gone, Carrie gently eased her hand away. "Kashini's heavier than she looks," she explained, using it to help support her cub's weight. "How's it going with Lijou?"
"He'll be here for a while yet," said Kaid. "Kusac asked me to keep you company, and I, reluctantly of course, agreed."
"Of course." She matched his grin. "Tell me some more about the Triads, Tallinu. I know they formed so the warrior could protect the Leska pair, but there was more to their Link than that, wasn't there?"
"Some," he agreed. "You have to see them in relation to their time. The needs they fulfilled then don't exist now."
She could sense his evasion. "Historically," she conceded, watching the muscles of his face and ears relax. She found Sholans so much easier to read than Humans.
"Historically, after the Cataclysm, there were only a few telepaths left on this continent. Those that remained had to breed, to provide future generations. We know Vartra was trying to increase the number of Leska bondings, and that his virus, like our ni'uzu, affected those with nontelepathic talents, too. The result was that some warriors were drawn to Leska pairs and formed a bond— a Triad— with them. More often it was the female who had two lovers, or life-mates. Because few females could be spared to fight then, it was important that they be adequately defended."
" Two life-mates?"
He nodded. "All telepathic links, be they Leska ones or minor ones, started out as a way for the strongest talents to be drawn together— natural selection. With so few pure telepaths, they had to keep track of the family bloodlines, and the Triads meant that the inclusion of some warriors with minor talents made the gene pool larger. Later generations of Triads recognized that only one life-mate was needed so long as the cubs were parented and nurtured by all three."
"That's why Kusac registered our Triad at the temple," nodded Carrie. She felt his mind begin to retreat from her as he broke eye contact.
"There's very little likelihood of us becoming genetically compatible," he said quietly. "I think Kusac was being overly cautious. Even with Leska pairs, it takes a gestalt."
"You've been exposed to a gestalt, Tallinu."
He looked sharply at her. "Never!"
"Mara's, when we were at the ruins the day you left Valsgarth to find Khemu," she reminded him.
He looked away again. "That doesn't count. It has to belong to your own Triad."
"There isn't time for more cubs anyway," she said, changing the tone of the conversation. "We've got friends to rescue. Vanna says that now she and Jack are working together with access to both our species data banks, they're much nearer a breakthrough for this common contraceptive for the mixed Leska females. And while we were in the Margins, the military gave her all the equipment and people she wanted. It seems they're determined nothing will delay us going on this rescue mission, which suits me."
"You know about it?"
"Of course," she said calmly. "Once Kusac figured it out, then naturally I knew. I picked it up from you as well."
"Me?" His whole body showed his surprise.
"I've been able to pick up your occasional unguarded surface thoughts since before you and Dzaka fought."
He grunted noncommittally.
She nodded. "With Rezac and Zashou and three Humans stranded on Jalna, that makes five people. There's no way two of us can locate that many people, let alone rescue them, Tallinu."
In her arms, Kashini began to make tiny mewling sounds of distress as she lifted her head and turned to look up at her mother. They both felt the sudden burst of hunger and fretfulness.
Kaid winced. "She's very sensitive to your emotions. Dzaka's talent wasn't this developed even by the age of six."
"We've noticed," she said, lifting the cub up and holding her out to him. "Take her for a moment, please."
Cautiously Kaid accepted the infant.
Carrie laughed, feeling his confusion and reluctance. "I'd get used to it, Tallinu. You're her secondary father after
"He'll be here for a while yet," said Kaid. "Kusac asked me to keep you company, and I, reluctantly of course, agreed."
"Of course." She matched his grin. "Tell me some more about the Triads, Tallinu. I know they formed so the warrior could protect the Leska pair, but there was more to their Link than that, wasn't there?"
"Some," he agreed. "You have to see them in relation to their time. The needs they fulfilled then don't exist now."
She could sense his evasion. "Historically," she conceded, watching the muscles of his face and ears relax. She found Sholans so much easier to read than Humans.
"Historically, after the Cataclysm, there were only a few telepaths left on this continent. Those that remained had to breed, to provide future generations. We know Vartra was trying to increase the number of Leska bondings, and that his virus, like our ni'uzu, affected those with nontelepathic talents, too. The result was that some warriors were drawn to Leska pairs and formed a bond— a Triad— with them. More often it was the female who had two lovers, or life-mates. Because few females could be spared to fight then, it was important that they be adequately defended."
" Two life-mates?"
He nodded. "All telepathic links, be they Leska ones or minor ones, started out as a way for the strongest talents to be drawn together— natural selection. With so few pure telepaths, they had to keep track of the family bloodlines, and the Triads meant that the inclusion of some warriors with minor talents made the gene pool larger. Later generations of Triads recognized that only one life-mate was needed so long as the cubs were parented and nurtured by all three."
"That's why Kusac registered our Triad at the temple," nodded Carrie. She felt his mind begin to retreat from her as he broke eye contact.
"There's very little likelihood of us becoming genetically compatible," he said quietly. "I think Kusac was being overly cautious. Even with Leska pairs, it takes a gestalt."
"You've been exposed to a gestalt, Tallinu."
He looked sharply at her. "Never!"
"Mara's, when we were at the ruins the day you left Valsgarth to find Khemu," she reminded him.
He looked away again. "That doesn't count. It has to belong to your own Triad."
"There isn't time for more cubs anyway," she said, changing the tone of the conversation. "We've got friends to rescue. Vanna says that now she and Jack are working together with access to both our species data banks, they're much nearer a breakthrough for this common contraceptive for the mixed Leska females. And while we were in the Margins, the military gave her all the equipment and people she wanted. It seems they're determined nothing will delay us going on this rescue mission, which suits me."
"You know about it?"
"Of course," she said calmly. "Once Kusac figured it out, then naturally I knew. I picked it up from you as well."
"Me?" His whole body showed his surprise.
"I've been able to pick up your occasional unguarded surface thoughts since before you and Dzaka fought."
He grunted noncommittally.
She nodded. "With Rezac and Zashou and three Humans stranded on Jalna, that makes five people. There's no way two of us can locate that many people, let alone rescue them, Tallinu."
In her arms, Kashini began to make tiny mewling sounds of distress as she lifted her head and turned to look up at her mother. They both felt the sudden burst of hunger and fretfulness.
Kaid winced. "She's very sensitive to your emotions. Dzaka's talent wasn't this developed even by the age of six."
"We've noticed," she said, lifting the cub up and holding her out to him. "Take her for a moment, please."
Cautiously Kaid accepted the infant.
Carrie laughed, feeling his confusion and reluctance. "I'd get used to it, Tallinu. You're her secondary father after
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