“Should it be your wish to fill a war leader’s sleeping leather,” said I with a shrug, “the matter may be easily seen to. Should you adequately wipe out the insult given her, she may well consider your use among those others available to her. Should the insult remain standing, however, Mehrayn may look elsewhere for giving and receiving reward.”
“Others?” said Mehrayn with a yelp, the grin abruptly abandoning him. “Insult? Of what do you speak, wench? In what manner am I expected to soothe the ache of your feelings?”
Annoyance had come to fill the green of his eyes, an annoyance which I easily shared. Had he not been male, it would not have been necessary for him to put so foolish a question.
“To assuage the insult given me, you may face me with swords,” I snapped, holding his gaze with mine. “As you have been of some assistance to me in the past, you have my word that I will not take your life. There should, however, be some provision made for your possible wounds being seen to.”
“For my possible wounds being seen to,” he echoed, a flatness now in his tone. “The wounds you refer to will, of course, be those I would force you into giving me. It seems to have left your memory that I have already refused to face you, save that you alone draw sword and I merely stand there. If this is what you wish, wench, I will not gainsay your attempt.”
“Do not be more foolish than your maleness calls for, male,” I said derisively. “You know well enough that I will not draw weapon against one who merely stands his ground, even though that one is male. I have given you challenge for there is now no reason that you not face me.”
“Has something occurred of which I am unaware?” he asked, his face now reflecting deep confusion, his forehead creased in perplexity. “In what manner do you see it as permissible that I face you?”
“In what manner may you not?” I countered, full weary with the thickness of the male. “Are we not now quits upon the matter of life-debt?” I asked. “Though Jalav returned Mehrayn’s life before the keren, Mehrayn has now returned Jalav’s life before the toray. As the matter now stands even between us, we may freely face one another in challenge.”
As the point was of sufficient simplicity for even a warrior-to-be to understand readily, I fully expected the same understanding from the male. What was unexpected, however, was the stunned comprehension which took him, adding itself to the bewilderment which also appeared. Warrior had the male before me called himself, yet did he stare down upon me as though I had demanded that he take wing and fly.
“Am I to understand that you believe a matter of-life-debt alone has kept me from facing you?” he asked in confusion. “It is true I owe you my life, yet the love I feel for you is a greater restraint. I could not strike at one I love.”
“Do not weary me further with male foolishness,” I replied, dismissing the thing with a curt gesture. “I have heard many males speak of this thing they term ‘love,’ yet is it part and parcel with the cruelty of ‘mercy.’ When a male professes this ‘love’ for a female, he is stating to all his intention of taking that female in slavery. As it is ‘love’ he feels, he must be obeyed by the female, and served by her, and must be allowed to take her use at any time desire comes to him. Also has he the right to direct the living of her life, for should she indulge in battle or the hunt, she will endanger herself beyond his wishes. A male may not profess ‘love’ for one who has gone to Mida’s Realm, nor may he give her humiliation for doing as she must.”
“All men—and some wenches—do as they must,” said he, folding well-muscled arms across his chest as he continued to gaze down upon me. “No man will punish a wench for doing as she must, yet will he certainly punish her for endangering herself beyond the necessary by thoughtlessness. Should the occasion arise, I will do again as I have already done, no matter the greater pain brought to me by the doing. And this is the true meaning of love, wench, the willingness to give necessary pain to one’s beloved despite one’s own pain to insure the safety of that beloved life.”
“Then Jalav must certainly be the beloved of many males,” said I, undoubtedly showing the disgust which I felt. “Never have they hesitated in the giving of pain and humiliation, yet have they hidden well the greater pain felt by them. Such courage is truly awe-inspiring, and worthy of endless praise. Should you overcome your hesitancy to face me as easily as you have overcome the deep soul-hurt so recently felt by you, do not fail to speak to me of it.”
I attempted to turn from him then, to return Wedin’s dagger and retrieve my own weapons, yet did his hand come to my arm to halt me.
“I shall not spend words in an attempt to change your view of men and their doings,” said he, his tone quiet yet determined, his eyes the same. “Too much has indeed been done to you for mere words to be effective, therefore shall I continue on as I must, and pray to Sigurr that the truth be eventually shown you. For the moment, however, I would know why such burning need to face me fills you. I have scarcely been guiltless of taking liberties with you in the past, some of which surely brought greater insult than that brought during the last darkness. For what reason do you now insist so firmly that we stand against one another with weapons?”
“No warrior would need ask so obvious a question,” said I, seeing the annoyance which flashed briefly in his eyes, an annoyance which was not unexpected. “I am a warrior and war leader of Midanna, who consider it dishonorable for one of high skill to stand in challenge against one of considerably less skill, save that that other is she who demanded the challenge. Much did I believe you akin to most males, clumsy and with little skill to speak of, therefore did I refrain from pressing the matter of challenge in the past. Now that I have learned the truth, that you stand among the best of your males, I need no longer consider the challenge dishonorable.”
“I see,” said he, his light eyes hooded, his expression thoughtful. “And in what manner did you learn this enlightening truth?”
“The matter was spoken of by Chaldrin,” said I, growing impatient to be about other doings. “He is of the opinion that no other is able to equal your sword skill, and Chaldrin is well versed in the matter of battle and weapons. Should it be your wish to converse further upon the point you may do so with him, for he arrives now with Ilvin. Jalav no longer has interest in converse.”
Curtly did I nod toward where Chaldrin and Ilvin had appeared among the trees, seeing the strangely grim nod of Mehrayn before turning from him for the final time. Had his hand not already left my arm, he would have found me well prepared to tickle it with the dagger I held. Wedin and Dotil, I found, stood some few steps beyond the toray carcass exchanging words with the two Sigurri who had accompanied Mehrayn, having left the stranger S’Heernoh behind with the carcass. It was this S’Heernoh who put a hand up before me, halting my stride before I might pass him on my way to the Summa.
“I am greatly pleased no harm has come to you, war leader,” said he in a soft voice, his dark eyes slitted against the dusk. “That man you spoke with, he with the hair of red—his concern for you must truly be deep and deeply felt. When he learned that you swam beneath the waters of the pond among indications of spilled blood, he immediately dove to your assistance without thought to his own safety. Such concern is rare.”
“It is scarcely a matter of concern,” said I impatiently. “The male then owed his life to me, he believes I ride in the service of his god, and also does he find great pleasure in my use. It is these things which cause his concern, as S’Heernoh shall learn the longer he remains in these lands. Should he wish to retain life long enough to remain in these lands, he had best first learn to be silent upon matters which concern warriors alone, and to keep from their path when he has not been summoned by them. Are my words clear to you?”