Blood of the Ghost Men

[AriesWolf]

Ro'damn stood perfectly balanced on the balls of his feet. His muscular frame and dark complexion giving him the appearance of a predator at rest. The floor of the great forest far below him, his eye's fixed on the smoke rising in the distant East. Was Mother Wild aflame? No... it was to concentrated to be a forest fire, and yet, there were no Tribes living in the marshes.

Disturbed, Ro'Damn climbed down from his perch, and ran toward the smoke, his feet barely touching the forest floor as he did so. Spear in hand he lept over logs, and darted around trees, weaving and dodging his way through the jungle at breakneck speed.

Then suddenly the forest thinned. Ro'Damn had come this way before, and he knew that no clearing was anywhere near here! As he came to the edge of the tree's he saw movement, and ducked quickly back into the leafy undergrowth. A man was talking loudly. His skin was pale and his hair the color of sand, all in all he was quite ugly, a big belly and beard clashed with the sweat stains on his clothes and the reek of cheap wine.

Ro'Damn stared on in horrified fascination, as he realized the man was standing on a fallen tree. Two other white-men (those these ones not as ugly as the fat one) were hacking at the tree with other big axes. His people had long used wood that they found dry and dead in the jungle, they even cut branches off trees when building houses, but he had never seen anyone take down a whole full-grown tree before!

He must tell the Shaman's. Turning away he darted back into the woods, shock and horror creasing his face. Ro'Damn found his way back to the village easily, really not much more than five of six small rings of hut's and fire-pits built in and amongst the tree's.

"SHAMANESS IX'CHEL!" He yellled as he ran into the village. "SHAMANESS IX'CHEL!"

 

[caela]

Ix'chel looked up from her tablet when she heard her name being hollared. At first she didn't recognize the voice, after all so few in their village actually called her by her title, and it was tinged with shades of panic.

Rising smoothly she heard a rumbling at her side and smiled down at the black jaguar that was currently sharing her hut. There was always one with her but they changed over time, coming to her either as cubs or as older adults. The cubs left when they matured and left to go and find mates of their own, the older adults coming when their mates died or the younger jaguars pushed them out. On the rare occasion that she had a jaguar in their prime with her it usually heralded some sort of danger and they were there for her protection.

Mother Wild took care of those she called to her service.

Stroking the top of the large cats head she slipped from her hut and almost ran straight into Ro'damn who had been calling for her.

"What is so wrong Ro'damn?" she asked softly, her dark eyes filled with her concern, "You run as if the hounds of Mother Wild herself hunted you."

 

[AriesWolf]

Ro'Damn dropped to his knees bowing, his face and hair soaked in sweat.

"Ix'Chel there are strange men! They are like ghosts! They are cutting away at Mother Wild's tree's! They pulled one down as if with some great wind" He was panting, and nearly exhausted. Breathing deeply and trying to calm himself he waited for the Shamaness' response. He had run all the way home from the ghost men's clearing, it was a good distance of nearly 8 miles.

The terrain of course hadn't helped much, and he had still arrived in just over an hour.

 

[caela]

Ix'chel sighed as Ro'damn dropped to his knees before her. She'd lost count of the number of times she'd told him not to do that and had stopped trying. Normally she simply walked away from him, forcing him to rise and follow her if there was something that needed saying. Today she remained where she was however, as if rooted there by the panic she'd heard in his voice.

"Ix'Chel there are strange men! They are like ghosts! They are cutting away at Mother Wild's tree's! They pulled one down as if with some great wind"

Hearing his words a low growling filled her throat and her gaze turned back to her hut where a black jaguar suddenly appeared. It too was growling, the sound soft and matching her own. Sinking to her knees as the beast approached she reached out and cupped it's face, staring deep into it's eyes while her mind touched his. The jaguar was her totem which made speaking to the beast a simple matter and he readily agreed to go and explore what Ro'damn had told her. He wanted to kill the men Ro'damn had mentioned but Ix'chel forbade it...for now.

Information my friend. If we're to help Mother Wild and drive these creatures from her lands we need to know what they do and who they are. Find out all you can but don't let them see you and return to me by sunset tomorrow.

Of course favored one. the beast said, it's voice rumbling through her mind clearly unhappy with the order not to kill and maim those that would dare encroach on the Mother's territory.

When she rose the large cat took off, disappearing silently into the jungle surrounding the village.

"Get off your knees Ro'damn. This will be the last time I tell you, next time I'll leave you kneeling in the dust with an order not to rise."

 

[landiek]

Aka'hta, born of the rains and lightning, now considered a Shaman's prodigy as her birth fell under the fire moon, an occurrence that happens every twenty years and due in three more moons.

Aka'hta was also dyed with the deep greens allowing her to blend with the Mother as she walked the trails with safety, becoming one with the animals that crept and slithered the trees and ground.

This day was strange as the animals seemed more unsure of themselves, lashing out at their own kind more then usual. This being odd enough she watched as Leeka, the snake swallowed up her own young and flee the grounds of her nesting. Being as it was Aka'hta moved deeper into the lush darkness, letting the canopy protect her from deadly eyes while she moved closer to scout out this strange phenomenon.

Her caramel eyes beheld faces pale like clouds drift among many more and wearing strange skins of many colors on their bodies. This gave Aka'hta a few moments to wonder what creature was slain for the strange colors she saw for the first time.

Soon a noise interrupted her thoughts, it sounded like the rhythm of stones carving a boat for the sister river. Aka'hta wondered how this strange tribe carved their boats and slipped about several trees attempting to get closer still and see what this strange tribe was making.

THWACK THWACK... THUNK THUNK went the noises as her hand rested on a large old nesting tree. Soon the vibrations rippled to her hand as the tree groaned from being wounded. Horror filled Aka'hta's heart as birds flew from their nests to the air abandoning the eggs to be destroyed.

"mother.... mother" Aka'hta cried as nests fell from their perches to the ground, splattering life on the green carpet of Mother's gown.

Faces turned to the strange cry and shouts echoed in the heart of their camp. Aka'hta watched as strange shiny tubes much longer then a blow gun were lifted and soon smoke and loud bangs filled the shrieks of displaced birds.

twa-whing went another tube and Aka'hta was struck in the cheek by a piece of the tree she was next to. A sting flooded her cheek and her hand touched the jagged edge of the embedded wood. Without a second thought she grabbed the barb and yanked it out thinking it was a dart. But when she dropped her hand more of the banging noises were getting closer.

RUN RUN cried the birds of the air as the cloud faced tribe came into the trees searching for her. Their strange words echoing under the canopy and some firing their shiny tubes at the surrounding trees.

Aka'hta did run and didn't stop until she crossed the stream of blessings. This was the river that sister filled with fish for her people to eat when hunting is forbidden by the warriors and the hunters have gone on a great hunt being gone weeks before returning.

Her cheek was burning like touched embers of the cooking fire as she raced through the winding path back to her village. Unaware that she was nicked more then once by pieces of the nesting tree on her legs and left arm, her only thought was to warn her people about the walking cloud tribe.

 

[AriesWolf]

Damned Ix'Chel, Ro'Damn thought as he rose to his feet. Any other Shaman is the village would expect that he pay his respects, but not Ix'Chel no. He didn't like Shamans as it was, but she had to be the most frustrating by far! Stalking out the hut he cursed softly under his breath.

"Arrogant Woman! She believes that since she suckles at the breast of the Jaguar she can disregard the customs of our people?" He knew he was being unfair, she was a kind woman for the most part, but there had always been... tension between them.

She was the one that had marked him as the host for the soul of Balam. The Jaguar spirit. It wasn't her fault of course, but it was hard not to think of it that way. Especially with the Jaguar's paw tattoo that surrounded his left eye. A mark of "Honour" they had told him. Yes and one of death as well. It had changed Ro'Damn this marking, his friends had stopped hunting with him, his betrothal had been broken, and even his family had distanced themselves from him.

He would not survive playing host to Balam, it would kill him. Without a doubt, it had never left a man or woman alive, and that meant knowone wanted to get close to him, and now that these "Ghost Men" were here, his time to play host too Balam was certainly drawing nearer. Ro'damn was just straying over this thought, when Aka'hta came bolting into the village.

 

[caela]

Ix'chel didn't have to hear the words that Ro'damn muttered to himself to know that he was cursing behind her. She could feel the heat of his gaze on her as she walked away. Likely it was the same sort of things that the Council had said to her before; that she was arrogant, that she disregarded the customs of her people, or simply that she thought she was better than the other Shamans because the jaguar was her totem.

They also called her Balam's handmaiden and Mother Wild's chosen because of it.

She ignored it all in preference of her duties. Her favorite times were those when she was surrounded by the tribes children, teaching and playing with them. They were so innocent and they never treated her as anything but one of their favorite storytellers. They didn't fear her, or revere her, she was just another adult that played with them joyfully while the others were busy.

She saw Aka'hta come running from the woods and sighed softly. She had never known what to make of the girl. She was only a couple of years younger that Ix'chel herself but she broke even more of the rules than Ix'chel did. They called her a Shaman's prodigy but the Council allowed her to be tattoed when one of hteir oldest taboos was against Shaman's bearing permanent markings on their skin. Their bodies were supposed to be temples to Mother Wild and marked only for ceremonial purposes but Aka'hta's body was marked to match the jungle around them.

Briefly she considered turning away and letting Aka'hta take whatever was bothering her to the Council but it would have been wrong to turn her back on one of her tribe and so she stood and waited to see if the girl would come to her or pass her by.

 

[landiek]

Ro'damn was the first person she came too and nearly ran over him as she turned to enter the center of her village.

"Ro'damn... there are stranger people in the wilderness..... they struke me with tree bark" Showing her face to him and holding out the shard of bark she pulled from her wound.

It was while she was standing still that she noticed the trails of blood over the legs and her arm. A woozy sensation filled her insides as she swayed in front of Ro'damn. Her blood was on the Mother's gown, put there by ghosts.. a cry left her lips as she twisted at the waist like a filled vessel of the totems.

" Ix'chel" she murmurred as she dropped to the path, trails of bright red marking her green foliage. A sign of change.. a bad change from what Aka'hta saw.

 

[AriesWolf]

"IX'CHEL!" Ro'Damn yelled. Scooping the limp girl up in his arms he carried her toward the Shamaness' hut. "IX'CHEL! HURRY"

Without waiting for permission he entered the hut, the girl's blood running down his arms. There were bits of bark embedded in her skin, and he feared infection. Aka'hta was a sweet girl, and though she was a Shaman, Ro'Damn thought quite highly of her.

"Ix'Chel she is wounded!"

 

[Elgon]

Name: Wor'elgon. Hunter
Age: 18
Appearance: Tall very muscular and strong with long braded black hair and green eyes. He has a tattoo of a scorpion on his right arm. His body has many scorpion's bites. His weapons are a bamboo blow stick with scorpion's poisoned darts, a bow and a long knife that he took from the white ghost after he killed him.
Personality: He is protective of environment where he lives and keeps his distance from all tribe's Warriors and hunters. Being a hunter he is a very patient man and never hurry's for anything. He likes the Das'ma women and some time he ventures in their territory. He often climbs way up high
on a three, and looks at their women bathing unobserved by any of them. He finds them better looking than his tribe's women, but doesn't know how to approach one of them.

Wor'elgon ran away from his tribe at the age of 12 to search and kill the white ghost that killed his mother and father. He lived on his own ever since as he blamed his tribe for befriending the white ghost. He is often seen in the company of a black Jaguar.

 

[caela]

"IX'CHEL! HURRY"

The Shamaness turned easily back toward her hut but her steps were unhurried despite the desperation in Ro'damn's voice. If the girl had a mortal wound nothing that Ix'chel could do would help and if it wasn't mortal then there was no need for her to rush. From the blood she saw splattered on the ground she didn't think it was a deadly wound in the least but it would require her strength to keep it from becoming infected.

"Ix'Chel she is wounded!"

"I can see that Ro'damn," she said quietly as she entered her hut. "Place on the mats there and fetch me some water and clean cloths. I need to clean her wounds and bandage them."

Waiting until Ro'damn had settled the girl onto the mats she then knelt down beside her, her hands reaching out and her senses opening. Using that sixth sense that she'd been born with she searched out the worst of the girls wounds and eased her pain as well and bright, healing circles of energy around them to keep them from becoming infected and enflamed.

 

[Elgon]

Wor,elgon heard a loud boom in the distance and decided to investigate, remembering that he heard that before by the white ghost smoke stick.

Walking quietly in the direction of that sound he was fallowed closely by his black Jaguar. He stopped when he heard a second boom and watched
the directions the birds were flying from. He could hear the sound one makes when running on fallen leaves, but the sound was made by more the one. Two or three running maybe more. He stopped when the Jaguar started the sniff the leaves, and looking closer he could see drops of blood on them.

"Come," he told his pet. someone is hurt. They ran with the Jaguar a few paces ahead and after a short run. He saw two ghost face fallowing the
same blood trail he was. He quickly put a dart in his blow tub and hit one of them in the neck. Before the other realized he was alone he put another
dart in and hit the second in the neck.

He looked to make sure they were dead than took their long knives and fallowed the blood trail. When he got into a clearing he saw the woman running and a man running towards her. He stopped not wanting to be seen, and watched as she felled to the ground. The man picked her up
quickly and carried her to a hut.

He sat by a tree trunk hidden by some brushes and motioned to the jaguar to lie down. He wanted to go and tell them that the ghost ones were dead but he just waited. He was sure the shaman would know soon that he was there.

 

[landiek]

A soft whimper left her lips as the vision followed of more of Mother's trees being thrust to the gown, ripped from life and shaped into strange fish traps. Her eyes rolled back as the wounds were washed and slivers of bark were taken from her open cuts.

"Ista ska.. ista ska...." Aka'hta mumbled while her skin burned with fever only to cool to the touch of cool water.

Her heart beating faster like a frezied drum beat of mating times. Aka'hta looked to the ceiling but saw nothing there but heard loud ringing of the strange tubes and trees falling about sister river.

"no... no... Mother.. Mother... save sister..." Aka'hta wailed in her slight vision then grabbed Ix'Chel's hand. "they are hurting the Mother"

 

[caela]

"no... no... Mother.. Mother... save sister..." Aka'hta wailed in her slight vision then grabbed Ix'Chel's hand. "they are hurting the Mother"

Looking down at the girl Ix'chel sighed softly not quite knowing what to say. She already knew the Ghost Men were hurting the Mother but until they knew more there was little to be done. She wasn't going to send their warriors to be slaughtered for a lack of knowledge; not only would it be utterly irresponsible of her and disrespectful to her people but it wouldn't help the Mother either.

Still the girl's fear was making her feverish and it was causing her to make caring for her difficult with the way she thrashed about and kept crying out. Reaching up Ix'chel gently stroked her forhead, calling on all of her energy (and sending a small prayer to the Mother as well) to push Aka'hta into a healing sleep.

It wasn't an easy thing to do and when it was done she was left gasping for breath, her body weak and trembling slightly. Looking to one of the older children who helped her in her hut she smiled slightly and left instructions that Aka'hta was to be allowed to sleep for as long as her body needed but then when she woke someone was to come for Ix'chel immediately.

"Ro'damn, come, let the girl rest," she said quietly while trying to keep her voice from trembling. "From her ramblings it would seem she saw the same men you did. We must know more. The jaguar will return by tomorrows sunse..."

Her voice trailed off as two jaguars, a mated pair she had no doubt, in their prime came loping into the camp and took up stations on either side of her. Looking down at them worry filled her gaze for she knew they had been sent to guard her.

 

[newlysubbed]

Mara was walking down the forest trail. She had not seen the ghost men or heard their noices she had been in a different area of the forest. There had been some strange things but she was not aware of anything major.

She looked at the gown of Mother as she walked and saw the red stains. She leaned down and knew in a moment it was blood. She knew she needed to track it. If one of her fellow men she would need to get them to a shaman for healing and if an animal she would have to get a hunter out here to kill it if it was too badly hurt.

She followed the trail and soon saw two dead bodies of ghost men. She was shocked. She did not expect them to return.

She kept going more caution now. Some one had killed them.

She came around a corner and saw a male unknown to her. He had a jaugaur by his side.

She stopped. She stepped forward, She spoke hoping he understood her, "greetings, are you the one who took out the ghost men?" she could plainly see the blood trail go straight in to the village.

 

[Elgon]

Wor’elgon was leaning against the tree trunk deep in thoughts about the ghost’s men, and didn’t even move at the sound of feet as they got near to him. Being a hunter his hearing was very sharp, and he was able to tell by the sound of their foot steps.

The sound was soft not like the sound he makes when he walks. The sound of a woman walking he thought. He patted the jaguar so she would not move and waited for the approaching woman.

He turned to look at her when she spoke to him. He looked at her for a long time before speaking. He knew she was a Das'ma woman warrior and one of the prettiest he ever saw. He looked into her eyes and felt a warm feeling invading his whole body that he never felt before. He looked her up and down liking what he saw. She was the perfect mate for him. He thought.

“Yes”, he said without taking his eyes off of hers. I killed them for hurting one of the village woman with their smoking sticks. She is in there with the Shaman and a man and she is hurt.” He pointed to the hut.
He got up and got close enough to her that he could smell her scent, than took a deep breath.

“My name is Wor’elgon. What is your name”. He asked her.

 

[newlysubbed]

She saw his apprasial but knew it would not last, it never did. "I am called Mara. I thank you for helping my freind." She still did not know who was injured but every one in the village was her freind.

She knew which hut he spoke of, "she will be fine, I know the shaman will do every thing possible."

She knew he was not from this village. Unsure how to take him. She knew in physcial age he was young, which would account for the gleam in his eye toward her.

Her first mate often had the gleam in his eyes she felt on some level that the gleam helped in having her child.

She knew this was not the time for stranger but even more this was not the time to have people sneeking around the village either. The best way around that, "would you like to come into the village with me and meet some of the people."

 

[Elgon]

Wor’elgon looked her up and down once again admiring the shape of her legs and the ample breasts. The warrior dress didn’t hide much of her body and he found himself staring longer than he intended to.

“Mara” he repeated savouring the sound of her name. “I like your name Mara and I like you to”. He looked into her eyes again and smiled as his eyes looked down again for as moment.

Wor’elgon had seen many women from this village bathing, but none looked as good as Mara did to him.

He looked at Mara with a surprise look on his face when she invited him into her village. He was not from this village and he was not sure if that was a good idea, most tribes didn’t like people from other tribes around their villages.

He knew that if he didn’t stay around here, he would never have a chance at Mara so he decided to stay at her invitation and maybe with her if she would have him.

“Yes Mara I like to come into your village with you. I do not have a village of my own. I and my jaguar live together in the forest and in some caves when the rain comes.

 

[landiek]

Aka'hta slept for hours it seemed in her walking vision.

The trees were gone and many huts should where the woods was, strange trees with no roots surrounded her and cast themselves upon her leaving pieces of themselves in her skin.. They were taking metal and ripping Mother's gown and digging holes in varies places bringing up water rather then going to the river and bringing skins to fill.

"mother ..... mother... guide me ... guide me " Aka'hta rambled as sweat poured over her pale flesh.

Then her eyes opened and she reached out as if touching something and knew that she had to find this thing in order to save her people. Only she didn't know what the strange thing in her vision was called.. but if the strange beast died out.. they would too but leave before that happened.

 

[newlysubbed]

Wor’elgon looked her up and down once again admiring the shape of her legs and the ample breasts. The warrior dress didn’t hide much of her body and he found himself staring longer than he intended to.

“Mara” he repeated savouring the sound of her name. “I like your name Mara and I like you to”. He looked into her eyes again and smiled as his eyes looked down again for as moment.

Wor’elgon had seen many women from this village bathing, but none looked as good as Mara did to him.

He looked at Mara with a surprise look on his face when she invited him into her village. He was not from this village and he was not sure if that was a good idea, most tribes didn’t like people from other tribes around their villages.

He knew that if he didn’t stay around here, he would never have a chance at Mara so he decided to stay at her invitation and maybe with her if she would have him.

“Yes Mara I like to come into your village with you. I do not have a village of my own. I and my jaguar live together in the forest and in some caves when the rain comes.

Mare raised an eyebrow at his repeated looking over of her body.

She spoke softly,"usually we dont invite strangers in but with the ghost men around i know we will not want anyone just hanging around. You have claimed to help my freind for that I will take you in. It is required that someone here accept you. By aware if you have lied to me I will kill you myself and let the hunters lose on your pet."

She was not sure if he would understand just how serious she was.

She looked into the eyes of the jaguar. She smiled at it then spoke. "You the have eyes of an honourable creature. This man has not changed you."
That made her feel better.

She stood up and continued into the village. "Come along."

She walked with out haste to the area of the village that had the children.

If he came or stayed it was his choice. She was glad that her little girl was still her usual self. She ran into her arms. "Mommy"
Mare hugged her and picked her up. "have you been good. " knowing she had.
The child grinned, "tell me story, today."
Mare knew what she was asking, "of course, my sweet."Then she kissed her check.
Mara turned to see...

 

[Elgon]

Wor’elgon was glad he came to this village and not returns into the forest after killing the ghost men. He couldn’t take his eyes off of Mara for a moment.

“I have not seen your friend run away from the ghost men. I saw them chasing someone that was bleeding and I had to kill them first, before I could help your friend. By the time I killed them she was already gone. I fallowed the blood trail on the ground.”

He watches Mara as she spoke to his jaguar and fallowed her into the village. She led him into a place where there were many children’s. A child that looked like Mara ran towards them and into Mara’s arms calling her Mommy.

A sad look appeared on his face when he heard the child call Mara Mommy. All his hopes had vanished. Mara was already with a mate. He stopped and turned to walk back into the forest.

 

[newlysubbed]

Mara saw Wor’elgon walking toward the forest.

Her child called, "DADDY"Mara shushed her and walked toward him.

When she was close behind him she spoke. "I am sorry that little Lia mistook you for her father. He is no longer with us. He was taken just after she was born."

She contined her voice soft, "I know your were hopeing to be some one special to me but I had my mate. Now he is gone. I just could not think of any other way for you to understand and to know that I was not jokeing, when I say that I am beyond love."

She stopped then giveing him a chance to make up his own mind.

 

[AriesWolf]

Ro'Damn left the girl in the Shamaness' care after gathering the materials she had asked for. Foolish Shamans! They would convene after Aka'tha was cared for and probably debate these "Ghost Men", and they would probably decide to go to war... and then he would die.

He feared no death, and didn't hesitate in the face of any enemy, but he didn't want to play host too Balam. Ever since that forsaken day when he had been chosen everyone had attributed his success' and skills to Balam. He was a warrior, and his strength was his own! Those who said other words were all men whom he had disagreements with, but their words still stung, and still sowed doubt among his fellow tribesmen.

He went back to his hut, he had enough food, he didn't need to go hunting, and so he began to go over his weapons. There was a short knife that he had taken off the corpse of a Mayan slaver, an Obisdian Spiked club he had made when he became a man, and a spear that he generally only used for hunting, but if he was pressed he could use to fight as well.

If he was to die, many of the Ghost Men would die with him.

 

[Elgon]

Mara saw Wor’elgon walking toward the forest.

Her child called, "DADDY"Mara shushed her and walked toward him.

When she was close behind him she spoke. "I am sorry that little Lia mistook you for her father. He is no longer with us. He was taken just after she was born."

She contined her voice soft, "I know your were hopeing to be some one special to me but I had my mate. Now he is gone. I just could not think of any other way for you to understand and to know that I was not jokeing, when I say that I am beyond love."

She stopped then giveing him a chance to make up his own mind.

Wor'elgon stopped when he heard the child call him "Daddy" He was going to tell her he was not her Daddy, but he heard Mara's steps right behind him.
She apologized for the child mistake, than told him that he was dead.

He looked at Lia and smiled wondering. I am very sorry for your loss Mara, he said looking at Lia the whole time. She continues talking and although he
heard her every word he was looking at Lia.

"Lie! That's a very pretty name for a very pretty girl." He said and smiled when Lia smiled at him.

Mara went on to tell him that there was no more love left in her, but he knew better. Lia was the one to show Mara that there was more love in her
that she ever had before.

"Lia I am sorry that I am not your daddy, I think would love to have a little girl daughter as pretty as you"
She looked at her mother than back at him.

"Would you like to be my little daughter Lia?" She looked at Mara than back at him and nodded her head"

 

[newlysubbed]

Mara smiled as her little girl leaned over to hug the young man. She spoke softly, "There is nothing but her that i love anymore. She is my sun and moon." She knew her tattoos of a sunburst and a radient fullmoon were on each shoulder. They kept her connected to her dead mate and her child.

Lia was a very loving trusting child. She hoped the little on could stay that way for a long time.

She knew things would be changing but she knew that loving another man was not in her future. On the other hand this might be mothers way of keeping her furtile, she knew it was expected of her.

If this stragne new man was willing to work with her heart being with a child and a dead man then this may be the future that was for her.

She waited for him to take it all in. Plus she wanted to see how he would take to the open love of Lia. In truth, that was more important anything else.