The Blue Moon - 11. Chapter 11

Bartos
The Central Trade Route, Andiol Empire

"You should leave her alone. She's clearly shown that she's not interested in you," Bartos said to the boy riding beside him.

"What gave you the idea that I am interested in her?" Darren asked innocently.

"I'm not blind," Bartos snorted. He looked in the direction of Danae, who was riding ahead of them.

Bartos was certainly no fool either, he had seen all the looks that Darren had been shooting at Danae. In fact, Bartos was a little surprised, because usually Darren did not bother with girls who were indifferent to him. Or maybe indifferent was the wrong word. Danae did pay attention to the boy, but it was usually some kind of teasing or mocking.

But towards Bartos and his father, Danae had been very friendly. Sometimes she was even too nice. Bartos was not used to having a girl who was almost a stranger suddenly rubbing his shoulders or complimenting him on something. Such things made Bartos blush and stammer stupidly, but the girl had found his clumsiness simply sweet.

The reason for Danae's different attitude to Darren was easy to guess. Darren's immature shenanigans in front of Danae had made Bartos ashamed. He had tried every trick in the book to tease the girl and get cheap laughs.

It was impossible to understand why Darren had turned the whole thing into just a joke. It wasn't like him. Usually Darren had the right tact with girls, especially girls he was interested in. No matter how hard Darren tried to convince him otherwise, Bartos was absolutely certain that he was very fond of Danae. Those long glances in her direction were all too obvious.

"Hey Bars, take it easy! I'll show you how little I care about that chick," Darren said, as he tore a pine cone from a tree growing next to the road. Before Bartos could stop him, Darren had thrown it over Danae's back.

Danae immediately slowed her horse and turned around. Darren pointed at Bartos and shook his head disapprovingly. Bartos sensed danger in the air as Danae steered her horse between the boys.

"Darren, did you have something to say?" Danae asked, looking coolly at the curly-haired boy.

"Me? Absolutely not," Darren denied theatrically.

"Too bad, because I have a surprise for you," Danae replied in a flirtatious tone, and Bartos saw her move something in her hand to a better position.

The answer stunned Darren, at least momentarily. "Eh, what is it?" he asked curiously.

"This," Danae said, raising her arm and emptying the contents of her canteen down Darren's neck.

Darren howled and was about to fall off his horse. Danae laughed and quickly rode her horse away from cursing Darren. Bartos looked amused at his wet friend who for once had got what he deserved.

Some distance ahead, Berron Rigailon and Danae's travelling companion, Head Chamberlain Offus, had slowed their pace. They turned to look at the ruckus behind them. Bartos chuckled a little more and handed Darren a cloth to dry himself on. There was no denying it: Danae had character.

* * *

When they had met for the first time, Danae and Offus had soon agreed to leave with Bartos and the others. Bartos guessed that it had been Danae's decision, as she clearly seemed adventurous and eager to see new places. Even after hearing of Paidos' troubles, she had been intrigued - not frightened. Surely the girl found the extra stop in Five Hills merely exciting.

The knowledge that Danae would be sent straight from Five Hills to Bartos' grandfather's farm had made her look sour. Darren, on the other hand, was suddenly very interested in the possibility of spending a few summer weeks in the quiet of the countryside. This did not surprise Bartos either.

It had been a month since Bartos' mother had told her son about a friend's niece from Malkania who might be coming to live with them in Paidos for a year or two. The little sisters had jumped and screamed with excitement at the news, but Bartos had not known how to react. The idea of living under the same roof with a girl his own age - and a noblewoman at that - had made him shy.

The whole thing had upset Bartos so much that he had put it to the back of his mind and had not said a word to Darren, Josel and Franz. He knew his friends, the three of them would probably go wild. They would tease Bartos to the point of boredom, even showing up at night to peep through windows to see if she was changing in her room.

Josel and Franz, how are you doing? Bartos always felt blue when he wondered what had happened to his friends. The four boys had been almost inseparable for years, and now two of them have suddenly been snatched away to who knows where.

Franz had managed to escape from the Shadow Cross and was now on an unknown path. Bartos was worried about his lanky friend, even though he knew he could handle everything. Franz was a master at getting himself out of trouble, no matter how difficult the situation.

What about Josel then? Bartos missed the blond-haired boy's quips, to which he never found witty comebacks. He missed the way Josel thrust himself into the limelight, his confident and impulsive self.

Josel was so hard to figure out, always had been. He could be exhilaratingly cheerful, considerate and very fair, but at other times he could be ill-tempered, frustrated and mocking. Darren's and Franz's movements were quite easy for Bartos to read, but what was going on inside Josel's blond head remained mostly a mystery.

The other enigmatic one was Danae. She did not act anything like a Malkanian noblewoman. Bartos had imagined a self-respecting, pampered and delicate princess, who couldn't stand the sight of dusty roads and the presence of Dimalis. Danae, however, was quite the opposite: dashing, almost boyishly uncomplicated and good company. She did not seem very religious either, although Bartos had thought all Malkanians prayed to their stern gods almost constantly.

Danae would one day be Duchess Dannkas, or so Bartos had gathered from her words. Though Danae was mostly not what one would expect a noblewoman to be, she was well aware of the commanding power that came with her status. Head Chamberlain Offus obeyed her every move, even though he was a notable person himself. But Danae disguised her orders as requests so skillfully that Bartos was happy to grant her little wishes.

Even Berron Rigailon was not entirely immune to Danae's charms, but at least he made it clear to her that he was the leader of the group. So Danae had to adjust to the idea of travelling straight from Five Hills to Bartos' grandfather's farm.

Darren, on the other hand, did not get a single nice request from Danae. Not after he had offered to bring the thirsty girl a glass of juice at one of the stops. Danae had seemed delighted and had taken a big gulp from the glass Darren had offered her. Instead of juice, the glass had been filled with vinegar, which Danae had spat out onto the newly washed floor of the inn. Darren had laughed uproariously while the innkeeper had bellowed at Danae like a bull. It was this prank that started the cat and mouse game between them.

* * *

Soon after, new dark clouds began to gather in Bartos' mind. It happened in one of the passenger stations along the trade route, as he was sitting at the breakfast table with his father.

"Listen, Bartos," Berron Rigailon said casually, stirring honey into tea. "I've been thinking about the Sandkans. Did Josel ever mention any specific place - a summer house or something like that - where they could go in circumstances like this?"

Bartos straightened up in his chair. His father had made a similar inquiry at the inn, almost immediately after their reunion. "I don't remember. Why do you ask?"

His father shrugged nonchalantly, though the expression on his face tightened. "I... just wondered if I could have a word with Andreuz about the current situation. It's difficult when I don't know his whereabouts."

Sudden worry gripped Bartos' stomach. "Are they in danger?" he asked.

"I don't think so. Of course not," Barron Rigailon hastened to reply. At the same time, shadows crossed his tired face. As if muttering to himself, he continued: "Then we'll go to Five Hills. I don't have a better plan."

Before they mounted their horses, Bartos noticed that his father had given an envelope to the courier at the passenger station to be delivered somewhere. For some reason, at that very moment, Bartos was reminded of the lipless man's grimacing face.

* * *

A cigar-shaped airship was puffing on the airfield, ready to take off. The dirigible balloon was waiting for its last passenger. The fuel tanks were filled, the crew had climbed into the cockpit and only the anchor chain held the ship to the ground. Before the journey to Five Hills could continue, it was time to say goodbye.

"I'm going to miss you, Silly," Danae said. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she hugged Head Chamberlain Offus once more.

"Danae dear, don't call me Silly," Offus commented, but he also blinked his eyes rapidly. As if to signal them, the fuel hose in the field let out a lingering hiss.

Bartos kept his gaze on the ground; it was uncomfortable to see others being emotionally moved. Especially when Danae's and Offus' tears made the corners of his own eyes water. It was embarrassing to be so sensitive.

The airship shimmered on its departure platform, large and gallant. The crew would probably have wanted to release it into the sky by now. Aviators like them were heroes, proclaiming the greatness of Andiol and all humanity as they flew. In front of such men, Bartos felt like an insignificant wimp. Or what else would you call it, being moved to tears by someone else's crying?

Darren, on the other hand, seemed unmoved by the farewell. The boy grinned in amusement and whispered to Bartos in a deliberately loud voice: "The chick is crying again, should I offer her a handkerchief? The one I've sneezed on."

Why did Darren have to be such a jerk when it came to Danae? Whenever Darren had fallen for a girl, he had treated her like a beautiful flower. Why couldn't he do the same with Danae?

It would be tempting to pin Darren against a wall and force him to explain why he was behaving like a fool. Unfortunately, it wasn't easy. Where Bartos was stiff and slow with his speech, glib Darren was able to wiggle his way out of any cross-examination.

As Bartos should have guessed, Darren hadn't had enough of the larking. The curlyhead let out a heavy sniffle, followed by a very artificial-sounding sob from the back of his throat, and twisted his face into a miserable expression. His stunt got him what he was probably looking for, the attention of everyone.

"Darren!" Berron Rigailon snarled, and the boy instantly looked remorseful, which he certainly was not.

Bartos nudged his friend in the side, hoping he would settle down. Sometimes Darren's banter was funny, but only sometimes. Bartos did not like it when every serious matter had to be turned into a joke. But that was Darren, and there was no changing him.

Danae looked irritated, so Darren had achieved his goal once again. Would the feud between those two ever end, Bartos wondered, fearing he knew the answer. More and more Bartos felt that he had to talk to Darren.

"Young man, treat Miss Danae with dignity. She will be a duchess one day, think of that," Offus remarked in a reproving tone.

"Okay, I'll certainly will," Darren replied very casually, smiling in Bartos' direction to show that he really did not mean what he said.

The conversation might have ended there if Danae had not intervened. "How could he, that pathetic beggar," she said in her bright, mocking voice. "I really don't see why he's with us. Such a scum of society is not fit to be with us and Rigailons."

Bartos stopped breathing for a moment. That was the worst thing you could say to Darren. A glance in Darren's direction told him that the insult had hit the mark. The gloating was gone from the boy's pale, expressionless face. Bartos tried to find words to salvage the situation, but as usual, he was unable to do so.

Darren did not say anything either, but walked slowly away from the airship's departure platform.

"Danae..." Offus started to reproach, but did not go any further.

Bartos looked at the girl worriedly. Darren had asked for it, of course, but Danae had hardly anticipated how hurtful her choice of words had been. For Darren, his family's poverty was a very sore point, and no one who knew him ever joked about it. If a schoolmate had ever tried, they would have faced the wrath of Darren and his friends. Now, however, Darren was not outraged, but paralysed. Bartos suspected it had something to do with who had said the words.

Danae frowned at Bartos' gaze, but quickly turned her head away. Whatever she was thinking, Bartos could not make it out. So he looked to his father for support.

"Go after him," Berron urged, nodding in the direction of Darren, who was shuffling his way to the edge of the field.

Oh Darren, Bartos thought. The sight of his friend's gloomy figure tugged at his heartstrings. He wasn't good at comforting people, but he had to try now.

He caught Darren as he sat down on a low stone fence. Darren kicked it with the heels of his shoes and stared glumly at the clearing in front of him.

Bartos climbed over the fence next to his friend. Neither said anything at first. Bartos because he couldn't think of anything to say, and Darren probably because he didn't feel like talking.

Finally, Bartos plucked up the courage to ask the question that had been bothering him: "Why are you always so difficult to her?"

Darren scowled but did not answer or even look at his friend.

"You like her, so why are you being like this?"

"No, I don't!" Darren snapped, slapping his thighs with both hands.

Bartos looked sadly at his friend. He couldn't even solve his own relationship problems, so who was he to advise others. Maybe he was wrong about Darren and Danae.

Surprisingly, Darren decided to speak and said, still staring at the field: "She hates me. I'm sure you've noticed."

The soft tone in Darren's voice encouraged Bartos to continue the conversation. "You haven't given her much reason to like you," he remarked, watching the wind bending the hay in the field.

"Hah, she only sees a poor wretch who should vanish from her noble company."

"You have annoyed her."

"So what? She still said what was on her mind."

Bartos sighed. Maybe Danae had really revealed what she thought of Darren. But regardless, it was all down to Darren's own behaviour. "But why have you been teasing her all this time? I don't understand."

Darren glanced at Bartos before turning back to the field. "What would you understand, you're rich and from a reputable family. Danae will notice you for that alone. But what about me - a boy from a family of drunkards. How else could I get the attention of someone like her, if not to mess with her? Say it."

"You could have at least tried," Bartos remarked.

"What if I couldn't find another way? I'm so fucking stupid," Darren almost groaned his last words, running his fingers through his curly locks.

"Do you have a crush on her?" Bartos confirmed, even though he already knew the answer.

"No, I'm in love," Darren replied.

"Oh, Darren," Bartos said ruefully, patting his friend on the shoulder.

"Oh, Darren, indeed," Darren replied, looking off into the distance, or perhaps just at the field where the wind was bending the hay.

* * *

They rode in a line, all four in a row. Berron Rigailon led the way, followed by Danae on her white mare, then Darren and finally Bartos. Each of them rode silently, in their own thoughts. After Offus had left, Bartos had begun to feel the journey would be a dead end. Darren was sulking, and Danae must have felt either guilty or homesick.

Bartos himself would have been happy to ride alongside his father and chat with him. They certainly would have if they had been alone. For now, he was content to watch Danae and Darren from behind.

An apology would have been in order. First from Danae and then from Darren. But she was a proud, noble-born girl, too proud to apologize for her behaviour to an ordinary Dimali boy who had been teasing her almost non-stop for a couple of days.

Neither of them would humble themselves, Bartos was sure of that. And there was nothing he could do to reconcile. Darren had sworn him to secrecy, and as a good friend should, Bartos had of course promised it.

The tangle was too much for Bartos. He was not the leadership type, and neither was Darren. If only Josel had been with them! Goldy would have known what to do. He would have had the character to force Darren to apologize to Danae.

The whole mess would not have happened if Josel had been with them. Because then Darren would have had to take on a completely different role in the group. Josel would never have let Darren bully Danae for so long. And if Darren hadn't told the others about his crush in time, Josel might even have tried to hit on her himself.

It had always been that way. Darren and Bartos had adapted to Josel's sometimes capricious will. Josel was the shining golden sun, the rest of them the orbiting stars, Bartos always the outermost. Usually, only Franz could really defy Josel. But Franz was an independent soul, and Josel gave him a special freedom.

But who could fail to like Josel? In a way, all three of them admired him. Josel was good-looking, excelled at sports and did his schoolwork with ease. But that was just the surface. He was wild and impetuous - yes. But also caring and fair to others. The most trustworthy friend to those he liked, and dangerous to his enemies.

Bartos laughed at the thought. But Josel didn't seem to have any enemies. Why should he? Or wait... there was an enemy of sorts. The pretty face of Zdain Monteilon flashed across Bartos' mind for the first time in probably over a week. Josel had always found Monteilon a nuisance. After all, they had been each other's worst rivals in sports competitions all through school.

Where was Monteilon now? There was a rumour in Paidos that the governor and his family had managed to escape from the town. Good, Bartos did not wish them ill. After all, the Monteilons were on the same side against the Shadow Cross as he was.

Bartos noticed Darren slowing down and riding alongside him. "What were you thinking?" the curlyhead said in a very casual tone.

I knew you'd get tired of pouting soon, Bartos thought with amusement. Darren was too sociable to be alone for long.

Bartos said truthfully: "Zdain Monteilon."

"Zdain Monteilon?" Darren wondered. "I didn't know you felt that way about boys. Though, now that you mention it..." he grinned, and Bartos reached from the saddle to punch his friend in the side. Not only could Darren not keep quiet for long, he obviously couldn't go any longer without telling his bad jokes.

"You fathead! I wonder where the Monteilons ended up," Bartos said.

"To Dimalos, I suppose. That's where all the moneybags of this country live." Darren scowled, and Bartos did not miss the way the boy's eyes darted to Danae riding ahead.

"I guess so. Dimalos is suitable for Monteilons."

Then Darren came up with something new. "Yes - or who knows, even if Zdain Monteilon is currently spending time with our Josel."

"Zdain and Josel together? The dumbest idea ever," Bartos said, laughing heartily. Sometimes Darren's jokes were even funny.

* * *