Prologue .. Intro to Anger

That night I set the dream catcher with Orahjinn's help. I would not leave the thing behind .. if something happened to me ... someone needed to retrieve it. Bad things happen on the plains all the time .. men are killed doing the most simple of tasks as riders .. herdsmen. It would be irresponsible of me to leave the thing without someone understanding what I had done.

The next morning it was early .. when I received a message ... a message sent over drums. It infuriated me and confused me all at the same time. Which is not an easy thing to do. Usually .. if I am confused I can hold off my irritation. In this case however .. they came together ... and in colossal proportions. Which unfortunately set my mood rather solidly steeped in both for my meeting with the Commander of Or .. Sef. I can only wish .. in retrospect ... that the meeting had helped clear up this confusion and irritation ... however I was reminded that I rarely get my wishes.

I have never .. heard ... that many words sent over drums before. Everyone stopped and listened .. for a long time. Drums are an important part of our society and no one ignores drums or horns. Drums going on for that long .. got some notice.

Got my notice.

Sef spoke of reports .. that he felt he needed to follow up on as a Commander...

"Report one comes from several at the fires last eve. That of a prospect spending most of her time in a warriors wagons. This woman is un mated and a prospect. Once mated she is now not mated. This would make her the responsibility of the Ubar."

huh

"I understand lei, has been spending most of her time in Fonces wagons. This is causeing many to question weather she is a free woman looking to prospect and be part of the first fires. Or simply a slave."

Was the man serious? Surely this was not about Lei .. had to be about Asria ... right? Someone tell me this was not about Lei ...

"Some one stated she is a ward of fonce. I Am only stating that several have questioned me on the appearance of such actions. And about the law of no woman who is unclaimed spending time in a warriors wagon, Unless she is collared.

My recommendation is that the woman be chained until the Ubar can deal with this matter."

This better be about Asria .. by this time I was getting very angry. If I returned to the First Fires to find the child Lei chained to anyone's wagon I was going to kill someone .. slowly. If .. anyone was accusing me of using the child like a slave ... a lot of people were going to die .... slowly. My name was mentioned .. someone was going to answer some questions.

Most of the rest was diatribe was about what I assumed to be Sorrel .. and Sef's demands for equal treatment of her as apposed to some prospect's words of her and the fact she was chained. It was all very confusing .. since Ayguili himself was the one that called her a dweller and chained her. So that was all between the Ubar and Sef .. my concern as I headed towards the First Fires was that .. if I got there and found Lei chained or even detained in any way that offended my protective streak I was going to hurt someone ..

a lot.