Read Online The Untamable Rogue by Cathy McAllister - Free Book Online
Authors: Cathy McAllister
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tobacco and his pipe. She looked at him forgivingly and smiled.
“Here. Relax. I’m going to the river again. It’s warm and I’d like to freshen up a little.
Santino began to fill his pipe as Jelana left the caravan. A good pipe always helped to cool down his heated mood. It not only helped him to calm down again, but also to think more clearly.
*
Jelana ran almost without sound, as she had taken off her shoes. It was a dark night. The moon was hiding behind a dense cloud and hardly any stars could be seen, but it was still pleasantly warm. Most of the waggons were already dark – gentle candle light burned in only a few of them. It seemed that most people were already asleep. Only the guards were still sitting at the fire, but they did not notice the leader’s wife. Jelana ran in the direction of the river and then turned left. She knew where her son had set up his camp for the night. Slowly she approached the lonely waggon. It was still weakly lit – so Ivo was still awake. She had thought he would be. Ivo was not a man who went to sleep early. Quietly she knocked at his door and a little later her son opened it. The big Irish Wolfhound used this opportunity to dart out.
“Mama? Whatever are you doing here? You know that you’re not allowed to come here.”
“I just wanted to check up on you. Is everything OK with you? Do you need anything?” asked Jelana whilst she tried to look past him into the waggon.
“You mean you wanted to see if I was alone!” complained Ivo and folded his arms over his chest.
“And?” his mother asked cuttingly. “Are you alone?”
Ivo stepped aside a little so that his mother could look passed him into the waggon.
“See for yourself! Believe me, I’m absolutely fine and I don’t need any women in my domain. – And another thing, mother – finally get the obsession out of your head that I’m going to take myself a wife! I can do without a nagging woman making life hard for me. – And don’t start threatening me! I believe a lot of things, but definitely not that you have the power to make my testicles rot. I’m not father! You can’t intimidate me with such prattle!”
Jelana started. She opened her mouth, then closed it again. He had never spoken to her like that before. He seemed to be really very angry. She could see the veins pulsating in his neck. His face was a closed mask and his eyes looked cold and unforgiving. She had seen this look in him before, but never when addressing her.
“Go now, mother and leave me in peace,” he said, already a little more softly, as he saw the concern in his mother’s eyes – he loved his mother, even if he otherwise did not have much respect for women.
Jelana turned, hurt, and walked away.
Deep in thought her son watched her walk away. “Come back in, Ben!” he called to his dog.
Once the dog had gone into the waggon Ivo closed the door.
Chapter 8
I was some distance from Ivo’s waggon but still heard most of the conversation between Ivo and his mother. When Ivo had gone back into his waggon I sighed. Why ever was he so sinister? He was the exact opposite of his brother, being impolite, coarse and brutal. I wondered whether there was a reason for his behaviour or whether he was simply like this by nature. Some people were apparently born bad, but most became the people they were because of certain events. What could it have been that had made Ivo into this inconsiderate and wild man? He should not be of interest to me, and he was probably even very dangerous, and yet, filled with curiosity, I was creeping closer to his waggon.
Carefully I peeped through the little window, as the shutter was slightly open. Inside it was dimly-lit, with only a single candle barely lighting the waggon. Ivo was sitting on a stool, filling a pipe. His dog, Ben, was lying at his feet, chewing on a bone. Ivo’s upper body was naked and his dark skin shimmered, golden in the flickering light of the candle. I wondered what it must
“Here. Relax. I’m going to the river again. It’s warm and I’d like to freshen up a little.
Santino began to fill his pipe as Jelana left the caravan. A good pipe always helped to cool down his heated mood. It not only helped him to calm down again, but also to think more clearly.
*
Jelana ran almost without sound, as she had taken off her shoes. It was a dark night. The moon was hiding behind a dense cloud and hardly any stars could be seen, but it was still pleasantly warm. Most of the waggons were already dark – gentle candle light burned in only a few of them. It seemed that most people were already asleep. Only the guards were still sitting at the fire, but they did not notice the leader’s wife. Jelana ran in the direction of the river and then turned left. She knew where her son had set up his camp for the night. Slowly she approached the lonely waggon. It was still weakly lit – so Ivo was still awake. She had thought he would be. Ivo was not a man who went to sleep early. Quietly she knocked at his door and a little later her son opened it. The big Irish Wolfhound used this opportunity to dart out.
“Mama? Whatever are you doing here? You know that you’re not allowed to come here.”
“I just wanted to check up on you. Is everything OK with you? Do you need anything?” asked Jelana whilst she tried to look past him into the waggon.
“You mean you wanted to see if I was alone!” complained Ivo and folded his arms over his chest.
“And?” his mother asked cuttingly. “Are you alone?”
Ivo stepped aside a little so that his mother could look passed him into the waggon.
“See for yourself! Believe me, I’m absolutely fine and I don’t need any women in my domain. – And another thing, mother – finally get the obsession out of your head that I’m going to take myself a wife! I can do without a nagging woman making life hard for me. – And don’t start threatening me! I believe a lot of things, but definitely not that you have the power to make my testicles rot. I’m not father! You can’t intimidate me with such prattle!”
Jelana started. She opened her mouth, then closed it again. He had never spoken to her like that before. He seemed to be really very angry. She could see the veins pulsating in his neck. His face was a closed mask and his eyes looked cold and unforgiving. She had seen this look in him before, but never when addressing her.
“Go now, mother and leave me in peace,” he said, already a little more softly, as he saw the concern in his mother’s eyes – he loved his mother, even if he otherwise did not have much respect for women.
Jelana turned, hurt, and walked away.
Deep in thought her son watched her walk away. “Come back in, Ben!” he called to his dog.
Once the dog had gone into the waggon Ivo closed the door.
Chapter 8
I was some distance from Ivo’s waggon but still heard most of the conversation between Ivo and his mother. When Ivo had gone back into his waggon I sighed. Why ever was he so sinister? He was the exact opposite of his brother, being impolite, coarse and brutal. I wondered whether there was a reason for his behaviour or whether he was simply like this by nature. Some people were apparently born bad, but most became the people they were because of certain events. What could it have been that had made Ivo into this inconsiderate and wild man? He should not be of interest to me, and he was probably even very dangerous, and yet, filled with curiosity, I was creeping closer to his waggon.
Carefully I peeped through the little window, as the shutter was slightly open. Inside it was dimly-lit, with only a single candle barely lighting the waggon. Ivo was sitting on a stool, filling a pipe. His dog, Ben, was lying at his feet, chewing on a bone. Ivo’s upper body was naked and his dark skin shimmered, golden in the flickering light of the candle. I wondered what it must
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