Before she was tempted to change her mind, she let the words continue to pour out. "This evening, I would ask thee a few more questions about hill-kinship, so that I might know whether there might be any obstruction to an honourable acceptance".
Her voice seemed to gain more strength now that she had finally commited herself to doing this. "But first, there is something else I wish to say to ye, and in this, I may speak only for myself ... my gran Callisu used to tell me that sometimes a person comes unsought into your life, and you just know ... wi' an instinctive certainty ... that the Blessed Goddess means for them to ha' a cherished place in yer heart ... and so what I would say to ye now is that which comes from my heart as well as my soul ... ".
"Of course," Gwenn said. "I wouldna' expect ye to agree for your da, just as ye'll need to meet my family."
Kay tugged nervously on the end of her braid. "Aye ... there shall be time enough for such things in the future. I think I would enjoy meeting yer kin. And though we may not yet go forth with such things ... there is however another related matter ... a smaller step ye might call it ... and 'tis of that which I would speak to you now", she said hesitantly, gathering her courage. Kay closed her eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath to calm herself. When she opened them again, only a serene calmness remained.
She abruptly stood and bowed deeply in respect to her friend, before straightening to look him directly in the eyes. Her voice fell into measured formal tones, as if she stood within a chapel. "By all the names of the Lord God (who is the Light of the World), and by all the names of the Lady Goddess (who is the Mother of All), and by all else I hold to be holy, I, Kasilda-Callisu Rhiannon MacDonald, do declare it to be my freely-chosen intention (should ye be willing), to take thee, Gwenn MacConal of MacRory/MacConal of Clan Baiyerd of MonFiern as my bredu and be a faithful oath-sister to you for as long as I live".
Kay then went down on her knees without breaking eye contact between herself and Gwenn. Her voice continued, "I swear that to the best of my ability, I would share both good fortune and troubles wi' you, offer comfort when ye are afraid or ill, stand with thee and guard thy back when ye are endangered, help to carry thy burdens when they grow heavy, and treat thine honor as if t'were mine own. So mote it be; and may all that is holy bear witness to my oath".
Gwenn had stood when Kay did. It had puzzled when she'd knelt before him, but he listened as she swore her oath (and said nothing yet).
Reaching through the slit in her skirt pocket, Kay pulled out a battered-and-stained black leather knife-sheath and laid it across her lap. The sheath is reinforced with a dull grey metal at the top and bottom. Silver thread outlines a crest embossed into the leather, showing shows what looks like a belt (with some sort of writing) encircling a gauntleted-hand wholding a cross above a crown.
Below the insignia, the same thread has been used to highlight a smaller image down near the sheath's tip -- two hands holding a crowned heart. From the top of the sheath sticks a grip wrapped with well-used black leather cording. The pommel of the knife carries the same crest, but this time inlaid in a material that shines black against the silvery- gray metal.
"By the God who is known on this world as Aldones Lord of Light, and by the Goddess (whose aspects are known here as Evanda the Beauteous and Avarra the Dark) and by all else thou dost hold to be holy, how say thee, Gwenn MacConal ? Will ye accept this, the blade of my grandmother Callisu, to seal such a bond between us ?", she said to Gwenn.
With slightly-shaking hands, she then rose to her feet and unsheathed the small blade (revealing a line of writing that stretches halfway up its length). Laying it hilt-outward across the palm of her right hand, she offered it to Gwenn.
Gwenn looked at the blade Kay offered for a long moment. Then he looked at Kay, his confusion still plainly written on his face, and said, "I don't understand...'tis enough like an oath of hill-kinship to be a variation of the same. But all the same, I will answer it as 'twas given", he continued. Gwenn then pulled his knife and sheath from his belt and, holding it in his hand, he took a deep breath and said, "I, Gwenn MacConal of the MacRory/MacConal Sept of Clan Baiyerd, do accept your oath, Kasilda-Callisu Rhiannon MacDonald, of..." Gwenn stumbled at this point, then continued, "Terra and of Darkover, and do declare that of mine own free will I take thee as my breda and promise to be a faithful oath-brother to thee for as long as I live".
Her heart overflowing with happiness at his decision, Kay was surprised when Gwenn continued even further. "Furthermore", he said, "if thou doth outlive me, any off-spring which may issue from my loins and outlive me will be bound to care for thee as for their own mother. This I swear by all the gods and may I freeze in the Hells of Zandru and burn in the fires of Sharra for all eternity should I forsake mine oath."
Kay hadn't expected THAT, but she understood it somewhat. *If I ever have children*, she thought to herself, *I would want for them to care for those I loved. But perhaps I am too independant-minded to feel that I have the right to speak for anyone other than myself*.
Gwenn looked down at the blade in his hand. "This was entrusted to me by my brother Rory and is not mine to give for good. However, if ye will, keep this as a token of my oath until such time as I can replace it with a blade of mine own, an' should I die before I can do so, my brother will be bound to replace it for me."
Until now, it hadn't yet fully dawned on Kay what it meant to be an average person living on a world that was poor in certain metals -- especially one from a large family. Here, not everyone had a blade of their own, let alone several of them. And being offered temporary guardianship of Gwenn's brother's knife carried even more responsibility than if it had been his own. It was family honour in additional to individual honor.
"I swear that I shall guard your brother's blade as ye would, and for as long as ye would have me do so ... though I would still gladly call you my brother even without any token", Kay replied. "Well now, I couldna' let ye do that an accept yer grandam's blade, could I?" Gwenn said. And so Kay extended her free hand to take Gwenn's brother's knife, even as she felt Gwenn taking the weight from her other hand in return.
Gwenn handed over a blade which was obviously meant to be a working blade; its hilt was leather-wrapped and sparsely ornamented, at the crossbar was a shield with a copper inlay of the letters "RC", and it was sheathed in a plain leather sheath embossed with the letters "RC".
Since he had carried it openly, it would surely be most appropriate for her to do the same. Without stopping to wonder if Gwenn might find it odd, Kay reached through the slit in her right-hand skirt pocket and unbuckled the now-empty knife-harness. It dropped onto the floor in a tangle of dark-brown leather and Terran steel.
Casually picking it up rom where it lay, she gave it a small gentle shake to untangle the straps. Then it was refastened around her waist in such a way as to hold Gwenn's brother's sheathed knife for all the world to see. It felt odd to NOT be hiding personal-weaponry within easy reach under her clothing, but surely she would grow used to that as time passed. Idly, she wondered if Gwenn had ever noticed her OTHER knife (the one that had been her forefathers'). With a small grin, she patted it where it lay in its harness on her left thigh.
Gwenn gave another deep breath, hugged his new sister, and said, "Now, breda, what questions do you have for me?"
It felt good to have his arms around her. For a few moments, Kay simply let herself enjoy the sensations of returning the embrace. Her father and grandfather were the only other men who'd ever held her like this, and she'd never realized how badly she'd missed it.