Time
In the end, he had less time than he thought.
The festival for the Seeker and his followers was to take place in four days time. He planned to have Hali bedded by then. They would be married by the headman at the festival, and he would announce the imminent birth of their child after the nuptials, before revealing his face.
He did so love to make an entrance.
Hali, while not ecstatic about the idea, had been amenable to his proposal.
He had brought her fragrant flowers, and the gift of a comb with which he had brushed out her hair as she sat between his sprawled legs. They sat at the river's edge, watching his fishing lines, though Denna's antics further upstream were most likely scaring all the fish away.
"You will want for nothing if you marry me."
She did not answer, merely leaned heavily into his chest, trapping her tresses between them. She turned her cheek against his skin, her slightly parted lips warm and moist.
His heart thumped twice.
"If I marry you, I will have to stay with you."
He prepared to stay his more violent impulses. He would have to have patience.
Breathlessly, sightless eyes closed, she gave her answer, "Yes."
She did not question him, or the gifts of the comb and flowers.
Despite himself, he found it unnerving, though he would never reveal it.
They had not spoken of it again, though he had been to the village to make the arrangements and spent an excruciating legnth of time allowing a flock of women to question him as to the specifics. He longed for the days when a sharp look would have sent them to their knees, stammering apologies.
A messenger dispatched to locate the Seeker had returned triumphantly to tell them when the Seeker would arrive. All bought him drinks in the village tavern as he recounted the tale of his conversation with the Seeker, who promised to attend the festival after he finished some business nearby.
The business turned out to be Hali.
He was splitting logs on the chop block he had set up near the cabin when Denna began to bark. He ignored her, thinking it was most likely she was chasing some diminuitive creature of the forest.
Then he felt the sword point against his back.
"What are you doing here, Rahl?"