The Lion Soul by Amy Sumida

Chapter Eight

We saw the Eagles off, standing to the side as they slipped out of sturdy robes and shifted into giant birds. Kaelen lifted a hand in farewell once they were airborne, and they shrieked in response.

Once they were gone, Kaelen turned to me to ask, “Would you care for a tour of the camp?”

I nodded, and we headed back into the Lion Camp.

As we walked, he glanced at my swords, hanging in their stacked sheaths from my belt, both on my left hip. “Aren't they difficult to draw like that?”

The two sheaths were secured to my belt with a leather contraption that had straps near the front and middle of the sheaths so that they hung almost horizontally, as opposed to the way Stalanians wore their swords nearly vertically. The leather straps attached the top sheath to my belt and the bottom sheath to the top. They hung loosely and did bounce a little in battle, but I had long ago gotten used to their presence and without them there, I felt strange, as if I were missing a limb.

“It takes only seconds longer.” I shrugged. “Wearing one on each hip hinders my movements more and it can get tricky to draw them both at once.”

“Ah, I see. And I notice that you have the curve facing up.”

“In full armor, with my range of movement limited, I reverse them to make the draw easier, but I rarely wear full armor. So I secure them like this, with the blades curved up, for a couple of reasons. First, the hilts angle downward this way, which keeps them out of the way of my arms.” I tapped the top hilt. “Second, when I draw my swords from this position, the cutting edge is right where I need it to be.”

“Makes sense.” Kaelen nodded, then, after a few steps, he waved at the lines of tents around us. “This is the human section of camp.”

“You segregate your camp?” I asked in surprise.

“Only for the comfort of my soldiers. There are some cultural differences that make people happier to sleep among their own kind. But everyone roams at will, and the races mingle during their free time. Now that we have an Unsidhe camp nearby, those mingling races include them as well.”

I grunted.

Kaelen chuckled.

“What?” I asked.

“I never thought grunting could be sexy.” He grinned at me. “But the way you do it makes it sound primal.”

I cleared my throat. “It's just the way my people express agreement or acknowledgment. Sometimes words are unnecessary.”

“Oh, I understand. I'm only amused that I find it attractive.”

“I like your voice too,” I said hesitantly.

Kaelen beamed at me. “Thank you.” Then he waved me toward a big, open space with a fence around it. “This is the training courtyard. The soldiers have been given the day off, so it's empty, but normally it would be full at this time of day.”

I looked at the racks of wooden weapons with interest. “We use wooden swords for practice too, though ours are much slimmer. There's even a martial art that involves the use of swords made from strips of bamboo.”

“A martial art?”

“A sport that has evolved from battle,” I explained. “Nazaka has many of them, most of which are hand-to-hand.”

“So, even your recreation is centered around warfare?”

“Not all of it. I didn't have much time for recreation myself. I trained daily and when I wasn't training, I was doing chores for my master.”

“Your master?” He gaped at me.

“My teacher,” I amended. “It's an exchange. He taught me, and I worked for him. That's how such things are done in Nazaka. We call our teachers masters.”

“Ah, yes, we call our scholars masters and mistresses in Varalorre as well,” Kaelen said in relief. “It was just the way you said it that made it sound as if you were enslaved.”

“In a way, I was.” I chuckled. “Master Kushara could be a real hard-dick.”

Kaelen stopped walking as he choked on a laugh. “He could be a what?”

“A hard-dick?” I repeated with less certainty. “Are those the wrong words? I thought it was the term for someone who is tough on you.”

“I think you're looking for hard-ass,” he supplied.

“Oh.” I thought about it. “But when someone is mean, you call them a dick, correct?”

“Yes. That's one thing you can call them.” He was still chuckling. “But not a hard dick. That is something entirely different.”

I grinned. “I guess it would be more pleasant than annoying.”

“It depends on whose dick is hard,” Kaelen said, then burst out laughing, bending over to lean on his legs for support. “I'm sorry,” he said between breaths. “You're so fucking hilarious.”

“I wasn't trying to be.” I smiled at his antics. “But I'll take the compliment.”

Kaelen got his laughter under control and straightened. “Would you care to try some of your martial arts on me?”

“You want to train with me?” I asked in surprise.

“I want to train lightly,” he corrected. “Show me how you do it in Nazaka.”

“As I said before, I don't practice the martial arts version, but I suppose I can modify a training session with you.” I looked around. “Not here though.”

“Why not?”

“I don't want an audience.”

“Again, why not?”

I smirked and set my stare on him, looking him up and down before I said, “Because, Lion Lord, I don't want to humiliate you in front of your soldiers. It would hinder our relationship and I'd likely lose the chance of making you a hard-dick.”

Kaelen burst out laughing again. “Fair enough. You very well might humiliate me if we fight using your techniques alone. I'd be like a student.”

“You're implying that it would be the opposite if I used your techniques?” I lifted a brow.

“I'm not implying it.” Kaelen's grin matched mine. “You haven't seen me fight with a sword yet.” He leaned in to whisper, “It might make your dick hard.”

All this coarse talk was heating my skin. Warriors often teased each other in Nazaka, but Kaelen and I were flirting, not just teasing, and what had started as a joke was quickly becoming raunchy. I didn't know if I liked that.

I cleared my throat and said, “Very well. We'll try it one way and then the other.”

“Oh, I like the sound of that,” he drawled as he drew away from me slowly. His breath brushed my cheek as he moved, and his scent threatened to do what he suggested his sword skill would.

I pushed away my lusty thoughts as Kaelen led me into the training area and up to one of the racks of weapons. After removing my belt, I carefully set my swords aside, then untied my wrap tunic and folded it over the fence. When Kaelen turned back to me with two training swords, I was going through my stretching routine. His arms dropped, wooden sword tips hitting the packed dirt, and he gaped at me.

“What is it?” I asked as I looked down at myself, wondering if my pants had come loose.

“Nothing. I just wasn't expecting to see all of that when I turned around.” He lifted a sword and waved the tip at my chest in a circle.

I chuckled. “I suppose I have you to thank for all of this, Lion Lord.”

“Call me Kae,” he offered.

“Call me Rie,” I shot back.

“Ree-ay,” he sounded it out. “Does your name mean something?”

I went still, thinking about the way my reflection had shifted into a Shirie. “Yes, Rieyu means 'dragon.'”

“Well, that's damn sexy.” He smirked.

“What does your name mean?”

Kaelen grinned. “It means 'mighty warrior,' so you'd best prepare yourself, Dragon.”

“Am I allowed a weapon?” I lifted my brow pointedly at the wooden swords he held.

“Of course.” He handed me a sword. “Which way shall we try first?”

“My way.” I grinned.

“Good.” He nodded toward a padded pole that stood upright on a base. “Show me some basic moves on the pell.”

“Basic moves?” I scoffed as I strode over to the thing he called a pell. “There are no basic moves. If I were teaching you, I would first show you how to move your body, not your sword.”

“You mean, if you were my master,” he purred in my ear, suddenly right behind me . . . and bare-chested.

I knew his state of undress because he pressed that bare chest against my back. His words and warm skin sent a shiver through me, but I hid my reaction and instead lifted my brow again as I turned to look at him. “Why are you making it sound sexual?”

Kaelen grinned mischievously. “Because I'm hoping to distract you. Is it working?”

He reached his free hand around me and made to grab my waist, but I spun away, light on my feet, leaving him clutching only air. Back to back with the Lion Lord, I glanced over my shoulder and shot him a challenging look.

“I'll bet you're a beautiful dancer.” Kae smirked back at me, then grabbed my wrist and spun me—first out and away from him and then in, so that I smacked into his chest.

I stared up at him in surprise.

“Shall we?” he asked and slid his arm around my waist.

“Shall we what?”

“Dance.” Kaelen grinned and spun me out again, this time letting me go so that I had to abruptly catch myself before falling. “I've changed my mind. Let's stick to our own techniques and maybe we can learn a few things from each other by example.” The wicked grin he added to that statement gave another meaning to his words.

I ignored the innuendo and said, “Then I'll need another sword.”

Holding his arms out to the sides he said, “Can we at least keep the weapons even?”

“Very well. But you are cutting my efficiency in half, and you know it, Lion Lord. Remember that when I win.”

Kaelen laughed boisterously and swung his sword in a testing arc. “I love your confidence. I hope you're as calm in defeat. Although, I might enjoy seeing you pout.”

“Enough with the piss talk. Let's fight.”

“It's shit talk, and I'm ready when you are.”

My tail of my hair had swung forward. I flung it back and bowed to him. Kaelen bowed back, then lifted his sword, a goading smirk on his face. Watching him carefully, I stepped forward. I wasn't lying when I'd said he'd cut my efficiency in half, but a Takahansi warrior doesn't need any weapons at all to fight. I would have been perfectly comfortable fighting him with my bare hands. Nor was I intimidated by his bold words; they were a common tactic, almost mandatory, especially in this sort of situation. But you don't get to be the leader of an army without knowing how to use a sword, and I wasn't going to underestimate the Lion Lord.

Kaelen swung. I bent backward with the blow and it passed over my head. He lifted a brow at me. As he was distracted, I swung, fully expecting to connect . . . and didn't. My eyes widened in delighted surprise as I noted how light he was on his feet. For such a large man, he was quick.

But I was faster.

I went forward with more determination and tapped him twice—shoulder and hip—just enough to let him know that I would have sliced him open if we'd truly been in battle.

Someone cheered. I glanced over and saw a crowd gathering. With a grimace, I set my focus back on Kaelen. This was exactly what I'd wanted to avoid. I had no desire to beat him in front of his soldiers; that would only leave both of us feeling bad, and I didn't want to make this man feel uncomfortable around me.

But Kaelen only grinned and shook out his wild hair as he settled into a battle stance.

“You should tie your hair back,” I suggested. “It will hinder your vision.”

“I'm a Lion; I like hair in my face.” His grin broadened. “I look forward to having yours all over me.”

I blinked, a shiver of sharp arousal shooting through me, and at that moment, Kaelen leapt forward and swung. He only tapped me, as I had done to him, but it was enough to make his point.

“I see. You have to resort to tricks to win,” I noted.

“You mean like that trick you used earlier?” He smirked. “This is a fight, anything goes.”

“Very well.” I reached back and untied my hair. “Anything it shall be.”

The heavy weight of my hair swished against my back and swung forward to trail over my chest. Kaelen's stare grew hot and his mouth parted. His head lowered like an animal on the hunt. I dashed forward, the scent of lion and earth in my nose, and spun at the last second, smacking him in the face with the length of my hair. Effectively blinded, Kaelen growled and batted my hair away. By the time he could see, I had hit him thrice.

A crowd cheered this time, not just one man. We were attracting attention.

“Nicely played,” Kaelen said without a hint of rancor. “Damn, you've got some beautiful hair. You should leave it down all the time.”

I chuckled. “I prefer to keep my vision unimpeded. Unless, that is, I can use it against my opponent.” Then I leapt again.

But this time, Kaelen was prepared for me. He watched and waited, and when I was within striking distance, he bashed his forearm into my chest and sent me stumbling. As I tried to regain my balance, Kae grabbed the end of my hair, pulled me back with it, and tapped me with his sword . . . three times—thigh, chest, and back.

The soldiers cheered again, this time for their warlord.

“It looks like your opponent can use it against you as well,” Kaelen noted.

I spun and pushed up on the balls of my feet, funneling my momentum into a jump. Kaelen's eyes widened briefly as I soared toward him. My intentions had been to land just to his right, where I would have smacked his bottom with my blade—a sort of tease to get him back for using his brute strength and my hair (damn him) against me. But I never landed.

Instead of doing what most men would have and move out of my way, Kae stepped into my path and caught me, knocking my sword aside as he turned into my movement and taking us into a twirl that felt very much like the dancing he'd invited me to do.

Muscled forearm tight against my back. Powerful hand gripping my waist, fingers digging into me. The scent of lion musk and sweat. That mane of tawny hair brushing my cheek. The sensations hit me harder than any strike could have.

Kaelen lowered me slowly down his body as our audience hooted, slick muscles sliding erotically against each other as the heat from our bodies doubled. His breath hit my cheek, blowing back the strands of hair that had stuck to my skin, and his eyes, such an amazing blue, met mine. That ocean gaze held me more surely than his arms; I couldn't look away. My heart raced as he lowered his lips. Sweat beaded on his chest and rolled down, onto mine. Just as his lips met mine, I dropped into a crouch, brushing his burgeoning erection on the way down. Swallowing a groan of desire, I rolled away and sprung to my feet, hiding my hot cheeks behind the fall of my hair.

“You'll never catch that one, Lion Lord!” a woman called out. “Best leave him to the ladies.”

“I would if he had any interest, Melvane,” Kae shouted back. “But he'd run even faster from you.”

The crowd hooted, and I tried not to be embarrassed by it. This was their way; their version of camaraderie. If I was to fit in, I should play into it, not scorn it.

“Now, that depends,” I said, and everyone went silent, swiveling to stare at me. I swung back my hair, welcoming the breeze that cooled my cheeks. “If this cub can't catch me, I might do better with a lioness. I've heard that they're the true hunters in a pride.”

The soldiers roared in laughter as I gave Kaelen a small grin.

Kaelen grinned back. “I think I just proved that I have no problem catching you.”

“Yes, it was keeping me that you failed at.”

“I've learned long ago never to hold on too tightly. Whether you stay or not is up to you, Rie.” He looked me up and down, his chest rising and falling with more than his breath. Lust practically rolled off him.

“Give me a reason to stay, and I will.” I twisted my sword in a testing arc and settled into a fighting stance.

“Oh, damn!” a woman shouted. “He just called you out, Lion Lord.”

“I think I'm in love,” someone else, this one a man, drawled.

Kaelen ignored them all, keeping his stare on me as he declared, “Challenge accepted.”

I pushed away my lust and centered myself, pointing the sword down as I waited for my opponent to make his move. He did something similar. Neither of us strayed from our positions.

“One of us will have to be the aggressor,” Kaelen noted, again making the words sound sexual.

The crowd loved that. They called out lewd suggestions along with their cheers.

I just bowed to him. On the battlefield, I was careful, but I often attacked first. In the bedroom, I preferred my lover to show me some backbone and take the lead. But I wasn't sure what this was anymore. Were we fighting or flirting?

“If you insist,” Kaelen drawled, assessing me perfectly, and leapt like the Lion he was.

Both then. Bedroom or battlefield, the Lion Lord would never back down.