Warlord (7 page)

"Skies," Keir growled. "This is the work of the winds." I leaned in close and he pressed a kiss to my temple. "Lara, I—"

I reached out and put my fingers over his lips. "The last few weeks, since the plague cleared, have been blissful."

Keir closed his eyes and nodded, his lips brushing against my fingers.

"We've both been avoiding this, haven't we?" I whispered softly, my eyes tearing. "Neither one of us wanted to face this. Both our faults."

Keir didn't open his eyes. "I didn't want it to end." He pulled in a deep breath, and reached up to take my hand and press a kiss to the palm. "I thought we had time, at least until we reached the Heart."

"And now, we have tonight." I took a shaky breath. "After the celebration, we will talk. All night, if we have to."

His bright blue eyes looked at me from beneath his black hair. "I am tempted to defy them. I would not have you go. Keekai is an Elder, and powerful, but you—"

I twisted my hand in his, until our palms were together. His large, callused fingers were a marked contrast to mine. I slowly curled mine until my fingers interlocked with his. "Two peoples into one, Keir. You and I, working together, for ourselves and our peoples."

He pulled me into his arms. "Tonight, after the celebration. We will talk."

I pulled back just enough to look up into those wonderful blue eyes, and gave him a smile. "Just remember, you promised to dance for me, Warlord."

The gleam was back. "I did, didn't I?"

Much of the celebration was a blur. It was as if I was two people, one watching from a distance and the other wrapped in worry and fear for the future. A platform had been built, so that we could see out over the firepits and the dancing grounds. Keir conceded the center seat to Keekai, and sat to her left, I was next to him, and the other warleaders were also scattered about the platform.

Although Keekai had joined us, the warrior-priests were seated together off to the side. They seemed intent on keeping themselves apart.

Marcus made himself busy, directing his helpers to offer water for washing and giving thanks. As he offered to pour the water for me, Keir leaned over, and murmured a question. "Iften?"

"In his tent. Being tended to by the warrior-priests. They use their powers to perform another healing," Marcus said. His tone expressed his opinion of that bit of news.

I snorted softly, which earned me swift smiles from Keir and Marcus, and a frown from Keekai. Keekai opened her mouth, but Keir held his hand up. "Marcus, see that Iften is taken a share of the meats. And enough for the warrior-priest as well."

Marcus scowled, but jerked his head in acknowledgment of the order.

Keir stood and held his hand up. The warriors quieted until all that could be heard were the crackles of the fires.

"We gather this night, to thank the elements. We thank them for the gift of the hunt, and for our return to the Plains. HEYLA!"

"HEYLA!" roared the warriors in return.

"Lail of the Badger, stand forward."

The scout that brought word of the ehats stepped in front of the platform.

"I doubted your words, Lail, and I take back those words before all. On the morrow, you will have a full backstrap, with my thanks."

With a wide smile, Lail bowed before Keir, and then returned to be congratulated by the warriors around him. Marcus was offering kavage, and must have seen the question in my eyes. "The choicest part of the meat, Warprize. A true honor."

I nodded my understanding, as Keir continued. "Tomorrow, we rend the bodies of our kill, and divide the spoils of the hunt. But tonight we celebrate their spirits." Keir gestured to the firepits. "By tradition the first meats are mine. But I would grow fat as a city dweller if I ate the first meats of four ehats!"

Laughter, and a few sly looks my way. But I joined in the laughter as well.

"I would share this honor with my warriors," Keir continued. "Let us eat and share in the ehat's honor and strength. Then we will dance to thank the earth and the skies, the wind and the rain for their gifts. For we are of the Plains and we are home!"

"HEYLA!" The warriors all started to gather about the pits. Talk and laughter rose around us as they were served. The warrior-priests may have held themselves apart, but I noticed that they took their share of the food.

Marcus had our portions, served with fried bread and gurt on the side. The other warleaders were served as well and we all started to eat. The meat was sliced thin. I rolled a piece up and popped it in my mouth. It was good, better than I expected. I hurriedly ate mine, and licked the juice from my fingers.

"You honor your warriors." Keekai spoke around a mouthful, obviously enjoying the taste.

"They are worthy of honor." Keir picked up a piece of the meat and ate it.

Keekai nodded, and turned to Marcus for kavage. I leaned over, and stole a piece of meat off of Keir's platter. He gave me a surprised look, but said nothing.

"So, has Joden survived the summer?" Keekai asked, scanning the crowd. "I would hear him sing if he will."

"He did." Something in Keir's tone told me that he wasn't comfortable with the idea of Joden singing. "Keekai..."

She turned, those blue eyes intent.

"Isdra and Epor have gone to the snows."

Keekai looked down at her meal. "Word of this has reached the Heart, Keir. As has the manner of their deaths." She drew in a deep breath. "The Elders will not make this easy for you, Keir of the Cat."

Marcus moved closer, and Keekai held out her mug for more kavage. I got a clear look at her right wrist. It reminded me of the old cheesemaker in Water's Fall. Suddenly Keekai's talk of her 'misery' made perfect sense.

I leaned over and took another piece of meat from Keir. I popped it in my mouth, and spoke around it. "I want to see the dancing. We don't have anything like pattern dancing in Xy."

Keekai nodded her agreement, her mouth full. "This game called 'chess'. That is of Xy, yes?"

"Yes." I gave Keir a fond look. "I taught it to Keir, and some of the others."

"It is a form of battle, that requires quick wits and careful planning," Keir added, taking a bite of some of the fry bread.

Keekai's mouth quirked. "Ah. That must be why the warrior-priests have not yet learned it."

Keir threw his head back and I joined in their laughter. Then Tsor leaned forward, and asked Keekai of the news of the Heart, and they started to talk of people and places that I had yet to know. A shiver of fear ran down my spine suddenly. There was still so much I didn't know about these people, still so much that was strange and new. Could I really leave Keir in the morning?

I stared at my kavage. I'd first tasted it in the healing tents, with Rafe and Simus and Joden. I'd learned to enjoy its bitter flavor, especially in the morning when the day was dawning clear and cold.

I looked at the gurt on my platter. The little white pebbles looked innocent enough, but for some reason, I'd never get used to their dry, bitter taste.

I gathered up some of the gurt on my platter, and added it to Keir's as I took another piece of meat from his platter. He was talking to one of the warleaders, but shifted enough so that I could reach it easily.

I was afraid. That was the truth. But I'd been afraid when I'd walked the halls of the castle, to kneel at Keir's feet for the claiming ceremony.

I snagged the last of the heart meat from Keir's platter, and he gave me a grateful look.

I could do this.

"Who will dance?" Keir stood tall, at the front of the platform. The food had been eaten, and the warriors had settled around the dancing area.

To my surprise, Rafe stepped forward. "We would dance the elements, to thank them for their gifts. We have covered ourselves to honor the Warprize and her ways." Prest, Ander and Yveni came up to stand behind him.

I raised an eyebrow at their idea of 'cover'. They all had the barest of scraps for loincloths, and Yveni had tied a strip of leather over her breasts. Still, I smiled and nodded my head to them.

"Dance!" Keir commanded, and they bowed their heads and moved to stand an arm's length apart, forming a square and facing each other.

A warrior sat nearby, and placed a drum before him. The crowd grew silent as the drumbeat sounded, a slow steady beat.

"Earth!" Ander called out, and a warrior walked out of the crowd, bearing two bowls filled with dirt.

"Air!" Yveni cried out as well. She received two bowls as well, filled with something that gave off a steady stream of white smoke.

"Water!" Rafe called out, and was handed two bowls filled to the brim with water.

"Fire!" Prest was the last, and his bowls held flames that leaped and burned.

I leaned forward, eager to see what form this dance would take. I assumed it was another form of pattern dance. To my joy, it was and it wasn't.

Together they started to move, slowly, raising the bowls above their heads and stepping out a pattern together, moving as one. I held my breath, for what was easy with a bowl of dirt, was not easy to do with a bowl of water.

They lowered the bowls, now starting to move their bodies, bending and twisting down, only to work their way back up to a standing position. It was amazing to watch Prest, his body gleaming in the light, sweat glistening all over, as he moved. And while Ander and Yveni had the easier dance, with air and earth in their bowls, they still had to match the movements of Rafe and Prest. I could see the tremble in the muscles of Rafe's arms as he fought to make sure that not one drop of water spilled from his bowls.

After a few minutes, one stepped in the center, and the other three formed a triangle around the single dancer. I realized that they were mimicking their elements. Ander's movements were slow and steady, like the earth that he held in his hands. Yveni, when she took the center, moved as the wind moves, first one way and then the other, with no real set pattern. Rafe was as fluid as water. Prest was fire, first still and quiet and then bursting out in action as the flames in his bowls grew higher.

Finally, they stood there, facing each other, their bodies gleaming and their chests heaving from their efforts. With not one bowl spilled.

Ander held up his bowls. "Death of fire, birth of earth." He tipped one of his bowls into one of Prest's, dousing the flame.

Prest held up his other bowl. "Death of air, birth of fire." He tipped the burning coals into Yveni's bowl, and placed the bowl on top, smothering the smoke.

Yveni turned with her other bowl. "Death of water, birth of air." She tipped her other bowl's contents into Rate's, sending up a burst of steam from his bowl.

Rafe held his other bowl high. "Death of earth, birth of water." With that, he turned to Ander, and poured out the water onto his remaining bowl.

Keir jumped up, and the crowd rose with him, screaming their appreciation. I was up too, amazed that my bodyguards could dance so well.

Rafe, Prest, Ander, and Yveni turned in their places, and bowed to each of the four directions. Then they were running, their smiling faces proof enough of their joy. They disappeared into the crowd.

We all settled back, except Keekai, who stood and called out, "Where is Joden?"

There were many cries, and people's heads turned, until finally Joden stood before us. "I am here, Keekai of the Cat."

Keekai laughed. "Well and true but why are you not singing, Singer-to-be? Why not sing of the hunt?"

There were many calls to this, as people shifted so that they could see Joden clearly. He was seated next to a warrior-priest. I was fairly certain it was the one that had claimed to heal Iften.

Joden shook his head, his broad face gleaming in the light. "The song of this hunt will take time to make, Keekai. But I would sing, if you wish."

"I wish it so!" Keekai laughed out loud. "A song of your choosing, Singer."

Joden shrugged off her compliment, looking around at his fellow Firelander. His gaze drifted over to where I was sitting with Keir, and I felt Keir tense beside me. I turned my head slightly and raised an eyebrow.

Keir looked at me ruefully, then leaned forward just enough to whisper in my ear. "He who can praise can also mock."