Part 5 (1/2)

Or was it kindness? Valeria had not risen as high as she had in the ranks of the Red Brotherhood without knowing ue between men and women, even when the prize was no h to buy a shi+p, or fifty worew bloody, and those who did not learn swiftly, died- as often as not, anything but swiftly

One thing she had learned: a man who offered to spare a woman her share of needful duties was apt to have a price in mind for this favor It was a price she had no mind to pay to the Cimmerian

Unless he was unlike other men? She had truly ly equal to any danger, as if he were at home everywhere Which was perhaps not far from the truth, if half the tales he told were so

No In such matters, the Cimmerian would be as other men Unless he was a eunuch, and Valeria was quite sure he was nothing of the kind The witch Tascela had h; she would never have pursued a eunuch as she had pursued Conan

Valeria stood up, which did further ust, then wrinkled her nose at the odor of thewill it take that hide to be fit for a garht have to take it with us, let it cure on the march Unless we can find a salt lick-”

Valeria spat, not quite hitting the pegged-out monkey hide Then she peeled off her trousers and shi+rt and stood nude for a ed the shi+rt into a loincloth

”There,” she said ”If we'll be in the forest for the uard my skin”

She could not mistake the admiration in Conan's voice and eyes ”There are insects as well as sun, Valeria”

”What of the spicebush? I thought you said the berries kept away both fliers and crawlers”

”Rubbed on your skin, yes, it does But it brings some folk out in blisters”

”Better blisters than insect bites everywhere,” she said

Conan shrugged ”You choice, woman Make yourself a smelly arh I'd like a trifle of sleep after you're done”

Valeria wished that Conan had not seemed quite so determined not to embrace her She remembered the moment of their final victory in Xuchotl, when his massive arm's around her had seemed not only proper, but pleasant

If a tiain, it would certainly not co the those parts of her body that would be guarded, she hoped, by the shi+rt-turned-loincloth

Exposed to the air, the juice of the spiceberries stank like an untendedcreatures fro like bees on her blistered feet, then swiftly soothed thearbed herself as best she could and sat down, Conan was lying under the bush There was barely room for him; his feet thrust into the open at one end and his shoulders brushed the lower branches

A screa obscenely sacrificed brought Valeria to her feet The loincloth nearly parted conored it and drew her sword

The screa followed it So prey, or perhaps a mate?

Neither was any peril to her she had seen the Ciht a moment later Even now his hand was on the hilt of his sword, although he had the weapon sheathed to protect it froazed at that massive hand for soave way to an ie of a silk-draped couch in a perfumed chamber, ine ready to hand-except that both her hands and Conan's were more pleasantly occupied

Her stomach twitched, and for ato take its revenge for her hunger Then the queasiness passed, and her former fierce pride took its place