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“And what about you?”

“I’ve never belonged here.”

“That’s not true!”

“It is true, and everyone knows it but you!”

“Oh, since when do you give a damn what those people think, huh?” I gestured to the meeting house. “You want to know what I think?”

She shook her head, and I took another step closer, close enough to touch.

“I think I love you, Fenli Wyn Faasval. And I think I’d follow you anywhere, if you’d let me.”

“Shut up,” she whispered. “You can have your choice of women now. You’re not tied to me anymore.”

I blinked at her. “You think I don’t want you.”

“Of course you don’t! I practically threw myself at your feet, and you had the sense to stop me. Go find Runa and let me go.”

“Runa again. What is it with you and Runa?”

“Rahv told me. And she’s beautiful—sweet as a lamb, long hair.”

She bit her lip and looked down at her feet.

I was shocked.Sweet as a lamb. Long hair. That was what she thought I wanted?

“You’re not mute,” I told her, “but you’re blind as hell.”

I closed the distance between us, forcing her eyes to look at mine.

“Runa wouldn’t give me the time of day because she knows what a waste it would be. Rahv is mistaken.”

But she didn’t look like she believed me. Somehow, I needed to make her believe.

“I never got to come back to the village like the others, so my friends would bring me back stories about you. Ever since I was ten, I would wait for those stories. They all knew I wanted them. They’d watch you on their trips back and find things to report to me.”

She blinked up in surprise.

“I heard about when you started caring for the birds, and when you and Esska started spending more time together, and when your curves came in.”

Her jaw unhinged.

“Sorry, maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned that one. The point is, I’ve been eating up stories about you for the past ten years. Baer, of course, came back grumbling more and more. Then there was this one day. It was the middle of summer, and it was hot as hell out. I remember because we were inland and wishing we could swing out towards the coast. Baer and his men came back from a trip home, and the old man was furious. He stalked up to me and told me I was in over my head with you. I’d never seen him so mad. The guys came in behind him and told me the story, that he’d been bossing you around the entire visit and was never happy enough with your work. They said that you and Baer made silent battle just with the looks you’d give each other. Then, one night, Baer was at the fire going on about Elsynbr’s clan and how he hated the short hair their women sometimes wore. You left the fire and came back a little while later,” I ran my fingers up the back of her neck and over her scalp, “with your hair like this.”

She shivered.

“I’ve never known anyone to stand up to Baer like that, Fen, and if you think I’d take long hair over your short curls,” my fingertips pressed harder, “gods, you’re wrong.” I swallowed. “The only thing I want more than being tied to you is for you to want me as well. Stopping us earlier was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. And I only did it because I hate the idea of you not getting to choose what you want. I’ve mademy choice. It’s you. It will be you every day of my life, no matter what happens. But I won’t trap you.”

For one hopeful moment, I thought she was going to kiss me. It was right there in her eyes. But then it dissolved. I watched as her exterior hardened.

“You told me to put my ribbons back on,” I said. “Tell me you meant it.”

She shook her head.

Louder I said, “You told me I wouldn’t be rid of you.”

Her jaw clenched, and her eyes lost focus.