Loves

Sadah

Sadah al-Maswari is the daughter of a prominent noble in the Land of Peace. She and Edan were to have an arranged marriage, which was put on hold when Edan left to join the tribes of the Deep Desert.

"My mother arranged for the marriage," he said.

"Sadah was... a pure woman. Beautiful. Wealthy. A

'merchant princess', you could say. Her smile would light a room. Her

hair was blacker than night, her face that of a goddess, her thighs..."

He breaks off, looks away, says, "Ah... she is very attractive, Sadah is.

She had the same love of the dance as I did. But my mother arranged

for us to marry because of her station, and because she is pure in

the Way of Peace."

Chases-In-Madness

Daughter of the High Marshall of the Moonriders of Ghenesh, Edan met her while they both were in a long-distance race from opposite sides of the tree Ygg. Their meeting was brief; nevertheless, they made a very strong impression upon one another.

"I thank you," Edan says, and works the pin into the lapel of his robe for

the moment. "It does not seem fair, somehow, that you should not have

something..." From his boot, he produces a curved, scabbarded knife,

which he holds out sideways to her. "A thing of the Dar-es-Salaam,"

he says.

She smiles, but does not move to take it yet. "Do you know what that

means among my people, Son of the Sun?"

Edan raises an eyebrow, and his hand drops about a centimeter. "I do

not," he says. "In my homeland, to give the jambiyah to another is a

sign of respect and friendship. I hope I have not offended."

"Among my people, the gift of a knife means that you count the receiver

a close enough friend that you know the receiver will  never turn it on

you," Chases-in-Madness explains. "The gift can have additional

significance if exchanged between a man and a woman. I am not offended,

and will accept the gift on the terms given, but I do not wish you to

feel trapped by a pledge you did not mean to make, or mean me to."

                                                                                                Hannah

Edan's meeting with his cousin Hannah was quite unexpected; their paths crossed in the Blue Earth, both of them on very different missions. Whatever they were looking for, they found it in each other. Their meeting was brief, and afterward they went on to Xanadu; neither has talked about their tryst, and they probably have a lot to talk about once they meet with each other again...

                  "If you have suggestions, I am all for them. You would seek rest

here too, would you not? I see that you have your own great stressor,

your own Drowning Man, one in whom you have placed great care."

"Guidance and balance.  I'm not so good at rest either.  As for

suggestions, a wise woman asks many questions but offers few answers,"

she grins.