ankle-length woolen dresses. She wore rather the garmenture of a male, the furs and leather. At her belt there was even a knife. She was strikingly lovely, though, I supposed, given her mien and attitude, she would not have taken such an observation as a compliment. She was about the same size as Feiqa, though perhaps a tiny bit shorter, and like Feiqa, was dark-haired and dark-eyed. I thought they might look well together, as a brace of slaves.
Sorath then, stung by her remark, flung himself wildly toward me and fought frenziedly, but rashly. I blocked blows, not wishing to take advantage of his recklessness. I refrained from striking him. Had we been using real axes, the handles armed with iron, I might have finished him several times. I do not know if he was fully aware of this, but I am sure some of the others were. Hurtha and Genserix, for example, judging from the alarm which I noted in their expressions, seemed to be under no misapprehensions in the matter. To be sure, had the handles been armed perhaps he would have addressed (pg. 53) himself to our match with much greater circumspection. Panting, Sorath backed away.
"Fight, Sorath," taunted the woman. "He is an outsider. Are you not an Alar?"
"Be silent, woman," said Genserix, angrily.
"I am a free woman," she said. I may speak as I please."
"Do not seek to interfere in the affairs of men," said Genserix.
She faced the group, standing on the other side of the fire. Her feet were spread. On her feet were boots of fur. Her arms were crossed insolently upon her chest. "Are there men here?" she asked. "I wonder."
There was a rumble of angry sounds from the gathered warriors. But none did anything to discipline the girl. She was, of course, free. Free women, among the Alars, have high standing.
"Do you think you are a man?" inquired one of the warriors.
"I am a female," she said, "but I am not different from you, not in the least."
There were angry murmurs from the men.
"Indeed," she said, "I am probably more a man than any of you here."
"Give her an ax," said Genserix.
An ax, a typical Alar ax, long handled, armed with its heavy iron blade, was handed to the girl. She took it, holding it with difficulty. It was clear it was too heavy for her. She could scarcely lift it, let alone wield it.
"You could not use that blade, even for chopping wood," said Genserix.
"What is your name?" I asked her.
"Tenseric," she said.
"That is a male's name," I said.
"I chose it myself," she said. "I wear it proudly."
"Have you always been called that?" I asked.
"I was called Boabissia," she said, "until I came of age, and chose my own name."
"You are still Boabissia," said one of the warriors.
(pg. 54) "No!" she said. "I am Tenseric."
"You are a female, are you not?" I asked.
"I suppose so," she said, angrily. "But what is that supposed to mean?"
"Does it mean nothing?" I asked.
"No," she said. "It means nothing."
"Are you the same as a man?" I asked.
"Yes!" she said.
There was laughter from the warriors about the fire.
"It takes more than fur and leather, and a dagger worn pretentiously at one's belt, to make a man." I said.
She looked at me with fury.
"You are a female," called one of the men. "Be one!"
"No!" she cried.
"Put on a dress!" called another of the men.
"Never!" she cried. "I do not want to be one of those pathetic creatures who must wait on you and serve you!"
"Are you an Alar?" I asked.
"Yes!" she said.
'No," said Genserix. "She is not an Alar. We found her, years ago, when she was an infant, beside the road, abandoned in blankets, amidst the wreckage of a raided caravan."
"One which had fallen to the Alars?" I inquired.
"No," said a fellow, chuckling.
"I wished it had fallen to us," said another. "From the size of the caravan, we conjecture the loot must have been considerable."
"There was little left when we arrived," commented another.
"Do not be misled," said Hurtha, smiling. "We do not really do much raiding. It does not make for
Sorath then, stung by her remark, flung himself wildly toward me and fought frenziedly, but rashly. I blocked blows, not wishing to take advantage of his recklessness. I refrained from striking him. Had we been using real axes, the handles armed with iron, I might have finished him several times. I do not know if he was fully aware of this, but I am sure some of the others were. Hurtha and Genserix, for example, judging from the alarm which I noted in their expressions, seemed to be under no misapprehensions in the matter. To be sure, had the handles been armed perhaps he would have addressed (pg. 53) himself to our match with much greater circumspection. Panting, Sorath backed away.
"Fight, Sorath," taunted the woman. "He is an outsider. Are you not an Alar?"
"Be silent, woman," said Genserix, angrily.
"I am a free woman," she said. I may speak as I please."
"Do not seek to interfere in the affairs of men," said Genserix.
She faced the group, standing on the other side of the fire. Her feet were spread. On her feet were boots of fur. Her arms were crossed insolently upon her chest. "Are there men here?" she asked. "I wonder."
There was a rumble of angry sounds from the gathered warriors. But none did anything to discipline the girl. She was, of course, free. Free women, among the Alars, have high standing.
"Do you think you are a man?" inquired one of the warriors.
"I am a female," she said, "but I am not different from you, not in the least."
There were angry murmurs from the men.
"Indeed," she said, "I am probably more a man than any of you here."
"Give her an ax," said Genserix.
An ax, a typical Alar ax, long handled, armed with its heavy iron blade, was handed to the girl. She took it, holding it with difficulty. It was clear it was too heavy for her. She could scarcely lift it, let alone wield it.
"You could not use that blade, even for chopping wood," said Genserix.
"What is your name?" I asked her.
"Tenseric," she said.
"That is a male's name," I said.
"I chose it myself," she said. "I wear it proudly."
"Have you always been called that?" I asked.
"I was called Boabissia," she said, "until I came of age, and chose my own name."
"You are still Boabissia," said one of the warriors.
(pg. 54) "No!" she said. "I am Tenseric."
"You are a female, are you not?" I asked.
"I suppose so," she said, angrily. "But what is that supposed to mean?"
"Does it mean nothing?" I asked.
"No," she said. "It means nothing."
"Are you the same as a man?" I asked.
"Yes!" she said.
There was laughter from the warriors about the fire.
"It takes more than fur and leather, and a dagger worn pretentiously at one's belt, to make a man." I said.
She looked at me with fury.
"You are a female," called one of the men. "Be one!"
"No!" she cried.
"Put on a dress!" called another of the men.
"Never!" she cried. "I do not want to be one of those pathetic creatures who must wait on you and serve you!"
"Are you an Alar?" I asked.
"Yes!" she said.
'No," said Genserix. "She is not an Alar. We found her, years ago, when she was an infant, beside the road, abandoned in blankets, amidst the wreckage of a raided caravan."
"One which had fallen to the Alars?" I inquired.
"No," said a fellow, chuckling.
"I wished it had fallen to us," said another. "From the size of the caravan, we conjecture the loot must have been considerable."
"There was little left when we arrived," commented another.
"Do not be misled," said Hurtha, smiling. "We do not really do much raiding. It does not make for
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