Chronicles Of The Warlands - Warlord Part 7

remain silent.

Keekai clucked her tongue. "Stupid man."

Marcus turned then, his body stiff, his face filled with such pain.

Keekai arched an eyebrow, then shook her head. "I should let you suffer."

Marcus just looked at her.

"All is well, except for the pain you inflict on yourself, fool. No injuries from this season."

Marcus lowered his head, turned and was gone.

"That was cruel, Keekai," Keir said softly.

"Pah." Keekai took a long drink of kavage. "Who is the cruel one, I ask you?" She rolled her shoulders. "I have ridden hard in the company of humorless warrior-priests intent on making you suffer, Keir of the Cat." She leaned forward. "There is little time. Those fools will be back shortly, and I cannot be seen to have too much private talk with you. The Council of the Elders have sent us to escort the Warprize to the Heart of the Plains."

Keir snorted.

Keekai held up her hand. "They are not fools, Keir. They know that you delay in defiance of tradition, hoping that the seasons will force them to leave the Heart. They feel that you have had the Warprize long enough, and the separation must begin now."

"Keekai," Keir started but she slashed her hand through the air, and he closed his mouth with a snap.

"You have no choice, Keir. Those who would change our ways must first honor and obey them, yes? Have we not talked about this, time and time again?"

I looked at Keir, at the angry flush on his cheeks, and I reached for his hand. "Keekai, I am Keir's Warprize. And he is my Warlord."

"Xylara, Daughter of Xy, you are not." I pressed my lips together, trying to control my anger, but my eyes must have given me away. Keekai's lips quirked up. "There's fire in you, Xyian. I'll give you that. But..." Keekai scowled at Keir, "...with all respect, you are not his Warprize by our traditions and ways until the formal ceremonies are complete. The other warlords have the right to court you and-"

"Court me?"

Her eyes narrowed, and she focused on Keir. "Yes, Xylara. Court you." Her glare rivaled Marcus's. "I can see that Keir has not told you everything. What were you thinking?"

"Lara is-"

"Stop." She leaned back slightly to look into both our faces. "What is done is done, Keir. Only the skies know how this will end." She puffed out a breath. "Now, I feel an attack of the misery coming on, so our return to the Heart will not be as fast as they might wish. And I will use the journey to tell your Warprize some of the details you may have ... forgotten." Without a token in her hand, that was an insult. I waited for Keir to draw a blade, but he just flushed again and squeezed my hand.

"You have four ehats to render, and an army to release." Keekai gave Keir a close look. "With luck, you will only be a day behind before we arrive at the Heart."

"Keekai, I have always listened and followed-"

Keekai snorted.

Keir glared right back at her, adding strength to his words. "And followed your advice. But now-" "There is no choice. She must come out from under your protection and influence. The entire Council is agreed, Keir." Keekai gave him a long look. "Would you truly defy them, and destroy this chance?" There were noises from outside, and Keekai drank more of her kavage. "In the morning, I will come to your tent and we will hold the separation ceremony. Xylara, you will answer my questions, and we will depart."

"Questions?"

Keekai rolled her eyes. "You haven't even told her that. What have you been doing with your time?"

Keir and I exchanged a glance, and I blushed.

Keekai snorted. "Well, make the most of tonight, for it is all I can give you. It will be days before you see

him again." Keekai stood, and pulled her cloak on. "She will be under my protection until we reach the Heart, Keir. She will be safe. For now, tell her what she needs to know. Of the questions, the ceremony, the champion- enough to get her through tomorrow. I will tell her more on the journey."

"I will not be stopped, Keekai." Keir's voice was low and determined, and his grip on my hand tightened.

"I will break their power over my people."

Keekai stopped and turned her head. She looked so much like Keir in the firelight. "That is why I fear for you, Keir of the Cat. They will kill you if they can."

Keir's nostrils flared. "Let them try," he grated.

With a shake of her head and a swirl of her cloak, Keekai left the tent.

In the silence that remained, the fire crackled and flared up.

"Skies," Keir growled. "This is the work of the winds." I leaned in close and he pressed a kiss to my

temple. "Lara, I-"

I reached out and put my fingers over his lips. "The last few weeks, since the plague cleared, have been blissful."

Keir closed his eyes and nodded, his lips brushing against my fingers.

"We've both been avoiding this, haven't we?" I whispered softly, my eyes tearing. "Neither one of us

wanted to face this. Both our faults."

Keir didn't open his eyes. "I didn't want it to end." He pulled in a deep breath, and reached up to take my hand and press a kiss to the palm. "I thought we had time, at least until we reached the Heart."

"And now, we have tonight." I took a shaky breath. "After the celebration, we will talk. All night, if we

have to."

His bright blue eyes looked at me from beneath his black hair. "I am tempted to defy them. I would not have you go. Keekai is an Elder, and powerful, but you-"

I twisted my hand in his, until our palms were together. His large, callused fingers were a marked contrast to mine. I slowly curled mine until my fingers interlocked with his. "Two peoples into one, Keir. You and I, working together, for ourselves and our peoples."

He pulled me into his arms. "Tonight, after the celebration. We will talk."

I pulled back just enough to look up into those wonderful blue eyes, and gave him a smile. "Just remember, you promised to dance for me, Warlord."

The gleam was back. "I did, didn't I?"

Much of the celebration was a blur. It was as if I was two people, one watching from a distance and the other wrapped in worry and fear for the future. A platform had been built, so that we could see out over the firepits and the dancing grounds. Keir conceded the center seat to Keekai, and sat to her left, I was next to him, and the other warleaders were also scattered about the platform.

Although Keekai had joined us, the warrior-priests were seated together off to the side. They seemed in tent on keeping themselves apart.

Marcus made himself busy, directing his helpers to offer water for washing and giving thanks. As he offered to pour the water for me, Keir leaned over, and murmured a question. "Iften?"

"In his tent. Being tended to by the warrior-priests. They use their powers to perform another healing," Marcus said. His tone expressed his opinion of that bit of news.

I snorted softly, which earned me swift smiles from Keir and Marcus, and a frown from Keekai. Keekai opened her mouth, but Keir held his hand up. "Marcus, see that Iften is taken a share of the meats. And enough for the warrior-priest as well."

Marcus scowled, but jerked his head in acknowledgment of the order.

Keir stood and held his hand up. The warriors quieted until all that could be heard were the crackles of the fires.

"We gather this night, to thank the elements. We thank them for the gift of the hunt, and for our return to the Plains. HEYLA!"

"HEYLA!" roared the warriors in return.

"Lail of the Badger, stand forward."

The scout that brought word of the ehats stepped in front of the platform.

"I doubted your words, Lail, and I take back those words before all. On the morrow, you will have a full backstrap, with my thanks."

With a wide smile, Lail bowed before Keir, and then returned to be congratulated by the warriors around him. Marcus was offering kavage, and must have seen the question in my eyes. "The choicest part of the meat, Warprize. A true honor."

I nodded my understanding, as Keir continued. "Tomorrow, we rend the bodies of our kill, and divide the spoils of the hunt. But tonight we celebrate their spirits." Keir gestured to the firepits. "By tradition the first meats are mine. But I would grow fat as a city dweller if I ate the first meats of four ehats!"

Laughter, and a few sly looks my way. But I joined in the laughter as well.

"I would share this honor with my warriors," Keir continued. "Let us eat and share in the ehat's honor and

strength. Then we will dance to thank the earth and the skies, the wind and the rain for their gifts. For we are of the Plains and we are home!"

"HEYLA!" The warriors all started to gather about the pits. Talk and laughter rose around us as they

were served. The warrior-priests may have held themselves apart, but I noticed that they took their share

of the food.

Marcus had our portions, served with fried bread and gurt on the side. The other warleaders were served as well and we all started to eat. The meat was sliced thin. I rolled a piece up and popped it in my mouth. It was good, better than I expected. I hurriedly ate mine, and licked the juice from my fingers.

"You honor your warriors." Keekai spoke around a mouthful, obviously enjoying the taste.

"They are worthy of honor." Keir picked up a piece of the meat and ate it.

Keekai nodded, and turned to Marcus for kavage. I leaned over, and stole a piece of meat off of Keir's

platter. He gave me a surprised look, but said nothing.

"So, has Joden survived the summer?" Keekai asked, scanning the crowd. "I would hear him sing if he will."

"He did." Something in Keir's tone told me that he wasn't comfortable with the idea of Joden singing.

"Keekai..."

She turned, those blue eyes intent.

"Isdra and Epor have gone to the snows."

Keekai looked down at her meal. "Word of this has reached the Heart, Keir. As has the manner of their

deaths." She drew in a deep breath. "The Elders will not make this easy for you, Keir of the Cat."

Marcus moved closer, and Keekai held out her mug for more kavage. I got a clear look at her right