and as for Jo..." He stopped in mid-sentence, ears dipping in the Sholan equivalent of a shrug. "What do I do, Kaid? She's my soul's mate, yet I still love Zashou. She was my first love, my own kind, the one I wanted above all others, even if she hates me except during our Link time."
Kaid's mouth widened slightly in a sardonic Human smile. He understood only too well, except Carrie, Kusac, and T'Chebbi were tied in his impossible dreams.
"You love them each as well as you can," he said, reaching out to touch the other's shoulder comfortingly. "Love them for their own worth, don't compare them or how you feel about each of them. And thank the Gods for Their double gift!"
"But what of Link days?"
Kaid lifted his shoulders in the Human shrug. "It depends on how closely you're Linked to Jo."
"She's always there. I haven't been able to sense Zashou since she lost our cub. It's as if Jo's replaced her." He was unable to stop his ears from lying flat in distress.
"It'll take some time for Zashou to recover," Kaid said awkwardly, remembering how Carrie had been after she'd lost her first child. He didn't want to talk about himself and Carrie, and especially not to this brash young male. Then he forced himself to remember that this time, Rezac was not being brash, was not pushing himself forward, but was instead asking for help.
"We don't have Link days," he continued slowly. "We're gradually drawn to each other— we know when it's our time. A Triad is more than that. It's a legal marriage between the three of us. The cubs Carrie has belong to us all."
"And now? With them both in cryo? How do you cope?"
Kaid stiffened, closing down the light rapport he'd permitted between himself and— his father. "I wait," he said shortly, and began to move out into the corridor. "I've told you all I know. At Valsgarth, our Clan estate, you'll learn the rest."
* * *
"We've found nothing," said Raiban in disgust. "My people can't even tell me if Kezule's still in the Taykui Forest or not!"
"Then you'll have to spread the search wider still," said Rhyaz calmly, regarding the General of Military Intelligence on his comm screen. She looked tired and harassed, as well she might under the circumstances. "He's not likely to want to remain hidden in the forest. He'll have some destination in mind by now."
"Obviously," she snapped. "It's where he's likely to head for that's got me worried."
Rhyaz raised an eye ridge. "Where's that?"
"Lhygo Spaceport, of course! He'll want to get off-world, find out where the others of his kind are."
"I think not, General. If I read him right, he'll not do that."
"Oh, and where d'you think he'll go? Back to Chezy and the ancient Valtegan hatching ground?"
"Perhaps. It's more likely than the spaceport."
"You're not exactly being helpful Rhyaz."
"May I remind you, General, that after your people let Kezule escape, you personally refused us entry to the facility at Shanagi? If I remember rightly, you said...."
"I know what I said, dammit! That was in the heat of the moment," she said tartly. "If I'm going to spread our net wider, we'll need the Brotherhood's help. I'm not prepared to advise we lessen our defense commitment to track down one Valtegan when we face a larger threat from them in space."
Rhyaz inclined his head. "The Brotherhood is more than willing to help you, General. What about Keeza Lassah?"
Raiban gestured briefly. "They found her shredded clothing, covered in her blood, and traces of his. She's dead, Rhyaz."
"You found her body?"
"Don't need to. If he didn't eat her, then one of the feral cats did. And by the way, it was General Naika's staff who were on duty when Kezule escaped."
"Ah, then we're no longer being held responsible? That's good to know. Thank you for telling me, General." He held his peace on the issue of Keeza. Brotherhood personnel were already looking for her; he wanted her alive and that meant kept out of Raiban's claws. As far as he was concerned, she
Kaid's mouth widened slightly in a sardonic Human smile. He understood only too well, except Carrie, Kusac, and T'Chebbi were tied in his impossible dreams.
"You love them each as well as you can," he said, reaching out to touch the other's shoulder comfortingly. "Love them for their own worth, don't compare them or how you feel about each of them. And thank the Gods for Their double gift!"
"But what of Link days?"
Kaid lifted his shoulders in the Human shrug. "It depends on how closely you're Linked to Jo."
"She's always there. I haven't been able to sense Zashou since she lost our cub. It's as if Jo's replaced her." He was unable to stop his ears from lying flat in distress.
"It'll take some time for Zashou to recover," Kaid said awkwardly, remembering how Carrie had been after she'd lost her first child. He didn't want to talk about himself and Carrie, and especially not to this brash young male. Then he forced himself to remember that this time, Rezac was not being brash, was not pushing himself forward, but was instead asking for help.
"We don't have Link days," he continued slowly. "We're gradually drawn to each other— we know when it's our time. A Triad is more than that. It's a legal marriage between the three of us. The cubs Carrie has belong to us all."
"And now? With them both in cryo? How do you cope?"
Kaid stiffened, closing down the light rapport he'd permitted between himself and— his father. "I wait," he said shortly, and began to move out into the corridor. "I've told you all I know. At Valsgarth, our Clan estate, you'll learn the rest."
* * *
"We've found nothing," said Raiban in disgust. "My people can't even tell me if Kezule's still in the Taykui Forest or not!"
"Then you'll have to spread the search wider still," said Rhyaz calmly, regarding the General of Military Intelligence on his comm screen. She looked tired and harassed, as well she might under the circumstances. "He's not likely to want to remain hidden in the forest. He'll have some destination in mind by now."
"Obviously," she snapped. "It's where he's likely to head for that's got me worried."
Rhyaz raised an eye ridge. "Where's that?"
"Lhygo Spaceport, of course! He'll want to get off-world, find out where the others of his kind are."
"I think not, General. If I read him right, he'll not do that."
"Oh, and where d'you think he'll go? Back to Chezy and the ancient Valtegan hatching ground?"
"Perhaps. It's more likely than the spaceport."
"You're not exactly being helpful Rhyaz."
"May I remind you, General, that after your people let Kezule escape, you personally refused us entry to the facility at Shanagi? If I remember rightly, you said...."
"I know what I said, dammit! That was in the heat of the moment," she said tartly. "If I'm going to spread our net wider, we'll need the Brotherhood's help. I'm not prepared to advise we lessen our defense commitment to track down one Valtegan when we face a larger threat from them in space."
Rhyaz inclined his head. "The Brotherhood is more than willing to help you, General. What about Keeza Lassah?"
Raiban gestured briefly. "They found her shredded clothing, covered in her blood, and traces of his. She's dead, Rhyaz."
"You found her body?"
"Don't need to. If he didn't eat her, then one of the feral cats did. And by the way, it was General Naika's staff who were on duty when Kezule escaped."
"Ah, then we're no longer being held responsible? That's good to know. Thank you for telling me, General." He held his peace on the issue of Keeza. Brotherhood personnel were already looking for her; he wanted her alive and that meant kept out of Raiban's claws. As far as he was concerned, she
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