Orel laughed.
"Ni-i-ik, but why?"
"Because he talks too much."
"You're shit," Lis said, "I'm not afraid of you."
Nikto walked around Orel's armchair and stood there, leaning with his elbows on its back; his eyes sparkled impishly.
Lis looked at him, smirked. "You think you're cool, huh?"
Nikto leaned to Orel, hugging him around the back of the chair. "Lis, enough, I know you're just jealous of me."
Orel laughed, pressing his cheek to Nikto's. "Lis, is it true?"
"What? Do you believe the bullshit he says?"
"He is jealous and envious," Nikto said. "That's why he is angry."
"Cool!" Orel looked at Lis with interest, waiting for his reaction.
"Envy you?" Lis snorted. "That's something! You're nothing, you just pretend being tough but you really are an empty place!"
"Really?"
Lis laughed. "Exactly. I think you have nothing I should envy."
"And I think I do," Nikto said.
He moved away from Orel and standing behind his back for Orel not to see what he was doing he showed Lis his finger with the royal ring on it.
Lis's face flushed, he got up, turned away. Asa who watched this scene laughed. She was dressed and smoked now leaning against Tol's legs; Tol slept, full of medicines.
"Nikto is an animal," she said. "Lis, come to me, I'll pity you."
"Fuck off!" Lis snapped.
He came up to a little table and grabbed a statuette from it, threw it at the wall. It shattered into small pieces.
Orel clapped his palms. "Well done, Lis! You've amused me!"
"Glad to hear," Lis said through the clenched teeth. He returned to his corner. Asa said something.
"What does she say?" Orel asked.
"She says we behave worse than the Unclean," Nikto said.
"Tell her to shut up!" Orel said and poured more wine. "Why don't you translate?"
"She has learned this phrase."
"Enriki is wounded, Tol is wounded, Asa is wounded, you're wounded," Lis shook his head. "I think we're in trouble."
"It is not so bad. I, Tol and Asa will be okay tomorrow. You, Nik and Squint-Eye are fine."
"Squint-Eye is not here, maybe, something happened to him."
Orel didn't answer looking down.
Asa lay down next to Tol and hugged him closing her eyes. It was quiet in the room. They sat like that for an hour, everyone submerged in their thoughts. At last Lis raised his head.
"It's getting lighter," he said, "we'll need to go to the camp soon. Squint-Eye is not here yet."