“Then I shall accompany you,” he stated, also leaving no doubt that anything would change his mind. “I shall learn from my woman which of them was most responsible for giving her harm, and that one will be mine alone. Is it agreed?”
“With the greatest of pleasure,” Murdock assured him, that faint, cold smile reappearing on his face even as he leaned more heavily on his cane. “Since our business here is now taken care of, we can . . .”
“But our business here isn’t taken care of,” I interrupted, knowing that Murdock was about to return to the transfer slip-with his very good friend. “Or, at least my business here isn’t taken care of. I need to speak to Lee—
Ian and the others for a while, and it isn’t something that can be put off. Are you going to wait for me, or do I have to make other arrangements to get to my final destination?”
“There aren’t any other arrangements you can make,” Ashton said in annoyance, matching her brother’s response to what I’d said, but managing to get the words out first. “Terrilian, you know how much of a hurry we’re in, so why can’t your business wait a little while? Now that these w’wendaa of Vediaster will be joining us in the attack, we’ll be seeing them again very shortly. You can wait until . . . .”
“That’s something else that needs to be discussed,” I cut in again, glad the point had been brought up. “You maneuvered the w’wendaa into wanting to join you, and I expect to hear some damned good reasons as to why it was done. I won’t be their Chama for very much longer, but that doesn’t mean I’ll let them be taken advantage of. Do you want to tag along while I hold my discussion with them, or do you want to wait in the slip or the transport?”
“I think you know I’ll be right there with you, and there won’t be any ‘tagging along’ to it,” Ashton answered, her expression letting me know how much more annoyed she was in case I missed it in her mind. “If whatever you have to say to those people won’t wait, then you’ll take care of it now, but you’ll do it as fast as possible and you’ll do it the easy way.”
Then, before I could say anything else, she turned to a patiently waiting Leelan.
“Please excuse the rudeness of our having spoken so long in another tongue,” she began, undoubtedly sensing how some of the women were holding off feelings of insult. “I have just been informed by Terril that she wishes to speak with you and your sisters, and have in turn informed her that I will accompany you all so that she may be-guarded. May I ask that a place of comfort be chosen for the discussion, so that my task need not be unduly difficult to accomplish?”
Leelan and most of the others chuckled at the way Ashton had invited herself along, their previous insult forgotten behind the satisfaction of knowing their Chama was being properly looked after. I didn’t consider it nearly as amusing, but before anyone could get to either agreement or argument, an altogether different precinct was heard from.
“From what does my wenda need to be guarded?” a voice asked, one that wanted to be more of a growl and would have preferred demanding to asking, but was trying not to take its mad out on those who weren’t the cause of it. “I see naught here to menace her, however, should I be mistaken in my beliefs, it will be this l’lenda who guards her.”
“Be at ease, l’lenda, I merely spoke in jest,” Ashton said at once, looking up soberly at the very large man who stood so close to her. “In the midst of friends, Terril has need to be guarded only from herself. Our healer wishes her to refrain from exerting herself, therefore have I made it my task to accompany her and see the matter done properly. These w’wendaa are already aware of this, and for that reason are undisturbed.”
“Yes, the woman is indeed prone to-overlooking the wishes of healers,” the big Rimilian answered, not quite feeling annoyed as he glanced at me. “I have only recently learned of her doings here in Vediaster, and will discuss them with her when her memories have completely returned. For now I shall merely accompany her and, as I have said, see to what guarding she requires.”
“Your assistance would be most welcome,” Ashton said with a grin, glancing at me while enjoying a private joke. “In point of fact if you wish it, I shall be most pleased to assist you, rather than the other way about. I have learned that Rimilian l’lendaa are possessed of a certain-talent-when dealing with their wendaa, a talent those raised elsewhere, male and female alike, appear to lack. As Terril has been banded as yours . . . ”
“Enough,” I said in what was very close to a growl of my own, up to here with people who were deeply concerned about me-for reasons of their own. “I belong to none save myself, and grow weary of having strangers and near-strangers speak of what I shall be made to do. What I shall do is confer with those I came to speak with, which requires no further discussion on the part of others with reference to me. Have I made my wishes sufficiently clear?”
“Indeed, Chama,” more than one of the women around me muttered at once, while Leelan and Ashton exchanged highly., significant glances. What the glances were supposed to signify I couldn’t quite tell, but they were definitely highly significant. The big w’wenda and my supposed aunt seemed to be-waiting uncomfortably for the other shoe to drop, is the closest I can come to defining their emotions, not exactly the most technical definition I’ve ever given, but still more than fitting. They were more wary than nervous, and I didn’t understand why they seemed to brace themselves when the Rimilian Tammad stirred where he stood.
“Wenda, those who speak of seeing to your well-being do so because of their love for you,” he said, for all the world as though he were gently lecturing a small child, those blue eyes back to memorizing every inch of me. “Though I find it-difficult to accept that you now see me as no more than a stranger, under no circumstances shall I attempt to comport myself as though you were similarly unknown. You are my hama sadendra, my most beloved memabra, and it pains me to see how thin you have grown beneath that badly chosen item of supposed clothing. You are my belonging, and I care little for the state in which others have kept you.”
“That’s too bad about you,” I said in Centran, deciding it might be best to settle things with him then and there. “Whatever-state—I’m in right now is due to the keeping of no one other than myself, and that’s the way it’s going to stay. Not only don’t I belong to you, I don’t know you and don’t want to know you. I’m sorry if you can’t see it the same, but there’s nothing either of us can do about it. As far as I’m concerned you are a stranger, and I’ve had too much done to me lately by strangers to want any more. If you try forcing the issue I’ll defend myself, and please believe me when I say you won’t enjoy that sort of attention from me. Do us both a favor and go find someone else to be your belonging. I’m simply not interested. ”
I tried to turn away from him to Leelan with that, having found it harder to say the words than I’d thought I. would, but his hand came to my arm to keep me from turning. The touch was unbelievably gentle, almost completely unrelated to the knife-sharp pain his mind was trying to both control and ignore, and the oddest look appeared in his eyes.
You have learned well the proper response to challenge from strangers, hama,” he said, and damned if he didn’t somehow sound-proud. “What remains, however, is for you to learn the sight of one who is no stranger. That, too, will come in its proper time.”
His hand moved from my arm to my cheek, the second touch as gentle as the first, and then he turned away to move through the crowd toward where Murdock waited a short distance away, seated in the folding chair one of his assistants had brought along. I thought it probable he was going to tell Murdock he’d changed his mind about coming with us, and the relief I felt over that let me turn back to Leelan with something of a smile. Hurting the man hadn’t been pleasant, but at least he would no longer be around to make me do it again.