Kov moved swiftly as he was able until he reached the cleft in the rock. He didn't want to be seen by any others. If there were in fact others here, they had encountered none during the evening, and, since he saw no one, Koss would be able to proceed as though nothing had occurred in his chamber this night, at least as regarded anyone else who knew of this place.

Kov would not return to it. He would not forget or regret what he had learned here, and he was grateful for the experience and the knowing it had led to, but he would not come again to the place where Koss had first Awakened him, and then rejected him.

Once upon the desert, however, it was better that he proceed with caution, for, though no longer so dangerous with T'Khut well past her zenith, such wild places were never truly safe. He would watch, and listen, and allow himself time for the experiences of the past hours to become part of his personal history. He would not speak to T'Sia, or enter the home he shared with Sivet, without first finding peace amid the emotions these events had aroused in him.

To do so would be most irresponsible. He would not compound the entropy his decision was certain to create with irresponsibility.

Kov walked along the path he had traveled only hours before. He had been questioning then. What his own motive was for coming to this place, and what was Koss'. What they would share. What it would be, to touch another. Why his body trembled, when it never had before.

Now, he had answers. Perhaps not to all he had questioned, but to some, and for other questions he hadn't known to ask. His life, from this point, could not be the same. Nor, perhaps regrettably, could T'Sia's or Sivet's.

He had never succeeded in satisfying his father, but in honoring his Promising to T'Sia, there would be at least one area in which he might not thoroughly disappoint Sivet. Kov had no doubt that his refusal to do so would be the greatest disappointment he had yet given. As little as Sivet was pleased by his son, he had had the deepest affection for his wife. T'Dana had wished for nothing, apparently, but that she have a child. When she had learned that she would bear a son, and her close associate a daughter in the same season of the same year, the choice had been a simple matter. The son and the daughter would be Promised at seven and married once they were prepared for that stage of their lives to begin, likely in their fifth decade, in order to allow them the opportunity to form a bond before the Burning erased all but the need to mate.

Until this night, Kov had never considered objecting in any way to those plans. Even when the shifting of T'Sia's scent began to trouble him, he had never assumed anything other than that he must speak nothing of it, and learn to bear it, for she was to be his wife, and he would not choose to cause her any pain or discomfort.

Perhaps, now, she would feel both. He would still not choose it for her, but he would not attempt to be something, even a husband, that he was not capable of doing well. It might be that there were those who, like Koss, would choose to "go on with their living" even after learning this truth about themselves. Kov could not be certain, nor could he ask, but he suspected that "going on with his living", for Koss, meant marrying T'Pol, and giving her no indication of what manner of husband she was contracting herself to.

It seemed to Kov that any person who might marry one who could desire them not, even in the Burning, ought to be made aware of that fact, and given the opportunity to choose for themselves whether their Promised was fit for their purposes.

Perhaps Koss would not give T'Pol that choice; he himself would not deny it to T'Sia.

However, he must not hasten to have the conversation they must have. She would be at her place of employment now. Clothing designers often worked when most Vulcans did not, so they could accommodate their customers. She would be at her busiest over the next three days, and such a distraction would be detrimental to her ability to function. He would not take from her the stability of their Promising at such a time.

No. Instead, he would use the time wisely. He would meditate and attempt to incorporate the new information into his reality without distressing emotional overlay. He would begin the research he had discussed with Koss –

Koss.

In three days, he would be expected to return to work in an office shared with the other man. He would not have the opportunity to meet with T'Sia at least until he had finished one day, and possibly more.

Koss' presence in his workplace might make it difficult to maintain the emotional control he wished to have for the conversation with his Promised.

It was a matter that must be considered.

He could ask that another space be provided for him. But that was both inefficient and illogical; the facilities were adequate as they were. An emotional issue was not sufficient cause to inconvenience the Academy staff. More, when he had spoken to T'Sia, he would no longer need distance from Koss. It might be far more desirable to remain in the shared workspace, as a reminder to the other that what had been shared had been and could not simply be undone because Koss wished it to be.

What was required was distance before he spoke to T'Sia, and proximity following that discussion.

Kov walked on until the lights of ShiKahr hazed the horizon, and then the solution came.

He would work in the office for the three days Koss would not be there. He could make significant progress and spend the day of Koss' return in his personal office at the compound, away from the grounds of the Academy. There were matters best dealt with in that location, and he would assure himself that he could meet with his Promised without compromising his emotional state. He would likewise avoid Sivet; that would be far simpler a matter. His father seldom cared to be in his presence unless there was family business to attend to, and even then for no longer than was necessary. As long as there was no unforeseen emergency situation, Kov could simply avoid the common spaces of their home during the times when Sivet used them. His father was a predictable being.

He spent the rest of the walk mapping the next days in his mind – where to be and when, so that he would have no emotionally troubling interactions before he could meet with his Promised. There was a comfort in this planning that settled his agitation. He could do nothing, now, about being Awakened to Koss. Once Awakened, there was no returning to the time when one was not or exchanging the being to whom one was Awakened for another, even if the subject was not one's Promised.

It was another reason for the Challenge.

He was nearing the city when he heard a cough. His muscles tensed, thinking it perhaps a predator over the final rise. It would be unusual for a le-matya or sehlat to come so close to the city, but to assume that unusual equated to impossible could be a fatal error.

Kov crouched into a defensive position and moved forward with caution, reviewing the tactics he had learned for dealing with dangerous desert wildlife.

He reached the top of the rise – and there was another man watching him. Kov straightened. "I meant no intrusion. I will take another way."

"There is no need." The man was perhaps Sivet's age, or slightly younger, but there was an animation and looseness in his features which suggested youth and the freedom to reveal his thoughts and emotions. Kov was fascinated by the uninhibited display, although also concerned that perhaps this man was not mentally stable. "Please, be at your ease. If you have come from the compound in the cliffs beyond, you have had a long walk, and rest would no doubt be welcome. I am Tavin, a trainer of sehlats."

"Tavin." Kov had heard the name; most citizens of Shikahr no doubt had. "I am Kov, a designer of landscapes."

"You are younger than I would have thought you, Kov, considering the number of landscapes attributed to you. Have you ever considered designing an area where sehlats might be trained and take independent exercise where they might be interacted with?"

It was as unexpected a query as the man himself. "I have not. Such a space would need to be large and offer secure restraint to assure that the sehlats could not escape or cause injury to themselves, property, or Vulcans."

"You see it clearly, Kov. I would also need space for a breeding facility, and a nursery where the young could shelter with their parents; familial connections are vital in sehlats, as they are to us. Whether as domesticated or wild, this is true. Most who are attacked by a sehlat have encountered one after the demise of a mate or progeny."

Kov had not known this. He didn't come often to the desert. He found plenty of space and solitude in the course of his work. "It is a fascinating concept, Tavin."

"Perhaps it is more than a concept, Kov. The land we stand upon is mine; I completed its purchase at dawning yesterday."

At dawning. While he was learning about Koss, Tavin was purchasing this land.

"You bought the land without a plan for the facilities you wish to place here?" There was a certain illogic in that course of action, if he understood it correctly.

"I have a plan, Kov. But you are well-regarded as the most adept and intuitive of designers. It is not a thing our people are known for; however, it is precisely what is needed to create the spaces I desire for my stock."

Desire. The word resonated deeply, and brought an image of Koss' face, and the feel of the touching they had done together.

"I have recently begun a project at the Science Academy."

"You have also been very recently Awakened. By the fact that you are here alone, and not with your new Intended, I infer that the condition is – problematic. Perhaps, in such a case, an additional project which allows great freedom might be most welcome."

"How do you know that I am Awakened?" Only after he spoke did it occur to Kov that he might have chosen to deny the fact and avoid any further discussion on it.

The older man made a rich deep sound that had the feel of music. His facial muscles moved into a strange expression – turned up at the sides to form an open-mouthed arch. Kov wondered if he was stable, or perhaps dangerously imbalanced. "Kov, you are perhaps even younger than you look, if you do not understand the manner in which you are alerting every being who might desire you to your newly Awakened status. It is in your scent, and occupies your mind nearly wholly – were it not so, would you have remained to speak with such as me? It is in your bearing and carried in the lines of your face."

"Every being who might desire me?" Kov left the rest for now. It would need to be considered, before he encountered anyone who might be distressed by his newly acquired status. In this moment, however, all that was of import was that phrase.

"Yes, Kov. I am as you, drawn not to women, but to men. My husband died recently. If he had not, perhaps I would have been too content in my bonding to take note of a young man newly Awakened to his reality. As I am now, I could not fail to do so. If I have violated your privacy in this, I ask forgiveness."

Kov was uncertain how to respond. He would not have chosen this interaction, but he didn't find it - precisely – unpleasant. It was also quite likely that, having been bonded to another male, Tavin might be able to assist him in his efforts to learn of the touching he and Koss had shared, and what it might mean. "There is nothing to forgive, and no violation has occurred. Tavin, there are questions I would ask, if you would but permit it."

"I will answer any you have, Kov. Perhaps, though, this is a less than ideal place to conduct such learning. There is a house on this property. I will not call it a home, not yet, but it is comfortable and private, and there we may take rest and nourishment, if you wish them. We may discuss your questions, for I am certain I myself asked many of the same when I was new-Awakened. If you wish it, we might also discuss the work I have which you might be ideally suited for."

"I will accompany you, Tavin." Kov set aside the plan he had mapped for the next days. Tavin's presence was both accepting and soothing. He offered the promise of knowledge and seemed willing to share it for Kov's benefit.

Did he desire to touch Kov? Or was he nearing his Time, with his mate dead, and wishing to pass his pon farr with a new companion? Had he given his trust too swiftly?

"Your thoughts are not so hidden as you would think them, young Kov." Tavin stopped and turned back to face him. "Nor so unusual, for one so newly in your position. I will share the ouz'hesta with you only if you wish it – it is a pleasing form of communication, but also an intimate one. If you wish to learn, or explore, I would find pleasure in it, but I have no desire to share such contact with one who doesn't equally desire the sharing. As for mating – I Burned, two years past, and most brightly. I have sufficient time to find another mate, and I would not choose one who had never felt the Burning. You are yet far too young, Kov, to be in any danger of arousing me, other than the simple physiological response to your Awakened condition."

"I meant no offense –"

"With your thoughts?" Tavin spoke over the end of what Kov had been intending to say and made the strange sound again. "Of course you did not. Nor was there any offense in the thoughts. Caution is a wise practice and will serve you well if you accept my business proposal. Caution is vital, when interacting with sehlats."

Kov had no response, and Tavin didn't seem to expect any of him. He simply turned and resumed his course, with Kov following. Tavin spoke from time to time – he was far more inclined to do so, it seemed, than anyone else Kov had ever met – but didn't seem to require any answer. Kov allowed the words to be as the desert breeze, flowing around and over him, noted and experienced, but with no need to interact. As the wind was the wind, Tavin's words were as they were.

After approximately an hour, a structure was visible along the path they were taking, which angled gradually away from the city below to take advantage of the greater space available at the desert's edge. "That is my house," Tavin said, gesturing unnecessarily, for there was no other structure here. "Please, come within. Take nourishment, and rest, and ask the questions for which you seek answers."

The request was strangely worded, and there was something in Tavin that seemed – Kov didn't know precisely, only that it was different than any other Vulcan he had known in all his living. Perhaps he ought to excuse himself and leave.

But he knew that he would not.

If Tavin had the answers he needed, he would remain to learn them. If he had nothing more than a meal and a place where Kov could regain his emotional stability before returning to the city, there was value enough in that to merit the time spent in his company.

It was illogical, perhaps, but it was nonetheless true that, after Koss' refusal to accept what had become real between them, there was a comfort in Tavin's unconventional manner that appealed deeply to him. He had been hurt by the Awakening followed so closely by the denial of all that had been shared. A reality he had never suspected existed, and Koss had led him to it, and then closed himself to it.

"This night has wounded you deeply, young Kov." Tavin spoke it as a statement, not a question.

"It was not the night that did so, Tavin. It was the one with whom I shared the majority of it and would perhaps willingly have shared what remains of my life."

"I mean no intrusion, but, if it would help you to speak of it, there is no need to name he to whom you are Awakened, nor any other detail. I will listen, and offer counsel if I'm able, and hold your truth in highest privacy."

"Why?"

"Because you are soulwounded, and because I know that pain. Perhaps, Kov, in providing you solace, I provide it also to myself. I have been much alone this last week, and I am not used to so much solitude. Kiran and I shared – everything in our lives." The older man's voice grew thick, and he turned his head away, but not before Kov saw the moisture that leaked from the corner of his eye.

Kov stayed behind him as Tavin led the way to the structure, which showed signs of disrepair. Perhaps he could assist with returning it to full functionality. It would be a manner of repayment for Tavin's kindness, and would perhaps help to heal them both –

A huge shape separated from the hillside and moved with frightening speed toward them. Kov scanned for a safe place, but there were no high places here.

"O'Nama, kroykah. You will frighten our young friend."

The creature stopped immediately and simply stood there. Only now did Kov realize it was a sehlat. He had never been so close to one of the creatures; Sivet had not permitted pets of any variety, and certainly not ones nearly as large as Kov's sleeping chamber.

"You have a sehlat here." His voice sounded faint.

"I have six. Once the facilities are completed, I will begin accepting others for training. I hope to be able to accommodate up to thirty. A well-trained sehlat is a companion for life, but an ill-trained sehlat is a danger to all."