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secrets."
His hand went to my belly, and I moaned helplessly. The ring glinted in the
firelight.
"What are you?" he hissed.
"A coin girl," I whispered, defeated, betrayed by my body.
"Will you eat, Dellin, or are you too full of love?" It was Mael's voice.
Dellin pushed me off his lap, and I sprawled half on the ground, half on
Ganrom's crossed legs.
"I was hoping you would be passed this way," said the red-haired Slayer
through a mouthful of tender tas. He put a grease-slick hand on my naked
thigh. I groaned, but I did not move. I looked up at Dellin beseechingly, but
he had his hands on a tas chop and would not meet my eyes. I started to shift
my hips off Ganrom's lap.
"No," he mumbled. A hot dribble of meat juice struck my thigh. "That is the
part of you I will get to first. Let it be."
They did not offer me a piece of meat, though Dellin took a second chop, bit
it once, and handed it to me. I gnawed it gratefully, trying to keep the
grease from my face and hair.
The men passed the bladder, and Ganrom gave me a swallow when Dellin proffered
it to him. It was crude kifra, but it warmed. I ached within. I wanted Dellin
badly, but it was another who would have me. I hated him for arousing me,
purposely, for Ganrom.
After the third round of kifra, Ganrom's hands found me of interest.
Fen put another branch on the fire, that there would be sufficient light.
Dellin leaned down toward me where I lay, my head on the ground and my hips on
the red-haired Slayer's lap.
"Estri" his lips brushed my temple "do use your skills. I would enjoy watching
you. Give your best to Ganrom, and prettily. Perhaps, when you are done, I
will reward you."
I would have in any case. I was beyond caring where I was or who was who. But
I moved for Dellin, as seductively as possible, and with much emotion. I was
exquisite. I would make him sorry he had given me to another man.
Ganrom did not believe it. I went for his inner need and gave him such
prolonged ecstasy that he rolled and moaned and whimpered. The three Slay-ers
and Dellin got more than they bargained for. One learns many dances in Astria.
Finally, I lay panting, sleek and glistening with sweat, in the fire glow.
Ganrom heaved great gulps of air beside me. I
bent one leg at the knee and brought my foot near to my buttocks. I rubbed my
inner thigh and turned my face to
Dellin, my lips parted, chest heaving. I would not describe the look on his
face, but although it was his game, it was my point.
Ganrom struggled to sit up. "Kifra," he croaked. "Dellin! I will buy her from
you. Name your price."
My heart stopped. Perhaps I had done too well.
Khaf-Re Dellin started to laugh. He put his head in his hands and shook with
laughter. Uncertainly, the others joined in.
Presently he looked up at the red-haired Slayer, who, to my amazement, was
also consumed with mer-riment. There were tears of mirth on his face.
"The reason you want her, Slayer, is the reason I cannot part with her," he
got out. "You know, as I, that we are all bound."
"I would be so bound, my friend." He was shaking his head, back and forth,
back and forth. "A coin girl,"
said the Slayer in wonder, "a coin girl. Doubtless you will allow us to
accompany you to Arlet."
Dellin inclined his head. He had regained control of himself. "Everyone," he
wondered, "wants to ac-company me to
Arlet. I would be honored by your presence, as I am honored by your interest.
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So be it." He passed the kifra bladder to me. I drank three swallows and
handed it back. His fingers touched mine, and I thrilled to the insignificant
contact. I
caught his eye and begged him without words. His lids half-closed, he looked
coldly down upon me and signified his refusal. Then he gestured to Mael, the
brown-skinned Slayer, to take his place next to me, and walked to the other
side of the fire.
As Mael spoke gently to me, I glimpsed Dellin com-ing around to seat himself
on Ganrom's far side. I rolled so that my back was to them, facing Mael. Mael
was young and hesitant, for all his bravado earlier.
I touched him, and he was mine. I was glad, and I was faultless.
I rolled away from him and sat up, pawing the hair off my face and breasts. I
shrugged and raised my hands, dropping them back in my lap. I made sure to
keep my head high and my back straight. I would not show him my humiliation,
my need.
There was one left. Fen, who had cooked the din-ner, was blond and slighter
than the others. He spoke quietly when he saw my eyes on him.
"I cannot," he declined. "Not like this, not now. Watching you was more than I
needed, lady. I am not rejecting you. I
will try tomorrow."
I tried to look disappointed.
Mael put his hands companionably around Fen's shoulders, holding the wine to
his lips. "I guess us boys have got to leave some things to the men." He was
rueful about his own performance before his lead-er and the stranger, and he
was obviously relieved that Fen had fared as badly as, if not worse than, he.
Ganrom and Dellin were eyeing each other, making valiant efforts to remain
upright and straight-faced.
Idrer was lying on his side with a bladder pillowed on his arm. He convulsed
silently.
My eyes were for Dellin. I guessed him less drunk than he appeared, though he
seemed to match the Slayers' leader swallow for swallow. He caught my eyes and
pointed to his lap. I nodded.
I stood, as languorously as I could manage, and walked my best toward him. I
knelt down at his feet, and he pulled me toward him. I had wanted his touch so
desperately, tears squeezed from my eyes when I felt his arm around me. Tears
of joy. I should have been anything but happy to be with the man who had done
this to me.
He lay back and made me work, his heavy-lidded eyes on me. I forgot everything
but his instructions. He took a long time with me, and I felt more with him in
that awful place than I thought a woman could feel with a man. Yet, he made no
sound, nor did he once lose that distant look. I deep-read him. He had nothing
more important within. He was engrossed with the moment, the context. But I
could coax from him not a single moan of pleasure, even in the final moments.
I curled myself on the ground beside him, my head at his calf. I fell asleep
to the sound of his voice, and Ganrom's, as they discussed hunting the
chaldless.
The morning dawned bright and clear, and I found myself imprisoned within the
circle of Dellin's arms. My back to his chest, he had held me through the
night.
I lay unmoving, content, until-the sounds of the Slayers rising woke him. He
pushed back from me, stretching and yawning. We went together to the quiet
pool and bathed. The warm muck on my feet and the cool waters on my flesh [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]