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wiped the stain from her collarbone, but then his fingers hooked the necklace. He lifted it clear
of her bodice, the charm dangling between them.
An ugly mood flooded him. "One of Merl's presents?" he asked bitterly.
Tashi nodded, blushing.
"I notice that he doesn't go on any of these raids. The duke's little brother stays tucked up in his office with you. I don't suppose he cries all over you, does he?" Ramil knew she had done
nothing to deserve it--had shown him tenderness and compassion--but he couldn't stop himself.
He felt so hurt, he wanted someone else to feel the pain too. "No, I remember, he kisses and
caresses you." Tashi jerked back as if he had slapped her. The necklace snapped, the broken
ends left dangling in his fist. "I'm sorry. I should never have said that. I'm all wrong tonight." He 224
took her hand, poured the chain into her palm and closed her fingers upon it. "You should leave
me."
"I don't understand you, Ram," Tashi said, close to tears herself. "What have I done to make you despise me?"
He shook his head, unable to answer. It wasn't what she'd done--it was what he had just done
out on the road.
"I'm trying to fit in with your ways." Tashi rubbed her eyes with the back of her wrist. "But I don't know how to talk to you, or how to treat other men--
every step I take is a mistake."
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Ramil felt doubly wretched now that he'd made her cry. "No, Tashi: you're good and pure and
innocent. You just make me feel ugly and twisted and dirty beside you. I only hope Merl
deserves you."
Ramil got up and left the room before she had a chance to reply.
Ramil woke late and rolled out of his bed with a groan. He still felt depressed by the events of
the night. Inspecting himself in the rusty mirror as he shaved, his eyes had a haunted look.
You only did what you had to do on the raid. What you need is some hard exercise -- something
to drive away this gloomy mood, he told his reflection.
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He lacked the courage to turn his thoughts to what he had said to Tashi.
He turned instead to the practice fields by the stables and began to warm up, stretching,
jumping, running. A number of young soldiers were already lining up to take on the Southerner,
as they called him. Ramil had become the new champion to beat, but today was not to be their
lucky day as he was burning with anger, channelling it into ferocious swordsmanship. No bout
lasted more than a few minutes.
Just as Ramil was taking a breather, Merl walked by leading a pretty white mare, Tashi mounted
sidesaddle on its back. Ramil could see that she was listening intently as the Brigardian
explained the use of the reins and bit.
She didn't notice Ramil watching her. Merl
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made a joke and she laughed, patting the horse's neck. She looked relaxed and very pleased
about something.
Gordoc arrived beside Ramil, spouting puffs of white breath into the bracing, cold air.
"Look at him!" Ramil said. "Now he's got her in the saddle, impressing her with his teaching skills!"
Gordoc stared at his friend and scratched his unshaven chin. "What is wrong with that? She
looks happy. We want her to be happy, don't we?"
"Yes, but not with him."
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Suddenly lots of things made sense to the giant. He put an arm around Ramil's shoulders.
"You are jealous, my friend."
"No I'm not."
"Yes, you are. You think that Merl is going to snatch her from under your nose."
"I'm just worried he'll take advantage of her. He's got a reputation around the camp for getting
girls into trouble and you heard how naive Tashi is."
"You are not very good at lying, Ram. Your interest is not brotherly concern.
You, my friend, are in love with her yourself."
"I'm what?"
"In love." Gordoc picked up a weight and began to exercise his bulging biceps. "But you make a terrible lover."
Ramil flushed. "Do I?"
"Yes, you confuse her," he continued. "You treat her coldly and make her feel in the wrong. You give no gifts. You haven't even tried to kiss her. Merl does it all much
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better. He makes his feelings plain. If you don't hurry up, he'll have tumbled her before you get
a chance."
"I don't think she would allow anyone to tumble her, as you call it," muttered Ramil
uncomfortably. "She is a lady."
"Well, I don't know much about ladies, but it seems to me they are girls all the same. I don't
know any woman who could hold out long under that kind of attack." Gordoc nodded to Merl,
who had now got his hand on Tashi's leg under the pretext of adjusting a strap.
"I'll kill him," growled Ramil.
"That would not be wise, my friend, as he is your ally in this war. If you are so worried about
him, you should start your own campaign to win her affections.
You cannot expect her to read your mind--she is no fortune-teller able to see into the secrets of
men's hearts. You have to show her."
"And how do I do that?"
"Do you noble folk always make things so complicated? Is it not obvious what a man should do
with the woman he loves? Mind you, if you try anything, as Tashi's protector I'll have to thump
you." He grinned at Ramil.
"No exceptions."
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Ramil pondered Gordoc's advice and decided he should take it--apart from the last gem. He
needed to open his counter-attack with something subtle--
something she would appreciate. Then he remembered what she had said about courtship in
the Islands consisting of poetry and paper flowers. With no paper at hand, he tried composing a
poem in his head, but gave
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up when the only rhyme he could think of for "Tashi" was "ashy." Inspiration struck, however, when he passed some women weaving baskets out of
reeds. He begged some materials and sat down among them. The weavers became interested in
his experiments to fold the reeds into something resembling a flower. One of them took up the
challenge and came up with a successful pattern, then taught it to him. They cackled and joked
as he left them, wishing him wel with his sweetheart.
Ramil reached Nerul's tent but found that the riders had not yet returned. He left the reed rose
on her pillow and slipped away without being seen.
"I think you've made an excellent beginning," Merl complimented Tashi as he led the mare back to the stables. "Are you sure you've not ridden before?"
"We don't have horses on the Islands," she explained. "It is our custom to travel by water and oxcart. I have ridden once before though. Prince Ramil was supposed to be teaching me."
"Oh yes, and what did he do?"
"Galloped me off into the forest--it was all too much too soon."
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"How thoughtless." Merl held out his arms for her to dismount. "I hope you don't think that of me?"
Tashi tried to ignore the subtext to his remark. "No, you've been very patient." She slid down, but he did not step back, keeping his arms around her.
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Merl tipped her chin up with his finger. "I've been more patient than you know, Tashi. Ever since I saw you, I've been wanting to do this." He bent down and kissed her long and hard on the
mouth. She tried to push him away but he was crushing her to his body, curving her backwards.
Tashi felt surprise, then panic, then fear. Finally, he let go.