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back?”
    “No,” Leksi sighed. “I’ve never so much as laid a hand to her.”
    “Is she already taken, then?”
    “I don’t think so.” He shook his head. “No, I know not. She says she doesn’t want a man.”
    The tavern maid brought a fresh tankard to their table and apologized for the delay, citing the crush of patrons for the evening. When she left them, Kratos asked his companion if the silver-haired woman was even aware of his existence.
    “Aye, but she wants nothing to do with me,” Leksi answered.
    “Not enamored of your sweet little body, eh?” Kratos chuckled. When his friend looked up and shot him a warning look, the older man held up a hand. “What is this lovely one’s name?”
    “Kynthia,” Leksi muttered.
    Kratos’ brows shot upward again. “Well, well, well,” Kratos stated in a singsong voice. “So it is to be a pale moon to your blazing sun. I find that interesting. The gods are up to their old tricks, huh?”
    Leksi thought about it a moment. “Her name means pale moon?” At Kratos’ nod, he sighed. “Aye, well she has the color of the moon with those eyes and that wondrous hair.”
    “So where did you meet this lovely lady?”
    Leksi glanced away. “About.”
    “About,” Kratos stated. “Were you introduced to her?”
    “Not exactly,” Leksi said. “Her aunt took me to meet her.”
    “Perhaps you could speak with her family then, and—”
    “ No, hell I can’t! ”Leksi shouted, drawing the attention of the others in the tavern. He lowered his voice though his tone was sharp and insistent. “I cannot!”
    “You want me to?”
    Leksi snorted. “Only if you don’t mind winding up being sold to the Amazeen,” he replied.
    Kratos stared at him. “Don’t tell me you’ve become besotted by one of those vicious bitches!”
    “No, no, no!” Leksi said, once more waving his hand in dismissal.
    “She lives near the Amazeen, then?”
    Leksi looked down. “Not far from their lands,” he replied.
    “Close enough for the Amazeen to be a concern, eh?”
    “Aye.”
    The two men were silent for a few moments then Kratos scratched his beard again. “Well, you could always woo her.”
    Leksi looked up. “Woo her?”
    Kratos rolled his eyes. “It means to court her, boy.”
    “I know what it means!” Leksi held out a palm toward his friend. “Woo her how?”
    “Do you wish to woo her?”
    Leksi groaned. “Aye, Kratos. I wish to woo her. I would like this woman as my life-mate. But how do I do this?”
    “You woo her with flowers and sweets,” Kratos replied. “A pretty bauble or two for her neck or arm.”
    Leksi snorted. “She’s not a flowers and sweets kind of woman and I saw no adornment on her save…” He winced.
    “Save?” Kratos encouraged, sitting forward.
    “A leather gauntlet,” Leksi answered in a low voice.
    Kratos settled back in his chair, his mouth open. “She’s a warrioress?” he asked after a moment of stunned silence.
    “Aye, I believe she is. There was a crossbow and a quiver of quarrels beside her saddle and her horse was a Rysalian stallion well-suited for a High Warrior than a mere woman.”
    Speculation turned Kratos’ dark brown eyes almost black. “Was? Are you telling me the stallion you now ride belonged to her?” Kratos asked with a growl.
    “Well, aye. The beast was hers,” Leksi admitted with a wince.
    “You stole it from her, didn’t you?” Kratos accused.
    “I escaped on it,” Leksi replied.
    “Oh, this gets better and better,” Kratos snapped. “Escaped? When? From where? From who?”
    Leksi buried his head in his hands. “Just tell me how to keep from being bothered by her, old man,” he said. “I can think of nothing else! I can’t keep thinking about her if I can’t have her. It will drive me crazy!”
    “Well, you can start by returning her horse,” Kratos told him. “To steal a warrior’s horse—female warrior or not—is not a good thing. I thought you found that beast.” He lowered his