“He only followed tradition, Carrie, except tradition doesn’t take into account Triads where all three are grade one telepaths.”
“But what I did to T’Chebbi! What will she think of me?”
He held her close. “What did you do? Nothing terrible, surely. Touch her, like a lover would? Kaid and I did the same. Did you feel any revulsion from her?”
“No, but…”
“There was no harm in it, Carrie. She’ll not think anything of it, she knows why it happened. You’ve shared showers with her, she’ll see it in the same light as that, honestly.”
“What about Kaid? Will he see it the same way?”
He could laugh now, but it had bothered him, too. “Kaid isn’t interested in me, it’s you he’s in love with. Neither of us could pair with someone we weren’t attracted to.”
“You shared a bed. You were worried about him.”
“Only telepaths tend to sleep alone unless they have a lover or mate. Noni reminded me of that. As for being worried about what he’d ask of me in our oath, it’s never easy to tell someone you care about that you don’t find them sexually attractive. I was more concerned about the many mental games he’s played on me lately. I haven’t known what to make of him. To be honest, I’m glad he opened his mind to me. I understand him a lot better now.”
“In that case, you can explain his behavior to me over the past weeks!”
“That’s not for me to do, cub, and you know it. Before we leave, you need to speak to him, Carrie.”
“No. He can come to me. He’s taken great pains to avoid me since he left the villa.”
“We’ll go to him, then.”
“No.” She was adamant. “The first move is his. If it’s too much effort to speak to me when we’re in the same building, then we’ve really nothing to say to each other.”
“There shouldn’t be something like this between us, Carrie.”
She stopped him by putting her hand over his mouth. “I didn’t start it, Kusac. He did. He promised to speak to me and hasn’t. If he has a problem with our Triad, then it’s even more important he talks to one of us. The first move will be his, or not at all.”
He had to accept what she was saying. There was no point in them falling out over it. He could always speak to Kaid later.
“You will not interfere,” she said, removing her hand to kiss him. This is between him and me. He has to learn to deal with relationships, learn that his actions can hurt and if they do, he must be the one to make amends. He’s full of good advice for others, but until he realizes it applies to him, too, he’ll have learned nothing.
Kusac decided the only sensible course was to keep his nose out of the matter. It was clearly fraught with chiddoe holes for the unwary.
*
T’Chebbi came for them, telling Kusac that Kaid would see him back at Stronghold, and she would give him a lift there. He glanced hopefully at Carrie, but she stared ahead in stony silence as they walked to the parking area where the aircar waited.
*
Kaid arrived at his room an hour or so after Kusac. When he came in, he was carrying a long package which he placed on his desk. “Well, you succeeded,” he said. “Despite the worst I could throw at you, you proved yourself a capable warrior.”
“I thought you were leaning heavily on me,” said Kusac from his chair by the window.
“You didn’t complain.”
“Would it have mattered?” he asked, raising an eye ridge. “I know now why you were doing it.”
Kaid grinned. “Not in the least.”
“Tell me something, Kaid. I know the ritual involves a mental rapport, but why did you open your mind to me like that? Why did you give yourself in the oath?”
Kaid’s grin faded. “It wasn’t that that caused the problem,” he began.
“I know,” Kusac interrupted. “You did it right. It just wasn’t meant to cope with telepaths. I only want to know why you opened your mind to me.”
“Do you need to ask?”
“Yes, because I can’t believe what I sensed unless you tell me.” He was still stunned.
Kaid turned away and began to unwrap the parcel. “Come and see these,” he said quietly.
Kusac got up from his chair and went over to join him. Kaid was stalling. Why? He decided to go along with it for now, but he was determined he’d have his answer.
“Swords!” he exclaimed, looking at the two identical blades each lying on their oil-soaked woolen wrapping. A third shape remained concealed within its cloth.
“It’s customary for the senior of the swordbrothers to gift a sword once the oath is taken,” said Kaid, lifting one of the blades by its wrapper. He held it out to Kusac. “This one is yours. The third is for Carrie. We’ll need them on Jalna.”
Kusac took it from him. It was plain, but its very lack of ornamentation was its beauty. Slightly curved, the actual blade was some thirty inches long. Quillons and pommel were made of undecorated bronze, the grip, a soft, crisscrossed leather binding in black. It was the blade, though, that held his eyes. As the light fell on it, it appeared to ripple and move in his hands.
“This is…”
“Made by Mijushu Rhayfso,” he nodded. “The son of the Warrior Guild Master.”
“But you can’t just walk in and buy swords like this from him, Kaid! He only sells to those he chooses!” He couldn’t believe what he was holding. “A warrior would almost die for the privilege of owning one of these! And they take years to make!”
“Not necessarily,” said Kaid. “You like it?”
“Like it?” He threw the wrapping to the table and took the sword in both hands, swinging it experimentally to get the feel of it.
“They’re individually balanced. Rhayfso had all the necessary details at the Guild.”
“It’s so light it seems to almost dance in my hands,” he said, his tone one of awe as he stepped back and swung the blade through a couple of classic movements. “How did you manage to persuade him to make them?”
“I’ve made a few friends in my time, done a few favors. He said he was honored to be asked to make us blades. He had the steel already set aside for just such a special task.”
Kusac brought the blade to rest and reverently replaced it in its wrapping.
“You asked why I gave you myself,” Kaid said quietly. “Because we are three. Because we needed to be equals, and we weren’t. I had no knowledge of my mental Talents, and you lacked the Brotherhood skills. You still have a lot to learn, Kusac, but you’re no longer the novice you were. Neither am I. As for Carrie,” he stopped. “Letting you have the same knowledge of me that she has was the only way to give you parity with her.” He turned away and began wrapping up his own sword. “Besides, you already had the rest of me.”
Kusac reached out and took hold of him by the shoulder, turning him round to face him. “Kaid.”
“Enough. You earned my loyalty and my love long ago, both of you. Now go home to your wife and cub. Your time here is over for now. We leave in a month. I’ll join you at the estate as soon as I can.”
Kusac pulled him into an embrace. “You know how we feel about you,” he said. “You know why I had to ask. I couldn’t trust what I sensed, I had to hear you say it to believe it.”
Kaid patted him affectionately before releasing him. “I know. This has been a strange time for all of us, but it’s over now, thank Vartra. Now go home!”
*
Zashou did not feel well. Her stomach ached in a sort of not-quite-there way, her hands and feet felt swollen when she woke, and she itched. Not just in a place or two, but all over. She tried not to scratch but there were times that she was hard-pressed not to claw herself till she drew blood. And she could think of absolutely no reason why she should be like this.
It wasn’t some rapacious insect form on Jalna, she’d had the female Jo help check her pelt in all the usual placesâ behind the ears, her scruff and so on. Nothing. If she were to sum it up, she felt uncomfortable within her own
body, as if it suddenly didn’t want her living in it. If all that wasn’t enough, there were the mood swings. She knew when she was being less than her sunny self, but she couldn’t help it, couldn’t stop it. Hell, she thought candidly, as far as the Humans were concerned, they’d never seen her any other way than this. How were they to know this wasn’t the real her? All they had to go by was Rezac’s opinion of her, and she knew what that was.
She picked disconsolately at her first meal. She wasn’t even hungry today.
“Eat something, Zashou,” said Rezac from the other side of the table. “You’re beginning to lose weight. You’ll never feel better if you don’t eat.”
With an effort, she bit back a snappy retort. His tone had been concerned. “I can’t. It makes me feel nauseous.”
He got up and left her to it, returning to his work at the other tableâ beside Jo. That sent a sharp pang of jealousy through her. They got on so well together, she could feel it even though they both tried to hide it from her. Who’d have guessed that one like him, another soldier, could awaken the gentleness in him that she’d failed to see? And why did it worry her?
Pushing aside her plate, she took the green pendant from the pocket of her robe and began to examine it. The script round the edge of the disk meant nothing to her, they were merely the superstitious symbols of this backward culture. The stone, though, was another matter. She rubbed it gently with her thumb, feeling it begin to warm to her touch. It certainly looked and felt the same as those they’d worn in the Valtegan collars, but why should those be here on Jalna?
A shadow fell across her and she looked up to find Kris sitting down opposite. “Tell me more about the stones, Zashou,” he said.
“What’s to tell?” she asked, putting down the talisman. It had taken on an unpleasant texture now, become slightly sticky to the touch, and she was beginning to feel even more queasy. “We told you everything the other morning.”
He reached out to pick it up, but her hand was there first, claws extended, making a cage over the pendant.
“It’s mine!” she hissed, baring her teeth. “Leave it! Play with your own!” She felt suddenly clammy. Scooping up the pendant, she saw her hand had left a wet imprint on the table. Frightened, she found herself shaking as her gorge began to rise. Pushing herself away from the table, she got to her feet and ran for her room.
“Rezac!” Kris called, getting hastily to his feet. He needn’t have bothered, the Sholan was already following her.
“What’s wrong?” asked Davies, obviously concerned.
“I think we’ve got a problem,” said Kris.
“What kind of problem?” asked Jo.
“I want to examine her first,” said Kris as angry voices, followed by a short yowl of pain came from the bedroom.
“Rezac!” said Jo, starting forward.
Kris grabbed her, holding her back. “No. Not you, Jo. Leave this to us.”
“Dammit, Kris! He’s been hurt!” She rounded angrily on him, trying to pry his hand off. She stopped abruptly as she saw Rezac back out of the room clutching his forearm, pelt bushed out, tail lashing angrily from side to side. The door slammed shut and silence fell.
Jo pulled free and ran over to him, Kris and Davies close behind.
“Let me see your arm,” she demanded.
Shock had set in and he was shaking as Kris took him by the elbow and steered him to the dining table. Jo hauled out a chair for him to sit on.
“Get some water and towels,” she ordered, grabbing a chair for herself.
“Jo, let me see to him,” said Kris. “You’re too involved to treat him. Come on, move over.”
Reluctantly she moved.
“Let me see your arm,” he said to Rezac, but the Sholan was sitting staring into space. Kris reached up and took him by the chin, shaking his face slightly to get his attention.
Gradually his eyes lost their glazed look and he focused on Kris. “She’s pregnant,” he blurted out, then caught sight of Jo. “Oh, Gods,” he groaned, shutting his eyes. From under his hand, blood was slowly oozing, soaking into his pelt and staining his fingers red.
“Keep your hand on it for now, Rezac,” Kris said, crouching down beside him. “Jo, find something to use as a tourniquet.”
She ran to their room, colliding with Davies on his way back. When she returned, she handed him a ribbon.
Kris raised an eyebrow as he accepted it.
“Something Taradain gave me,” she muttered, embarrassed.
The tourniquet in place, Kris got Rezac to release his arm. He sighed with relief when he saw the extent of the damage. “You’ll be fine,” he said, taking the towel from Davies and dipping it in the bowl of water. “Only a flesh wound. Not as bad as it looks. It won’t even need stitches. Get him a drink, Jo, he’s gone pale around the nose. I’d rather he didn’t pass out on us.”
Quickly and efficiently, he cleaned the wound as best he could and began to bind it with portions torn from one of Jo’s clean shifts.
“So Zashou’s pregnant,” he said as he worked. “How far on?”
“She didn’t say.” Rezac’s voice was quiet as he looked past him to Jo.
“I take it she isn’t exactly thrilled with the news.”
“Neither of us are. It’s more than that. She didn’t choose to be pregnant. That just can’t happen, Kris. And she’s sick, too.”
“I know. The pregnancy, it’s part of the new Links, Rezac,” said Kris, tying off the last knot and sitting back. “Your females lose the ability to choose to become pregnant.”
He looked at the Human, brows meeting in puzzlement. “What do you mean?”
“The virus we told you about, it changes us. Your females become like ours, unable to control their fertility. Males, too. They change.” He stopped, realizing that Jo had had no idea of the implications of her new relationship with Rezac either. He watched understanding dawn on Rezac’s face.
“You’re saying I could be pregnant, too.” Jo’s voice filled the silence.
“A slight chance,” agreed Kris quietly.
“It’s not possible!” Rezac’s voice held panic and anger in equal measure.
“It’s possible,” said Jo, her voice quiet and even. “I told you, we were infected on the trip out. We passed it on to you. I’ve got a standard Human contraceptive implant, but if the virus changed me, it may not be effective any longer.”
Kris was surprised at how well she was taking the news. Even her mind felt calm.
“We can’t sit here and wait to be rescued any longer,” said Davies. “We’ve got a snowball’s chance in hell of escaping here with a heavily pregnant female who’s sick. I’m not being callous,” he added hastily as all eyes turned on him. “I’m being practical. Someone has to be. It’s going to be difficult enough as it is.”
“He’s right,” said Rezac, keeping his face turned away from Jo. Experimentally he flexed his arm. “We can start by trying to contact that ship of yours again, and the two telepaths on Jalna.”
“Kris has tried the ship every night for the past two weeks and gotten nothing,” said Jo. “As for the two captive telepaths, forget it. You, of all people, should realize the danger in giving away the fact we’re telepaths. What if they’re being used for their talents? We could lead the wrong people right to the gates of the castle and be worse off than we are now.”
“She’s right,” said Kris. “Besides, your sending when we awakened you was so powerful that they should have picked it up and tried to contact us. The fact that they didn’t suggests they’re dead.”
“We should try nonetheless. You can’t be sure.”
“I said no. The risks are too great.”
“You could help me try to contact the ship again tonight,” Kris suggested to Rezac.
“Now that’s a good idea,” said Davies. “You and Rezac combined ought to be able to raise them.”
“If we’re going to try to escape, we need to decide where we’re heading,” said Jo. “Getti
ng out of here isn’t enough.”
“The spaceport,” said Rezac immediately. “Steal a ship and get off this godsforsaken world!”
“You haven’t seen the spaceport,” said Davies.
“Interstellar ships don’t land here, only the cargo pods do, or at best, shuttles. None of them is capable of deep space flight.”
“Let’s work on that one when we get there,” said Rezac. “Getting out is the first part. To do that, we have to start working on the laser downstairs.”
“We need outside help. I wish there was some way we could get a message to Railin,” said Jo quietly.
“Railin? You’d trust him after what he did?”
“He didn’t betray us, Gary.”
“I’m with Jo on that,” said Kris. “Yes, we were expected, but I don’t think it was our storyteller. It could have been the mapmaker, even the girl at the tavernâ what was her name?”
“Jainie,” supplied Jo. “I don’t think it was her either.”
“Okay, I bow to superior mind power,” sighed Davies. “I can’t fight against the two of you. However, he’ll be down in the plains now, collecting more stories for this winter. We have to do this one on our own.”
Kris stood up. “I’d better go and see to Zashou. Gary, you clean up. Rezac, you stay put. You’re still in shock. I don’t want you moving about for a while. I think we’ll have to call in Killian’s apothecary. I need dressings for your arm, and I’ve a feeling we’ll need his skills in treating Zashou.”
*
Left alone with Jo, Rezac sat wondering what the hell he could say to her.
“There isn’t much to say,” said Jo, making him start in surprise. “If it’s anyone’s fault Zashou is pregnant, it’s ours because we infected you.”
“It’s no one’s fault,” sighed Rezac, ears flattening. “En’Shalla. The will of the Gods. My relationship with Zashou was doomed from the start. I let my anger stand between us, force us apart, because I couldn’t believe she’d want someone like me.”
“But you love her.”
He reached out to touch her hand where it lay in her lap. “I love you, too.” He hesitated when she didn’t respond, then he took hold of her hand anyway. “How likely is it you’re pregnant, too?”
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