For amibaguette. Set between The Unspoken Name and The Thousand Eyes.
Csorwe sat with Shuthmili on their bed, helping her rebraid her hair. Their conversation about worlds they'd like to visit had reached a lull. Csorwe decided to take the risk. "So, uh, how would you feel about a kid?"
Shuthmili looked surprised, so Csorwe hastily added, "Not right now obviously. In five years or so."
Shuthmili smiled, deftly securing the end of the plait she'd been working on. "I never considered it before. It'll depend on how we're doing then I suppose, but I like the idea. It's clearly something you want." She let go of her hair to lightly brush Csorwe's cheek.
"Only if you really are fine with it."
"I am. You'll have to bear the child though. Mages rarely conceive, let alone carry to term." Was it just Csorwe's imagination, or did Shuthmili's hand tense for a moment as she stroked behind her ear? "Not without ritual anyway, but Zinandour really is looking for a way back to the mortal world. Drawing on her to conceive seems a terrible idea."
"I bet. I'd really not suggest that," Csorwe said. Now she just needed to explain what she was suggesting.
But Shuthmili continued briskly, as if to push away the mention of her patron, "Any thoughts about the father yet? Tal will probably still be around in five years, but I can't see-"
Actually, getting the heinous dragon goddess involved sounded a lot more palatable. The very concept killed her. If Shuthmili's laughter hadn't brought her back, Csorwe would have died right there and then. "You were joking," she managed to say, as she realised she'd dropped the plait she was doing.
"Oh yes. Now all your expressions are precious, but that one? Priceless." Shuthmili had a lovely laugh.
Csorwe felt a bone deep warmth. It was nice to feel safe enough to be teased without worry. If she had been thinking about someone, she could have mentioned them too, but there wasn't. It also wasn't relevant. "I'm not actually thinking about anything biological. I have a specific kid in mind. Do you remember Tsurai?" On second thoughts, that was the wrong way to introduce her. Shuthmili probably did remember Tsurai, but could she place the name? It had been a very eventful time and Shuthmili hadn't spoken Oshaarun then.
"Tsurai is the girl we met in the House of Silence?" Shuthmili asked.
Csorwe nodded. Perhaps it was rather obvious.
"Guessed it."
"You can probably also guess where this is going then," Csorwe said.
"So, a kidnapping. You really like saving people," Shuthmili said softly.
"We'll only do this if you really are all right with it."
"Csorwe, if I wasn't all right with it, I'd be Archer Five." Which was kind of the problem. Shuthmili shouldn't feel like she had to do this.
Csorwe herself wasn't planning this out of any kind of obligation – or at least she hoped she wasn't as simple to decode as Sethennai had clearly assumed. Her life was not a debt owed, and certainly not to him. Instead, it was a chance, one that was very easy to appreciate when her knees were touching Shuthmili's. "That doesn't mean you need to get involved in this insanity."
"It doesn't." Shuthmili leaned forward and kissed Csorwe on the mouth. Csorwe reciprocated, enjoying the feeling of Shuthmili's warm, slightly chapped lips on her own, of their tongues brushing against each other, and the familiar taste. For the moment she forgot to wonder how she felt about possibly having talked Shuthmili out of agreeing with this plan. Eventually Shuthmili pulled back, though she didn't yet let go of the curls at Csorwe's nape. Slightly breathlessly, Shuthmili said, "But I chose to get involved with you, so I might as well. I should have thought of it myself, really. We're doing this, though feel free to tell me more about why we shouldn't."
"Thanks. I really want to give Tsurai a choice." Csorwe picked up Shuthmili's plait again only for Shuthmili to take her hands in hers. "You know, I don't actually think we're getting this done quicker like this," Csorwe said.
"If you grew your hair out, then I'd have something else to do with my hands."
"You seem to be finding plenty to do with your hands."
"Indeed." Shuthmili ran her thumb across Csorwe's left knuckles. "Your hair suits you, and I didn't ask you to help me so we'd be done sooner."
Csorwe thought about that for a moment, before continuing, "Anyway, we'll hopefully have our own ship by then, but that's not going to be any less cramped than this apartment." It would almost certainly be even smaller and she had the terrible suspicion that Shuthmili was right: Assuming they were still alive, Tal would still be hanging out with them. "Not to mention that we'll be inviting the wrath of a god."
Shuthmili shrugged. "As far as I can see, the alternative is that the prioress wakes up one morning with the realisation that sacrificing teenagers is wrong. That future oblations will consist of bread and milk or something. Rebranding the whole thing with more fashionable, modern sorts of offerings might revitalise the place."
Csorwe laughed. Cweren was nice, in a House of Silence way. Sangrai had been too, as far as Csorwe could tell such things. They believed though and wouldn't break with millennia of tradition. "That seems somewhat less likely than the Unspoken One deciding that it's collected enough kid skeletons. It's not known for changing its mind."
"That's where we'll come in then and the Unspoken One will just have to get over it. Do you already have a plan?"
"Sort of. It's not very sophisticated. We'll just wait at the Shrine on the correct day and when Tsurai shows up, we'll ask her if she wouldn't rather come with us. That's kind of it." Basically what Sethennai did for her, just without the additional factors. "If all goes well, no one else should notice us. Except perhaps the resident god, but hopefully we'll be gone before it's worked out what's happening." That last part worried her. She really rather wouldn't go near the Unspoken's throne, particularly not when she was planning on cheating it again.
What were the alternatives though? Csorwe was absolutely certain she could circumvent the House of Silence's security. There barely was any and they wouldn't be expecting anything, while she knew the place and was highly trained. But what would they do if the Chosen Bride became unavailable before the day? It was not something she'd ever contemplated back then. Possibly the prioress would promote one of the novices – an unfortunate girl who wouldn't even have much time to come to terms with her fate. That didn't feel theologically correct either, but Csorwe couldn't risk it.
"Let's hope she agrees quickly then," Shuthmili said, then bit her lip. Csorwe hoped Tsurai would agree at all. Sure, Tsurai probably didn't want to die, but she might well take a rather dimmer view of betraying her faith than Csorwe had. Perhaps all they would offer was a moment of painful hope. And of course, even if Tsurai agreed to come, there was no particular reason to believe they'd all get along. She might be a fellow Chosen Bride, but they had interacted for maybe ten minutes.
In any case, Shuthmili brought up a different problem, one Csorwe hadn't considered. "What if Oranna is there?" Right at the heart of her power, ready to enforce the blood pledge… Csorwe didn't really want to think about that, but it was a distinct possibility, particularly if Oranna also considered her dreadfully predictable.
Csorwe exhaled. That too was a problem for later. "Then I guess I'll have to tell her not to be such a hypocrite."
Shuthmili nodded as if it really were that simple. "Sounds good. What will we tell Tal?" There was no way Tal would be pleased with them adopting any fourteen year old, never mind another Chosen Bride of the Unspoken One. Also, upon meeting Tal, Tsurai might well decide to take her chances in the cave. She still ought to have the choice.
Shuthmili's plaits were done now though. Csorwe leaned forward. "For Tal? I say we keep it a surprise," she whispered to Shuthmili, then kissed her ear as Shuthmili rested her head on her shoulder.
The End
As it turns out, there is an alternate ending for the Unspoken Name that actually has the discussed scenario! (It can be found on AK Larkwood's Substack.)