“I have seen many storms in these parts,” said Chaldrin, looking about himself as the skies darkened as though the hand of Mida covered her light, and great, heavy drops of rain began to fall. “Never, however, have I seen one as brief and gentle as that which you describe. We must find shelter, and that at once.”
My lips parted to express my thoughts upon the foolishness of males who feared the wetness which fell from Mida’s skies, when my words were overcome by a number of happenings at once. Lightning flared through the skies with such strength that my eyes saw its image even after it had faded, and with it came a sound of thunder which deafened all who heard it. Harder and harder did the rain begin to fall, as though it meant to batter us into the ground, and then came another flash of lightning, screaming as it threw itself against a tree not far distant. Fire flared and crackled where the burning stroke had touched the tree, and the kan beneath me began plunging wildly with fear amidst the din of further thunder.
“The caves!” shouted a male voice, one impossible to distinguish from the sounds all about us. “We must take shelter in the caves!”
All of the kand were plunging with fear, attempting to pull from the reins which held them and race away from storm-brought terror. The rain had thickened to such a downpour that it was difficult to see about oneself, and clearly the caves which we had seen were the sole place we would indeed find shelter. I gestured onward through the pelting rain in the hopes that I might be seen, and then did I urge my kan in the proper direction, which he took at once. In the midst of rain and wind and darkness were the others quickly lost, yet had I seen them in a flash of lightning, and knew that they rode in the direction I did.
The ride to the caves was long and difficult, for my kan quickly discovered it could not race at full tilt as it wished to. Trees loomed too often in our path, and it was necessary to take care till they thinned enough to allow us to hurry. The stony ground before the caves was slippery from wetness, the darkened openings shown in a flare of lightning-fury spaced far one from the other. It mattered not at all to me which my kan chose, for memory lived strong within me of the last time I had experienced such a storm, toward the end of my time in Ranistard. The storm had come during the lashing decreed for me by Galiose, he who was High Seat of Ranistard, and each time lightning cracked and thunder spoke I was again able to feel the lash descending, cutting my flesh and bringing untold agony. My kan slowed before an opening large enough to admit him, giving me opportunity to slide from his back before he plunged within, leaving me to stumble shuddering in his wake. The cave might well have been the lair of some child of the wild, yet upon the moment I cared no more than my kan. The need I felt to be away from the storm transcended every care and consideration, even that which might well become a life threat. I entered the cave and moved from the entrance nearly as far as my kan, we both bringing trails and pools and drippings of water with us, and then I crouched down with my arms about me, attempting to quiet the shudderings which continued to bring tremors to my body. The thunder raved on in seeming anger that it had been escaped, and I know not how many reckid passed before it came to me that there was light in the cave in which I crouched, the light of a torch. I raised my head in lack of understanding, looking belatedly about, and there, in the entrance to a farther cave with faint light streaming out behind, stood the male S’Heernoh.
“I—found these torches upon the ground when I first arrived and struck a light,” said he, his voice odd as he looked upon me. “Likely they were left by those who took shelter here at some earlier time. I arrived enough before you so that I have also been able to light a small fire in the second cavern. ”
He stood unmoving as he spoke, his face expressionless, and well did I recall the manner in which he had addressed me earlier in the fey. Though I had no wish at all to go again into the storm without, I had even less desire to remain with one who had so little relish for my presence. I arose from my crouch and turned again toward the opening through which I had so recently come, yet the words of the male came again before I had gone more than two or three paces.
“Wait!” he called. “I cannot fault you for wishing naught of my company after the words I spoke earlier, however you cannot mean to brave the storm again. The next nearest caves are no short distance, and we need not even share the same cavern. I have already dried myself somewhat by the fire, and it would please me to see you do the same.”
“I would not force another from a fire in this damp, even though that other be male,” said I, seeing the dark light up beyond the cave opening in continued, mindless fury. “The next cave cannot be so far.”
“And yet it is,” said he, his voice smoothening to coaxing as his step sounded nearer upon the stone of the floor. “I saw its distance when I saw those men in black, the Sigurri warriors, enter it just before I entered here. And there is sufficient wood for a second fire which I will build here, in this cavern, for myself. Once I have taken the wood, I will not enter that cavern again to disturb you.”
I turned my head to look at the male, and though he smiled, I continued to feel a good deal of reluctance to remain, and yet to leave that place only to go to the place chosen by the Sigurri males would be idle. In truth I had the wish for the company of none of those I rode with, and perhaps the farther cavern would truly be the best of it. My nod of acceptance had more than a bit of reluctance within it, yet the smile of the male warmed regardless.
“I shall fetch the wood and my kan at once,” said S’Heernoh, his hand lifting as though he would touch my shoulder, then withdrawing as he turned from me and hurried toward the other opening. I followed more slowly, considering taking my kan farther within, yet did the beast back from me somewhat as I approached, as though in fear that I meant to return it to the insanity of the storm. Its eyes seemed prepared to roll wildly with the fear it felt, therefore did I leave it be and enter the next cavern without it.
The second cavern was a mate to the first, rounded rather than squared and large enough to have held our entire traveling set within it. The single torch set within the rock of the wall was like that in the outer cavern, though aided by the presence of a fire near to the back wall. S’Heernoh had taken a double armload of wood from a pile which was much of a surprise by cause of its size, and the amusement had returned to his smile as he moved toward his kan.
“Those who were here before us must surely have anticipated a lengthy stay,” said he, taking up the rein of his kan. “I have left cloths for you, with which you may take a deal of the wetness which covers you. I have others which I shall use in the outer cavern, and shall not disturb you.”
His nod was friendly in a way I did not understand. Much did I doubt that there would ever be true friendliness between the male and myself, yet did I follow him to the opening through which he had gone, and looked on as he crouched beneath the torch.
“Should you require further wood,” said I when his eyes were upon me, “you may enter and take it as you please. The cave, and the wood as well, were first yours. There would be little honor for this warrior in seeing you do without.”
“Lady, you are most gracious,” said he, remaining crouched where he had been, the smile warming the dark of his eyes. “Few females will consider a man so, preferring that he consider them to the exclusion of all things including himself. You do me honor by sharing my shelter.”
Well did I know what honor my presence was for him, therefore did I turn away from the words which were not meant to be heeded and return to the fire which awaited me. As the male had said, there were cloths before the fire, therefore did I first remove my swordbelt and draw the sword given me by Mida, then took up one of the cloths. So penetrating the rain had been, that the blade of my sword was nearly as wet as that of my dagger. First did I see my sword wiped, and then my dagger and life sign, and only then did I begin upon my own self. A warrior will ever see first to her weapons, else is she no warrior; the dark red crumbling will take any weapon not properly cared for, and that most likely when it is raised against an enemy. I crouched before the fire, the wet breech stripped from me, the stone rough yet warm beneath my feet, drying my body and hair and regretting that I had no oil to see more completely to my sword. Once the storm was gone, I would find the oil I required.