Chapter 230 — What Nia Wants

Ayari had four woven mats spread across the floor when Nia arrived.

Two were rolled tightly beside the entrance. The others lay open across the main room, taking up enough space that Nia had to step around one to reach her friend.

“You're moving?” Nia asked.

Ayari looked up from the mat she was examining.

“Only if my husbands become tired of me.”

“With five of them, I imagine that would take some work.”

“I would have to make all five angry at once.” Ayari considered the idea. “I don't think I've ever managed it.”

Nia laughed and removed her outer shoes.

Ayari had invited several females to spend part of the following afternoon together near the lower shaded terrace. The spot had enough room for sitting and talking, but the stone was rough in places, and Ayari had decided her household could spare a few mats.

Apparently, deciding which ones to bring had become more difficult than expected.

Nia crouched beside the nearest mat.

“What's wrong with this one?”

“Nothing. That's the problem. Tovin says it's too good to carry down there, and I told him we didn't weave it so everyone could admire it while it sat rolled against a wall.”

Nia ran her palm over the tightly woven reeds. The surface was smooth, with a darker border where two colors had been worked together.

“It is pretty.”

“Exactly. People should sit on it.”

“Maybe Tovin doesn't want anyone spilling something on it.”

“Then he shouldn't have married a woman who invites people to eat.”

Nia smiled and helped her roll the mat.

They chose two sturdier ones to go with it, leaving the fourth against the wall.

“Is Tovin going to complain?” Nia asked.

“Probably.”

“Then you can tell him why you chose it.”

“I was going to tell him you helped.”

“Don't involve me in your marriage.”

Ayari laughed.

A male voice called from the deeper room, asking whether she had finished choosing the mats.

“Almost,” Ayari answered.

“Then stop unrolling them. I keep hearing you move the same things.”

Ayari looked at Nia.

“That was Garrick. He thinks I've been doing this since morning.”

“Have you?”

“Only part of the morning.”

Nia shook her head, smiling.

They carried the selected mats to the dry space beside the outer wall, where they could remain until the following afternoon.

The household entrance stood open to let the warm air through. Outside, people moved along the upper passage, occasionally stopping to exchange greetings or ask after work being done farther downhill.

Ayari brushed loose reed fibers from her lap.

“Did you see Mari this morning?”

“Briefly. She's still adjusting the cuts for the new drying screens.”

“Is she satisfied with them yet?”

“Mostly. The wider pieces dried well, but some of the thinner strips caught when the workers tried to turn them.”

Ayari shook her head.

“I heard her complaining about that yesterday.”

“She was complaining about the cutting more than the screens.”

“That sounds like Mari.”

Ayari collected the remaining mat ties into a shallow basket.

“Ren brought those screens, didn't he?”

“He came with the delivery.”

“And he's been back since then?”

Nia glanced up.

“You already know he has.”

“I heard he was in Hearthfang. I didn't know whether he stayed.”

“He had supper with us.”

Ayari looked pleased.

“Did he like the food?”

“He did. We were trying something with leftover grain, and he helped me prepare the roots.”

“A merchant who cooks. That's useful.”

Nia smiled.

“He knows his way around food preparation. He says he's spent too many evenings traveling with people who were too tired to make anything worth eating.”

“I can believe that. Tovin complains about the food at some of the outside shelters, and he doesn't travel nearly as far as Ren.”

Ayari settled beside the basket.

“Have you been enjoying his visits?”

“Yes.”

Nia answered readily, then looked down at the bracelet on her wrist.

She had been thinking about Ren more often since his last visit.

The previous morning, she had watched him leave after spending time with Shen. She'd known the two men were friends, but their parting had shown her a familiarity that existed long before she entered either man's life.

Ren had his routes, workers, brothers, and years of friendships. He had responsibilities that existed whether she wanted his company or not.

She liked that about him.

She also found herself thinking about things he'd told her the evening before.

Soren sounded like someone she might enjoy meeting. Lucien sounded like a man she would need patience to deal with.

Ren had laughed when he talked about them, but he'd defended Lucien's competence even after describing their arguments.

“It's getting more complicated than liking him,” Nia admitted.

Ayari set down the mat ties.

“Is he doing something you don't like?”

“No. That's not the problem.”

“Good. I was beginning to wonder whether I'd have to dislike a merchant I haven't properly met.”

Nia laughed.

“You don't have to dislike him.”

“Then tell me what's bothering you.”

Nia shifted closer and sat beside her friend.

“When I bonded with Kael, I was still learning how Hearthfang households worked. I understood much more by the time Shen joined us, but sharing a home with two husbands taught me things I couldn't have known beforehand.”

Ayari nodded.

“You have a good household.”

“I do.”

Nia touched the braided band of her bracelet.

“Ren's life is different.”

“Because he travels?”

“That's part of it. Kael has chief work, and Shen has his gathering and medicine work, but this is their home. Even when they're busy, most nights we end up together.”

Ayari rested her hands on her knees.

“Ren has his trade routes.”

“A lot of them.”

“He's a merchant.”

“I know. And I like that about him.”

Nia looked toward the open entrance.

“He enjoys what he does. Even when he's tired or irritated, he wants to know what's happening along the roads. He likes finding things people haven't seen before. I wouldn't want him to stop.”

“Then don't ask him to.”

“I'm not going to.”

Nia rubbed her thumb over the bracelet's braided band.

“I just haven't pictured having a husband who's away so often.”

Ayari leaned against the wall.

“Sareth travels. Sometimes he's gone long enough that I start finding things I wanted to tell him and forget which ones I've already sent in a message.”

“Doesn't it bother you?”

“Sometimes. Especially when he's somewhere the weather has turned bad.”

She shifted her legs into a more comfortable position.

“But he traveled those routes before we bonded. I liked hearing about the things he saw. I still do.”

Nia considered that.

“What about when you want him home?”

“I tell him.”

“Does he come?”

“When he can. Sometimes he can't leave the work he's doing, and sometimes I decide what I wanted wasn't worth making him turn around.”

Ayari smiled.

“Once I sent word because I missed him. He arrived with an entire basket of dried roots and thought I wanted to know what he'd gathered.”

Nia laughed.

“What did you do?”

“I told him I was glad he came, but he could put the roots down before kissing me.”

“Did he?”

“He put them down.”

Ayari glanced toward the deeper room.

“And now he knows to kiss me before asking whether I want to hear about his journey.”

Nia could easily imagine it.

“Do the others mind when he's gone?”

“Why would they? Aurel has work that takes him away too, and Tovin can spend half a day talking to sellers when he meant to be gone for one short errand.”

“That sounds familiar.”

“Some days I want everyone home. Other days I'm glad they're busy, especially when I have work I want to finish without five men asking whether I need help.”

Nia smiled.

Ayari picked up one of the worn ties and examined it.

“I married them knowing they had things they cared about. I wouldn't like it if they expected me to stop spending time with my friends just because they were home.”

“No, I wouldn't like that either.”

“Then we understand each other.”

Ayari set the worn tie aside.

A woman stopped at the entrance to ask whether the gathering was still planned for the following afternoon.

“Yes,” Ayari said. “Bring something to sit on if you can. I'm bringing three mats, but I don't intend to furnish the entire terrace.”

The woman laughed.

“I was going to bring my own. Pella asked whether you wanted food.”

“Tell her she doesn't have to cook for everyone. She complained about that last time.”

“She'll complain even if she doesn't make anything.”

“Then she can complain while sitting comfortably.”

The woman continued along the passage.

Nia watched Ayari separate the worn ties from those that could still be used.

“You really enjoy getting everyone together.”

“I like having people around. Not all the time, but enough that I know what my friends are doing.”

Nia smiled.

“You usually know anyway.”

“People tell me things.”

Ayari looked toward her.

“And I'm glad you came today. It's been a while since we sat together without something needing to be done before midday.”

Nia considered how to explain what had been occupying her thoughts.

She had enjoyed Ren's company from the beginning, but her feelings had changed gradually. She no longer wondered only when he would return or whether he might bring something interesting.

She wondered whether he'd eaten during his journey. She remembered how he'd looked when Shen spoke to him as an old friend, and how readily he'd told her about his brothers once he stopped turning every answer into a joke.

Ren could be charming with almost anyone.

She liked him when he wasn't trying.

“I think I might want him to be my husband,” she said.

Ayari set the ties aside.

Nia looked down at her hands.

“Not just someone I'm courting. I mean actually becoming part of my household.”

Ayari moved closer.

“Have you decided?”

Nia shook her head.

“Not completely. I'm seriously thinking about it.”

“Does he know?”

“He knows I want him to court me. He knows I like spending time with him.”

“But you haven't told him this.”

“No.”

Nia looked toward her friend.

“I don't want to say yes just because I enjoy kissing him or because I'm happy when he comes back. I want to know that I'll still be happy with the life we'd actually have.”

“That seems sensible.”

“And it wouldn't only change things for me. He'd be joining a household that already has Kael and Shen. He has people who depend on him too.”

Ayari nodded.

“Then he'll have things to arrange.”

“Probably a lot of them.”

“He's good at arranging things, isn't he?”

Nia smiled.

“Very.”

“Then you don't have to solve all his work problems for him.”

“I wasn't planning to.”

Ayari gave her a skeptical look.

Nia laughed.

“All right. I've thought about a few of them.”

“I imagine you have.”

Ayari leaned back against the wall.

“I don't think I've ever heard you talk this much about whether a man would fit into your household.”

“Kael and Shen were different.”

“They were.”

Nia had told Ayari enough about her marriages for her friend to understand that neither had followed quite the same path she was now considering with Ren.

Nia looked toward the entrance.

“I want him to keep being Ren. I don't want to marry him and then start resenting every time he has to leave.”

Ayari was quiet for a moment.

“Then that's something you need to think about before you make the choice.”

Nia nodded.

“And the bond would mean something permanent for him. I can't treat that lightly.”

“No,” Ayari agreed.

She didn't rush to reassure Nia or insist that everything would work out.

Nia appreciated that.

After a moment, Ayari said, “I love Sareth just as much when he's away gathering roots as when he's sitting beside me. But I still expect him to come home and be my husband when his work is done.”

Nia considered the distinction.

She didn't need Ren to remain in Hearthfang every day.

She wanted him to have somewhere he intended to return.

And if that place eventually became her household, she wanted it because he chose it as fully as she chose him.

Ayari reached over and touched her knee.

“You're allowed to want him, Nia.”

Nia smiled faintly.

“I know.”

“Good. I was beginning to think you needed somebody to remind you.”

Nia laughed and caught her hand.

“I didn't say I was going to marry him tomorrow.”

“I heard you. You're thinking about it.”

“Seriously.”

Ayari glanced toward the stack of mats.

“Then I hope you've finished thinking about them. I still need Tovin to carry those down tomorrow.”

Nia looked at the decorated roll on top of the stack.

“Are you sure he's going to agree to that one?”

“He'll complain. Then he'll carry it.”

“You sound very certain.”

“I know my husband.”

Nia laughed.

They finished gathering the remaining ties and put the worn ones aside for other uses.

Ayari stood and stretched.

“You'll come tomorrow, won't you?”

“To the gathering?”

“Yes. Pella said she'd bring something to eat, even after telling everyone she wasn't cooking for us again.”

“I'll come.”

“Good.”

Ayari accompanied Nia toward the entrance.

As Nia reached for her shoes, Ayari touched her arm.

“I'm glad you told me.”

Nia looked up.

“Me too.”

“I won't say anything to anyone. It's yours to tell.”

“Thank you.”

Ayari smiled.

“Though I do want to meet him properly one day. Every time I see that fox, he's carrying something or speaking to somebody about a delivery.”

“He's usually busy.”

“I'd like to know whether he's as entertaining when he isn't trying to sell anything.”

Nia laughed.

“He can be worse.”

“Wonderful.”

They stepped outside together just as Tovin came along the upper passage.

The red panda beastman slowed when he saw the stack of mats waiting beside the wall.

Ayari pointed toward them.

“Those three are going to the lower terrace tomorrow.”

Tovin looked at the decorated roll.

“You chose that one.”

“I did.”

“I thought we were keeping it inside.”

“We're going to use it.”

He looked from Ayari to Nia.

Nia immediately raised both hands.

“Don't look at me.”

Ayari burst out laughing.

Tovin sighed, though the movement of his mouth suggested he wasn't particularly upset.

“I'll carry them after the morning work. Just leave them there.”

He stepped close enough to touch Ayari's back as he passed, and she turned to kiss his cheek before he continued into the household.

Nia watched them exchange a few more words about the following day's arrangements.

Ayari took her husband's answer without surprise, then looked back at Nia.

“See? No argument.”

“He didn't get much of a chance.”

“He knows me.”

Nia slipped on her shoes and hugged Ayari goodbye.

As she stepped into the upper passage, Tovin came back out to inspect the ties on the decorated mat. Ayari joined him, explaining where she wanted it placed on the terrace while he checked that the woven edge wouldn't drag against the stone.