is at the launderers or wet. I'm not planning on calling anybody out -- not even that damned off-key songster. Much as he deserves it -- and much as I'd like to.'
Warrl raised his head from the shadows of the corner he'd chosen for his own, with a contemptu-ous snort. The kyree liked the cold even less man Tarma, and spent much of his time in the warm corner by the stove curled up on a pad of old rugs.
Tarma answered with a snort of her own. 'All right then, you go warm his bed. I'm sure he'd appreciate it.'
Warrl simply lowered his head back to his paws, and closed his glowing golden eyes with dignity.
'Tell, tell, tell!' Kethry urged, having as little love for the feckless Leslac as did her partner. She threw herself down into her own leather-padded hearthside chair, and leaned forward in her eager-ness to hear.
'All right -- here's what I was told -- ' Tarma lounged back in her chair, and put her feet up on the black iron footrest near the stove to warm them.
'Evidently his Bardship was singing that song in the Falcon last night.'
That song was the cause for Tarma's latest grievance with the Bard. It seemed that Leslac, apparently out of willfulness or true ignorance, had not the least notion of what being Kal'enedral meant. He had decided that Tarma's celibacy was the result of her own will, not of the hand of her Goddess --
The fact was that, as Kal'enedral, Tarma was celibate because she had become, effectively, neuter. Kal'enedral had no sexual desire, and little sexual identity. There was a perfectly logical reason for this. Kal'enedral served first the Goddess of the South Wind, the Warrior, who was as sexless as the blade She bore -- and they served next the Clans as a whole -- and lastly they served their individual Clans. Being sexless allowed them to keep a certain cool perspective that kept them free of feuding and allowed them to act as interClan arbitrators and mediators. Every Shin'a'in knew the cost of becoming Kal'enedral. Some in every generation felt the price was worth it. Tarma certainly had -- since she had the deaths of her entire Clan to avenge, and only Kal'enedral were permitted to swear to blood-feud -- and Kethry was mortally certain that having been gang-raped by the brigands that slaughtered her Clan had played no little part in the decision.
Leslac didn't believe this. He was certain -- without bothering to check into Tarma's background or the customs of the Shin'a'in, so far as Kethry had been able to ascertain -- that Tarma's vows were as simple as those of most other celibate orders, and as easily broken. He was convinced that she had taken those vows for some girlishly romantic reason; he had just recently written a song, in fact, that hinted -- very broadly-that the 'right man' could thaw the icy Shin'a'in. That was the gist of 'that song.'
And he evidently thought he was the right man.
He'd certainly plagued them enough before they'd joined up with Idra, following behind them like a puppy that couldn't be discouraged.
He'd lost track of them for two years after they'd joined the Sunhawks and that had been a profound relief. But much to their disappointment, he'd found them again and tracked them to Hawksnest. There he had remained, singing in taverns to earn his keep -- and occasionally rendering Tarma's nights sleepless by singing under her window.
'That song' was new; the first time Tarma had heard it was when they'd gotten back from the Surshan campaign. Kethry had needed to practically tie her down to keep her from killing the musician.
'That's not a wise place to sing that particular ballad,' Kethry observed, 'Seeing as that's where your scouts tend to spend their pay.'
'Hai -- but it wasn't my scouts that got him,' Tarma chuckled, 'which is why I'm surprised you hadn't heard. It was Tresti and Sewen.'
'What?'
'It was lovely -- or so I'm told. Tresti and Sewen sailed in just as he began the damned thing. Nobody's said -- but it wouldn't amaze me much to find out that Sewen set the whole thing up, though according to my spies, Tresti's surprise looked real enough. She knows what Kal'enedral means. Hellfire, we're technically equals, if I wanted to claim the priestly aspects that go with the Goddess-bond. She also knows how you and I feel about the little warbling bastard. So she decided to have a very public and very priestly fit about blasphemy and sacrilegious mockery.'
That was one of the few laws within Hawksnest; that every comrade's gods deserved respect. And to blaspheme anyone's gods, particularly those of a Sunhawk of notable standing, was an official offense, punishable by the town judge.
'She didn't!'
'She ruddy well did. That was all Sewen and my children had been waiting for. They called civil arrest on him
