“Jalav, do not be foolish!” Nidisar growled, his hand hard upon my arm. “I had thought you wiser than these others, despite your tender age! Can you not see the guardhouses, to either side of the gate? Within sit more Guardsmen, fully prepared to aid those at the gate if necessary. But consider—you wear not even clothing, not to speak of armor! I demand you come away from here at once!”
It was true, with other males so close at hand, our numbers would prove far too few for other than a gesture, though had not the Crystal of Mida yet to be recovered, the gesture would have been worthwhile, to be told and retold over the kalod in the tents of the Hosta. Regretfully, I turned from the gate.
“It is Mida’s will that we await the new light,” I informed my warriors. “Our swords will be needed elsewhere at another time.”
They then glanced upon one another with disappointment and were reminded that Ranistard, and not Bellinard, was the goal of our blades. They nodded in obedience to my word, and again Nidisar was pleased.
“You do well to heed me, Jalav,” he said, his hand now soft upon my arm. “Come, I shall show you to the street of hunters.”
“May we not pass the darkness in the place of the tents, Jalav?” asked Fayan, the innocence of her expression matched by the softness of her tone. She would not argue with Nidisar in disobedience to my will, yet she was determined to see him receive no pleasure from our presence.
Somewhat fond was I of Nidisar, but Fayan was my warrior.
“It is a thing to consider.” I nodded most soberly, inwardly amused at Nidisar’s wrath. He gazed upon Fayan with great anger, and she returned his gaze quite calmly, knowing I would not interfere should Nidisar be so foolish as to attack her.
“The fairgrounds may not be used past the time the torches are extinguished!” Nidisar snapped. “Should you attempt it, the Guard would be called! I go now to the street of hunters! You may follow or not as you wish!”
He then strode angrily away, his back straight and his head high, easily the picture of an offended male. My warriors and I laughed at his actions, so childlike are males in their need. He strove to show that he had no desire for us, yet had we ridden away, his misery would have been great. Nidisar led us from way to way, at last pausing before a dwelling which bore above it the picture of a male with bow in hand, being given a tall, narrow pot by a slavewoman. Nidisar stood before the entrance to this dwelling, and we stopped nearby and dismounted.
“You may tie your kand at the post,” he said, gesturing toward a raised post standing beside the steps which led to the entrance. “The renth here is of excellent quality, and served well, too. I believe you might find a good deal of interest here.”
His face showed renewed amusement, nor was he impatient as we tied our kand and slowly trod the steps before the entrance. Darkness had already come to the city ways, yet were torches lit upon the dwellings so that one might see one’s step. Within the dwelling Nidisar had entered were torches also, illuminating a room perhaps twenty-five paces by twenty. A heavy cloth of many shades of brown and green covered the wood of the floor, and six to eight hands of males lay about on it, also leaning upon large, stuffed squares, the like of which I had seen in the tent of the slavewoman of frills and scents. The walls of the dwelling bore no silks, being properly covered, instead, with many weapons, and the males upon the cloth had, each beside him, a low, round platform bearing either a square of wood, a round, wooden pot, or a tall, oddly shaped pot. Some of the platforms bore more than one of these things, yet all bore the tall, oddly shaped pot. Many of the males called greeting to Nidisar, and raised hands to him in welcome. They looked, too, with interest upon my warriors and me.
“Nidisar!” called one, who lay with a hand of others to the left of the room. “Is that not she who matched your throws at spears in the competition? Bring her and the others to us! We shall be pleased to assist you in entertaining them!”
“An excellent thought!” Nidisar laughed, then made his way toward the males. “I have promised them a taste of renth before they leave with the new light, for never have they tasted renth.”
These words the other males greeted with loud laughter. Larid, Binat, and Comir examined them with interest, for most of the males were acceptable by Hosta standards, and Fayan, too, seemed to find them passable.
“Perhaps some time might be profitably passed here,” Fayan murmured, a small smile upon her lips. “I merely regret that we have not had the opportunity to hunt, for hunger has returned to me.”
“To me, as well,” I agreed with a nod. “But we must wait till we are no longer within this city. Not all places have the nilno which was to be found earlier beside that tent. Those of the cities are Mida-forsaken indeed; to feed so poorly.”
We approached Nidisar where he stood. He turned to us with a large grin, and gestured toward the seated males. “These are brother hunters,” he said, “all anxious to make your acquaintance. Brothers, allow me to present Jalav, Larid, Binat, Comir, and Fayan, also wishing to be known at large as hunters.”
“They may join my hunting parties whenever they wish,” said one, a large male with hair nearly as red as Larid’s. “I wager their presence would turn the darkness of the woods a good deal warmer than is usual.”
The other males laughed again in agreement, and my warriors and I smiled in remembrance of the warmth brought to the woods by the hunters the Hosta still held. Perhaps they, too, were brothers to these who sat before us.
“Let us take our ease before the renth is brought,” said Nidisar, seating himself upon the brown and green cloth. Of much assistance had Nidisar been to us that fey, and within his chosen dwelling would it be rude to give insult. Therefore I reluctantly seated myself, cross-legged, beside him, and my warriors, too, took their places. The cloth was warm and almost smooth to sit upon, though there was something of a scratchiness to it which caused annoyance. Much do I prefer the feel of leather beneath me.
As Nidisar rubbed his hands together in pleasant anticipation, a slight sound caused me to turn my head to the right, and I saw, approaching us, a slavewoman. Comely was she to a large degree, wearing only a short, thin draping of sheer cloth about her. The sound which had taken my attention came from a band of leather about her right ankle, to which rounded bits of metal were attached, and the tiny, tinkling sound would perhaps have been louder had not the males been making their noises. As the woman neared, I saw that she wore about her throat a narrow band of metal, which must have been hidden behind by her brown hair, which was loose and reached midway down her back. She hurried to us with small, light steps and, though she seemed startled when she looked upon my warriors and myself, she stopped before Nidisar and fell to her knees without hesitation.
“The house welcomes you, master,” she said, her head low. “What may this one be privileged to bring you?”
“My companions and I, six in all, wish renth,” responded Nidisar, his eyes upon the slavewoman, a small sly smile upon his face. “But before you fetch it, I would have you tell my companions the name of this house.”
Nidisar had motioned to me, and the slavewoman turned somewhat in my direction. “The house is called, ‘The Hunter and Slave Girl,’ Mistress,” said the woman, her eyes still lowered. Nidisar’s eyes, however, were fixed upon me, and his smile had become one of anticipation. I glanced about, and saw that the eyes of the other males, too, were upon me, yet could I fathom no reason for that.