Land of Night Read Free Page A

was slender and compact beside them. Their hair was pale gold or white and their skins amber. Scarlet had hair black as jet and skin like a white rose. Their eyes were blue, his were black. Hilurin and Rshani. Opposites.
    Scarlet brushed a nervous hand down the front of his hapcoat. Nenos smiled again and stepped forward. The old man made a gesture as if to cover his face with both hands, then extended his palms outward, and Scarlet got the gist of what the old man was trying to tell him: that he was beautiful.
    "Want-wit,” Scarlet growled at him, and then was ashamed at his lack of respect for an old man. At least Nenos could not understand him. Scarlet was embarrassed but also grateful for the reassurance.
    Nenos chuckled, but there was one last thing before the old man was satisfied with Scarlet's appearance. Nenos opened the drawer of an elaborate wooden wardrobe with fittings of silver and withdrew a little green ceramic pot with a tight-fitting lid. He handed it to Scarlet, who stared at it.
    "What's this, then?” he asked, trying the lid. There was a type of waxy salve within, yellow and sharp-smelling. Nenos took pity on his confusion and swiped his fingertip over the top of the ointment, and then gently brushed it across the healing scar under Scarlet's right eye.
    "Oh, too late for that,” Scarlet shrugged. The cut that the mariner, Oleksei, had given him aboard the Ostre Sul had already mended into a pale red line just above his cheekbone. He surveyed it critically in the mirror, turning his head. “I'm afraid it's there to stay."
    Nenos shrugged as well, as if to say it can't hurt to try , and took the pot from Scarlet. He signaled for Scarlet to follow, and the servant led him into the more formal common room where Chos was at the stone and glass casement, pulling the curtains open. Outside, the everlasting Rshani night glittered sapphire blue with bands of dark silver and twinkles of pale stars. Though logically Scarlet knew it was morning, the twilight disoriented him. He began to wonder if he would ever see the sun again.
    Nenos patted Scarlet's shoulder and turned him toward the table, where dishes were laid out. Scarlet recognized fried eggs, porridge, and the small brown cakes with red fruits. There were also huge slabs of bread spread with yellow butter, although the butter was a deeper color than he was used to back home. Che was noticeably absent, but Nenos excused himself and returned a moment later with a brown earthenware che pot wrapped in a thick towel.
    "Orna," Nenos said warningly, tapping his finger on the pot and jerking it back.
    "Hot?” Scarlet said.
    Nenos smiled, like Scarlet was inviting him to a game, and pointed at the eggs.
    "Terg."
    "Eggs."
    Nenos chuckled and poured the che for him, which was not green, but dark and savory amber. He tasted it and nodded his thanks. Nenos's attention was not unlike a genial innkeeper Scarlet had known in Morturii, and even with the language barrier, he could sense the old man's kindness. He was just trying to make the guest comfortable. Scarlet repeated one of the stock phrases for thank you that Liall had taught him, and Nenos sketched a short bow before leaving him to enjoy his meal in silence.
    The food was plain but good, and Scarlet had been eating salted fish and waybread for so long that almost anything would have tasted like heaven. He devoured all the cakes and the oat porridge, but the eggs had a musky taste that he could not get used to. He was finishing up the che when Nenos entered with a man he did not recognize.
    The stranger was carrying a small case and bowed to Scarlet. He had a thin but not unpleasant face, and he was tall, which for Rshani was like saying he breathed air, but his honey-gold hair was done up in a strange braided style that Scarlet had not seen before.
    Nenos indicated the man and spoke several sentences in Sinha. Scarlet let him get into it a bit before he shook his head.
    " Sun man'an neth tueth degal, ” he