The Barbarian’s Tribute (Not-So-Savage Barbarians #1)

Six

A fter the first hunt, I felt more comfortable taking Finn out of my tent. A part of me wished to keep him to myself, but that was selfish. He hadn’t chosen me back yet. He would be introduced eventually. Orthorr wanted to introduce him to the clan at the new life ceremony the following evening. Earlier than most tributes, but he was well behaved when I was hunting and I didn't think he was interested in running or causing trouble. He’d need a translator, since we hadn’t gotten very far in his language learning, but Zoya seemed fond enough of him and when I asked, she said she would be happy to sit with him and help him to understand.

Today, I had plans to introduce Finn to my stallion. When we were walking back to my tent the evening prior, I saw his gaze stray to the field the horses were kept in. He looked curious, and Vann was a good horse. A good judge of character. They should meet before any decisions are made.

Finn’s small hand tightened in mine and he edged closer to me when a few of my clan brothers passed by. I pressed my lips together to hide my frown. Maybe he wasn’t ready to meet the clan yet. He was still frightened. The only people he seemed to trust were me and Zoya. As much pleasure as it brought me that he seemed to trust me with his safety, I didn’t want to push too hard, too fast.