Chapter 27. Rational risk
The silence in the hut was thick, almost palpable. Only she, Yuki, was interrupted. She was standing in the middle of the room, clutching in her small but already confident hands a shortened training stick that I had made for her. Her face was contorted into a grimace of concentration, her tongue clamped between her teeth. She clumsily, but with stubborn persistence, repeated the basic movements I had taught her: swing, pull, block.
Whoosh, whoosh.
The sound of wood slicing through the air was faint, but there was an echo of future power in it. An echo of her future.
I watched her, but my thoughts were racing through my head, much faster and sharper than her childish strokes.
Hm. We don't have any supplies. Food. There are no rabbits nearby. And wolves. What the hell? — stated the inner voice, cold and emotionless.
I looked around the hut. Empty shelves. The last crumbs of dried meat. Even the bark, which I sometimes chewed to trick my stomach, was gone. Winter was taking its toll, and my usual hunting grounds were deserted. Or... did someone purge them to push me to desperate steps? The idea of the Crimson Ones controlling game populations seemed paranoid, but in this world, I was no longer surprised by anything.
Azrael began to think about the future. What should I do? Go hunting? — it was a dead end. Wasting time and effort while hunger slowly eats away at both of us.
Anyway, how long is it until the Academy? Damn. It's a pity there's no phone here. Victor took him, the thing. — the thought of time caused a slight panic. The events of my novel were inexorably approaching. Lin, the main character, should have already been preparing for admission. And here, in the wilderness, with a hungry fox child, I was playing passive survival.
I couldn't just wait. Waiting is a defeat.
Hmm. After some thought, he came up with a plan. I think it should work. Right? The internal dialogue sounded almost ironic. The plan was crazy. Desperate. But the only one who had a chance.
I looked at Yuki. Out of breath, she lowered her stick and looked at me, waiting for approval. Her blue eyes were full of trust. A trust that I couldn't let down.
The plan was simple: try to make friends with the Crimson Ones. Or else become a Queen's teacher. I think they'll agree. After all, Quinn's not well right now. Although the skills are good against monsters, but not people. I think it's a good plan. In return — money, a house and clothes.
The logic was ironclad. They saw my power. They saw my "weakness" in Yuki's face. They wanted to recruit me. That means I could have made contact first, dictating the terms. I could offer them something they couldn't get by force—voluntary cooperation. My knowledge, my skills, in exchange for resources and protection. And Quinn's training... yes, that would be the perfect excuse for constant contact. I could be her mentor. A dark teacher who would teach her not just how to fight, but how to see. To see weaknesses, traps, deceptions. To see the world through my eyes.
It would be a wonderful revenge. To help them by staying behind their backs. Become a shadow in the Crimson court.
Looking at Yuki, who was practicing while swinging her sword. — she raised the stick again, trying to repeat the complicated movement that I showed her the other day. She stumbled, almost fell, but recovered. Stubborn. Strong.
It would be a chance for her. Warm food. Secure walls. An opportunity to learn how to be a human being, not a savage.
I think we should go to them tomorrow. — the decision has been made. The risk was enormous. It could have been a trap. They could try to capture me, use Yuki against me.
But inaction was death. Slow, but sure.
I went up to Yuki and put my hand on her head, interrupting her workout. — Well done. That's enough for today.
She stared at me, breathing heavily.
—Tomorrow," I told her, looking straight into her bottomless eyes. — We're going to visit. To those who were watching us. You're going to sit tight and do what I say. Don't take anything. Don't talk to anyone. Do you understand?
Her eyes widened in fear. She remembered my lessons. I remembered that these people were dangerous. But she looked at the empty shelves, then at my serious face, and nodded slowly. Trust overcame fear.
—Good girl,— I said, patting her hair.
I didn't sleep last night. I've been sharpening my blade to razor sharpness. I was getting ready. He calculated every word, every possible scenario.
I was determined not to give up. I was going to negotiate. A predator entering the lair of other predators to offer them a deal.
And if they refuse... or try to deceive me.…
Well, I could always give them a small but very visual lesson. A lesson about what happens when you tease a hungry beast that knows all their secrets.
Tomorrow was going to be interesting.