Kylin lay in the blankets, very satisfyingly exhausted, his arms still around the sleeping girl. No, not "the girl," he thought, Sofaltis, the woman who would soon be his wife. She'd been as wild and responsive as he'd expected her to be, as deeply satisfying a mate as he could have hoped for—once he'd gotten around her understandable reluctance. He chuckled softly and leaned down to put his lips to the forehead he could only see as a dark shadow, wishing he could have built up the fire instead of letting it die, and also have left the stable lamp lit. He had wanted to see her as he made love to her, but that way she would have been able to see him as well—without his artfully made clothing. She had been suspicious and difficult enough without that, and it had kept him from needing to explain where the fat had gone and the muscle had come from.
He grinned into the darkness at that, remembering how she had almost outmaneuvered him, coming up with that sugges-
LADY BLADE, LORD FIGHTER
183
tion about a night house. He'd had to do some fast thinking to counter her, and had almost lost it again when she'd gotten him mad. He'd heard those comments about King's Fighters before from Blades, but those other times he'd been lucky enough to have the Blades be men—and he hadn't had any interest in making love to them. Once that charade was over and she was his wife, he'd have to remind her about what she'd said—and tell her what he would do about it if she ever said it again—
Sofaltis stirred in his aims and made a soft, sleepy sound, then snuggled up to him to get more comfortable. Awake, she probably would have denied vehemently that she was the snuggling sort, but that was the way Kylin liked her best. He tightened his arms around her just a little, knowing he would have to come up with something good if he was to have any hope of enjoying her again, and closed his eyes to get some sleep of his own.
Chapter 8
I came out of what fell like a very long, very refreshing sleep and stretched, then lay still in the blankets for a moment— until I remembered what had happened the night before. I sat up fast then, looking around the cave by the early morning light streaming in through the entrance, but the Flower was nowhere to be seen. Flower. I lay back and put my hand over my eyes, trying not to groan in too loud a voice. I wanted to believe I'd imagined the whole thing, but I was very much afraid I hadn't. If that was what all virgin Flowers were like, I couldn't understand why night houses didn't have them in chains, offering their use to the highest bidders. Possibly later, if I could do it anonymously, I'd make the suggestion myself—
"Ah, good morning, my lady," a sober, too-familiar voice said, bringing me back to a world I really didn't want to be in. "I trust you slept well. Would you care for something to break your fast before we begin the day's journey?"
"I find I have very little appetite this morning," I answered, moving my hand so that I might see him. "1 may be mistaken, but you don't look to have much of one yourself. What's the matter, couldn't you sleep after all that activity?"
"Please, my lady, I would prefer that you didn't mock me," he said, turning his head away with the same sober air I'd noticed a moment earlier. "I'm well aware of the fact that you upheld your end of the bargain, but I—couldn't quite manage what was required for too long a time. I think— perhaps—that if it should happen again—my course will be clear—"
His sigh of disappointment was so unexpected I sat up and
184
LADY BLADE, LORD FIGHTER
185
blinked, wondering what he could possibly be talking about. The night before had been well beyond anything I might have imagined, and his staying power had been little short of incredible—oh. So that was it. He didn't know the difference between staying power and being unable to finish what he'd started, so he was seriously considering giving up on the idea of marriage! Suddenly the new day became much brighter for me, and I discovered an interest in continuing on with life.
"How terrible it must have been for you," I commiserated, trying my best to match his sigh as I sat up. "Even though you ignored my warning, I'm sorry you had to go through that. We'll talk about it again later, and maybe by then you'll understand why trying it a second time wiil only bring you greater disappointment. Right now I think I will have something to eat—as soon as you give me what there is to wear."
"But—my dear lady Sofaltis—I thought you understood," he said, looking back at me with surprise. "You already have all there is to wear. I left your father's castle in such haste, that the only clothing I brought with me is what I have on my back. Surely you don't believe I would have stayed in these filthy rags had I had any choice in the matter."
"No, I don't suppose you would have," I grudged, realizing he had to be telling the truth. "But that doesn't do anything to solve my problem. If you think I'm going to continue walking around naked, you're out of your mind."
"I certainly would not expect any such thing," he answered, huffy and just short of being insulted. "You'll remain wrapped in that blanket, I'll hold you in front of me on my horse, and before you know it you'll be home. I'll fetch what's left of the rabbit."
"You do that," I muttered under my breath as he turned and went back outside, then looked down in disgust at what my wardrobe would consist of for the next couple of days. The dimness of the cave made it difficult to tell, but the blanket seemed to be an unrelieved brown, and too close to fighter brown for me to like it even a little. No clothes, no weapons, no horse—and my only companion a Flower who didn't know the difference between success and failure. If I managed to get home without going stark, raving mad, I'd find whoever was responsible for putting me into that mess,
186
Sharon Green
and explain very slowly exactly how 1 felt about it. Very slowly, with the help of my boot knife.
Needless to say, the dim day that had suddenly turned beautiful had dimmed again, but 1 still ate what was left of the rabbit before we went out of the cave. The sun shone down on a horse almost completely packed for travel, the only thing left unpacked being the blanket I'd been lying on. Lord Kylin the Flower followed me out of the cave folding that, knowing damned well / couldn't do it. I was having enough trouble keeping my own blanket around me and off the ground to have any hands free for folding, and in the mood 1 was in even someone who could actually use the sword the Flower wore would have hesitated over asking for my help.
While I'd been eating the rabbit I'd been told "our" horse had been kept the night in the next cave over, and had already been watered and allowed to graze that morning before I awoke. I know I said something complimentary about all that work having been done so early; although I couldn't remember what it was, my companion developed a pleased look that didn't fade.
Once outside, my other blanket was tied behind the saddle, and then the Flower mounted "our" horse. I was already wondering how / would get up there without losing my wardrobe, when my companion rode close and reached down to me.
"And now for you, my lady," he said, and then there were two arms wrapped around me and lifting! i barely had time for a yelp before I was settled sideways on the saddle in front of him, his right arm circling my back, his left hand using the reins to calm the dancing of our mount. His chuckling seemed to indicate amusement at my reaction, but amusement wasn't what / was feeling.
"How in Evon's sharpest hell did you do that?" I demanded, looking directly at him. "I've known men who couldn't take me off my feet when they stood facing me! I'm not small and I'm not light, so I'd like to know how you did that!"
"Have—ah—there really been those who had difficulty in lifting you?" he asked, too occupied with getting us moving in the proper direction to meet my eye. "Forgive me for
LADY BLADE, LORD FIGHTER
187
saying so, but I find that difficult to believe. I experienced a good deal more hardship yesterday, when I needed to lift your unconscious body. Ah, and there's the road."
There, also, was a very convenient end to the answering of my question, which
I couldn't help noticing hadn't been answered at all. I looked ahead through the trees to where the road could be seen, no longer pressing the point but not about to forget about it. Something very strange was going on, and I was determined to discover what.
Considering the double burden our mount carried, our progress along the road wasn't terribly swift. Hours of plodding went by with not enough miles being put behind us, and to add to that there wasn't a single sign of an inn. When I asked my companion about the last inn he'd passed coming from the castle, he made some vague reference to one he'd seen halfway through the first day of travel. It would have helped if that was the highway I'd taken from the north; then I would have known what was where. Since it wasn't I had no idea what was ahead, and my companion's reassurances weren't reassuring me.
It wasn't far from noon when he turned off the road to the left, into a pleasant, pretty meadow with a thick stand of trees on the far side of it. I had brought my arms out from under the blanket to keep from sweltering, but that was the only positive thing I'd been able to accomplish. My thoughts had pushed and shoved at the mystery surrounding my companion, but 1 couldn't get around the fact that I knew too little. He was "taken" with me when he shouldn't have been, he had chased after me when he shouldn't have, he was a good deal better in bed than any virgin had the right to be, and he was a lot stronger than average. That had to make him the strangest Flower who ever lived, or someone who was only pretending to be a Flower. I couldn't see what he would get out of a pretense like that, unless—
Unless he was in league with my father's enemies.
How did I know he'd just happened along, right after I'd escaped from the ones who had taken me? Wasn't that the least little bit farfetched? I knew for certain that we were moving south, so that should mean he really was taking me home. Did he intend pressing for rescuer's rights, along with demanding an immediate wedding ceremony? The very next
188
Sharon Green
day he'd be my father's heir, with nothing standing between him and the Duchy but my father's life. Was he really the son of Duke Trame of Arthtl, or was he someone else entirely?
"This seems an adequate spot to leave you for a short while," his voice came suddenly, almost startling me. "I'll take myself into the woods there, and hopefully find something we may lunch on. The horse will remain with you, to rest and graze while I hunt."
"So you're going to hunt," I observed, looking around to see that we'd nearly reached the stand of trees. All the way to the right and beyond, through a place where the trees thinned a little, I could see what was probably a farmhouse. The trees stretched on a good distance before it became open spaces again, and someone with a bow like the one tied to the left of the saddle would likely find any number of luncheon targets.
"Well, what I mean to do is attempt to hunt," he answered with apology oozing out of every word as he pulled our mount to a halt. "It's been some years since the last time I did so, but the episode with the rabbits has given me encouragement. I'll wager I return with birds at the very least."
"Your enthusiasm and belief are positively uplifting," I told him with a smile, watching as he dismounted from behind me. "But you must be stiff from having my weight leaning against your legs for all those hours, and my hunting skills are a good deal more recently practiced. Your tunic is long enough to cover most of me, so if you'll lend it to me for a while /'// do the hunting. If anything happens to show, "there won't be anyone about to shock but the animals."
"You want me to lend you my tunic," he said with an odd expression as he looked up at me, making no effort to help me down from the saddle. "But if I do, what will / wear?"
"Are you afraid of freezing to death?" I asked with a snort, having already noticed the fresh sweat-stains on the tunic in question. "Or are you too modest to show what you have hidden underneath? If it's modesty that's bothering you, I'll lend you my blanket and promise not to peek. And you really ought to give that sword to someone who knows how to use it."
"My dear lady, this is all quite out of the question," he protested, then moved forward fast to catch me when I delib-
LADY BLADE, LORD FIGHTER
189
erately began sliding myself out of the saddle. "And you should have waited for me to assist you to the ground, /-am the man of our party, and 1 mean to act like it. 1 find I've had my fill of being cared for in life, and will from now on be the master of my own fate!"
The dedicated and determined look on his face would have been amusing enough to smile at—if kt didn't mean he'd just refused to do everything I'd asked. I'd been wondering why there hadn't been anything for me to wear, and now it seemed 1 knew: as long as I was wrapped in a blanket, I couldn't take off on my own—or adequately use a weapon.
"Well, then, how about simply lending me the tunic?" I asked, just to test my theory a bit further. "Baring your chest should be a manly enough thing to do, even if you are nothing but flab under there. And if you're all that interested in further experimentation, maybe I ought to say, 'I will if you will.'
I gave him the sort of grin night house girls are taught, just to see what would happen, and was immediately pleased I was watching him so carefully. His light gaze flickered down to where my hands moved the blanket teasingly, no more than normai interest showing briefly, and then he was suddenly stiffening in very obvious embarrassment.
"My lady, please, this is the middle of the day!" he protested, and if he could have I think he would have blushed. "What's more, anyone could come along to see us! Just because a thing is proper between a man and his betrothed, doesn't mean it's proper everywhere and at any time. You will remain in that blanket and I will retain my tunic, and we'll have no more talk of such a nature."
His huffing was really very well done, but unfortunately for him I now knew better than to believe it. What I needed to do was get my hands on his sword, and then there would be no problem with the tunic. It would be stained red and have a tear in it, but that couldn't be considered a problem.
"You're absolutely right about there being too much talk," I said with a smile, opening the blanket and letting it fall artfully to the grass on either side of me. "What we really want is less air and more action. See, I've started us off. Now it's your turn, and 1 promise it won't hurt. You can trust me to be gentle."
190
Skaron Green
By then I was already advancing on him, my hands out toward his swordbelt, just as though I had no interest in it other than as something to be gotten out of our way as soon as possible. His eyes went briefly startled just before he began backing away, but the startiement had more annoyance in it than desperation, and his retreat seemed more reluctant than determined. To add to it, he hadn't even tried turning away in real embarrassment. I'd been looked at by men before, and if he wasn't enjoying what he was seeing, I'd eat my boots—as soon as I got them back.
"Really, my lady, I must protest!" he tried as he backed, holding one hand up as though to keep me away. "You know how unsure of myself I am, I couldn't possibly bring myself to—to—in broad daylight—and—"
I was sure he was just about to plead the disability of an old battle wound, but he never got the chance. Without any previous warning that we weren't alone, four men burst out of the trees not far from us and came running toward us, shouting and waving their swords. From their ragged and filthy appearance they had to be bandits, and 1 had already reached for my hilt before remembering I didn't have one! Having no other choice 1 turned to the Flower, intending to take his weapon whether he liked it or not, and only then discovered I was far too late.
For a Flower, his reflexes were excellent. He must have drawn the instant he saw the attackers, and with four of them he wasn't waiting for them to get to him. The shouting they were doing was supposed to intimidate their intended victims, but my shy, delicate companion was moving toward them instead of away, and the way he held his sword in his fist didn't seem to indicate he was after conversation. The first of t
he four, without realizing it, had pulled out slightly ahead of the others, and when gentle Lord Kylin the Flower reached him, my companion blocked a thrust then cut him down without even slowing.
"Baste and broil it!" I muttered under my breath as the following three slowed and stopped, no longer quite as eager to reach their "victim." I'd never expected to see the day when I stood around doing nothing while my enemy hogged all the fun for himself, but there I was! And not only weaponless but naked! The three had sent a lot of attention in my
LADY BLADE, LORD FIGHTER
191
direction when they'd first come charging out, but right then they were too busy thinking about their lives to do anything but back away with swords held out in front of them. Seeing that I began to move forward, heading for the bandil on the ground. Even if his clothes turned out to be too grimy to put on, a little dirt never hurt a sword.
And then I heard the sound of hooves behind me, combined with a wild and mocking yell. I threw a quick look over my shoulder then dived to my left, just in time to avoid the arm of the bandit who was leaning down from the saddle of our horse, trying to scoop me up off the ground as he galloped past. I cursed my reflexes even as I rolled, realizing too late that 1 should have let him capture me just long enough for me to get my hands on his dagger. I came to a stop in the grass and twisted around— soon enough to see my clever companion give up on chasing the horse and its rider into the woods. And while he'd had his attention elsewhere, the three he'd had right in front of him had gathered up the remains of their dead fourth and were also disappearing into the woods!
"Wonderful," I muttered as I climbed to my feet. "Just wonderful." Then, when the great warrior and his sword had gotten close enough to hear, added, "That has to be the most slipshod defense I've ever seen in my entire life. You had them, and you let them get away! Why didn't you add me and your purse into the bargain just to make it perfect?"
Green, Sharon - Lady Blade, Lord Fighter.htm Page 22