woman . Unearthly beauty. ..Cool air rustling silk sheets. A door opens . Lovely girl, she places a tray by the bed.
His body went into spasm, eyes flaring wide in a room with high ceilings. Light streamed through a bay window. As his eyes adjusted he looked out on the sea. Sails in the distance. Men running, others practicing with swords. He turned back to the shadows ; a full length mirror by the bed . Easing himself to a sitting position he looked at himself, his feet bandaged, legs, thighs and arms covered in bite marks. On the inside of his left arm, a tattoo of a raptor.
Someone had left a tray by the bedside, a bowl of fruit, apricot and slices of apple dipped in honey. He drank water cooled in a glazed jug. The door opened . An tall man came in bearing a tray.
“Ah, you are awake, good.”
Remembering his nakedness he reached for a linen robe on the sideboard..
“Who are you?” he asked. His voice sounded strange to his ears. The man placed the tray on a table by the window. He was tall with the stoop tall men sometimes adopt. His hair was braided tight to his head. The eyes were those of one who missed little. “My name is Paldor Please” he indicated the food” you must be hungry,”
“.I don’t know you, or this place. What am I doing here? How did I come to be here? What is this place?” He stopped, looking at the old man. “Who am I?”
“This is Holgun . If you look to the South you would see Holgun Volcano .You were brought here se months ago by Gypsies.You were ill .. We received instructions from a client that your expenses would be met and when fit you were to be trained in the use of weapons and … other skills… Loss of memory is common with head injury. No doubt you will regain your faculties in due course.”
“Who is your client?”
“We never reveal information of that kind.”
“I cannot remember my name.”
“Your name is Hawkmoon. The gypsies said so”
He looked at his arm.
“That’s not my name…”
Paldor rose to leave.” Finish your meal and we will speak further... A representative of our client will visit shortly . I am sure he will be in a position to enlighten you. In the meanwhile you should occupy yourself with a full recovery.”
“And if I decide to leave?”
Standing Paldor opened the door. “This is not a prison. You may leave at any time. I suggest you remain here and wait until our client’s representative comes to see you”.
After breakfast he walked on the beach. He tried running but gave up after twenty paces. He sat in the sand waiting while his heart settled in his chest. Fragments of memory, the cold, attacked by dogs. … The ocean breeze was warm on his face. If he was ill there were worse places….
A man approached from the villa. He moved in balance, like a dancer. The newcomer bowed.” I am Chagatai”. He said, waiting to be invited to sit down. His eyes were black, with high cheekbones, golden brown skin . He was small in stature with a physical presence that belied his size.
He looked down the beach, from where the warrior had come. He could see the tracks his feet had made in the sand. Of Chagatai’s there was barely a trace.
There were round boulders to his left. Rising he walked to one of them and sat, inviting Chagatai to sit on the other, twenty feet away.
This one is cautious…Good.
“I tried running back. It was all I could do not to leave my breakfast on the beach”.
“Many breakfasts have been left on this beach. Before we are finished there will be more.”
“What do you know about me?”
“Only what I have been told. I am to see to your training in the use of weapons”
“How long will this take?”
Chagatai shrugged “As long as it takes.”
“Shall we run back”
“If we take it easy”
He had five days while Chagatai finished with other recruits. Training began a week later. Morning runs on the beach
His body went into spasm, eyes flaring wide in a room with high ceilings. Light streamed through a bay window. As his eyes adjusted he looked out on the sea. Sails in the distance. Men running, others practicing with swords. He turned back to the shadows ; a full length mirror by the bed . Easing himself to a sitting position he looked at himself, his feet bandaged, legs, thighs and arms covered in bite marks. On the inside of his left arm, a tattoo of a raptor.
Someone had left a tray by the bedside, a bowl of fruit, apricot and slices of apple dipped in honey. He drank water cooled in a glazed jug. The door opened . An tall man came in bearing a tray.
“Ah, you are awake, good.”
Remembering his nakedness he reached for a linen robe on the sideboard..
“Who are you?” he asked. His voice sounded strange to his ears. The man placed the tray on a table by the window. He was tall with the stoop tall men sometimes adopt. His hair was braided tight to his head. The eyes were those of one who missed little. “My name is Paldor Please” he indicated the food” you must be hungry,”
“.I don’t know you, or this place. What am I doing here? How did I come to be here? What is this place?” He stopped, looking at the old man. “Who am I?”
“This is Holgun . If you look to the South you would see Holgun Volcano .You were brought here se months ago by Gypsies.You were ill .. We received instructions from a client that your expenses would be met and when fit you were to be trained in the use of weapons and … other skills… Loss of memory is common with head injury. No doubt you will regain your faculties in due course.”
“Who is your client?”
“We never reveal information of that kind.”
“I cannot remember my name.”
“Your name is Hawkmoon. The gypsies said so”
He looked at his arm.
“That’s not my name…”
Paldor rose to leave.” Finish your meal and we will speak further... A representative of our client will visit shortly . I am sure he will be in a position to enlighten you. In the meanwhile you should occupy yourself with a full recovery.”
“And if I decide to leave?”
Standing Paldor opened the door. “This is not a prison. You may leave at any time. I suggest you remain here and wait until our client’s representative comes to see you”.
After breakfast he walked on the beach. He tried running but gave up after twenty paces. He sat in the sand waiting while his heart settled in his chest. Fragments of memory, the cold, attacked by dogs. … The ocean breeze was warm on his face. If he was ill there were worse places….
A man approached from the villa. He moved in balance, like a dancer. The newcomer bowed.” I am Chagatai”. He said, waiting to be invited to sit down. His eyes were black, with high cheekbones, golden brown skin . He was small in stature with a physical presence that belied his size.
He looked down the beach, from where the warrior had come. He could see the tracks his feet had made in the sand. Of Chagatai’s there was barely a trace.
There were round boulders to his left. Rising he walked to one of them and sat, inviting Chagatai to sit on the other, twenty feet away.
This one is cautious…Good.
“I tried running back. It was all I could do not to leave my breakfast on the beach”.
“Many breakfasts have been left on this beach. Before we are finished there will be more.”
“What do you know about me?”
“Only what I have been told. I am to see to your training in the use of weapons”
“How long will this take?”
Chagatai shrugged “As long as it takes.”
“Shall we run back”
“If we take it easy”
He had five days while Chagatai finished with other recruits. Training began a week later. Morning runs on the beach
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