Warlord

anger.
     

 

     
     

Chapter 6

 

     
     

     
    I'd known, of course, that Marcus was considered to be less than whole because of his injuries. Never mind that he still held his knowledge or skills. But Keir accepted him, and the others that I'd seen interact with Marcus did as well. I'd thought that Marcus was accepted by the majority of the warriors. I was wrong.
    From the crowd's glittering eyes and angry faces, it was clear that his disfigurement condemned him. To their way of thinking, he wasn't even a person.
    I gritted my teeth in the face of their anger and repeated my words. "I choose Marcus of the—" I paused, unable to remember his tribe. "Marcus. I choose Marcus as my Guardian."
    "She honors a cripple!" Iften exclaimed, and everyone started talking at once. Marcus stood silent amidst the uproar, his eyes down. Only the white of his knuckles where he held Greatheart's reins gave away his feelings.
    Keekai's voice cut through the rumble. Her face was neutral, but her eyes were sharp and hard. "Xylara. You are of a different land, and your ways are not ours." She gave Marcus a quick glance, then her gaze returned to me. "Your words are strange, you speak in a different tongue and this may cause confusion. The one you refer to is not—" She paused, as if looking for a word. "He is not eligible for this position. This honor."
    "She mocks the elements and our ways," Iften snarled, looking around at the warriors. Heads nodded in agreement.
    "Marcus saved my life twice with his weapons and his care," I snapped, letting my voice rise with my temper. "Without him, I would not stand here. How can he not be worthy?" Voices arose, as angry warriors expressed their fury. And fury it was. I'd gone too far. Keekai called for silence not once, but three times, with no success.
    As she tried to get control of the situation, Keir caught my eye. He was standing there, silent, his arms crossed over his chest. His expression was sympathetic, but he gave me a slight shake of his head. If Keir didn't think I should push this issue . . .
    Marcus moved, dropping Greatheart's reins, and knelt at my feet.
    The voices all cut off as his cloak settled down around him. In the silence he reached out and took my hand. "You honor me, Warprize, and I thank you. But choose another."
    "Marcus." My shoulders slumped as I whispered to him. "I want you with me." He looked up then, his eye glittering in the shadow of his hood, and whispered back. "I wish to go with you. To see you safe. But do not deny the truth of what is, for what you wish to be." His voice rose.
    "Any warrior you choose is honor bound to see you safe to the Heart of the Plains, Warprize. Do not fear."
    I didn't want to choose another, Goddess knew, and I pressed my lips together to try to control my anger. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair.
    But the look in Marcus's eye told me that I had to accept it. At least, for now. I nodded and released his hand. "I withdraw my choice."
    Marcus rose, and pulled his cloak in to make sure that it covered him completely. He stepped back to his position by Greatheart. The warriors around us were settling down, the warrior-priests all grim and daunt ing. But Iften, Iften had that smug look on his face, as if all was going well in his world. I narrowed my eyes at that moment, and the obvious choice leaped to mind.
    Keekai had her silence, and she turned back to me. "You may choose another, if you wish."
    "I wish." I smiled sweetly. My voice must have given my intentions away because both Keir and Marcus stiffened. Keekai noted their reaction, and gave me a searching look. "Who do you choose?" I stood there, staring over her head for just a moment, letting the tension build. Then I smiled at Keekai.
    "I choose Iften of the Boar."
    That wiped the smirk off his face. Iften gaped like a fish, his face turning red. Everyone else looked at me with the same expression of astonishment.
    I stood, outwardly calm, even though my heart raced in my chest. Afraid that I would burst out laughing, I held my breath and waited for an outcry.
    But the only sound was the wind in the grass, and Greatheart's soft snores. Everyone around me stood in stunned silence, then all eyes shifted to Iften's face. Voices rose around us, but I turned my gaze to Keir. He was furious, with that vein throbbing in his forehead, and those vibrant blue eyes pierced through me with their fury. I just looked at him, unable to go to his side and explain. 'Think about it,