Sons of Destiny Prequel Series 003 - The Shifter (27 page)

"But if she wants to go back to being a maiden and have the chance to be courted, then yes, she can do so at any time. It is a requirement that she waits for one full turning of Sister Moon before she can wed anyone, though," he added. "That's just in case her contraceptive charms might have failed. We don't have a lot of mages who can craft new ones, and Healer-mages are rare, so most women want to know if they've conceived from their time as an earth-priestess before they wed—children created during an earth-priestess' service are considered as legitimate as any other, because in a sense the earth-priestess is wedded to her duties."

"Ah. Well, that makes sense," Solyn murmured, pleased. She felt a bit daring, but the storm guaranteeing their privacy for a while gave her the chance to be bold. To seize what she wanted. "Well, I was thinking just now, what if you treated me
first
like an earth-priestess... and then, once we've untangled ourselves from this mess, when we've rescued Traver and gotten rid of the Mongrels plaguing the valley... what if you then treated me like a maiden afterward?"

He stared at her, absorbing the implication behind her words, until a chuckle escaped him. A rueful one. "Traver implied you were quite clever. Now I see just
how
clever."

Rising from her stool, she moved over to his and slipped onto his lap. Her blanket rode high enough that she could feel some of the fur on his thighs brushing against the backs of her own. It wasn't blue and purple anymore, just plain dark brown, but it was still as soft as cat fur. Kenyen blushed when she settled on his lap, but didn't push her away. Looping her arms around his neck, Solyn smiled at him.

"Do you like the fact that I'm clever?" she asked.

He cleared his throat. The position of her arms threatened to make the side gap of her makeshift blanket dress show more than it rightfully should. "Yes... yes, I do."

"Then how would you approach me as an earth-priestess?" she asked, smiling.

Opening his mouth to reply, Kenyen stopped, thought, and finally asked, "
Do
you have any experience in coupling with a man?"

She blushed at the blunt question and shrugged. "I know all the facts regarding the
theory
of it. I
am
a Healer's apprentice, and it all falls under the heading of midwifery skills."

"But you have no practical knowledge?" Kenyen asked, feeling awkward once more.

"I've kissed and touched," she confessed. It was her turn to clear her throat. "And, erm... fondled... a bit. It was with a young caravan merchant last summer. Nothing really came of it, because it's difficult to find time alone
because
I'm an apprentice to my mother.
Everyone
comes to me when they have a minor scratch in need of an ointment, or a cough in need of a posset."

Kenyen wrapped his arms around her, cuddling her close in sympathy. "I've heard similar complaints from our own Healer priests. Were you to come back to the Family with me, you'd have... well, actually, I'm not entirely sure you'd have Priest Yemii to spell you, because you would be asked to serve more as a mage than as a Healer, herbal or spell. Though you'd be highly welcome if you chose to do both. But whether or not you'd even be posted to Family Tiger would be up to the Council of Mages, at the capital. Every Family should have at least one, and we already have Priestess Soulet."

"Well, first I'd have to go to
our
capital city, to
be
trained as a mage," Solyn countered. "Something like that would take me a couple of years, if not longer. So before we even got to the Plains, if we went back to them, we'd have to decide if there
was
going to be a 'we,'" she pointed out. "Would you be willing to wait for me to complete my training?"

Kenyen considered that. "Is there a... a law in this land against Corredai mage apprentices being married?"

"Well, no. Not that I'm aware of," she admitted. "So long as the person is seventeen or older, and judged mature enough to handle the responsibilities of marriage—and for the record, I am twenty-two—then anyone can marry who they please. Divorce is difficult, since it requires counseling with the priesthood to see if the marriage can be salvaged, and then swearing upon a Truth Stone or a Truth Wand that the love cannot be revived, and listing the reasons in front of both families and any friends, and... Well, we try not to do it lightly, as it's a big hassle."

"It's more or less the same on the Plains," Kenyen agreed. "My brother did marry my sister-in-law quickly, but they knew their minds and their hearts were quite compatible. They're both bookish, thoughtful, responsible... They bring out the best in each other. As much as I dislike being in his shadow, if I can make half as good a choice in my mate, I'll be well-off... and yes, I consider you to be a potential candidate from the better side of that halfway point."

As far as compliments went, it was a little awkward, but she knew it was heartfelt. Warmed by it, she kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you. The more I get to know you, the more I like you a lot, too. Enough to consider courting you as well. But as you said, we do have this tangled mess wrapped around us," she muttered, sighing. "On the bright side, you
are
supposed to be seducing me, and it
is
acceptable for us to twine fully... so long as we don't do it in public and provided my father never finds out." She wrinkled her nose, smiling ruefully. "He wants to keep me his little girl forever."

"Most fathers are that way, in all the lands I've visited," Kenyen agreed. Now that she was on his lap, and her logic had been considered, he could see her point. There was still a twinge of conscience in him, one that made him ask, "Are you
sure
you want to do this?"

Solyn nodded. "Quite sure. Whatever we're both comfortable with, however far we both want."

Her reassurance on that last part relieved him of some of his tension, some of his lingering resistance. However, getting from the discussion of what they were about to do, to actually
doing
it, felt awkward.

"So... should we just start kissing?" Solyn asked him. "Or should we just jump straight to waxing the cheese?"

That broke him up with laughter. Hugging her, Kenyen shook his head. "No, kissing is fine.
But
we really should do what we came here to do, first, which is to rewrap all the damp rounds."

"Ugh," she muttered, rising from his lap. "
Everything
is going to be damp, in this storm. Let me get the cloths I brought."

"By the way, you owe Traver's mother a stack of clean cheese cloths. She sent some down here with me yesterday, so I wouldn't interrupt your healing efforts. Speaking of which," he added. "How is the patient?"

"Recovering. Once the pain-posset put him to sleep, Mother scored the inner edges of his thigh wound so it'll heal as scarlessly as possible, inside. A limp really curtails your ability to walk far, here in the mountains." Extracting the pouch with the fresh strips of fabric, she handed him half the stack.

"So your mother has one of the blades?" Kenyen asked. "Given the risks of Family Mongrel's ongoing search for it, isn't that dangerous?"

"It is, but she's a Healer, and greensteel is still a very valuable healing tool," Solyn reminded him, moving off to find the first of the fresh rounds. "It was the inside she scored, very lightly. It's utterly contrary to the usual healing practices, and disturbing to watch, but the wound will heal more neatly for it. She did not, however, cut the flesh up at the skin. He'll heal with a slight but visible scar, which is what those—what did you call them, curs?"

"Curs," he agreed, finding his own set of rounds on the shelf opposite hers. "A scar is what they'd expect to see, yes."

"Yes. Mother's healing spells will heal most of his wounds well, but the blow was deep, and... well, best left unmentioned," Solyn dismissed. She changed the subject. "What exactly
is
a cur, anyway?"

"A baseless brute with no civility, no compassion, no mercy. No honor," Kenyen explained, his tone grim. "Basically what my offensive ancestors were before our women tamed us a few decades after the year the Empire shattered. They acted with even more brutality than these Mongrel curs, though without nearly as much cunning. Then again, they had the liberty to act openly in their criminal ways, for there was no law on the land but the strongest shift of muscle and claw. They forced themselves on any female they could find, and subjugated the few non-shifter men as well."

"Ah. So that's why your men decided to sequester your women, to keep them safe," Solyn murmured.

"What? No," Kenyen chuckled. "No, that was the
women's
decision. We honor women because we wish to remember that women may not be as physically strong as men, and most of them may not be shapeshifters, but they are smart and wise, compassionate and strong-willed. We honor the fact that these are traits all civilized people should value.

"Conflict is something men excel at, because our size and build can handle it, and sometimes it is needed. When a feral bull gets loose, when bandits try to raid, these are things we can prevent. Cooperation is something women excel at, whether it's getting children to mind their manners or relatives to share their resources. We try to strike balance in our lives, and—"

Light flashed, blue white and bright, visible all the way from the mouth of the tunnel; not even half a startled heartbeat later, thunder
kra-koommmed
, rattling the very air. Near-simultaneously, Solyn yelped and Kenyen swore, jumping and spinning to face the distant opening. The pattern hiss of rain turned into a rush from the droplets shaken out of the sky.

Steadying her nerves, with several deep, shaky breaths, Solyn raised her voice slightly, wanting to be heard. "I am
very
glad we got in here before
that
struck!"

More lightning flashed and more thunder boomed. He managed a smile and a nod, still shaken by the sudden, near strike. "As am I."

Nine

Morbid curiosity sent both of them to the cave mouth once they were done with their task. They peered out at the storm through the wind-lashed trees, watching the dark gray clouds swirl and flicker with light. Kenyen was able to expand his fur to the rest of his limbs, protecting him against the chilly gusts, but Solyn only had her blanket.

After a few minutes of fascinated storm watching, the shivering got to her. A good storm was more enjoyable when she not only had shelter but had more layers to wear. "... I'm going back inside. I'm a little too cold out here."

"I'll come with you," he murmured.

She chuckled as they reached the back section of the old mining tunnel. At his inquiring look, Solyn explained what was on her mind. "Oh, I was just thinking of Jelinna. Heh... she always said she liked a hairy man, but I wonder if she'd like one
this
hairy."

Her hazel eyes flicked to his fur-covered figure. Kenyen chuckled and blushed. Retracting most of it, he spread his arms. "How's this?"

"Still a little strange," she admitted, smiling. "But I think I envy you for it."

"You wouldn't be the first, but you have an advantage that
my
people would envy, and that is the ability to do real magic." Taking her hand, Kenyen tugged her close. Kissing her brow, he smiled and said, "Even though you make me sneeze by it, I wouldn't trade your spells for any princess' ability to shapeshift."

Warmed by his open regard for her abilities, Solyn wrapped her arms around Kenyen in an impulsive hug. Tucking her cheek against his shoulder, she inhaled his distinct scent, male, musky, and a hint of something animal-like. The scent of fur, she realized. It clung to his smooth skin even though he had retracted everything above his waist. Impulse moved her head, turning it enough to taste his skin.

Kenyen stilled at the touch of her lips. Warm and willing, he fought back the conflict of
maiden
versus outlander, and reminded himself to treat her with the honor due to—
oh, dear Gods...
The feel of her tongue licking the skin just below his collarbone made him tremble.
Let her make the first moves... let her... ohhh...

His head tipped back as she kissed higher, giving her access to his throat. Her soft growl startled him. She followed it with a giggle, squeezing her arms around his chest and nipping at the base of his neck. "You're not the only one with an animal inside. Rrrawrrr."

Chuckling at her silliness, he brought his head down and his hand up. Tilting her face toward his, he captured her mouth in a slow, succulent kiss. Her hand explored his back, first feeling each muscle, rubbing and kneading them, then sliding down to his rump. From the way she hummed and scratched her fingernails lightly through the fur covering him, she apparently liked the feel of it. So did he; the light scrapes sent shivers of pleasure up his back.

Solyn felt his body stir against hers. Not wanting him to back away this time, she pulled on his hips, keeping him close. Only a few young men had stirred her feminine interest in the past. Of them, only this man stirred it enough to want to twine fully with him. What she did know of such things, she applied to him by alternately scratching Kenyen's skin lightly with her nails and soothing the marks with her palms. In nibbling licks and nips, she returned each taste in their kiss.