Chapter 2-33

It didn’t take us long to come up with a plan. Myta’s link with Jito was less developed than mine was with her, so it took a little longer to communicate our designs. The hidden Pure and Ootrin forces moved as we expected, and so we had some time before enacting our part of things. I took that time to touch base with Myta, as I could feel her disquiet.

“It’s fine,” she muttered to me. She was sitting on the floor of our tent, as I perched on a folding stool, combing out her hair. “I know that I can’t be at the forefront of everything.”

“Knowing doesn’t always make it less frustrating.” I replied. “I know that you wished to be in Hati’s place for the challenge. And I’m glad that you understand why she was the one to do it. But you are still frustrated and out of sorts. You need an outlet for that frustration, so that you can let it go.”

“I think you’re the one who needs an outlet for your frustration.” There was a saucy smile in her voice, and her implication was clear. I chuckled, in response.

“That’s not a bad way to go about it. And I certainly wouldn’t complain.” I replied. “But is that what you want right now? I can take care of you, or be rough and demanding with you, but if you want to be more assertive, more in control, then I’m not the best partner for you right now.”

Myta made a thoughtful noise. “Sati,” she said. “Come here. Bring that hairbrush.”

The apsara appeared bare seconds later, a hairbrush of Metic make in her hands. Myta must have obtained it after we arrived here, and I hadn’t noticed. It was a sturdy thing, with a thick handle and back of polished and infused redwood. Delicately carved and stained with images of birds. With no visible coordination, Sati passed off the brush, then turned and sat in front of Myta, who then began to brush her hair.

“Not exactly what I expected,” I noted, as I continued to comb out my flame’s brilliant locks. “But I am glad the two of you are still getting along. You haven’t been feeling neglected have you?”

“No, master.” Myta groaned in contentment as I gently scratched her scalp with the tines of the comb. “Training with the company has kept me busy, and it’s only been a few days since our flower joined us in bed, but you still take care of me. If I need more time from you, I’ll ask.”

She gathered up Sati’s hair in her fist, pulling the other woman’s head back roughly. Sati whined a little, more plaintive than protesting, then gasped as Myta dragged her fingernails over the softer woman’s neck.

“You were right.” She leaned back into my knees, settling more firmly against me. “I want to feel in control right now, I need to accomplish something. As much as I love having you handle and take care of me, right now I want to handle her.”

I set the comb aside, kissing Myta’s head and patting her shoulder to let her know I was done. “Do you want me to give you the tent?”

“No.” She leaned forward and bit Sati’s earlobe, drawing out a new whimper. “Not if you don’t want to. I want to show off our little flower.”

I sensed her hesitation over calling Sati ‘ours’, so I gave her an encouraging smile.

”I’m happy to watch, as long as you don’t mind me taking care of my own needs as well? I’ve no desire to be high strung when we confront the enemy.” Myta made an approving noise by way of reply, already stripping away Sati’s clothing.

Our little flower was making louder, increasingly needy moans as Myta squeezed her generous breasts, and kissed the side of her neck. Sati seemed eager for my flame’s touch, and the two of them were so comfortable and practiced with one another that I wondered how long they had been sharing such intimate moments. Longer than Sati and I had been, certainly. It distressed me that I hadn’t realized how quickly they had become so close.

Sati was becoming extremely vocal, and quite loud. The sight and sound of my two vas together was mesmerizing, and I was just preparing to open my own robes when Petad burst into the tent.

“Esur! I need to speak with you.” She drew short, staring at Myta and Sati, before her eyes found me, still clothed and seated on the chair. Confusion and embarrassment warred across her face. Myta was flushed and angry, and Sati was embarrassed as well, but for the apsara the embarrassment only heightened her ardor.

“Very well,” I stood, moving to exit the tent, taking Petad’s elbow to pull her along when she failed to follow. Behind us, the sounds of Sati’s pleasure resumed, and I couldn’t suppress my irritation at our thwarted fun.

“You make them perform for your amusement?” The merchant accused me. I could tell that she was flustered, that her anger was a way to paper over her own discomfort. But I had very little sympathy at the moment.

“Does that,” I gestured back to indicate the noises of pleasure, “seem to be for my benefit? Now walk with me, and tell me what you wished to talk about. Unless you were just there to interrupt what you believed was happening.”

She hurried after me, muttering under her breath for a few moments before gathering herself enough to speak.

“Why am I here Esur? I was assigned to serve my own daughter’s owner by the king himself. But you don’t seem to need, or even want, my services. Is this just some twisted joke? Are you amused at my pain?”

I walked out of camp to stand in the wind, the cool breeze helping to strip away some of my heat and irritation. I took a deep, cleansing breath, letting it out in a rush, and letting some of my tension go with it. I met her eyes evenly, holding her gaze for a long moment.

“Peta,” I held up my hand as she started to gear herself up for an angry protest. “If you insist on Petad then you may call me Esur’uk. And we will have a different kind of conversation.” She struggled with that for a moment, before inclining her head in acceptance.

“The king put you with us to manipulate me. Myta is very important to me, and you are important to her, even if your history is complicated. So your joining our company was a political ploy.”

“She is your ****.” The vitriol in her voice wouldn’t have surprised me when we met, but the quartermaster had been putting on a good face after our first meeting.

“Yes,” I couldn’t soften that, so I didn’t try. “Her spirit is bound to mine, my life is her life. The most I could do to change that right now is to pass that bond to another. But that doesn’t change the fact that I love her. As she loves me.

“King Ramana knew my feelings. so yes, he sent you to me. I’m not sure what his goals were, to earn my gratitude perhaps, or just to unsettle me with how much he knows? Perhaps it’s not about me after all, but about you and Myta. Anything is possible with him. What I do know, is that I don’t want to send you away while Myta wants you here, and that your skills are valuable to me.”

She was quiet for a long moment, chewing on my words. When she finally did speak, she sounded more strained than angry.

“I want to mistrust your words. But I cannot imagine what you would gain from deceiving me. But really, how are my skills useful to you? I thought I would be negotiating for you, but your agreement with clan Ket isn’t mercenary at all. There was no haggling, no contracts. I have nothing to add to that.”

“You know far more than Myta and I about organizing and logistics.” I laughed. “You’ve taken the servants in hand to organize their labor, ensured the animals are cared for, and had our camps set in a a third of the time we were taking before. You see what people want, and what they need. Very soon now you may be the most important member of our company.

“From what Siobhan says, her clan is suffering and demoralized. They need supplies and support as much as they need fighters. We can do a great deal for them, and they can do a great deal for us. I‘m certain of that. But what issues should come first, and who can handle them? We need someone like you to manage those things.”

“You do.” She nodded, rubbing the scarf at her waist between her fingers slowly. Her eyes looked into the distance, flickering back and forth in thought before settling back on me again.

“I apologize. I’ve been angry at you, and I feel trapped. I resent your relationship with Myta. She looks to you for approval, and I cannot abide the thought of her being fooled and controlled the way I was. But at least you seem to be forthright, and as far as I can see you treat her well.” Her lips quirked. “Very well, from what I hear.”

“Thank you,” I inclined my head. “For what it is worth, Myta has told me that she wishes to remain bound to me. Even when I learn how to alter or remove it.”

Peta blinked. “I thought the **** bond couldn’t be altered or removed. That’s the point, isn’t it?”

“I’m not completely sure I can manage it, but I have a fair degree of confidence,” I replied. Then I gave her a wry smile. “That is what pushed me to come here in the first place. One of the things, anyway. I take it Myta never told you?”

“No,” she shook her head in exasperation. “She told me that the bond wouldn’t ever be broken, and dances around your goals here.”

“She probably just wants to avoid having you push her away from me. We spoke of it several times of changing or ending the bond, to the point where she grew frustrated with me. We have an agreement between us. So long as she wishes, the bond will stay.” I shot Peta a firm glance, as she tried to hide her sour expression. “But I need to understand it, so that it can’t be turned against us somehow, and so that I can hopefully remove it from Sati.”

“The princess? You **** bound an apsara and are still alive?”

“She’s not a princess anymore,” I said dryly. “And Ramana practically pushed her into my arms. I told you that I don’t understand his game.

“Now,” I continued. “If you’re satisfied? I should return to my tent.”