"Why not?"
"I never bothered." He sighed ostentatiously. "That didn't make me any more popular among the girls. They like a boy who can flash his blade."
"I'll bet."
"Or one who has a reputation, like Ilya. They dangle like so much plump fruit in front of him, but really, when I think of it, he rarely picks from that tree."
"Why do you think he doesn't?"
"Are you sure you're not a little bit in love with him?"
A wind stirred through the brush. Twigs scraped softly against rock. "I think you should make up to him."
"And be left dangling like the rest of the ripe, or overripe, fruit? No thank you."
"Perhaps I chose an unfortunate expression."
"Very unfortunate."
"But, Tess, think of the rest of us. Haven't you ever noticed that the more Ilya denies himself, the worse of a mood he gets in? Niko once told me that he'd never known Ilya to sleep through the night except when he was with a woman."
She flushed scarlet. "Yuri! No."
He grinned, enjoying her discomfiture. "You're just stubborn."
"No, I'm protecting myself. He's very attractive."
"Then why don't you-" He broke off, laughing, to hug her. ' 'It's much better having you for a sister than a lover, because I get you forever as a sister."
"Unless I kill you first."
"Tess," he scolded, "you'd never manage without me. Who got you through that first ten days? Who saddled Myshla for you and brought you food?"
"Definitely a brother. Only a sibling would hold that over my head." She hugged him suddenly and fiercely. "Yuri, I-" She broke off.
He pushed her back. "What's wrong? Don't cry!"
"My brother is so much older than me. I always wanted another brother, one close in age, so we could share-" She hesitated, went on awkwardly. "One I could love right here, next to my heart, instead of from far away.''
Yuri's whole expression transformed, as if his heart, long buried, now shone from his face. Then, unaccountably, he lowered his eyes to stare at his hands. "I love you, too, Tess," he said in a low voice, as if afraid the admission would offend her.
"Well, you might at least look at me when you say it!" she demanded, suddenly embarrassed, and then she laughed because he was as flushed as she was.
"Of course, you know what this means." He looked up at her with a sly grin.
"What what means?"
"Siblings are bound by the oldest of customs to protect one another, even if it means death."
"Very well, Yuri. If Bakhtiian ever begins to scold you, I'll come to your rescue."
"It needn't go that far," said Yuri quickly. They both grinned and got up to return to camp, brushing dirt and withered blades of grass from their clothing. "We were worried though, Tess. Especially when that storm blew down and you hadn't gotten back yet." They walked slowly along the escarpment, boots scuffing through damp grass, content for the moment in each other's company.
"I'm surprised Niko didn't send Josef to look for us."
"He would have in another three nights."
"Yuri, we could have been dead by then."
"But Ilya left us a message that we shouldn't wait. How were we to know what that meant?"
Tess stopped, suddenly suspicious. "What did you think it meant?" Yuri knelt abruptly, turning his face away from her, and busied himself brushing imaginary grass from his boots. "Look at me. Why nine nights?"
He straightened, his flush fading to a slight pink tint along his high cheekbones. "It's just superstition."
"Yes, and?"
The flush rose a little high, creeping up to his ears, but he met her gaze. "I don't want to talk about it," he finished, his tone edged.
"You thought we- Never mind. I know what you thought. Everyone else evidently thought the same thing."
He smiled slightly, conciliatorily. "At least give us credit for thinking, Tess."
"Oh, Yuri," she said in disgust, "I'm hungry. Isn't there something hot to eat?"
Yuri's gaze shifted past her toward the camp. "The stew must be ready by now. I'll go check. I pitched your tent over there-" He nodded toward the opposite bluff. "All your gear is there."
"Thank you, Yuri. What would I possibly do without you?"
He gave her a sidewise look. "I'm used to older sisters, always ordering a man around and telling him what to do."
"Oh, go away," she said, as much with humor as with pique, and he grinned, happy to annoy her, and left.
She strolled slowly toward the opposite bluff, glad to be alone with her own thoughts. On a whim, she walked over to the four white tents of the Chapalii. None of them were outside, that she could see, so she simply stood for a moment and watched. Even in this weak sunlight, the white fabric of the tents shimmered, as if light was woven in with it. And perhaps it was-she knew there was more than cloth in their weaving. All plain white but for the lettering at their peaks that marked one as a lord's tent, one as a merchant's, and the other two for the lowly stewards. Even disguised, as they were in a fashion for this journey, they still must mark their rank for themselves.
The flap on the merchant's tent swept aside and Garii emerged, looking straight at her, as if he knew she was standing there. "Lady Terese! You have returned!" Colors flushed his face in a blur before he controlled himself and his skin faded to a neutral pallor. He bowed. "I beg your greatest indulgence for my outburst, Lady Terese. Only, I feared for you-" He broke off abruptly.
Ishii pushed out of his own tent and examined first Garii and then, bowing punctiliously, Tess. "Lady Terese. Please permit me to express how gratified I am to see you restored to our party. I hope there was no trouble."
Caught out, she thought fast. "Indeed, Cha Ishii, I accept your felicitations. I thought to inquire if you and your party have suffered through this difficult cold weather, knowing as I do that you are better adapted to heat.''
"Your concern honors us." He inclined his head. Garii stood stiffly to one side, silent. "Indeed, we have been forced to remain within our tents for the most part of these past days, but as I understand that we will reach the shrine of Morava soon, we are able to endure such trials knowing that they will come to an end and that we shall return to more hospitable environments." He looked pointedly at Garii. Garii, caught looking at Tess, bowed abruptly and subserviently, and retreated into his tent.
"I feel sure," said Tess to cover the awkward silence, "that you anticipate with pleasure such a change in your circumstances."
"You are discerning, Lady Terese. I only wish all those of my party had so much discrimination as yourself, but I fear that low birth or unstable family often contributes to a lack of discretion or even to poor judgment." He bowed.
That he was warning her was clear. Unsure what to reply, she chose, like Garii, retreat. "You may return to your duties, Cha Ishii."
He bowed with exactly the correct measure of humility and pride, and went back into his tent.
She forced herself to get out of earshot before she allowed herself to swear, a single word, just to express her frustration. And she was then greeted by the sight of Bakhtiian, sitting on the lip of his tent, which some fool had pitched not thirty paces from her own. A leather pouch cradled his injured knee. He was very white-faced, talking-or arguing-with Niko while diligently keeping his attention on the shirt he was mending. Tess averted her gaze and passed them. In a moment, she felt someone come up behind her. It was Niko.
"Tess."
Tess did not stop until she reached her tent. Then she turned. ' 'What do you want?''
"I do not appreciate being the recipient of your ill humor, my girl, having done nothing to deserve it."
"I'm sorry, Niko."
"You ought to be. Now what happened?"
"What happened where?"
"Tess, having just played this scene with Ilyakoria, I have no patience to repeat it with you."
"He hurt his knee. We had a very difficult six days getting back to you."
"All this is evident to the discerning man. Doubtless the days would not have been so trying if Bakhtiian did not think he has to endure twice what another man can." He rested his hand on her shoulder, a light touch but firm, so that she knew he meant her to look at him. He watched her intently, his eyes very bright against the weathered tan of his face. ' 'Or would they have been? Do you know anything about this, young woman?"
"If I do, it's nothing I set out to do," she exclaimed, shaking loose from his hand.
Niko smiled. The wrinkles of old laughter showed at the corners of his eyes. "That answers my question. I won't trouble you further." He left.
"Why is everyone so annoying today?" Tess muttered. She ducked into her tent, but she had to rummage around for a bit, cursing under her breath, before she found her bowl.
Coming out of her tent, she saw Kirill walking toward her, his light step and red-gold hair making him seem like a shaft of barely controlled energy in the quiet of the afternoon. She hurried toward the fire.
"Tess!" he called.
"Damn," she said under her breath, but she halted.
"We should make all the women wear jahar dress. I've never seen such an appealing sight as you in red and black.'' She was thankful that they were so far from the main fire, and yet, truthfully, was happy to see him. His easygoing humor sparked in the air between them as he came up to her. Her gaze drifted briefly to one side. Bakhtiian's tent was no farther than twenty paces away now. His eyes had lifted from his shirt, although his hands kept to an even stitch, thread a thin line between his fingers. Kirill stopped two paces from her. Though his eyes were full of laughter, his expression was serious. "None of the men," he finished, "looks half so good."
"That depends on who is looking at them, Kirill," she replied, attempting dignity. "I prefer a man in red and black to a woman any time."
"Tess." He smiled. He had a sweet, charming smile, the kind that made it impossible to resist his impudence or even to hold it against him. "You never told me."
"You never asked." Absurdly, she felt herself drawn into the game. Whatever else Kirill might be, he was exceptionally easy to flirt with. "Which is exactly the kind of behavior any jaran woman would expect from a well-mannered man." She moved to circle him but he kept getting in her way.
"But you aren't jaran, my heart."
"Kirill!" The source and, more particularly, the tone surprised them both. Kirill paled slightly; he turned. Bakhtiian still sat by his tent, but his hands no longer worked at his half-mended shirt. His face was devoid of expression. "It is assumed that the men in my jahar have both manners and reputation. Take care that you don't lose your share in all three."
Kirill colored. "This is a private conversation."
"Conducted in so public a place and at such a level? It would in any case be doubly offensive if it were private."
Kirill crimsoned. He deliberately put a hand on the hilt of his saber. Bakhtiian merely watched him. Kirill paused, and Tess could see his expression change as he decided on something.