Later that morning, after a few rounds of thoroughly satisfying love making, Kes found herself on top of her wife, just kissing and in no real hurry at all to stop.

The sound of Lanam laughing came floating in from outside though, and they could hear Tresit’s laugh in response too, quieter, but still with the quality of joy to it. Kes might have been able to keep kissing her wife, but that she felt Anara’s focus on the very pleasant activity wane a little and sensed the reason why through their bond. Kes sighed softly and stopped kissing her, laying herself down over her, Anara’s arms sliding down to rest on her lower back. Kes snuggled in close to her and closed her eyes. –You’re worried…– She spoke to her through their link. Speaking this way had become as natural to them as talking aloud by now… Maybe… maybe even more so.

–…You aren’t…?– Anara asked back, knowing, of course, that Kes was just as worried as she.

–You know I am… I guess I just haven’t been in a hurry to… really think about it. That’s all…– Kes admitted.

–…You don’t have to feel responsible for this.– Anara told her gently, bringing a hand up along her body to touch her face. Kes nuzzled against the hand and held it with one of her own. –He’s going to go after his brother whether you go with him or not. If anyone is to blame…–

–No, don’t think that.– Kes countered. –You couldn’t have know…–

–Yes, I could… it’s only… with you, when I’m with you… it’s so…–

–Are you saying that I’m a very distracting influence?– Kes asked, smiling a little at saying it.

Anara smiled too. –Something like that maybe. I feel so safe… I didn’t think, when I should have… If I hadn’t spoken it aloud…–

–…Maybe something good, something really good will come of it? If I have anything to say about it, we’ll… have Vastu back.– Kes told her encouragingly.

–…and what about Thalla…? What about Artem, and Miteza?–Anara asked softly, feeling guilt. –My brother was not a good man, but he was their father, Miteza’s husband. Even lacking my… my defect, it’s not an easy thing much of the time, for a woman and her children to make their way when her husband dies. Out here on a mining world, even less so. And, if word gets out that Tulk was killed in his sleep by a boy as young as Tresit is…? After so many deaths in his family already… My people can be very superstitious about such things, perhaps somewhat rightly so in this case…–

–They’ll think he was weak, and that his children must be too…– Kes finished, realizing what her wife was getting at. –They might be shunned.–

–It’s a real danger for them, yes…– Anara admitted. –Artem is old enough that he should be able to make his way, but, having been raised by my brother, I have doubts he will be as loyal to his family as Tresit has been. And, without him, if Miteza is not able to find another husband soon, it will be very hard for her and her daughter alone… Women, even men to a somewhat lesser extent, who are past a certain age and unmarried for too long a time, for whatever reason, are still often looked on badly… I was not yet of that age when my husband was killed, I am still not, but Miteza would be of that age by now, or close enough to it…–

–…What do you know about her?– Kes asked. –About Miteza?– She asked, picturing the frightened woman in the kitchen that she’d… threatened to kill.

–…I don’t know her well. She was always very quiet… she never talked much, even to other women, as far as I knew…–

–…They’re a part of our family too.– Kes spoke what she knew Anara was thinking beneath what she’d been saying.

–…They are.– Anara replied.

Tulk’s death was their fault, and family was family… The only trouble was, of course, neither one of them was quite sure what they could do to make this right.

Kes did want to make it right though, if she could.

——–

to be continued