Aching were the wounds in my thighs as I, upon my knees, gazed out at that which surrounded me, but I did not go back to my place. Bright was the light which shone down upon the males and their mounts and the landscape all about, yet bleak was the feeling within me, for I knew naught of the strange land through which I moved. Far distant were the lands of the Hosta, the lands of my sisters and my birth, and greater grew the distance with each pace and length we traveled. Long would it be before I once again looked upon the face of Rilas, Keeper of our clans of the Midanna, and I wondered if ever I would again look upon her. Against the chill, I pulled the lenga pelt closer so that I might huddle within it, alone as a Hosta had never before been, alone and helpless among enemies. Was I destined to once again ride free, or had I been given into the hands of males forever? The cold put a great shuddering upon me, and the bleakness of the fey in my heart rose to overwhelm me.
In no more than a hand of reckid was my new-found strength gone, and wearily I lowered myself to the wooden floor once more, and lay where I had not the ability to move from. Great was the ache in which I was wrapped, and deep was my despair, and surely did I wish to give myself over to hopelessness and defeat; however surrender was not possible while I yet lived, no matter how enticing the idea. With difficulty I attempted to regain what I might of strength.
Quickly must exhausted sleep have claimed me, for the first I knew of the halt of the conveyance was the sound of Lialt’s voice, raised in outraged exclamation above me. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see his angered face, hanging within the opening above where I lay, the balance of his body still without the conveyance.
“What have you done?” he demanded, stepping across me to enter the conveyance. In his hand was a metal bowl, and quickly did he place it beside the other lenga pelt which was mine before returning to where I lay. With no effort was I lifted in his arms, and a moment later was I placed again upon the pelt which I had left so long before. Lialt seemed angry as he unwrapped me from the pelt I had taken with me, and examined my wounds. When all was done and the pelt again placed upon me, Lialt’s light, accusing eyes moved to my face. Though there had been no blood beneath the cloth, still was the male grim with disapproval.
“Now I shall know what foolishness possessed you to attempt such a thing!” he growled, a fist upon his knees. “The Serene Oneness alone must have kept the wounds from opening, and I care little for seeing my work so casually undone! For what senseless, female reason do you move about the wagon, wench?”
Much did Lialt’s words anger me, and much would I have joyed in deriding his actions as he did mine, yet was I still not of a mind to address him. Stonily, silently, I returned his glare, and greatly did his anger grow.
“I will have an answer!” he shouted, taking my face in his large hand. “What did you think to accomplish other than your own destruction? Even one so clearly marked by the Snows as you are cannot be thought to be indestructible! Speak to me, wench, else shall I see you soundly punished!”
“What has happened?” came Ceralt’s voice, and then the second male entered the conveyance and approached us. Still did Lialt look upon me sourly, and with much anger did he turn his head to Ceralt.
“Brother, the wench’s stubbornness is not to be borne!” he snapped. “At the wagon’s entrance did I find her, insensible from the effort necessary to reach it, yet does she refuse to speak of her purpose in doing such a thing! Am I to labor at restoring her, merely to see her spit upon my council? So willful a child surely begs to be punished, and wise would you be to see it done!”
Ceralt did not immediately reply, yet his eyes came to me, sharp with displeasure and disapproval. Many times had the male looked upon me so, and each time had I in some manner regretted the look, for Ceralt had not hesitated to make his displeasure known. Uncomfortably, I moved within the lenga pelts, and slowly Ceralt nodded.
“Indeed she shall be punished,” he murmured thoughtfully. “First must she be made well. Has she eaten as yet?”
“No,” responded Lialt, having been reminded of the bowl he had fetched. Immediately was the bowl retrieved, and then were its contents fed to me, Lialt’s arm tight about my shoulders. Little stomach had I for the thin nilno stew, yet was I made to take all of it, Ceralt’s low-browed eyes not moving from me the while. Sternly did I berate myself for allowing such treatment to be done to a Hosta war leader, yet Ceralt was not Lialt, and well did I know this. With the stew done and Lialt’s arm gone from around me, I turned to my right to take my sight from the males till they had gone, yet such was not quickly forthcoming.
“I shall ride with her till we have reached our village,” said Ceralt amid the sounds of rising. “Once there, she will not have further opportunity for disobedience.”
“I feel you are much too optimistic, brother,” Lialt returned, a sour dryness to his tone. “The wench is one who will make her own opportunity.”
No further words were exchanged, Lialt departed, and Ceralt settled himself in broad silence. Heavy was the stew within me, causing discomfort, yet greater was the discomfort of Ceralt’s presence. Fully did I feel his eyes upon me, and much did I wish to rise and leave, even would I have crawled willingly to escape, but such an attempt would have brought his hands to me, a thing I could not bear. As the conveyance again creaked to motion, I set myself upon my belly, my face turned away from him, and begged Mida for the release of sleep. Surely must I have at last found favor in her eyes, for quickly did the sleep come.
The halt of the conveyance wakened me to find that darkness had once again fallen, yet was the darkness filled with much sound and movement as had not heretofore been the case. Torches blinked in movement in the darkness, voices called one to another, laughter flowed in greeting footfalls approached and moved about. No longer uninhabited was the darkness without, and I moved myself to sitting, hoping for some view of those who surrounded us.
“Stay as you are,” came the voice of Ceralt from the near darkness, and then was the sound of his movement. “You shall have sight of your new home soon enough.”
“My place is with Midanna,” I muttered, more to myself than to the male. It was a thought I must keep firmly with me, one to hold to in the presence of this male. No answer did he make, and no time was there for the heavy cold to enter my uncovered backbone, for then came Lialt to the opening with a metal-enclosed flame, and quickly did I learn the reason for his remaining without the conveyance. In one motion was I lifted in Ceralt’s arms, both furs surrounding me, and then was I carried toward where Lialt awaited us.
“There is no weight left to you,” muttered Ceralt in disapproval as he moved carefully to the opening. “The stronger you grow, the more I shall see you eat to return the flesh to your bones. I do not care to see you so.”
His light eyes did not look upon me, for he studied his path, and most grateful was I for that. Even in the dimness was I able to see the cords in his neck, unstrained by my weight, leading to his shoulders, one of which I now rested against. Surely had I the choice, I would once again have walked the lines rather than remain so near to him, yet was the choice not mine. One broad hand rested against my side, not far from where a Silla spear had touched me, and surely was the touch of that hand the more painful of the two. Nearly lost to such thought was I, therefore did I turn my gaze to where we went, if only to save my sanity.
Lialt retreated a step to allow Ceralt exit, and many were the folk who stood all about us, gazing with approval upon the male who held me. Many dwellings were there about us also, difficult to see in the darkness, and then were there many males moving near, cutting off view of all else. Large were these males, dark of hair and skin as Ceralt and Lialt, and also clad as they, in leathers and belts of silver, yet none others seemed to have the light eyes of my captors. Dark-eyed were they, as dark-eyed as I, and the eyes of one seemed to be dark with anger as well. Fully as large as Ceralt was this male, though with many more kalod to his age, and angrily did he push forward before the grinning welcome of the others.