(In fact the feast turned out to be stiff, formal and somewhat boring. The lack of men seemed to have caused changes to the ritual.)

As evening fell he was escorted to the priestesses house. A mud brick house, grander than the rest, with blue decorated tiles round the door and pots planted with violets in the courtyard. The sight of the violets caused a tug at his memory but, as he tried to concentrate on it, it was gone again.

There were two priestesses now. The old woman, Kelah, who he had met before and a girl on the verge of womanhood, Vira. Both were dressed in ritual finery, elaborately pleated blue gowns with broad gold belts and gold, leaf shaped jewellery. The older woman wore her hair braided intricately across her head. She looked haggard and frail in the bright lamp light. Her bright blue eyes the only flicker of life in her lined face. The young girl had those same bright eyes but her hair was unbound, as befits a virgin. Her firm limbs and softly rounded breasts provided a stark contrast to the crone at her side.

Not once, during the meal (lamb as he'd guessed) did Vira look at him directly. Instead she glanced shyly at him every time she thought he was looking elsewhere. Noticing this he deliberately caught her eye and smiled. Her tanned skin flushed red and for a moment he thought she'd run from the room in embarrassment. He laughed quietly at her discomfort, they were so easy to tease at that age.

The old woman demanded his attention again. He barely understood a third of what she was saying, not only was her accent strong but she was missing most of her teeth and seemed to have had too much wine. The obligations of being a guest kept him polite but he began to wish it was over. Eventually it was and he returned to the guest house. Now that he had fulfilled his obligations he could carry on towards Byzantium in the morning, still many days travel away.

He hadn't felt that other Immortal during the feast. Was she - he'd come to think of her as she- excluded from the rites?

The one thing he knew for sure was that if he could sense her then she could sense him. Eternally paranoid he'd reconsidered the situation. There were some Immortals who chose to live on Holy Ground specifically so they could ambush others as they passed. He'd have to be extra vigilant when leaving the confines of the village.

Later, when the whole village was quiet he was woken from a half slumber by a rustling at the door. Not the other Immortal he would have sensed it. Before he had time to react a cold naked body slipped into the bed beside him. It took only seconds for him to realise it was female and a few more to see, by starlight, it was Vira. In spite of the gloom her pupils were tiny obvious evidence she had taken some sort of drug. Part of the ritual he wondered or had she needed some 'courage' to come to him. Before he had time to speak she pressed cold fingers to his lips.

"Please" she whispered " Don't turn me away.. don't tell me to go. I had to come..I want" she faltered at this point "I need...I want you to make me a woman. I want to bear your child..with all our men gone...." She stopped, her drug bolstered courage failing her, and buried her head in his shoulder, trembling.

Never one to turn down an opportunity for his own pleasure, he reached around and pulled her close, her body warming rapidly against his. Arousal flared in him fuelled by her youth and innocence and he pressed hard against her softness. 'Yes, this would more than make up for the boredom he'd had to suffer at the feast.'

His kiss was savage, devouring, as he pushed her over onto her back forcing her thighs apart with his knee. The raging need in his body overwhelmed any concern for the girl and he took her quickly and brutally. It had been a long time since he'd had even a partly willing partner and he took full advantage of that willingness.

She squealed as he entered her, her body tight against the intrusion. He groaned in pleasure. It was always good when they were as untouched as this. Nervous of being heard, he silenced her with a hand over her mouth and continued on to his own release. Tears flowed down her face at the pain but he ignored them, she was only some temple slut what did it matter what he did to her. Besides she had come to him of her own free will. When it was over he withdrew from her, causing another squeal, rolled over and went to sleep, leaving her bleeding and crying at his side.

Before dawn Vira crawled away. She hadn't known what to expect, hadn't realised it would hurt that much, had hoped he'd be kind. But, she cradled her stomach, come winter she'd bear his child and, her dearest wish, be initiated fully into the sisterhood.

Poor child, she couldn't know her hopes were in vain, that her chances of conceiving a child from this encounter were about the same as if she'd stayed a virgin.