“I was busy.” She took her arm away and started to crumble the barley crusts as the geese surrounded her. Aoz Roon kicked out at them and grasped her arm again.
“I killed a fuggy today. I’m strong. It hurt me but I killed the dirty thing. All hunters look up to me, and all maidens. But it’s you I want, Shay Tal. Why don’t you want me?”
She turned a face with stabbing eyes up to his, not angry, but containedly angry. “I do want you, but you would break my arm if I went against you—and we should always be arguing. You never speak softly to me. You can laugh and you can scowl, but you can’t coo. There!”
“I’m not the sort to coo. Nor would I break your lovely arm. I would give you real things to think about.”
She answered nothing, but fed the birds. Batalix buried itself in snow, casting gold into strands of her hair which were loose. In the crisp dead scene, all that moved was the black rift of water.
After standing awkwardly regarding her, shifting his weight from one foot to another, he said, “What were you so busy at earlier?”
Not returning his gaze, she said intensely, “You heard my words on the doleful day when we buried Loilanun. I was speaking mainly to you. Here we live in this farmyard. I want to know what goes on in the world beyond it. I want to learn things. I need your assistance, but you are not quite the man to give it. So I teach the other women when there’s time, because that’s a way of teaching myself.”
“What good’s that going to do? You’re only stirring up trouble.”
She said nothing, staring across at the river, on which was cast the last of the day’s beggarly gold.
“I ought to put you over my knee and spank you.” He was standing below her on the bank, gazing up at her.
She looked angrily at him. Almost immediately, a change came over her face. She laughed, revealing her teeth and the ribbed pink roof of her mouth, before covering them with her hand. “You really don’t understand!”
Using the moment, he took her strongly into his arms. “I’d try to coo for you, and more besides, Shay Tal. Because of your lovely spirit, and your eyes as bright as those waters. Forget this learning which all can do without, and become my woman.”
He whirled her around, her feet off the ground, and the geese scattered indignantly, stretching their necks towards the horizon.
When she was standing again, she said, “Speak in an ordinary way to me, Aoz Roon, I beg. My life is twice precious, and I can give myself away once only. Knowledge is important to me—to everyone. Don’t make me choose between you and learning.”
“I’ve loved you a long while, Shay Tal. I know you’re vexed about Oyre, but you should not say no to me. Be my woman at once, or I’ll find another, I warn you. I’m a hot-blooded man. Live with me, and you’ll forget all about this academy.”
“Oh, you just repeat yourself. If you love me, try to bear what I’m saying.” She turned and started to walk up the slope towards her tower. But Aoz Roon ran forward and caught up with her.
“Are you going to leave me with no satisfaction, Shay Tal, after making me say all those silly things?” His manner was meek again, almost sly, as he added, “And what would you do if I were ruler here, Lord of Embruddock? It’s not impossible. You’d have to be my woman then.”
In the way she looked at him, he saw why he pursued her; just momentarily, he felt to the essence of her as she said softly, “So that’s how you dream, Aoz Roon? Well, knowledge and wisdom are another kind of dream, and we are fated each to pursue his own dream separately. I love you too, but no more than you do I want anyone to have power over me.”
He was silent. She knew he found her remark hard to accept—or thought he did; but he was pursuing another line of reasoning, and said, with a hard glance, “But you hate Nahkri, don’t you?”