Nikto kept silent. At last he slowly got up from the armchair. Orel tensed all over but didn't look at him.
"Arel…" Nikto started.
Orel stopped him with a gesture.
"Don't. Don't explain anything, I'll be all right."
Nikto knelt down at the bed slowly, took Orel's hand.
"Nik, leave! For your gods' sake!" Orel said hoarsely.
"But I don't want to leave! I don't need your Lower City and your friends, I don't need anyone but you!"
Nikto pressed his face to Orel's hand.
"You say you don't want my gratitude any more but I was not thanking you! I did only what I wanted myself. I kissed you not because I wanted to thank you but because I wanted to kiss you. Let me stay with you!"
"What? Gods, Nik, I can't believe my ears!"
Nikto raised his eyes at him.
"Orel, I want to stay with you. It's my choice."
"Nik, Nik!" Orel pulled him closer; Nikto readily leaned towards him, kissing his hands.
"Nik," Orel laughed, "stop kissing my hands, you silly! What a habit you have! I'm not your master and you're not a slave!" he hugged Nikto's shaggy head, pressed it to his chest. "You're not my slave, you're not my servant, we're equal, hear me?"
Nikto nodded.
"Nik, you won't regret your choice," Orel was shining with happiness. "I swear you! I'll do everything for that, you'll never regret staying with me!"
"I know," Nikto said, "I know."
In a fit of insanity Squint-Eye cuts off his long hair and bangs.
Lis tries to get friendly with Asa. He wants to use her to find out something about Nikto and to get to Tol by making her his lover.
Bey manages to find allies in his war against Orel. He attacks.
With enormous efforts and great losses Orel's soldiers hold the positions they recently acquired.
They manage to fight back the enemy but by paying a great price.
Chapter 4
After the Battle
"Everything will start tomorrow again! Do you understand it?" Lis said looking at Orel seriously. They returned to their rooms at 'Backara' to have some rest and lick their wounds. Orel sat in his armchair at the head of the table. His face was pale, he held his damaged eye with his right hand.
"I understand everything," he said tiredly.
Nikto and Asa talked quietly in Unclean over wounded Tol. Nikto said something pointing at the deep cut on Asa's side. She sat down on the sofa, at Tol's feet, and took off her ruined vest. The cut was not bleeding, it was smeared with the ointment in time; it looked much better than Tol's ragged wounds but still it wasn't too good. Not embarrassed at all that she was sitting with her breasts bare in front of them, Asa raised her arm for Nikto to examine her wound. He squatted in front of her, started preparing a thread and a needle.