speak.
"Don't mind if I do," said the fellow, pouring himself a cup. "Nyr Baba's the name."
"Forgive me, but your news has shaken me," said Mika, who proceeded to introduce himself and pour another cup of wine as well.
Just about then, the ceiling began to shake, vibrating in a most frightening manner, rumbling like a herd of thunder ox on the rampage, showering the room with an accumulation of dust and debris that set the inhabitants to coughing. Mika shuddered and looked away as Nyr lifted his cup with a sly grin and toasted the unseen lovers.
They drank the remainder of the skin, and then Nyr ordered a second which Mika insisted on sharing with RedTail. Princess Julia continued to hold herself aloof, aside from glaring at Mika with her usual degree of hatred. Late in the evening, she was forced to give up her chair by a patron who ignored her snarls and dumped her unceremoniously onto the sticky floor. Tam snored on, oblivious to all around him, although Mika was pleased to notice that the lump on his head seemed to be subsiding.
Mika and Nyr shared tales of their lives and exploits, both real and imagined. As the hour grew later and the level of wine lower, they sank into confidences and Mika told Nyr the story of his last adventure. To his surprise, the man broke into laughter and collapsed on the table, holding his head and wheezing for breath.
"By the blood of the Great She-Wolf, mother of us all, it's true. I swear it!" sputtered Mika, swaying in his chair. "Look, I'll even show you my finger."
"I believe you, laddie. I believe you," shrieked Nyr, almost helpless with laughter.
"No, you don't," said Mika, reaching for his sword.
"Yes, I do, laddie," said Nyr, wiping his eyes and looking at Mika with sudden compassion. "Indeed I do, for I have heard parts of this story before. Be a good lad, and I'll tell you about it."