38 The Lady Hawk smiled. "Surely my mate knows
the last time I burned!" she joked.
39 "You mean all the time," cried The Hawk, "the march, the battle, all
the work you've been doing in the city,
and you've been like this?"
40 "I am not like your women," said The Lady Hawk. "I do not like the
silly way your people treat a mother-to-be, like they are fragile
children or the eggs of birds that will break any moment. I am
perfectly capable of continuing my duties and I will do so, until the
time comes that I must need a couple of days to do what is a woman's
joy, and, to recover. In the meantime I will do what I always
do....take
care of the supplies, the wounded, what other needs the fighting people
have, and serve as your interpreter."
41 "Woman," insisted The Hawk, "you will stay here. You can see to the
sending of supplies after us, but I want you here safe.... out of
harm's
way. You have a woman's privilege now. You know how my people feel. If
I
allowed you into danger now, in this state, they would not understand.
They would look down on me, and call me a bad mate. You will stay
here...I ORDER it!"
42 The Lady Hawk rose to all her height. "I WILL NOT!" she screamed.
"If you try to make me, I will escape and fight my way through the
enemy overland, and join you. Our destinies are joined, one with the
other. The hour your heart stops beating mine shall stop, also. We
shall cross The Colored Bridge together, into The Land your people call
Glory."
43 "Woman," screamed The Hawk, "you are being rebellious, you forget
your place, you forget MY place!"
44 "Don't forget," answered The Lady Hawk, "who taught me to BE
rebellious. You could have had a willing and obedient slave, but
instead you chose to teach me that a woman was more than a man's
plaything, and something to bear his heirs.