A Tale of Two Warlocks - Part 3

The man lay in a heap on the floor, his blood slowly expanding across the filthy carpet beneath him. Kaz gingerly stepped over his body and began to search through the desk. Sure enough, the bottom drawer contained a cloth bag filled with a good quantity of gold coins. He grabbed it and, stepping over the man once again, made his way to the door.

Looking both ways, he was relieved to find no witnesses to his deed. Mounting Midnight, he rode quickly back to Dmitri’s house and tossed the pouch of coins on the table. It landed with a satisfying clank. “Here’s your money. However, there was a slight complication.”

Dmitri glanced up at him as he divvied up the spoils. “What’s that?”

“I had to kill him.”

Dmitri grinned. “Okay. So what’s the complication?”

They drank to their successful business arrangement and, as a gesture of friendship, Kaz returned the flintlock to its rightful owner. He kept the dead man’s gun for himself.

Through his vodka-soaked brain, a pang of remorse began to form. His conscience attempted to remind him that he wasn’t a cutthroat. Quite the contrary. He had fashioned himself a righteous man. When he fell hopelessly in love with Sophie, he agreed to marry her before even sampling her delicious fruits, as was only the gentlemanly thing to do. He had gladly accepted her father’s offer to work in his blacksmithing trade. Back then, besotted and gainfully employed, the future had seemed bright. After decades of marital bliss though, his wife began to change.

One night, push came to shove and during a particular robust argument, her eyes blazed as she accused him of denying her a child. Absurd! By what wizardry would he accomplish that feat?

He had left in anger and hurt that night as well. Yet, that time, he had returned. Their fights, however, grew no less incendiary, escalating into full scale wars. He would curse and stomp around, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration. She would scream at him and throw flower pots at his head.

Then something changed. Sophie began disappearing for days, returning with a dark countenance about her. When asked about her wanderings, she told him that she had found someone to help them conceive a child. Attempts to extract details were unsuccessful. Thus began the drinking of the horrid and fetid concoctions, the mere smell of which was so rancid they would turn Kazimir’s stomach.

All that Sophie attempted, however, did nothing to overcome her barrenness and they remained childless. When at last she ordered him to leave, he was more than ready to acquiesce. Kazimir was at the end of his rope.

“I have another little problem,” Kaz said, throwing back his fifth shot of vodka.

Dmitri matched suit. “What’s that?”

“I have a body back at the hotel I need to dispose of.”

Dmitri’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “My goodness, you have been busy. Don’t worry, my friend. I can help you with that. But we will need to wait until after dark.”

A couple of hours later, under cover of the moonless night, they rode to the inn on the other side of town, tying their horses out back. Dismounting, Dmitri grabbed Kaz’s arm before he could head for their destination. “I’ll distract the man at the desk; you go get the body.”

Kaz nodded and walked quickly to his room, hoping the man at the desk out front took no notice. As soon as he opened the door, the smell assaulted him and he nearly vomited. Swallowing hard, he walked to the bed. She was just as he had left her. Girding his loins, he rolled the lifeless, stinking body up into a sheet and shoved it into the large brown feed sack that Dmitri had provided. Tossing her over his shoulder, he opened the door and looked down the hall. All clear. Making his way out the back entrance, he found Dmitri waiting for him.

“We’re going to see a friend of mine,” Dmitri said, helping Kaz toss the body over Midnight’s back. “Follow me.”

When they finally stopped, Kaz squinted through the thick fog which now covered the countryside. “Bone yard?” he asked.

Nodding, Dmitri walked to the gate, quickly opening it and motioning for Kaz to enter.

Kaz was startled when Dmitri, without warning, belted out some sort of bird call. A dark figure emerged from what he assumed was the ossuary. Dmitri grinned. “Here’s another body for the stack.”

Allowing his burden to slide silently to the ground, Kaz watched as the man unwrapped his donation and then draw back from the stench. “An ossuary is for bones,” he hissed at them, returning the sheet over the body. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

Dmitri produced a few gold coins. “Make it disappear.” The dark form jingled the coins about in his hand for a moment, then grunted. Kaz assumed that meant he would take care of the problem.

Once headed back to Dmitri’s, Kaz sighed. “I think it’s time I move on. I’m willing to pay you for all your help.”

“I certainly don’t care if I never see this place again,” Dmitri replied. “Take me with you. I think we could make quite the team.”

“Team of what? Murderers?” Kaz asked, surprised to find that his young friend would want to tag along.

“Heavens no,” Dmitri replied. “I abhor violence. Why do you think I hired you?”

Kaz chucked. Dmitri obviously thought him a ruthless ruffian. He was about to straighten him out when Dmitri grinned at him. “Race you to the stream!”

“What?” Kaz asked, as Dmitri let out a yell and spurred his stead to a full gallop. “Cheat!” he yelled as he kicked Midnight. The horse responded and they were off like a shot, chasing Kaz’s crazy sidekick through the moonlit landscape. He could hear Dmitri whooping it up a good distance ahead yet he was not about to get beaten by this youthful vagabond.

Prodding Midnight to run full out, they caught up and passed Dmitri, who seemed to have given up. Too easy, Kaz thought, just as Midnight hit the water at full gallop. With a loud neigh, the huge stallion reared up and then came to a sudden stop. Taken off-guard, Kaz flew over the beast’s head, landing in the creek with a huge splash.

Fluffbottom trotted to the water’s edge. “I said I’d race you to the stream, not into it,” Dmitri said, still laughing as he helped Kaz out of the water.

“So, Kaz, how do you come to be in Moravia,” Dmitri asked as the two plopped down under a large, old oak tree. “I couldn’t help but notice your distinct Russian accent.”

“Ah, I must do something about that. I won’t bore you with the details. Suffice it to say that I lived near the border of our two countries until I had … how shall I put this nicely … lady trouble.”

“That's becoming a habit of yours, isn’t it?” Dmitri replied, grinning at him.

Growling, Kaz decided to ignore him. “At any rate, I’m moving westward. I’m thinking perhaps England would be a nice place to settle down.”

“I, too, once lived in Russia, until my family was forced to leave, and so we landed here. Then, my father disowned me for supposedly disgracing the family. So, as you can see, I have nothing to go back to. We are two stones rolling. Isn’t that how the saying goes?”

Laughing softly, Kaz said “You are young. You have your whole life ahead of you. Believe me, you don’t want to tie yourself to me.”

“We’ll see,” Dmitri answered coyly, as they mounted their steeds for the return ride. “You can stay at my place tonight and get a fresh start in the morning, if you like.”

“Thanks, Friend,” Kaz replied, suddenly too exhausted to add more or to argue.

The next morning, Kaz walked outside to find the sun high in the sky. Dammit! He’d slept far longer than he’d planned.

Dmitri didn’t seem to be around. Perhaps he had work to attend to. Kaz laughed. Dmitri did not seem to be the kind of man to seek work. Unhitching Midnight, he headed out. No reason to wait for the youngster to return. They’d said all that need be said the evening prior.

“Ya!” he shouted, giving Midnight a little kick. His faithful beast took off, racing across the countryside. It was a beautiful day and Kaz was curious as to what would happen in the next town. With any luck, it would be much less traumatic than the last.

A town appeared ahead of them in late afternoon and Kaz slowed Midnight to a trot. Nothing seemed different, but after awhile Kaz supposed, one town pretty much looked like another.

Suddenly, Midnight took a turn. Kaz pulled the reins to attempt to right him, but he would not alter his route. “Fine,” Kaz said, letting the horse have its way. “Take me where you will.”

When the stallion finally came to a stop, Kaz hung his head and muttered, “Dammit, Dammit, Dammit.” They were directly in front of Dmitri’s house. The door flew open to a grinning man, obviously proud of his subterfuge.

“I say we go where the money is,” Dmitri said, before Kaz could get a word in. “Can you read minds?”

“Yes, and you?”

Dmitri nodded. “It comes in handy during card games, if you know what I mean.” Again, he tossed the toothy grin that Kaz imagined made him very alluring to the opposite sex.

Kaz feigned shock. “That’s cheating! And so is spelling my horse to return here, you devil.”

Dmitri laughed and shrugged. “Haven’t you figured out by now that I don’t play fair?”

Kaz walked into the house to look for vodka. He supposed that they were now officially a double act, whether he would have it or not.

ooo

If you would like to start from the beginning: Part 1|Part 2