“So his concern was for Terril, was it?” Tammad growled, still glaring at Len and Garth. “It seems he intends to continue concerning himself with Terril.”
“What do you mean?” Cinnan asked as I stared in shock. “What word does the message contain?”
“See for yourself,” Tammad said, gesturing toward the roll he had thrown away before pacing to the windows. Cinnan retrieved the roll and opened it, then began reading aloud.
“To the l’lenda known as Tammad,” Cinnan read with a frown. “Accept the greetings of one called Daldrin, a man who is less of a fool than you. When one finds a wenda worth banding, one bands her to the limit of his desire not considerably less as a punishment for her. The wenda Terril will wear five bands when she is mine, which will occur as soon as I am able to return from bringing my brother to our home, where his wounds will be carefully tended. Should Terril no longer be in your possession, I will find her wherever she has fled; should you be less of a fool than I believe you and retain possession of her, we will face one another as men. My home lies higher in the mountains, north of that place known as Grelana. A true man might come to seek me out, yet I have little doubt that I shall find it necessary to seek you. Till the time we face one another, I shall remain—Daldrin. ”
“He doesn’t mince words, does he?” Len muttered, turning to stare down at me where I sat frozen in place. “How many conquests do you have to make, Terry?”
“He can’t be serious,” I choked, shaking my head back and forth. “He hardly knows me—and I never even pretended to love him.”
“A woman may be taught to love the man to whom she belongs,” Tammad said, turning back from the windows. “Did this Daldrin use you?”
“We used each other,” I answered, suddenly feeling defensive. “He was the slave Aesnil assigned to me, sent here with orders to rape me—which he refused to do. Why are you feeling so put out? You’ve never hesitated in giving me to other men.”
He started to snap out an answer, then thought better of it and forced himself to calm.
“It is my right to give my wenda to any man who proves himself worthy of her use,” he explained, trying not to sound as though he were stating the obvious. “For a man to take her use without my permission is an insult in itself; for that same man to then challenge me to battle is to call for a fight to the death. Had he not known my feelings for you, he would have attempted to buy you rather than tell me you were not adequately banded. We must meet, this Daldrin and I, and settle the matter between us.”
“You can’t mean you intend going along with this insanity?” I asked incredulously, rising to my feet with the blue silk still held around me. “I won’t let myself be fought for, do you hear? I won’t have it! And what about the rest of your plans, and the dealings you have with the Amalgamation? Do you intend just letting them . . . ?”
“Hush, wenda,” he said, coming close to take my face in his hand. “The matter is not yours to discuss nor decide. Was it not you who once pointed out that my love for my people was greater than my love for you? I now find that I cannot turn away from one who would challenge me for you, no matter that other matters, weighty matters, await my attention. You are mine, hama, and I will not allow another to claim you.”
He leaned down to kiss me, then turned to Cinnan to explain what we’d been talking about. I let myself fold slowly back down to the carpet fur, stunned by what had happened. We’d been through a lot of back-and-forth about our feelings for one another, but now, because of me, he was going to face another man to the death. He was determined to go through with it, but I became just as determined that he wouldn’t. I’d have to stop him—and stop Daldrin—without either one knowing I was interfering. I could do it easily enough but—without letting them know it was happening? With two overgrown, stubborn beasts who both knew what I could do?
How would I ever accomplish that—and resolve the rest of my problems at the same time?
How?