“Ewei, leave here so I may have a word with Neomi,” Moinie stated, a slight tremble noticeable in her voice. “We will send for you to return once we have made contact with the Vor’shai Captain and arranged a meeting to discuss a new plan of action. Until then, I want you to think about your conduct and be thankful I did not let her strike you dead the way I should have. If it happens again, you won’t be so lucky.”
Attempting to regain his dignity Ewei adjusted his coat, stepping away from the wall with a harsh glance in Neomi’s direction. She held firm in her stance. He wasn’t going to see her falter. He was no better than the Ythes. And she had every intention of telling her father. Ewei had no proof of his claims about her and the Vor’shai. Okivra would be more inclined to listen when she spoke in defense of the accusations. Not only for the sake of her being his daughter, but out of hope that her words were the truth rather than discovering what had really transpired between her and Edric.
When he finally disappeared through the door she felt about to burst from the indignation she suffered. She wanted to follow him. Slip behind him in the dim light of morning and break his neck the way Edric had done to her captor the day before. Edric. If only he knew what Ewei had done! He wouldn’t allow it. He would see Ewei dead for the injustice against her. Which is exactly why he can never be allowed to find out. It pained her to realize the truth. A fight between Edric and Ewei would only end in heartache, either with Edric’s death at Ewei’s hands or as punishment for murdering an Ovatai. She was beginning to see the extent of the danger she placed Edric in by going to him. It was more than just a simple fear of Okivra learning of their actions. The emotions she and Edric felt for one another were destined to get them into trouble. They would be found out. It was foolish to think a continuation of their affair was even possible. She couldn’t go to him again. To her dismay, she couldn’t help thinking the safest thing for them both would be his immediate return to Tanispa.
“Have you lost your mind?” Moinie hissed, drawing Neomi from her thoughts. Inhaling a sharp breath Neomi let her gaze settle on Moinie. She was less intimidating than Ewei. It was easier to focus on securing her lies if her friend insisted on asking questions about her excursions.
“Me?” she asked in disbelief. “How can you even ask me that? I was not the one who filled his head with false assumptions about my relationship with the Vor’shai. He would have had no reason to suspect me of such misconduct if you had kept your mouth shut.”
“False assumptions? Neomi, listen to yourself. You admitted that you had an interest in the Vor’shai Prince. The Captain and I saw the two of you together in the chasm. That was more than a mere curiosity. Now you appear from where the Vor’shai sleep after being discovered missing from your own room hours before sunrise, and you expect me to believe you were not with him? Lie to Ewei if you must, but do not think me so foolish. I can smell him on you from here.”
“My personal decisions do not justify Ewei’s actions…”
“He is merely angry, Neomi. I cannot fault him for that.”
“Angry?” she gasped. “Since when has anger been an acceptable excuse to assault the daughter of the Chief ?”
“Since Ewei approached your father about the possibility of a union between the two of you,” Moinie replied simply. “He told me about it when he arrived. It had been his hope to find you and tell you of the negotiation currently being discussed. Can you imagine the insult it would be to find the woman you sought the hand of to have been violated by a foreigner? If Ewei can prove it true, no Ovatai man in their right mind would ever touch you again. Tell me the truth so I can try to help you from falling prey to such ridicule and shame. Did you let that man defile you?”
Shock sent her into silence. Ewei wanted to marry her? It couldn’t be true. Onuric would never give his blessings to the union. He would fight with their father with unmatched vehemence until Okivra conceded to deny the request; if the Chief thought to consider the idea at all. Most of all, Neomi despised the man. He was a strong warrior but lacked in every other quality that would make a decent match. The question was why he would want her. She had proven herself less than adequate as a wife. She failed to produce a child for Mevuk. After listening to the deceptive plotting of Sahra their first night at camp, she couldn’t help but wonder if maybe the Ovatai weren’t so different from the Vor’shai as they thought. Could he have an ulterior motive in the request? Something more important to him than the birth of a child?
Moinie was staring at her. Through the chaos that was her mind Neomi couldn’t overlook her friend’s insistent gaze. She had asked a question. What was it? Her head was too clouded to remember. She recalled being put-off by the inquiry. Narrowing her eyes Neomi tried to give the appearance of being merely upset. It was better than admitting her lack of focus. “What did you say?”
“I asked you whether or not that man has defiled you.”
Defile. Such a harsh word to use when describing what she and Edric shared. But Moinie would never understand. She had no concept of the feelings Neomi felt. Moinie and Onuric had been joined under the same circumstances as she and Mevuk. There was no emotion behind the union. Even now, after having shared the birth of two children between them, Neomi wondered if Moinie felt anything more for Onuric than sheer duty to stay at his side. “It was not like that,” she sighed, recognizing the futility of continuing to deny the truth. “I feel a connection with Edric. One that Mevuk and I never possessed. He cares about me in a way no Ovatai man ever would. To be honest, I am not entirely crushed by the possibility of never being paired with one of them again. Next to Edric, they are all lacking.”
“Lacking in what?” Moinie exhaled in disbelief. “This isn’t like you, Neomi. What has this man done to you? It must be some form of trickery. You are under some strange magic that blinds you from seeing the foolishness of what you do.”
“I am not blinded!” Neomi shouted. “For once I feel as if I am truly seeing everything we are capable of and have been deprived of for so long. We are selfish, Moinie. Our practices teach our children to think of no one but ourselves. We let our kin die in battle without a second thought to the possibility that we could have prevented their deaths. The goal of our people is to cater to the strong and leave the weak to perish. Ewei discusses the Vor’shai as if they are not worthy of the air we breathe and yet the Vor’shai have proven themselves deserving of more credit than that, even during the short time we have spent with them since their arrival.”
“Ewei has not seen them fight. His opinion will change once he realizes their worth –”
“No it won’t! Don’t you see? If they prove themselves strong warriors, our men will only view them as competition, much the same as they already do when it comes to our women. Ewei will never trust them. At this rate, if we cannot learn to be more like the Vor’shai on the battlefield, our people will end up turning on our allies the way the Ythes turned on us. What chance do we have at defeating the Avaern if our focus is constantly on our pride?”
It made perfect sense. She’d never considered it before now, but everything Edric had said over the past few days was beginning to sink in. No wonder he accused the Ovatai of being ungrateful. They were! Moinie and Ewei had no concept of appreciation for the sacrifice the Vor’shai made in coming there. They didn’t understand the idea of friendship the way the people of Tanispa did. The only reason the Vor’shai Queen agreed to send their soldiers to Ethrysta was out of respect for the favor Chief Okivra paid their people in helping them all those years ago. Had the tables been turned, the Ovatai would not have felt the same. She remembered the discussions between her mother and father at the time of the Vor’shai war. He took minimal warriors with him, believing the Vor’shai incompetent, wanting only to prevent the threat from crossing into the Ethrystan borders. It had nothing to do with friendship. There was no loyalty the way the Vor’shai exhibited to the Ovatai in agreeing to send aid when there was no reason for them to take the risk. And this is how
they were repaid. Accusations and insults at every turn. It was a wonder the Captain had not withdrawn their men and left the Ovatai to die.
Moinie stood, mouth agape, speechless at Neomi’s outburst. How could she deny the truth in what Neomi said? The Ovatai wouldn’t have come to the conclusion on their own, but when it was put before them in that manner, there was no way to argue. “Has Edric been filling your head with this nonsense?” she asked, the tone lacking her earlier confidence. “Our people have existed for thousands of years following the same practices we still utilize. This man interferes with the gods to save your life and now suddenly you question us?”
“Maybe the gods did not intend for me to die that day,” Neomi huffed. Why couldn’t Moinie see? “If the Vor’shai fought their battles the way we do, their Captain, the Prince, and their Commander who has accompanied us on this mission, would not be here. They are alive to help us fight this war only by the grace of their selflessness. All of them have been faced with death at one time or another. Their friends risked their lives to prevent the gods from taking them and because of this bravery, they have survived to fight another day. Do you have any idea how many Ovatai warriors might still be alive had we fought the same?”
“Do you have any idea how many Ovatai that live now would have perished if we behaved so recklessly?”
“How do you know that? We are strong fighters. Our people are intelligent. Why can we not think on our feet well enough to save ourselves as well as a less fortunate warrior?”
“You nearly died yesterday while trying to save one less fortunate than you,” Moinie frowned. “Had you not run after Edric, those Ythes never would have gotten their hands on you. The distraction is too great.”
“Then the Vor’shai have already proven themselves the superior race.”
A flash in Moinie’s eyes revealed her offense at Neomi’s words. Still, Neomi felt no remorse for speaking them. It was true. If the Vor’shai were able to withstand the distraction and arise victorious, they displayed far better control over their combative abilities than the Ovatai. To be able to fight without absolute focus. Perhaps the Ovatai could learn a thing or two… if they could just open their eyes and see the flaws in their own people.
“Based on your defensiveness, I am going to assume the Vor’shai Prince has managed to dig his claws into you. I must say, I am disappointed.” Shaking her head Moinie lowered her eyes to the floor, an expression of utter frustration deepening the creases of her forehead. “You had potential as a war leader. You may still, if we can get you away from that man. Whatever you let him do to you, we must keep it hidden and separate you from him immediately. Does anyone else know where you were last night?”
An image of Callum’s face floated into Neomi’s mind. She’d almost forgotten. Of anyone who might accuse her of impropriety, he was the one with the most reason. He’d seen her coming from Edric’s quarters. “Their Captain,” she whispered. “He was standing outside the Prince’s door when I left.”
“I was worried you would say that.” Lifting her eyes Moinie let them settle on Neomi. “Their Captain has been awake for some time. He is the one who brought my attention to Ewei’s arrival. Nothing gets past that man, it seems. While we were waiting for you, I sent him to retrieve the Prince so we could meet and discuss a plan of action. Do you think he will tell anyone?”
“No,” Neomi shook her head. “He knows better. Edric’s life would be in jeopardy if he chose to speak of it. I believe he could be convinced to vouch for my absence at Edric’s chambers.”
“You think he would lie on your behalf ?”
He had done so for her and Edric before. She had no reason to believe he wouldn’t do it again. “I am nearly positive. I just need a moment to speak with him before Ewei can.”
“Then go find him,” Moinie nodded, waving toward the door in a dismissive gesture. “Guarantee his cooperation and then bring him and Edric to my quarters. I will talk to Ewei and make sure his temperament is agreeable for the meeting. We can’t risk a fight between the men. Our situation is precarious enough.”
Without another word Neomi turned from her friend, heading through the door and into the cool morning air. She needed to find Callum and Edric quickly and secure Callum’s silence. Once that was taken care of, they might have a chance at maintaining calm during the meeting with Ewei. The problem would be Ewei’s temper. He wouldn’t be open-minded to anything said by a Vor’shai. This is going to be a disaster. Unfortunately for them, it was one they couldn’t avoid.
Staring into the flame of the oil lamp Edric tried to gather his thoughts, a tightness in his chest making it difficult to breathe. Nothing had gone as he intended. When he opened his eyes, it had been his goal to face the situation with a rational mind and come up with a means to ease the confusion. Instead his mouth ran away with him. All he could think about was getting Neomi to stay. He knew she couldn’t. It was foolish of him to have tried.
Heavy-hearted he turned away from the lamp, making his way back to the makeshift bed to cover himself in the fur, reminded of the chill in the air against the bare skin of his chest. It hadn’t seemed so bad when she was with him. Now, with her gone, the room felt empty. Bitterly cold. Somehow it was fitting that he would feel such misery. He’d brought it on himself by giving in to the temptation. How was he supposed to face her in front of the others? All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and she would be forced to keep distance between them. It was torture just to think of it.
A rustle of fabric at the door signaled the arrival of someone to the room, Edric’s heart leaping in his chest, hopeful that he would lift his head to find Neomi standing in the entranceway. To his dismay it was Callum he saw there, a stern expression on his face indicating disapproval in something. “Edric,” Callum stated, not giving Edric a chance to speak in response to his sudden intrusion. “What have you done? I thought we were clear on your involvement with Neomi. You were supposed to leave her alone, not invite her to your bed.”
“What are you talking about?” Edric stared at his friend, surprised by his unexpected knowledge. Was it a game? Did he hope to make Edric expose himself by pretending to be aware of what transpired between him and Neomi?
“Don’t feign innocence, Edric. I saw her leaving. The guilt in her eyes was all I needed to see in order to know she’d been here with you all night. Given your state of undress, I’m not keen to believe her visit was mere discussion of battle stratagems. I thought you were supposed to be watching over me on this trip, not the other way around.”
Opening his mouth to speak, Edric’s voice failed him. Callum’s statement struck him on more than one level. He wasn’t supposed to know about the promise made to General Cadell. “How do you know about that?” he asked, clutching the blankets tighter to keep out the cold.
“I’m not a fool. I could tell my father was up to something when he came to visit you. I excused myself from the room and lingered outside the door so I could hear what was discussed between the two of you. Imagine my surprise to learn that I was lied to by my own family about the reason for my deployment to this miserable place.”
“You knew this and still you came?”
“It was my duty. However, every day when I think on the truth – that I was sent to my possible demise because of a ridiculous test – I convince myself more and more to turn in my title… if we ever return to Tanispa. My wife means more to me than a rank. But I did not come here to discuss my personal dilemmas. I came here to figure out what you intend to do about yours.” Glancing toward the door Callum made sure no one had followed him inside, taking a step forward to close the gap between them. “Did you let her into your bed, Edric? Have you really been foolish enough to make that mistake?”
“It isn’t that simple,” Edric argued. Thinking over the night, he was reminded of the confusion he’d felt. He had tried to send her away. Where had he gone wrong? The right words came from his lips but still she managed to get her way. “She came here with the i
ntention of sleeping with me,” he sighed. “I tried to tell her no. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure how this happened. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
“You weren’t thinking at all. At least not with your brain.”
“No, Callum. You don’t understand.” Rising from the bed he let his eyes scan the floor for his shirt, desperate to ease the chill that had settled upon him. “She isn’t just another girl like the women at court. I care about her. I daresay I might be in love with her.”
“Love? You barely know her! It was only a few nights ago you insisted she hated you and claimed to reciprocate the emotion. How did you go from hate to love in less than two days? Is your heart really so fickle?”
Finding his shirt Edric gathered it into his hands, slipping it over his head in a desperate motion, grateful for the added layer of warmth. He couldn’t think with the unbearable cold. “I think some part of me has been fond of her since the night we met in Sivaeria. I passed it off as mere fascination but now I think it was more than that. I was willing to do anything for her that night. And I would have, if she’d given me half a chance.”
“The war has made you delirious. You don’t understand your own feelings.”
“I understand them just fine,” Edric frowned, pulling his doublet over his arms to further protect from the cold. “I’m not defending my actions last night. It was foolish to let her tempt me, but it wasn’t a mere fling. I wasn’t just taking advantage of her interest in me for the sake of being able to say I slept with the most beautiful woman to ever walk on Myatheira. I care about her and she has admitted to feeling the same for me. She could have been killed yesterday for trying to protect me from the Ythes. It isn’t like their people to display acts of heroism. Surely that must speak something of her feelings for me.”
Thoughtful at the idea Callum folded his arms across his chest, staring into the distance. Despite his accusatory tone, Edric could sense something underneath his friend’s stern façade. Callum remained torn over his own feelings. It was difficult for him to focus on the matter at hand when the topic of love was the center of conversation. “I can’t argue that,” he shrugged in defeat. “The look on her face when she realized the village was under attack and you were walking right into it… she was absolutely devastated. I saw it, much the same as Moinie did. Moinie tried to convince her to stay but Neomi wouldn’t listen. Of course I wasn’t going to stop her from coming after you.”
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Three: Crown of Ice Page 46