LW Browning - Krystile Warriors 01 - Warlord's Honor (10 page)

"Come, pita," Koda said as he picked her up in his arms and carried her to his tent. He let her down just inside the doorway. “I will protect you. Even from my own customs. You may dress now, pita." Koda turned to go. "I have provided you with clothing appropriate for a female." Then he was gone. 

Claire was still standing there when Osiria entered the tent. Her countenance fell when she looked at Claire.

"What is wrong, girl?" Osiria asked.

"What just happened out there?" Claire demanded.

"Koda claimed you, girl. For what reason are you unhappy?"

Claire whispered, "Never, never are we supposed to be claimed, or mated, or married. Why did he do that?" Claire's breath came in gasps. "Why?" She demanded.

"Girl, he gave you his binding," Osiria said.

Claire looked up in confusion.

"Koda was honor bound to claim you and then put his binding on you in the Claiming Ceremony. It is our custom. It is a time for rejoicing. Our Warlord Leader has claimed a mate."

Claire thought the words should have some significance, but she could not put them together in a meaningful way. Anger rose up and bubbled out of her. "It was a very cruel thing to do. I had no idea he was capable of such... such... truculence."

"Koda is an honorable male. There was nothing else he could do," Osiria said softly.

Claire saw Osiria's sadness. Why was Osiria sad? Did she not think Claire fit for Koda? If he had to do it for his honor... why did Koda feel regret and Osiria feel sadness?

"You helped him," Claire said softly. "You knew and you helped him."

"Koda has provided this clothing for you." Osiria held it out to her. 

“Clothing fit for a female.” The idea of it made her anger surge. Claire took the clothing and fought with it while she tried to figure out how to put it on. Osiria reached to help, but Claire jerked away. She finally managed to get the wrap-around skirt around her waist and tied a clumsy knot with the pieces of fabric meant to hold it on her. The top was more difficult. No buttons. After she got her arms through the long sleeves, she struggled with the ends. Finally, she pulled them across the front and crossed them in back and pulled them around again to tie them. Dressed, she stormed out of the tent.

Koda saw her coming. "My people would get to know you better."

"Get to know me? I was just naked in front of them, what do you think they could possibly have missed?" Claire kept her voice to a harsh whisper.

When Koda moved closer to her, she pushed her hands up to his chest to hold him away. "What have you done to me?" She hissed at him.

Koda held her wrists, "I would see you calm."

She had never felt so defeated. Angry, afraid and alone, she wanted to hide from everyone. "You had no right." A single tear fell from one eye to trickle down her cheek. She had little fight left in her.

He pulled her close and held her tight against his body. “Might gives me the right, little one,” he said softly.

"Barbarian," she whispered. "How can you do this to me?" Utterly exhausted, the tears came then.

Koda picked her up and carried her to his tent. He held her for long hours and rocked her. She cried herself to sleep in his arms.

***

C
laire woke alone the next morning. Sounds of the camp coming awake confirmed the new day. She was still dressed from the night before. She opened her mind to – emptiness.

A review of the events from the previous day yielded no answers. He had known or at least suspected that claiming her might make him immune to her empath abilities. The ceremony was bizarre. He had explained nothing to her. And she had... she had drunk his blood. His blood! What had she been thinking? She was not a pawn to have the high-handed Koda take over her life. These people were truly savages. What had Calks gotten her into? They were going to end her for all the rules she had broken on this assignment.

The solitary stillness of being without her empath abilities left her off balance. The hollowness echoed down into her desolate soul. Her own emotions were so intense, they frightened her.

Claire washed her face with water from the canteen and left the tent. She walked apart from the other females and sat down in the grass to begin her meditation. Around her, they were breaking camp. A shadow fell across her, making her heart skip a beat. She looked up to see Koda standing over her.

"We leave now." He offered her his hand to help her up. She ignored him and stood. Koda mounted the paccar and pulled Claire up in front of him. She did not have the heart to look at any of them. Koda had hurt her beyond what he knew.

"You will have to speak with me at some point," Koda said.

"You had no right," her voice shook though she tried to keep it even. 

"Calks told me that you were aware of the customs of our society. I spilled your virgin blood. I had to claim you. All actions have consequences, pita, even the ones we count as mistakes."

She was a mistake to him? She was a mistake that his honor and duty required him to repair with the Claiming ceremony. He had destroyed her empath abilities. His people were safe from her and the MX Facility was probably going to end her for this and all she was to him was a mistake? She shook with anger and shock.

"Are all MX able to heal?" Koda asked.

She turned away.

"Answer me, girl," Koda said.

"We have different gifts," she answered.

"What are the gifts?" He asked.

She lifted her chin. Eventually, he would realize she was not going to answer that question.

They traveled upward on a gradual slope. Huge, rocky, mountains towered in the distance. The forest here was thick on one side and the grass very green on the other. There were rocks strewn about the grass as if some giant child had tossed them while playing and neglected to pick them up before going off to another adventure.

Koda led them through a pass. The trail was not treacherous. The beauty of the mountains and the valleys they passed took her breath away.

She caught sight of a flash of blue in some trees just ahead and was startled at the brilliant color. It was some sort of bird, but the bird was turquoise and like nothing she had ever seen. She looked at the trees in search of more of the beautiful birds.

All the magnificent sights they passed stung her soul. She wanted to enjoy this, instead she was... What was she now that she was no longer an empath?

They came over a hill with a lake below. Sunlight sparkled on the surface. Large four-legged creatures with hooves and horns stood in and around the lake. These creatures were large and their horns were of a different shape than the ones they had seen on the way here. The graceful creatures paid them little attention as they rode by.

They followed a road across the lake. There was water on either side although the road was dry. They were in a valley; beyond the water of the lake lay fields filled with crops. The air was fresh and clean and the sky was a beautiful clear blue. On the other side of the lake, a town occupied both sides of a small rocky stream that ran down from the mountains to the left. They crossed the stream on a sturdy wooden bridge.

As they made their way through the town, Claire saw many people dressed in colorful attire. There were quaint little shops. It must be market day, she thought, because there were many wagons loaded with foodstuffs and goods positioned around the town. There was a main street through the town that ran parallel with the stream. Several side roads disappeared into foliage so that it was impossible to guess how many people lived there.

Claire felt nothing from the people they passed as they rode through the town.

O
n the other side of the town, the road began to ascend, a brown ribbon of stone that meandered up through the mountains and out of sight around a curve. On the right was a huge white building. It sparkled in the sun like a jewel surrounded by lush green vegetation.

There was a high stone wall around the entire structure. Guards stood on top of the wall and the wide gates opened to let them ride into the courtyard. The structure itself was rectangular in shape. There were at least two stories and an attic with dormers. From the center of the building, a tower rose with a domed roof. A flag pole sat atop that. Claire recognized the symbol on the flag as the same symbol the warlords wore on their left arm.

The large building had a covering along the front with both ends built further out to create a large courtyard. Purple mountains could be seen in the distance behind the castle. The entire thing made Claire feel very small. They had slept in tents and made a slow journey riding on paccar and yet, this was where Koda lived? The more she knew of these people, the less she understood them.

The grandness of the setting was impressive. The castle spoke of great wealth and beauty, but it was lost on Claire.

The trim around the windows and the door itself was a rustic red. There was a large door in the center of the building. It was in front of this door that Koda stopped.

Koda turned to the other riders and thanked them for traveling with him on the journey. He let Claire down off the paccar and left it in the care of a groom. Koda put his hand in the small of Claire's back when they walked into the castle. His touch was intimate, possessive. Heat suffused her. How was he able to have that effect on her, just by his touch? She hated herself for being so weak, hated him because her body reacted to him.

Inside the castle was a great hall. There was a large stairwell to the right and another to the left. A balcony went around the entire square of the great hall. Koda led Claire up the stairs to the right and down a hall at the top of the stairs. The hallway was wide enough for four males to walk abreast. They passed several doors. Koda stopped in front of one on the left. He opened it and stood aside to indicate she should enter. Claire was confused. Why had he brought her here?

The first room was a sitting room with several chairs and couches and small tables. There was a small open kitchen on the right. They continued through the sitting room to a bedroom. The bed chamber was large and dominated by a four poster bed made of dark red wood. There was a hutch, as well as four chairs. A small table sat between two of the chairs, which were placed beside one of the floor to ceiling windows. There was a huge chest of drawers on one wall and a bookshelf on the other. A door to the right was closed. On the wall opposite the bed, another door stood ajar. Koda showed Claire through this doorway to the bathing room. She stood quietly looking at the round sunken tub. There was also a large shower in the corner and a wooden bench. Stained glass windows cast the bathing room in soothing colors.

"I will send a servant to help you with your bath and bring you some clothes to wear," Koda said. "There are things I must attend to. I will be back later."

"I have my own clothes," Claire said.

Koda stopped and looked back at her. "Your wardrobe has not held up well."

Claire read nothing on his face. True, her garments had been torn and bloodied more than once on the trip.

"You will have some time to rest before the evening meal." He walked past her then, out of the bath chamber, out of the bedroom. She heard the outer door to the apartment close.

Soon after, a woman entered. "I am Eria, I will draw you a hot bath."

Eria was shorter and darker than the females on the trip. Her hair was dark blond and her eyes were blue. She turned the dial which agitated the water, put the soaps and shampoo down and left the bath chamber.

Claire was certain that most of the problems of the world could be solved with a nice hot bath.

In the mirror she got her first look at the lavaliere Koda had put around her neck when he claimed her. The silver chain was very fine. The pendant that hung from it was silver inscribed with the same symbol  branded on Koda's left arm. A cerulean blue stone sat in the center of the lavaliere.

The mate bite at the curve of her neck and shoulder had healed, leaving a crescent-shaped mark. He had bit her. These people had strange customs. Unable to remove the lavaliere, she stepped into the scented water of the sunken tub. There was a tile shelf in the round tub for her to sit on.

After all the dirt and grime of the trek were scrubbed away, she washed and rinsed her hair and then soaked. If only the scented soap could have washed away everything that had happened on this assignment. The Facility was probably going to end her when they found out. She took a deep breath, laid her head back and closed her eyes.

After she dried off and dressed in the cerulean blue gown Eria had laid out for her, she went to the bedroom and sat in one of the chairs to look out the window while she brushed her hair.

From the window she looked down into a beautiful garden filled with flowers and blooming trees. Trails meandered through the garden, easily seen from the window. She smiled when she discovered a fountain in the garden. Claire had always wanted to hear the sounds of a fountain. She had read about it, but never heard one for herself. The water was supposed to make a tinkling sound. She had no idea how long she was lost in reverie when Koda opened the door.

"We go down for the last meal now. You look very beautiful." He wore dark blue pants that clung to his thighs and black leather boots with metal coverings that extended up to cover the front of his knees. His dark blue shirt formed a V in the front. He wore his sword and a jeweled dagger at his waist. His long blond hair flowed down past his wide shoulders. She had never seen a finer looking male.

"I have no gloves," Claire whispered. Did she even need gloves anymore?

Koda produced a pair of gloves he must have found in her backpack. She pulled them on under the long sleeves of the dress. Still furious with him for the loss of her empath sense, she did not meet his eyes. What good was an empath without the ability to read emotions?

He led her downstairs and into a dining room. People were seated at the long rectangular table that dominated the room. They all stood when she entered on Koda's arm.

"This is my claimed and mated female," Koda announced.

All the males stood. She felt every pair of eyes on her. Claire knew some of the people from the trip although others were strangers to her. She received no emotions from any of them. It was strange to be alone. Was this what the normals felt like all the time? They must be lonely in their own way.

After guiding her to a chair on his right, Koda took his place at the head of the table. Osiria was already seated to her right. When Koda sat, all the males sat down as well.

Claire looked at no one during the meal. The food was good with a variety of vegetarian dishes along with fish and fowl dishes close to her. Servants in white robes walked around to present meat dishes to Koda and the others.

She looked up at the male across the table from her when Koda introduced him as Veck, his uncle. Without her empath abilities, she was vulnerable in a way she had never experienced before.

The males discussed agriculture, trade, and all the news that had occurred in Koda's absence.

There were five other females in addition to Osiria. They talked about mundane things. Claire was left out. She had no idea of how to contribute to their conversation.

When the meal was done, Veck leaned back in his chair, looked at Claire and said, "How much did you pay for her, nephew?"

Claire's hand trembled. She set her glass down and hid her hands under the table without looking at Koda. They discussed her as though she were some new farm animal just purchased. Her own anger rose so that she had to shove it down, breathe deep, and wait.

"I gave a fair price uncle," Koda said.

'A fair price.' Surely he meant a fair price for her services. 

"She is lovely," Veck said as he sat back in his chair. "Very beautiful. I claim right of first night."

The room went quiet. Out of the corner of her eye, Claire saw Var put his hand on the dagger at his waist.

First night. First night – what did he mean? Claire felt her face heat as panic replaced her anger.

Koda's look was unreadable. "You are out of line, Uncle. I do not share what is mine."

"Ah, but I had no opportunity, nephew." Veck said. "I am told you mated and claimed the girl while on the trail. With one so lovely, I can understand patience might be a problem. Nevertheless, I claim her for this night. If nothing else, I want to know that you got your money's worth, to borrow a very old expression." Veck smirked.

Dren and Ache stood with their hands on their daggers. "The Warlord Leader has already responded to your request," Reaf said.

Veck leaned forward, his gaze intent on Koda. "She cannot give you an heir. The MX do not breed. She can bear you no offspring to be raised as Warlord Leader. The leadership will default to me and my line. I will have the right of the first night."

Claire saw Koda's jaw muscle move as he clenched his teeth.

Koda had to know that she was unable to have children. If Koda wanted an heir, he had made a bad choice to choose her for a mate. But he had not chosen her. She was a mistake, a very costly mistake if the lack of an heir caused him to lose his place as Warlord Leader.

Koda's brows knit together and she saw a muscle jerk in his jaw. "I formally refuse your claim. The female is mine. I do not share. I will hear no more of this." Although his voice was quiet, the steel beneath his words sliced through the room. Even Claire could feel the tension.

Veck leaned back and smiled. "You refuse to honor the long held custom of our people. As Warlord Leader, you must recognize the importance of adhering to our traditions. I will, of course, expect you to take Mardalane for the night as is our custom."

"You speak to your Warlord Leader, show respect," Var said as he stood up and leaned forward to emphasize his words. Claire winced at the scar down the side of Var's face. His pointed features made him look evil. He would have been menacing even without the scar. 

"It is an antiquated custom and has seldom been practiced by warlords," Reaf said. "We do not share the mated and claimed females." He was the peacemaker, Claire decided.

Veck looked at Claire. "I will have her, nephew, for one night."

"You. Will. Not." Koda stood. "If you wish to challenge me for her, we will move to the courtyard now," Koda said.

When Koda stood, all the warlords stood. Claire looked up to see they all had their hands on their daggers. Challenge for her. What did they mean?

"There is no need for battle this night, nephew," Veck snarled. He stood up and dragged his female up with him. She lost her balance and almost fell. "Your impudence will cost you and your people!"

They could hear Veck's shouts after he left the dining room and made his way down the hall.

Koda held up a hand to stop Var from going after Veck.

"He is an insolent coward," Var spat out.

"And he is way out of line," Reaf said.

Koda was the picture of control. He moved to Claire's chair and pulled it back for her. "We will retire now," he announced.

Claire experienced a moment of clarity. Her empath abilities were gone, but she understood her own thoughts and emotions better than ever before. She must make this right. It was possible she might be able to repair the damage and avoid consequences with the MX Facility.

"I will go with Veck," she announced. "I came here to help you, but instead, I have broken many rules for my kind. Now I have caused trouble for you. If I can prevent violence, I must do so. Perhaps I can redeem myself in some small way with the Facility. I can save your people distress." Claire whispered her plea in a monotone. She showed no emotion.

Koda's eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "You are new to our ways. There is much you do not yet understand. I will correct that error. Come with me. Now."