Tynan frowned, watching her leave. He wiped his lips with the napkin and stood up. As he rose, Kiraha's hand touched his thigh under the table, stilling him. Something passed in their gazes for a moment, her eyes almost mocking with a hint of warning while Tynan's were hard and distant. He murmured some apology and followed after Feather.

"Hmmm..." Kiraha sighed as she smiled, leaning back in her chair nonchalantly. She chuckled mysteriously. Arum stared after Tynan. "How long has your party been together, Arumshade?" she asked conversationally.

He turned his gaze to her, startled back from whatever dismal plane of thought he was on before. "Ah - about a week I suppose. Probably a little more." he replied haltingly.

"So much seems to have heppened between you three," she laughed, she picked up her goblet, the sparkling Araawan wine sloshing seductively in the clear crystal. "Shall I tell you something about the Araawan, young priest?" she purred, her lush lips taking a sip from the goblet. "The Kiraha live for as long as their tasks demand of them. There are powers that come with the station, among which is the ability to read the thoughts of any of our tribe whose blood runs cold. Coldbloods thoughts are like crystal," She held up the goblet, the candlelight glinting off the rim and neck. "Sharp, defined and clear. But Warmbloods are different. There are passions in us that turn our thoughts fluid. You might aswell try to read the river."

She paused, sipping her wine as Arum looked at her in perplexity. The only sound came from Adam as he ate. "Humans, however, have minds like fire. Ever-changing, some burning hotter and stronger than others - totally unreadable, mysterious and yet so delightfully mesmerizing. I had once believed that I had tamed this fire, but all I've done is make it burn with cold."

===

Tynan strode through the hallway, trailing after Feather. "Feather! Will you wait?" he snapped, jogging to catch up with her. He took her hand to stop her. "Why are you so upset about this?" he asked her pointedly, his hand lingering on hers unconciously. "You're an Araawan, aren't you? This shouldn't surprise you."

She pulled her hand free of his, glaring at Tynan in the dim candlelit hall. Why was she angry? That was a good question. Because she hated that wench, of course.

I beg to differ.

Shut up.

"It sickens me to see you like this," she said haughtily. "All weak, pathetic, dominated -"

Tynan smiled at her. Her father probably sheltered her alot from the truth of Araawan life. "The Oaks did things differently from your tribe, I suppose." he said mildly. "She loves power and she isn't afraid to demand it, weild it, exploit it. She's a Kiraha of the ancient school of thought, you might say - dominating, beguiling, willful and devious. I was a naive sixteen year old. Domination was easy." He said the last few words with a hint of bitterness in his voice.