The mercenary Commander had thought creatures like this one were only a fairytale, not something that was real. The stocky build of the hunched-over old man had a beard that came almost to his waist. Although he was dressed in typical villager clothing, it was a style that Peotr remembered his great-grandfather wearing.

  Then the mercenary Commander looked at the face of what he thought was an old man and saw eyes that were filled with fire and noticed that the creature had no eyebrows. Shocked beyond his ability to control his mouth, Peotr almost felt like a child himself as he blurted out, “You have ears like a horse! Are you a Domovoi?!!”

  Chapter 4 – Household Spirits

  Yarorbash Village, Earth

  The five-foot-tall creature looked at him with an expression that combined amusement and disbelief. In a surprisingly deep voice, the Domovoi answered, “I suppose I could be just as astonished that somebody has had a decent education! Just remember the rules, and we will get along fine.”

  Peotr frantically dredged through his memory, trying to remember what his mother had told him about the seldom-seen spirits of the house that only very old dwellings would have. From behind the mercenary Commander, Boris whispered in a soft tone, “Call him Grandpa or Grandfather. Bolormaa should have invited him to go with her. They also do not like swearing or messy houses.”

  “Interesting, two men that know the old tales. I was not expecting that!” The Domovoi walked confidently forward until he was only an arms-length from Peotr. Trying hard not to be intimidated, the Mercenary Witch could feel the heat of the flames that filled the creature’s eyes. A partially-smothered whimper sounded behind him, and he heard tiny fragments of voices as the rest of his force was told what they had found.

  Maintaining the calmness of his voice as best he could, Peotr asked, “Grandfather, would you be so kind as to tell us where Bolormaa has gone and also who the children are?”

  Swinging his hands up so abruptly, that Peotr jumped back, the Domovoi stalked back over behind the table and stood very close to the children. Laying a gnarled hand on each child’s outside shoulder, the creature tilted his ears forward, saying, “Bolormaa was a good girl and invited me to go with her with the correct ritual of the seat for the road before she left. Although she invited me, I thought I would stay here in the home that I have occupied for so many centuries. Then these little ones came rushing through the door, trying to hide from the Blood Mages that destroyed their parents.”

  Twisting in her chair so quickly that Peotr heard Boris gasp behind him, the little girl threw her arms around the Domovoi and began to sob heartbrokenly, “Please, Grandfather. Do not let them get us! Do not leave us, please do not leave us!”

  The other child, a slightly younger boy, sat at the table with tears running down his face. His eyes roamed between Peotr and Boris with a desperate look that the unmarried mercenary Commander Witch had no hope of interpreting. All he knew is that he was gazing into the face of dumbfounded grief.

  Turning his attention back to the Domovoi, Peotr was surprised to see him patting the little girl and murmuring words of comfort. The Grandfather was saying, “I came out from underneath the stove for you, did I not, little one? I made sure the nasty ones could not get in here. Now, dry your tears and help us decide what to do.”

  Gulping, the child managed to stop her weeping and turned toward the mercenaries, saying, “I am Alla Aleksovna Kalinin. Gleb’s parents and mine are friends, and we live next door to each other.” There was a sharp painful sob before she continued, “I guess I should have said lived next door to each other.”

  Breaking through his paralysis, Peotr move forward and carefully took a seat at the table opposite of the children. Boris came to stand behind him to the right, and Maksim took a similar position to the left. The sound of soft footsteps told the experienced mercenary Commander that his men had positioned themselves on the porch and in the doorway. They were quiet, and he knew they also wanted to hear the girl's tale.

  Alla spoke in a soft, almost broken tone while the Domovoi continued to hold her shoulder. The little girl murmured, “Four men in fancy clothes came to our house. Mama got almost white in the face when she saw them from the door. She turned and said to me to be like a rabbit and run to hide in the little cave where Gleb and I play sometimes. She made me promise not to come back to look for her and Papa. She said that if it got dark and light again, and she and Papa had not come for me, that I should go to Tetya Bolormaa’s house.”

  Peotr was surprised, but Boris posed the question he wanted before he could open his own mouth. The big man asked, “Is Bolormaa really your aunt, your Tetya?” Turning to Peotr, Boris murmured, “I did not think that Bolormaa had any relatives in this area other than Zhanna!”

  When Peotr nodded his agreement, both men turned back to put their attention on the little girl again. Showing more presence of mind than the two men expected, Alla answered the question, saying, “My Papa was from the same tribe on the Steppes as Tetya Bolormaa. We would come to visit her sometimes. She and Papa would talk in a different language really fast and laugh a lot. Mama used to smile and tell me that they were both homesick for a different place, but their hearts belonged here with us.”

  Unable to keep control any longer, the little girl turned and flung her arms around the Domovoi, burying her face into his side. With a look of pity transforming his face, the creature bent his head down toward the little girl and stroked her hair as he almost sang a litany of comfort.

  Looking up at the audience of mercenaries, the flames of the Domovoi’s eyes seemed to shoot out in front of him like weapons held in tight control. A frightening rage roiled underneath his words as he said, “I will not make her tell the story again. The four men were Blood Mages, and they tortured and killed her parents. Gleb was also shoved out the door and told to go hide in the cave. Orphaned in the same way, the children stayed with each other until three days ago when they made their way here.”

  Peotr immediately asked, “Where are the Blood Mages?”

  Closing his eyes briefly with an expression of pain, the Domovoi said, “When Bolormaa left, I stayed in my space under the stove and began to fade away. Dimly, I heard the cries and screams at a distance that I think means that the village is no more.”

  Growls from behind Peotr provided a backdrop as the mercenary Commander said, “You are correct. Everyone in the village is dead, and the Blood Mages are responsible. We returned from the completion of a contract to find total devastation and no knowledge of anyone that could have escaped.”

  The Domovoi tilted his head to the side, and the tip of his long, horse-like tail swung up and wrapped around his arm as he looked consideringly at the group of mercenaries. After glancing at all of the visible men, the creature asked, “What are you planning on doing?”

  “My first thought was to track down the Blood Mages and make them pay for the death of our families. However, after seeing what they did and the number of sacrifices they obtained, it would appear that our best bet is to retreat and find safe harbor someplace else.”

  Nodding his head approvingly, the Domovoi agreed, saying, “I am afraid that the evil ones have grown too powerful to resist. When the two human children came here, I woke and did what I could to protect this house. My ties to it are strong, and I managed to conceal it from those that came tracking the children. Unfortunately, outside of here, I am not that powerful, and I worried about the little ones.”

  “Can you come with us? I hate to leave you here, alone,” asked Peotr, surprising himself.

  “The only way that I could accompany you is if you go to where Bolormaa has gone. When she did the seat at the table ritual, she issued me a formal invitation, one that I ignored. Since I did not refuse it, I can choose to go there now if someone will take me.”

  “Then you can come with us! Excellent! The children obviously already care for you, and they will be less frightened than if we tried to take them to safety without you.”

  The Domovoi donned a broad grin, wagging one gnarled index finger in the mercenary Commander’s face. “I will do that, but you have to allow all of the young ones to come with us, not just the human ones. If you agree, then I will start the ritual for me transferring the energy I have built up in this home to protect us along the way.”

  Boris interrupted by clearing his throat and saying, “I think the two of you are forgetting something. Does anyone know where Bolormaa went? If we have no destination, we really have no plan.”

  The Domovoi laughed suddenly, showing the many sharp teeth in his mouth and making the assembled mercenaries shift uneasily. The creature said, “Bolormaa told me that she was going to travel from Yarorbash through Brasilov, then on to Paris. I would suggest that we take the same route.”

  Peotr answered, “It sounds like the best thing to do, and I would suggest that we get started as soon as possible.”

  “You forgot one thing, young man. I said you had to be willing to bring all of my young ones with us. I did not hear you agree.”

  Peotr looked at the Domovoi in astonishment, asking, “You have more children hidden somewhere?”

  The fire-eyed creature pointed wordlessly to what appeared to be a pile of fur next to Gleb. Making a chirping sound, the Domovoi laughed when every mercenary took a quick step back as little fanged heads popped up out of the entangled mass.

  In a strangled tone, Boris asked, “What are they?”

  The Domovoi said, “They are the young of some of the Hidden Folk. Since their parents have not returned, I believe they have also been lost. The young ones are about the equivalent age of Gleb. They do talk, but only some humans can hear them.” Grinning even more sharply, the fire-eyed being added, “Oh yes, I probably should mention that their bite is poisonous.”

  Peotr stared at the old creature in front of them for a moment, before shrugging his shoulders and turning his palms upward as he said, “Hopefully, you can get them to not bite us. However, I will leave no young one at the mercy of the Blood Mages.”

  “Excellent. Then we have a deal, and all of my young charges and I will go with you. I promise to help you as much as I can, but please limit your swearing and let us keep fighting in our group to a minimum. The children have been frightened enough, and I am not very tolerant.”

  Chapter 5 – On to Paris

  Yarorbash Village, Earth

  Once the decision was made, the Domovoi efficiently packed up a few more things from Bolormaa’s abandoned home and organized the two human and six Hidden Folk children.

  Moving quickly and with a minimum of discussion, the creature that looked like an old man with fiery eyes managed to get his group of younglings tended and out on the porch in less than a half-hour. As he was closing the door, the Domovoi paused to stare back into the kitchen, where he had spent so many years of his life.

  The mercenary Commander was standing to the side of the porch and had a clear view of his profile. Peotr could almost feel the sadness and regret that radiated off the Domovoi. Moved to comfort where he could, the Witch said somberly, “Although I have not lived in this village for as many years as you have, my men and I are also struggling with the loss of home and kin. Hopefully, being with others that understand some of your pain will ease your heart too.”

  The Domovoi, who had told them to call him Dasule, nodded his head in acknowledgment but did not say another word. Taking up Gleb’s small hand, the old man moved toward the shortest path that would take them to the road. Her arms full of the small, fanged Hidden Folk, Alla followed Dasule wordlessly.

  As the last of Peotr’s men left the enclosing garden fence, the habit bred into the villagers from birth caused him to securely close the garden gate. Instantly, he jumped back with an oath of surprise as the fence immediately turned into a wicked-looking intertwined thicket of viciously formed vines.

  Peotr was not surprised at all. He had seen Dasule’s face and expected something of the sort to prevent anyone from coming and rifling through or destroying the home that had been Bolormaa’s and Zhanna’s for so long. As he hurried to catch up to the Domovoi, Peotr thought to himself, perhaps he hopes to come back someday. Either that, or he is leaving it in the trust of the land for someone who will love it as much as he does.

  It took just a few minutes before everything was stowed, and people were distributed among the four vehicles they had. Peotr chose to ride in the van that also carried the Domovoi and children. He knew most of his men were intimidated by Dasule and very leery of the small Hidden Folk. The mercenary Commander just hoped that things would settle down before there was any need to move the children quickly.

  Alla asked, “Where are we going?”

  Peotr answered quickly, “The first leg in our journey is to go to Brasilov. Then we will be going to a big city called Paris.”

  Her voice shaking slightly, the little girl asked, “Will it take a long time to get there?”

  “It will be several hours, so you may wish to take a nap.”

  “What are you going to do?” Alla asked.

  “Take a nap like I recommended for you. Even grown-ups get tired!” With a smile, Peotr leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. He had been a mercenary for too long not to take every chance he had to sleep and eat. All too soon, there would be more challenges to face, and he wanted to be as rested as he could be.

  << <> >>

  There was a strange multi-part harmony of vibrations that tickled Peotr’s mind awake. For a moment, caught in that halfway collision of emerging alertness and receding slumber, the man could remember being a boy sleeping in late on rainy mornings with his mother’s cats tucked around him. The memory made him smile until pangs of grief stabbed him. They are all dead, he thought bitterly. I was not there when they needed me, and they died. I know they went on fighting, but maybe if we had been home, we would have been powerful enough to fight the Blood Mages off.

  Silky soft fur brushed his face, wiping away the tear that had escaped his eyes despite his control. Still not all the way awake, Peotr opened his eyes and froze. Resting a tiny snout on the edge of his nose were the biggest blue-green eyes that he had ever seen in an animal.

  For a moment, his mind could not reconcile what his vision was feeding him. Then, as if his focus has suddenly been restored, Peotr realized that three of the Hidden Folk children were perched on his chest and peering into his eyes from a very close range.

  Still unmoving, the mercenary Commander thought to himself, they look like tiny little cat heads that have been put on ferret bodies. That assumes that your cats are miniature sabertooth tigers with prominent fangs!

  The three little furred children appeared to be trying to reassure the mercenary Commander with the delicate pressure of tiny paws patting his face and the occasional rubbing of their faces against his skin. Cautiously, Peotr stayed motionless and just watched them as they explored the details of his head with the curiosity of any small child.

  His voice laden with controlled amusement, Dasule called out, “The Commander is awake children. Climb off of him so that he can sit up without fear of crushing you.”

  Obediently but with evident reluctance, the three Hidden Folk youngsters cleared off enough so that Peotr felt comfortable in straightening up. When the human Witch looked over at Dasule and the mercenary sitting next to him, he saw awe on Maksim’s face and understanding amusement on the Domovoi’s.

  Peotr could not help but smile back, saying good-naturedly, “I have to admit I have never been wakened that way before. It certainly was an experience.”

  Dasule looked at Peotr searchingly before saying as if pronouncing judgment, “You will do just fine, youngster. You do not react in fear, and that is the most important thing. Keeping an open mind will one day save you and those for whom you care.”

  Once again, the pain of his loss stabbed Peotr so deeply that he caught his breath with a gasp. Like a streak of chocolate brown lightning, one of the tiny Hidden Folk children swarmed up onto Peotr’s shoulder, crying out in a tinkling voice, “No tears, no tears!”

  Dasule snapped out, “Morka, that is enough! He is a grown man and if he wants to be sad, then let him be sad!”

  Whipping around, the tiny creature pointed one of her claws at the intimidating Domovoi and stated firmly, “No! Only sad when we need to be. Him, we comfort and show we care. You are just grumpy and don’t want to help grownup!” before turning to comfort Peotr once again.

  The mercenary Commander was a little lost. He had no experience in dealing with young or tiny females. Not even he would have dared to argue with the Domovoi like she had just done. Peotr saw his amazement echoed onto Maksim’s face.

  Both mercenaries were highly impressed when the Domovoi shook his head and shrugged his shoulders at Peotr’s tiny defender before turning his attention back to Peotr, saying, “Do you have a plan for when we get into Brasilov?”

  Peotr explained that they were planning on going in with two innocuous-looking scouts, one of whom had limited ability to push his thoughts back to his partner. The mercenary Commander wanted his forward party to see how bad the town was and if it was safe to make an obvious approach, or if they had to go in covertly.

  Once that was established, the main group would either make a covert approach or send one of the vehicles to make contact with the best person that Peotr knew. This man maintained a shop that was notable for its reputation as being fair and honorable. The proprietor of the shop was a man by the name of Maxim Trobich.

  Dasule smiled when he heard that name, quickly explaining, “That is the man who was working with Zhanna so we may be lucky and find out where she has gone quickly. I also know that there is a group of mercenaries in town that Zhanna and Bolormaa knew and respected. It would not surprise me if some of that group went with Bolormaa, but there may be some remnants of them that would aid us.”