He’d waited until she was breathing regularly and then ordered her up. She struggled to her feet and looked him in the eye, wiping the dirt from her face. There it was again. Defiance. He hadn’t been wrong. He laughed.

         The guard on his left, who’d never heard him laugh before, mistook it for an order and threw the spear. The spear was snapped in half a second after it was thrown, as was the guard.

         As the corpse was dragged from the yard, he watched the woman and saw her smile at the still twitching limbs. Another scent came to his nose. Arousal. Here? The Tu’el leaned forward in his saddle to study her. She was oblivious, her eyes fastened on the guard dragging away the deceased. She is aroused by death, he thought, and felt a surge of lust then calmed himself. He had a purpose for this girl. 

         He spurred his destrier until they were inches apart. The horse was enormous. He hoped he looked the same.

         “What is your name?”

         She told him. He knew she told the truth.

         “You are with child.” He knew that, too.

         She was looking directly into his eyes, and he was pleased to see that she was startled. So she hadn’t known. He liked that he’d surprised her. Power lay in surprises. It was a military tactic he often used to his advantage.

         She shrugged. “It is possible.”

         “Who is the father?” he demanded. The

         “I don’t know.” Her response was equally blunt.

         With this admission came a surge of anger so strong that he could almost taste it. He’d already surmised that his soldiers had had their way with her and judging by the bruise on her cheek, he knew she’d fought back. He also knew that he wouldn’t have helped her and would have enjoyed watching. Rape was common enough and she’d come from an area his men frequently raided. He felt no pity.

         The cry of a carrion crow brought him out of his reverie. He realized that while he’d been staring at her, she’d been staring at him. No one ever looked directly at him, and they certainly didn’t glare. Was she simple? Didn’t she know her life was at stake?