“There shall you stay till I come for you,” said Lialt, straightening to standing. “Should you feel the chill too keenly, you may draw the second lenga pelt about you. As for us, the fey is lovely, and I have not seen enough of Tarla of late to satisfy me. We shall return when we return.”
Lialt had turned to gaze upon Tarla as he spoke, extending his arm so that the female might approach him and be held. Eagerly she did this, her body flowing to his as she looked up to the face of him, his arm wrapped tightly about her, holding her close. Deep were the feelings which these two shared, yet as they walked from me, seeing naught save each other, I found that understanding had not touched me. What were these feelings which caused Lialt to look upon Tarla so fiercely, so strongly? For what reason did Tarla glow in such a gaze rather than shiver with fear? The girl knew little of the ways of males, never having been touched by any, even Lialt, for much had the female told me in the feyd of her time in the dwelling. Yet she had no fear of Lialt, merely of his displeasure, while I—I shook my head as I breathed deeply of the air, finding no understanding even in reflection. The matter was beyond me, beyond all I had known. It was necessary that I trust in Mida, and do no more than await her will.
I moved about upon the lenga pelt, sending my gaze to the left, where lay the largest part of the village. Although it had not seemed so in the darkness, the village now proved itself to be much larger than the Hosta home camp. Many hands of dwellings stood, one beyond the other, about a great circle, in the midst of which moved and worked large numbers of males and females. Children, too, played about the dwellings and across the circle, yet were there male children as well as female. Such a thing seemed odd, that male children would be kept and raised, and then I realized that these were city folk and not of the Midanna. Strange were the ways of others, and not for a warrior to spend thought upon.
Across the great circle from where I sat was a large enclosure of wood, a thing of wide logs lashed tightly together with much leather. Within the enclosure moved the furred, white mounts of these village males, some standing quietly, some pacing restlessly about. In such a manner did city males keep their kand as well, yet the gandod of Midanna were not kept so. A warrior allowed her gandod to feed well, and then was it bound about the jaws and legs before being tied to a line of leather strung between trees. Should a warrior ever find the need to enter such an enclosure filled with gandod, there is little likelihood that she would find her way out again. The temper of the gando being as it is, the undertaking would not be one I, myself, would care to consider.
Voices drifted across the large circle, voices of males calling to one another, of females scolding children, of children raised in laughter. Sounds accompanied the voices, sounds which blended with and muted the voices so that few of the words were intelligible. Many smells reached me as well, smells of cooked meat and the sweat of beasts, and the trees of the forest and traces of the children of the wild. Mida’s skies were blue above, something I could easily see as I leaned back against the leafless tree I had been placed near. Freedom was before me, my line of travel clearly marked by the movement of Mida’s light, yet once again I was unable to avail myself of that which had been shown me. I was captive to the village and my wounds, a captivity which must not be long allowed to continue.
For more than a hin, I sat before the tree, none approaching nor giving indication that they were aware of my presence. The lack of attention pleased me, assuaging, somewhat, my annoyance over the garment which had been given me. True, the garment kept much of the chill of the air from my body, yet within it, I was unable even to sit cross-legged, as is my preference. No longer did I wonder why Tarla knelt as she did, for now I knew. There were few other positions possible to one in such a garment.
As a larger and larger number of reckid passed, I grew more and more firm in my need to know freedom once more. Determining that there were no eyes upon me, I cast about for a means of holding myself from the ground, and saw at once the branch which lay nearly at my feet. Clearly had it fallen from the tree against which I leaned, and clearly would it serve as that which I needed to brace myself to standing. I drew the branch to me, feeling the dryness of its dead husk, leaned it upright against the tree, then turned my body till I knelt upon hands and knees, my head nearest the tree. Many aches assailed me, pain from my wounds and from my back and from long inactivity, yet pain was no stranger to me. Despite the pain, I reached a hand to the tree, and then a second hand, and finally was I able to pull myself erect, to cling to the tree as though it were Mida herself. Dizziness swam about in my vision, attempting to raise my insides, a thing which caused me to give solemn thanks that I had not fed much that fey. My cheek against the leafless tree, I stood beneath the thin blue skies till the chill air had once again cleared my sight, then gave my full weight to my legs. Much did I experience a tearing sensation where the wounds lay, as though the healing skin strove to pull apart about the forming scars, yet no blood came to sight beneath the leather nor upon the leg furs. With great pleasure, I gave thanks for this to Mida, adding also a request that she still the trembling in each of my limbs, then reached the dead branch to me, holding to it with a double grasp as I looked about. Still were there no eyes upon me from those of the village, and though a new-born nilno was gainlier than I, I felt it an excellent time to take my leave. Should it be Mida’s wish to see me survive in the forests, I would surely do so.
Slowly, I began moving to my right, each lifting of a fur-clad leg an effort. I leaned heavily upon the tree branch, disgusted with the weakness which sat leadenly upon me. Wounds were not unknown to a warrior, yet no warrior would welcome such wounds, nor their aftermath. To be unable to swing a sword or vault to the back of a gando is a great loss, one which has been known, upon occasion, to be fatal. Had there been Silla or other enemy Midanna about, I might have confidently looked forward to joining Mida forever. Without enemy Midanna, however, it might prove possible to attain the forests of freedom.
I had gone perhaps four hands of paces from the tree, watching carefully for that upon the ground which might cause a misstep, and therefore knew naught of those who awaited me till their feet and legs came to view. I paused in my forward movement, raising my eyes to their faces, and beheld three village females, somewhat of an age with Tarla, perhaps a bit older. All were dark of hair and eye, all were clad in the leather garment and leg furs which I, myself, wore, all had caused their hair to be plaited as Tarla had done with mine, and two were of a size with Tarla, that is to say, perhaps a head less than my height. The third female was larger than the other two, standing no more than four fingers below me, her head haughtily high, her eyes cold, her right fist arrogantly upon her hip. Well made and fair of face was this female, yet it seemed that she had little liking for the warrior who stood before her, and this I could not understand. I wore no clan colors, nor did she, therefore I knew not why her gaze was one which would be used for none save blood enemies. As she inspected me with contempt, I thought that perhaps the females looked so upon all who were not of their village. The other two seemed filled with as little warmth as the first, giving support to the thought, yet there also seemed more amiss than such an outlook might call for. Undoubtedly they had been told that Jalav was a captive within their village, and such coldness was their manner of facing captives, yet I had not thought that city females were allowed proximity to captives by their males. Within the leather I shrugged somewhat, knowing again that understanding of city ways was not yet mine and perhaps would never be. Those within the village went about their own affairs, too distant to hear the larger female as she spoke.