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In its top, Lleu Llaw Gyffes"

"Ah, shut it," Lleu said

"Even now you reer rely on the strength of your own body, the integrity of your own mind Think of Lleu enchanted, imprisoned in another forle’s talons, clawed and cruel"

Lleu interrupted with a wordless cry of horror He slammed his hands over his ears and said furiously, "That tale ends with order restored and justice done You know that Lleu is rescued and healed; his lands are returned to hied"

"And in truth, his punish," I said I drank so it, and rubbed a fistful of snow over my forehead "What makes you shiver so?"

He stared at me with hatred and derision He sat with his knees drawn up close to his chest, his gloved hands in tight fists beneath his chin "Coainst my shoulder

He muttered, "I don’t want your cold"

"I offer you my warmth," I said

Reluctantly, resentfully, he curled himself into the holloeen my arm and chest I murmured low,

"Grows an oak upon a steep,

The sanctuary of a fair lord;

If I speak not falsely,

Lleu will cohed and closed his eyes, but soon forced the me He stared at the fire as it burned lower and lower

But I was tired beyond endurance inI did not have the energy to struggle with Lleu, and let him sink into the deep, sound sleep of utter exhaustion Finally I folded the blankets around us both and slept also

I woke because I was cold The fever had peaked and broken while I slept, and I sat up in the dark, thirsty and chilled The fire had gone out, but the night was not coh the bare trees blazed with starlight The moon was new and had already set I could see Lleu in the diht; he slept profoundly with his dark head muffled in the dark leather of his sleeve, vulnerable Cautiously, quickly, I drew the knife fro

But I woke hi this Lleu forced his eyes open and propped his head on an elbow, shivering, to sit up suddenly as he realized what had happened He stayed frozen, apprehensive; then, shifting his weight slowly, he lile I dropped the dagger, but caught it by the blade with my other hand

After a moment of absolute stillness Lleu reached down and seized ainst my arm, and when he had it pinned beneath hie Then he slowly but firmly wrenched the knife out of my hand--

Ah, God, love, deep across asped and pulled away from him, overwhelmed

Lleu said fiercely, "That hurt, didn’t it! You’re bleeding"

Malevolent, swift, I tore off the glove and dashed my hand across his face

He cried out in horror and hid his face in his sleeve Then he drove the knife through the darkness until he held it against ain, poised like that: I breathing through clenched teeth in short, harsh bursts, Lleu utterly silent He held the knife there for a fewaway into the dark "I’ve never killed anyone, any man," he whispered "I cannot do it"

"You have the skill," I whispered in answer I pressedhand to my side beneath my other arm "But you need more than skill, do you not?"

Lleu sat dumb He rubbed his eyes "I don’t hate you," he said stubbornly "I don’t want to kill you"

"Death," I whispered, "often has very little to do with hatred When hunting one kills through need of food or else for sport and love of skill--never through hatred When you hate so you do not kill u dto do it You hurt it" The pain in my hand made me mindless, and ruthless, and I was determined to punish hith I forced Lleu to the ground and held him there with one arm pinned beneath him, and drew my torn hand across his ers were dripping Lleu pushed away froht hand, and held his gloved fingers so tightly they began to feel stiff He screa," I whispered "I’d like to cut your hands off, burn you, blind you… I should crush your slender fingers I could break all the bones in your hand if I closed erous as an untamed cat; your beauty makes me sick And oh, God, you have hurt me, you have hurt me…"

I steadied my voice "But I am afraid to risk my father’s trust in ht I thought of ruining you in soh you’d still be alive and I’d seem blaainst your ears that will take away your hearing" Lleu tried to pull his hand away, and rew even more impossible "Do you doubt o without air for too long it dah it need not kill you And there are things I can do to punish you that you will find more dreadful than any hurt Be still" I bent over,ently

He lay rigid, as though he had been scalded