Page 63 of The Ruler
“Yes, Pearl, fifteen. That was one of the first things Khan did after his father passed away three years ago. There was a rebellion because of it, but Magni challenged the leader to an honor fight.”
“What’s an honor fight?”
“No weapons, no rules except that the survivor wins.”
“Magni killed the man?”
“Yes, with his bare hands,” Finn said, clearly impressed. “Magni is the most superior warrior in the Northlands – well, the world probably, since you people don’t fight much, do you?”
“No,” I said as if the idea alone offended me. “Some do martial arts for sport, but never to hurt another human being.”
Finn shrugged. “Magni used to be as respected as Khan, before…”
We both knew he was referring to Laura’s leaving Magni, but I didn’t want to go there.
“But eighteen is still young for a bride,” I commented.
“No, it’s not. At eighteen a woman is ripe and fertile,” Finn declared matter-of-factly and raised a glass of wine from the table, tilting his head back and emptying it. “It’s a damn shame that your eggs dried out instead of your giving birth to a few beautiful blonde girls yourself.” He broke into another charming smile and I got the feeling Finn was generally a happy person able to bounce back from heavy topics with a quick smile.
“How do you know my eggs are dried out?” I asked.
“Because women lose their fertility faster than men.”
“True, but I’m thirty-three, not forty-three.”
“All I’m saying is that had you been one of ours, you would have been married and had three or four kids by now.
“But I’m not one of yours,” I pointed out. “I’m a woman with a profession and free will, who doesn’t have to let any man control me.”
“Like I said,” Finn shook his head and grinned, “a damn shame.”
Magni appeared in the doorway. “Time to go,” he said and as we walked to the drones he pointed to Finn. “Change of plans – Zobel is sending his own men to feed the hungry, so we’re going straight home.”
“Home? But I thought we were staying one more night,” Finn said.
“As I said, change of plans.”
“Got it.”
“Finn.” Magni stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “The councilwoman rides with you.”
“Why?” I asked but got no answer. I searched for Khan and saw him talking to Zobel by the other drone. His eyes met mine for a fleeting second and there was a coldness to him that was new.
“That’s fine,” Finn said. “I’ll connect my drone to yours and we’ll talk when we’re back at the Gray Manor.”
Magni was about to walk away when Finn grabbed his arm and whispered what I wasn’t supposed to hear. “Does Khan want me to be her protector?”
I looked down, when Magni’s eyes flew to me. “I’m not sure. We’ll talk back at the Manor,” he ordered and walked off.
With only two passengers in the large drone there was room to lie back in the seats and rest. I was quiet and trying to digest everything that had happened since yesterday morning when we’d left the west coast, but after twenty minutes Finn turned to me, placing his hands behind his neck and grinning slightly. “So, about that thing you said at the bar. You know, about getting rid of the border. When do you think it’ll happen?”
His open expression was one of hope and I smiled a little at his endearing energy. Sure, Finn was an Nman and raised as a primitive ogre like the rest of them, but he was different somehow. Maybe because he was the smallest and least buff of them all, which didn’t say much because he was still huge.
“Finn, how tall are you?” I asked.
“I’m six foot three, why?”
“What’s that in meters?” I asked since their outdated system of feet and inches meant nothing to me.
