“I ought to go.” He turned on his heel, heading for the door. “I have other obligations.”
“Is that your answer, Kitsune? Truly? To run from the question? Do you remember in the Forest of the Dead? When you told me how much you hated letting Orbec drag you away when the shadow stalkers struck? That it felt like cowardice? I thought then that no one could ever accuse you of cowardice. Which goes to show, I suppose, how little I knew you.”
He stood there, his back to her.
“Yes,” he said gruffly. “You did not know me at all. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Keeper…”
He reached for the door. It opened before he could pull it. His father stood there. Gavril tensed.
“Father,” he said. “There was an incident in the lower cells. Moria —”
“I heard what our little Keeper did.”
Alvar walked in, nudging Gavril back, as if to prevent his escape.
“I apologize for my oversight in her care,” Gavril said. “Halmond seemed loyal, and it did not occur to me —”
“It did not occur to you that putting a young warrior in charge of a pretty captive might be unwise?” His father’s brows shot up. “Sometimes, Gavril, I wonder how old you truly are. You are unbelievably naive when it comes to men and women. Your mother’s influence, I suppose. It would be a perfectly fine quality in a daughter, but in a son?” He shook his head.
“Perhaps, Father, it was not naiveté, but the expectation that warriors will show honor.”
“Ideally, yes, but those who join the army of the emperor’s enemy cannot necessarily be expected to behave like warriors.”
“Then, once again, I apologize for my mistake. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”
Alvar looked at Moria. “He always seems to be rushing off, doesn’t he? So many important things to do.”
Gavril’s jaw tightened. “I do have many things to do, as you know, because you have assigned them to me. Including…” A wave at Moria. Then he hesitated. “Actually, while I do have an engagement, this incident raises an issue that we need to discuss.” He motioned to the door. “May we step outside?”
THIRTY-TWO
Gavril sent the guards away as his father moved to the common area just outside the cell. It was not easy to hear through the thick door, but Moria put her ear to it.
“We need to do something about Moria,” Gavril said. “And no, she’s not coming to my quarters. Forgive me if I do not see women as spoils of war. I suggest negotiating with Tatsu in exchange for her return. She’s a valuable prisoner but a difficult one. Best to get some benefit from her and be done with the matter.”
“You wish to see her free, then. Her captivity upsets you.”
Gavril sighed. “No, Father. Your obsession with making me admit to some attachment grows tiresome. It makes good sense to use her for negotiation.”
“Yes, it will, when Jiro has someone we want in return.”
“Until then, we keep her as our captive? So the next guard she pulls a blade on can turn it on her, and we’ll be guilty of a Keeper’s death?”
“Is that what you’re worried about? That she’ll be hurt?”
“Blast it! No! What do I need to do to convince you that I don’t care for her?”
“Bed her.”
Now Gavril’s laugh was raw, frustrated, and angry. “How does that make any sense? Bed a girl to prove I don’t care for her? Sometimes I wonder if you aren’t as mad as —”
Moria heard the slap that cut him short. She heard Gavril gasp and stumble back, then a soft sound, almost like a growl, as he recovered.
“I apologize, Father,” he said, his voice tight. “Still, I will respectfully ask that you consider returning Moria. She’s nearly killed one man. If the opportunity arises, she’ll do it again, and she’ll be harder to control now that she’s out of the lower cells. It’s difficult to properly secure anyplace here with so few men.”
“More are coming.”
“That may take a fortnight, a moon even. Until then, we have vulnerabilities. If Moria was to escape to the north part of the compound, she’d hardly encounter a single guard.”
“I think you overestimate your girl. In fact, I’d be willing to wager on it. How about we set her free right now? Tell her to attempt escape. See if she manages it.”
“As entertaining as I’m sure such an exercise would prove, neither of us has time for amusements. I only ask that you reconsider trading her to Jiro Tatsu. In the meantime, I have an appointment to keep.”
Gavril’s father left with him. They hadn’t been long gone before the old woman came to check Moria for injuries. Sure enough, she discovered several gouges and rising bruises where Halmond had grabbed her. As the healer tended to those, she muttered under her breath in her own language. When one of the guards dared stick his head in, she snapped at him as if he’d been the one to attack Moria. When he hesitated, she motioned lifting food to her mouth. He nodded and withdrew.
“I’m all right,” Moria said.
The woman kept grumbling. She pointed emphatically at the gouges and then stalked to the fresh pile of clothing she’d brought. She held up a new shift and shook it at Moria.
“I’m fine,” Moria said. “Truly, I’m —”
The woman jabbed a finger at the shift and gave Moria a look as if to say, If you’re fine, where’s your old one?