As they ate, they watched Ulgen and Binter dance around. The Vendari was forced into a real fight, and Ulgen gave him a serious run for his money. Ulgen understood the advantages of his adversary, and forced Binter to attack him in ways that eliminated the majority of his advantage. Ulgen was a wily Knight, one of their better fencers, flicking his heavy broadsword with as much delicacy as a Shacean Musketeer. He put Binter back on his heels as the Vendari struggled to use the warhammer, not a weapon of finesse, to block a clever and intricate series of light slashes and thrusts. Being put off balance took most of the threat out of Binter's responses, and it put the pair on even terms. After about five minutes, however, Binter got the Knight off balance by using his weight advantage, and then used his huge muscled tail to slap Ulgen to the ground. Just like Tarrin, Binter understood the advantage of his tail, and had learned how to use it as a weapon in a fight.
"I think that with two Vendari guarding your door, you'll be very safe," Tarrin predicted after watching that. It took a good fighter to put Ulgen down in five minutes. Ulgen was no wet-nosed puppy.
"That's the idea," Keritanima said with a giggle. "Forget the two hundred Marines garrisonned here. Binter and Sisska are all I need."
"Where are they, anyway? I never see them."
"They're on the far side of the grounds, in the southern corner. They train on their own field. There's a bit of, friction, between the Marines and the Knights. I think it's a professional desire to see who's better. So they're kept apart to prevent a general war on the grounds."
Tarrin chuckled. "Wikuni Marines squaring off against the Knights of Karas? That would be a war."
"I was curious about something," she said.
"What?"
"I noticed that all the Knights are branded, just like you and Allia. What's going on with that?"
"Oh," Tarrin said with a rueful chuckle. "Allia branded me so I could be her brother," he began. "Well, the Knights consider me and Allia to be part of them, and if you know anything about the Knights-"
"Where All Are One Under Karas," she quoted the Knight parable, the one core ideal which identified the Knights as a group. "So they saw your brands, and decided that if you two had to wear them, so did they."
Tarrin nodded. "Now every Knight who passes training is branded in the Ceremony of Spurs. They have the holy symbol of Karas on one shoulder, and the standard of the Knights on the other."
"I'm sorry to say it, but you warrior types are weird," she said in a serious voice that made Tarrin burst out laughing. "Well, you are," she said in a defensive voice as Tarin reclaimed control of himself. "I'd never let someone put red-hot steel on my shoulder just to feel like I belonged."
"You wouldn't do it even if it meant that you attained what you dreamed of attaining for years?" he asked.
"Well, in that case, I probably would," she acceded.
"The Knights wear those brands like badges of honor now," Tarrin told her. "They're all very proud of them. And, I've been told that a priest of Karas is always on hand to help out, just in case. I get the funny feeling that they cheat a bit by having the priest deaden the feeling of the cadets just before they're branded."
"I'd rather be knocked out," Keritanima grunted.
"You may have to endure it," Tarrin mused.
"What? Why?"
"Because Allia really likes you," he replied. "I've caught her almost calling you deshaida a few times. And if you want to visit her clan someday and be accepted, that means you have to be sister to the Selani in all but blood. That means you accept the brands."
Those amber eyes became lucid and calculating for a moment, then faded back into the vapidness of the Brat Princess. "Well, I hope it doesn't hurt," she said.
"It does, trust me," he said with a shudder. "The pain is part of the ceremony."
"You're not making me look forward to this," Keritanima said with cool disdain. "Besides," she said in Selani, "it's not something the one without honor would do." There really wasn't a Selani word for brat, because such individuals didn't exist in their society. They were killed long before a word could be created to describe them.
"Who knows?" he said.
"Humans are such weird creatures," Keritanima said seriously.
"I'd have to agree," Tarrin said with a smile. "I used to be one of them, you know."
"I'd never have guessed," she teased.
They finished their lunches in relative silence, watching the Knights give Binter a bit of exercise. Tarrin felt a curious closeness to the Wikuni sitting beside him. She was much like him, a lost soul, someone very out of place with her situation, and he remembered what the Goddess had to say about her. He'd always liked her before, at least after he met the real Keritanima, but he realized that his feelings for her had deepened. It wasn't a romantic attraction, it was much what he felt for Allia. She was becoming close to him, like another sister. Their circumstances had brought them together, but that togetherness had formed what he hoped was a mutual bond of trust and friendship, and love.
He put his paw on her shoulder, and she looked up at him. She was about to say something, but when she looked into his eyes, her own softened considerably. Just for a moment, the Brat Princess dissolved away, and Keritanima looked up at him and smiled, then brushed her bushy tail up against his back. "It would honor me greatly if I could call you my deshaida, Keritanima," he said formally in Selani.
"The honor would be mine, Tarrin," she replied in Selani. "And it would honor me if I could call you my deshida."
"I would find great honor in it," he replied sincerely, squeezing her shoulder.
"Yes, well," Keritanima said, her voice just a bit flustered, "I'm glad you think so." He could see her soft eyes hardening again, as she regained her composure and returned to her assumed personality. Keritanima had to stretch it to talk with him civilly as the Brat, but there was no way she could maintain her facade when such honest emotion passed between them.
"Are you ready for our little gathering?" she asked idly, getting herself under control.
"I'm always ready," he told her.
"Good. It's about time for us to get back. What are you doing?"
"Being as inactive as possible," he said with a wicked smile. "I think I may go find my staff and go challenge your Vendari bodyguard."
"It's your teeth," she said with an evil smile.
"They grow back," Tarrin shrugged.
"Well have fun with those weird warrior things," she said with a teasing look in her eye. "I'm going to go learn about real power."
"Enjoy," he told her as she stood up. "I'll see you tonight?"
"Oh, I guess so," she drawled. "You've proven that you're worthy enough to spend time in my august presence."
"I'll just bask in your aura, Kerri," Tarrin said dryly, standing up.
"I'll have to go get my aura polished, then," she winked. "You need a tan."
"You're so kind to me."
She laughed, then put her hands on her shoulders, rose up on her toes, and gave him a short lick to the cheek.
"Isn't this a bit out of character?" Tarrin asked quietly.
"Of course not," she said flippantly. "The Brat really likes you. It's why she tolerates your impertinence. Besides, she's amused by your wicked ways. You're always entertaining."
"Witch," Tarrin grinned.
"Count on it," she said with bright eyes, then she stepped away. "I'll see you tonight, Tarrin," she said. "Have fun. Oh, and thanks for the present. We'll talk about it tonight."