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heartbreak slipped down her cheeks, the hot wetness tickling as it ran into her ears. There was something so lonely and desperate about masturbation. Now she remembered why she rarely did so. It was province of the unwanted. It reminded her that she had no partner and no prospects of ever finding one. In a land of petite, softly curved women with sultry eyes and exquisite manners, no male could possibly desire the lanky, mannish body of an ordinary desert woman—particularly one who lapsed into incoherence when faced with an attractive man.
    A t sunrise, after a restless night’s sleep, Adonia joined the group gathered for a hasty breakfast of hot kaffè and buttered bread, consumed standing up, while the stable hands prepared their horses. Hel speared a resentful glance at a relaxed-looking Ramsey and grumped between mouthfuls about sleeping poorly because of “cats yowling” throughout the night.
    Ramsey swallowed and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “I slept very well, thank you. I never heard a thing.” He snaked an arm around Steffania, pulled her to him and kissed her soundly.
    Adonia stood apart, stuffing her mouth with bread, trying not to watch, trying not to feel hollow and diminished. I am content with the rewards of healing people . My accomplishments define me—not some man’s desire.
    She took her horse from the stable hand, tied her pack behind her saddle , checked her girth and mounted. Ignoring the protest from bruised flesh as her body settled into the saddle, Adonia put her horse to the walk and left the others to follow.
    ~~~
    The small track Adonia rode resembled a game trail more than a byway of commerce. Her horse lunged up the steep, rock-strewn trail. In spite of the increasing difficulty in maneuvering the grade, the constant insults and rude comments volleyed between Ramsey and Hel lifted her foul mood with a growing sense of amusement. She heard the frequent cackle of Steffania’s laughter and her taunting jabs at both men.
    “ Loyal to you , DeHelios? Ha! Your retainers only stay because they are frozen solid to that block of ice you inhabit. I should relieve your people of the burden of gazing on your flea-infested, hairy face,” said Ram.
    “ Bring it on, dickless wonder. There aren’t any trees for you to fall out of to give you an advantage. Your wife inspires more fear in me. You aren’t half the man she is.”
    “Oh, your death at my hand is all but assured, DeHelios. Only the knowledge it would be pointless stays my sword. The Hound of the Seven Hells would vomit you up as an indigestible hair ball, and I’d be back at square one.”
    Adonia pulled her horse up and turned to face the two men. The absurdity of their exchanges had finally pushed her over the top.
    At Hel’s irritated, “What?” hilarity welled up inside Adonia until she clutched at her belly and then her horse’s neck to remain seated. She finally abandoned the attempt and simply slid down and lay on her back on the rocky ground, convulsed with laughter. Ramsey a ‘dickless wonder’? Hel an ‘indigestible hairball’?
    She registered Ramsey’s, “I don’t know. Something we said?”
    She flopped her arm in the air to motion them on and was aware Hel and Ramsey continued past her. When she opened her eyes, she looked up at a mounted Steffania grinning down at her.
    “They ’re well-matched, don’t you think?” Steffania chuckled. “One might be fooled into thinking they didn’t like each other.”
    Adonia could only blink and summon the strength to remount, still giggling from time to time. Her depression evaporated as if it had never been.
    ~~~
    Hel spurred his horse past the healer as she lay on the ground, wrapped in helpless laughter, and an unwilling smile creased his face. For a moment, his vile mood lifted. He didn’t know how she did it, but the healer both soothed and inflamed him. She was the only one capable of lifting his brooding worry about returning to Nyth Uchel without a magistra