Ania still looked doubtful, but she smiled. “I’m sorry about--the things I said a while ago. Kloe’s right. I don’t mind my tongue as I should, but I truly didn’t mean to insult you.”
“It was just as rude of Kloe to point it out,” Elise said, her amusement dissipating.
Ania covered her mouth to hide a smile. “You are as bad as I am! Shhh! She will hear you.”
Elise shrugged unconcernedly. “She and Sinata are too busy talking about everyone else to hear anyone talking about them.”
Ania bit her lip to keep from smiling. “I like you, Lise. I can see why Ja-rael adores you so. You are not only beautiful, you are clever and funny and you have a very good heart, just as he does. I am so glad he found someone like you. He was so lonely and I would have hated it for him if he had had to settle for someone like--like Kloe or Sinata. Not that they are so terrible, mind you! It’s just--well they are very spoiled and self-centered. I do not think they would even mind their young except that it is expected for a female to be devoted to her offspring.”
“And they are very careful to behave as expected?”
Ania nodded. “Their mates are high in the government of the city. My Mazel is only a clerk so I am at the very bottom of the social scale.”
Elise’s brows rose. “Where do healers and their mates fit into the scale?”
Ania looked at her curiously. “They have no true standing, but they are honored and respected by all so they have no need of it--nor wealth either. To be truthful, Ja-rael is respected more because he is not wealthy. Not all healers honor their vows as they should. Many times I have heard Kloe’s mate, Jida, say to him that he must insist upon receiving fair pay for his services, even from the poor, that they are only pretending they have nothing to pay with so that they can keep their tavos to spend on hard drink. Ja-rael is always polite, but I can see it makes him angry.”
“What do you think?”
“I think that I know nothing of the matter--and neither does Jida, for his family has been wealthy for generations. He can not make a fair judgment on a life he has never led. And I also think that you are the luckiest of females, for Ja-rael is not only handsome, but clever and …” She stopped self-consciously. “Did that sound very bad? I suppose it did, but it is not what you think. He has been my healer since I was a child and though I do not feel anything forbidden, I do admire and respect him more than anyone I know--except my mate, of course.”
Elise smiled with an effort, but it was hard to tamp the unpleasant knot of jealousy in her stomach. She would’ve had to have been a complete moron not to know that Ania worshiped Ja-rael, but perhaps it was more admiration that affection for him as a male, just as she claimed.
All the same, females had been known to confuse the emotion with true love more than once and when it came right down to it the hair’s worth of difference rarely mattered.
“I haven’t seen the first plant,” Elise said, changing the subject abruptly.
Ania blinked, but followed Elise’s lead readily. “No. I beg pardon. I knew you would not when Kloe told us that was why you wanted to come, but I wanted the chance to get to know you so I didn’t say anything. Besides, there are many beautiful things here for you to buy.”
Elise shrugged. Ja-rael had bought her more than enough to wear. She never went anywhere so there seemed little point in spending the tavos he’d given her on more, particularly since she now realized how hard he worked for them.
“The things he bought you are beautiful. I had no idea he had such wonderful taste! But you will want to buy things more to your own taste.” She chuckled. “I was here the day he came. It was so amusing to watch him studying each thing so carefully. And everyone was very curious because we did not know he had a mate to buy for. Not that Mazel would do such a thing for me. He has far more important--uh--what I meant to say is that ….”
Elise couldn’t help but be amused at the dilemma Ania’s swift tongue had gotten her into. Either she wasn’t important enough to her husband for him to spend so much time on her, or Ja-rael’s time wasn’t important enough. Insult herself? Or insult both Elise and Ja-rael. “Never mind. I get the idea. Where do you think I might find plants?”
Ania frowned, looking around the huge market at the many stalls as if she expected the plants to magically appear because there was a demand for them. “The forest?”
Elise shook her head. “I can’t believe no one here cultivates plants purely for their beauty.”
Ania chewed her lower lip indecisively for several moments. “The thing is, we do not believe in exploiting nature. We prefer to live in harmony with it to the best of our ability--only tampering where absolutely necessary.”
Elise had been half heartedly examining the wares of the stall they had stopped in front of--a maker of shiny, metallic vessels for all sorts of uses--but at that she glanced at Ania sharply. “They are living things, but they grow as happily in one place as another.”
Ania’s face darkened with embarrassment. “I hope you’ll pardon me for being so rude. I didn’t mean for it to sound like that. It’s just--long ago, in the days before the tribes of Meeri warred and divided, we took what we wanted and wasted what we did not and our world suffered for it. It was a very harsh lesson, and one we do not allow ourselves to forget. So now we are very careful with everything because we realize we do not really understand the delicate balance and can not hope to control it.”
Elise’s interest was piqued. “You seem like such a--polite, peaceful people. I can’t imagine the Meeri warring.”
Ania shrugged. “Now we are. When you are careful of the feelings of others then it is possible to for many to live closely together and still maintain harmony. The time I spoke of was so long ago--to be honest, I had always thought it was merely tales that had been passed down to teach us the lessons we needed to learn. I suppose everyone did until Ja-rael brought you here. According to the legends, the maned lions were one of the three tribes of Meeri, and then there were the people who called themselves the Torrines. Our world divided in war.”
Elise blinked several times. “The world broke apart?” she said, aghast, wondering how it was even possible that they’d literally blown the world apart and any of them had survived.
Ania giggled. “I didn’t mean the planet. I meant the people. The three tribes were all so different, they couldn’t agree upon anything and they broke apart, each settling far away from the others. Were you not taught this, also?”
Elise definitely did not want to get into that kind of discussion. Ania’s tongue was loose on both ends. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that anything that went into her head would come spilling out sometime. “Is it forbidden to transplant?”
Ania looked confused for several moments, but then frowned thoughtfully when she recalled the discussion they’d been having about the plants. “I’m not sure.”
“A law?”
Ania’s brow cleared. “Neither Kloe nor Sinata said so, did they? It must not be forbidden.”
“But then they knew I wouldn’t find plants here,” Elise pointed out.
Ania shrugged. “Yes, but they would still have said something. They consider themselves the ‘guardians’ of proper behavior---you noticed they did comment on you working in the yard. Ladies are not supposed to labor. They are only suitable for light work.”
Elise let that pass. She’d do what she damned well felt like doing. If she chose to do it, she didn’t figure it fell under the heading of anyone else’s business. From what Ania had said, Ja-rael had no real social standing anyway. It wasn’t like anything she did would hurt him socially and it was obvious they expected her to be strange.
As conceited as it sounded, she was probably the most entertainment they’d had in months--or cycles as the Meeri referred to them.
Now all she had to do was figure out how she was going to get to the forest to collect the plants she wanted when it was forbidden for a female to travel alone.
&
nbsp; * * * *
Elise had been struggling with leveling the walking stones for hours and had gotten so frustrated she’d given up a half a dozen times. Each time she plopped down on the stoop to glare at the things, however, she realized she was just too stubborn to allow the task to defeat her and after resting a few moments she would get to her feet and try again.
The sounds of an arrival late in the afternoon dragged her attention from the stone she was worrying with and she glanced around to see Clautz returning with his family. She was about to return her attention to her task when she caught motion out of the corner of her eye and looked instinctively to see what it was.
Ja-rael!
Two thoughts collided in her mind almost instantaneously. Ja-rael had returned early--and he was heading right straight for Clautz. In about five seconds he was going to find out she hadn’t delivered the message that she’d been given.
She’d forgotten it the first time because of the argument she’d had with Ja-rael. The second opportunity had been missed because she’d been too groggy with sleep to think of it. There hadn’t seemed much point in telling him after that, but she realized now that there had been a point--reliability. It hadn’t seemed all that important, but it wasn’t her place to decide on the importance of a message meant for someone else.
She flushed guiltily when the men, who’d met in the front yard, glanced in her direction. Pretending she hadn’t noticed, she did her best to concentrate on what she was doing. A few minutes later she heard the faint, but unmistakable, tread that told her of Ja-rael’s approach.
* * * *
“Greetings! I hope that your trip went well?”
Clautz smiled at Ja-rael. “Indeed--and I take it from that that your lovely mate, Leez, did convey my apologies? I did not like leaving when you were expected, but I had no choice. And you were not home…. Will you be coming by tomorrow, then, to see little Sadiem?”
“Yes. I am anxious to do so. He has seemed to be thriving well?”
Clautz looked uncomfortable. “Yes. Zelia is--we are both embarrassed about her behavior, and also most grateful that you were there for us in our time of need. As angry as I was with her when I discovered the foolish thing that she had done, it made me see that there is little point in succeeding well in my job if I fail my family.”
Ja-rael nodded, but he wasn’t certain he completely agreed. It did not seem to him that Clautz was in any way to blame. He pampered Zelia outrageously.
Clautz frowned, looking even more uncomfortable. “And how are things going for you and your mate?”
Ja-rael felt his belly clench uncomfortably. “Well,” he answered.
Clautz nodded, seemed to debate with himself and finally spoke again. “I hope that you consider me a friend?” he asked hesitantly.
Ja-rael looked at Clautz in surprise, feeling the knot in his stomach tighten even more. Such prefixes generally preceded comments that were personal and rarely welcome. “I do,” he responded uneasily.
Clautz reddened. “I have wondered if I should say anything at all, but I do value you highly, Ja-rael, and I would not wish to see you unhappy.”
Instead of commenting, Ja-rael lifted one brow questioningly. His expression, however, was far from welcoming.
Expelling an uncomfortable breath, Clautz persevered anyway. “The ladies talk. I have overheard some comment that you seem--not completely satisfied with your mate. I say this as a friend, because I know that you have been very busy since you returned and perhaps have not realized that they will take their lead from you. She will not be accepted by the others if they believe you regret having taken her as your mate.”
Ja-rael reddened with both anger and embarrassment. It wasn’t as if he had not known that that would be the case, but he had not realized that he and Leez would be watched so closely that the neighbors would see that he went to great pains to avoid Leez. He should have known better! The females had little to do with their time beyond gossip!
But it had been no part of his plan to make Leez the butt of gossip or the recipient of their cold shoulders. It did not matter that she would be leaving. He did not want her to be unhappy while she was here, and he could not think she would be happy if her overtures of friendship were shunned out of hand only because he was so weak where she was concerned that it was easier for him to avoid her than to control himself.
As painful as it was for him, he saw that he must do something, and quickly, to squelch the chatter. Somewhat stiffly, he thanked Clautz and, girding himself, headed to his own home to do what he could to repair the damage he had done, however unintentionally. He found to his dismay that Leez had no intention of making it easy for him.
He knew very well that she was not so busy that she had failed to notice his presence, but she seemed determined to pretend she had.
Realizing finally that she was not going to acknowledge him, he squatted down beside her. “It is not level.”
Elise gritted her teeth but managed to refrain from making a snide remark at the observation. “I noticed.”
Irritated that she seemed determined to dismiss him, Ja-rael felt his patience grow thin. “This is why I could not find the walkway in the dark. Why did you move them here?”
“You see far better than I do in the dark, so I don’t believe you couldn’t find the walkway. You’re just looking for a reason to complain,” Elise said without looking up.
“It is not nearly as convenient.”
Elise finally subsided and turned to look at him. “It’s prettier than harsh lines and angles--softer, more pleasing to the eye.”
He frowned, looked for several moments as if he would say something and finally subsided. Elise had a feeling she knew what he’d been about to say, that she wouldn’t be here that long anyway. Why would it matter to her?
She’d wondered that herself. Wryly, she wondered if it wasn’t just a way of ‘marking’ her territory. She supposed it was her way of saying ‘I’m here. This is me. You can ignore me, but I won’t let you remain unaware that I’m here.’
After a moment, she brushed the dirt from her hands and got to her feet. Taking a hold of one of Ja-rael’s wrists, she led him back to the roadway and pointed toward the inner city. “See those curling, rounded spires? Aren’t they much prettier than the buildings that are flat on top?”
Ja-rael frowned. “Those with spires are many generations old. The others are newer, more--efficient.”
He was right in one sense, she supposed. “Maybe, but doesn’t it make you feel better, happier to be surrounded by things that you find pleasing?” she asked earnestly.
He turned to study her for what seemed an endless moment. Finally, he swallowed with some difficulty and his lips twisted in a wry smile. Instead of responding to the question, however, he turned to look at the curving walkway again. “This is more--interesting. Would you like for me to help you?”
Elise felt a smile all the way down to her toes. “Yes!”
Chapter Twenty Three
It was almost completely dark before the two of them had managed to level all of the stones. They’d worked in companionable silence for the most part, but Elise was happy enough just to feel his presence--and they couldn’t argue if they didn’t talk. She was tempted, more than once, to tell him her other plans for the yard. The reflection that he might object kept her from it. If he didn’t know what she was planning then he couldn’t accuse her of doing something he’d told her not to do.
She was tempted to offer to share the bath with him when they went inside at last, but she decided that would be pushing things too much. Instead, she suggested he take the bathroom first while she prepared the evening meal and used the sink in the cooking area for a quick, spot cleanup.
She had prepared the food and set the heat and timers for the cooking cycles by the time he came out.
He smelled so good she had to fight the urge to get closer and feast upon his scent. The fact that she was not so clean deterred her as much as her earlier
reflections and she scooted past him and went in to make use of the facilities herself.
There was no sign of him when she came out and her heart failed her for several moments. Fortunately, she heard movement in the living area before she could dash to the door and embarrass herself. Content to know he was still close by, she went in to check the meal she’d prepared.
She had very little idea of what Ja-rael liked and she knew none of the dishes the Meeri prepared, but she’d learned to adapt the foods Ja-rael bought to recipes she knew and she was hopeful he would like them.
The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach!
She’d begun to think she wasn’t going to get the opportunity to find out if that old adage held any weight--or if it would also pertain to the Meeri male--and she was so fearful of failing at it completely and so nervous she very nearly ended up with a disaster. As it was the meat dish was underdone and the vegetable dishes she’d prepared a little overdone and she wasn’t happy at all with the results.
Ja-rael didn’t seem to mind. She couldn’t tell that he was actually enjoying the food either, unfortunately. After studying the dishes a little doubtfully for several unnerving moments, he simply helped his plate without comment and ate.
Disappointed, Elise cast around in her mind for something to talk about that wouldn’t be too inane to be interesting or too controversial. “How was your day?” she finally asked politely.
He lifted his head to look at her. His brows rose. “Uneventful.”
Elise’s lips twisted wryly. “I went to the market today,” she said after a few moments, resisting the urge to mentally kick herself. Could she think of NOTHING interesting to say at all?
She discovered she had Ja-rael’s attention. He was looking a little uneasy.
“…with Kloe, Sinata and Ania,” she added quickly. “Believe me, I may not care for the customs here, but I’m not stupid and I don’t have a death wish. Once was enough for me.”
Jaraels Lioness Page 15