“Your time among men has been truly difficult,” said Chaldrin, for the first time bringing me memory of his presence. “Stolen from by those of Ranistard, enslaved in Bellinard, taken to Ranistard in capture—and captured again by those you call Belsayah. And yet no one of them was able to make permanent his hold upon you.”
“No more than the Sigurri of the Caverns,” said I, looking upon the male with something of a smile. “Those males are fools who believe they might hold Jalav of the Midanna.”
“Perhaps,” allowed Chaldrin with the suggestion of a shrug through the thickness of his shoulders, quiet amusement in the dark of his eyes. “The time was, perhaps, brief, yet would I have felt a greater fool had I not held Jalav at all. Even in so short a time did she prove—”
The word, left unspoken, hung between us in a manner which removed the smile I had shown and brought Chaldrin to chuckling. Much did it seem the male would remain insolent forever, just as he had been even in defeat. I took my eyes from him and returned to converse with the Summa, and banished from my mind memory of the use he had put me to.
The hind passed quickly in travel and talk, and soon were my insides rumbling with warning that Mida’s light was near to approaching its highest. Neither Ilvin nor Mehrayn had yet appeared, giving me to hope that Mida had in some manner intervened and sent the male riding elsewhere than upon my track. Ilvin, however, was another matter, for although she had not yet joined our set, both the Summa and I were aware of her proximity. The Hitta warrior appeared to be in the midst of difficulty regarding her decision, and it had been necessary for me to explain her actions to the Summa, who believed it was their presence which kept Ilvin from joining us. Dotil laughed in amusement at the punishment I had proclaimed for the Hitta, then took herself off to seek out that which might be fed upon by our set. Wedin, however, was more disturbed than amused.
“I mean no insult, Jalav,” said she, “yet do I feel the punishment you proclaimed excessive. It is easily seen that I have more kalod than you, and though I am not a war leader, neither am I an innocent. To be bound so to a male will bring the Hitta great hurt, even more than our recent capture.”
“It will bring her considerably less hurt than would have come in true capture,” said I, as Wedin glared at me. I rode with eyes straight ahead, observing the path my kan trod through the forests, my inner eye occupied with sight of things other than trees and leaves and bushes. “In Bellinard was I hung by the wrists and lashed by males, then locked away behind lines of metal the while other males attempted to trade for my possession. In Ranistard I was lashed again, then given to a male called Nolthis, who took use from me which brought pleasure to him alone. Also was I beaten with the swordbelt of this Nolthis, so that the leavings of the lash did not heal. Once away from Ranistard it was Ceralt and his Belsayah who stood my capture, males who attempted to ‘take me from my savage existence and bring me to civilized ways.’ To ride the forests in freedom was savage, to serve a male upon my knees civilized; to hunt and see to my own needs was savage, to do no other thing than take the dust and clutter from a male’s dwelling civilized, to wear a sword and proudly wield it savage, to give eager use to all males sent to me civilized. No thing other than the will of Ceralt was I allowed, no thing other than that done by village females, much the same as city slave-women. Would you have had Ilvin share a capture such as that, Wedin? The shame and pain were so great that I sought to end my life, and was kept from it solely by the intervention of Mida. I had not yet been named war leader to all of our clans at that time, yet would I have you assume that I had been, and that Ilvin had taken it upon herself to follow me. What then would have been her lot? It required the direct intercession of Mida to free me, for I could not free myself; what would have been the fate of Ilvin, who had not been chosen to ride for Mida and Sigurr? Do you continue to believe the punishment I decreed too harsh, despite the fact that this male beside me will not allow true harm to come to the foolish warrior?”
“No,” said Wedin in a whisper, and I turned my head to see the reflection of deep hurt in her eyes. “I had not thought upon what service to Mida might mean for you, Jalav, and now do I clearly see the reason no other is to be war leader to all clans of Midanna. There are likely to be few indeed who are able to show the strength demanded by the goddess, few indeed who have been tested so harshly and thoroughly. The glory of such a place is endless, yet do I give eternal thanks to Mida that another place has been given me. My strength had ever been my pride, yet do I now gladly put such pride behind me. May I ask what assurance you have that that male will give no harm to the Hitta? All know the perfidy of males, and how greatly lacking they are in a sense of honor.”
“None better than I,” was my reply, filled with some faint return of amusement at the manner in which Chaldrin winced at Wedin’s statement. The male had been silent and expressionless during my words to Wedin, yet had I seen the manner in which his fist had tightened, and his jaw had clenched, as though he would have bared his teeth. “My knowledge of this male comes from the fact that I have been in his capture as well,” said I, even more amused at the instant indignation shown by Wedin. “Though my time with him was far from pleasant, it was clear even during my capture that there was no cruelty in him. Also has he a knowledge of the needs of a Midanna. He will give Ilvin humiliation without blood-shame, punishment without soul-harm, all by doing only as he normally would.”
“Sigurr” muttered Chaldrin, looking upon me with brows drawn low. “I know not whether the wench gives me praise or insult! Should I continue to spend time among these wenches, I will soon come to heartily regret my manhood.”
“Should it be your intention to continue to follow the war leader, male,” said Wedin, reluctant amusement upon her at Chaldrin’s words, “you had best be certain that your manhood is not forgotten. Should it be, she will no longer find a reason for your presence.”
“A reason for my presence,” echoed Chaldrin, his brows remaining low though this time in lack of understanding, his eyes upon Wedin. “Should I forget my manhood, she will no longer—” His words ended abruptly as his skin darkened somewhat, and then was he entirely indignant. After a moment he blew out a breath of vexation before moving his gaze to me. “I had not known I was to serve your pleasure, wench,” he growled. “Shall I come to you when darkness has fallen, or am I to await your summons?”
“Chaldrin would do well to recall that Jalav did not take him in capture,” said I, continuing to feel amusement. “It was his decision alone to follow Jalav, all the while knowing that Jalav was a war leader. To fill the sleeping leather of a war leader is a great honor for a male, yet should Chaldrin feel unequal to the task, I would not distress him by pressing the matter. That he has ever felt little desire for Jalav is known to her, yet does one discount such things with one who has been called brother.”
“It amuses you to put the feather to me,” said the male, yet his annoyance was no longer evident. In truth a gleam of amusement had entered his eyes, and then he chuckled. “I feel greatly relieved that you are aware of how little desire I have ever felt for you, yet must I confess to a vast confusion over the duties I am to assume in your service. Never would I refuse the honor of a place in your sleeping leather, yet what of the wench Ilvin? Should she appear and accept the punishment you have demanded, am I to bring her to your sleeping leather as well? And what of Sigurr’s Sword, who will undoubtedly join us before the fey has ended? He, too, will expect a place in your sleeping leather. A war leader of Midanna wenches must surely have the widest sleeping leather known to our world—upon which no sleeping is accomplished.”