Page 103 of Sun Warrior

Mari stepped through the room-dividing curtain and stopped. Her stomach did a little flip-flop as she took in the pelt Nik had spread on the floor of the burrow before the hearth fire. On it were two bowls of steaming stew. The one that was heaped completely full was also sitting next to an entire loaf of sliced bread and a wooden container brimming with honey. And beside the bowl of stew was a small figure, carved from wood. Rigel and Laru were lounging before the open door of the burrow, and a lovely warm breeze was drifting in with the wan light of an overcast day.

“Moon Woman, your breakfast awaits.” With a flourish Nik gestured to her place at the makeshift table.

“Wow, this is wonderful!” Mari hurried to take a cross-legged seat before her bowl of stew. She picked up the wood figure and gasped in pleasure. “Nik! It’s Rigel!” Her eyes found Nik’s. “You carved this?”

He nodded and shrugged a little uncomfortably as he took his place beside her on the floor. “Yeah, well, I’m not sure my mother would approve. It’s not very good. I’ll make you a better one when I have more time. I barely finished that before you woke.”

“I love it!” Mari studied the little figure, turning it over and over in her hands. It was definitely Rigel. The details of his wide, intelligent brow, his gangly paws and oversized ears—they were completely her Rigel. Mari’s eyes swept around the burrow. Nik had made breakfast, tidied up, fed the canines—obviously, as they were snoring contentedly in the doorway instead of begging and slobbering all over Nik and her—and carved a miniature figure of her canine for her. Her eyes found Nik’s, and she leaned into him and touched his cheek, drawing him closer to her. “Nik, I am sure your mother would approve. Everythingyou’ve done here is perfect. Absolutely perfect.” Then she kissed him, long and thoroughly, pulling away only because she couldn’t ignore the steaming stew for another moment.

She felt Nik’s eyes on her and looked up, mouth full.

“In case I haven’t made myself completely clear—Mari, daughter of Leda, I am courting you.”

Mari managed to swallow the stew without choking. She took another drink of her half-finished mug of tea and then, with a smile, said, “Oh, you’ve made yourself clear.”

“Good,” Nik said.

“Good,” Mari said.

“Is it wrong that I wish we could stay here together for a while, just the four of us, and ignore the outside world?” Nik asked.

“If wanting that’s wrong, then I suddenly like being wrong,” Mari said. “But we—”

“I know we can’t,” Nik interrupted. “It’s just so peaceful here. The world’s falling apart out there, but in here…” He paused and his gaze swept around the neat little burrow. “In here everything fits perfectly.”

“Nik, do you think there’s any chance that we’ll actually be able to stay? I don’t mean just you and me and Rigel and Laru—I mean your new Pack, with the Clan and whoever from your Tribe wants to join us.”

Nik chewed his stew thoughtfully before he responded. When he spoke, his voice was heavy, as if the weight of the words made them difficult to speak. “I wish we could. But I don’t think we would ever be safe here.”

“Thaddeus.” Mari said the name as if it tasted rotten.

Nik nodded. “Yes, but not just him. Cyril was with him when he attacked us on the island, and Cyril is Lead Elder of the Council. With Father gone, there is no voice in the Council to stand for us.”

“You mean to stand for not enslaving my people,” Mari said.

“Ourpeople. We’re allies—Pack and Clan. If they come against you, they’ll be coming against me, too.”

Mari was silent, considering how she could form the words sheneeded to say. She didn’t want to hurt Nik, but she had to be clear. “What if we fight?”

“Fight the Tribe?”

“Yes.”

Nik drew a long breath and then let it out in a sigh. “You mean go on the offensive. Attack them while they’re hurt and trying to recover.”

“Would that be the only way?”

He moved his shoulders restlessly. “Not the only way, but probably the best chance we’d have at winning.” He met her eyes. “I don’t think I could do that, Mari. I would fight to protect you, protect the Pack, and protect the Clan, but I don’t think I could go into that wounded Tribe and hurt them even more. I don’t think I could add to their suffering.”

Mari felt almost dizzy with relief. “Oh, Nik, I’m so glad to hear you say that!”

“Really? You’re not upset?”

She gripped his hand. “No! I would have been upset if you’d said yes, if you’d wanted to attack them, which is why I had to ask you—had to be sure. No!” she repeated. “That’s something Thaddeus would do. We’re not like that. Nik, let’s promise toneverbe like that.”

“You know that means we’ll have to leave the forest and find a new home in a new land.”

Mari’s stomach clenched nervously, but she nodded. “I know. When do we have to leave?”