Страница 76 из 101
"A curse of some sort. The Eandi couldn't do such a thing on their own."
"I told you this would lead to war."
S'Doryn looked at T'Noth, who was eyeing him closely, his expression grim.
"I told S'Plaed about Jy
Chapter 18
Grinsa and Crese
As the a'laq had promised, their shelter was up and ready for them before nightfall on that first day they reached the sept. They were given food and wine, including roasted rilda, which might have been the most delicious meat Grinsa had ever tasted. And over the course of those first few days family after family came to welcome them to the village. The women cooed at Bryntelle and spoke to Crese
In the end, the Fal'Borna's motivations mattered little. Knowing that they were not permitted to leave made Grinsa and Crese
Under other circumstances, he might have thought that she was imagining this. But one of the men who had been speaking to him earlier in the night had as much as offered Grinsa his daughter.
"Many of our Weavers have taken two, even three concubines," the man told him, explaining the offer as he might have explained the Harvest weather or the rising and falling of the price of grain in the marketplace. "A Fal'Borna Weaver spreads his seed as he pleases. For the good of our people, of course."
"Of course," Grinsa had said, smiling pleasantly. "But Crese
The man's eyes widened. "Oh! Forgive me! I didn't know she was a Weaver as well. I thought… Well, I was mistaken."
Grinsa should have let it go at that, but regardless of whether they were to remain, he didn't want to have any of them thinking him a liar.
"She's not a Weaver," he told the man. "Where we come from, Weavers are free to be joined to whomever they choose."
"Well," the man said, smiling in return, "you're here now."
It was much the same thing E'Menua had said to them the day before.
"I have you," Grinsa told Crese
She laughed, though she also kicked him under the blanket.
"You're finding all of this far too amusing," she said, and while she was still smiling, he could hear the tightness in her voice.
"I'm sorry. Really. This can't be easy for you."
"Half the time, it's like I'm not even here. They talk about finding a wife for you from one of the other septs, about how your arrival here means so much to them all."
"It seems that some of the women have been kind to you."
She nodded. "Some of them have. But I'm starting to suspect that the ones who are nicest are the ones who have been concubines themselves. And they're kind to me right up until I insist that I'm not just your concubine. As soon as I say anything to that effect, they grow cold, distant." A bitter smile touched her lips. "It seems like I'm better off playing along. Maybe I should help them find you a wife."
"I have a wife."
She looked at him. "No, Grinsa, you don't. I know that you love me, and I love you, too. But the fact is we were never joined. With all that happened in the turns before we left the Forelands, we never found the time. And even if we had, I'm not certain that it would count for much here."
He felt a tightness in his throat. "What are you saying?" he asked.
She smiled at what she saw on his face, and kissed him softly on the lips. "Nothing terrible. I may not be a Weaver, but I'll fight with every bit of strength and magic I have if they try to take you away from me. I'm just saying that we're going to have to tread carefully here. We might even have to play along for a time, let them think that you're open to being joined."
"Crese
She held a finger to his lips, then kissed him again. "It's all right. We can do this. Just for a little while, just long enough for us to figure out how to get away. It might be the only hope we have."
"That all sounds fine for me," he said. "But what about you? Can you bear being treated as a concubine for that long?"
"I'll manage it." She shrugged, a small grin lighting her face. "I may have to convince some other Weaver that I'd be willing to become his concubine. Just to keep up appearances, of course. Although the men here are very handsome."
Grinsa smiled. "Is that so?"
She nodded, giggling as he started to kiss her neck.
"If you ask me," he said, "they're just short."
Her eyes sparkled in the candlelight. "They're tall enough."
He kissed her again, and this time she held him, kissing him back deeply.
"We'll get out of here," he whispered, as she nestled against him and closed her eyes. "I'm not sure how yet, but we will."
"I know," she said, sounding sleepy. "I just hope we can find a way to leave without making the Fal'Borna our enemies. I have a feeling that would be dangerous."
The next few days were much like their first among the Fal'Borna. As time went on, and they were accepted into the community, they came to feel less like curiosities. Several of the women made clear to Crese