She was dark skinned—again, an undetermined color—but it appeared to be an even and beautiful tone in the moonlight. She had small breasts, curvy hips, and long legs. And though he couldn’t make out her features perfectly, he knew she was quite beautiful. Not a Krizan woman—she was too tall, too lithe, too pretty.

She came closer, increasingly revealing her beauty as she drew to within five feet of him. She was smiling softly, her eyes running down the length of him, no doubt sizing him up just as he was assessing her. She seemed…fascinated. She reached out as if to touch him and he jerked back. Her hand lowered.

“I won’t hurt you,” she said, her voice musical and sweet.

“Who are you?” Jaykun demanded of her.

“I saw you. Saw you burn. Saw the waters boil. How did you do that? Why would you do that? Do you enjoy it? Does it not hurt? Do you do that often?”

She barely paused between questions, leaving him a moment to get over the shock of knowing he’d been watched. He supposed it had to happen sometime, but he had not seen anyone in the cave. He could have sworn he was alone.

“Did the Krizan hurt your tongue? Can you not answer? Is the moon not beautiful tonight?” She turned her face up toward it, closed her eyes, and drew in a deep breath. She opened her eyes again and looked at him, and he saw they were a pale, silvery color in the moonlight.

“Who are you?” Jaykun asked again.

“Jileana. Who are you?”

“Jaykun,” he answered in turn. “Where did you come from?”

“From the beach,” she said. “Can you show me how to make the water bubble? I want to learn how to do it.”

“No, I can’t, and trust me, you don’t want to know how.”

She frowned at him in consternation. “Very well. If you don’t wish to share. Let’s go back to the beach. It’s safer there.”

“I would much rather go back to my encampment.” He eyed her nude state. “You shouldn’t be out here…unprotected.”

“Yes, it is not safe. Men make war.”

“I am one of those men,” he told her baldly.

She took a hesitant step back. “Are you going to make war with me and my family?”

“I…I don’t know who your family is. But I don’t make war on just anyone. In fact, I prefer not to make war. When I first go to a city, I see whom it is they worship, then I try to convince them to let mems of my goddess set up temples there. If they refuse, I become more…forceful in my request.”

“But my family worships Diathus. We have always worshipped Diathus.”

“The goddess of the land and oceans. That would make sense, coming from…Well, I assume you are from around here. But everyone should worship Weysa as well. For without conflict there can be no peace, of the mind, the body, or the soul. We must be conflicted from time to time so that we may make the best choices and judgments, making us stronger and more sure.”

Jaykun couldn’t believe he was in the saw grass philosophizing with a naked woman, but it didn’t stop him from doing so.

“You make a very good point. I shall have you speak to my father one day. He is quite learned and enjoys such debates. My mother as well.” She turned her head suddenly and looked back toward the beach. “I have to go now. Will you come back tomorrow night?” she asked.

“You can be certain of it,” Jaykun said wryly.

“Very well. I will see you then! Goodbye!” She waved at him and hurried off. She was fast, moving sleekly into the darkness. All Jaykun could do was watch the line of her bare body until she disappeared into the cove he had come from. Odd—there was nothing down that stretch of beach. It was the very reason he had chosen it. Where could she possibly be going?

Jaykun didn’t have time to dawdle over the matter. It was late and there was danger of another enemy patrol coming by. Although, he suspected that raggedy band were soldiers who had fled the thick of the battle, waiting for darkness to hide their presence so they could perhaps escape or, as they had done, cause trouble.

Jaykun went back to the encampment without any further molestation, which was a good thing, because he found himself completely preoccupied by the appearance of Jileana. Not just the baffling question of where she had come from but so much more. Why had she been naked? There were dangerous men from both armies encamped just a short distance away. It was madness for her to be out and about at all, never mind in such a vulnerable way.

She had been really quite beautiful. As Jaykun thought about it, he could not recall having seen any woman to compare. All the more reason for her to be more cautious. Beauty could be a curse for a woman, drawing unwanted attention. Dangerous attention. And if he had to confess it, he himself had been incredibly drawn to her. Had she actually touched him…there was no telling what his reaction might have been.

No. Not true. He would not have had any reaction, Jaykun told himself sternly. She was just another woman who happened to be pretty. No more, no less. And he had no place in his life for women, pretty or otherwise.

He made it back to the command tent, the encampment quiet now in comparison to the activity of earlier. When he entered the tent, he found both of his brothers pacing anxiously, still fully dressed in their armor.

“At last!” Dethan cried when he saw Jaykun. “What took you so long?”

“You know why I must go.”

“Yes, of course we do,” Garreth said with a manner of impatience. “But you are usually back—-Have you been in a fight?” he asked abruptly.

“That is why I was delayed. I was waylaid on the way back.”

“Oh. I see you made it out in one piece,” Dethan said.

“Don’t I always?”

“You know, it is not a given that you will make it back with all your limbs or your head attached. You can still be beheaded by a normal sword and left on the ground, unable to heal until your body parts are reunited.”

“Yes,” Garreth said. “It is very hard to find one’s head with one’s body when the body cannot see the head for lack of eyes.”

“This is all a moot topic. I am fine,” Jaykun said, impatient with his brothers’ worrying. He did not like to be coddled. He was perfectly capable of handling himself in any situation. “If you wish to discuss something, then let us discuss how we will approach the city walls tomorrow.”