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Dewara moved toward the other side of the small pond I watched hi of plantlets away from the water’s surface before he bent his head and drank I hoped that he would suck up a frog

Having drunk, he ht, which was now closing around us in earnest I watched hier to hi dismissal of how he had mistreated and nity of it "Why did you follow me?" I burst out at last, and hated that I sounded like a child

He didn’t even open his eyes "You had my taldi And I told you Kidonas keep their word I must take you back safely to your mother’s house"

"I want no help from you," I hissed

He leaned up on his elbows and looked at me "Not even my Keeksha, that you ride? Not even the meat you just ate?" He leaned back, scratched his chest, and ht "Eat your pride to Tomorroe start to make you Kidona"

"Make hed briefly "Of course you do Every man wants to become the man who has bested him Every youth with a thread of war in him wishes to be Kidona in his heart Even those who do not knohat Kidona is yearn for it, like a dream still to be dreamed You wish to be Kidona I aken that dream in you It is what your father wanted me to do, I think, even if he dared not say it"

"My father wishes entleman in his hthood, and bring honor to my family naht for the kings of Gernia I am a soldier son of the Burvelle line I desire only to doand my family"

"Tomorroill make you Kidona"

"I will never be Kidona I knohat I am!"

"So do I, soldier’s son Sleep, now" He cleared his throat and coughed once Then he fell silent His breathing deepened and evened He slept

Full of fury, I walked up to him and stood over him for a time He opened one eye, looked up at ain He did not even fear that I’d kill hiainst h I never would have stooped to such a dastardly act I stood over himyself on him and try to throttle the life out of hi man who had just bypassed the opportunity to kill me while I sprawled at his feet was beyond dishonorable Humiliated as I was, I would not and could not do it I walked away froood distance away fro queasy still I thought er and hatred would keep ly quickly At fifteen, the body deardless of how sore the heart otten uide in to coain I would comprehend, and see hoas done to me, but I would never understand it

The next reeted the new day with enthusiasood wishes and warm fellowship to me He behaved as if all differences between us were settled I was mystified I ached still, and a private inspection of my chest and belly showed me the deep bruise I bore My slit ear still burned fro ablutions I itched to carry on my feud with the e ood-natured jests and companionable conversation When I reacted to his friendly overtures with suspicion, he praised me for my caution When I maintained a surly silence, he praised my warrior’s quiet demeanor No matter what I did to expressin it to co to respond to him in any way, he commended my self-control, and said it was the arrior who conserved his energy until he understood his situation

In every iinable way, he was a different man from the one he had been the day before I vacillated between being stunned by the change in his de certain that his apparent sincerity was a mask for his contempt of me His friendly behavior made my hostility seem childish, even to myself His affability onism toward him, especially as he endeavored to includeme repeatedly to co inlike this I wondered if he was mad, and then wondered if I was