At the moment, he figured that simply being cooperative and respectful, and making an effort to learn their history and ways, would at least convey his sincere appreciation of their bountiful hospitality.
The hazy thickness of the air within the various compartments of the longhouse was supplanted by the crisp, clean night as he emerged out from the sheltered porch at the end of the longhouse.
Outside again in the fresh air, Janus took a deep, cleansing breath. A spectrum of stars sparkled in the wide sky above, as the larger moon, and its more distant, smaller companion, had begun their nightly ascension on the far edge of the horizon.
He walked casually towards the front entryway of the village. There were a few warriors standing around the opening, which was now blocked by a removable section of palisade. They regarded him casually as he approached, though their eyes narrowed in curiosity and attentiveness as he drew right up to them.
“Good evening… Is it okay to go down to the water?” Janus asked one of the warriors, as he caught the man’s eye directly. Then, remembering the parameters set forth by the village council, he added quickly, “Can a couple of warriors take me there?”
The stout warrior to Janus’ immediate right considered the request for only a moment. He then replied in an even tone, “It is not always safe at night, and very dangerous if you are not with a war party. There are many dangerous beasts that hunt these lands at night, and we must always look out for enemies. Even witches can be about, and they can take many forms.
“It is not good to go out of the village alone during the night… and not even if you have a couple of warriors with you. Your desire is not wise. You must learn these lands well first. You will then know that I am speaking to you truly now, and that your wish is not wise.”
Janus was not affronted in any way at the very direct manner of the warrior. He was fast becoming aware of the fact that the tribal people tended to speak their minds openly. He realized that this was their customary way, and not a method of conducting a personal attack.
“Then perhaps I will make a wiser choice than the one that my desires wish to lead me to. I’ll stay within the village. Good evening to all of you, and thank you for advising me well,” Janus said in return, smiling amiably. He nodded respectfully to the warrior, receiving an affable smile in return, as he turned and left the vicinity of the entryway.
Slowly, he walked back among the silent longhouses, finally nearing the one housing Ayenwatha and his own companions. Out in the open night air, and now living amid a culture so close to the things of nature, Janus found that he was little concerned over getting dirt on himself. He grinned at the sudden recognition, remembering how cautious he had been in his own world to avoid any substantial untidiness.
Lowering himself, he first got down to his knees, and then slowly maneuvered and shifted about to lay upon his back, with his legs stretched out along the bare surfacing of rough soil beneath.
In just moments, he felt his body settling down, as he concentrated his thoughts on letting the tensions in his muscles flow out bit by bit. At first he winced a little as his joints, lower back, and neck adjusted to the flat and even plane.
He looked up dreamily at the ocean of sky and stars above him. Only the faintest hint of scudding cloud vapors tampered with the clear, vivid scene spreading to all horizons above him. Janus had immersed himself into similar visions back in his own world, especially when he was able to go deeper into the countryside, away from the obscuring glare of the city’s ubiquitous lights.
The cool, invigorating air, the peaceful serenity of the gentle night breezes, and the unmarred, magical panorama filling his eyes slowly soothed his aching mind and heart, just as similar environments in his former world had done. It afforded him a concerted place and moment to empty out his worries and cares, and to let his mind drift, all the while cradled within the peaceful and encompassing refuge. It was a timeless sensation, one that seemed to suspend the very turning of the world.
His eyes slowly began to close, and Janus started to find himself flickering back and forth on the boundary edge between sleep and full wakefulness.
“There you are!”
Though spoken so very softly, Janus jumped in surprise at the sudden, high-pitched voice, even as the familiarity of it tugged at him.
The speaker, to Janus’ complete surprise, was the village youth that had visited with him so very recently. The cherubic youth’s face hovered right over him, blocking out the sight of the clear night sky. Despite the darkness, and the silhouetted nature of the boy’s form, Janus could see that the youth was smiling broadly and apparently very full of energy.
“And how are you doing, little guy? Well, it seems that we meet once again. Don’t get much sleep, do you?” Janus replied, smiling warmly at the youth, as he carefully eased himself up slowly into a sitting position, stifling a slight groan at the labored protest of his body.
“I’m doing very good,” the youth replied buoyantly, smile broadening.
“So where did you go off to last night?” Janus asked him. “I tried to look for you, but you disappeared on me. Couldn’t see where you went off to.”
The child grinned, and shrugged. “I have much to do.”
Janus smirked, raising an eyebrow. “At your age? You are too young to be so busy. Enjoy life while you can!”
“I do,” the child assured him, before asking, “And did you enjoy your friend?”
“Who?” Janus asked, momentarily confused by the seemingly ambiguous question.
“Your friend. I brought you him last night,” the youth said a little impatiently, as if the first reference should have been quite clear enough. Then, he added in a similar, matter-of-fact way, “And he’s brought a couple of others today.”
Janus had to grin, even as pangs of sorrow tugged anew at him. He remembered the full events of the previous night and the boy’s imaginative comments. Janus once had such a vivid imagination, when he was that young.
Janus’ voice took on a slightly more somber tone, as the echoes of those unblemished days touched the edges of his now-scarred memory, “Yes, I do remember that. You told me about him… last night.”
“He flew with you up there today,” the youth said with a flare of excitement, pointing up towards the sky. His eyes seemed to sparkle in the light of stars and moon. “You cannot fly by yourself, like he can, at least not yet.”
“Oh… so you saw me on those… what are they called? The winged creatures?” Janus replied, leaning back to rest on his elbows.
“The Bregas? They are really good animals. They have strong spirits. Very strong. They have been good steeds for the people of the villages. They have always been with this land,” the youth replied enthusiastically.
“They were amazing to fly on. We have nothing like them where I am from. At first I was pretty scared to get on them, but at the end I did not want to leave,” Janus replied, his thoughts going back to the thrilling sensations that he had experienced earlier in the day. His heartbeat picked up a few beats in the mere remembrance of the rush of vivid emotion that he had felt while soaring over the forested hills.
“Trouble is coming, Janus,” the youth then said, in an abruptly serious tone.
Janus looked over, and saw that the boy’s expression had grown very dour all of a sudden. The blunt change in the youth’s demeanor gripped Janus’ attention and concern at once.
“What do you mean?” Janus asked, wondering further at the rather brusque shift in the young boy.
As with the end of their conversation the previous night, the boy’s tone carried a hint of maturity that belied his seeming age. Janus wondered if the youth was about to suddenly vanish as well.
“Trouble. Great trouble. And I just know it,” the youth replied sadly, but firmly, as if to head off an expected question coming from Janus.