"Are we far enough out of lion territory to be allowed out of the trees?" Pasha asked as the sun went down over the edge of the forest. They were nearing the end of the foothills and the land was flattening out. Once they reached the plains, Matvei and Eva assured them, it would only be a half a day's walk at most to the shore, which they could follow as far as they needed to.
"I'd say so." Eva sighed.
"Good. Where's the nearest inn?" Ruslan asked from his perch atop the noble Ludmilla.
"About two days away." Pasha said, "Looks like another night in the wilds of Athenry for us."
"As long as we're not in the trees." Isidor groaned.
"Not in the trees, I promise." Eva said.
"And... not in a hole in the ground." Ruslan requested.
"Or under a pile of rocks." Matvei added.
"Or any of the other places you've made us sleep." Pasha said.
"Fine, okay--look, there's a cart in that clearing over there, maybe there's a house nearby." Eva pointed in the direction of her find.
The team of humans and pack animals approached it cautiously. It was a cart full of fresh hay, standing near a slightly murky, rocky creek. No houses were anywhere in sight.
"Who leaves a cart of hay just standing around?" Pasha asked.
"Dead people." Matvei said.
"What?" Eva blinked. Matvei jumped off the back of the horse and half-walked, half-stumbled to the side of the cart. He picked a bone out of the grass and held it up for the rest of the company to see.
"It's just one, Mat." Pasha pointed out.
"Actually..." Eva approached the cart. She waved a hand and a large pile of bones shot out from under the cart. Ruslan and Pasha jumped, and Isidor grabbed Pushki.
"That's... a lot of dead." Pasha coughed.
"Only three skulls. A little bit of dead for apparently a long time. Come on, we'll have dinner, and go to sleep." Eva nudged at a ribcage with her foot.
"We can't just leave the bones lying around! We have to bury them!" Ruslan announced, indignant.
"They've gone quite a while without being buried, another night won't hurt them." Eva began loosening the bundles strapped to Bastard's back.
"What if this is a haunted hay cart?" Ruslan let himself down off Ludmilla.
"No such thing." Isidor said.
"Really?" Pasha asked, getting out a wrapped package of cheese, one of the many provisions that Zarya had provided them with.
"Really. Ghosts don't like the open air."
Pushki jumped into the hay and settled down. Released from her cage, Misha followed him. Eva grabbed her cat and set the animal down on the grass.
"He's allergic to you, stupid." She scolded. Misha yowled and crawled onto Matvei's lap.
"Cheese, eggs, apples, potatoes... what else did Zarya pack for us?" Pasha asked, setting down packages of food next to where Eva had started a fire.
"Well, I assume she didn't intend for you to eat any of it." Eva said, sawing up a loaf of bread with a pocket knife.
"Yes, but that's just Zarya. You're going to let me eat, right?" Pasha elbowed the witch playfully.
"Do you like cheese toast, Bunny?" Eva called to the boy.
"Sure." He yawned.
"Eva, you wouldn't make me go hungry..."
"Hey, we've got meat!" Ruslan announced, holding up a parcel that happened to be full of beef jerky.
"Good. No more squirrels." Isidor sighed. He was seated on the edge of the hay cart, turning straw into scarves, which he then juggled.
"Eva, Ev, Evpraksiya, Evie..." Pasha attempted to get Eva's attention with various nicknames and terms of endearment.
"So we all like cheese toast and hard boiled eggs? Speak now or don't eat." Eva said.
"I'M SPEAKING!!"
From the darkness of the woods about the hay cart, there came a rotted squeak.
Chapter Twenty-Three