through the treetops like a wild thing, leaving no trail on the ground for your enemy to follow?”
She sighed. He always had such reasons for everything he asked her to do, even the things that she could not see the purpose of. So many things to learn, and brutal, ugly reasons to learn them. And he had lived his life like this, with his mind taken up in such ways, how to kill and avoid being killed. She could not imagine such a life.
But she could easily imagine it putting that dead look in a man’s eyes.
She turned to face the steep wall of rock.
“What must I do?”
It was a moment before he answered, and when she glanced back over her shoulder, she caught a glimpse of pure admiration on his face that startled her. And then it was gone, and his usually expressionless mask had replaced it.
“Climb,” he said simply.
Chapter 7
“YOU’RE PUSHING HER very hard.”
Kane didn’t jump this time; he’d seen the raven circling overhead, far above even the woman who had nearly reached the crest of the rocky bluff, so he knew Tal was nearby. For the first time since she’d begun her slow, torturous climb, he took his eyes off Jenna’s slender figure. Tal was watching, not the woman clinging precariously to the stone wall, but the man who had set her to the task.
“If I push her hard enough,” he muttered, “she just might survive a day or two when she goes back.”
Tal didn’t ask why she was even still here, and Kane didn’t explain. He’d grown, if not accepting, at least used to the fact that there was little that went on that Tal did not know about. He only hoped he didn’t know the details of the bargain he and Jenna had struck; he wasn’t sure he cared to have his friend learn just how mercenary he could be.
Tal looked thoughtful. “You almost sound as if you care if she does or not.”
Kane shrugged. “I admire courage. I hate to see it wasted in a hopeless battle.”
“Is it? Hopeless?”
“A clan of farmers who have never held even a bow against a warlord’s fully armed force? How could it be otherwise?” He turned the subject before Tal could make him look at it too closely “Where have you been?”
Tal waved vaguely toward the woods. “Rambling.”
“You and your . . . companion have been scarce of late.”
Tal grinned then, a flashing, brilliant grin that was infectious. “I saw you had decided to teach her. It seemed you had your hands full.”
“Oh?” Kane drawled. “I thought perhaps you were afraid of my . . . student.”
Tal’s grin widened. “Wary, perhaps. A man would do well to be wary around a woman as clever and determined—and as beautiful—as she.”
“I thought you were free of such things.”
Something flickered in Tal’s eyes, something shadowed and dark, and Kane wished he hadn’t said it. But it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and Tal spoke easily enough.
“I am. But because such things have no effect on me does not mean I don’t see them. I am not blind, my friend.”
“Far from it,” Kane said wryly. “You see things no normal man could.”
He didn’t deny it. For a long moment Tal just looked at him. “This . . . bothers you?”
Kane glanced up at Jenna, who was nearing the top, both to check her progress and to gain a moment of time. Tal did not prod, did not persist. But the question he’d asked hung there between them, unanswered and disturbing.
At last Kane faced his friend squarely. “I do not know how to explain some of the things you know and do, without resorting to things I do not believe in. So yes, in that way, I am bothered.”
“Yet you . . . remain my friend.”
Kane’s mouth quirked. “ ’Tis worth the bother.”
Tal smiled at his mocking tone, nodded in acceptance of the tribute, but his eyes remained serious. “Thank you. Some would not have your . . . tolerance.”
It was as close as Tal had ever come to admitting there was something different about his unique gifts, something
She sighed. He always had such reasons for everything he asked her to do, even the things that she could not see the purpose of. So many things to learn, and brutal, ugly reasons to learn them. And he had lived his life like this, with his mind taken up in such ways, how to kill and avoid being killed. She could not imagine such a life.
But she could easily imagine it putting that dead look in a man’s eyes.
She turned to face the steep wall of rock.
“What must I do?”
It was a moment before he answered, and when she glanced back over her shoulder, she caught a glimpse of pure admiration on his face that startled her. And then it was gone, and his usually expressionless mask had replaced it.
“Climb,” he said simply.
Chapter 7
“YOU’RE PUSHING HER very hard.”
Kane didn’t jump this time; he’d seen the raven circling overhead, far above even the woman who had nearly reached the crest of the rocky bluff, so he knew Tal was nearby. For the first time since she’d begun her slow, torturous climb, he took his eyes off Jenna’s slender figure. Tal was watching, not the woman clinging precariously to the stone wall, but the man who had set her to the task.
“If I push her hard enough,” he muttered, “she just might survive a day or two when she goes back.”
Tal didn’t ask why she was even still here, and Kane didn’t explain. He’d grown, if not accepting, at least used to the fact that there was little that went on that Tal did not know about. He only hoped he didn’t know the details of the bargain he and Jenna had struck; he wasn’t sure he cared to have his friend learn just how mercenary he could be.
Tal looked thoughtful. “You almost sound as if you care if she does or not.”
Kane shrugged. “I admire courage. I hate to see it wasted in a hopeless battle.”
“Is it? Hopeless?”
“A clan of farmers who have never held even a bow against a warlord’s fully armed force? How could it be otherwise?” He turned the subject before Tal could make him look at it too closely “Where have you been?”
Tal waved vaguely toward the woods. “Rambling.”
“You and your . . . companion have been scarce of late.”
Tal grinned then, a flashing, brilliant grin that was infectious. “I saw you had decided to teach her. It seemed you had your hands full.”
“Oh?” Kane drawled. “I thought perhaps you were afraid of my . . . student.”
Tal’s grin widened. “Wary, perhaps. A man would do well to be wary around a woman as clever and determined—and as beautiful—as she.”
“I thought you were free of such things.”
Something flickered in Tal’s eyes, something shadowed and dark, and Kane wished he hadn’t said it. But it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and Tal spoke easily enough.
“I am. But because such things have no effect on me does not mean I don’t see them. I am not blind, my friend.”
“Far from it,” Kane said wryly. “You see things no normal man could.”
He didn’t deny it. For a long moment Tal just looked at him. “This . . . bothers you?”
Kane glanced up at Jenna, who was nearing the top, both to check her progress and to gain a moment of time. Tal did not prod, did not persist. But the question he’d asked hung there between them, unanswered and disturbing.
At last Kane faced his friend squarely. “I do not know how to explain some of the things you know and do, without resorting to things I do not believe in. So yes, in that way, I am bothered.”
“Yet you . . . remain my friend.”
Kane’s mouth quirked. “ ’Tis worth the bother.”
Tal smiled at his mocking tone, nodded in acceptance of the tribute, but his eyes remained serious. “Thank you. Some would not have your . . . tolerance.”
It was as close as Tal had ever come to admitting there was something different about his unique gifts, something
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