12
(Tharnday – cont.)
Yezi Desert
“I have a cloth for you to wash with. You’ll feel better for getting the sand and war paint off of you,” Vonjy said.
“Don’t you want to use it?”
“The oil of the ground coconut is good for my skin. It will absorb quickly enough,” he explained handing her the wet cloth.
“Thanks,” she said, wiping off her face and arms.
“You are old enough to be married,” Vonjy said. “Do I have to worry about some irate husband accusing me of something I have no intention of?”
She giggled in spite of herself. “My father keeps wanting to get me married, but I refuse to be matched up to someone I don’t love.”
“Not all young women of your tribe have that option, if I’m not mistaken. You must be someone important.”
“I’m not that important – not unless I get married, anyway,” Soala admitted. “My father was reminding me of my duty just yesterday. Get married, have kids – you’re sixteen now!”
“My father is the same way,” Vonjy replied. “Reminding me of my responsibility. But my tribe handles these arranged marriages slightly differently.”
“I’m not agreeing to go with you, if that’s what you’re saying!” Soala replied.
“If I was so inclined, I wouldn’t leave it to you to decide,” Vonjy said. “But I have refused to capture my bride like that. I want mine to go with me willingly. Of course, being stuck out here so far from civilization changes things anyway.”
Soala grumped and turned her back on him.
“I’m teasing you!” he said quickly with a chuckle.
She refused to look at him.
“Look, I’m not planning on kidnapping you to make you my bride,” Vonjy said. “I hope that is settled between us now.”
Soala looked at him again and suddenly started giggling. “Listen to us! Talking about fathers and wedding customs like this.”
Vonjy smiled at her. Soala noticed that his smile was very attractive. She let her eyes roam down his body, taking in his smooth, muscular bare chest, still darkened for raiding. She wondered whether the Yeziling shaved their chests to keep them so smooth. Sticking out of a scabbard, she saw the hilt of a utility knife. Her eyes quickly moved further down to the ornate apron which covered his loincloth and kept him decent. He would need his cloak to keep him warm tonight, she realized. A loincloth may be perfect for raiding in the sun, but would not stave off the desert night.
“So, how did you make this shelter?” Soala asked, forcing her eyes away from his attractive body.
“We always carry an emergency shelter when we go raiding. You never know when you might need it. There are some rations as well, but most of those were buried before I could find them. If there’s any game around, I’ll catch something tonight when it’s cooler,” Vonjy said.
“Our men mostly hunt at night as well,” Soala said. “The flats get too hot to do it in the day time.”
Vonjy nodded. “I don’t have any fuel to cook or to keep us warm at night,” he said. “I’m sure you know how cold it gets here at night.”
Soala nodded. “I guess we can forage for things as the sun goes down,” she said.
“But now, if you can sleep, you should,” Vonjy said. He started pulling sand into another pile near the one she was lying on. “I will make a second sleeping spot in case I manage to find anything to keep the sand off me.”
Soala watched Vonjy work and wondered how far she could trust this man, a member of a tribe that was the sworn enemy of her own.
“Remember, I could have already killed you, or left you in the sun to die had I wanted to. Or I could have carried you off to be my bride, if that was my intention. The fact that I haven’t done any of these things is proof that you can trust me enough to get the rest you need so that we can look for what we need to survive tonight, when it’s cold.”
“You read my mind,” she replied, realizing she would have to be far more careful about her thoughts!
“It’s a common trait in my tribe. Isn’t it a common one in yours as well?”
“I suppose it is. I don’t have it though. For some reason the chieftains don’t.”
“You’re a chieftain?” he asked, looking at her. “You’re young.”
“Not me,” she said blushing. “My father is. I hadn’t planned to tell you that part though.”
“The chieftain’s daughter?” he said bemusedly. “Almost makes me wish I was inclined to carry you off. It would prove something to my father!”
Soala grumped again. Could she trust him?
He laughed. “But like I said, I have no inclination of doing that to you, and stuck out here in the middle of the desert without a hoverbil makes it impossible anyway. But I can still pity the fact that I wasn’t looking for your commercial value.”
She glared at him for considering her monetary worth.
Vonjy laughed again. “Why do you fault me for recognizing your commercial value? I’ve also already dismissed it. And you told me you weren’t important.”
Soala wanted to remain mad at him, but she couldn’t – not with that defusing laugh of his and his gentle smile.
“My father maintains that until I get married and prove that I can provide children for the tribe, I’m not particularly important. The people are unlikely to accept me as a leader,” she replied. “He has many children. The loss of me won’t endanger my tribe.”
“Smart on the part of your father, but I’m sad that it makes you feel less valuable,” Vonjy said.
Soala lay thinking about this man who was defusing her hostility. She had to admit that he’d mostly convinced her that she could trust him – for now, anyway. What would happen when they were rescued? What if his tribe came first? What if he knew everything she was thinking now, or knew the fact that she was finding him more attractive by the hour? Finally, her fatigue overtook her racing mind.
♥
A few minutes later, Vonjy realized Soala was asleep. He felt strangely protective towards this woman – despite the fact she wasn’t his… though she was very attractive and seemed to share some of his attitudes. The fact that she clearly found him attractive despite her distrust was intriguing.
But this was his tribe’s enemy, he was talking to, working with, even living with right now. Vonjy could hear his father’s voice in his head - admonishing him for his attitude. <The enemy served a purpose. They were good for raising livestock for them – and providing pretty women for the tribe.> His father reminded him that these women weren’t for falling in love with – they were for carrying off and being made to raise children for the tribe.
Vonjy had been unprepared to meet a woman who did not fear him and challenged everything his father had ever taught him about the Zley and women in general. He found that in addition to being attracted to her beauty, he found every part of her attractive. He respected her, he suddenly realized. His tribe had definitely not prepared him for this possibility!
He sighed, thinking about how fate had brought him to this situation, being with this young woman who still distrusted him, he couldn’t blame her for that. But she did not fear him. She also challenged his views on so many things. He enjoyed her companionship.
He sat on his mound of sand wishing he could get a few winks himself, but Soala had his cloak and he really wanted to avoid sand inside his limited clothing.
♥
Not far away, a damaged hoverbil limped along with a dozen warriors.
“We must keep looking for my father!” Sidjin insisted.
“And our brother,” Arzewt reminded.
“We both know that I will make a far better chieftain,” Sidjin said.
“But we should still look after our brother.”
“If you see him, let me know!” Sidjin replied.
“Surely, we must get our injured men treated first,” the scout said. “We will send a fresh vehicle out to look as soon as we get within range of home.”
Sidjin saw the wisdom in the advice. “As you see fit, but be looking for a contact so that someone can be out here as soon as possible. My father must be found!”
♥
If you have enjoyed this book, I would be grateful if you could put your thoughts as a review on Goodreads for me.
Other Chapters of this set
Acting the Part - chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Building on Promise - Chapter 1
Acting the Part, part 2 - Chapter 10
Spice of Strength - Chapter 1
Acting the Part, part 3 - Chapter 19
Sands of Survival - Chapter 1
Maps and Guides
- continents of Alacantis and Kranisis (five maps)
- continent of Almara (five maps)
- countries of Kri'enden and Yezi'im (four maps plus "other places")
- characters, pronunciation and glossary
|
Brighid's Blood 2006 and 1200 B.T.C.E. Katja and Rachel are so desperate for love that they cast two love spells one night. But the Guardians do not consider spells "fun", but rather as cries for help from the very depths of your soul. Certainly Katja and Rachel could not have possibly imagined where these spells would take them! |
|
Birth of the Neví 829 T.C.E. It is a tumultuous period of Terrenden history. As is all too common, there are those who wish to profit from the misfortune of others. Some of these come together in a new "charitable organization" and step on the toes of the notorious Uugli. Combine this with draconian new measures to combat pollution and Terrenden has a situation ripe for a power struggle. Book 1 in the Rise of the Neví series. |
|
Rebound of Power: 850 T.C.E. Collection of Romance Terrenden is being terrorized by a previously underestimated Neví who, through the mysterious “Curator,” have been controlling elections all over the planet. In this collection, we meet some interesting women. Iyva - a homeless teenager in Irola whose untrained power leaves her close to death in Rebound of Power; Marc’la - a breeder of prized caballus in Kasago whose heart lives in the past in Friendship on Fire; Zukie - an abused widow whose heart is afraid to try for future happiness in Courage to Trust; Jenna - an elections assistant manager and masseuse who has a prejudice against A’mara in Elect to Change; Kami - a chola student in Varkevand who has been assigned to protect Ardin, a man who has his own reasons to distrust A’mara in Ocean of Empathy. |
|
Acting the Part - 851 T.C.E. Collection of Romance The Neví have infiltrated the Terrenden Freedom Party. Dr. Jarly is on the run and the Curator still dominates the Terrenden stage. Famous actor, Derick Aiden has released his Neví expose film and now the Neví want him dead... In this collection, we meet more interesting women. Kauri - a simple receptionist who doesn’t realize one of her wildest dreams has come true; in Acting the Part Tirry - an elections manager who is always the bridesmaid and never the bride; in Building on Promise Zara - a chef who has all but given up on finding love for herself; and D'zani - who isn’t even looking, but has to chaperone her more vulnerable roommate; in Spice of Strength Soala - an heiress who is expected to marry, but refuses to marry someone she doesn’t love; and Moxara - one whose past griefs have locked away her heart in Sands of Survival. We also get updates on some of the lovely ladies we met previously. |
| COMING SOON | TO AN EBOOK STORE NEAR YOU!!! |
|
Rise of the Neví - 830 T.C.E. In this series, the Neví begin their rise in power with the completion of several large housing projects that seem totally charitable, but also hide a great evil within. The draconian measures brought in the previous year has caused major distress throughout the world, perfect for giving the Neví a further foothold on the Terrenden stage. Will the A’mara, now removed from the Council of Peers, be able to shut down the Neví? Titles to include: Name of the Neví, Head of the Neví... |
Writing and artwork copyright myself 2005-2019 – all rights reserved.
If you are interested in helping me publish these works, please contact me on Facebook or Discord, viking-ventures#2883.
Lori Svensen
author/designer at A'mara Books
photographer/graphic artist for Viking Visual
verified author on Goodreads
find me on Twitter
also on: Whaleshares, WeKu
