indeed?
It was long past dark when finally Vale let her go. She burst out the tavern door and almost ran into someone just standing there waiting in the shadows. She jumped back from the man with a cry, but it was Mikal.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded of him.
“I wanted to walk you home. I thought it would ease things for you a mite, considering what happened yesterday. No moon tonight, and you get some rough sorts around here.”
“Does your father know you’ve come?”
“No.”
“Well, he wouldn’t like it. You know that as well as I do! You’re supposed to be developing a fine reputation, Mikal, not carousing about at night.”
“Don’t you like me anymore, Ti?”
She started walking. “I do and I don’t, depending on what you’re about at the time.”
“Thanks,” he said as he followed. “That’s better than a straight no.”
She glanced at him for a moment without stopping. “I wish you’d tell me just why it matters. Do you suppose Mary Stumping would care at all what I think of you?”
“Well, yes,” Mikal declared. “I think she would. In fact, I know she does.”
“I like you a lot. I always did.” He reached for her arm. “It bothered me what happened. I didn’t like seeing you hurt that way.”
“Thank you for talking to Vale,” she said simply and started to turn away.
But he pulled her closer and touched her cheek. “Don’t you think we can still be friends? That doesn’t have to change, even when I’m married. Mary doesn’t have to know.” He leaned his face nearer to hers. “I aim to help you, Ti. I want to protect you.”
But she pushed him away. “Who will protect me from you ? You’re still trying to buy my kisses! With protection this time!”
“I can’t buy them,” he said sadly. “I don’t want to insult you again. I just wish you’d see clear to give them up willing.”
“You’re a dog, do you know that?”
“Aren’t you even a little glad I still care about you? Why are you angry?”
“That you don’t understand makes you all the more a dog, Mikal! Leave me alone. I’ll get home fine.”
“But you seemed scared when you came out of the tavern. Did you think I was one of those cutthroats?”
She was quiet a long time. “No,” she finally said. “I thought you might be my brother.”
“Your brother?”
“He’s in Alastair, Mikal. That’s what I heard tonight.”
“Will he look for you?”
She didn’t know how to answer. She wasn’t even sure what she wanted the answer to be. She just started walking again.
Mikal followed her. “Tell me about it. Are you true afraid?”
She stopped. “Martica said once that I haven’t the sense to be true afraid of anything. And I suppose it’s so. But she says he’s a murderer, and one of those men said it too. My father was the same way, Mikal. They killed my mother. Stabbed her full of holes and left her lay.” She looked up at him. “I don’t know why I ever wondered if he’d come seeking me. Why would he ever come back here?”
“Let me take you home.”
“I’m not afraid, Mikal. And you’re still a dog. What do you suppose your father would say if the neighbors told him you were here with me?”
“I’d have to answer for it. But I’d explain it. That’s not hard.”
“What if I told him?” Tiarra challenged.
“You wouldn’t do that.”
But Tiarra was fuming. “You’d bed me and Mary both if you could get by with it!”
“Kings have done it, Ti! People do all kinds of things for love. We could be happy. And I meant what I said about protecting you.”
Tiarra met his words with an icy glare. “I ought to kill you and my brother both.”
He stared at her, stunned. “Maybe you’re right,” he said.
“Maybe I should go on home.”
She didn’t say anything. She just walked off into the darkness toward Vermeel Street, wondering what Martica would say. The old woman had been her mother’s friend. Tiarra might have died an infant had it
It was long past dark when finally Vale let her go. She burst out the tavern door and almost ran into someone just standing there waiting in the shadows. She jumped back from the man with a cry, but it was Mikal.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded of him.
“I wanted to walk you home. I thought it would ease things for you a mite, considering what happened yesterday. No moon tonight, and you get some rough sorts around here.”
“Does your father know you’ve come?”
“No.”
“Well, he wouldn’t like it. You know that as well as I do! You’re supposed to be developing a fine reputation, Mikal, not carousing about at night.”
“Don’t you like me anymore, Ti?”
She started walking. “I do and I don’t, depending on what you’re about at the time.”
“Thanks,” he said as he followed. “That’s better than a straight no.”
She glanced at him for a moment without stopping. “I wish you’d tell me just why it matters. Do you suppose Mary Stumping would care at all what I think of you?”
“Well, yes,” Mikal declared. “I think she would. In fact, I know she does.”
“I like you a lot. I always did.” He reached for her arm. “It bothered me what happened. I didn’t like seeing you hurt that way.”
“Thank you for talking to Vale,” she said simply and started to turn away.
But he pulled her closer and touched her cheek. “Don’t you think we can still be friends? That doesn’t have to change, even when I’m married. Mary doesn’t have to know.” He leaned his face nearer to hers. “I aim to help you, Ti. I want to protect you.”
But she pushed him away. “Who will protect me from you ? You’re still trying to buy my kisses! With protection this time!”
“I can’t buy them,” he said sadly. “I don’t want to insult you again. I just wish you’d see clear to give them up willing.”
“You’re a dog, do you know that?”
“Aren’t you even a little glad I still care about you? Why are you angry?”
“That you don’t understand makes you all the more a dog, Mikal! Leave me alone. I’ll get home fine.”
“But you seemed scared when you came out of the tavern. Did you think I was one of those cutthroats?”
She was quiet a long time. “No,” she finally said. “I thought you might be my brother.”
“Your brother?”
“He’s in Alastair, Mikal. That’s what I heard tonight.”
“Will he look for you?”
She didn’t know how to answer. She wasn’t even sure what she wanted the answer to be. She just started walking again.
Mikal followed her. “Tell me about it. Are you true afraid?”
She stopped. “Martica said once that I haven’t the sense to be true afraid of anything. And I suppose it’s so. But she says he’s a murderer, and one of those men said it too. My father was the same way, Mikal. They killed my mother. Stabbed her full of holes and left her lay.” She looked up at him. “I don’t know why I ever wondered if he’d come seeking me. Why would he ever come back here?”
“Let me take you home.”
“I’m not afraid, Mikal. And you’re still a dog. What do you suppose your father would say if the neighbors told him you were here with me?”
“I’d have to answer for it. But I’d explain it. That’s not hard.”
“What if I told him?” Tiarra challenged.
“You wouldn’t do that.”
But Tiarra was fuming. “You’d bed me and Mary both if you could get by with it!”
“Kings have done it, Ti! People do all kinds of things for love. We could be happy. And I meant what I said about protecting you.”
Tiarra met his words with an icy glare. “I ought to kill you and my brother both.”
He stared at her, stunned. “Maybe you’re right,” he said.
“Maybe I should go on home.”
She didn’t say anything. She just walked off into the darkness toward Vermeel Street, wondering what Martica would say. The old woman had been her mother’s friend. Tiarra might have died an infant had it
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