"Is this our final destination, or do we move on in the morning?" she asked.
"We will stay here."
"And the purpose?"
"We are here to learn."
"Let me guess. I'll be doing all the learning, you all the teaching."
He had moved to unload the other animal. He glanced her way now with a raised brow.
"Your tone suggests you have brought some of that mentioned disgruntlement along with you. Have you not stressed, more than once, that you would be happy as long as you are with me? Was that not the truth? Does the place then make a difference to you?"
She sighed. "You're right. I don't know why I'm on edge-actually, I do know, but I'll get over it now that we're communicating again. We are communicating again, right? No more of that ridiculous silent treatment?"
"There is always a reason for what I do," he told her. "Wild animals make their home in these woods. Hunters come here to hunt them. Travelers pass through them between towns, as do raiding parties. My full concentration was needed to keep our journey safe. It was also my intention to be assured that Martha could not follow us with her short-range scanning, which she could have done from our speech. You do not need her protection any longer. You are mine to protect. Lastly, you have learned that there Will be decisions that I will make that are not open to discussion."
"Wow, that was a great explanation-up to the end," she said drily.
He went back to the unpacking, but remarked in a tone without inflection, "You are determined to find fault with me. Why is that?
"Martha warned-"
"Martha again?" he cut in. "Did I not say you should forget what she has told you?"
"You know that isn't possible."
"When most of what she has told you, you do not believe anyway?"
She blushed clear to the roots of her hair. Fortunately, Dalden wasn't looking and probably wouldn't have noticed those hot cheeks in the dark if he was. She had been expecting the worst after Martha's warning, had been expecting all kinds of unacceptable traits from him now. He said they were there to learn, and that did go both ways. What was wrong with that? She wanted to know him better, to know every single thing there was to know about him, didn't she?
"I'm sorry," she offered. "I did bring along some preconceived notions, but I'm putting them to rest now. Would you like some help with that? I was a Girl Scout as a kid, so I know how to erect tents, get fires started, gather food, and otherwise survive in the wild."
That gained his complete attention for a moment, "Truly? Such things are taught the females in your world?"
"Well, not the whole world," she was forced to admit. "It's a program offered in my particular country, with similar programs in a few others. It's not mandatory, and actually, very few girls join it these days with so many other activities to interest them instead. That's a shame, since it teaches some really good qualities, as well as useful things to learn. Enjoying camping with my brothers, I personally found it very beneficial."
He nodded, even grinned at her. "I am pleased you enjoy camping. Most of our women would complain mightily at being taken away from the comfort of their homes. They fear the ‘wild’ as you call this."
She hoped their fear was without good reason, and at least he didn't say Your wilds are diffierent from our wilds. As to her suggestion, he seemed to be ignoring it, probably because the tent turned out to be too big and heavy for her to handle, no thin nylon or army canvas, but a seriously thick material designed to keep out whatever might come snooping around. There were a lot of things to carry inside, though, after it was erected, and he let her help with that.
When they were done, a large fur rug had been unrolled in the middle of the tent as their bed. Numerous sacks were brought in, as well as a gaali stone box that provided tons of light, making a campfire obsolete except for cooking. That wasn't needed tonight, since he'd brought along their dinner, already cooked.
They shared the meal. Dalden insisted on feeding it to her, which she didn't mind. Actually, he made it an erotic experience, whether intentional or not, that she thoroughly enjoyed. So she couldn't be faulted in thinking they were going to be making love soon after the meal.
"Come here."
Replete and mellow now, and having decided this camping trip just might turn out to be a lot of fun, Brittany didn't hesitate. She settled down on his lap, felt his strong arms come around her, and expected him to kiss her. He didn't.
He tilted her head in the right position for kissing, but there were other things on his mind. "Was that difficult, to obey me?"
It was the word obey that set off alarm signals really loudly this time. Brittany stiffened and tried to move off him to a distance more appropriate for a discussion she didn't think she was going to like. But she was held firmly in place. A subtle reminder that if someone refused to obey, she could be forced to?
47
BRITTANY TRIED TO GIVE DALDEN THE BENEFIT OF THE doubt, she really did. She allowed that she was overreacting to one simple word. Granted, it was a word that went against the grain for an independent woman who'd been making all her own decisions since she left home. But all she had to do, really, was give the word a less offensive meaning. After all, she hadn't been "obeying," and said so to answer his question.
"I didn't see it as an order, but a suggestion."
"Had it been an order?"
"Then it would have required thought on my part," she replied.
"Why?"
"Because I don't like orders. They are demeaning, suggesting I lack intelligence. That's why I didn't join the military. I wouldn't have been able to handle hearing nothing but orders. And don't look so surprised; women can be soldiers where I come from. Wasn't it the same where your mother comes from?"
"I will allow that the technology of these other worlds make such possible, if you will allow that in a society where the weapons are only swords and strength, a woman cannot hope to compete."
That caused an image in her mind of her trying to wield a fourfoot sword that she could barely lift against one of these barbarian giants. It was an absurd image that caused her to grin, then chuckle.
"Good point," she said.
Again he looked surprised, probably because he'd expected an argument. "You agree?"
"Sure, but that still doesn't mean I'm going to jump when you say jump."
"Even if an order is given for your own good?" Dalden persisted.
She gave that some thought, then allowed, "Some orders are acceptable, certainly, but you aren't my boss with power over my job, or my government, or the law. You're the man I live with in a mutual relationship. Why would you even want to order me around?"
"It is not a matter of want, but of necessity," he told her. "It is my right to protect you. No one else has this right more than I-even you. This is not something that normally needs explaining. Our women are taught from birth what they can and cannot do, and who they must obey in all things-and why. A warrior needs the assurance that if he finds his woman in danger, and must instruct her to remove her from that danger, she will not stop to argue about it. If he cannot have this assurance, then he would restrict her more than is needful, and neither would be pleased."
"Okay, I see where you're coming from. If your women have been trained from birth to literally jump when you say jump, then you men probably take it for granted that they'll do just that. But you have to take into account that I wasn't trained that way, so instead of getting an old horse to follow new tricks, how about just keeping in mind that I'm not one of your women and so need to be treated differently?"