It was after practicing one day, while Skif was off helping Talia gather some plants for part of their supper when Alberich had a chance to talk with Myste.
"Thinking of your lady love?" Myste teased.
Alberich chuckled and stroked Myste's hair while she leaned her head against his shoulder. It was comfortable sitting side by side like this with no pretense. In fact it was better than many of the campaigns he had been on in Karse. Regular food and shelter. Competent and pleasant followers who weren't likely to knife him in the back.
And a lady who will sleep with you for love and not pay. Kantor added jadedly.
"Maybe a bit." he replied laconically.
"Ah good. I would hate to have you call me by another lady's name again like you did when you saw my disguise. Do you want to talk about her?"
Alberich was about to refuse when he realized that, surprisingly, he did want to talk about Calskea and Hyaesa. To someone other than Kantor at least.
He shrugged softly and sighed, letting his speech fall into formal Valdemarian. It would be easier than interrupting himself to translate a thought, and maybe it would hurt less if he needed to focus on the words. "Calskea and Hyaesa were given to the army when I was in the calvary for -oh, almost two years. A gift from a Sunpriest who they had humiliated and was unable to burn them or send demons after them without causing a scandal. So he gave them to the army as whores. Although I think they were technically listed as cooks on the invoices."
"Were they? Whores I mean. I imagine many women could manage to cook up army rations."
"I was never sure what they were, but I knew that it was not what the Sunpriest claimed them to be. But they slept with the men, although if they were whores, they were choosy ones. Still, it did not keep some of the men from slapping them around. I imagine that was why they were given to the army, so that they would always be hurt or humiliated. That's how Calskea died at least."
"Were you fond of her?" Myste asked.
"A bit. She had a sharp temper and a good humor, and often would act as a Healer after a skirmish. She looked a lot like you do without your glasses. They found her one morning after a fight with a group of brigands. The man who she'd been with claimed that the brigands had taken her and killed her. We all knew it was a lie, that he'd snapped her neck when he'd hit her too roughly. The captain made sure he was on the front lines in the next battle for that insolence. Didn't want to risk him killing his own troops the same way. Too costly, that."
"Who was the other lady you mentioned? Hessa?"
"Hyaesa." Alberich corrected softly, impressed with how little Myste had stumbled over the more difficult Karsite name. "She was darker, tall, and somehow softer than Calskea. She was pretty, but not in the sort of way that makes men stare. No, you had to like Hyaesa to see that she was pretty. Otherwise she was as plain as any village girl. She was still there after my last raid."
"You know, I might be jealous if you weren't likely Lifebonded to me." Myste said. "Do you think we should take Talia up on her offer to help?"
"Yes. It's easier now that we know it, but I would not have you be at risk because of me. And while weaker it makes us, stronger as well. Which is no bad thing." Alberich mused.
"I agree. Although it does seem weird thinking of us Lifebonded and you telling me about other women that you were with. Were you ever with either of them?" she asked, with a shocking bluntness.
Alberich could feel his face turning red, and he squirmed uneasily at the question. If he had a choice, he would have avoided Myste's question. But she could naturally Truth Spell, and even if she couldn't, it would break her trust in him. Something which hurt him more than he had thought it would. "Once. Hyaesa. Calskea had already died. A man was beating her and I stepped in, pretending that I had already bought her and that the lieutenant was trespassing. The act was never meant to go as far as us sleeping together, but it did. And then, a week later, I was promoted to Captain. From there, you know the rest of the story."
"Yes. I do. And you're a good man. Most men would not have thought to protect a whore from being attacked. But I rather am glad that I know you as a fellow Herald and not a Karsite army follower. Not because of Karse or the people. But Heralds have a little more comfort with their duties, although certainly no fewer duties. And besides, you make a very good pillow." she murmured as she settled her head against his chest and fell asleep, waking only when she heard the sound of Companions' hoofs and Talia and Skif coming back to the camp.