"We are actually promoting each other's relationships."
"Agreement." Others might not understand, but it was true.
Then something else happened. Opaline was in the forest, alone, watching acorns that Oak was moving from ever-greater distances. This time he moved them in a pattern she had requested, so that their small circle became a slightly larger circle, then returned to its original dimension.
A woman appeared. She was an Amazon, garbed in warrior outfit. "Opaline."
Opaline was startled. "You know me?"
"I am Flame."
"Fifth's betrothed! What business have you with me?" Opaline had understood that Flame knew of his trysts with her, and approved or at least tolerated them. Had she been mistaken?
"Negation. You sent my love back to me."
"You read my mind!" But of course she could do that; she was a Glamor. "If it is not all right, I will stop seeing him. I never meant to offend you."
"Be at ease. I would much prefer to have him with you for an hour, than with my sister. You provide him with something I seem unable to, that my sister provided before. When he returns from you, he is much more satisfied with me, because that edge is gone. Who do you think brought him here with the tent? Why do you think he knew you two would be safe therein?"
"You stood guard!" Opaline said, amazed. "I never knew!"
"Needless for you to know. Perhaps some day you will tell me what it is that you do for him, so that I may learn it. I see from your mind that it relates to your empathy, which comes naturally to you, and your need for him, but what is natural to you must be deliberate with me."
"Affirmation! I will tell you anything I can. But I can't quite put it into words."
"Comprehension. I suspect it relates to your innocent emotion. We Amazons are not much for feeling; it interferes with our practice."
"I have heard it said that Amazons neither laugh nor cry."
"Exaggeration, but the essence is correct. We are honed to be hard."
"I am not hard," Opaline said, half wistfully.
"Understanding. Which is why I think I must come to know you better. I suspect Fifth needs more softness in me. But this is not the occasion. Now I must borrow your clothing."
"Question?"
"There is danger for you here. I must abate it. Trust me."
Opaline did not argue. She quickly doffed her clothing, and Flame donned it. The blouse and hips were a little loose on her, but she tightened them to fit. "Hide. Do not interfere."
Opaline went to a friendly tree—she had of course remembered what Havoc had taught her about befriending trees—and climbed into its protective foliage. She peered out.
Flame was gazing at the acorns. Then two men came up behind her. "Ho!" one exclaimed. "So the story was true! There is a lone maiden wandering this forest."
Flame turned. "A greeting, sir. What may I do for you?"
"Get your skirt up, wench, and spread your legs. We're going to give you the fucking of your life." Opaline winced at the crudity of his expression. These were obviously brigands: evil criminals. They thought they had caught an innocent girl.
Flame stepped back, seemingly affrighted. "But sir! I do not desire this."
"Too bad, tootsie. You shouldn't have wandered this far from home."
She turned to run, but the other brigand had gotten behind her and grabbed her. He hoisted her up with her back against his belly, her head down, and her legs dangling forward. Opaline remembered the frightening stories told as warnings. It was the brigand rape mode, with one man holding the victim while the other ravished her. It was said that three brigands could rape one girl in one minute this way, and be gone before her screams brought any help. It was said they liked it when she screamed. Havoc had saved her from this fate when they traveled together.
Flame had told her not to interfere. But now Flame was caught. Had she misjudged the savagery of the brigands?
How awful it would be if they did this to her, because of Opaline!
The other man stepped in, wielding his bared erect penis. Opaline winced again. She had had solid experience with such members, but never with one bent on violation. It was a terrible weapon. He ripped aside the skirt and jammed at Flame's exposed cleft. He was doing it!
Then things happened rapidly.
Flame's bare legs lifted high and clamped around his lowered head. They hauled it down to crash into the knees of the brigand holding her. It was a horribly hard collision; blood spattered from both skull and knees. Then somehow the other brigand was hauled up and over, landing headfirst on the ground with a snap as his neck broke.
In something like five seconds it was over, with both men brutally dead.
"Done," Flame said, satisfied.
Opaline descended from the tree. "They would have raped me!" she said, appalled.
"Affirmation."
"But I could have avoided it, had you warned me. There was no need to risk yourself, or to kill them." For she hated violence and death, even when they happened to brutal brigands.
"Clarification," Flame said grimly as she doffed Opaline's clothes. "Havoc saw in the future paths that in several they did catch you, rape you, and kill you. He was angry. He has a crush on you. He wanted them dead."
"But they didn't actually do it," Opaline protested.
"Not on this path. But they would have, as you saw, had you not been protected. They thought I was you. It was best to catch them in the act, so that the death penalty could be invoked for the crime. That is why I assumed your place. Had they let me go, I would have spared them."
Opaline felt faint. "I never saw an Amazon in action before." She realized that Flame had not exaggerated when she said that Amazons were honed to be hard.
"They would not have tried to rape an Amazon. They would have known it was death. But you they held in contempt."
Then Opaline remembered something else Flame had said. "And Havoc—"
"Never anger Havoc. Those brigands did." She handed Opaline her clothing. "Regret about the blood on this. Do not speak of this elsewhere. Leave the bodies; they will speak for themselves." She vanished.
It had been a highly unsettling scene, but all Opaline could think of was that other comment: Havoc had a crush on her? That brought back the memory of her impossibly bold dream about him. If only such a thing could really happen!
"I will visit my family," Opaline said. "I will invite them to the wedding. Other matters are not yet decided."
Such as whether to ask Pot for a fourth, once she was married.
"Comprehension," Kettle said. "Oak will miss you."
"Regret." They both knew it couldn't be helped.
Opaline went into the village, hoping to encounter a suitable man traveling in the right direction. She knew she might have to wait several days. It was one reason travel tended to be slow. She was sure she could use the time, because she had heavy matters to ponder.
There by the Village Elder's house was a familiar figure. "Hayseed!" she cried gladly.
"Just passing through," he said. "Are you by any chance going my way?"
Of course she was. Havoc had known, and intercepted her, as before. She had not quite dared hope, yet had had little prospect of compatible company otherwise.
"Someone told me something," she said, knowing he would read her mind about Flame saying he had a crush on her. "Is it true?"
"Exaggeration. As the song says, when I'm not near the one I love, I love the one I'm near. I am a fickle man."
She laughed, knowing that was the real exaggeration. The king's loyalty to his commitments was legendary. Yet it was answer enough: he loved his wife and his mistress, but he had a certain passing sexual thing for Opaline too.
That thrilled her. Because of course she had a crush on him. In fact—
"I dreamed of you," she said, suddenly bold.