Part 60: Shelter

Note: This item has been rewritten and edited. All text in rose is BRAND NEW MATERIAL for this chapter of the story. In addition there are many minor changes to the original text itself. Please enjoy this new, expanded version of Part 60 and be on the lookout for updates to the next parts!


KHETAI WAS ASLEEP when she was brought into the city of the River Tribe, so she couldn't remember the details of her arrival very well. When she came to it was nightfall and the Kana were unpacking their mounts near the city gate, more soldiers gathering around them. She didn't have much chance to feel threatened, as there weren't very many of them anyway, at least compared to the Great Red Tribe. She was mildly surprised that all that the newcomers did concerning her was give her a brief glance before turning their attention to Captain Fe'kheru and Lieutenant Meteri. They weren't interested in her. She saw weariness in their eyes, but it seemed to be lessened a little by the arrival of the captain and his men.

One captain pushed his way through the crowd and reached his hand out toward Fe'kheru, who was overlooking the unpacking. They clasped arms and the other captain smiled.

"It took you long enough to return," he said, and Khetai could tell from the way they smiled at each other that they were old friends. "You're a much better sort than your brother, that's certain; it looks as if you didn't lose one head among you." He started craning his neck as if to see for sure.

"This is because my own head was the only one at risk," Fe'kheru replied. He sighed and rubbed at his eyes. "I am so weary. Is there any food or drink waiting?"

"Of course there is. You think we'd let you go hungry?" The other captain waved at him and gestured toward the gate. "Here, leave off with this and let the others attend to it; you fellows need your rest. They will be glad to take over for you all. Besides, if you're away from Ikhi' merely a moment longer than you have to be, she will likely tear your nose from your face!"

There was a general murmur of assent, and Fe'kheru turned toward the gate as well. Those who had been in the city already began to unpack while the returned Kana made their way down the main street. Meteri approached Khetai's Sha and helped her down; she was too tired and weak to protest. From afar she spotted a large household filled with light, and caught the scent of cooked meat wafting from within; her mouth grew moist but she said nothing. Meteri walked alongside her as they went along the road and she had to lean on his arm for a moment, hating that she had to do this, yet grateful that at least the young Kana said nothing, and didn't even look at her. When she surreptitiously peered at him she saw that his eyes were distant, preoccupied, and she vaguely wondered what he could be thinking.

"We were honestly beginning to wonder when you would be back," the other captain said quietly as they went, speaking to Fe'kheru. "The days just seemed to stretch on and on." He rubbed his neck. "I had feared you would end up like Sut'khut."

"Sut'khut barely had a head before he lost his." Fe'kheru reached out to touch the other Kana's arm before drawing in on himself again. "I am fine, Khanef. Does the general know we have arrived yet?"

Khanef's step slowed a little and Khetai noticed his ears flick a bit. He came to a stop and looked Fe'kheru in the eye.

"I am sorry...he is gone."

A look of dismay came to Fe'kheru's face. Khanef continued before he could speak.

"He died two days ago...he was very ill. We had hoped he would make it until your return, but you seemed to be delayed." Fe'kheru's head lowered as Khanef spoke, until his gaze was on the ground; Khetai had never seen a Kana look so miserable before. "He was too weak as it was...none of us expected him to live much longer even before you left."

"I had thought that he would be here," Fe'kheru murmured. "I truly convinced myself I would see him once more."

Khanef paused to allow him a moment to let the news sink in. He reached out and grasped Fe'kheru's arm. "None of us could have known exactly when he would go...nor do I believe you could have known that you would be delayed. There is no fault in any of us. He died knowing you would return victorious." His voice lightened a little. "So tell me, what tricks did you use to make it back here? Mahakhi will have his tail between his legs for a long time, I bet!--yes?"

"Our general was wrong," Fe'kheru said quietly, and turned away. He started walking toward the house again. Khanef's brow furrowed, and he hesitated before hurrying to catch up.

"What do you mean--?" he asked, sounding confused. When the other captain didn't reply, his step slowed again. "You mean...you were defeated?" He slowed to a stop, and Meteri and Khetai had to swerve to pass him. "But...how?"

"They are many more than us, and much stronger," Fe'kheru called back, without turning. "There is no way we could have fought them and survived to return home. I made a choice."

"What choice?" Khanef approached him again and tried to meet his eyes, but Fe'kheru looked away. "If you lost, you would not be here now!"

"I engaged Lord Mahakhi in combat myself," Fe'kheru said. He looked back at Khanef. "He is younger than I am. I lost; and so we have returned."

"You fought him...? By yourself...?" Khanef frowned, then looked about ready to scowl. "At no point did you decide to make use of your own men--?"

Fe'kheru's face darkened in return. "The Great Red Tribe is stronger than we are. Even if we fought to the last man we would not have won a thing but martyrdom. You saw what martyrdom did for my brother, and for Yekh'ef-Kana. We have already lost far too many men. Look around you." He gestured around himself, and Khetai now noticed how dark many of the houses were. "Most of our households go dark nightly because there are none left to inhabit them. There are barely any men to get the women with children to continue the lines. The last time we fought, I lost both my brother and my best friend. My lieutenant will be forever fatherless because of that day." His eyes grew shaded and distant. "I wished for as many of us to return home this time as possible. Too many have been lost. Sometimes survival and defeat are better than honor and victory."

He turned away again, back toward the house. Khanef watched him go, ears flicking and a frustrated expression on his face. He ducked to the side in some surprise as Meteri and Khetai passed. He finally noticed Khetai and his eyes widened. She pulled her arm loose and quickly lowered her head, trying not to look at him, but he hurried to catch up with them now, jogging alongside Meteri. He continued looking at her and she felt herself seethe inside.

"Who is this--?" he asked, not even bothering with subtlety.

"She is not mine," Meteri said, a bit shortly.

Khanef blinked at the tone of his voice, yet tried again. "Then who does she belong to?"

"You'd have to speak with Lord Fe'kheru."

Meteri took Khetai's arm again and passed the other Kana without a second glance. Khetai had to stifle a relieved sigh, yet seeing the strangely crestfallen look on the captain's face made her take pause. After a moment or two she heard him sigh as well, and his footsteps thudded against the ground; they all fell silent and made their way to the old general's house.

* * * * *

Fe'kheru stared at the floor as he and Khanef walked toward the main courtyard, several of the higher soldiers who had accompanied the former on his trip following them. Several little tables sat out under the stars, with lamps perched around them, illuminating the tiles which shimmered golden under their light. Khanef watched the older captain's face closely but he said nothing as he lowered himself to sit down at one of the tables; Khanef sat on the opposite side, and the others took up places at the other tables, everyone reaching for the bread and dates and eating them hungrily but with odd restraint. Khanef watched Fe'kheru take a sip of beer and stare at his own meal as if not hungry in the least, despite what he had earlier asked; after several moments in silence the younger captain snorted, simply to make a noise, and leaned back.

"What happened over there?" he demanded softly. "Did those Yellow Sands Kana truly turn yellow on you--?"

Fe'kheru shook his head and at last reached for a date. "None of this was their decision, nor their doing. In fact I sense their lieutenant was rather disappointed with the turn of events. But they decided to postpone their revenge until a later time. I will have to send my apology to their general; gods know they must detest us even more than before, by now."

Khanef's brow furrowed. "You are the one who sought an alliance with them," he said. "No matter what the bad blood between us. You are the one who then turned them away? What happened over there, Brother? Have they gathered more forces, or...?"

"They are sick of the fighting." Fe'kheru took another drink. "And frankly, so am I."

Khanef couldn't hide his confusion. "But, you were the one who organized this party! You mean to tell me you changed your mind so abruptly? Do you not remember Yekh'ef and Hesi, and all the rest?"

"It is because of them that I decided to come back," Fe'kheru said quietly, and stared at his cup. Silence ensued and Khanef was on the verge of fidgeting when the other captain spoke again. "I fully believed this was the best course of action when we first set out," he murmured, swirling his cup. "I fully believed this was the only way to assuage this ache in our hearts. Yet..." He trailed off, then set the cup down and rubbed at his eyes. "I saw their general...he is younger than I am, and in far better shape, and better able to lead his men. I led this party only because there were none left to do it. I did not know what I was getting into." He lifted his head to look at Khanef. "And there was a lieutenant there. He could not have been much older than Pai'akhen is. His father was killed in battle with our tribe. By that Moru you say was involved in the whole affair."

Khanef scowled. "And so a Kana lost his father! This is what happens in war! If you worry over every Kana who loses a relation, you will worry forever. This loss was not your fault. At the least blame it on Sut'khut--and he already got his comeuppance. This was about our revenge for what they did to us. I had thought you cared more about Yekh'ef-Kana than that."

"That lieutenant carried the same look on his face as Meteri-Kana," Fe'kheru said softly, and Khanef fell silent at last. "I even saw Meteri look at him...he does not know that I saw, but I did. Many of them had that look on their faces." He met Khanef's eyes, and his own were dark and hard. "You are as my brother, Khanef-Kana, and you always will be; yet you offend me when you claim I do not care for our tribe. I heard how you spoke of Sut'khut. You disliked this war just as much as I did."

"This was before they slaughtered us," Khanef retorted. "They killed every last one even as they ran for their lives!"

"They did this because they had to. You know as well as I do. Even one scout can cause the downfall of a tribe." His head lowered and he let out a small sigh. "Rura-Kana...I still cannot believe I will not see him make lieutenant. I was so certain..."

Khanef sat and stared at him for a moment or two, suppressing his own sigh and picking up a piece of bread to gnaw on it. He had never seen Fe'kheru's state of mind so addled before, and wondered what might have truly happened, but knew better than to ask; the older Kana could be just as stubborn as his brother, when he wanted to be. He waited a while as the rest of the Kana in the courtyard continued eating and quietly talking, then picked up his cup and swirled it around.

"So what was it you finally settled upon, then?" he asked. "You said you fought their general. I'm to believe he accepted this?"

"I believe he was as relieved as I was," Fe'kheru murmured, and picked up his own cup again. "Though of course he would not say it." He took a drink and sighed. "It was one of his men who suggested the idea. Though I am glad that he did. I do not know how I could have suggested it myself, and hoped to save face. Meteri was not happy...he agreed to it, but all along he tried to sway me. She'hekha-Kana was most displeased..."

"She'hekha-Kana can rot in the Duat," Khanef said, earning a small frown. "Seeing as their alliance with us is broken, then we should no longer care what they think. They will manage on their own." He met Fe'kheru's eyes. "And so you fought him...?"

Fe'kheru nodded, wings slumping. "I had almost beaten him..." Khanef took a sip "...but I am glad that I did not."

Khanef choked and sputtered, spitting on the tiles. Several of the other Kana turned their heads to look at him as he coughed and wiped his mouth, shaking his head with a grimace. "Glad--?" he managed to get out, giving Fe'kheru a glare of disbelief. "You are GLAD that you lost--?" He set the cup down with a clank and flared his wings. "'Kheru-Brother, I fully understand you not wishing the tribes to fight--not to lose more men. But YOU wished to lose as well--? What sort of insanity is this--? Why did you even engage in any of this at all--?"

"If I had won," Fe'kheru said as Khanef fumed, "then what would you have expected me to do?" When Khanef fell silent, he looked up at him. "According to the rules of war, if I had defeated him, his entire tribe would have fallen under She'hekha-Kana's and my control. I already believe I know what She'hekha-Kana would have preferred to subject them to. Even if our alliance was broken, I would have still been expected to act. I doubt many of them would have turned against their commander. In this case, I would have had to take them prisoner, or else kill them." His eyes darkened again. "You would have preferred me to do such a thing as this? And be no better than Sut'khut?"

"No better than Mahakhi," Khanef retorted. "HE is the one who ordered the slaughter of our tribe."

"He is also the one who refrained from sending his men to attack us in our own homes, as was his right. Why do you think he did this, Khanef-Brother? Even with as greatly as he overreacted to our attack, he still held back from attacking us. He did not want this war. He did not ask for it. His tribe beat us before, and they were content to leave it at that. Sut'khut is the one who started all this. As he is dead, I am the only one to end it." He waved his hand at the air. "I detest making prisoners of good Kana. And I will hardly go lowering myself to Sut'khut's level by killing them all off. There are a hundred and more Meteris in that tribe, Khanef, and the mere thought of making hata'taiu of them all..." He shuddered and flinched. "Perhaps I did this out of selfishness after all. For I would hardly be able to sleep, seeing all their eyes staring back at me in my dreams. Every last one looking like Meteri." He took a long drink, finishing off his cup, and set it down, absently rubbing at his muzzle. A long silence fell this time, as Khanef knew not what to say. "I hope you do not hate me for it, Brother," Fe'kheru murmured at last. "But I hope that someday should we meet them again they will no longer be our enemy. We need all of the allies we can get, in these times."

Khanef lowered his head, muzzle wrinkling. "Pardon me if I do not share your hope at the moment," he muttered.

Fe'kheru stared at him for a moment, then sighed and relaxed his wings. He reached for a date and started chewing on it. "Well...at the least you are not biting my head off, as I fully expected you to. Perhaps you will agree with me someday."

"Not soon," Khanef replied, and tilted his head. "Your arm." When Fe'kheru looked at him he gestured. "I noticed it before you left. It was bothering you some. It's gotten better now...?"

Fe'kheru lifted his arm and looked at it. "I had not even noticed." He flexed and extended his fingers. "Yes, it does better now. I am doing better now." He picked up a cake and stared at it, then ate it.

"You really have this thought in your head to see them as allies," Khanef said, and when Fe'kheru nodded, he rolled his eyes and sighed. "You are even more hopeless than Meteri is." He took a drink, then decided to finish it off. He blinked and hiccupped before setting his cup down with a clink. "That reminds me! That female!"

"Female--?" Fe'kheru made a face. "Ikhi' will kill me for taking so long out here..."

"No, not Ikhi'. It is insane how you let that little wisp push you about!" Khanef had to keep himself from snorting. "But then again, she can be rather frightening, for a Moru." When Fe'kheru gave him a cross look he waved his hand. "I was speaking of the one you brought back with you...that one Meteri-Kana went walking off with. I meant to ask you what the deal is with her."

"I bought her from the Great Red Tribe," Fe'kheru said, poking at the fruit. "They were selling her off just before I was to leave. Her former master was concerned that she go to a good owner."

Khanef gave him a very strange look. "So...you do own her...?" He pursed his lips. "Ah...forgive me for asking then, Brother, but..."

Fe'kheru gave a gusty sigh and pushed away the dish. "No, she cannot bear pups, and I do not intend on making her my mate. You and Meteri both think exactly alike! Ikhi' is all that I wish for. I simply did not want to see her talents go to waste in that tribe. Despite what I said of them earlier, they are a little backwards when it comes to good females."

Khanef frowned. "Talents...?"

Fe'kheru poked at his cup next, as if impatient. "You would not believe me if I told you."

"How much did you pay for her?"

"Fifty gold rings."

It was unfortunate that Khanef had started to bite into a cake, as he then spat it out and coughed again. Fe'kheru gazed skyward as he started rubbing furiously at his muzzle, giving the older Kana a venomous look.

"Fifty gold rings...then I certainly hope she can fly, and fish, and train Sha, and make swords, AND teach pups how to read," he groused, pushing his own plate away. "Because that is the only way that she will be worth fifty gold rings!" Fe'kheru started to get to his feet and Khanef hurried to follow suit. "Truly, Brother...since you don't intend to take her for a mate then what will you do with her?"

"She has her uses," Fe'kheru said. "The very reason why I am here now is because of her uses." Khanef tilted his head, puzzled, but said nothing. "Why such an interest, Khanef-Brother? She came from the Great Red Tribe, so I rather assumed you would not care for her."

Khanef blinked, then felt his face grow warm. "I was curious," he insisted, and wrinkled his muzzle. "And I wish to hear how you plan on breaking this news to IKHI'ET! She has been crawling the walls waiting for you to return, and now you come back with a female--this is a recipe for disaster, 'Kheru-Brother."

Fe'kheru stared off into space for a moment, then a vague smile came to his face. Khanef blinked in puzzlement on seeing it, but the older captain merely started walking, moving past him and toward the entry to the building. "I believe she will understand," he said, and disappeared within.

Khanef stared after him for a long while, then glanced back at the mussed table, then back up at the other Kana who were now getting to their feet and stretching their wings. He let out a gusty sigh of his own and waited for them to disperse before beginning to clean up the mess they had left, grumbling to himself the entire time.

Allies...'Kheru-Kana must have struck his head, he thought with some annoyance, gathering the scraps of food onto a plate to toss them from the wall so birds could eat them. They killed almost all of us...and now he wants us to be allies? Perhaps old 'Khut's death affected him more than I thought...

He left the household and made his way to the city wall, climbing up the ladder and walking along until he reached the eastern wall, and tossed the bread and fruit to the ground far below. He leaned on his elbows and stared at the sky for a few moments, furrowing his brow in thought.

Then again...he has his point...my stomach churns thinking of how many we lost...but he did spare us from losing yet more...

And we were willing to ally ourselves with that damned Yellow Sands Tribe...so the Great Red Tribe can hardly be any worse...though I pray we don't have to make an alliance TOO soon...

Fe'kheru-Kana and Meteri are all that I have left of my friends. I guess I am fortunate. If I lost them too...

A warm breeze fanned across his face and he blinked, realizing that he'd been drifting. He caught a scent and lowered his head to look eastward toward the river which had given their tribe its name. It flowed by silently under the stars, black and glittering. Khanef stared at it for a very long time, and after a while his heart began to hurt.

Tahat...Neti'khet...

Now I remember. Now I know why. Her eyes...

He shut his own eyes tight and nearly scowled, shaking his head abruptly. He made himself take in a breath and then let it out, blinking the sting from his eyes and staring at the river once more. Although it was nighttime, still, a vague image of a secluded spot along it, the rushes and weeds forming a tiny pool and a fallen palm forming the perfect seat, came to his mind, and he sighed and gave up on pushing the image away, instead turning and heading back toward the household. His wings slumped now and his pace was considerably slower than it had been before.

* * * * *

As a Moru, Khetai was not taken along to the courtyard with the rest of the Kana. Meteri delayed his own nourishment, taking her back to the Moru quarters, where she found that food had already been placed for the rest of the slaves. The room was very dim, and not nearly as well kept as anything in Mahakhi's tribe; after the door closed behind her, she huddled up against the wall, curling her arms around her legs and trying to blink the tears away from her eyes. It was just as she'd expected things to turn out--being reduced to a mere slave and possible bedmate, living in these squalid quarters in the meantime. She saw the other Moru taking pieces of bread and meat, peering at her as they did so, but didn't bother getting up to get any for herself. Her stomach growled in protest but she ignored it. Perhaps it would be best to starve herself, and die; but she knew that wouldn't happen soon enough.

She dropped her head and wiped at her eyes, hoping that the others couldn't see her tears. She hated being so weak. She was trying to sniffle as quietly as she could when a soft sound from the other side of the room caught her attention. She lifted her head and scanned the room, but it was so dark that she couldn't tell what it was until it came again. It sounded like a soft moan or whimper of pain, in a female voice.

Khetai's ears pricked and immediately her tears vanished. Instinct kicked in, and she got silently to her feet, making her way carefully across the crowded room. The other Moru glanced up at her as she passed, but said nothing; none of them even paid any attention to the distressed sounds coming from the far corner. Khetai squinted until she could finally make out two indistinct forms huddled against the opposite wall, much as she had been; one sat upright, while the other lay on the floor, curled on its side. As she approached to stand over them, the upright one looked up abruptly, large eyes flashing. It was a Moru female, possibly in her late teens. The look that she gave Khetai wasn't a frightened one, but it wasn't a friendly one either. Khetai held up one hand.

"It's all right," she said softly, hoping the Moru understood her. "I won't hurt her." For now she could tell that the shape on the floor was another female, curled in on herself with her chest heaving and a grimace on her face. It was from her that the whimpers came, and from the way that she was sweating and cringing Khetai could tell she was in great pain. She knelt down slowly and was relieved when the younger female backed away a bit to give her room. She pressed her hand to the older female's forehead; her skin burned with fever.

"What's wrong with her?" she asked, uneasily. These looked as if they could be the symptoms of the illness that occasionally passed through the tribes; if so, every one of them could be at risk.

"To be with child," the younger female said; Khetai frowned. The older Moru didn't look pregnant. Then the teenager continued. "To be used by captain; to lose pup. To be in pain, sick since then."

Khetai's face paled. She drew her hand away and rubbed at her knuckles with her other hand, biting her lip. The young Moru peered at her curiously. "Which captain?" Khetai asked; this didn't look to be the illness after all, but still she felt uneasy, that Fe'kheru could have possibly done something so horrendous.

The young Moru relaxed slightly. "To be dead," she said matter-of-factly. "Killed in last battle."

Khetai let out her breath. Well, at least Fe'kheru wasn't the cause...

She felt at her side, then silently cursed herself when she remembered that she had no more medicine kit. Just the same, she still felt something tucked into her loincloth--the guards had allowed her to keep wearing it--and her eyes went wide as soon as she remembered what it was. She flushed a little as she poked her hand through the slit in her dress and pulled out what she'd been looking for. The young female watched with some curiosity as she held it up--a small packet of poppy.

I had intended to take this myself, she thought as she stared at it, in case things happened to come to this. I cannot believe I forgot it until now. She took in a breath. I could swallow this and be out of this life forever!

A soft moan came, and Khetai flinched, glancing down at the pained female. She stared at her for a moment before her heart grew heavy and she tore open the packet. There was just enough in it to put herself to sleep permanently, should she consume it all...but if she used some of it now...there would no longer be enough left for that.

She looked down at the moaning female again, then back up at the younger Moru. When she spoke she had to force the words to come.

"Is there any drink...?"

The young female pushed herself up and crawled off toward the food. She returned with a small cup of beer; Khetai poured in some of the poppy and swirled the cup around until it was thoroughly mixed. "Help me with her," she said, and the girl helped her lift up the other Moru so she could put the cup to her mouth, making her drink. The older female swallowed the contents convulsively, and the two helped her lie down again; she whimpered softly, but after a few moments her features relaxed and her breathing grew regular as she slipped into a drugged sleep. Khetai sighed and put the rest of the poppy away. It wasn't a cure, but at least she would get some needed rest.

She turned her head to see the young female still staring at her. "To know of medicines?" she asked, and Khetai flushed a little. She had become so used to playing the part of a physician that she hadn't even thought the action strange for a female, until now.

"A little," she lied, not wishing to explain. "Just a few things that I've picked up."

The girl stared at her for a moment more before smiling. Khetai blinked. The young Moru reached out and took Khetai's hands in her own.

"To have name?" she asked.

Khetai flushed again. "Khetai," she said, hoping that she wouldn't have to explain the masculine name. The young female only smiled again, squeezing her hands.

"Djefet," she said. She let go of one of Khetai's hands to gesture at the sleeping female. "To be Kha'kaat, mate of general. To be with pup, but to be used by bastard captain and to lose it. To pray his brains feed jackals of the Duat." And she spat on the floor.

Khetai stared at Djefet for a moment before smiling herself. She found that she liked this girl; she didn't seem to be at all like the rest of the Moru here, meek and submissive. She had spirit in her for some reason. Djefet saw her smile and her own grew, and Khetai's ears felt warm.

"This captain never came for you?" she asked, and Djefet shook her head, then gestured at her mouth; Khetai assumed that this meant he had asked her for hakh'tua, but never for nesakh'ai. "Are you iat'ah?" she asked next, then cringed mentally. It was rather a rude thing to ask, but Djefet merely giggled.

"Nooooo. Silly. To belong to general, but general to never call. To have served a few other Kana."

"The general has died," Khetai said; from the frown that Djefet got, she could tell this news had not yet reached the Moru quarters. "Who will you belong to now?"

Djefet looked toward the ceiling. "Well..." she said. "Next in line to be bastard captain, but to be dead now...thank the gods. So...other captain probably master, now."

"Do you mean Fe'kheru?"

Djefet nodded.

Khetai pulled her hands back into her lap and hated that her fingers fiddled against each other, but couldn't help the nervous gesture. "Is he a kind master?" she asked. "Or no?"

Djefet looked at her for a moment before shrugging. "To not know. Captain to never call on Djefet. Lieutenant calls, instead."

Khetai stared. "Do you mean Meteri?" she asked in some surprise. She knew that the lieutenant was all of fifteen years old; Djefet might have been young, but she looked as if she could have been older even than he.

Djefet merely smiled widely, giggling. "Yes, to be the one. Kind Kana. Treats well."

"You mean that Meteri calls for you?"

A nod. "Once in a while. Not too often. Strange boy. Likes to give hakh'tua."

"He likes to GIVE hakh'tua?" Khetai almost clapped a hand to her mouth, she said this so loudly. Djefet started laughing, hugging her sides.

"To not yell so loud! Yes, hakh'tua. Good at it, too."

Khetai slumped against the wall, next to the slumbering Kha'kaat. She was learning some pretty unbelievable things about the young lieutenant, it appeared. Djefet saw her look and ceased laughing, tilting her head. She smiled and crept toward Khetai, sitting down beside her.

"To not feel jealous...maybe to call on you next? Give you hakh'tua?"

Khetai's face went red. "He's not interested in me," she said first of all; then, unable to believe that she'd actually said that, "I'm not interested in him."

"No interest?" Djefet seemed surprised.

Khetai shook her head furiously. "No. It's...it's a long story. You are sure the captain won't come looking for any of us...?"

"Captain to have one mate. Ikhi'et. To not choose others."

"He and Meteri aren't...?"

Djefet's eyes grew huge. "What?" she exclaimed; then, "No! Where to get idea--?"

Khetai waved her hands, grimacing. "All right! I'm sorry...they just...they reminded me of someone else, is all. I didn't mean to offend you. I'm just...I've had a difficult time with the Kana lately, and I do not think I could stand another one coming for me just yet..."

Djefet settled somewhat and gave her a puzzled look before understanding crossed her face. "Oh," she said. "Oh." She took Khetai's hands again. "To be sorry...to be treated poorly by Kana?"

Khetai ducked her head, ears flicking. "You could say this, somewhat..."

Djefet offered her a hopeful smile. "Not all Kana to be brutes...Lord Meteri to be good Kana...and maybe Fe'kheru too...to belong to him?"

"Yes...he is the one who bought me."

The girl seemed a bit confused on hearing this, but shook it off. "Well...to have reasons. Ikhi'et to always be happy, sad when Fe'kheru to be gone. Must be good master. Khetai to be safe here. Djefet to keep watch."

Khetai blinked at her. "What?" she asked, not certain if she'd heard correctly.

Djefet smiled and waved at Kha'kaat. "To watch over general's mate while ill. If bastard captain return, to bite off his ear for touching her." She gestured toward another female at the far side of the room, who held a suckling pup in her arms. "Another Kana to try to come for her other day. She also to be used by bastard captain, but luckier. When other Kana touch her, get bruised balls from Djefet." And she beamed proudly in such a way that the stupefied Khetai couldn't help but start to laugh.

"Aren't you afraid of being punished?" she asked between gasps. Djefet grinned so that her teeth showed, two perfect rows of white.

"To use these if cornered! Djefet good at hakh'tua; other Kana to know this. To hurt a Moru, to get hurt by Djefet."

Khetai rubbed tears away from her eyes. "You remind me a little of myself back when..." She trailed off when the younger female gave her a curious look. "Never mind," she finished lamely. "It's a long story..."

"Khetai to be safe with Djefet," Djefet reassured her. "Not even Meteri to bother you, if you wish."

"It's all right; I believe you. I don't believe he would come for me either." She sighed and sank against the wall. "This is not the place where I wanted to end up...but at least I may speak to you, without worrying about the Kana..."

Djefet stared at her for a moment before smiling. She nodded and patted Khetai's knee. "To sleep!" she said. "Get rest. To keep eyes open for you. Khetai to be safe."

"Thank you, Djefet," Khetai said, and for the first time in what seemed to be ages, she felt gratitude, genuine and heartfelt, blossom within her breast. The young Moru merely smiled at her once more before turning about, drawing her legs under herself and surveying the room. Khetai sighed and shut her eyes. She readied herself to try to force sleep to come...but it came of its own volition, overtaking all of her senses and sending her drifting into blackness.

* * * * *

The blackness didn't seem to last very long, however.

Khetai's brow furrowed a bit when she felt something nudging at her knee; uncertain of where she was, she shifted her leg, but the touch came again, shaking her knee now. She grumbled in protest and rubbed at her eyes, blinking them open. For a moment, the numerous other Moru around her confused her; where was she? She couldn't be with her brother's tribe; he kept her separate. So did Djuta. So where...?

That was when she saw Djefet's face before her, the young Moru's eyes wide and serious. Khetai came awake almost immediately when she saw someone else in the room with them. The door to the Moru quarters was open, and light streamed in; it silhouetted the Kana standing over her, his arms crossed and his head tilted to the side. Djefet gave a slight cough.

"To...um..." Her eyes shifted nervously. "To wish to go with him? To come looking, for you."

Khetai continued blinking at the dazzling light, confused. Who would want to call for her? Only three Kana even knew she was here...on looking more carefully at the silhouette, however, she identified who it was, and her wings sank.

"It's all right, Djefet...I'll go."

"To kick him in the balls, if you wish," the Moru said, and Khetai saw the Kana blink in surprise at the comment. She winced and waved at the girl to be quiet.

"No! That's all right. I'll be fine...thank you for looking out for me, Djefet."

Djefet watched her get to her feet, a puzzled look on her face, but didn't protest as Khetai followed the Kana out of the room. She cast a glance over her shoulder at the Moru before the door shut, and the two of them started walking up the hallway, his sandals clacking.

"You have made a friend already," Fe'kheru said. Khetai kept her gaze on the floor as they went. "I know Djefet, just a little...she frightened even Sut'khut. She will make certain you are safe, when you are with her."

"Yes, Lord."

Silence resumed in the hall. Fe'kheru stared ahead and Khetai listened to the sound of their feet against the floor.

"He told me that she bit him when he was in no position to fight back. Perhaps she should have bitten harder, then you would not have had to treat poor Kha'kaat."

Khetai nearly tripped. She couldn't believe he'd just said what he'd just said, about his own brother; she could tell from the tone of his voice that he was half joking, but that meant that he was half serious, as well. "She told you of Kha'kaat--?" she blurted out, before she could stop it.

Fe'kheru's ear flicked. "She knows medicine when she sees it...she wished to know how you knew it. She is a curious girl. I had to tell her a little about you; I hope you do not mind."

"No...this is all right." She fell silent for a moment or two before venturing to speak again. So far, he'd been civil in answering her questions, and hadn't treated her the way that most Kana treated Moru. He seemed to understand that she had a mind, at least.

"If I could speak..." She saw his ear flick again and raised her voice a little. "You and your brother...didn't seem very fond of each other."

"We were not."

"Most Kana are true to their own," she added, knowing it could be a dangerous comment. Fe'kheru didn't look at her, but he did reply.

"If he had been a true Kana, then this would have been correct. He was a good warrior, but he did not understand honor." Khetai gave him a questioning look. Fe'kheru glanced down at her and his mouth twitched. "You wish for a personal history?" he said, and she flushed and looked at the floor.

"I never meant..."

"This is all right. I know your story, so you may as well know mine." He faced the hall again. "Sut'khut was three years younger than I. We had different mothers, but we were raised together. Our father was proud of us both, but he doted on Sut'khut far too much."

"To your exclusion?"

"No, thankfully I cannot claim this. As I said he cared for us both. But he allowed my brother to get away with far too many things. Sut'khut did not learn discipline. Discipline is a prime tenet of the Kana; without discipline, a warrior is nothing more than a brute." He nodded as another Kana walked by them down the hall, and then they were alone again. "Sut'khut never learned this. He always believed that the way of the sword was more important than the way of honor."

"Did you never try to teach him otherwise?"

"I did try." The captain gave a small sigh. "He had a thick skull. When one is spoiled they will not listen to reason. It is the duty of an older brother to teach the younger, but he did not care for this either. Early on he developed a cruel streak." He paused for a moment, as if deciding whether to continue or not. "When he was fourteen years of age, and I thus seventeen, I found him in the Moru quarters of our father. He had one of the females...I suppose I do not need to tell you what he was doing." Khetai looked at the floor again. "I rebuked him for this, but he was not ever punished. According to our father, this was merely the way boys will act. Unfortunately, he was correct...as you have doubtlessly learned yourself. This did not mean I agreed with it." A dark look came to his eyes. "He became increasingly cocky after this. I hesitate to think what would have happened if I had not come upon him when I had. I left home for a period after this, and on my return I learned that my brother had attained the rank of lieutenant. There were other...stories...circulating about him. Primarily, about how another female had ended up dead by unknown means. I do not know if he was responsible, but there was much talk, and I would not be surprised if it were so."

"Dead?" Khetai shuddered inwardly. She'd known that the captain was a brute, but a murderer? Even she hadn't thought of him that poorly...

Fe'kheru tilted his head. "It was merely talk, but I do not know. He never did deny it. Perhaps he was proud." His muzzle wrinkled slightly. "The general saw promise in him, and I'm afraid I must agree on that matter; he was an excellent fighter. However, one should not be promoted based on talent alone. Our general is...was...a good Kana, but he did not always see clearly. Sut'khut's talent blinded him to the fact that he had no honor. I have no proof, aside from what happened to poor Kha'kaat, but I do believe he was using the general at every turn. Our general loved him so much that he just could not see it." He paused once more before adding, as they came up to a door, "I regret that he turned out as he did, but I do not regret his death. It was only honor that made me seek revenge. And not for him, but for Yekh'ef, Meteri's father--my best friend--and for his brother Hesi, as well. And for all those honorable Kana who died that day, along with the dishonorable." He reached for the doorhandle, then turned to give Khetai a pointed look. "I hope that you realize this. Sut'khut painted us all in a poor light. The things that he did do not represent us all, or even most of us."

Khetai nodded, if only to be spared argument. Fe'kheru, seemingly satisfied, opened the door and gestured at her to go inside. Immediately the smell of food hit her nostrils and her mouth watered as she remembered that she had not eaten anything yet. Her gaze fell first on a table piled with breads and fruits, then on the female who came hurrying toward them. She ducked behind Fe'kheru as quickly as she could lest she be run over; the female jumped up and wrapped her arms around Fe'kheru's neck, burying her face against his breast.

"Master! Lord! To come home!" she cried.

Fe'kheru embraced her back, and they stood that way for a moment or two. "I told you I would," he murmured, and Khetai was surprised by the tenderness in his voice. The female lifted her head to look up at him, her eyes streaming. She smiled.

"To be true! To come home! To miss Master so much." She squinched her eyes shut and her mouth quivered, then she started keening so loudly that the sound hurt Khetai's ears. Fe'kheru hugged her again, tightly, and ran a hand over her head.

"Hush! I am home now and you do not have to cry. Didn't I tell you this? You didn't believe me? Silly woman." He put his hand under her chin and forced her head up, smiling at her. "I do not plan to leave you again any time soon, either...so you can dry your eyes now."

"To believe you! To just...to worry." She stepped back and wiped at her eyes, and it was now that she noticed Khetai. She blinked a few times, looking genuinely confused; then she peered up at Fe'kheru uncertainly, and back at Khetai.

Fe'kheru stepped aside so Khetai was in plain view. She felt exposed, and clasped her hands together, not meeting the female's eyes. "Ikhi'et...this is Khetai. I brought her back with me from the Great Red Tribe."

Ikhi'et looked at Khetai again, and Khetai bit the inside of her mouth, peering up at her. The older female didn't say anything, but the look in her eyes said everything for her. She looked as if she were being replaced.

Fe'kheru didn't immediately explain Khetai's presence, instead moving toward the food table. Ikhi'et looked as if she wanted to talk to him, yet bit her tongue. Khetai wanted him to talk also; the hurt look in Ikhi'et's eyes had been almost too much to bear. Fe'kheru stooped to pick up a handful of dates and, returning, he placed one to Ikhi'et's lips. She took it reluctantly and stared at Khetai as she chewed, as if hoping that he would take the hint.

"While I was away I became ill," Fe'kheru said, eating another one of the dates. "I was very near death."

"Oh! Oh no!" Ikhi'et gasped and placed herself against him, feeling him over. "To be hurt--? Wounded--?"

"No, nothing like this...though it was very close. I could have died." He gestured at Khetai, who blinked in surprise at suddenly being included in the conversation. "She is the one who healed me. Without her help, I would not be here now. I brought her back to serve as my physician."

Ikhi'et stared at Khetai again for a moment. Then, instantly, the look on her face changed. Her eyes widened and her face lit up as if the sun were shining on it; Khetai would have backed away had she been able, but it was too late. The other female's arms were around her, and she couldn't believe how powerful her embrace was. She gasped for breath as Ikhi'et crushed Khetai to herself.

"To thank you so, so much!" she cried. "To help Master...to bring him home! Thank you! Thank you!"

Khetai struggled to think of something to say but was unable to. She saw Fe'kheru smile before he came over and disengaged the two; Ikhi'et immediately latched onto his arm, still smiling at Khetai with tears in her eyes. Khetai rubbed an arm self-consciously and averted her stare toward the floor.

"It...it was hardly anything. A plant...anyone could have found it..."

"Yet you are the one who did so," Fe'kheru replied. "It is unusual to find a female who knows medicine; it is even more unusual when she knows medicine the Kana do not know. I imagine Lord Mahakhi's physician was not too happy when you came to my aid."

Khetai frowned. "He has always been ignorant of new ways," she said, before biting her tongue. Fe'kheru smiled again but said nothing in response; he lifted his arm so Ikhi'et could loop her own around it, and guided her back to sit on the bed. Khetai stood where she was with an uncomfortable look before he gestured at her.

"There is a small seat just over there--come, bring it over here. I know you did not eat."

She felt her stomach grumble in protest at this reminder, and hurried to grab the small folding chair at the side of the room. She unfolded it and sat down on the other side of the small table of food, which Fe'kheru pulled toward the bed. He sat down next to Ikhi'et, who grabbed up a pomegranate and tore into it as if she too hadn't eaten in ages. She started gnawing on the seeds and Khetai stared at the breads and fruits sitting before her, her mouth salivating.

"Go ahead," the Kana offered. "You are free to eat here."

Khetai snatched up a handful of dates with no further prompting. Fe'kheru watched as she swallowed them almost whole, coughing and thumping her chest when they refused to go down completely; his mouth twitched and he poured her a cup of wine, which she downed just as quickly. Together she and Ikhi'et made quick work of most of the food, Fe'kheru eating only a little. Perhaps it was little wonder that he had only one mate, if they all ate like this around here.

"Where would you prefer to pass the night?" he asked as Khetai was wolfing down her third hunk of bread, and she froze in midbite. Both he and Ikhi'et stared at her now, and she felt her ears start to burn. She didn't know how to respond; was he asking to bed her? Or not?

She slowly lowered the bread and glanced to the side a bit, uneasy. Her appetite had suddenly fled her.

Fe'kheru paused, waiting for a response, then spoke up again. "I had planned on having you sleep here tonight," he said, and Khetai gradually realized that he meant sleep, just as he'd said. "Yet if you wish to go to the Moru quarters again, you may do so."

"If I am expected to be there," she said, still hesitant.

He shook his head. "You may stay wherever you wish."

"It's not my decision to make..."

"It is now that I say it is. You need not feel like a slave here, Khetai. Though custom commands I keep you as a Moru, it does not command that I treat you as one." He gestured toward the side of the room, and only now did she see a cot set up not far from the corner. She raised herself a bit higher on seeing it; it looked so soft and comfortable, compared to what she'd been sleeping on lately. Ikhi'et jumped up suddenly and took her by the arm, pulling her to her feet.

"Soft! Soft and warm! Ikhi'et to sleep on cot when Master gone; bed too big and lonely." She pulled Khetai toward the cot with a large smile on her face, and patted at the pillows. "See? Nice and plump. Good blankets." She pulled up a blanket and rubbed it against Khetai's arm. "Feel? Soft?"

Khetai flushed and nodded. "I...ah...yes, it is."

Fe'kheru stood and his mouth twitched. "Perhaps I spoke too hastily. It appears to be Ikhi'et's decision, now."

"Master!" Ikhi'et picked up a pillow and threw it at him. He caught it neatly before it could hit his head, and Ikhi'et giggled and dashed away from the cot, tackling him. She was smaller than he was, but he allowed himself to be bowled over and they landed on the bed with a laugh. Khetai quickly turned away. She busied herself arranging the pillows on the cot, and took the initiative of putting out the oil lamp that sat nearest her new bed. She finished eating the bit of bread that she still held in her other hand and crawled under the blanket that Ikhi'et had tossed over the cot, immersing herself in its softness. She sighed and snuggled against it for a moment, trying to imagine whoever she would feel most comfortable with, if she'd had to share it. Djuta? Bikhthet? With some sorrow she realized that she missed them both, and even missed all of those other Kana she barely even knew, who seemed moderately decent in character, even if she had no real way of knowing. Mahakhi's lieutenants had always seemed to be relatively goodnatured Kana. If only she hadn't gotten entangled with the wrong ones...

She shut her eyes to try to stop the tears that had built up there from falling. She heard Ikhi'et giggle again, and peered out from under the blanket to look at her and Fe'kheru. They still lay upon the bed, the female whispering something in Fe'kheru's ear; she giggled a third time and he smiled up at her. She played with his earring and he took her face and kissed her. She flicked her tail and couldn't stop laughing, albeit quietly.

Khetai knew they were going to make love. Whether she was in the room or not. She reminded herself to give them some privacy, but was surprised to realize that she didn't feel guilty watching them. She tried to figure out why, and it was a moment before she did. Surprise struck her again when she noticed how simple it was. Fe'kheru was on his back--and Ikhi'et was atop him. Their positions were wrong...at least, according to what she'd been taught. As she watched, the Moru teasingly pulled down the straps of her dress so her breasts peeked out; she was pretty, for a Moru, but not quite as young as Khetai would have expected. She remembered hearing on her way to the River Tribe that Fe'kheru had no remaining children, and that his mate was not expected to give him any more. So why did he keep her? What good was she if she couldn't bear children?

He didn't seem to much care about this at the moment though, as he reached up and gently caressed Ikhi'et's breast; it fit perfectly in the palm of his hand, and the female gave a quavery sigh and shut her eyes, swaying on feeling it. He took her arms and brought her down so they kissed again, and his hand ran down her back, to her hip. She touched his face, and their mouths devoured one another. Khetai continued to watch, forgetting her own rules of modesty, somehow neglecting to turn away.

Ikhi'et ran her own hand down to slip beneath the Kana's kilt, and brought it back up again, pushing up the cloth with it. Her claws raked against his hip and she hurriedly untied his loincloth and pulled it aside. She used both hands now to run her fingers up the insides of his thighs, making his muscles flinch; still not breaking their kiss, she found the hot swelling that was his sheath, and cupped and caressed him as it hardened. When his rod emerged, her fingers trailed over that as well, one even inserting slightly in the tip, rubbing and collecting his fluids. Fe'kheru's breath picked up and they both embraced each other, their hips pressing close together; the way that they kissed, voraciously, told Khetai how long they'd been without each other. Ikhi'et moaned softly when Fe'kheru took her arms and rolled her over, rolling atop her, and all of a sudden Khetai's daze was broken. Even though the two in the other bed still touched and moved in a world all their own, she saw them differently now, and understood what had seemed so wrong.

They hadn't been acting like a Kana and his Moru. Almost all of her experience with the Kana had taught her that Moru were to be taken, to be used, by the Kana. Sometimes it was pleasurable, but it was not as if there was a choice. You could enjoy what your master did to you, or you could be forever miserable. It didn't matter. A Kana was still a Kana, and could do whatever he wished, whenever he wished. And most of them did.

But these two...they were...different, somehow. Even now Ikhi'et was finishing removing Fe'kheru's clothing, laughing the entire time. Why was she enjoying it so much? Why was he letting her take off his clothing? He didn't even remove hers; she pulled her own dress off until they were both naked, and twined her legs around his. He nuzzled at her neck and she sighed and arched with the most rapturous smile on her face. Khetai could tell that she truly did enjoy being with him. They continued with this for only a moment more before she willingly rolled onto her stomach and spread her legs for him, her tail upright and quivering; Khetai's nostrils burned at the tang of their musk, and Fe'kheru gently grasped Ikhi'et's shoulders and lowered himself atop her, pushing forward deeply with his hips, making her take in a breath and let it out again tremblingly. He gave a soft groaning murmur and lowered his head to seize her nape in his teeth; Ikhi'et stiffened before relaxing, but Khetai could tell that the gesture was not an aggressive one. Fe'kheru kept his teeth clamped lightly over her nape as he began to slowly thrust, his wings fanning the air, and Khetai could tell from the looks on their faces, and from the soft pleasured sounds that they let out, that there was nothing unwanted here. Perhaps this female wouldn't ever be able to give him any more pups. That wasn't why they made love anyway. They did so because they wanted to.

Both of them.

"Lord..." Ikhi'et whispered, tilting back her head. Fe'kheru let go of her nape to gently bite at the tendon of her neck, making her tremble and whimper. He seized her just tightly enough to make her moan and go limp, before leaning down to suck at her shoulder, his tongue tracing over her fur. She moaned into the pillows and parted her legs wider so that her knees bent at her sides, and Fe'kheru's tail flicked from side to side as he mated her. Khetai watched his muscles tense and untense, and felt her own nape prickle at the low sonorous rumble that came from the Kana's throat. Ikhi'et giggled wildly in response and arched her back. He was just past his prime now, but Khetai could tell that he was still quite powerful for a Kana, if both Ikhi'et's and her reactions were any indication.

"Please, Master, please," Ikhi'et whimpered. "My thik'ahi. Please..."

Fe'kheru repositioned himself, and pushed somewhat lower; the Moru let out a small shriek and bucked beneath him, her yell forming into a high-pitched moan and trailing off into a laugh. "Oooooh! Thank you, Master!" she cried, before he pushed again, and again made her cry out in pleasure as he rubbed against her sensitive spot. Khetai now felt her own need and shut her eyes. She tried not to grind her teeth too hard as she pulled the blanket up over herself, covering her head, slipping her hand beneath her dress and between her legs. She listened to the growing tempo of the two preoccupied Apsiu, and set her own pace, gently rubbing at her thik'ahi and wishing that it was another who did it. Bikhthet. Even Djuta.

Djefet...?

The saucy Moru from the stables entered her mind, and Khetai suddenly wondered if she would be willing. She had been friendly...very much so...but Khetai had no way of knowing. She had seemed rather fond of the young lieutenant...so perhaps she passed the night with him now. Khetai tried to stifle a whimper of pain at this thought and rubbed herself harder. She realized now that she'd wanted Djefet with her all along.

Did Fe'kheru know? Was that why he'd asked where she wished to sleep? She couldn't have been so obvious...

She stilled her motions when she realized that it would be futile anyway. Ikhi'et's laughter filled her with a longing for home...her real home, near the desert cliffs. She had heard her brother with his favorite Moru before, but back then it hadn't bothered her as she knew that he'd been kind to all of his slaves. He had been kind to her as well. She missed him so badly.

There are just four Kana who have treated me well in my life, she thought to herself as the soft noises from the bed continued. My brother Khetai...the lieutenant of that one tribe...Lord Djuta...and should I so soon add Lord Fe'kheru...?

She wasn't certain if it was a good idea to jump to such a conclusion, especially considering what had happened with Djuta. Certainly Fe'kheru and Meteri had been kind enough so far, but things could always change. Finding it stifling under the blanket by now, she pulled it off of her head with a gasp of cool air; Fe'kheru gave a grunt and Ikhi'et moaned as the canopy swayed, and Khetai lay and watched silently as they released themselves within each other. They stayed joined for a moment or two before the Kana carefully rolled off of his mate, drawing her to him, and she snuggled beside him in the bed. They both smiled at each other and there was nothing lascivious about it.

"How long have you been mates?" Khetai found herself asking aloud, although quietly. Still her voice carried across the room, and Fe'kheru turned his head to look at her. Ikhi'et did the same, though her cheeks flushed so brightly that Khetai could tell she'd completely forgotten about their guest. Fe'kheru didn't seem bothered by her question.

"Ikhi'et has been my mate for twelve years now."

"You are not interested in taking others?"

He shook his head. Ikhi'et burrowed down into the sheets as if to hide herself. "She is all that I want and need right now."

Khetai stared at him for a few moments, and the silence drew out. "You have no children remaining?" she finally asked, and again he shook his head.

"None of my own...though after Yekh'ef's death, I asked that I could adopt Lord Meteri."

"He is not your son."

"No, but he has always made me as proud as any son could."

"You have one mate only, and you take in another Kana's son," Khetai murmured. "You detest your own brother. And you treat a Moru like an equal." She pulled the blanket up over herself again. "You are a strange Kana."

He said nothing in response--though before the blanket went back over her eyes, she did see Ikhi'et flush again in indignation, and Fe'kheru held out his hand to silence her with a slight smile on his face.

* * * * *

Lieutenant Djuta paced in one of the hallways of the household of General Nehara, his gaze fixed on the floor. He'd been pacing all night, though in various locations. Rest didn't want to come; indeed, he didn't even feel tired, not even when he spotted the first traces of sunlight creeping their way in around the columns, and a shadow making its way toward him, stretching and yawning as it came. He recognized Lieutenant Fa'rukha, so far, aside from She'hekha, the only friendly face he'd seen in this tribe. Fa'rukha spotted him and frowned in puzzlement, but didn't slow his step until they were nearly side by side. Djuta picked up his own pace and they continued on down the hallway as if they had planned to meet like this.

"Ah," Fa'rukha mumbled, rubbing at his eyes. "I spent my time with a pretty young lady last night, so you don't have to try going all sen'akha on me just now."

"You are very fixated on who I decide to pass the night with," Djuta returned. "One would say you have an obsession."

"I obsessed just fine last night with the pretty young lady."

"She was a bit on the round side, but don't worry; I know the type of which you speak."

Fa'rukha blinked at him. "You were SPYING on me!" he exclaimed, then rubbed his eyes and grumbled again. "If I were more fully awake, I would have your head off your shoulders by now."

"But you are not fully awake..."

"But I am not fully awake, and so no, you are lucky. For now."

"This is good, because without a head I wouldn't be able to do some important things."

Fa'rukha groaned. "Please do not elaborate!"

"I'm afraid I must. But not in the way you expected. Reprobate." The other Kana gave him a dark look. "I wished to ask after Lord Nehara. Who he passes his nights with."

Fa'rukha barked. "You are even worse off than I thought!"

"I could not sleep so as I walked about I noticed an unusual female making her way to his rooms."

"Next you will be asking me about the--a what? A female?" He raised an eyebrow. "So this morning, you are swinging the other way..."

"Just quit being an ass and tell me who she is."

"I could not. Not with what paltry information you've given me. Lord Nehara has his pick of any female in the stables, you know that."

"This was not just any female. Even you could not help but notice her, as fixated as you are on a fat rump." Fa'rukha's eyes went wide. "She was as slender as a river reed and had wings."

"This hardly narrows it down, friend."

"Would the fact that she was dressed in Kemeti clothing, with white lappets, narrow it down just a tad more?"

Fa'rukha stopped. "Oh," he said. "You mean Yekh'iet."

"If this is the odd female's name, then yes, this is who I meant."

Fa'rukha started walking again. "She is the general's favorite," he said. "Nothing more."

"Nothing?" Djuta's ear tilted. "Then there is no valid reason why she was dressed as a Kemeti woman and wearing Kana lappets, to boot?"

Fa'rukha sighed. "Yekh'iet is rather...unusual," he tried to explain.

"Yes, I rather assumed this much."

"She was not of our tribe, originally. She was taken on a raid. Of course, as she had wings, Nehara took her immediately as a favorite. Wings are very prized on a female."

Djuta nodded shortly. "I know already. But this does not explain her clothing."

"You are an impatient one, has anyone ever told you that?" Fa'rukha snorted. "She did not always dress that way. That was Lord Nehara's idea. He claimed that the Kemeti clothing accentuated her finer...features. Even with as sen'akha as you are, surely you noticed those."

Another nod. "Go on with it."

Fa'rukha sighed again and rubbed at his neck. "Well...it is a bit difficult to explain properly."

"Try me."

"You claimed that you saw her with Lord Nehara? Did you...well, did you see anything else? After that?" he prompted, when Djuta gave him a blank look. The lieutenant's mouth twitched as he tried to figure out what best to say.

"Yes," he finally replied, "I did see what followed...somewhat. Only because someone was not diligent in fixing up the door..."

"Ah, damn the gods! I knew that whitewash job was shoddy!" Fa'rukha clapped a hand to his head and grimaced. "Apologies, but Tes'khi makes a better thief than whitewasher. I will rip off his tail." He glowered. "Anyway...I'm supposing you saw how he talked to her, and how she responded."

Djuta raised an eyebrow. "And how would you know of this? If I may ask?"

Fa'rukha merely shrugged. "It is no big secret what the general uses Yekh'iet for."

"I assumed it was for the nesakh'ai."

"At first it was, until she started speaking. Then the nesakh'ai became only secondary." Fa'rukha looked a bit uncomfortable. "Ahm...Yekh'iet tends to...speak...when she is in the throes of passion," he said, and his ears went bright red.

Djuta gave him another blank look. "I saw that for myself," he said after a moment of awkward silence. "So what does it have to do with her attire?"

Now Fa'rukha's face went red. "You need me to spell it out for you?" he stammered, and then groaned. "Oh, all right...the lady Yekh'iet...she...ah, predicts things...whenever she reaches climax." He gave a short cough.

"Predicts things...?" Djuta frowned. "I don't understand."

The other Kana gave a sigh. "Well, what did she tell him last night? If you heard that much?"

"She said something about a raid on some humans. One of Nehara's men getting some female with child."

"That would be the raid he sent his men on three days ago, then. They have yet to return. Did she say whether they would return successful or not?"

"Successful, she said, aside from this human brat."

"Then they will return successful, because Yekh'iet said so. She has yet to be wrong on anything she...thus predicts." He gave Djuta a pointed look. "And as bizarre as it is, I will even place full faith in this story of hers about this human female, too."

"And she does this only when she is at the heights of pleasure?"

"Well...this is what I have heard. At the least, she does not go about predicting any of the rest of the time." He coughed again. "And so now hopefully you see why Lord Nehara gave her the white lappets...Lady Yekh'iet is the tribe Seer. There are no others who predict things to come as accurately as she."

Djuta stared at him in disbelief. "The tribe Seer? The Kenta'asana?" he echoed, then frowned. "Seers are very rare. Even my tribe did not have one. And they are never female! What sort of madness is this you're telling me?"

Fa'rukha shook his head seriously. "No madness, Brother. Only Nehara's doing."

Djuta flared his wings. "But a female cannot be a Seer! This is as ludicrous as a female being a Kana!"

Fa'rukha pursed his lips. "Forgive me if I'm wrong, but was not that female you sold to the captain once a Kana--?"

Djuta snorted. "In her own head, yes, but only because of deceit. She did not go about openly declaring herself a female!"

Fa'rukha gave one more shrug. "Well...I know not what else to tell you, save what I already know. Yekh'iet is the tribe Seer, because Nehara deemed it so. She's proven herself very useful to him. I'm surprised, in fact, that he asked her only about the raid and not about you, as he usually asks her things when something unusual happens...and you must admit that your coming here was quite unusual."

Djuta fell silent, remembering how Nehara had questioned the female about him...and how she had chosen then to stop speaking. Instead of mentioning this he nodded, said, "Yes, it is," in agreement, and turned to face down the hall again. He slowed his step as Fa'rukha went on. "I will be leaving you alone now...have you any idea where Lord She'hekha will be today?"

"Not at the moment, but he will most likely be present when Nehara's other men return. If he can get out from under Hakh'tas's nose...vile Moru that he is." Fa'rukha spat on the floor but continued on his way without a look back. Djuta stood silently in the hallway until he was out of sight.

He couldn't stop thinking of this strange female. Yekh'iet. Even her name was unusual, as by its very meaning it appeared that her parents had known what she would become. She Who Sees.

Even though he barely knew her...he already wished to speak with her. Alone.

* * * * *

Most of the few Kana guards on and about the wall of the Great Red Tribe were unusually wary this eve, as rumors were quickly spreading about the loss of one of their own. No one knew who had started the rumor, but it grew rapidly as it spread, unchecked. Djuta had left the tribe. Djuta had betrayed them to the enemy general. Djuta had fallen in love with the enemy lieutenant and run off with him. Djuta had been one of the enemy all along, and they were just now only realizing it.

Most of the lieutenants, knowing him well, didn't believe the stories, even on finding out that he was indeed gone. None had seen him in over a day; he was nowhere to be found. The lower soldiers and some of the captains were not as certain, and the lieutenants agreed that it was likely from them that the rumors came. But they too couldn't be positive that there was not at least a grain of truth to them...he was missing...and from what else they'd heard, he'd been acting strangely before he vanished...

While unpleasant sounds emanated from Mahakhi's household--the guards didn't even want to guess at what was going on within, as the general had summoned all of his top captains, and convened with them privately--the lieutenants stayed safely atop the city wall and cringed every time a bellow or a shattering sound could be heard, even this far from the building. They paced back and forth in an effort to ignore the sounds; a few played a game of senet at the northeast corner of the wall, and one even chatted with a stray female Moru who had left her household with a vase for water. Several more slept out of sheer boredom; two others kept themselves busy coupling down in the shadow of the wall while the rest sat high above.

Ahai'ikh stared down at the mating Kana as they panted and moved slowly, a dull look on his face. Nehef sat beside him, facing the other way, out toward the river and the fields. Even with all of the different things they were doing, no one had spoken all evening but for the one who talked with the Moru.

"I wonder how they found out?" Ahai'ikh finally said after a while, several of the others glancing at him. "I know that I did not tell anyone...nor you, Nehef, and Resikh would not have spoken either...and so who was it?"

"Gods only know," Nehef muttered. "Sometimes I swear the walls here have ears. Res did say the human Ameni had heard of it...perhaps his tongue is the one that is loose."

"It hardly seems like the human to go spreading rumors," Ahai'ikh murmured.

Nehef snorted. "He would not have to. I blame those idiot sergeants and fool captains for embellishing the story as it goes along. Lord Rik'hia has probably had much more than his say in the matter!"

Ahai'ikh's muzzle wrinkled. "Lord Rik'hia is a dunghead, and every Kana with a brain knows it."

The first lieutenant flared his nostrils. "You will find no argument from me. Maat! It is the truth."

The rope ladder leading up to the parapet started jiggling, and Ahai'ikh and Nehef both glanced down as another Kana came climbing up. They moved aside to allow Lieutenant Tefkha room to join them. He sat down with a tired sigh and wiped his forehead, leaning back against a block of mudbrick.

"I'm telling you, the taverns are entirely dead tonight," he groused. "All because of Djuta-Kana's stunt! I knew he could have a stupid head on his shoulders, but nothing matching this."

"He is not stupid, and you know it, Tefkha. We just do not know what he is yet," Nehef retorted.

"Well, he will be dead if he tries to return here after finding the enemy tribe a disappointment." Tefkha tilted his head, just noticing the two preoccupied below the wall as a soft groan drifted up to their ears. "Hm. It looks a bit more interesting down there for a change..."

"I doubt he would do something so foolish. Either he means to be gone for good, or..." Nehef sighed and shrugged. "I do not know, I am not even supposed to be speaking of this!"

Tefkha raised an eyebrow at him. "Why stop now--? Everyone has heard. I was told Mahakhi is making short work of his war room and will need to redo the walls once he's finished with his tantrum." With this comment he slipped a hand beneath his kilt to untie his loincloth.

Nehef flared his nostrils. "How do you hear these things, anyway? It's not as if any of us have gone about blabbing the story to anyone with two ears!"

"You should know by now, 'Hef," Tefkha said, rubbing his hand up and down his sheath. "The walls have ears." He shut his eyes and leaned his head back, caressing himself to hardness. Nehef snorted and turned away to look back out over the land.

"Just because I said it didn't mean I thought it was true. I hope Res was right in what he said."

Ahai'ikh looked back down into the city; Tefkha rolled his head to the side to look at Nehef. "And what...exactly did he say?" he panted.

Nehef gave him a dirty look. "This I will hardly tell you. I know how loose your tongue can get with the right kind of convincing! Just make us all happy, and keep diddling with yourself. At least it keeps your mouth shut."

A trumpet blast startled them all, and Tefkha hurriedly finished masturbating himself with a spray and pushed his kilt down, all of them standing and turning to face the outside of the wall. Nehef glanced at the trumpet-bearer in confusion.

"What is it?"

"Strangers approaching!" another guard yelled, and now they all peered into the distance to see that in fact a good-sized mass of darkness was approaching over the glittering sands. Nehef's hackles prickled and Tefkha and Ahai'ikh shielded their eyes.

"Ahai'ikh! Can you tell who they are?"

Ahai'ikh frowned and shook his head. "I do not recognize them."

The low trumpet blare now became a high-pitched, urgent alarm. Everyone atop the wall scrambled to defensive positions, raising their spears and swords. Nehef drew his sword with a metallic hiss and clutched at the side of the wall in apprehension. The dark shape--Kana riders, he could soon tell--was approaching rapidly, and it was not long before their features could be made out. A general led them, his purple lappets and entire set of clothing dusty; indeed, all of them were dusty, more than a few streaked with blood. The grim look on the lead Kana's face set Nehef's nerves on edge.

"What are they doing here?" he barked. "Who sent them?"

"What does it matter?" Tefkha's muzzle wrinkled. "They're to be treated as any other enemy, are they not?"

The approaching Kana crossed the irrigation ditches and at last drew to a halt below the city wall, all looking upwards. They were just the right distance away that none atop the wall could hurl a spear at them and hope to hit one. Nehef heard Tefkha grumble under his breath.

"They're smart ones, they are. Just one or two steps closer and I could cleave that lead one's skull if I wanted to."

"Men!" the general in front shouted suddenly, and those atop the wall started at the sound as it echoed off the mudbrick. "I wish to speak with your general!"

"He gets to the point quickly," Tefkha whispered.

Nehef, realizing that he was the nearest one among them with the highest rank, stood up atop the wall, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Name your tribe and your purpose here!" he shouted down, brandishing his sword.

"Dja'mui of the Hawk Tribe!" the general returned. "I will speak with your general!"

Tefkha wrinkled his muzzle again and joined Nehef in standing atop the wall. "For what purpose?" he yelled. "You have no right to demand this!"

They could clearly see the look of displeasure on the waiting general's face. His eyebrows lowered and drew together in a scowl and he pulled his sword, the rest of his men following suit. Nehef suppressed a hiss and gestured at the other lieutenants around him to follow the waiting Kana's example, and the shushing of metal could be heard all atop the wall as every weapon was drawn and brought up into position.

"You are in no position to demand anything of us, General," Nehef shouted down. "I strongly suggest you leave."

Dja'mui's already dark look just grew darker. "I will not leave without speaking with your general," he replied, the tone of his voice threatening. Ahai'ikh gave Nehef a confused look.

"Who is he kidding? There must be ninety, a hundred of them roughly, and about eight hundred of us, tops."

"We know that, but perhaps he does not know that," Nehef said. He looked back down at the other Kana and raised his voice again. "If you continue to refuse to state your purpose here, then you will be treated as an enemy. Consider this your final warning."

Dja'mui's eyes glittered and his muzzle wrinkled in a silent snarl. He raised his sword, and Nehef and the others hurried to do the same. To their surprise, however, instead of charging toward the closed gates, the general tossed his sword aside so that it landed on the ground. He jerked his hand upwards and the rest of his men did the same, the clattering of their weapons raising a cloud of dust as they fell. Nehef, Ahai'ikh, and Tefkha watched in growing bewilderment as Dja'mui descended from his mount and strode forward until he was but a short distance from the doors, and easily within reach of their weapons. He glanced upwards at the guards with a defiant look.

"What is he going to do?" Tefkha whispered with a nervous laugh. "Batter down the gate with his head--?"

Perhaps they would have been less surprised had that actually happened. Instead, the Kana reached up and grasped at his skullcap, pulling it off of his head. His fist clenched at the cap for just a moment before he hurled it aside as well, the little bit of leather and cloth tumbling to a halt, the purple lappets soiled. Nehef and the others gawked in open astonishment at this unheard-of move; the other soldiers waiting behind the general cast their stares aside, as if ashamed to look at their commander.

"What in the hells is he doing?" Tefkha gaped.

"I...I have no idea," Nehef stammered. There was only one thing that the gesture could mean--Dja'mui was debasing himself before them, before his men, declaring himself Moru before all of the gathered Kana. The guards atop the wall stared at him, not certain what to think or do.

Dja'mui lifted his head, the same challenging look still in his eyes. "I beg to speak with your general," he called out again, his choice of words slightly modified but no less significant. The guards fidgeted, at a loss.

"What do we do?" Ahai'ikh whispered.

"Well...what else?" Nehef's brow furrowed. "I suppose we let him in. It's not as if he can humiliate himself any further now!"

"Perhaps it's a trick?" another one of the guards hissed.

Nehef shook his head and gestured for the Kana down on the other side of the wall to open the gates. "No...he would never have taken off his lappets if it were just a trick." His face grew grim. "He wants to speak with Lord Mahakhi. Badly."

The gates started creaking open. Dja'mui glanced down at the moving doors and Nehef could see him let out a breath before stooping to pick up his skullcap and sword. He sheathed the latter and halfheartedly dusted off the former, setting it back atop his head and brushing the lappets back in front of his ears; Nehef hurried down the ladder to meet him before he could gain entry, and stood before the opening doors just as the general started forward.

"You must leave your men outside, General," Nehef called out above the creaking of wood. "I do not care if you all toss away your lappets. Until we know your business here, we are enemies."

Dja'mui gave him the same dark look that he'd had before, but glanced over his shoulder and nodded sharply at his men. They stayed seated atop their Sha, staring at him anxiously as the doors began to close again. Dja'mui turned to Nehef and offered a spiritless salute.

"You will take me to your general now."

Nehef's mouth twitched--he sensed that it was a command and not a request--but he bit down any retort he might have had and turned away, setting foot out toward Mahakhi's house. "This way."

So saying, the two Kana started off down the street, in an uneasy silence.

Continue:

"Part 61: Warning" 


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