As Edan was leaving the longhouse, the chieftain watched his daughter as she smiled sweetly, as one does after getting their way.
"Will that be all, my father?"
"Come sit here next to me for a moment, my daughter. Let's talk."
She did as her father requested, and waited expectantly for him to speak.
"Ah, Drusha, my daughter," he said with a smile, slowly shaking his head. "You have the spirit of the Northwind in you, just like your mother. And you look just as she did as well, you know, especially when you smile. The Northwind can be a stubborn and difficult spirit, at times even dangerous, and when it blows, nothing that stands in its way can hope to succeed in their intentions and goals of taming it. The Northwind will always have its way. Those who respect that fact, and allow it to blow its course as it will without hindrance, can learn how to harness its power and will prosper from it. The spirit of the Northwind is forever seeking out the spirit of the Southwind, and whenever the two find each other and combine their powers, it always creates a tumultuous tempest, with powerful flashes of lightning, and awesome booms of thunder."
Drusha was listening intently. After a short pause, her father continued.
"When I was a young man, I had set off on a trading expedition across the angry waters of the Northern Sea. After many days at sea, we came upon the mountainous land of your mother's people. She, like you, was the daughter of a chieftain. Her father knew about his daughter what I know about you, that the spirit of the Northwind was strong in her. She had to search out the spirit of the Southwind, and nothing was going to stop her. So her father allowed her to leave with me, to blow southwards as she was always meant to do. Other men from her clan, who desired her greatly, were envious of me, and this caused great problems, but they couldn't stop the power of the Northwind, though they tried, they were doomed to fail before they even had begun."
"Do not worry yourself about the things that attempt to prevent you from doing the things you are destined to do, for they will fail as well. The spirit of the Northwind always will have its way, and it is better for those that help and allow the spirits to do as they will. But always take care in your path, and go with honor."
"I will, my father," she smiled, full of love and respect for her father. She rose and hugged him. She left the longhouse and went to find Habiru.
Over the next several days, while her husband was gone, Drusha spent nearly all her waking hours with Habiru. After her father had gotten approval from Menthalos for Drusha to learn the Egyptian language with help from Habiru, both Drusha and Habiru enthusiastically set about to the task.
Drusha would wake early in the morning and take her meals with Habiru, then stay with him throughout the day. In the evenings, after dinner, when darkness settled over the village, they would sit together in either her hut or his tent, going over Egyptian words and sounds. Drusha was an eager and quick learner, and Habiru was a patient teacher.
One evening, a week after her husband had left, they were sitting together in Habiru's tent. They had begun taking their dinners alone, rather than communally in the longhouse, so that way Habiru could continue teaching her as they ate. They had just finished with their food, and Drusha set aside the plates and cups. Drusha thanked him in Egyptian. During the week, Drusha had learned quite a bit, and had tried to use the words as much as she could so they would stick in her mind through repetitive usage.
However, her learning Egyptian from Habiru was only secondary to the primary reason she spent so much time with him. Her initial fright of the dark man had quickly turned to curiosity, this curiosity had developed into an interest, and the interest had in turn led to a physical attraction to him.
It was a mutual attraction, and they both knew it, yet nothing had happened between them besides glances, smiles, and innocent touching. Both wanted more from each other, yet neither knew how to proceed further, or even if the should. Tonight, that would change.
"Dinner good?" asked Drusha in broken Egyptian.
"Yes, it was very good, Drusha."
She smiled at him, then turned the other way to gather the plates. She stopped in mid-movement when she felt him lightly touch her arm. She turned and looked at him. He raised his hand and began lightly touching her cheek. She just stared at him and before she knew what to do, his lips had touched to hers. She closed her eyes and kissed him back. After a moment she put her hand on his chest and his hand moved around to the back of her head, holding her to him.
She tensed for a moment when she felt his other hand cup around her breast from the outside of her clothing. It felt so good to her, and soon she gave into the sensation and let her body relax as he continued to gently grope and massage her breast. She wanted to feel more, but it would have to wait.
She broke from the kiss, looking at him with smiling eyes.
"I like Habiru!" she said, then let out a little giggle.
Habiru gave a short laugh at her expressed excitement in her limited Egyptian.
"I like Drusha, too!"