Over Stepping The Bounds Of Friendship

Reain
******* 

"You are Chunor to a man who loves you, and your sweet benna. Can one ask 
for more from the gods than to be with the ones that you love? But you 
seem to begrudge him of the fact that he must marry. You toss down a 
happy union, one already blessed with a child. You would expect no
less from him if you were in her place. So why do you hate her so for 
wanting what is right from him?

"Both of you should be ashamed. Because of your selfish behavior you have
caused that blood should be spilt in the tent of Avanasha. Because
you cannot see that there is one thing that ties you together you have 
caused hate to swell like a serpent between you. He loves you both, and
honors you both. If you love and honor him, put down your hate. I will
 not warn you again."

Andorra looked at them, shaking with fear and anger. "I have spoken rough 
I know, but I feel it is necessary. We will be family, and so we
should love as family." She looked at the two, waiting to hear a response.

Saleh struggled to get to her feet from the hard floor. Cradling the 
mound of her belly in her left arm, she pointed at the pendant orb with
her right forefinger. "This is MY baby, MY son!" she ground out. "No one 
will raise him but ME!  This woman...this Chunor," she indicated Reain 
with a broad sweep of her arm, "she tried to hurt my baby.  Now you," 
she turned back to Andorra, "You threaten to take my baby away. No one 
is going to do anything to my baby!"

And with that Saleh stormed out of Andorra's stone tent, arms wrapped
protectively around her middle.  

Reain waited in stunned silence for only a few seconds after the door was
closed before she stood and faced her *sister*.

"No matter if you are Andahar's cousin or not!" she said seething in fury.
"You over step your place in what you do!"

"I do what is good for my family!" Andorra didn't even flinch as she 
looked back at Reain. "I do what is right for Andahar to being piece to 
his tent."

"He may have piece in his tent for I will not be there if that piece of
horse's dun is there!" Reain snapped. "I have my own tent where my 
Daughter and I live. Woman who runs Warren has said this is so!"

"You are Chunor de Andahar!" Andorra looked shocked, but only for a 
moment then her voice took on the sound of a mother scolding a young 
child.  "You would dishonor him by not living in his tent. Do not act 
like silly woman. Where else would you go?"

Reain stood up to her full height which wasn't much taller then the girl
before her. Her eyes blazing and her lips thin from trying to hold in her anger.

"I am Chunor to no man!" She hissed. "I am dragonrider and free person. 
I have told this to Andahar. I love him with all my heart but will not 
stay in same tent with that..... with that *she cow* to be ordered around
like dog! Not by woman who tells lies about me. I did not attack her. Nor 
try to harm her baby the way she cries... I was one attacked but she lies 
to save face. I will not live with bitch like that! Woman who runs Warren 
says I am free to choice. I am dragonrider now not weak nomad woman to be
owned by another! I say who is in my tent and who is not! Andahar may come.
May go. His choice. But I will not be less then wife to him. I will NOT be
Chunor!"

With that she turned and started for the door. Got three steps before 
her arm was grabbed and she was turned back around to face the other 
woman.

"You dishonor your people with talk like this!" Andorra growled. "You 
forget your place!"

"No my fried," Reain shook her head, still angry at what she thought of 
as Andorra's trickery and interference. "I know my place. My place in on
dragons back protecting our people. Not as slave to any man. I will love
Andahar when he wants me. Because this is what I want. But choice will me
mine! Mine! As free woman. Not as slave with no choice."

She yanked her arm out of Andorra's grasp and continued on out of the 
stone building. 

She wasn't scared that Andorra would run to Andahar with news of their 
talk. She knew the other woman would do so as soon as she could find him.
 
But it didn't matter.

Reain might love him, and she certainly couldn't refuse him when he came to
her mat at night. But the choice was still hers to allow him to come to her.

It was a choice she made out of love, but not even for Andahar would she
live in the same home as that she cow and allow herself to be ordered around
like a slave by a woman who hated her, just because she was Andahar's wife.

She had her own honor to deal with and now that she was a free woman... she
wouldn't allow anyone to take that away from her.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Lenna and Turner coming up next.....

****Submitted by: *****

Reain & Sylois
Cleft Warren