“Such foolish clamoring,” muttered Rogon at my side, shaking her head in scorn. “City slave women are truly low, to feel such fear of males. I, myself, have had many males, yet never would I act so even had I had none.”
“Do you truly believe so?” said I, halting to look down upon the war leader of the Hirga, and then to the others about me. “Do all of you truly believe so?”
“Indeed,” nodded Tilim, and “Surely!” laughed Gidon, and in such various manners did each of them show their agreement. I looked about me in silence, and then did I nod.
“Very well,” said I. “Which of you, then, would be first to have her weapons and clan covering taken, and then be thrust so within an enclosure with such a male. Perhaps you, Rogon?”
“Jalav, I—know not what to say,” stumbled this excellent war leader, she who was known for the thirst of her blade in battle. “For what reason would my weapons be taken from me? For what reason could the male not also be armed?”
“For the reason that without weapons you could not best him,” said I, seeing the sober regard in all of their eyes, feeling even more of the throb of my wound. “The accursed strength of males will ever best that of a warrior, no matter how bravely she stands in battle, no matter how high her skill with a sword. Never forget the sight you have seen, never forget that you, too, will be done so should you allow a male to cozen you from your weapons. Do not allow yourselves to be captured by them. Death—the final death—would be much the easier—”
I found myself unable to continue for a great dizziness and weakness had come upon me, of a sudden, dancing my thoughts about. To allow a male to approach too near was the greatest of follies, for how was a warrior to forget his arms, once he was put beyond her reach? And even should he not be put beyond her reach, how was she to find agreement with him, when he sought naught save service and use? A warrior must be free else she withers and dies, yet males must be served and obeyed by their females, disallowing what need they may have to ride free. Warriors had been given no more than the use of males, and in such a doing had Mida been exceedingly wise.
“Jalav, we must find a place where you may take your rest,” said Tilim, her voice grave, her arm about me in support, I saw, as vision returned. “Nearly were you upon the flags.”
“And quickly,” agreed Rogon, who also assisted in my support.
“Have any of you come upon a chamber which would serve? There is naught save slave chambers hereabouts, bare even to sleeping leather.”
“Perhaps the chamber of him called High Seat,” said Ilvin from among the warriors about us, she of the pale hair and Hitta covering. “As the male was purportedly the highest, would his chamber not be best? And yet it seems a considerable distance from here to the steps we must use to the level above.”
“There are steps but two short corridors from here,” said a warrior, a Harra by the brown of her clan covering. “Is it possible they may be of use?”
“We shall see,” said Tilim, Rogon silently anod. I spoke no word in agreement nor in demurral, for in truth I was able to do neither. I knew full well that Tilim and Rogon strove to keep me from the flags, yet little sensation came to me of their support, no more than the light touch of the cool flagstones beneath my feet to add to it. As quickly as was possible did we depart the chamber of slaves, the cries of the female Karil somewhat muffled from behind, the hastening of warriors sent ahead preceding us. Of no thing was I aware save the throbbing of my life sign where it hung between my breasts, that life sign touched by Mida and the dark god Sigurr. Deeply did it throb, with a hum more felt than heard, occurring in a lack of notice by any save me. Quickly did my surroundings grow dim about me, yet was I able, through great effort, to remain conscious till we had reached our destination. Once there, before the wide portals, but two paces short of the chamber itself, the dimness changed to the black of Sigurr, and then was Jalav swallowed up.
3
A gift—and a champion is named
Sensation returned with an awareness of the fur I lay upon, a fur of great softness and comfort. I moved somewhat upon the fur, by then aware of the second fur which covered me, opening my eyes to look deep within the flames I lay not far from. The warmth of the hearth and the comfort of the furs were a great lure to remaining as I was, yet a sense of impatience and matters unseen to came immediately to move me to sitting. It was not till I had looked about the strange chamber in the hearthlight that I recalled the why of my having no recollection of having entered therein, the why of my having been placed there to begin with. The shoulder wound had taken my strength and senses, an unexplained event I had not then been able to question. That the wound had been painful was true, yet had I had more serious wounds in the past that had not done me so. I turned my head to examine the wound in the hearthlight, aware of the odd fact that all pain now seemed to be gone, also suddenly aware of how great my hunger was—and then sat merely to stare, the while I considered the possibility that I continued to dream.
The wound before my eyes, which had been made by the penetration of a sword to more than finger joint depth within my shoulder, had become no more than a line of pink, tender yet to the touch of my fingers, yet giving no pain of its own, allowing my arm the movement it had not previously allowed. That the arm was clean of all signs of blood was undoubtedly due to the efforts of the warriors who had brought me to the chamber, yet the healing clearly had not had the same effort as its source. For a moment I could not fathom the manner in which this might have been done—save for the possibility that I had lain senseless for feyd rather than hind—and then did I recall the throbbing of my life sign before all consciousness had fled. Had no more than hind been spent in the passing, it was undoubtedly the powers of Mida and dark Sigurr which had seen to my wound, healing me so that I might continue to toil in their behalf. It would take no more than the seeking out of my warriors to learn the truth of the matter, and this I would do with speed.
Climbing to my feet was effortless, filled as I was with new strength and great vitality. The chamber I now stood in was large, too large to be seen by naught save the hearthlight. The outline of an immense platform called bed stood among the shadows upon the far wall, many other outlines less easily discernible scattered all about, all closed within a chamber hung completely about with drapings off silk. Had there been windows in view I might have known how much of the darkness remained, yet the question was not so pressing that I felt a need to seek behind the hangings. My hunger seemed bottomless and growling within me, threatening to turn the newfound feeling of well being to ashes and weakness. The hunger must be seen to first, I knew, that and the matter of seeking out my war leaders; with that done, there would be time enough for other things.
My swordbelt lay upon the floor cloth beside the furs I had awakened upon, the hilt of the blade positioned so that it would be conveniently to hand. Replacing it about my waist took but a moment, as did the straightening of my dagger in its leg bands, then did I stride purposefully toward the sole door to be seen in the chamber. A gentle push swung it outward, immediately giving me sight of the chamber in which he called High Seat had entertained the guests within his dwelling, the chamber which had been well lit within its center by a ring of candles. Some few of those candles continued to burn, illuminating those who occupied the chamber, giving sight to those who had greater desire for things other than sleep. Many slept, it was true, more than a few in chains, yet two of those who remained awake, upon the floor cloth but two paces from where I stood, they and I both well-wrapped in shadow, spoke softly as their shadow-forms moved.
“You are well-made, male,” came the whisper of a warrior, her voice breathy and filled with satisfaction. “I shall undoubtedly use you again before we return to the forests.”