The new light showed Chaldrin silent yet extremely pleased, and that despite the fact that he had chosen not to see the cold-eyed stare which Mehrayn had bestowed upon him. He no longer seemed concerned over facing Mehrayn, and this, to me, seemed one with the balance of the doings of males. For what reason would one fear a meeting one fey, and be unconcerned over it the next? Had the fear been mine it should certainly have increased, for Mehrayn had been the sole male in camp to fail to find release the darkness previous. All know that males must have the use of a female else their surliness increases, yet Chaldrin seemed to care not. Puzzlement accompanied me as I rode beside the Summa, speaking to them of Bellinard and city ways, yet this brought no more than amusement to Chaldrin.
For our mid-fey meal was there smoked toray, the last of the beast the heat of the land would allow us to taste. I fed with more relish than I had the darkness previous, and also did I come to the decision that more must be done to rid myself of the presence of Mehrayn. To allow him to remain with my set was to invite disaster, for one may not know what foolishness will suddenly enter the head of a male such as he. The sense of dignity he possessed was considerable, therefore I thought that bruising his dignity might well send him to ride elsewhere. When Chaldrin left my side to speak to Ilvin upon some matter which displeased him, with S’Heernoh also gone to look over the hooves of his kan, I turned to the Summa and briefly discussed my thoughts with them. Both grinned with amusement though they did not fully understand, and both agreed to assist me. Our journey to their homelands would be long, and diversions on such a journey were welcome indeed.
Nearly were we prepared to resume our journey, when Wedin and Dotil strolled toward where the three black-clad Sigurri warriors stood. Mehrayn paid them little mind and moved off toward the kand, yet were his males eager for their attention, puffing themselves up and grinning at the Summas’ approach. Soft words were at first exchanged between the four, and then did Wedin laugh aloud the while Dotil grinned.
“Our interest in the males about us has its limit, Gidain,” said Wedin to the Sigurri who had spoken to them the fey previous, her voice loud. “For what reason would we find interest in one who was spurned by all others? That warrior is foolish who takes the use of a male out of pity.”
“Indeed,” said Dotil in agreement, taking no heed of the manner in which both Sigurri paled and attempted to gesture the Summa to silence. “The male must truly be clumsy and inept, far beyond the few words of derision Jalav has spoken, despite the heartiness of his appearance. He continues to follow a war leader who has wearied of his clumsiness, most likely through there being no other female who will have him. And you would have us offer him use, as though he were worthy of our attentions? Seldom have we heard such foolishness.”
“You have not heard such foolishness this time!” hissed the male Gidain, filled with fury, yet were his words far too late. He had hesitated in speechlessness after Dotil had done speaking, and a furiously red-faced Mehrayn had jumped to the back of his kan and ridden off. I felt a bottomless relief at the ending of Mehrayn’s intentions to challenge those he had no hope of finding victory over, and stood looking after him where he had disappeared into the forest, pleased beyond words. The Summa had done well in using his pride against him, I thought, yet strangely enough another was not as pleased as I.
“To have a man treated so is naught to smile over,” said S’Heernoh to me, great disapproval evident in the sharpness of his gaze. “He has done naught to deserve such humiliation at the hands of a wench.”
“You speak to no wench but a war leader, male,” said I, my words cold with the passing of surprise, my body stiffening in insult. “Should you wish to continue speaking so, first find a blade to give you the right. Insult may not be given by one who fears to arm himself.”
“I do not fear to arm myself,” said the gray-haired male, his gaze continuing to hold mine, “nor do I speak insult. I speak no more than truth, a truth which you, war leader, refuse to hear. I have listened to many words concerning the humiliation which others have given you, yet are they no more than words, to be spoken and forgotten. You give humiliation as freely as those who gave the same to you, and then do you excuse your actions by loud protestations that you will not refuse the challenge. How gracious of you, to allow the challenge to those who have no hope of besting you! You impose your will upon all those about you, never pausing to consider whether or not you have the right of the thing, giving hurt to those who would not return that hurt even at peril of their lives! When first we met I admired you, war leader, yet now—”
His words ended abruptly, as though he had no need to speak the last of them, and in truth he had not. I might perhaps have spoken of the truth he had not seen, yet did I turn from him instead and go to my kan. Far better Mehrayn suffer the small hurt and be kept from the greater, and this I would continue to believe no matter the beliefs of others.
Our journey through the forests continued in silence, all deeply enmeshed in thoughts of their own. The two Sigurri males had been unsure upon the point of continuing on with us, for their purpose had been to accompany Mehrayn, who was no longer with the set. Had it been I, I would have followed his track to see where he had gone, yet the two Sigurri seemed reluctant to face the one who was their leader. That they had spoken naught of the request attributed to them by Wedin and Dotil had no meaning, for Mehrayn might well be too embarrassed and ashamed to heed their protestations of innocence. They chose to continue with our set the while they considered what other thing might be done, yet did they ride far to the rear, away from the balance of us.
Wedin and Dotil had disliked the words spoken to me by their male, yet had S’Heernoh turned a deaf ear toward their attempt to remonstrate with him. He rode ahead of us upon his gray kan, his gaze turned inward, his silence a strong rebuke against what the Summa had done. Chaldrin continued to ride beside me, yet his gaze spoke of the displeasure he felt and also of his anger. It irked me that the males behaved so, as though it would have been better had I allowed Mehrayn to remain where his life would surely have been placed in jeopardy, yet wasn’t irrationality to be expected from males? It requires a warrior to think clearly, and males, no matter that they took the calling to themselves, were scarcely warriors.
Perhaps two hind passed in undisturbed travel, and then was our set forced to turn our path east. The sounds of lenga battle came to us clearly from ahead and to the west, the volume of growling and screaming speaking of a great gathering. Well might it have been a mating gathering, which all those who rode and lived within the forests were wise enough to avoid. After a while were caves again visible to us in the distance, far ahead through the trees, so that we had to turn north again if we were not to be halted by the stone of their presence. This we began to do, and then did a deep rumble come to us from out of the distance.
“The skies begin to speak with Sigurr’s anger,” said Chaldrin, seeking sight of the blue which lay above the tops of the trees we rode through. “Perhaps it was unwise of you to do as you did with his chosen Sword.”
“Thunder from out of Mida’s skies brings naught of fear to her warriors,” I retorted, seeing the manner in which the light of the fey turned brassy as it dimmed, and also the movement of the trees in the sudden wind which sprang up and stiffened. “Clearly does a storm approach, one of those which arise from naught, drop the tears of Mida quickly, then depart as rapidly as they came. Have you never seen a storm of that sort?”