The thin sheen of sweat quickly evaporated from the skin exposed from beneath the blanket, leaving a biting chill. Vanator finally donned his clothes again, reluctant to leave the warm, skin-on-skin embrace with Khiara. Once clothed, the Drykas slid beneath the blanket again next to his wife, his body and mind in a rare relaxed state. As the couple lay on their backs, staring at the graying winter sky, Van's hand slipped to grasp Khiara's. They lay in silence for a long moment, the easing of their labored breathes the only sound the humans made among the noise of the grasslands... wind through the grass, screeching hawk, grazing horse.
Vanator knew Khiara was happy. She had struggled at first when she joined Kashik and he. Living among another people, so far removed from her own, gave the husband reason to worry for his newest wife. But the Vanthan prevailed, and had acclimated to Drykas life rather well. But, again, she was yet to become one of them. That was important to Vanator. His father had taken a Konti wife. Even as an Ankal's wife, Ay'aka was not given the privileges of a full Drykas until she bonded with a Strider and took a Windmark. Eachann's son wanted the same for his Vanthan wife. Van's head turned to look at Khiara, even as she grinned at the looming snow clouds, anticipating the coming flakes like a child.
"I adore you Khi and I want you to have everything... everything that you deserve." Vanator began, choosing his words carefully, he did not what his wife to feel pressured, or act contrary to her wishes simply to please him. "I want to to be a completely one of us. You are my wife, and deserve to do more than fetch water and clean fire pits with the children." Without a Windmark, Khi had been delegated to chores performed mostly by younger members of the pavilion who had not yet bonded with a Strider. His gazed shifted to her magnificent white stallion. Broad-chested and powerful, the Frostmarch towered over the family's smaller, wiry Striders. Even though Vsenri had seemed to adapt to Cyphrus rather well, he would never be able to keep up with the pavilion's horses, even the Zavians and Kavinkas. But there was no doubt he could navigate heavy snows better than any mount in the herd.
Vanator's head turned again to look upon the exotic young woman. She loved Vsenri like family, would she be willing to even ride another horse? Laying so close, Vanator spoke softly, his warm breath kissing her cheek. "Khi, I know that you love Vsenri, he is as faithful as my own Backlash was. But, you can never be Drykas, if you don't bond with a Strider." Van's tone was as gentle and compassionate as he muster. There was no demand in his voice, but he desperately wanted Khiara to be one with him, in every way. There would always be a stigma, alway that thing that is so important in the life of a Drykas that they could never share if she did not earn a Windmark. |
