Azaria (19 page)

But just then someone called out, "The Bird-Runner!" Before she could react, Azaria felt hands on her back, propelling her to the center of the group. Although panicked at first, once she'd made it past the wall of onlookers, she was happy to find the center was calm. Room was made for her and she stood by herself comfortably. She looked up to the two men at the center of it all, both holding large bladders filled with liquid. The first had greasy hair and a perverse smile. The second was taller and much more attractive than his friend. His gray eyes smiled down at her assuringly. The first man had a beautiful woman Azaria recognized as being from Fox Camp draped on his shoulder. The better looking man had two more, one on each arm. Everyone seemed to be waiting for Azaria to say something.

"Can you fill my fist?" she asked pleadingly, her cup held out.

To her dismay, the crowd exploded in howls of laughter.

"
Dear fowl! Dear filly!
" the first, unkempt man shouted, more to the crowd than her. He spoke with an unusual accent, making Azaria suspect he'd come a long way to join their Celebration. Without warning, he took her cup wielding hand within his, poured a small amount into it and peered into her eyes. His awkward smile left Azaria with the desire to flee, but surrounded, there was no escape. He looked into her eyes and said, "
Bring your fist close. I live to fill fists full.
"

Azaria smiled queerly back at him, but before she could bring the taste to her mouth, the second man had taken her other hand and pulled her away, gently directing her cupped hand to her mouth so she could taste his partner's offering and then bringing it down again. "
Don't fill with his foul fill, dear fertile fowl
," he smiled. His strange way of speaking matched that of his partner's, although they both commanded her language with astonishing ease. He poured a few drops of the contents of his bag into her cup and again directed it to her lips. Azaria took the sip and smiled, delighting in its mild flavors. It felt lighter on her tongue than the first man's, but no less sweet.

Before she could ask for more, the first man pulled her back, pouring another sip into her cup and pushing it to her lips. While watching her, he addressed his friend, "
This filly’s fist doesn't want your foul fill. Here foal, taste mine. It's thick and fully fills.
"

While the crowd clapped their thighs and erupted again in guffawing roars, Azaria looked from one man to another, confused, and annoyed in the rude way they were involving her in their bizarre and seemingly ongoing argument.

"
Fawst's may be thick, but few find it fills full,
" the second, better looking man was countering, pulling her over again and filling the bottom of her cup, "
His fill is fat, but far from fulfilling.
" The crowd's howl, not yet quieted from his partner's previous remark, rose up again.

"
Don't take his swill, dear foal,
" the first man addressed her once more, pulling her toward him yet again and tipping his bag briefly into her cup. "
Filling fists is my fuel. When I fill, you'll feel it fully.
"

"OHHhhhh!!!" the crowd yelled, many slapping their thighs in tribute to the clever rebuttal.

Azaria stared back from the first man to the second, growing more confused with each twisting word that came from their mouths, the crowd's bewilderingly appreciative reaction and the accumulated amount of poison she had abruptly consumed. Her head was spinning trying to understand. "
I'm feeling fuzzy...
" she remarked.

Both men stepped back in merry shock and then tipped their own cups to her. "
All ears, a filler!
" the second man shouted to the crowd, his wide smile lighting up his chiseled face. The growing mass howled in approval.

"
A finer fill we have not found, this fowl,
" the first man exclaimed, holding his bag of poison above his head in celebration.

"
Full tongue this filly finds, how fulfilling!
" the second man agreed.

"
Ha! And when your fell fowl tongue feels my fill, full will you find yourself feeling, my foal,
" the second man declared.

The crowd howled again in appreciation of the foreign mens' back and forth while Azaria reddened, finally realizing just what the men were really referring to. Her head was still spinning with the unusual entertainers’ dialogue and the succession of quick sips.

Just then, Yumineh managed to break through the wall, landing on her feet next to Azaria. Seeing the two men with full bags, she held both arms out - one hand holding her own cup and the other Tiriz's - and gazed expectantly up at them, flashing a brilliantly playful, pleading smile.

"
A two-fisted foal!
" the first man exclaimed, beside himself in delight.

"
No foal! A flower!
" the second man yelled, clearly just as excited as his partner.

"
What a rare find! Two fists for full filling,
" the first man continued.

Yumineh backed up a step, startled by the unexpected reception. She felt the crowd on her back and hands driving her forward. The two men surrounded her, one on each side. Each put an arm around her and with their other hands poured a few drops from their bags into her waiting cup-wielding fists.

"
Gentle flower! You claim your fallow fists can handle two fillers fully, dun fawn?
" the first man asked, pushing his offering up to her mouth.

"
Umm... I guess so...
" Yumineh answered after tasting his poison, not remembering claiming anything. With the attention off her, Azaria stepped back and laughed with the rest of the crowd, enjoying the wordplay now that someone else was squirming for a change.

"
A brave filly, this foal!
" the second man announced to the crowd, laughing with them. "
Then with fealty will I fill your fresh fist.
" As the first man had done, he poured a sip into Yumineh's second fist and gently directed her cup to her mouth.

"
No! Drink my fill, dear foal. Don't fall for his foolish fill. It's not fit for a dun fawn,
" the first man argued, pouring more of his poison into her cup. "
I'll fill your fist with my fat fill. Delight would your full fallow lips, feeling my fill.
"

The crowd exploded again in approval, everyone slapping their thighs and guffawing. It was all too much for Yumineh however, and after downing her fifth sip, she shook the men off, looking like she was ready to smash her cupped fists into their heads. But before she could, three more girls crashed into the center of the group, right behind her, almost sending her to the ground.

"
Fell Mother! Three more foals!
" the second man boomed.

"
No, Forsis! A pride of five fe-lions do fill my eyes,
" the first man exclaimed.

"
Five, Fawst!? How many fe-lions must we fell before we fully fill this full fest?
" Forsis, the second man asked in mock exasperation.

"
We'll fill what we must, without fear or fight,
" the first man announced. "
But fe-lions not, kittens more, I find.
"

"
Kittens then,
" Forsis began anew.
"
Purr will I make these perfect-
"

Azaria interrupted him suddenly. She'd seen enough and decided to fill their cups and get them out of there, realizing why Aisika's father had warned her to stay away. She suspected one could find themselves under their magical influence very quickly and eventually in a compromised position. She jumped between the fillers and the new arrivals and pleaded, "
Fine fillers! Please just fully fill our fists.
" She held her cup out to them, hopeful they'd respond politely to the direct request.

But the fillers retreated backward in shock, their faces painted over with faux offense, protectively cradling their still full bags to their chests in exaggerated fashion.

"
Fowl filler foils our filling, Forsis!
"

"
Folly, Fawst! And free filling she foresees!!
"

"
Free filling, Forsis!? But how offensive?
"

"
Free, I fear. This foul kitten must not know...
"

"
Not free! But would kisses suffice, Forsis?
" Fawst asked his friend, eyeing Azaria expectantly, his lips puckered in an exaggerated pose. The crowd was laughing hysterically at the turn of events.

He wasn't the one Azaria would have preferred to grant a kiss to in exchange for a full fill, but the price was clear. Yumineh was staring at her curiously, comprehending enough now to understand what was being asked. She wondered if Azaria would go through with it. The other three girls still had no idea what was going on, but knew what was being asked of their friend. Daneel smiled mischievously, sure her friend wouldn't comply. But then again, Azaria had surprised her in the past.

"Kiss! Kiss!" the crowd encouraged, it's roar growing louder with each chant.

Without hesitating, Azaria stepped forward and gripped Mawst's chin, leaning into him to place her lips on his. The crowd thundered its approval, while each of her friends' jaws dropped. Azaria kissed him for a long moment before breaking away. While Fawst brought his arm across his brow in an exaggerated fake swoon, Azaria grabbed his bag and tipped it into her cup until it was full. Then she turned to her four friends, "
If it's a full fill you fallow fawns want, a fully free kiss you must now forfeit.
"

While the crowd roared again in awed appreciation and the two fillers laughed heartily and bowed to her, Azaria raised her full fist into the air and made her way through the opening the adoring mass had formed.

After their escape, the four girls joined Azaria at the edge of the growing group of dancers, giggling about the strange men they'd just met and sipping their full cups.

"Who were those men?" Yumineh asked, each of her fists filled to the brim.

"They're fillers," Daneel answered. "They wander from camp to camp, entertaining in exchange for food, shelter and poison."

"Among other comforts, I think," Ilaya added, giggling with Aisika.

Not too long after, Azaria noticed Dogahn and Tiriz strolling over.

"Hey, where've you guys been?" Aisika asked.

"Don't even ask," Dogahn answered.

"We were trying to find something to drink," Tiriz grumbled, "but it's all controlled by creepy old guys and they don't want to hand it out to anyone without a big pair of breasts."

The girls giggled in response to his complaint. "Stay with us,” Daneel said. “We can get you more. Even you Tiriz, if you're nice."

"Thanks!" Tiriz said, sounding appreciative. "We finally managed to get a guy to pour by promising we'd set him up with some girls. He even let me borrow an extra cup." He shot an annoyed glance at Yumineh.

"What!?" the five shocked girls all exclaimed in near unison.

"Don't worry," he continued with a laugh. "We don't even know the girls we pointed to. We just waved at them and smiled. When they waved back, the guy believed us and was quick to fill our fists."

"Really?" Daneel asked, impressed by their ruse, even while not completely approving of the tactic.

"Yeah," Dogahn said proudly. "He's probably good for another round, if we play him right."

"Well, don't mess with him too much," Ilaya advised. "He might not be too happy when he finds out you can't produce what you promised."

"I'm not too worried about it," Dogahn said with a bit of braggadocio, putting his arm around Azaria. "He's feeling the sting already. He probably won't even remember us later."

"Okay! Enough chatter, let's dance!" Daneel commanded, tired of standing around.

Almost everyone seemed up for it, including even Dogahn, but Tiriz was resistant. "Uhh... No, I’m too full," he said.

"Oh come on, Tiriz," Daneel urged, tugging his arm. "If you don't dance with us, we're not going to get you any poison."

Azaria put an arm through Tiriz's other arm and her second through Dogahn's, and prodded him further. "Besides Tiriz, don't you know how impressed all the other girls are going to be when they see you dancing with five beautiful girls?"

Tiriz looked like he was considering her point.

"Yeah Tiriz, you're going to be the most popular guy of the night when we're through with you. Dogahn's going to dance with us, right Dogahn?" Aisika said, taking Dogahn's other hand.

Tiriz still looked uncomfortable, but in the end was left with little choice. The girls literally dragged him out into the crowd of dancers, Ilaya and Aisika rubbing up against him. It didn't take any more encouragement than that. Soon the seven friends were in the middle of the crowd, spinning and gyrating rhythmically to the drums and wind instruments. After a short while Tiriz was having the night of his life, although he'd never have admitted to it. He'd never given in to the dancing before, always standing back watching jealously as other men rubbed their bodies up against the girls he wanted to be dancing with. Now he had four to himself, as Dogahn and Azaria were content dancing with each other. Soon Malena and Azul joined them, raising their energy levels even further.