‘Part of it’s training, of course. Part that my Blood is bred to produce runners.’
‘Could you have done anything else with your life?’
‘I could but I like running. There’s a sort of . . . magic to it. Sometimes you feel you could run round the world. And I like night running. You feel like you’re the only one awake and alive and moving.’
‘Quite likely you are, save for dimwits on mounts on traces they shouldn’t be using,’ he said in a wry tone. ‘How long have you been running?’
He sounded genuinely interested. She had thought perhaps she had made a mistake, being sentimental about something as commonplace as running.
‘Almost two whole Turns. This is my first Cross.’
‘And I was a dimglowed idiot who interrupted it,’ he said in an apologetic tone.
Tenna was almost embarrassed at his continued references to his mistake.
‘How often do I have to say I’ve forgiven you?’ she said, putting her lips closer to his ear. ‘That green leather is going to make fine shoes for me. By the way, how you’d know that was the hide I wanted? Were you following us about?’
‘Father said I had to make amends in some way more personal than handing you marks…’
‘You didn’t give Tanner Ligand what he asked for, did you?’ Her query was sharp because she didn’t want him to have had to spend more than she felt necessary. And she leaned away from his guiding arm enough so that she could see his face as he answered.
‘I won’t tell you how much, Tenna, but we struck a fair bargain. Trouble was,’ and now Haligon’s voice was rueful, ‘he knew just how much I needed that particular hide. It’s the talk of the Gather, you know.’
Tenna suspected that it was and she hoped she could tell it to her own station before they heard rumour which always exaggerated.
‘Hmmm. I should have expected that,’ she said ruefully. ‘I shall be able to make two pairs of summer shoes out of that much leather and I’ll think of you every time I wear them.’ She grinned up at him.
‘Fair enough,’ and, evidently satisfied by this exchange, he resettled his arms about her, drawing her just that much closer. ‘You didn’t seem as interested in any other hide, you know. So I’d got off more lightly than I thought I might. I didn’t know runners made their own footwear.’
‘We do, and it’s much better to make them for yourself. Then you’ve only yourself to blame if you’ve blisters.’
‘Blisters? They would be bad for a runner.’
‘Almost as bad as sticklebush slivers.’
He groaned. ‘Will I ever be able to live that down?’
‘You can try.’ Maybe she could get him to dance with her all night. He was possibly the best partner she’d ever had. Not that she ever lacked for them. But he was subtly different. In his dancing, too, for he seemed to know many combinations of the dance steps and she really had to keep her attention on her feet and following his lead. Maybe it was him being a Holder’s son.
‘Maybe it’s being a runner,’ and his remark startled her, it being near what she’d just been thinking, ‘but you’re the lightest thing on your feet.’ He reset his hands more firmly about her, drawing her as close as he could.
They were both silent, each concentrating on the complexities of the dance. It ended all too soon for Tenna. She didn’t really wish to release him. Nor he, her. So they stood on the dance floor, arms at their sides but not with much distance between them. The music began again: a faster dance and before she could say a word, Haligon had swung her into his arms and moved off in the rhythm of this tune. This time they had to concentrate not only on the steps but also to avoid collisions with more erratic dancers whirling about the floor.
Three dances to a set and Haligon whisked her off the floor during the change of musicians on the pretext of needing a drink. With glasses of chilled white wine, he guided her into the shadow of a deserted stall.