The Sighs of the Priestess Ch. 08

"Now they have found each other again, and they heal each other a little as they can. I have spoken to the Priestess for them and they will accompany you to the keep. He wishes for them to spend a little time together, and then he wishes to change his life."

Shahbek smiled, "I have a small surprise for Sorn and he as only seen a little of it on her face," she said, "while he has been gone, I have paid for his woman there to have tattoos made on her to cover and hide many of her scars. While she would have preferred to never have had the need of them, she is happier now."

"I feel happier myself to have been able to do this for her -- for them. Since he returned to us, he has never taken a woman. I thought that it was another thing that I had killed in him. That I was wrong makes me want to sing now that there seems to be a little life left in his poor heart even still."

She turned to Yanna, and the girl was shocked to see the wet eyes in a face that she thought never showed anything like that to anyone. "I have wept my own bitter tears over two lovers," she said sadly.

She led them back inside and continued.

"You have an idea what is at stake for her, Illya, so always give her your love. And Yanna, if you love this one here, remember Sorn if you feel tempted and have not spoken of it with Illya. That is surely what awaits him otherwise. Before it all, Sorn lost his parents and then his sister. Illya has lost his parents. I do not know if he lost anyone - "

"Sister," Yanna sighed as it came to her, "Illya had a young sister who also died at the hands of the city guards."

Shahbek nodded and held Illya's chin for a moment, "He is a little different and just a bit fragile, as are you, but it is on the inside of you both in different ways. He is like Sorn. Their hearts are deep and they hide nothing. That is what makes a man like him special to love and be with. But if it is broken, they are never the same again. Their hearts turn to stone then. It is just the type that he is, as you are the type of girl that you are inside. It is a rare woman who would want to throw off what she has because her heart tells her to love a good, but poor man."

She touched Illya's cheek softly, "And it is a rare man who would walk the road of life with a girl so wild and do anything for her without a thought and yet remain a man for it all the same."

She sighed, "I have had to learn many hard lessons, children. What is the point of learning them if I cannot pass on what I have learned at such a bitter cost? This may not happen at all between you, and I am hopeful that it does not. All that I say is to be careful with each other's hearts."

She stepped forward and bowed to them both in the way of her tribe and kissed their faces. "May we meet again in happier times and may you both grow from the love that is between you."

With that, Shahbek left them and they looked at each other with wide eyes.

She looked at him, "Illya, I --"

"Nothing has happened, Yanna," he said, "You carry too much as it is in your heart. I do not know what to say to you here, but I trust you, Yanna."

"No, Illya, you listen to me, now," she said, "I think that I know what Shahbek speaks of. I can say that I might have even felt a little of this, but I did nothing about it, Illya." She reached for his head and kissed his cheek before she rubbed her face against it, "You will always have my heart."

She shook her head, "I know what it is to be alone and have no hope at all. Only you kept me alive, Illya. I will never turn from you."

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When they were ready, Sorn and his woman, who he curtly introduced to them as Besha arrived on horses, and it came as some surprise to them that Besha was very skilful at riding. The two were similarly dressed in long dark gray cloaks, but another similarity between them became apparent a few seconds later. Besha carried blades of her own, and more than a few. Illya remarked on it and Sorn did his best to offer a smile.

"Where we come from, it is common for a man and a woman to work together in all ways. Besha has had a hard life, but she knew of the type of work that is done by the tribes often. Wherever she was, she was kept chained regularly and always far from a blade. Shahbek has given her these so that she can feel what we are again, and that is free and with blades to protect ourselves."

Nisi-ini-su arrived moments later. "The Ba'al would be here," she said, "but we begin now to weaken the outer stones on the walls of Khamazi. He is needed there to keep order when the walls fall. I must return to his side soon." She looked at the assassin and his woman with a warm smile.

"Safe journey," she said, "I look forward to seeing you at your new home. There will be much to speak of when we meet again. We thank you for your offer of service, but spend some time before you take up your tasks there."

The rest were a little surprised at the emotion that they saw on the older pair as they bowed deeply and thanked the Priestess.

"Do not think of the past if you can, and do not fear," she said, "You keep, or tell of your past yourselves. Not many will judge, even so. That you know and practice the faith once more is thanks enough."

She looked at her fighters sternly, but there was still a smile in it, "See that you get the famous cat-girl and her archer to the keep. I know that the duty has been hard to this point." She winked at them.

"Oh yes," Smyrna groaned, "Mostly it has been much waiting," she grinned. "We must wait for them to get their tired eyes open in the morning and then we stand waiting for them get their bodies unknotted from each other after each long night that they struggle in their exhausting nightly warfare, by the sounds of it. We must wait for each one to finally see enough of the other's beauty so that we can take them where they must go without tripping over their own feet. And if they begin again to kiss each other, well there is another afternoon wasted."

"I remember times when I visited and had to wait myself on a pair of smitten fighters," the Priestess said, "I had no idea how to get a pair of horses under your asses so that we might ride to where I had to be, for you were so close that horses cannot stand that near together." She sighed, laughing, "It would have saved me much time if I had just gotten a wagon to haul you both around in because you had your hands in every crack of each other's armor and the rest couldn't get you apart."

She turned to Yanna and Illya, "My thanks for what you have done to help, and for the way that you both lighten the people's hearts when they see you. Safe journey." She nodded and rode off.

Their departure from the mounting tension near the battlefield of Khamazi seemed to take forever, the way that they found many of the roads blocked or choked with warriors trying to get to their staging areas where they were to wait for signals for them to join the fight if it came to that. Since Illya was no horseman yet by a long shot, he found himself on the seat of the cart with Smyrna, whose own horse was tied to the cart to follow. Yanna could ride, but it was a long process to find even one horse who would tolerate her on its back. At last, a stallion was given to her, and that had been a wonder to everyone.

The horse was known as a killer who would accept no rider for long before he tried to throw them or rub them off against something no matter how many times the breaking of him was attempted. Being thrown was worse, for he would immediately try to stomp the rider into the ground, hence his reputation. But as soon as he saw Yanna, everything changed.

He stared for a few moments, his ears lying flat back, but after a few angry snorts, he stepped forward proudly for a better look, and in only minutes, Yanna seemed to have a horse. Other than what she knew of dealing with reluctant horses, she'd done nothing but talk to the beast. She was about to get him into line so that they could leave when Yanna felt a little pressure on her leg near her knee. She looked, and saw Besha's tattooed face far back under her hood as she sat on her horse next to her.

"Never spur this one," she said quietly after a glance to his scarred sides, "Half of his troubles come from stupid people. This one is like the shy boy who waits to ask you for a dance but never finds his nerve and must watch while you walk away with another. He does not know how to ask. Everything else is his rage. He looks to be hopeful with you. Treat him as though you have suddenly noticed that shy boy, Yanna, and he will be yours."

Yanna took it in with a bit if surprise and thanked Besha. The woman nodded and turned her horse away.

After that, he seemed happiest whenever she was riding him. He tolerated Illya's presence near to him, but had to be watched then. More than once, he'd swung his head suddenly, and Illya found himself on his backside wondering if the animal would rear up for the finishing strike, but it never happened.

Eventually, Illya decided that it was the thing's attempt at humor.

Daggat ranged ahead and came back often to tell of what lay in front of them. One of her reports had them all thinking.

"The cave is up ahead, but there is no way that we can reach it and get inside before the king's army gets there. Even now, there are his scouts passing through the area."

Smyrna thought about it for a minute, and then shrugged, "We cannot wait for the host to pass. We will be seen by the scouts long before if we try, and the Ba'al told me to avoid them if I could. We must go another way."

"There is another way?" Daggat asked.

Smyrna nodded, "Yes. We will go to a different cave. I have been there before long ago, and I know that the way there is still open. It might be better anyway," she said, "I do not like using a dead road that I do not know if it is important that I pass, such as now. The only trouble is that it will add two days to the trip."

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Smyrna had no trouble finding the way and talked with Illya as they rode. At last, she came to something that she wanted to say, but had difficulty with.

"I wanted to say my thanks to you for ... "she shook her head, "I have no way to say this, Illya. I, well, Daggat and I, ... we are happy that the talk of what we might have wanted from you has not changed anything between us. I was very afraid that it might."

"Do not trouble yourself," he smiled, "for us, it was a struggle because we didn't know what to say, or even how we felt about it. We both did feel honoured to have been thought of."

"That part was easy," Smyrna grinned, "Daggat and I think that you both are very fine. Daggat would lie with either of you any time." She laughed then, "And I am almost sure that I would as well."

Illya was a little astounded. "But, I thought that neither of you wanted a man."

"We do not," Smyrna chuckled, "but before we found each other, both of us have had men, Illya. We just want each other because we are very close and we know what we like in bed, and it is easy to feel loved and to make love between us. Our love for each other grew from that. Most men know little of the way that we like it. A gentle caress is a foreign thing to many men, and almost all of them kiss far too hard. And then there is the way that many men do not bathe often enough, and they fall asleep right after and -- "

Illya patted Smyrna's knee with a small laugh, "I understand you, my friend. I do not need the long list." He rolled his eyes, "Next you would complain to me about their beards."

"And that is another thing!" Smyrna laughed, "Either a man shaves but he does not do it enough and takes the skin right off my face or my cunny, or he doesn't shave at all and his beard is in my face and I can smell everything that he has eaten over the past week. It puts a girl off the whole thing. How would you like to have a man's greasy beard in your face?"

"I wouldn't," Illya smiled, "that is why I make love with women, well, one woman now."

Smyrna put her arm around him. "You see? You and I have much in common. You are a true prize, Illya," she said as she took her arm away, "You even shave."

She nodded, "I like you more every day."

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After a break, they switched around and Yanna tied her horse to the back of the cart. Illya was certain that the beast was growing to love Yanna. The stallion sure didn't like the idea of following the cart, but for her, he went along with it. Smyrna rode her own horse, and Yanna drove the cart sitting with her husband. The cart horse was nervous about it, but soon settled down, perhaps remembering her smell from the night of their escape and how nothing had happened then.

"Can you reach behind you and pull that blanket to you?" she asked.

Illya brought it forward in a moment and Yanna leaned back slightly.

"Now spread it over our legs, Illya. I see no reason why I cannot enjoy your little caresses as I drive. I will even try very hard to stay on the road at the same time."

Illya laughed and before long, they had to endure the knowing glances and smirks of their friends riding ahead of them.

"You know, I think that this is a fine way to travel," Yanna said, "I think that one day, we should get ourselves one of these carts." She leaned against him a little and smiled.

"I want to ask you, "she said quietly, "what are your thoughts about what was said to us? Daggat told me that both would like to have us. Either of us."

"Smyrna told me the same thing," Illya said, a little wide-eyed.

"Well, it will not happen," Yanna said. "I have never wanted to be with a woman. Before I even think of something like that, I must come to love a person as a very close friend, I would think. Those two are slowly making me angry with their jokes and laughter over something that I cannot much help, though they have been kind. It does little to make me want them closer than they are to me. And while I might like the thought that you could lie with at least one of them, I am prepared to risk nothing of what is between us, Illya."

He asked her, "I agree. Are you certain that it is not from a feeling or some worry that you might have that I would want a girl who looked like a woman on the outside?"

"If it is so, I have to tell you, Yanna, that it plays little if any part in it for me. I am happy with you as you are. I made a friend in Khamazi who needed me and I fell in love with her there. I am happy. I live the dream of many men because of the way that we love and I know it. The difference is -- "

Yanna interrupted him, "The difference is that you are brave enough to want to be seen together with me in the daylight in front of anyone and ... "

She took a good look at the road ahead and then pulled his face to hers to kiss his cheek, "You are man enough to look anyone in the eye for it. I have seen your look and it makes me wet while my heart swells to bursting. Your eyes almost glow with your unspoken challenge then. It is as if you say, 'Yes. She is mine' with your eyes, and I am proud of you for that too. Other men might think they want me until they spend, but then they would never want to be seen with me. For those ones, I am only a want in their minds and I know it."

"I need only one look at your face," she said, "one look, and I see that I hold your heart as you hold mine. That is something, Illya. That is enough for me. I need nothing more."

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By the middle of the afternoon, they pulled off the road and approached a farm set near to some woods. Smyrna nodded toward the house. "The people here are agents for the keep, and are far relatives to me." She went to the door, and after a short conversation, she returned and they rode on.

"The same as ever, "she smirked, "not much love here for Smyrna. At least they will let us stay on the land tonight and the next if need be. There may be game to hunt if we are lucky, and I know a little waterfall and brook to bathe in here."

"Why do they not love you if they are your family?" Yanna asked.

"I was betrothed to one of their sons long ago, though I had no say in it," she said, "but I have no need of a drunkard's embrace, even if he was my cousin once removed. We never liked each other as children, but suddenly I was fine to him and worth marrying all because my tits grew in. He tried to court me, but really, he courted my jugs more than anything. When he tried to force me one night after drinking all evening to get up his courage, I almost killed him for it. He is dead now anyway."

"What killed him?" Illya asked.

"The edge of a spade between the eyes," Smyrna grinned, "driven by an angry man."

"Ah," Sorn remarked suddenly, surprising them all that he'd spoken, "A murderous father?"

"No," Smyrna laughed," a murderous farmer who caught him with one of his cows. I felt like a cow myself for a time after I thought about his attraction to udders."

There was a fair amount of laughter from them all at that. Yanna looked around and noticed that even shy Besha smiled.

"You are no cow, Smyrna," Illya remarked, "far from it."

"Thank you, Illya," she laughed, "and you would be very close to a kiss for your kind words, but for your sweet girl's long claws there."

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They found a good place to pitch their tents, but Besha and Sorn drew a few looks from the rest when they set about pitching theirs a little way off from the others.

Daggat, Illya and Yanna walked over to ask them why, thinking that they might feel a little uneasy and outside of the group. Sorn looked a bit uncomfortable for a moment. Until now, his normal way would have been to say nothing in answer, but he remembered that they were trying for a new start.

"Look here," he said, awkwardly, "I do not know a way to say this well, but Besha and I have been apart for years. There is much sadness between us, but we try now to begin again. It may come that we begin to love between us, at least I hope that it might be so for I love her more than my life."

Besha nodded and hugged him, "It will be, Sorn. I have struggled long enough." She tried to smile a little, "We both even find our voices again for each other and I have made my decision. It will be as it once was between us again."

She turned to Yanna. "I have heard of what happened to you both. I can say that I know what it is to want your man and not be able to have him as you did, from what was told to me."

Yanna nodded, "If it was like that for you, then I know. It is a very sad thing."

"Twenty years, we have been apart," Besha said, "After Sorn found me, it was not something that I could just begin again. I have been badly treated for a long time," she looked up at Sorn with a soft smile, "but now, after so long, nothing matters. We have each other, and so he fears to disturb you all if we make sounds."

She felt Daggat's hand on her shoulder as she laughed, "You still may wish to set your tent here, Besha. When these two begin, there is no sound that you could make that would disturb anything anymore."

Yanna was a little embarrassed by the statement and made to turn away. She felt a hand on her wrist and saw Besha close to her. "Do not listen," she said quietly as Daggat joked, "a woman who is being loved well makes the sounds that she does. Some make none at all. If you have one who makes you cry out in your passion, you should be proud and thankful for it. Many women never find this. I made sounds myself long ago. They were the cause of my sorrow later and I have not made noises since. A slave who is forced feels no passion or joy."

"Thank you, Besha," Yanna whispered, "I am getting tired of hearing these jokes, that is all. I make more sounds because of what I am, I think, but it is no reason to joke every day. I try to be quiet and Illya tells me to bite his shoulder then, but I have hurt him before, though he says nothing. If I work at being quiet all of the time -- "