Strongheart.”
“Patience would be nice,” Raptor observed gently.
“I already told him. I’m not good with patience.”
“I owe you a blood debt, do I?”
“You do. And it worked.”
“Worked?”
“You’re alive and don’t worry, I don’t intend to collect on it. You can leave just as soon as you are able which, by the way, I would prefer.”
“How does one collect on a blood debt?”
“Servitude,” Tanith returned bluntly, tossing him a sour look. “The People believe in possession by conquest—one way or another. If you owe me a blood debt, I must be the stronger.”
“Not an entirely logical argument.”
Tanith grinned. “Oh, I don’t know, it has its points. I’m the one who saved your life if you’ll remember.”
“Not unaided.”
“It doesn’t matter which channel the strength follows. In their view the strength was flowing through me.”
“That’s why they leave you alone—in spite of their views on women?”
With a nod, Tanith reached for a piece of dry cloth and began briskly wiping herself down, drying skin and scraping off itching mud while the water dropping from the sky outside was slowly easing its force. “First I beat a couple of would-be suitors in combat—that dampened their enthusiasm somewhat; put them off a while. Then, once I started to gather the pack, it put them all off—all except the shaman-warrior who still thinks his magic is as strong as mine and he will one day have me.”
“And when he decides to try his hand?”
“I won’t have to worry about that. I’ll be gone before it comes to a showdown between us.” She glanced at the wolves.
Strongheart rose as the falling water slacked off to a mere downpour and the strange energy hail had stopped . I will get the food if it has not been swept away.
“My thanks,” Tanith returned, “but it might be best if you brought the bow I lost on the path first, if you can find it.”
Strongheart gave a soft huff indicating he had heard and left the cave leaving Tanith behind.
Raptor watched as she moved to the mouth of the cave, wet the cloth to wipe the more stubborn mud from her face and neck before tending to arms and legs. A few moments later she returned, cloth dripping, and began matter-of-factly to wipe down his back with a surprisingly gentle touch. It felt good to have the mud, which was rapidly drying and forming a crusty shell around his body, removed, despite his almost greater desire to remain dry.
Tanith filled a container with water that still fell outside the cave mouth and brought it to Raptor where he sat near the fire. “You can reach the rest,” she said tersely and handed him the cloth as Strongheart entered the cave, Tanith’s pack dragging between his front legs.
Before she could say anything, Strongheart left the cave a second time, returning with her slender, well-crafted bow. Then he shook himself again and lay down near the fire.
Tanith accepted both with silent thanks, then turned again to Raptor. “The Council of Nine has burdened me with you by sending you, so I will stay with you until you regain your strength. Then I must go after The Amulet of the Suonetar.” Speech made she put her hand to fixing them some food.
Raptor didn’t argue. The smell of food as she prepared it over the fire was too distracting. He watched her as he thought back over the papers the Circle of Nine had given him to read about her. He knew her life in-side-out and he had seen only one small crack in her armor—that being when she had believed, for a moment, that he did know all about her life. So he had conceded her privacy.
There were times when it was wise not to let the full truth be known.
Chapter 5
Raptor, Tanith noted, healed quickly just as he had promised. To her relief there had been no further incidents with The People, or anyone else for that matter. The powerful storm, days before, had wiped out all trace of their existence except to The People who knew of their
“Patience would be nice,” Raptor observed gently.
“I already told him. I’m not good with patience.”
“I owe you a blood debt, do I?”
“You do. And it worked.”
“Worked?”
“You’re alive and don’t worry, I don’t intend to collect on it. You can leave just as soon as you are able which, by the way, I would prefer.”
“How does one collect on a blood debt?”
“Servitude,” Tanith returned bluntly, tossing him a sour look. “The People believe in possession by conquest—one way or another. If you owe me a blood debt, I must be the stronger.”
“Not an entirely logical argument.”
Tanith grinned. “Oh, I don’t know, it has its points. I’m the one who saved your life if you’ll remember.”
“Not unaided.”
“It doesn’t matter which channel the strength follows. In their view the strength was flowing through me.”
“That’s why they leave you alone—in spite of their views on women?”
With a nod, Tanith reached for a piece of dry cloth and began briskly wiping herself down, drying skin and scraping off itching mud while the water dropping from the sky outside was slowly easing its force. “First I beat a couple of would-be suitors in combat—that dampened their enthusiasm somewhat; put them off a while. Then, once I started to gather the pack, it put them all off—all except the shaman-warrior who still thinks his magic is as strong as mine and he will one day have me.”
“And when he decides to try his hand?”
“I won’t have to worry about that. I’ll be gone before it comes to a showdown between us.” She glanced at the wolves.
Strongheart rose as the falling water slacked off to a mere downpour and the strange energy hail had stopped . I will get the food if it has not been swept away.
“My thanks,” Tanith returned, “but it might be best if you brought the bow I lost on the path first, if you can find it.”
Strongheart gave a soft huff indicating he had heard and left the cave leaving Tanith behind.
Raptor watched as she moved to the mouth of the cave, wet the cloth to wipe the more stubborn mud from her face and neck before tending to arms and legs. A few moments later she returned, cloth dripping, and began matter-of-factly to wipe down his back with a surprisingly gentle touch. It felt good to have the mud, which was rapidly drying and forming a crusty shell around his body, removed, despite his almost greater desire to remain dry.
Tanith filled a container with water that still fell outside the cave mouth and brought it to Raptor where he sat near the fire. “You can reach the rest,” she said tersely and handed him the cloth as Strongheart entered the cave, Tanith’s pack dragging between his front legs.
Before she could say anything, Strongheart left the cave a second time, returning with her slender, well-crafted bow. Then he shook himself again and lay down near the fire.
Tanith accepted both with silent thanks, then turned again to Raptor. “The Council of Nine has burdened me with you by sending you, so I will stay with you until you regain your strength. Then I must go after The Amulet of the Suonetar.” Speech made she put her hand to fixing them some food.
Raptor didn’t argue. The smell of food as she prepared it over the fire was too distracting. He watched her as he thought back over the papers the Circle of Nine had given him to read about her. He knew her life in-side-out and he had seen only one small crack in her armor—that being when she had believed, for a moment, that he did know all about her life. So he had conceded her privacy.
There were times when it was wise not to let the full truth be known.
Chapter 5
Raptor, Tanith noted, healed quickly just as he had promised. To her relief there had been no further incidents with The People, or anyone else for that matter. The powerful storm, days before, had wiped out all trace of their existence except to The People who knew of their
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