Shimbekh turned again to Brin’bi for comfort. Her first love had fled, her sister was gone, and Gur’mekh had been picked clean by the jackals. Her parents had turned inward in their grief and were little help in sharing her own burdens. Brin’bi’s friendship upheld her during a time when all other support was gone. And over time her feelings for him had had grown to a love.
Brin’bi could feel that love, and it began to play upon him. He would appear to her more often, sometimes unbidden. And she never did anything to discourage him. In fact, she craved the every moment of the time they spent together.
Giddy as a young bak’ret on her first date, she went to all of the places she enjoyed and took Brin’bi on a tour of her private world. But her favorite thing was to lie in the grass Gur’bruk and Kambra were wont to do, gazing into his soft eyes and loving him without a word. In her rapture, she remembered the Ecstasy of Limlorin:
“If I had not died, we would have had pups and hunted together.” Brin’bi looked down. “I’m sorry I cannot give you what you want. Of course we could try....” Brin’bi stopped, embarrassed.
“What?”
“I don’t know if it would work with you in that body.”
“What??” Shimbekh was excited. “Come on, Brin’bi--are you holding back on me?” She peered deeply into his ka and could see his thoughts. “Let’s try it! Do you want to?”
“All right. Close your eyes.”
She stood, her eyes firmly closed. “Tell me when.”
“OK. Here goes....”
Shimbekh gasped. “I can feel you!”
Brin’bi slowly passed through her. “Shimbekh!” he cried in undiluted joy. “Do you feel like I do?”
“I hope so, Brin’bi! I can feel your joy! I can feel it! Warm, beautiful golden joy! You beautiful thing! Can you feel me too?”
“Yes!” He sighed. “I didn’t realize how much you loved me! Shimbekh, my darling Shimbekh!”
Brin’bi came on through, then turned around and kissed her.
She could feel the lick. It was warm and moist, not like a ghost. She opened her eyes and kissed him back. “Will you have me?”
“Do you know what you’re asking? You are still of this world with its passions and needs. Do you really want to pledge to me? A spirit?”
She smiled and said, “Yes, Brin’bi. We both saw our first love take the right fork when we took the left. But who’s to say the left fork can’t lead to happiness?”
He nuzzled her. “Bal dareth, Shimbekh?”
“Dareth koh, Brin’bi!”
They kissed and pawed each other. His touch was real and gentle. A tear rolled down her cheek. “Husband,” she sighed as a smile blossomed on her face. “Brin’bi, my husband!”