Suddenly, she caught his eye and realized that he could most certainly guess what she was thinking. A blush crept up her olive skin.“What about the ...eople in the ship? Will they miss me?” she asked.“Don't worry about that, ” he said, a twinkle in his eye.They were walking on, and they stopped in front of a house in a clearing. It seemed to be small and made of wood, and he gestured her towards it.“Go in. You will find what you seek”As soon as she stepped in the door, she realized two things.. The vanguards are all mounted and leading packs of huge war-dogs. It’s rumored they fed them the dead and wounded enemies. Jochias is said to be huge, to weigh more than a thousand pounds at least. His appetite for food is strange as well. He prefers young women they say. All rumors born of fright, but that’s what I’ve heard.”Athea had listened as intently as all of them. She looked at her brother, rolled her eyes and sighed.“OK, I guess it’s fair. I got my amazons and now you get a bloody war.. On the way to the park, I asked, "Why couldn't I wear shorts and tennis shoes like you, Mother?" You don't have any shorts, only dresses and skirts," she replied, "and you know how boys love seeing girls in short pleated skirts."At the park we easily spotted Dan's umbrella and made our way over to him."Hello ladies, he said, giving my wife a kiss. "You look darling Sara," he continued, "I hope Mark can keep his mind on the game once he sees you." Thank you, sir," I responded with a blush.He. "You feeling guilty? Bad you did that?" Well yeah ... sorta," I answered back."Good! You should feel guilty! For disobeying your father and getting into his cabinet, whether it was locked or not! But not for doing what you did with your friends afterwards," she said a bit more softly. "It's perfectly natural Jimmy," she told me. "Everyone does it ... including me," she'd added, though the workings of that escaped me for the moment. But she continued before I could ask her a much more personal.