Haya raised an eyebrow at him. Simus flushed with embarrassment, but Haya paid him no mind. She focused instead on the girl. “Pive, you have erred. You have attacked an adult warrior, one fresh from a challenge. You struck with no warning and no ritual, and he would be within his rights to kill you.”
Pive swallowed hard, her face screwed up with anger and fear. Simus could see tears starting to well up in her eyes.
“What say you, Pive?” Haya demanded.
The child lowered her weapons, her shoulders sagging in defeat. Her mouth was trembling as she offered her wooden dagger to Simus, placing the blunted point at her heart. “I offer my sur-surrender, Warlord.”
Simus sheathed his weapons, and took her dagger, careful not to smile at this smallest of warriors. “I accept your surrender.”
“Pive...” Haya chided her.
Pive sighed, and gave over her sword to Simus as well.
“Go back and join the others,” Haya said and the girl was off in a flash.
There was an awkward moment as the adults recovered themselves under Haya’s gaze.
“Greetings, Elder Thea Haya,” Simus recovered first. He offered the wooden weapons to Haya, but she shook her head, and gestured toward the rack.
“Impetuous, that one,” Haya said. “She needs to learn consequences.”
Simus snorted softly, but racked the weapons accordingly.
“So, you are not yet a Warlord, I see,” Haya observed. She cast her eye over Joden. “And you, not yet Singer?”
“I—” Joden stumbled. “It is good to see you, Thea. You look well,” he finished lamely.
Haya snorted. “Seo will join us shortly. He is checking locations for our camp.”
“Our weaponsmaster is here, too?” Joden blurted out, his dread clear.
“You brought your thea camp to the Heart?” Simus asked with a strong sense of impending doom. “In the Spring?”
“Yes.” Haya walked over to the tent flap. “We have much to discuss. Perhaps you will offer me the courtesy of your tent? Offer kavage?”
Destal scrambled forward. “Allow me to see to your comfort, Elder Thea.”
They both disappeared within Simus’s tent.
Joden puffed out his cheeks and let his breath out slowly.
Simus rolled his eyes. “Theas,” he whispered in resignation.
Joden nodded.
“Perhaps you’ll join me?” Haya’s raised voice came through the flap.
They both hastened to obey.
Snowfall glowered atSimus’s tent from her hiding place in the deep grass. Rare anger coursed through her; her tattoos tight and tense on her skin. She’d found the flaw, sure enough.
Simus of the Hawk was an arrogant idiot.
He’d walked into the challenge circle, acting all put-upon, like an arrogant fool. No warning, none of his people had checked, the man was blessed by the elements to be alive, much less the victor.
He’d reacted quickly, and took his opponent down fast and hard, but still. He never should have entered the circle unprepared. Snowfall faulted him for that, but she also faulted his people. His Token-bearer especially.
Snowfall had watched Simus fight, but she’d also watched her potential opponent in the ring. Destal was good, true, but not good enough. Snowfall looked forward to challenging her.