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them. I had given him my body earlier. I had not douched afterwards. I
would carry a "part" of him inside me when we went into battle.
"We'll be together," I said. There was nothing more that I could say, or
wished to say. His neck chain was snug around my throat. That was the way I
wanted it to be. I was his wife now.
"Oarsmen to their benches, drop your wenches and grab those oars!" I heard the
first officer snap.
His words made me smile. We had embarked a number of "hip-swingers" from
Thistle to add to our fighting force. Some had been plying their "trade"
during the voyage to this place some sixty miles or so south of my home. Jon
now pacing his quarterdeck there in the darkness. The Janis was his command.
The decisions would be his. I would advise, but I felt it best that he still
made the decisions. I wore the black of the Warrioress, of the Lady. My veil
concealed my face. We flew the Dularnian flag just to confuse the pirates a
bit. I thought it might help a bit in surprising them when they found out that
we
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were no longer their "allies" any longer. I had no way of knowing if they knew
about the events that had taken place in the last couple days or not. I hoped
that they did not. Our losses would be bad enough as they were. I hoped SHE
would be merciful. Look upon what we did with favor. Many souls would be
standing before HER before long. Mine perhaps there among them!
"We will have the element of surprise," Jon said, putting his hand on my
shoulder. My people know what to do," he assured me. He was of the Warriors.
Death is no stranger to our castes. I could hear the man at the bow making
soundings as we "felt" our way into the area where we had seen the pirates
from
Black Lady. Jon had suggested that we pretend that it was only a meeting of
"allies". He would give the recognition signals. The rest would be up to the
pirates. It would even the "odds" against us a bit.
The night was cloudy and dark, wet and chilly. A depressing night, quite
suitable for what we were planning to do, I thought to myself. The darkness,
the rain, matching my own mood. I could feel the
Janis moving beneath me. The deck swaying beneath my feet. I had taken a good
swig of brandy earlier to warm my stomach, steady my nerves. Lady Tirana had
suggested it. She was below somewhere now, perhaps talking softly to those who
now followed me. We had Sa-she-ra on board. A couple dozen volun- teers from
the senior class from the Academy. I had left Delilah with Sanda and Mara.
With the rest of the children. Gayle was in Trella with the Squala. She would
be safe there regardless of what happened here. I thought once more of
Darlanis, so tall and golden. Like a Viking Goddess from Norse legends. I did
not be- lieve as Jon did that she was still alive. I knew Darlanis too well
for that. She would have died a Warrioress' Death, her sword in her hand. That
was the way she would have wanted it! I wept softly there beneath my veil
where none could see the tears.
"It will be good to be fighting on the `right' side for a change," Jon said to
me, clasping me in his arms. Honor is im- portant to us. It is what separates
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Man from the beasts of the forest. We have something "more" to fight for. On
the other hand we are a far more "dangerous" species than any that has ever
inhabited the Earth. We love War, the Arts of Combat. We are not a
"peace-loving" race like the Lorr. Perhaps we will always be "barbarians".
Perhaps that is truly the destiny of Mankind!
"Promise me you won't make me a widow," I said softly, mov- ing closer to him.
I was scared of what was to come. I often do wish I was like some of the
Warrioresses I know. Afraid of noth- ing. Like
I used to think of Darlanis until I learned better. I think sometimes it is
better if you don't "know" what is coming.
"You will remember me at the temple?" he asked. I nodded. We die, but our
memories live on in the minds of those we love.
"Should we drop anchor, sir?" the first officer asked, a shadow there in the
darkness clad in the black of the Warrior.
"No," Jon answered. "We will hold position with the oars." It was the best
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