“Questions?”

Keekai rolled her eyes. “You haven’t even told her that. What have you been doing with your time?”

Keir and I exchanged a glance, and I blushed.

Keekai snorted. “Well, make the most of tonight, for it is all I can give you. It will be days before you see him again.” Keekai stood, and pulled her cloak on. “She will be under my protection until we reach the Heart, Keir. She will be safe. For now, tell her what she needs to know. Of the questions, the ceremony, the champion—enough to get her through tomorrow. I will tell her more on the journey.”

“I will not be stopped, Keekai.” Keir’s voice was low and determined, and his grip on my hand tightened. “I will break their power over my people.”

Keekai stopped and turned her head. She looked so much like Keir in the firelight. “That is why I fear for you, Keir of the Cat. They will kill you if they can.”

Keir’s nostrils flared. “Let them try,” he grated.

With a shake of her head and a swirl of her cloak, Keekai left the tent.

In the silence that remained, the fire crackled and flared up.

“Skies,” Keir growled. “This is the work of the winds.” I leaned in close and he pressed a kiss to my temple. “Lara, I—”

I reached out and put my fingers over his lips. “The last few weeks, since the plague cleared, have been blissful.”

Keir closed his eyes and nodded, his lips brushing against my fingers.

“We’ve both been avoiding this, haven’t we?” I whispered softly, my eyes tearing. “Neither one of us wanted to face this. Both our faults.”

Keir didn’t open his eyes. “I didn’t want it to end.” He pulled in a deep breath, and reached up to take my hand and press a kiss to the palm. “I thought we had time, at least until we reached the Heart.”

“And now, we have tonight.” I took a shaky breath. “After the celebration, we will talk. All night, if we have to.”

His bright blue eyes looked at me from beneath his black hair. “I am tempted to defy them. I would not have you go. Keekai is an Elder, and powerful, but you—”

I twisted my hand in his, until our palms were together. His large, callused fingers were a marked contrast to mine. I slowly curled mine until my fingers interlocked with his. “Two peoples into one, Keir. You and I, working together, for ourselves and our peoples.”

He pulled me into his arms. “Tonight, after the celebration. We will talk.”

I pulled back just enough to look up into those wonderful blue eyes, and gave him a smile. “Just remember, you promised to dance for me, Warlord.”

The gleam was back. “I did, didn’t I?”

Much of the celebration was a blur. It was as if I was two people, one watching from a distance and the other wrapped in worry and fear for the future. A platform had been built, so that we could see out over the firepits and the dancing grounds. Keir conceded the center seat to Keekai, and sat to her left, I was next to him, and the other warleaders were also scattered about the platform.

Although Keekai had joined us, the warrior-priests were seated together off to the side. They seemed in tent on keeping themselves apart.

Marcus made himself busy, directing his helpers to offer water for washing and giving thanks. As he offered to pour the water for me, Keir leaned over, and murmured a question. “Iften?”

“In his tent. Being tended to by the warrior-priests. They use their powers to perform another healing,” Marcus said. His tone expressed his opinion of that bit of news.

I snorted softly, which earned me swift smiles from Keir and Marcus, and a frown from Keekai. Keekai opened her mouth, but Keir held his hand up. “Marcus, see that Iften is taken a share of the meats. And enough for the warrior-priest as well.”

Marcus scowled, but jerked his head in acknowledgment of the order.

Keir stood and held his hand up. The warriors quieted until all that could be heard were the crackles of the fires.

“We gather this night, to thank the elements. We thank them for the gift of the hunt, and for our return to the Plains. HEYLA!”

“HEYLA!” roared the warriors in return.

“Lail of the Badger, stand forward.”

The scout that brought word of the ehats stepped in front of the platform.

“I doubted your words, Lail, and I take back those words before all. On the morrow, you will have a full backstrap, with my thanks.”

With a wide smile, Lail bowed before Keir, and then returned to be congratulated by the warriors around him. Marcus was offering kavage, and must have seen the question in my eyes. “The choicest part of the meat, Warprize. A true honor.”

I nodded my understanding, as Keir continued. “Tomorrow, we rend the bodies of our kill, and divide the spoils of the hunt. But tonight we celebrate their spirits.” Keir gestured to the firepits. “By tradition the first meats are mine. But I would grow fat as a city dweller if I ate the first meats of four ehats!”

Laughter, and a few sly looks my way. But I joined in the laughter as well.

“I would share this honor with my warriors,” Keir continued. “Let us eat and share in the ehat’s honor and strength. Then we will dance to thank the earth and the skies, the wind and the rain for their gifts. For we are of the Plains and we are home!”

“HEYLA!” The warriors all started to gather about the pits. Talk and laughter rose around us as they were served. The warrior-priests may have held themselves apart, but I noticed that they took their share of the food.

Marcus had our portions, served with fried bread and gurt on the side. The other warleaders were served as well and we all started to eat. The meat was sliced thin. I rolled a piece up and popped it in my mouth. It was good, better than I expected. I hurriedly ate mine, and licked the juice from my fingers.

“You honor your warriors.” Keekai spoke around a mouthful, obviously enjoying the taste.

“They are worthy of honor.” Keir picked up a piece of the meat and ate it.

Keekai nodded, and turned to Marcus for kavage. I leaned over, and stole a piece of meat off of Keir’s platter. He gave me a surprised look, but said nothing.

“So, has Joden survived the summer?” Keekai asked, scanning the crowd. “I would hear him sing if he will.”

“He did.” Something in Keir’s tone told me that he wasn’t comfortable with the idea of Joden singing. “Keekai...”

She turned, those blue eyes intent.

“Isdra and Epor have gone to the snows.”

Keekai looked down at her meal. “Word of this has reached the Heart, Keir. As has the manner of their deaths.” She drew in a deep breath. “The Elders will not make this easy for you, Keir of the Cat.”

Marcus moved closer, and Keekai held out her mug for more kavage. I got a clear look at her right wrist. It reminded me of the old cheesemaker in Water’s Fall. Suddenly Keekai’s talk of her ‘misery’ made perfect sense.

I leaned over and took another piece of meat from Keir. I popped it in my mouth, and spoke around it. “I want to see the dancing. We don’t have anything like pattern dancing in Xy.”

Keekai nodded her agreement, her mouth full. “This game called ‘chess’. That is of Xy, yes?”

“Yes.” I gave Keir a fond look. “I taught it to Keir, and some of the others.”

“It is a form of battle, that requires quick wits and careful planning,” Keir added, taking a bite of some of the fry bread.

Keekai’s mouth quirked. “Ah. That must be why the warrior-priests have not yet learned it.”

Keir threw his head back and I joined in their laughter. Then Tsor leaned forward, and asked Keekai of the news of the Heart, and they started to talk of people and places that I had yet to know. A shiver of fear ran down my spine suddenly. There was still so much I didn’t know about these people, still so much that was strange and new. Could I really leave Keir in the morning?