"You're going to talk to her now?" Cresenne asked.
"Of course. She'll be grinding grain-that's what she does most days. I'll be back in just a bit."
Cresenne watched her walk off, hoping that her confidence would be rewarded. She had her doubts, though, and as she turned her attention back to the rilda hide, she began to consider once more the possibility of speaking to T'Lisha directly. L'Norr had thought it a bad idea, but Cresenne wasn't certain that they had many choices.
Before long, she looked up from her work to see F'Solya returning. Her friend didn't look at all pleased, and Cresenne was glad that she hadn't allowed herself to share in F'Solya's earlier optimism.
F'Solya sat down heavily and took up her hide once more, a deep frown on her pretty face.
"I've never known her to be so unreasonable," she said. "Or so stubborn." She looked at Cresenne. "When my boys misbehave I'm the first to admit it. But T'Resse sounded as if T'Lisha had never done an ill deed her entire life. And I know that's not true."
"I'm sorry, F'Solya. I shouldn't have gotten you involved in this."
The woman waved a hand dismissively. "You didn't. I wanted to help. And I do now more than before." She frowned again and shook her head. "I just can't believe that T'Resse could be so foolish."
They worked a while longer, then paused for their midday meal. Cresenne's meal was meager as usual, but F'Solya had packed extra food for her, so she ate well. It was her second ample meal in as many days, and already she could feel herself growing stronger. After they ate, they worked some more, until Cresenne couldn't sit still any longer.
"Where does T'Lisha work?" she asked abruptly.
F'Solya regarded her for several moments before responding. "Are you certain that's a good idea?" she asked.
"No. But doing nothing isn't helping matters either."
The woman shrugged, as if conceding the point. "She's often with the younger ones, caring for the children."
Cresenne's blood ran cold and she felt her face go white. "She wouldn't hurt Bryntelle, would she?"
F'Solya shook her head. "No. She's many things, but a brute isn't one of them. I assure you, your daughter is safe."
Cresenne exhaled, then nodded and climbed to her feet. "All right then. Wish me luck."
She started off toward the area where the older girls cared for the children, ignoring the stares of the other women. She'd been an object of curiosity during her imprisonment in Eibithar's great castle back in the Forelands, when she had actually done something wrong. This was easy by comparison. And the fact that T'Lisha was near Bryntelle gave her an excuse to approach the girl that she wouldn't have had otherwise. She needed to feed her daughter anyway.
As she drew near, Cresenne suddenly wondered if she'd recognize the girl when she saw her. They'd only spoken briefly, and the z'kal had been dim. As it turned out, she needn't have worried. She spotted the girl immediately, and T'Lisha saw her almost as quickly, stiffening noticeably, her eyes growing wide.
Cresenne didn't approach her at first. She found Bryntelle and once she had assured herself that her daughter was fine, she fed her. Only after she had returned Bryntelle to the girls who had been caring for her did she go to T'Lisha.
Even as she walked up to the girl, T'Lisha didn't look at her. She was standing with several other girls who appeared to be her age, but none of them said anything to Cresenne or to each other.
"I wanted to let you know that I'd be eating my evening meal with L'Norr again tonight. It's not by choice; the a'laq is making me do it. But I'm hoping that you'll be there, too, so that you can see that there's nothing more to it than a simple meal."
T'Lisha let out a short, disbelieving laugh, but still refused to say anything.
"I have a husband, T'Lisha. I love him, and only him. And L'Norr cares only about you. He doesn't want me."
T'Lisha glanced her way. "How do you know that? Did he refuse you when you tried to climb into his bed?"
Cresenne actually smiled. Had she ever been this young?
"No. I told you, I've a husband whom I love. But I've had other lovers in the past, and I know something of men and the way they behave when they're in love."
She didn't wait for a reply. She simply turned and started back toward the tanning circle.
T'Lisha didn't call for her to stop or come after her. She could only hope that the girl would give some thought to what she had said.
"What happened?" F'Solya asked as soon as Cresenne took her place beside her once more.
"Nothing, really. I asked her to eat with L'Norr and me. We'll see if she does."
That evening, though, she and Bryntelle found L'Norr alone in his z'kal, roasting rilda meat over his fire.
"Did you speak with T'Lisha today?" he asked, as Cresenne sat across the fire from him. He sounded angry.
"Yes, I did," she said mildly.
"I warned you against doing that."
"Yes, I remember. I did it anyway."
"You had no right! I told you not to speak with her."
"Did you speak with her?" she demanded.
He hesitated.
"Did you plan to any time in the near future?"
"Of course!" he said.
"I'm not certain I believe you. I didn't want her spreading any more rumors about me than she had already, so I did something about it. If that bothers you… well, too bad. Someone had to do something, so I did."
"You had no right," he said again, sounding sullen this time, like a chastised boy.
"What did she say to you? Was she angry with me?"
"She was…" He shook his head. "Just what did you say to her?"
"I said several things. Nothing that should have disturbed her. I told her that I have a husband, and that I love him, and that I'm not interested in any other man. I also told her that you weren't looking for another concubine."
His face turned bright red. "Did you tell her… did you make it sound like…?"
She suppressed a grin. "What's the matter, L'Norr?"
"She seems to think now that I'm in love with her."
Cresenne widened her eyes in mock surprise. "Really?"
The young Weaver scowled at her.
"Did you tell her that you're not?"
"Of course I didn't."
"Are you in love with her?" she asked.
His face colored again. "That's not… I'm not going to answer that." Seeing him so flustered, she nearly laughed aloud. "Would you have preferred that she remained angry with you?"
He twisted his mouth sourly. "No."
"Then you have no cause to complain." She leaned closer to the fire and peered at the cooking meat. "That looks nearly done. Unless you were planning to burn it."
He took the meat off the fire, cut several slices for her, and handed her a shallow bowl that held the meat and some boiled root.
"Thank you," she said, starting to eat. The rilda was excellent and the root, which she'd never tasted before, was tender and slightly sweet. "This is good," she told him after several bites. "Thank you for sharing your meal with me."
He nodded, avoiding her eyes. He no longer seemed angry with her, merely embarrassed. They spoke little for the rest of the meal, and when it came time for her to leave, he said "good night," but nothing more.
Emerging from his shelter with Bryntelle in her arms, Cresenne saw that several people were watching her, including T'Lisha. Their eyes met briefly and then the girl looked away. But the hostility Cresenne had sensed in her earlier in the day and the night before seemed to have vanished, or at least abated.
No doubt most of the people to whom T'Lisha had spoken the night before still thought the worst of her; it would take a few days before they realized that the girl had been mistaken. But it seemed that T'Lisha herself no longer wished her ill. Perhaps the notion that L'Norr truly loved her had been enough to make her forget her jealousy.
Cresenne made her way back to her z'kal, put Bryntelle to bed, and then went to sleep herself. Her slumber this night was far more restful than it had been the night before. And at one point Grinsa came to her, as a Weaver could, to walk in her dreams and speak with her and hold her. He looked tired and pale, but he was well, and he told her of his travels and of the Mettai men his company had encountered.