Read Online The Crystal Empire by L. Neil Smith - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: L. Neil Smith
Ads: Link
to herself about and live with.
Thinking himself alone, he knelt beside the huge canted dory with his stick measurer. A shadow fell across the hull, startling him. He whirled, the stick becoming Murderer in his reflex-guided hands. This he acted to co n trol before the newcomer could notice.
“Good day, Sedrich, son of Sedrich,” a silvery voice commented. “Pray do not slice me with yon mighty weapon, warrior, for I assure you I mean no harm.”
Frae smiled shyly and then laughed. Sedrich joined her, flinging the stick aside as he rose.
“Good day, gentle neighbor. ’Tis no warrior I am”—he flexed his much-abused wrist, remembering the morning’s pointed comments to that effect from his father—“but tradesman and artisan.” He grinned. “Hast need of my talents?”
A soft salted breeze lifted her unbound golden hair. Falling past her shoulders, it framed a smooth, well-boned and pink-cheeked face, full-lipped, with an upturned nose. Her teeth were white and even. Her eyes, beneath long lashes, reflected the glory of the afternoon sky. Impro v ing upon it, Sedrich found himself thinking, and not only because there were storm clouds cluttering the seaward horizon.
Frae’s shift was of blue-dyed cotton reaching to her knees, rope-fastened at the waist. A pair of ribbons tied in bows held the simple garment upon her shoulders. From her rope belt hung scissors, token that she was mistress of her father’s household. Sedrich had fashioned them hi m self, the first gift he’d given anyone outside his family.
Jest still twinkling in her eye, she began, “Methinks—”
Never knowing whence the impulse came, in a swift and certain ge s ture he seized her by the wrist, pulled her close, kissed her upon the mouth, feeling her body pliant against his, back straight and slender, hips rounded. To his bewilderment, she didn’t return the kiss—the first for both—but stood as if nailed to the spot, then burst into tears. Co n fused, Sedrich stepped back awkwardly, catching his heel upon the dory.
He all but fell.
Frae advanced, placing a white hand upon his forearm. Wiping her eyes, she smiled, the truest smile, Sedrich would have sworn, he’d ever seen of her, unreserved and gay.
“I’m this night to be inducted into the Sisterhood. Your mother will perform the ceremony. It means I’m a woman grown.”
Laying his brown hand over hers, Sedrich scowled at the gray pier-planking, then looked into her eyes. Enormous they seemed, and inf i nitely trusting. Induction might mean naught but that she was another childless woman—were she not being groomed to succeed Ilse.
Aloud, he answered, “Frae, I’m glad for you. Were men permitted, I’d stand witness myself.”
“Dear my Sedrich, I’d in mind another ceremony. ’Tis said among women it’s bad luck to be inducted as a...as a virgin.”
She reached for the rope at her waist, pulling it free.
He caught her scissors before they slid to the ground.
“Bad luck?” he croaked, watching his fingers, living their own life, pull the knot from one of the ribbons which held her shift up. The hair stood out upon the back of his neck as a wash of prickly weakness coursed through his body. A corner of the fabric fell in a diagonal, e x posing a soft, small, rounded breast. She kept her eyes on his, blushed as he touched the nipple with a trembling finger and it came erect. With a tremor, her flesh reclothed itself in goosebumps.
Frae had indeed become a woman.
With clumsy hands, Sedrich pushed the shoulder of her shift back i n to place, casting his eye about to see if they were watched.
“My own boat’s at the end of the pier. We won’t be noticed upon the estuary.”
A few minutes later, Frae sat in the bow, a hand upon her undone shoulder—for she refused to tie it up again—while Sedrich labored at the paddles. He was glad of the work, as he couldn’t will his hands to stop shaking. All of his strength seemed concentrated in one lone emba r
Thinking himself alone, he knelt beside the huge canted dory with his stick measurer. A shadow fell across the hull, startling him. He whirled, the stick becoming Murderer in his reflex-guided hands. This he acted to co n trol before the newcomer could notice.
“Good day, Sedrich, son of Sedrich,” a silvery voice commented. “Pray do not slice me with yon mighty weapon, warrior, for I assure you I mean no harm.”
Frae smiled shyly and then laughed. Sedrich joined her, flinging the stick aside as he rose.
“Good day, gentle neighbor. ’Tis no warrior I am”—he flexed his much-abused wrist, remembering the morning’s pointed comments to that effect from his father—“but tradesman and artisan.” He grinned. “Hast need of my talents?”
A soft salted breeze lifted her unbound golden hair. Falling past her shoulders, it framed a smooth, well-boned and pink-cheeked face, full-lipped, with an upturned nose. Her teeth were white and even. Her eyes, beneath long lashes, reflected the glory of the afternoon sky. Impro v ing upon it, Sedrich found himself thinking, and not only because there were storm clouds cluttering the seaward horizon.
Frae’s shift was of blue-dyed cotton reaching to her knees, rope-fastened at the waist. A pair of ribbons tied in bows held the simple garment upon her shoulders. From her rope belt hung scissors, token that she was mistress of her father’s household. Sedrich had fashioned them hi m self, the first gift he’d given anyone outside his family.
Jest still twinkling in her eye, she began, “Methinks—”
Never knowing whence the impulse came, in a swift and certain ge s ture he seized her by the wrist, pulled her close, kissed her upon the mouth, feeling her body pliant against his, back straight and slender, hips rounded. To his bewilderment, she didn’t return the kiss—the first for both—but stood as if nailed to the spot, then burst into tears. Co n fused, Sedrich stepped back awkwardly, catching his heel upon the dory.
He all but fell.
Frae advanced, placing a white hand upon his forearm. Wiping her eyes, she smiled, the truest smile, Sedrich would have sworn, he’d ever seen of her, unreserved and gay.
“I’m this night to be inducted into the Sisterhood. Your mother will perform the ceremony. It means I’m a woman grown.”
Laying his brown hand over hers, Sedrich scowled at the gray pier-planking, then looked into her eyes. Enormous they seemed, and inf i nitely trusting. Induction might mean naught but that she was another childless woman—were she not being groomed to succeed Ilse.
Aloud, he answered, “Frae, I’m glad for you. Were men permitted, I’d stand witness myself.”
“Dear my Sedrich, I’d in mind another ceremony. ’Tis said among women it’s bad luck to be inducted as a...as a virgin.”
She reached for the rope at her waist, pulling it free.
He caught her scissors before they slid to the ground.
“Bad luck?” he croaked, watching his fingers, living their own life, pull the knot from one of the ribbons which held her shift up. The hair stood out upon the back of his neck as a wash of prickly weakness coursed through his body. A corner of the fabric fell in a diagonal, e x posing a soft, small, rounded breast. She kept her eyes on his, blushed as he touched the nipple with a trembling finger and it came erect. With a tremor, her flesh reclothed itself in goosebumps.
Frae had indeed become a woman.
With clumsy hands, Sedrich pushed the shoulder of her shift back i n to place, casting his eye about to see if they were watched.
“My own boat’s at the end of the pier. We won’t be noticed upon the estuary.”
A few minutes later, Frae sat in the bow, a hand upon her undone shoulder—for she refused to tie it up again—while Sedrich labored at the paddles. He was glad of the work, as he couldn’t will his hands to stop shaking. All of his strength seemed concentrated in one lone emba r
Similar Books
