Things had changed since the battle. Not just in the camps; the Zerui and the Endikai were suddenly much more agreeable, the mood was much more somber. These were changes Nahia could give less then a shit about. She had never been terribly concerned about intertribal politics, only that she was allowed to do as she pleased. Before the attack, Nahia had been allowed to come and go as she pleased. Now, since Indar had caught with that soldier, she had been confined to their tent, only allowed out once or twice to assist with a birth.

Confinement did not suit Nahia. There were better things to be doing then pretending to mourn the loss of her virtue, hidden away from the prying eyes of the tribe. It just made her angry and watchful for any chance she had to escape.

And of course, her chance came. One of the horses had been injured, and Indar and Gogo were called away to settle things out. Nahia had stealthily slipped from the folds of the tent she and Indar shared, and had crept away from the main encampments.

Now, she wasn’t quite sure where she should go. She could always go to the border, to see if she could find someone new to charm, but that was too dangerous right now. The Thiasans were probably too wary of any Baskar to consider fun with them. Besides, that was too far a distance to travel in the short amount of time she had.

Instead, she simply chose to hide away in a tree, far away enough from the camp to not hear the somber mourning chants and soft discussion of what would happen next. Nahia dangled her feet from the limb she had chosen, enjoying the breeze between her toes. She probably had a few more hours of relaxation before Indar would be back…

Progeny, it was a thought Gergori mulled over as he limped about the camp. Even Gergori knew the importance of offspring, of writing one's legacy in flesh and blood, to be remembered long after death. It was a desire the blind warrior held, deep down, underneath layers of anger and a combative front. Even as a young boy Gergori knew his father was weak, a failure, it brought shame upon him and his family. The warrior had changed that, forging everything he was into a remorseless, violent automaton, earning the respect, or at least the kind of fake respect that comes out of fear, of his Tribe. But it would be for naught if Gergori had no children to carry his name. He would fade into obscurity, lost in the dim minds of aging Zerui who would only remember him as a cripple with a bad attitude. No, that would not do, Gergori needed legitimate children, if only to be remembered by.

It was with this mindset that Gergori listened to that lazy datura peddler, Indar. The dealer had approached him with a strange offer, a marriage proposal to Gergori from his sister Nahia. The blind warrior had never met Nahia, still, a cruel man had few prospects, a blind man even fewer, so it was with a concealed eagerness that he had accepted to at least meet with the woman. All of which would have been fine, if he could just find the damn woman.

"Nahia alab'Odol!" Gergori called. Should he have brought some sort of gift? No, that seemed foolish, still, Gergori had never really learned what to do in situations like this. His father had expected little of him and taught him nothing, he had no friends to speak of, even shamans seemed to avoid him, fearing his magic sight was "witchcraft." The blind warrior sighed, he was pretty far from camp now, but the girl hadn't been where Indar said she would be. He stopped for a moment, listening to the wind whisper through leaves before he threw himself down, coming to rest at the foot of a tree. Where the hell was Nahia?

When she heard her name being called, Nahia froze. If it was Indar or Gogo’s voice, she would have fled and tried to make it back to the tent before they could find her. If it had been one of sister’s voices, she would have kept hidden; they wouldn’t care if she had snuck out of Indar’s zealous care. Igone had even offered to take her away herself, but this was a man.

A stranger. Part of her blood raced, but it was only for a moment. Even if it was that soldier, he didn’t know her full name. She doubted he’d have the courage to wander this far into the Baskari lands. That was just stupidity—though it would be rather complimentary if he went so far to seek her out...

She did recognize him when he came closer to her. He knew Indar, or at the very least, Indar had dealt with him. She had heard of his reputation, as well. Blind and hopelessly cruel, Nahia never hoped to speak to him. Why was he seeking her out? Had Indar recruited him to keep an eye on her? Nahia held back a snicker—even if Eguzki had given him special abilities in battle, he was still blind. He could run faster then her, but she would always be able to hide better.

But he was drawing attention, and Nahia just wanted him to shut up. When he came to rest beneath the tree she had chosen, she lowered herself just enough to where she could nudge his head lightly with her foot. Or kick it, Nahia corrected herself when she realized how much force she put behind the swing. Oh well—if he really was as great a warrior as they claimed, he could block it.

“Shut up,” she hissed, “or Indar will find me!”

Gergori heard another soft rustle in the leaves above, but chalked it up to the wind, or at least some sort of small animal. So it came as a shock when he was proven wrong. There was a soft whistle as air was cut by.... something, then a dull thud and an explosion of pain as whatever it was impacted the blind warrior in the back of the head. Gergori snarled and leapt to his feet, stumbling briefly, cringing as he put too much weight on his injured leg.

"What the hell?!" Gergori yelled, rubbing at his head with a calloused hand. He turned and pointed his face to the tree's branches. For a brief moment he considered tearing the girl from the foliage and beating her, perhaps raping her. He took an angry step and stopped. No, not that, not now. This was perhaps his only chance at having a real legacy, he couldn't afford to ruin it.

"Nahia alab'Odol." He hissed through gritted teeth. "You are a strong spirit, but no woman has the right to treat a man so. Now come down from that tree, it is Indar we must speak about. Well, it is you we must speak about, but it is Indar's doing."

Gergori paused, unable to think what to say. It was an odd feeling, going throughy life, saying or doing whatever comes to one's mind, only to come to a situation that required even a little tact. Gergori hesitated before speaking softly, perhaps even a little shyly, if one such as the blind warrior was capable of feeling shy.

"Nahia, you are unmarried, this is correct?"

No, it wasn’t proper for a woman to be kicking a man in the head, but Nahia was too frustrated to care. “It isn’t proper to lock a grown woman in a tent for weeks on end. You can’t expect me to act as a proper woman when I have not been treated as one!” She snapped, refusing to budge from her spot in the tree. “You can hear me just fine, can’t you? No need for me to jump from the tree, is there?” Nahia had heard rumors of the warrior’s temper, and she knew that she was probably pushing her luck. Typically, Nahia followed and obeyed the orders of men, but her own temper had become wild.

His next words gave her pause, his question made her hands tighten around the branch she was sitting on. Indar… the rat bastard. Keeping her confined was bad enough, but trying to find her a husband? What, did he think that he could find some to keep her constantly pregnant so that she could never run to find another soldier?

“You know,” Nahia said mildly, trying to control her anger, “most men would bring a gift, or even give their name before asking a woman that.”

Bring a gift? Gergori swore at himself internally, of course he should have brought a gift. The blind warrior couldn't help but think back to his fight with Izotz, he would rather let himself get beaten again thaen have to stand here any longer. "Uh...I'm Gergori...er, sem'Unai." He blurted awkwardly. It was difficult for the warrior, having to reserve himself, to hold his tongue, Ordinarily Gergori would have said or done the first thing that came to his mind, tearing the girl from the tree and calling her hurtful names hardly seemed like a helpful thing to do however. "I did not bring a gift, I... didn't know I should have, forgive me." Again, another foreign phrase on his sharp tongue.

He listened to her complaints with amusement, holed up in a tent? That was the proper place for a woman. It was Nahia who wasn't behaving properly, gallivanting in trees, shouting at respected warriors, the girl would have to learn her place. "Nahia alab'Odol, why is it that you shout these injustices at me? Have I committed them?" He shook his head. "Please, Nahia, come down, I haven't done these things to you, blame Indar for them, but not me."

Inwardly, the warrior fumed, he was apologetic and understanding now, but someday, oh someday, that girl would learn her place!

Nahia sniffed. Really, she wanted to play with him some more, but she wasn’t a complete idiot. You could only tease a bull so much before it charged. Nahia watched Gergori for a moment longer, before sighing and descending from the tree. He would have to keep his hands to himself if he wanted her to accept him. Not that she really had much of a choice—she had only remained unmarried because of Indar’s interference. Now that he was rallying for her to be married, she really didn’t have much choice.

At least he could have chosen someone who was less socially awkward. “I suppose for now your name will have to suffice as a gift.” Really, how could he have forgotten something so simple? Then again, blind and cranky as he was, he probably didn’t get much tail. Nahia didn’t hold back her grimace—not like he could see it anyway.

“I will scold you as I wish. No man goes around asking a woman if she is single unless he intends on marrying her. My scolding will change from Indar to you.” Nahia stepped towards Gergori, leaning into him just barely. “Unless, of course,” she purred, “it is a habit of yours to go about harassing women about their unmarried status.”

The girl was irritating, always teasing and scolding, if Gergori had the choice he would have chosen dozens of women before her. Still, sharp tongues could be blunted, the warrior wasn't afraid to hit women. He snorted at her question.

"A habit of mine?" He repeated. If by 'harassing' she meant terrorizing, coercing, even forcefully taking, then yes, it was a habit of his. "No, Nahia, you're the first." He could feel the heat from her body, close enough to set testosterone coursing through his veins. Gergori's nostrils flared like a wild stallion's.

"Do you seek to tease me, girl?" He breathed. The fire in his leg paled in comparison to the fire in his loins. His muscles tensed and he could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He lifted a hand gently to Nahia's face, touching her cheek with a few fingers. It was a wild beast that raged within the blind warrior, quickly eating away all of his reservations and logic- No! He pushed the girl away.

"I'm blind Nahia, but I'm no fool." He growled, his body chemistry returning to normal. "Enough games, I have taken up your brother's offer. Wed me Nahia, give me a legacy."

Nahia, to her credit, didn’t scowl when he touched her, but she did snarl when he shoved her back. She couldn’t fight the marriage any more then she could fight the sunset, but she wasn’t his to push around yet.

“First?” She hissed lowly when she caught her balance again. “I may be your first, Gergori sem’Unai, but you will not be mine.” Nor would he be her last, if she had her way. He may be a skilled warrior, but he was still only a man—and a blind one at that. He may be fearsome, wild, and uncontrollable, but Nahia was clever. A watchful deer could always outsmart the wolf.

A legacy. Nahia scoffed—the “legacy” that could come from this foul tempered man would tear her apart from the inside out, devouring her strength with greedy gulps. But there were ways to stop that from ever happening--if a blind man could not impregnate her, who would be surprised?

“If it is a legacy you, then I can provide that. But that is all.” She said firmly, stepping past Gergori. “I am returning to the camp—are you going to come with me, or will your stumble your way back?”

Gergori snorted. "Stumble back? You make me sound like a mewling pup." He started to limp his way back in the direction of the camp. "I'm wounded, but I'm far from helpless. At any rate, I'll return with you, I suppose I have to talk to your brother." He pushed a lock of hair out of his face and continued his trek, left foot dragging ever so slightly in the dust. His thigh burned again, but Gergori kept his face impassive, only letting a hand touching his leg tenderly betray the pain he felt. After a length of time he broke the silence.

"I wonder, Nahia, will marrying you put your family's datura empire under my fingetips?" He laughed. "Your brother almost killed me with his herb. He's yet to seek repayment though, unless this is it, in which case he's a bigger fool than I thought." As the warrior's limp grew more pronounced he thought of the drug, he had used it before to ease pain, he could definitely use some more, maybe he'd get some from Indar, after all, they would practically be brothers now.

"I heard that datura makes the light hurt your eyes." He mused after another length of time. "Strangely, it makes my eyes hurt too, and I can't see the light, I wonder why that is." He let the moment go silent, feeling slightly awkward, unsure whether he should actually keep talking or not. He felt...afraid, scared that he would offend Nahia perhaps, or irritate her with his senseless chatter, perhaps it was best to remain silent?

Nahia rolled her eyes. “It is my business—Indar merely benefits. Perhaps if you are good, you may benefit from my business as well.” His limp seemed to be troubling him. If Nahia was a kinder individual, she would have offered him some. It would be the actions of a dutiful wife-to-be, to tend to the pains of her future husband.

The thought made Nahia laugh.

She did, however, slow her pace. There was no need to cripple him, not this early. She was certain he would be more then a little insufferable if he were to injure himself again.

“When I prepare datura for Indar, I must make it stronger for him. He normally remembers to cut it before he trades it, but I suppose he forgets on the occasion. As for the debt, I do not know. Indar will tell you when he believes he has been repaid. It is rarely much, so I wouldn’t worry.” It was a clever system of Indar’s, but would probably get him in trouble one of these days. It was unwise to borrow, but it could be dangerous to be the lender. Nahia was more decisive in her trades, but then again, most of her clients were Thiasans, who led a different sort of life. Datura was rather valuable to them… perhaps she could focus all of her time on growing, and make a living amongst the Thiasans…

“Only Eguzki knows why, probably. He was the one who gifted you in the first place.” Nahia replied without skipping a beat.

Gergori heard the time between Nahia's footsteps grow longer as she slowed her pace, no doubt for his benefit. He felt a little angry at himself for showing enough pain that his companion lightened the pace for him, yet at the same time he felt grateful that the pain in his thigh subsided a little, if only for a short time.

"Well from what I hear, your "business" is the worst kind. It's not unknown that you deal with the Interlopers sometimes, it's a dishonor, selling to our enemies." Gergori used to feel more strongly about issues like that, but lately he had found himself caring less about it. So what if Interlopers bought herb from the Zerui? It only benefited the Baskar. He sighed. "Still, I wouldn't mind the kind of benefits that might bring."

He thought about the night he had smoked with Indar, the awful things he had seen and felt. For a few days after he had pondered them before pushing them away just as he had with every other doubt in the past. Yet, when he reexamined it, it distressed him. Had he weakened himself by refusing to acknowledge his flaws? He shook his head, such thoughts were pointless. "Well, I hope Indar realizes that I can't do much else but hit things, my skills don;t extend far beyond fighting."

Her reply to his rambling was quick, almost practiced, it bothered him a little. Gergori had heard similar responses before, but what did she really think? Did she see him as a monster like others did, some sort of supernatural abomination? Suddenly he felt anger at Nahia, at everyone who had avoided him because of his abilities. "A gift?" He laughed bitterly. He too had viewed it in similar light, until he realized just how much he missed out on without vision. "More like compensation. When you see the face of our child, think about how I never will, and tell me I have a gift then."

“I didn’t say I’d bring you honor—only a child. Besides, it isn’t like I’m giving secrets away.” Nahia replied, taking a moment to examine her nails. “It’s not like Indar is any more respectable, he runs from his duties as a warrior to smoke.” Nahia was probably less respectable by this point, but that was beside the point. Indar practically flaunted his dislike of fighting; Nahia was much more subtle about her Thiasan fascination.

Nahia raised an eyebrow at Gergori’s reaction. “Gift is what I hear everyone else call it, but they are not the ones who must bear the gift. Really, I would wonder if Eguzki knew you would become such a bastard from the start. He gives you one of the most beautiful women of the Zerui, but yet you cannot see and appreciate her beauty.” Nahia sighed dramatically, throwing her hands in the air. Not that he’d see, and not that he’d appreciate her sarcasm.

“But then again, it could be a blessing. If the child is born with your face, then you will never have to look at the little monster.” That was, if she ever bore him a child. Maybe, just maybe, if he was well behaved, she’d allow the child to be born.

He’d have to be a very good boy, though.

Gergori's anger melted away, he laughed openly. He had beaten men for such japes before, but coming from Nahia, such candor was humorous. "If Eguzki doled out disabilities based on our future personalities then certainly a little bitch like you would be born worse off than I was." He laughed again. "I don't know anything about beauty, but I hope your thighs are far softer than that tongue of yours, otherwise we may have problems."

They had walked a distance by then, and the blind warrior knew by rote and subtle clues that they approached the camp. He felt relieved, his thigh ached and he knew the dressing had to be changed. A thin film of sweat covered his body from the effort it had taken to walk back.

"If the child is born with my face then he'll be feared throughout the Tribe. It'll be a reminder of my might long after I'm dead." He stopped his trek and turned to Nahia. "Let's pray it doesn't look like you, or everyone will think of it as a stupid child who talks too much." He flashed her a brief smile that undoubtedly looked like the grin of a man who had never seen a real smile, and ended up looking like a hungry grimace instead. "I suppose this is where we part, Nahia alab'Odol."

He laughed like a dog, Nahia thought, but at least he was capable of laughing. She was quite sure that her brother Gogo was incapable of even a small smirk. It was a small reminder that it could be worse; getting married was a hindrance, and her husband vicious, but he was nothing more then a dog. Dogs were dirty and unrefined, but they could be trained so easily.

“I’ve had no complaints about my thighs,” she replied. That soldier had certainly seemed to enjoy them enough. But thoughts of that time had to be chased away—they were nearing the camp now, and if she were caught out and about, Indar would have a fit. Though, if she was caught out with the man Indar had arranged for her to marry…

“Yes, yes, time to part.” Nahia said quickly, ignoring his grimace-smile. She’d have to get used to that, or at least convince him never to smile again. “I’ll expect my gift next time we meet, but for now…” Nahia hesitated for a moment, than took Gergori’s hand, pressing his palm to her face. “My gift to you—you cannot see my beauty, but I’m sure that this will do for you.”