he was not as well favored in his face as either of the others and 26
knew it, he was the better warrior and she would have seen those qualities that were hisassets—his cunning in the fight, his skills, and his strength—and she would have looked upon him in an entirely different way.The urge smote him to question their mood, to discover, if he could, how they had apparently failed to capture her interest, but he quelled it. They would not be able to keep whatever was bothering them to themselves and he would know soon enough without asking.
They settled on their own bunks wordlessly and sat frowning at nothing in particular for a while before Dakaar finally broke the silence. “She is not at all like a Hirachi woman,” he said finally.
Kael sent him a sardonic look. “I saw that for myself. A strong breath of wind would blow her away. She is the tiniest female that I have ever seen.”
Balen considered that. “Lecur ‟ s concubines are no taller—not much anyway.”
“They are far wider, however,” Kael retorted dryly and would have been repulsive to them if they had been as shapely as Loren.
“I did not mean in that way!” Dakaar said irritably. “I have eyes in my head. When the light shines upon it, her hair is…the color of the sunset on Ach. Her skin is like the tokflower and her eyes are like the summer sky. I have never seen any creature with eyes that color. Even the other little female does not have eyes that color. Though I feel obliged to say that Ka-ren is very pretty, she is not beautiful to my eyes as Lau-ren is.”
“I am surprised your eyes have not fallen out of your head when you have stared at her so hard,” Kael said sardonically, though he could have bitten his tongue. It was obvious to him that he resented her interest in his friends above him, even it was not obvious to them—and it would be soon enough if he could not control the urge to lash out at them for his disappointment!
Dakaar studied Kael angrily for a moment and finally shook his head when he saw that it was not true anger that had inspired Kael ‟ s sharp tongue but rather disappointment. He wrestled with the ugly sense of triumph the thought produced, striving for a balance of fairness in the contest that was no true contest when they all knew that there would be no way to win this battle to breed the fair maid their heart ‟ s desired. “She was upset when you left. I saw it in her eyes.
You feel that Balen and I have unfair advantage because we are more accustomed to having to sway a maid ‟ s interest with pretty words when you have never had to, but I cannot see that she looks upon either me or Balen with more interest than she does you. None of us will be allowed to breed her, you know, even if we succumb to the fever. We cannot expect more than a welcome as lovers and in that sense, I think you are as welcome to her as we are.”
Kael felt his heart skip several beats, but he refused to rise to the bait. “I have nothing to court her with,” he said tightly. “Not that there is any point to it…in this place.”
“Truthfully, I cannot say that she is nearly as anxious to accept any of us as a lovers as we are to take her as a lover,” Balen said unhappily. “She is frightened…and small wonder when it is as clear as day that she is no warrior woman. A Hirachi woman might be afraid, but she would know that she could defend herself well against any male stupid enough to try to take what was not offered.”
“She is too small and weak to be a warrior of any sort. She could not even lift the bench—not that I needed to see that! She is soft all over,” Dakaar said. “That is what I meant. She does not have the heart of a warrior maid of the Hirachi.”
Kael studied him for a long moment. “Do not try to tell me that you give a damn that she 27
does not! You would mate with her in a moment if you could reach her. Balen would and I would.”
Dakaar flushed. “I did not try to deny it! You
knew it, he was the better warrior and she would have seen those qualities that were hisassets—his cunning in the fight, his skills, and his strength—and she would have looked upon him in an entirely different way.The urge smote him to question their mood, to discover, if he could, how they had apparently failed to capture her interest, but he quelled it. They would not be able to keep whatever was bothering them to themselves and he would know soon enough without asking.
They settled on their own bunks wordlessly and sat frowning at nothing in particular for a while before Dakaar finally broke the silence. “She is not at all like a Hirachi woman,” he said finally.
Kael sent him a sardonic look. “I saw that for myself. A strong breath of wind would blow her away. She is the tiniest female that I have ever seen.”
Balen considered that. “Lecur ‟ s concubines are no taller—not much anyway.”
“They are far wider, however,” Kael retorted dryly and would have been repulsive to them if they had been as shapely as Loren.
“I did not mean in that way!” Dakaar said irritably. “I have eyes in my head. When the light shines upon it, her hair is…the color of the sunset on Ach. Her skin is like the tokflower and her eyes are like the summer sky. I have never seen any creature with eyes that color. Even the other little female does not have eyes that color. Though I feel obliged to say that Ka-ren is very pretty, she is not beautiful to my eyes as Lau-ren is.”
“I am surprised your eyes have not fallen out of your head when you have stared at her so hard,” Kael said sardonically, though he could have bitten his tongue. It was obvious to him that he resented her interest in his friends above him, even it was not obvious to them—and it would be soon enough if he could not control the urge to lash out at them for his disappointment!
Dakaar studied Kael angrily for a moment and finally shook his head when he saw that it was not true anger that had inspired Kael ‟ s sharp tongue but rather disappointment. He wrestled with the ugly sense of triumph the thought produced, striving for a balance of fairness in the contest that was no true contest when they all knew that there would be no way to win this battle to breed the fair maid their heart ‟ s desired. “She was upset when you left. I saw it in her eyes.
You feel that Balen and I have unfair advantage because we are more accustomed to having to sway a maid ‟ s interest with pretty words when you have never had to, but I cannot see that she looks upon either me or Balen with more interest than she does you. None of us will be allowed to breed her, you know, even if we succumb to the fever. We cannot expect more than a welcome as lovers and in that sense, I think you are as welcome to her as we are.”
Kael felt his heart skip several beats, but he refused to rise to the bait. “I have nothing to court her with,” he said tightly. “Not that there is any point to it…in this place.”
“Truthfully, I cannot say that she is nearly as anxious to accept any of us as a lovers as we are to take her as a lover,” Balen said unhappily. “She is frightened…and small wonder when it is as clear as day that she is no warrior woman. A Hirachi woman might be afraid, but she would know that she could defend herself well against any male stupid enough to try to take what was not offered.”
“She is too small and weak to be a warrior of any sort. She could not even lift the bench—not that I needed to see that! She is soft all over,” Dakaar said. “That is what I meant. She does not have the heart of a warrior maid of the Hirachi.”
Kael studied him for a long moment. “Do not try to tell me that you give a damn that she 27
does not! You would mate with her in a moment if you could reach her. Balen would and I would.”
Dakaar flushed. “I did not try to deny it! You
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