“Warriors have enough reasons to fight without adding—”
“Forget it, Challen,” she interrupted coldly, though she wasn’t certain why his words upset her. “Explanations aren’t going to improve on that statement. Even we Kystrani, who think nothing of sharing sex with a different partner every day, still occasionally fight over a woman, or a man, for that matter. Not to the death. That would go against the laws of Life Appreciation. But we get the matter settled. So I commend you for having conquered such a basic emotion as jealousy. Few other cultures can say the same.”
If she hoped he would tell her she had somehow misunderstood, she was doomed to disappointment. He said nothing more, so she didn’t either, brooding instead on this unusual revelation. From what she had observed so far, it could well be that barbarians lacked many of the more frustrating emotions suffered by the humanoid species, such as anger, jealousy, disappointment, exasperation. And if that were so, then mightn’t they also lack some of the nicer ones—such as love? Did they have living down to the animal instinct of survival, procreation, and nothing more? But they did possess humor, a purely human emotion. She clung to that thought.
Chapter Nineteen
Tedra’s mood perked up a bit when they made a turn and there at the end of the new street was the white castle. It was set behind high walls of the same white stone, with a wide arched gateway spanning the street and presently open to the public. It was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up, for who knew when she’d find another?
“Why don’t we stop by and pay our respects to yourshodanbefore you take me to your home, Challen? I’d really like to meet him.”
“Why?”
The question was a mere formality, since they both knew he already knew the answer. So she didn’t feel she had to spell it out, just offer reassurance.
“I promise I won’t mention a word about my origins, trade deals, or mutual benefits. I just want to meet him.”
“Is your promise as good as your sworn word?”
“Good enough,” she replied indignantly, annoyed to have her integrity again questioned. “I’ll even swear to be a model of Kan-is-Tran womanhood, obedient to the letter.”
“For that alone I would grant your request.”
“Very funny,” she retorted.
He must have thought so, for he was chuckling as they passed under the arched gateway. Tedra ignored him, her interest caught by the goings-on inside the wide walled-in yard that circled the castle, and her first close-up glimpse of the castle itself. It really was a spread-out conglomeration of uniqueness, with different-shaped rooms or buildings sitting one on top of another, with square or round towers separating or flanking them, or simply open spaces between that could be roof decks or upper courts. The castle climbed, almost in pyramid fashion, with the tallest, conical-roofed tower at the center.
There was a long rectangular building at the front of the castle that faced the gate, with a flat, crenelated roof that could be considered battlements. Six wide steps stretched across the whole front of this building so they could be climbed from any point, but they led only to a single set of double doors made of, if she wasn’t mistaken,Torenosteel.
Likely there were other ways of getting inside such a large structure, but Tedra didn’t see them right off. The doors were closed. Two warriors stood at attention on either side of them, and this was where Challen rode to. But other people who had come through the gate, either onhataarior driving vehicles pulled by large beasts of burden and laden with foodstuffs or goods, were all heading around toward the back of the castle.
There was a stable in the front yard, with a large fenced and partially shaded area beside it that contained a dozen or so unburdenedhataarifeeding from big troughs. Tedra actually recognized a few, or thought she did—Tamiron’s animal, for one. But she was almost surprised into not mentioning it by her first sight of asmallman coming quickly across the yard to them. He wasn’t really small, just not warrior material by any means. Nor did he wear leather like a warrior, but a thin white material in both pants and shirt that looked cool and comfortable, but was otherwise unremarkable.
This could be no other than a Darash male of the servant class Challen had mentioned, and one who apparently worked in the stable, for it was thehataarhe was after. He didn’t speak, but he didn’t behave in a cowed or servile manner either. Challen got a nod and a smile from him. Tedra didn’t even get a curious glance, bare legs and feet or not.
She found that unusual enough to ask Challen, “He’s not interested in women?”
“In Darash women, yes,” the warrior replied easily. “All others are forbidden him.”
“So he doesn’t bother to look. Smart of him, I suppose, but does that work both ways? Are Darash women forbidden to warriors?”
He grinned quite unrepentantly as he said, “No.”
“It figures,” she said with disgust. Then, watching the servant head back toward the stable, she noticed those otherhataariagain. “Tell me something, Challen. You had to come here anyway, didn’t you, to check in or whatever?”
“It was necessary I come here, yes.”
“Couldn’t you have just said so?”
“You seemed to prefer making bargains,kerima.”
“Sneaky as well as a jerk,” she mumbled, only to get another chuckle out of him as he took her elbow and escorted her up the stairs.
Neither of the two sentinel warriors moved to open the double doors, but this proved unnecessary, for one side was opened from within before they were reached. The two warriors must have recognized Challen, since they didn’t question his business for being there or anything. They didn’t say a word, but, like the servant, offered him a smile and a nod. Unlike the servant’s, their eyes were all over Tedra until she passed through the doorway, making her feel things were back to normal. Then every thought went right out of her mind with her first look inside the castle. Castle? Maybe the place looked like one from the outside, but inside it was more like a farden palace.
She was in a very wide, very high-ceilinged entrance hall that was as bright and airy as the outside. A blue carpet ran down the center, about a dozen feet wide, and on either side of it were shining, white marblelike floors. Walls that were barely walls but great open archways were also on both sides of this hallway, revealing rooms beyond spread with long, backless couches, low tables, small flowering trees in great urns, and tall open windows accounting for the airiness and light. Dining or gathering areas, she guessed, but the reason they were divided? Segregation of the classes—or the sexes?
Tedra was about to ask Challen when she became aware that he was being greeted by the man who had opened the door for them. With a warrior’s height and dress, but much older than any she had so far seen, he bore a marked resemblance to Challen and was as incredibly tall; he had the same aggressive chin, the same strong nose and dark eyes, eyes so dark she still wasn’t sure if they were brown or black. Only the hair was different, shorter, and not Challen’s rich gold, but a chestnut hue.
