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Authors: Joshua P. Simon
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her?”
Andrasta bobbed her head as she unhitched Athar. “I wouldn’t care if that was all you wanted. But I’m worried there’s something more brewing between you two.”
“Now what’re you talking about?”
“We’ve been out of prison for over a year. For someone with the reputation you had as a minstrel, I would have thought you’d have made some attempt at taking a woman to bed by now, but you haven’t. That’s what, nine years since you’ve been with one? Or is it ten now?”
Rondel scowled, not liking the direction of the conversation. “Perhaps.”
“That’s a long time for any man to go, and you’ve made no move to even buy a whore when you’ve had the chance.”
“You know that’s not my style. Besides, you’ve never made a move to sleep with anyone either.”
“We’re not talking about me. My point is, I think you want more than just to sleep with someone. And Shadya seems to be the one that’s finally caught more than just your eye.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You tell me. I was out for a day while you two just sat around and talked. And then the way you’ve joked and laughed since I’ve been awake. It isn’t normal in the Erban culture for a woman to speak and laugh so freely with a strange man.”
Rondel chuckled. “You make it seem like we’re a couple of love-struck teenagers.”
She shrugged.
“This is ridiculous.” Rondel grabbed the camel and walked it to the water, turning his back on Andrasta, so she couldn’t see the reddening in his cheeks.
“Is it?”
I don’t know. So what if it is? I’m a grown man. What did Aritophul say in his philosophy? ”Every man is looking for someone to spend their life with, but many don’t know it until they meet her.”
Maybe that’s me. I recall here and there wanting something more than what I used to get from women. It just never grew past that tug because one never truly appealed to me. Perhaps, I do want something more. I may have even found it.
Of course, in Erba that would only happen if I married Shadya. His blood went cold at the thought. Marriage meant commitment. I don’t know if I’m quite ready for that though.
“Yes. It’s absolutely ridiculous,” he said with more confidence. “But for argument’s sake, let’s say there is something more between us. What would you do then?”
“I’d tell you not to get involved with the woman.”
“Why?”
“Because I think it’s all an act.”
“What is?”
“Everything. Something’s off. It’s all too easy. Too perfect to be that close to truth. It’s a good way to use us though. I’ll give her that. You specifically.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Maybe, but you’re the one standing in water right now.”
Rondel looked down and cursed. He had let the camel tug him into the pool, and water had seeped through the seams in his boots, soaking his feet.
He stepped back to dry land. Looking up, he wondered if his partner did have the truth of things.
She is a woman. He eyed her armor and battered clothes. Even if she doesn’t act like one in the traditional sense. Maybe she does know better. Maybe she sees something more serious between me and Shadya that I’m blind to.
Saliva ran down his damaged throat. He winced, opening and closing his damaged hand.
Shadya could do far better than someone like me.
A high-pitched shrill rang out, followed by men grunting.
“Rondel!”
Rondel sprinted around the pool, drawing his short sword. He rounded the rock separating the private pool from camp. He came upon a shallow cave close to forty feet deep and sixty feet wide. The pool took up a third of the space. The rest of the cave consisted of gradually sloping rock that led up to the desert waste. On that slope, two men dragged one wet, partially dressed woman against her will.
“Rondel! Help!”
The two men stopped and turned. The one on the right spoke. “Rondel? That’s the name of the whoreson that broke into the
Andrasta bobbed her head as she unhitched Athar. “I wouldn’t care if that was all you wanted. But I’m worried there’s something more brewing between you two.”
“Now what’re you talking about?”
“We’ve been out of prison for over a year. For someone with the reputation you had as a minstrel, I would have thought you’d have made some attempt at taking a woman to bed by now, but you haven’t. That’s what, nine years since you’ve been with one? Or is it ten now?”
Rondel scowled, not liking the direction of the conversation. “Perhaps.”
“That’s a long time for any man to go, and you’ve made no move to even buy a whore when you’ve had the chance.”
“You know that’s not my style. Besides, you’ve never made a move to sleep with anyone either.”
“We’re not talking about me. My point is, I think you want more than just to sleep with someone. And Shadya seems to be the one that’s finally caught more than just your eye.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You tell me. I was out for a day while you two just sat around and talked. And then the way you’ve joked and laughed since I’ve been awake. It isn’t normal in the Erban culture for a woman to speak and laugh so freely with a strange man.”
Rondel chuckled. “You make it seem like we’re a couple of love-struck teenagers.”
She shrugged.
“This is ridiculous.” Rondel grabbed the camel and walked it to the water, turning his back on Andrasta, so she couldn’t see the reddening in his cheeks.
“Is it?”
I don’t know. So what if it is? I’m a grown man. What did Aritophul say in his philosophy? ”Every man is looking for someone to spend their life with, but many don’t know it until they meet her.”
Maybe that’s me. I recall here and there wanting something more than what I used to get from women. It just never grew past that tug because one never truly appealed to me. Perhaps, I do want something more. I may have even found it.
Of course, in Erba that would only happen if I married Shadya. His blood went cold at the thought. Marriage meant commitment. I don’t know if I’m quite ready for that though.
“Yes. It’s absolutely ridiculous,” he said with more confidence. “But for argument’s sake, let’s say there is something more between us. What would you do then?”
“I’d tell you not to get involved with the woman.”
“Why?”
“Because I think it’s all an act.”
“What is?”
“Everything. Something’s off. It’s all too easy. Too perfect to be that close to truth. It’s a good way to use us though. I’ll give her that. You specifically.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Maybe, but you’re the one standing in water right now.”
Rondel looked down and cursed. He had let the camel tug him into the pool, and water had seeped through the seams in his boots, soaking his feet.
He stepped back to dry land. Looking up, he wondered if his partner did have the truth of things.
She is a woman. He eyed her armor and battered clothes. Even if she doesn’t act like one in the traditional sense. Maybe she does know better. Maybe she sees something more serious between me and Shadya that I’m blind to.
Saliva ran down his damaged throat. He winced, opening and closing his damaged hand.
Shadya could do far better than someone like me.
A high-pitched shrill rang out, followed by men grunting.
“Rondel!”
Rondel sprinted around the pool, drawing his short sword. He rounded the rock separating the private pool from camp. He came upon a shallow cave close to forty feet deep and sixty feet wide. The pool took up a third of the space. The rest of the cave consisted of gradually sloping rock that led up to the desert waste. On that slope, two men dragged one wet, partially dressed woman against her will.
“Rondel! Help!”
The two men stopped and turned. The one on the right spoke. “Rondel? That’s the name of the whoreson that broke into the
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