“Some theorize,” Auden added, “that it was possible to guarantee magical offspring due to the marital rite that Allore himself enacted over them.”
“Yes,” Ilain confirmed. “Though the more I study Bonding, the more I’m convinced thatitwas the marital rite Allore instituted. If that’s the case, then there’s a chance any children born out of a Bonded union would be sure to be magical, but it’s been so long since any couple has Bonded, we can’t be sure.”
Deckard frowned. “So you’re saying that a Bonded couple might only have magical children?” he asked, unsure whether or not that was a better outcome. He’d considered the implications of a magic-prolonged life on his dreams of fatherhood. It would be difficult to outlive your children, watching them grow old and die while you remain young and virile. But it would be equally difficult watching them carry the same burden of responsibility that came with magic, the same knowledge that they, too, were destined to watch those they loved fade long before them.
“Maybe,” Ilain said. “But it doesn’t seem likely. Think about the implications of that: If Bonded couples only had magical children, they would have centuries to reproduce, potentially birthing dozens of children. Eventually, that would overwhelm the populace with magic.”
While Deckard was uncomfortably intrigued at the prospect of continuing the conversation, the Warriors returned from their hunting trip, each with a brace of birds. With Ethenn’s hunting skills, Brea’s keen eyes, and Evylin’s quick ability to learn, it had only taken them a short time to secure enough meat for the next few days of travel. While Ilain, Auden, and Vayden helped the Warriors with the butchering, Rafferty praised their efforts.
“No one else is allowed to hunt for us again,” he proclaimed.
When Deckard took the seat next to Evylin as she plucked the feathers from one of the fowls, she gave him a self-mocking grin. “I’ve never felt so useless in my life,” she said. “Those two are scary with a bow.”
Across from them, Brea split open a carcass. “Every Warrior has their individual strengths,” she said with an instructor’s tone. “And as you were not trained in archery, it seems it’s taking you longer to get acquainted with the skill. Though, you may never take to it. I hear you are very impressive with a sword, which is a skill I have always been lacking in.”
“Really?” Evylin asked. “I thought Warriors were predisposed to be good at fighting.”
Brea smiled. “I’m not saying that I couldn’t beat every single man in this camp in a duel,” she said. “However, should I come upon a highly trained Warrior who is more proficient in swordplay than I, I would assuredly struggle. I’m not built for it. I’m too short and scrawny.”
“You’re anything but scrawny,” Vayden said.
“I am trim; I have muscle, yes.” Brea pointed her blade at him. “But...muscle alone does not equal strength. My figure is too slim and too small to add mass adequately. No matter what I do, I will never be built like Evylin. She is tall and agile, and you can see the roundness of her musculature, indicating the strength she carries.”
“That you can,” Rafferty said slyly.
Deckard gave him a withering glare.
Rafferty snickered. “Just complimenting your wife’s figure, Colonel.”
“I’d rather you keep your eyes off her figure, Corporal.”
Evylin traded a plucked bird for a feathered one, beginning her task yet again. “Are you an archer, then?” she asked Brea.
“I am proficient in many styles of combat,” Brea said. “I often carry a bow on my horse, and I always carry a short sword for close combat. However, my preferred weapon is a staff.”
Ethenn looked up, curious. “I’ve never seen anyone fight with a staff before,” he remarked.
“I’d be happy to teach you,” Brea said. “It can be quite fun, though rarely as deadly. It is a more common practice in Tanemisa, the free states below Schon. I trained with one of their best staff masters when I was a young woman. He wasn’t a Warrior, but he was impressive all the same.”
“Could you teach the rest of us?” Thom asked.
“Maybe,” she said, giving him a snide grin. “If I have the time,mi’caro.”
“Te’á envela, Breata,” Isla said in a singsong tone.
“Ai’á virtida, Islaren,” Brea returned.
“That’s going to get annoying,” Thom said, and Deckard couldn’t help smiling. Though he didn’t begrudge the women the use of their native language, he also found it frustrating not to know what they were saying.
Brea filleted a pigeon’s breast from its ribs in one steady slash. “If you want to learn Schonese, I’ll teach you,” she said.
“Really?” Thom asked.
“Would you teach all of us?” Evylin added.
Brea smiled. “I don’t have the time to teach all of you. Though I’m sure you’ll all pick something up here or there.” She shook her head. “In the morning, we will begin our training—you, Ethenn, and I.”
“We have to leave early each morning,” Auden interrupted, “to ensure we make it to our next stop quickly.”
