“The last word,” responded Telion, swallowing heavily, sweat beaded upon his forehead.
Ceralt frowned a moment, then asked, “Do you refer to the word ‘blood’?”
Upon hearing the forbidden word, Telion paled further, clapped his hand to his mouth, staggered to his feet, and hastened stumbling from the room. Ceralt frowned upon the abrupt departure, then muttered, “I fail to see the significance in the word blood. It is merely—” No further did he speak, for he seemed preoccupied with thought, then he, too, paled, and placed a shaking hand to his forehead. “Why must the room sway so?” he demanded weakly of the air, then he, too, made an abrupt departure. I watched him gone, then raised the final pot of renth and drained it slowly.
“Is it permitted that I now see to the spillage?” asked the female Inala from the entrance to the room.
I nodded my head without looking toward her, for I had a matter to think upon which had confused me. She moved silently to the platform and began to clean it, then she raised her head to grin at me.
“They are both in the midst of emptying themselves,” said she with much amusement. “To see the city’s chief hunter, and the High Seat’s warrior advisor engaged so, is not usual. And it is surprising that you do not seem to share their urge.”
“The renth lies heavy within me,” I sighed, “yet do I feel naught save the need for sleep—though there is much doubt that sleep shall come.”
The female lost her grin, and ceased in the midst of her cleaning. “You appear disturbed,” said she quite softly. “I, too, am slave, yet would I offer what aid I may. Would you care to share whatever disturbs you?”
“The hunter, Ceralt, disturbs me,” I said, my hand rubbing my eyes. “I have many times said that I have no understanding of males, and it seems that of Ceralt I have even less understanding.” I hesitated briefly, then added, “Nor do I understand why I am speaking to you, a stranger, in such a manner.”
“Each of us must have one with whom they may speak,” said she, and I raised my eyes to see the seriousness within hers. She was no larger than other city slavewomen, and now was I able to note the collar about her throat, the collar which had been hidden by her white, city-female covering. Her light brown hair found itself bound by small bits of metal, yet was she as untroubled as others by this. She stood, though clad in the collar of a slave, possessing a dignity which other city females lacked, and perhaps the renth aided in loosening my tongue somewhat.
“I—have strange feelings for Ceralt,” said I, attempting to find the proper words, and also attempting to maintain a dignity of my own. “These feelings confuse me, for I am unable to know the reasons for what he does. There was a city female before you, and Ceralt gave me to her so that she might cause me pain, yet was he prepared to do battle with Telion when Telion only mentioned the leather. I do not understand the desires and motivations of Ceralt!”
“There is little to understand,” said the female Inala gently, and she came to place her arm about me. “I have heard what befell you at the hand of the mistress Lodda, and you are mistaken. The chief hunter Ceralt did not wish you beaten by her—that is why she was dismissed. The chief hunter has much strong feeling for you—and much gentle feeling. Already has he removed your collar; and I should not be surprised if he were to free you.”
“I have not worn a collar,” said I, my head shaking in the confusion about me. “I am captive to Ceralt, not slave, for surely Ceralt knows that Jalav may not be slave.”
Inala’s brown eyes seemed troubled. “I do not understand,” she began, then she was lost in thought for a moment before continuing slowly. “Perhaps,” said she, gazing into the distance, “perhaps the confinement and slave gruel and lack of clothing are only punishment. Yet for a man to treat a free woman so—” Her head shook. “Indeed, the chief hunter is a hard man. Have you no hope of appealing to the High Seat?”
“The High Seat Galiose has little reason to feel concern for Jalav,” said I, much disturbed by what had been told me. Could it truly be that Ceralt had not wished for my pain at the hand of the female Lodda? That he was not concerned with my having left him enchained? The thought filled me with feelings I had little hope of evaluating, and weakly I said, “I do not understand why Ceralt challenged Telion. For what reason would he do so?”
Inala laughed softly. “Surely only a truly great love would cause a man to challenge so deadly a warrior as Telion,” said she, much gladness upon her face. “Indeed, it seems that the captive has captured the captor.”
My eyes closed briefly with the pain of such thought, and stiffly did I rise from the seat. “Such may not be,” said I, looking down upon the female. “Even were it not contrary to the ways of Hosta, I am no longer of sufficient worth to be the concern of any, most especially not of one such as Ceralt.” The female seemed quite saddened by my words, yet did a further thought come to me. I had failed Mida, and easily might it be seen that I must now attempt to repair the error. Should my life be forfeit in the attempt, my soul, too, would fade to naught, and that would be the best of the matter. No longer was I a proper Hosta warrior, for strange, unbidden feelings continuously presented themselves to me. Far better that Jalav be removed from the unknowable and exist no more.
I left the female and the room of red silk then, and ascended the steps to the room which had been given me. When I had pushed within, I became aware of a form upon the platform called bed. Ceralt lay there, deeply asleep, and haltingly did I approach him. He lay upon his side, his arm outstretched across the platform, his face unusually pale beneath the dark of his hair. I reached my hand out to touch his face, and he did not stir, not at the stroking of my fingers, nor at the withdrawal of them. So male was Ceralt, and so desirable, that a warrior found difficulty in keeping her hands from him, yet was he well taken by the renth, and therefore to be left untouched. I walked to the fire, and lay upon the cloth before it, there to pass the darkness, for with the beginning of the new light I would seek to do as Mida had bid me. Had I not had so much of the renth, I would have begun then, yet were some hind of sleep necessary to restore my thoughts to order. That I would pass these hind not far from Ceralt I had not dared hope, and well pleased was I to find it so. There was little to believe that my eyes would again touch him. I turned so that I might see him, and sleep found me positioned so.
The dwelling of Vistren seemed entirely untenanted, and silently empty before the pale beginnings of the new light. Carefully had I approached it, not caring to be seen by any who might be within, and now was there a door before me swinging easily to the touch of my hand. The same door I had entered once before gave me entry, and I was pleased to leave the heavy chill of the darkness without for the warmer darkness within. Truly had the chill intensified, and longingly did I wish for the warmth of Hosta lands. My clan covering, no matter how welcome its presence about my hips, did little to dispel the chill.
Still was the dwelling of Vistren, as still as Ceralt’s had been when I had awakened. Ceralt had slept as soundly as ever, hearing naught of my departure, nor had the female Inala been disturbed by my searches. My clan covering was within the tiny, windowless room where she slept, among the bits and pieces of cloth folded in a corner. It was but the work of a moment to don it, and then did I leave the dwelling, my thoughts barely touching the life sign which hung about Ceralt’s neck. I well knew that my soul was to be lost, and had come to accept the fact.
Vistren’s dwelling contained naught of lit torches, yet had I little difficulty in recalling the direction. To the room of yellow silk did I go, and beyond through the farther door to the steps, and then to the floor upon which the device had been found. Neither ruined door had been repaired, and the second revealed the reason for such laxity. By the feeble glow of the small candle I had lit, was it easily seen that the device no longer sat where once it had been. Carefully did I seek about the room, yet was it nowhere to be seen. Deeply distressed did I feel then, refusing any relief, and then knew what was necessary. The entire dwelling must be searched.