Beo

We finally came upon the scene. The dweller male was on one knee but still holding his scythe. The two outriders were taking passes at him but he had gotten in a few scores himself .. one of the kaiila bled from a shoulder wound and one of the riders from a gash on his thigh. They paused and saluted as I rode up. But it was not to them I spoke. It was to the man.

He was tall .. broad at the shoulder. His hair was long and red-blonde and twisted into braid like ropes with beads and bones. His beard was red. He wore patterned scars on his arms and many symbols or talismans around his neck. He was bleeding from many paper thin cuts given by the delicate paring of the lance. But there was still the light of battle in his gaze and I knew he had faced each test with courage or he would not still be alive at all. "Do you want to live?" I questioned.

"I am Beo. I will fight you to do so." He replied.

I grinned. "I have a bigger challenge for you dweller. You will take the child and care for her."

He stared at me for a long time before he would admit. "I am in no shape to care for the child."

I knew that all ready .. "You will be taken care of."

I saw the thought process flicker through his eyes. Was he spared death only to care for a child? A girl child at that? Yet .. would he have been spared at all if he had not shown courage at every turn? Did he want to stay with the Tuchuk? Did he want to die even less? I smirked as this progression of thought took place. He finally answered me. "I will care for the girl. But I will be no captive of the Tuchuk."

About now I could feel the anger boiling up from the outriders. I had spoiled their fun and they were not through paying the dweller sleen back for the few good strikes he had gotten in. But I was not only their commander I was the Ubar and neither one of them wanted a nightly visit from the Black Mask .. so they kept quiet. But I would face them later .. I knew this.

"I do not make deals with dwellers. You will come and live or stay here and die."

"I will live." He got to his feet. I rode up to him and handed off the girl child. He was weak and the rush of battle was starting to leave his muscles but he took her and perched her on his shoulder. I spun the kaiila around and the man began to walk just behind my stirrup and far enough to the side to avoid any kaiila pranks. I grinned through my kaiila's ears as I heard him walking behind me .. stumbling here and there. Never once did the little girl cry out .. never once did the man complain. I was pleased.