“Very well,” said I to Wedin, looking upon the darkhaired warrior with undisguised reluctance. “As the male pleases you, you may have him. Should he prove to have brothers hidden in the forests who mean to fall upon us in attack, however, you and I will speak of this matter again when they have been seen to.”
“As quickly as I spoke to the male himself of it,” said Wedin, amusement in the glance she sent to the male. He, however, took no exception to our words nor to the look sent him as many another male would surely have done, seeming only extremely pleased and also filled with amusement. He had wished to remain, and now would see it so.
“How are you called, male?” asked Dotil, squeezing the drops from her hair as she began to walk about the male in examination. “It would be unwieldy to merely address you as ‘male,’ as you shall not be the only male about.”
“I am called S’Heernoh,” said he, the sparkle in his eyes showing that his sense of amusement felt tickled by the inspection. “I am from a land far from here, therefore do I ask your patience should I behave in a manner in which you find insult. Never would I consider giving insult to such lovely—ah—warriors. And how are you called?”
“I am Dotil of the Summa clan,” said Dotil, completing her circuit to stand again before the male S’Heernoh. “My sister Summa is Wedin, and the war leader is Jalav, once only of the Hosta clan, now war leader to all ten of her clans. You may address us by name, or as warrior or war leader, and need not spend words upon city male foolishness. It matters little to a warrior if the male she uses finds her ‘lovely.’ ”
“And no doubt the thing matters even less to a war leader,” said this S’Heernoh, the dark of his eyes leaving Dotil and Wedin’s bodies for mine, then coming to my face. “Nevertheless does honesty compel me to insist that you are each of you indeed lovely, and I shall not retract the observation. You are each most beautiful, and none with eyes would voice the thought differently.”
At mention of eyes did the male’s own eyes glow most brightly, an odd look which was akin to heat and yet quite different from it. Clearly were his words addressed to me, perhaps to challenge the manner in which I gazed upon him, yet was he far of the mark in his effort to achieve my approval.
“No male cares to voice thoughts other than the same when he looks upon a warrior,” said I, making no effort to soften the edge which had entered my voice. “Nor does he hesitate to attempt to take use from that warrior, she preferably bound at his feet or held by his greater strength. Many males have found approval in the look of Jalav, in the black of her hair and eyes, in the size of her breasts, in the length of her legs; many have called her lovely even as they put their manhood within her despite her protests. She then stood without weapon to hand and was therefore unable to keep the males from her, yet is she no longer weaponless. Beware lest your honesty touch her at the wrong moment, male, and unintentional insult be paid for with your lifeblood. In such an instance would apology be idle.”
Pain and disturbance entered the dark depths which held to me and the creased face worked as though there were words to be spoken, yet time limped past and naught save silence hovered about us. The glibness seemed to have slipped from the tongue of the male as quickly as the amusement had left his eyes, and though I knew not why the male failed to pursue his insistences, I was able to thank Mida for the peace and turn away from the small group which stood unspeaking. My movement seemed to waken Dotil and Wedin, who left the male who had been given to them and returned to the water of the pond, this time taking their clan coverings with them so that the attempt might be made to rid the cloth of dirt and stainings. The male S’Heernoh held his place for another moment before turning away to add his kan to those of the Summa and myself, aware of the manner in which I kept watch upon him as well as the forests, yet seemingly resigned to the doing. In no way might his silence have been bettered, save that he had mounted up and ridden off.
The two Summa saw to their clan coverings and wet themselves for a final time, then withdrew again from the pond. The male S’Heernoh had unburdened his kan so that it might be at ease as it fed, yet had he left his bow with the leather seat of city males, still unstrung and therefore naught save a length of wood. Wedin and Dotil donned their clan coverings so that the cloth might dry upon them, then did they replace their weapons before asking the use of the comb which lay among my possessions. So long ago did it seem that I had packed that comb for my journey that I sighed, and then did I take myself toward the bank of the pond where I would leave my sword, dagger, breech and life sign the while I took joy from the blue-green wetness which awaited me. The gray-haired male was now the concern of the Summa, and well pleased was I to have it so.
Quickly did I take the coverings and weapons from me, and then did I step to the edge of the bank and dive directly into the water. The depth of the pond was considerable even just below the bank, therefore was there naught save pleasure brought by my rapid entry into the water. The blue-green wetness closed over my head with a golden coolness touching me all about, and I slipped quickly and smoothly through dim-colored joy, my hair spread widely all about me. Gentle children of the wild dwelt within the pond, I saw, those creatures called eldod which moved awkwardly upon the land yet flowed like silk beneath the waters, able to stay beneath for periods far longer than any warrior. A large white calf shot past quite close, curiosity bringing it near, fear continuing it upon its way. I smiled at its presence as I made for the surface, for it is said that good luck dwells among eldod, good luck which might be shared by those who chance upon an eldo. I knew I would have need of each blessing Mida might send, therefore was the sight of eldod more than welcome.
I continued to swim about for some reckid, glorying in the feel of wetness upon me, breaking through the shining gold patches of Mida’s light which floated serenely upon the blue-green of the water in each place the leaves above allowed its presence. I remained not far from the bank I dove from—and then a sharp movement beneath the water caught my eye. The eldod seemed in the midst of agitated motion, and diving below showed me the cause of their agitation: the sleekly silvered shape of a hunting toray had appeared among them, its long, sharply moving body attempting to frighten away the adult eldod so that the calves would be easy prey.
Again I surfaced to draw air into my lungs, yet not only for breathing. The intruding toray challenged the peace of more than the eldod, and I felt it should know this.
“Wedin, your dagger—quickly” I called to the Summa, who turned to look at me with curiosity. “We shall feed upon toray this darkness!”
“Ah, toray!” exclaimed Wedin, removing the dagger from her leg bands and throwing it to where I might take it out of the air. “I have not had toray in too long a time. I wish you good hunting, Jalav.”
I raised the dagger in acknowledgment then turned away, swimming a short distance before diving again beneath the warmed surface waters. The water-blurred silver shape of the toray continued to move menacingly among the eldod, its length nearly my height, its teeth prepared to slash at anything unable to protect itself. Four-legged was the toray, for walking about upon the land, with webs rather than claws at the ends of its feet, its teeth alone sufficient for taking its favorite prey, the gentle eldo. The hunter paid scant attention to me as I approached, considering me no more than an odd-appearing eldo, my size sufficient to keep me from being marked as prey, my lack of hunter-speed obscuring all menace from my approach. I closed as far as possible and remained so till my lungs began to demand a breath, rose quickly to the surface to breathe deeply a hand of times, then dove again, until I was upon the toray before it might do more than begin to turn to me. My left hand touched the short, smooth fur of its body as the dagger in my right sought its vitals, and then was I kicking rapidly away, to keep my arm from the slash of dagger-sharp teeth. My blade had penetrated the sleek body of my intended prey, yet had a rib turned the point before it might reach deeply enough to end the hunt properly. The toray had now turned upon me, its jaws gaping wide in fury and pain, a cloud of red staining the water all about.