Obtaining a new-born pup was no easy matter, and many nomads wore their scars, as well as their honor, proudly. Recently, Mika had heard rumors that some town-born nomads, strangers to the forest and without personal knowledge of its workings, had resorted to purchasing pups from those who were willing and able to obtain them. But Mika found the tale most difficult to believe, for even he with his strong desire to protect his body from harm, found such cowardice distasteful in the extreme.
Mika glanced behind him and smothered a grin as he noticed that several male wolves were following the princess, sniffing at her tail and hindquarters with interest. Aloof and unpleasant as a human princess, she was proving far more popular as a female wolf. Mika would see to it that no real harm came to her, but in the meantime, he had to admit to a certain amount of pleasure at her discomfort.
Salt, spices, ground and roasted yarpick coffee beans, flour, a sack of kara fruit, a large pouch of dried vegetables, and leather-hard strips of smoked meat filled Mika's saddlebags to bursting.
A metal gauntlet, large enough to cover his deformed hand, was his next purchase. He smoothed it over his fingers and held it up to the sun to admire the smooth symmetry of the tiny, metal-mesh links as they shone in the sun. Strange how he had never noticed how beautiful chain mail could be. He clenched his fist and smiled.
A new tunic of soft, gray doeskin, not very practical but quite lovely, tall, knee-high boots with a border of thick fringe, and a swirling cloak of turquoise-blue silk, completed his new wardrobe.
At the last moment, unable to resist, he replaced his old, thick-leather sword belt with a new one of gray snakeskin inset with turquoise and silver. It was not like him to spend money on clothing, but somehow it seemed both appropriate and necessary.
The only false note was the pink turban which he was forced to continue wearing because the cloak's hood refused to remain on his head, the slippery silk sliding off the burned stubble.
Enjoying the feel of his new clothes, Mika walked through the busy streets, taking in the sights of the city he visited all too infrequently. Unfamiliar with the many twists and turns, he soon found himself in an unfamiliar area.
Tiers of wooden cages of all sizes lined the edges of the street and were filled with animals, some as rare and exotic as the tiny pseudodragon, less than a foot: all but able to deliver a fatal blow with its sting- '.pped tail. Other more common animals were the — : rm. and rows of catde and sheep and pigs filled the air with their barnyard stink.
Smellier creatures, rabbits, marmots, pocket weasels, and poultry comprised the length of the next section. Mika's neck began to prickle. Turning, he saw a pair of baleful, black eyes staring at him from the confines of a small cage. Curious, he walked closer and looked in. He drew back in horror and disgust as he saw an infant harpy crouching within, tiny pin- feathers barely covering its lower half, whitely naked from the waist up.
Mika hurried away, not even answering the sellers' comments, for he knew that whomever was foolish enough to purchase the harpy would eventually die, killed either by the creature itself or by its mother, who would track it relendessly.
CHAPTER 6
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.