THE THORIAN SAGAS: 1. THE TRADER. (Completed).

Questions and answers.

The others drifted away slowly to retire yet again, having a lot to think about, and going over in their minds what had just happened.

Stoker went back to the fire, visually checking their surroundings out of habit; the security around them, and where weapons were, as Monique refilled his cup before she sat across from him.

She'd lost graciously, passing him her bracelet, with a hundred questions racing through her mind, wondering if she dared to ask them.

He put it on his own wrist, letting her tie it for him.

She was still breathless, but not from their combat; from what she had learned.

She was confused about many things; things she needed to know, but did she have courage enough to ask him?

He sensed her need to know certain things, and he waited.

"May I ask you a personal question?"

He looked at her.

"You may ask me any question. You have earned that, at least. If I cannot, or may not answer you, I will tell you."

She considered, carefully.

"Is the way you are... your build..." she blushed, and had to clarify her meaning, showing what she was still thinking about (him being a true man), but was skating around it... "your muscular build; your assurance; your confidence; and your aggression... how all true 'men' are?"

After all, he had killed all of those Frexes just before he'd got here, so it was a reasonable question.

Choosing to take on any animal like that, was something they would never have considered doing themselves, but it all seemed second nature to him, and it had been necessary.

She was stumbling for words, obviously still curious about what she had seen of him as a man, and of his physical response to her which they had all seen, but which they would never be able to ask him directly about.

He had half expected that more direct question. He knew he had shocked them.

They may have seen Yunks, so he would certainly have been a surprise to them. He should have been more careful.

He answered as though she'd actually asked that other question about his body, intending to save them any misunderstanding about him.

"Do you really not know about men? Do women like you, not have men of your own in your lives?"

She shook her head.

"Not men like you. Our men are slight, by comparison, easily intimidated... not as... you are." She still skated around the issue.

"When we became warriors, we chose to have nothing to do with men. We all swore an oath of celibacy, so no... we do not know everything we should know about men."

He must have been a hell of a shock for them.

He should have learned more about their society on his visits each week than he had, though he had learned so much more than they could ever know... but about other things in their city. He had not expected that anything like that... 'Challenge', would be thrown at him, yet he had invited it.

They had all taken that oath of celibacy, of course, but he had not.

Yunks did not need to take such an oath, and they had believed him to be a Yunk, until now.

She continued. "We have men in our society of course, yes. But they are not allowed in here. They also look nothing like you, physically. They are not suited to combat, and they shrink from violence of any kind.