“That wood smells wonderful,” she murmured. “And I think the smoke really added to the taste. What kind of tree does it come from?”
Baralt looked amused. “Have you seen any trees on Hothrest, Isabel?” She shook her head, and his smile widened. “It is sarlag dung. We gather it, dry it, and burn it.”
For a moment, she was horrified, but hadn’t the early settlers done the same thing with buffalo dung? It was too late to change it now, and it had been delicious. A sudden wave of tiredness overcame her, and she yawned.
“Come, my aria. It is time for bed.”
Before she could object, he lifted her into his arms and started carrying her back toward their cave. She could see the other guests watching them, but unlike on the previous day, their gazes seemed more speculative than hostile. Especially from the younger males.
“They want mates, don’t they?” she asked softly once they were out of earshot.
“Of course. All warriors want a female of their own.” He took a few steps in silence, then added, “When I was growing up, we were taught that it would be a rare privilege to be chosen by a female and that we should look forward to a life of service to the tribe instead.”
“How did you feel about that?”
“Strangely enough, I accepted it. One of the reasons I argued for removing the restrictions on interaction with offworlders was because I thought it was best for the tribe.” Sorrow crossed his face. “My brother was not as accepting.”
They had reached their room by now, and he laid her carefully on the bed before settling down beside her.
“What happened to him?” she asked gently.
“We were young and foolish. We thought we were great warriors. We traveled to Port Eyeja to discover what people from other species were like.”
He stared up at the ceiling, watching the light crystals rotate in their endless dance.
“We didn’t realize that most of the people there had never encountered a Hothian before. And the stories they had heard about us made them think that we were no more than talking animals. We encountered a group of males taking advantage of a female in a back alley and demanded that they stop. They just laughed, so I challenged them.” His claws tapped together restlessly. “In the caves, a challenge is always fought without weapons. We didn’t realize that that was not true in other places. One of them pulled a blaster. I don’t remember much of the fight. I just remember that when I woke up, Akhalt was dead. Most of the alien males were as well.”
Tears slipped silently down her cheeks. “What about you?”
“I didn’t die even though I wanted to. I remember lying there in the snow, looking up at the stars and knowing that I had failed. But the female found help for me. They provided me with a sleigh and somehow I managed to bring my brother home. I think the fact that strangers helped me is the only thing that made me realize not all aliens are evil.”
“And then you left Hothrest?”
“As soon as I healed enough to walk. It was all too obvious almost everyone blamed me for Akhalt’s death, although no more than I blamed myself. I decided I no longer had a home here. So I promised to send credits for Zemma, and I left. Sold two bags of sothiti to pay for the trip.” He shook his head, visibly shaking off the memories, and forced a smile. “I grossly overpaid. The captain of the trader told me about the fight pits, and the rest is history.”
“Did you enjoy it? Fighting, I mean.”
“In some ways. It gave me a chance to prove myself. And earn a good many credits.”
“Were you with Relkhei the entire time?”
“Oh no. I started in a literal pit with the spectators hanging over the edge to watch the fights.” He shrugged. “But even though Relkhei likes to call it an arena rather than a fight pit and it’s a hell of a lot larger, it’s not really that much different.”
“I’m not glad you were driven from your home, but I am glad that you were there to meet me. You saved me, Baralt.”
“I don’t want your gratitude,” he growled.
“I know.” She knew what he wanted, but despite her earlier fear, the words lodged in her throat. Instead, she took refuge in action. She began kissing her way down his chest, determined to show him with her body what she could not find the words to say.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Baralt followed Njkall into the cave of the Elders. In many ways, it looked like any other cave. The Elders were bent over a variety of tasks, some working in solitude, others in small groups. They didn’t appear to pay any attention when he entered, but he knew better. Every one of them was aware of his presence. He just hoped that they had not already passed judgment on him.
“Greetings, Baralt.” Elder Shinall looked up from the fur he was working on. “It has been many years since you have joined us.”
Was that a criticism? Or a hint that he should have stayed away longer? He knew he was being oversensitive, but he still remembered what it had been like to have everyone turn their backs on him while he was mourning his brother.
“It has been a long time,” he said neutrally. “Not much appears to have changed.”
Shinall shot him a quick glance. “Appearances can be deceptive. I understand that Njkall has mentioned to you that there have been several disturbing incidents recently?”
“Yes, he did.”
“When our grandfathers entered into the contract with the Empire, we thought it for the best. We thought we could continue our way of life without becoming involved in Imperial politics.” Shinall sighed. “We should have realized that change is inevitable. You are one of the few Hothians to go off world. What has been your experience?”
“That
