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“Oh, please—just call me Navii.” The other woman beamed at her. “Would you like to come down off Lovely Eyes now? I can show you where the two of you will be staying and then I can bring you to get ready for tonight’s feast.”
“We would be pleased to come down,” Danni said. “Er…if I can manage to dismount,” she added, looking down. From Lovely Eyes back to the ground looked like a long way—she estimated that the lubby was at least as big as a Clydesdale horse—if not bigger.
“Don’t worry, little girl—I’ve got you,” Bravik growled behind her. He slid off the lubby’s broad back easily and then reached up to pluck Danni out of the saddle and set her carefully on the ground.
“Thank you, Commander Bravik—er, my husband,” she said, trying to smile.
“Any time, little girl,” Bravik rumbled and she thought she caught a glimpse of a smile on his dark face in return.
She smiled back more broadly, but this response didn’t seem to be enough for Navii and Kozen, who were frowning at them.
“You do not offer the other half of your heart a kiss of thanks for assisting you off Lovely Eyes’ back?” the H’raken woman asked Danni.
“Oh, um…” Danni was taken aback. “Should I?” she asked.
“You must consult your own heart in that respect,” Kozen said, his frown deepening. “But it is H’raken custom to thank a spouse who has done a service with a kiss of thanks.”
“Uh…” Danni looked up at Bravik, who had a dark scowl on his face now. Clearly this was exactly the kind of thing he’d been worried about when he’d said he hoped her lie didn’t come back to bite them.
Still, when Danni put her arms up, he leaned down to give her a hug and a peck on the cheek.
“Told you it was going to be a problem,” he muttered as he did so.
“Not unless you make it one,” Danni hissed back. “Try to look like you’re happy to kiss me—or at least like you’d rather kiss me than bite my head off.”
“Yes, wife,” he muttered and plastered a smile on his face before releasing her.
“Was that better?” Danni asked, turning back to Navii.
But the H’raken woman was still looking at her and Bravik doubtfully.
“You are certain the two of you are Joined?” she asked Danni.
“Yes, of course!” Danni nodded hastily. She reached for Bravik’s hand and entwined their fingers—though his hand was so big it felt like holding hands with a giant. “What would make you think we weren’t?” she added, trying to smile.
Navii only shook her head.
“Never mind. Please come and Kozen and I will show you your guest quarters.”
“Thank you,” Bravik rumbled. If he minded holding hands with Danni, he at least didn’t show it. He simply followed along as Navii and Kozen led them through the busy Main Street to a quieter side street.
Eleven
“You will be staying in the village guest house,” Kozen said, leading them to the end of the side street and motioning to a small dwelling that was about half as big as the larger houses. Like the others, its outer walls were made of slender white trees growing closely together. The front door was the only place there were no trees—it was a wooden plank completely covered in flowering vines.
“Oh, how beautiful!” Danni exclaimed, seeing the flowers. “And they’re shaped just like the exquisite sculpture your people so kindly sent us when they invited the Kindred to come visit.”
“Oh, you are the receiver of the holy image?” Navii exclaimed excitedly. “May I see it? I have heard much of the holy images, made by only those artisans most blessed by the Mother Stone’s wisdom, but I have never seen one myself.”
“Uh, sure. Hang on—I have it right here.”
Danni unfastened her carry-all cube and carefully removed the padded box holding the volcanic glass fertility sculpture that Liv had said looked like a vulva. She took the top off the box and held it out for Navii to see.
“Oh, so beautiful!” the H’raken woman breathed. “And look—the pearl still glows with the Mother Stone’s power!” She looked at Danni eagerly. “Tell me, have you rubbed the pearl and made a request of her yet?”
“Oh, uh…” Danni cleared her throat. She didn’t like to keep lying and lying but she was afraid if she said “yes,” Navii would ask what she had wished for or rather, requested.
“No, don’t tell me,” the other woman said, relieving her of the decision. “Requests made of the Mother Stone are private things—I should not have asked.”
“Oh, I don’t mind!” Danni extended the sculpture to her. “Would you like to make a wish, er, a request of it yourself?”
“Oh, but if I did, your own request would not come true.” Navii shook her head with great seriousness. “While the holy sculptures are wonderful, they can hold only enough of the Mother Stone’s power to grant one request. But thank you kindly for the offer and for showing it to me—you are a true friend.” And she gave Danni a hug and kissed her on the cheek.
