”I suppose so…” Anara agreed deferentially.

”It’s just…” Kes went on. ”Is there a way, something we can say… so Tresit won’t feel like he has to come with me this time?” She asked. ”It’s dangerous, and… I can do it by myself. There’s no need for him to take a risk like that too.” She told her, hoping Anara would have a good answer for her. ”Besides, if we’re both caught, then there’d be no one…”

Anara was quiet a moment. ”…I know there’s truth to that… and I worry for him too, more than I can ever tell him… but no. If you go, he must too. It is… simply the way of things…” She told her softly.

”But…” Kes started to say.

Anara brought a finger to touch her lips, though she seemed a little shy in doing so. ”It would disgrace him. I have been the one to raise him, so he is… gentler than most males would be, but he is still a male… he would not forgive this easily.”

Kes wanted to say ’but he would still be alive’, but she felt that would just make this harder and hurt Anara more to say aloud what she must already know. No, this wasn’t an argument she was going to win, she could tell that… She hadn’t really thought it would be… She’d just… had to try. ”Alight… I just, I had to ask.” Kes told her softly, looking more than a little longingly into Anara’s eyes, and knowing Anara wouldn’t know, wouldn’t see. The idea of… of Tresit being hurt, and it being her fault… she couldn’t stand to think of it. Not only was she growing more fond of him and his sister by the minute, but the idea of causing Anara that much pain, it wasn’t something she could face thinking about over-much. And she didn’t really understand why Tresit had to go with her… She understood enough to know that it was true, to sense his and his mother’s feelings about it, but… that didn’t mean she felt she could ever understand this, not really, not in her heart.

”It… does you honor that you did…” Anara told her softly, almost shyly.

”Thanks…” Kes replied, feeling a little unsure of herself.

”Kes…” Anara spoke.

”Yes?” Kes replied curiously.

”I would… offer myself to you, upon your return… If you… wanted to claim me… that is… you… I would find it… very agreeable… to be yours…” She finished sounding as shy and deferential as Kes had ever heard her.

Kes felt her cheeks, her whole body, warm at that. ”I… I’d like that… I’d like to be yours too, Anara.” Kes told her softly.

Anara looked up at her, a look of… almost wonder on her face, or maybe it was shock? ”…Mine?” She asked, the word carrying volumes.

Kes touched her cheek softly. ”Yours…” Kes confirmed, her emotions feeling too close all of the sudden.

Anara touched her hand reverently and Kes, feeling confused and flustered and overwhelmed… in a good way, but still, she felt like she wanted to run away, at least for a little while.

Anara was smiling shyly to herself. ”I… never considered that…” She admitted softy.

”Then… I’ll, um, leave you to… consider…” Kes told her softly, getting up. ”And don’t… I’ll keep him safe, with my life, I promise I’ll bring him back to you if… if it’s possible. I swear I will…” She caressed her hair and Anara looked up at her, a brave smile on her lips. A look that told Kes that… Anara had faith in her. Anara’s hand touched hers and Kes felt the weight of it, the weight of her belief in her… but liked how it felt all the same.

She let her hand drop and walked over to where Tresit was telling his sister a story. She knelt down beside them. ”I’m going to go find more supplies in the city…” She spoke.

He nodded. ”I’ll ready myself then.” Tresit answered, getting up and going to get his knife.

————

to be continued