“Those charged with your care shall see to you, hunter,” I said, returning the meat to the warrior from whom I had taken it. “Should you prove to be less troublesome the balance of this fey, I shall perhaps have you brought to me when camp is made.”
A flash of anger appeared in his eyes as I turned away, and that pleased me. City males must be taught that we were not slavewomen. Fayan grinned and nodded to me, saying without words that the male would be brought to my sleeping leather after dark. I left the area of the captives to take my own meal, sitting upon the grass so that I might watch my warriors at play. Some few of them cast spears at trees, each trying to out-throw the others. A knot of eight tilted at each other from gando-back, coming as close as possible without drawing blood. Should blood be drawn, points would be lost by that warrior clumsy enough to miss her mark. Some warriors played at daggers, others loosened their swordarms, and some lay upon the grass, watching others expend energy. The string of kand were kept well away from our gandod, and seemed a shade less nervous than before. The warriors seeing to them also seemed less annoyed with them, as though a fondness of sorts had grown. Truthfully, should one discount the needs of battle, kand have greater attraction than gandod. Their gentle grace allows a warrior to think when upon them, rather than be ever alert for a turn of temper. Had the needs of Midanna not been with us, the kan would have been a superior mount.
When the meal was done, we continued on our way. Many eyes-ahead did I send off, to be sure that none noted our passage across those clear, open hills. There were dwellings, though few in number, and we had to avoid them. Those in the dwellings tended land and kept herds of small animals. I, myself, saw one of these from a distance, and saw also the male and his slavewoman who dwelt within. It seemed strange that they had left their city for the openness, for all know that the city-bred feel discomfort beneath the naked skies of Mida. I thought briefly about it, then went my way once more, wondering at the age at which understanding may come. It is surely a very great age, one which I had little hope of seeing.
Mida smiled upon her warriors, for a good-sized stand of trees was reached at dusk. We spread among the trees to make our camp. After having seen to my gando, I walked about to inspect guard posts. Despite the presence of males, all was as it should have been, therefore I took my meal in solitude before returning to my sleeping leather. The smell of the forest was pleasant in the darkness, yet the chill air reminded me, that we trod foreign ground. Beyond the Dennin river the air was sweet and warm, fit for the lungs of warriors of the Midanna.
“You were long in returning,” a voice spoke from near to my sleeping leather. His arms were yet bound behind him, though his ankles had been freed, and a length of leather circled his broad neck, then ran to a tree. He leaned his back against the tree, his mind and body entirely free of the sthuvad drug. I smiled, realizing that Fayan had been impressed with his ability, for had she thought the drug necessary to my pleasure, he would have had it.
“Indeed the duties of a war leader are demanding,” I said, removing my sword and seating myself upon my sleeping leather, then reaching for my pipe and sack. “The position is a great responsibility, yet one which I accept gladly. Not all may so serve Mida.”
He watched in silence as I struck a spark from my firemaker and lit my pipe. When the pipe had been puffed to life, and the firemaker replaced with the sack, he observed softly, “You are exceedingly strange women. Have you really no fear of the darkness, Jalav? Do you never wish for the safety of a home, and a man to guard it and you?”
My laughter was gentle, not intending to give insult. “Why must males always ask the same of us?” I inquired, seeing his shadowy face before the tree. “Can you conceive only of slavewomen, unable to live without a male to serve? The Midanna serve only Mida, glorying in her service till we are called to her side. Such are our ways, and such they will ever be.”
“I had thought the Midanna a myth,” he said, sliding with difficulty away from the tree and closer to my sleeping leather. “From what I have seen, the stories told are pale and feeble in comparison with the reality. The girls who saw to our feeding and other needs spoke highly of Jalav, who is war leader. They obey Jalav without question. Tell them to unbind my men, Jalav, and to cease feeding them that brew of Sigurr’s devising. I shall stand hostage for their continued presence and lack of disturbance.”
He sat close beside me, almost to the end of the leather about his neck, and as I puffed upon my pipe, his lips gently touched my shoulder. I felt his warm breath, too, upon my shoulder, and I smiled into the darkness. “The warriors of the Hosta obey me without question,” I said, “for I shall never be so foolish as to endanger them. Our camp has no need of males who are free to bedevil us.”
“They shall not interfere with your purpose,” he murmured in my ear, then kissed my neck. “I would have my arms about you, Jalav, and draw you to my lap and warmth. Order my men released, so that we may touch without thought of other things. Quickly, war leader, I cannot long contain my desire.”
“Mida teaches patience to her hunters, hunter,” I said, puffing the last of my pipe. “Your desire need not be long contained, and I shall give little thought to your males. My attention shall be solely for you.”
“You will not have them released?” he asked, and a coldness had entered his tone as he moved farther from me. “My word on the matter means nothing to you?”
“Here, only the word of the war leader prevails.” I shrugged, and then emptied my pipe upon the ground. When the ashes were well doused, the pipe was returned to its place with the sack and firemaker.
The male sat straight in his bonds, in angry silence. When I turned from replacing my pipe, he said, “It would be pleasant, Jalav, to see you bound before me. Perhaps it may sometime come to pass.”
I heard his cold words, and nodded my head. “All things are possible, should they be Mida’s will,” I said, then stretched out flat upon my sleeping leather. “I find that I am weary, and have little stomach for warming the cold from a stone. You may sleep unmolested.”
I turned upon my side on my leather, presenting my back to him, angered that his much-spoken-of desire had been for the release of his males, rather than for me. Males must ever be devious, wanting one thing as they ask for another. Even Fideran, who had been so anxious to please me, had at first attempted to involve himself in matters which only Hosta might concern themselves with, and had used his presence in my sleeping leather to indulge his curiosity until I told him that another question from him would result in his being beaten. I do not care to be questioned, nor do I care to be used.
The male sat where he had been silently, but the darkness was filled with sound and not from the children of the wild. My warriors had divided the other males among them, and I heard the small noises of their pleasure. My blood burned from the touches of the male behind me, and the sounds did not cool the burning. However, I would ache rather than touch the male in return. I was war leader, not to be manipulated by males.
In but a few reckid, I heard from behind me, “Jalav, do you sleep?” I made as if I had not heard the soft words, and did not stir. Then, slightly louder, came, “Jalav, I had not thought I was brought here to sleep unmolested. Do you not know that captives must be much used by their captors? It is tradition.” Again I did not stir, though a smile came unbidden to my lips. I heard a sound, as though a body slid upon the dirt, then the male cursed softly. “This Sigurr’s strand about my neck will not let me reach you!” he said angrily. Then his lower body and legs touched me, for although his head must stay at the end of the leather, he was able to move the rest of him. “Jalav,” he murmured, rubbing his coarse leg along my smoother skin, “should I be left unmolested, I shall inform everyone at large that the Midanna do not know the ways of holding captives. Do you wish the Midanna laughed at through your lack of doing?”