~Sometime during the Ancient Age, after the First Blight.~

Kartia peeked through the leaves of the weeping willow. The Avvar had yet to declare war on the Chasind but they had not yet left the Wilds, either.

She watched the warrior, Balak, as he pissed in the swamp water. She crinkled her nose in disgust and waited. A cramp was starting to form in thighs as calves as she bent low behind her tree. Flies buzzed around her face but she continued to stay as still as possible, keeping even her breaths slow and gentle. Balak continued to shuffle around the large encampment.

Dalan had set up the Avvar camp on the edges on the Wilds. Luckily, their scouts had not found Tombigbee. If they had, Kartia and the others would have been forced to kill them. The Avvar barbarians needed no further cause for their petty war.

Kartia furrowed brow in concern as her thoughts turned to Nadya. At first, Nadya had been firmly against going to war. Now, she seemed unsure. She had doubts where before there had been nothing but certainty. And those doubts were something Kartia just didn't understand.

The rogue watched as Balak grabbed his sword and snuck away. She followed behind him, keeping enough distance as to stay unnoticed.

As she watched him, she noticed him checking the trees with notches. Like a secret code, he followed the different sized notches through the Wilds. Only a Chasind would know the Wilds well enough to lead Balak in such a fashion. Did they have a traitor in their midst? Kartia held back an angry growl as she watched the barbarian lean casually against a tree. He chewed on a small piece of twig as he waited, toe tapping impatiently.

Kartia covered her mouth in surprise. Nadya had just slipped through the trees and was standing before Balak, blushing like young maidan.

"I see you have found the spot well," Nadya muttered, tucking a strand of her red hair behind her ear.

Balak frowned and nodded his head. "Yes, your markings were easy enough to follow."

Nadya took a hesitant step forward, still blushing. "I thought of what you said. About defeating the Alamarri as a united force. I can see some wisdom in your words."

"Good. Then you will convince your people to march beside the Avvar," Balak stated firmly.

Kartia bristled at the words she heard. She could not believe Nadya would consider going to war!

Nadya wrung her hands. "War would mean sending our sons into battle. I would druther see peace confirmed between all our people."

Balak snorted loudly. "There can be no peace. War is inevitable."

Kartia watched, stunned, as Nadya slowly nodded her head. "Yes, I can see this. I will... speak with my father on it."

Balak jerked his head in an abrupt up and down motion and pushed away from the tree. "Good. I- am relieved to hear this. I did not look forward to battling your people."

Nadya gave a slow smile and looked up into Balak's eyes. "You were concerned for my people?" she murmured.

Balak grunted "I would not use the word "concerned"," he replied, deadpan.

"Oh? What word would you use, then?" Nadya asked with a chuckled, casually stepping a bit closer.

Balak raised an eyebrow at the Shaman. "Are you flirting with me, Chasind?"

Nadya blushed beet red. "Should I not have been?" she fired back, daringly.

Kartia smirked, watching the two. She wrestled with feeling angry at Nadya's betrayal and humoured at her failed attempt at flirting with the barbarian.

Balak stepped closer, brow furrowed. "And what would you do if I followed the Avvar way of courting?" he growled.

"What is the Avvar way?" Nadya asked. Her bright green eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Balak grinned. "We kidnap our brides, with the permission of their clan."

Nadya's eyes widened. Kartia felt a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. The Chasind arranged their marriages as well, but nothing as barbaric as kidnapping.

Balak stared down at the Chasind shaman. "You do not approve of our traditions?" he asked, judging her facial expression.

Nadya gulped. "'Tis not that, exactly. If I was not desirous of such a marriage, it would be a simple matter of killing you. I would worry more about leaving my son behind."

Balak's mouth fell open in shock. "You think killing me would be so easy?"

"Do not feel offense. I am sure you are a warrior of some renown amongst your people but I am the shaman daughter of the Shaman Stoyan of the Tombigbee Clan."

Balak scoffed. "Are you such a fool as to think your magic can stand against my might?"

Nadya smiled pityingly at the big warrior. "'Tis a hard truth, I know."

Kartia smirked at her friend's response, pleased with direction of the conversation. The further apart Nadya and Balak were, the less chance of war.

Balak growled and grabbed Nadya by the shoulders. "I am Balak Ar Dubne O Frosthold. Do not doubt my prowess!" he rumbled.

Nadya blushed again and stared into the warrior's eyes. She licked her lips and noticed how his eyes followed the motion. "Such aggression," she murmured huskily. She ran her hands across his open shirt.

As she stepped closer, Nadya could smell the combination of the musky scent of the furs he wore. She crinkled her nose slightly at the unfamiliar smell. It was strange, and new, and she sniffed.

Balak scowled down at her. "What are you doing?" he demanded to know.

Nadya tilted her head and sniffed again. The musky scent was growing on her the closer she stood to him. "You smell odd," she replied idly, staring at a patch of his chest hair.

"And you stink of strange leathers and swamps," he grunted.

Nadya threw her head back and laughed. The sound was loud and echoed off the trees. Kartia shook her head, confused. She couldn't tell if they hated each other or not.

Balak frowned, staring down at the laughing woman in his arms. The sound of her laughter made him feel strange. He didn't like it. So, to stop the sound, he pressed his lips to hers. Or at least, that is what he told himself as he kissed her.

Her eyes widened before closing. She grabbed hold of the odd smelling furs and pressed her body close to his. His hands were in her hair, gripping tight. She moaned and rubbed herself against him. Hot bolts of desire ran coursed through her body, burning her up.

She had never felt this kind of desire for her husband. This, this was something more. Something she couldn't stop. Worse, it was something she didn't want to stop.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled back sharply as a thuwmp sounded nearby. Face flushed, she looked around.

"There. An arrow," Balak said, slightly winded from their kissing. Nadya pulled back from Balak's embrace as she took in the familiar feathers on the end of the arrow. Kartia.

Nadya's eyes darted around but she knew she wouldn't see anything. If Kartia wished to remain hidden, she would. And not even Nadya could find her.