Druidess Found (Druidess Trilogy Book 1) by Machelle Hanleigh (interesting novels to read txt) 📕

Kaily studied Sari for a moment. She was very beautiful. Being Shanees would make her a leader of one of the twelve villages. What could they have in common to converse about? She took a deep breath as silently as she could manage. "I'm not good at these types of things." She glanced around the gathering.

Sari touched Kaily's arm drawing her attention back to her. She continued to smile in a good-natured kind of way similar to Shimani. "I suspect you'll figure it all out soon enough."

Kaily shrugged. She didn't have the same confidence in herself.

"How do you like your meal?" Sari asked.

She looked down at the plate in her lap, not yet touched. "Everything looks delicious."

Sari pointed to a particular section on Kaily's plate and to a soft white substance sliced in thin, long strips. "That is pahini and my personal favorite."

Kaily picked up a slice. To her it looked and felt like an apple without any peel, and yet smelled like cheese. She took a tiny bit. "Mmmm. Tasty."

Sari nodded. "I thought you might like that one." She told Kaily the names of the other foods on her plate. Sari made a face at a particular one. "I told Shimani not to give you that one. It's a root that's bitter and tastes like dirt. For some strange reason Shimani loves it."

Kaily picked a piece up and sniffed it. She made a face and placed it back on her plate. "That doesn't even smell good. Shimani loves this?"

Sari nodded. "Oh yes. Shimani has no taste."

Kaily smiled a genuine smile she felt inside. "I'll keep that in mind."

"You would be wise to do so." Sari agreed nodding her head. "I also made sure that Shimani gave you nectar of brey instead of actual brey."

"That bad?" Kaily asked.

"On the contrary, it's quite good, but intoxicating. The nectar of brey is milder, mostly for the kids. I figured you could work your way up to the brey. The nectar of brey is brey mixed with juice of a specific fruit which negates the intoxicating affects, for the most part. We wouldn't want you to forget your first repast, now would we?"

"Ah, no." Kaily accepted her mug back from Sari she set aside as she tried the pahini. Sari tapped her own mug to the side of Kaily's as if to toast without saying anything. She took a hesitant sip. The nectar of brey was very good. It was sweet like juice, but not sickening sweet. She found it to be refreshing. "Delicious." Kaily said. She liked this woman.

"Good. I'm glad you like it." Sari set her mug aside and started in on the food on her own plate.

Kaily ate more of the pahini. Its unique apple like texture and walnut cheese like flavor was quite delicious. She could see why it was Sari's favorite. She tried several other items on the plate making sure to avoid the one that smelled bad. "This is good." She said finishing off the pahini on her plate. "I understand why it is your favorite."

"I'll make sure Shimani keeps you supplied with pahini."

"Yes, please." Kaily glanced around the other areas of the clearing and those gathered in different groups. She wanted to observe everything. She was an outsider and she wanted to understand the Kahoali people, her dark warrior's people. She needed to understand how she might fit in, if she would be there any length of time. Still an unknown to her. It wouldn't hurt to learn everything she could. She glanced at Sari who looked around the area as well. It made her feel better. She liked that Sari seemed okay with the silence.

Sari finished the food on her plate first and set it aside.

Kaily set her own plate aside and sipped the contents of her mug as she did another scan of the area. She searched the faces of those gathered for the evening repast. She tried to appear nonchalant about it. She didn't see her dark warrior.

Finally, her due diligence paid off as the object of her search caught her eye. Her dark warrior stood next to Shimani. A small group of villagers and young children stood with them as well as several other women. Kaily watched Shimani as he entertained the children with the same abilities, he demonstrated to her earlier that day. It unnerved her to see displays of what she called magic. Shimani called them abilities. Despite her unease at his display of abilities, she smiled at how much fun the children obviously had with Shimani. The ease with which he entertained them astounded her. Her dark warrior in comparison stood statue like with his back to her. Shimani seemed so out of place with the outgoingness he displayed compared to not only her dark warrior, but the other males who appears stoic and reserved. Very few showed any sort of emotions or played with the children the way Shimani did.

She imagined that her dark warrior wasn't showing any outward emotions on his face either. Even with his back to her, she could tell that he was the most reserved of them all. Back, ramrod straight, an immovable statue. His rigid stance made Kaily wonder if he disliked the evening repasts or the women talking to him. Although, she couldn't see her dark warrior’s facial features to determine his reactions to the women, she noticed that he appeared to be doing his best to ignore them, which pleased her.

"See something you like?"

Sari's question startled her. She forced her gaze to focus on Sari who glanced in the direction she herself had just been looking. Kaily blushed. "Shimani is very good with the children, isn't he?" She said. She couldn't help the heat on her cheeks.

Sari smiled with a fair amount of amusement. "Shimani is, and I doubt he was the one who mesmerized you."

Kaily's cheeks grew hotter.

Sari laughed. She kept her gaze in that direction and leaned closer to Kaily. "Moto is a fine specimen