Chapter 2
Two
“ R ath. You’re needed outside,” my clan brother Verus said as he poked his head into my tent. I’d been in the middle of sharpening my blades for the next hunt, and I didn’t immediately look up at him. I hated leaving things half finished.
“Who calls for me?”
“Orthorr,” he answered, his expression curious. He didn’t know for what reason I was being called by the clan leader, only that he was sent to fetch me. I finished my task, sticking the blade back in its sheath on my hip. Pushing to my feet, I stretched my muscles. I assumed if the clan leader wished to speak with me, it was for a fight. I was one of the biggest in the clan, the best hunter, and I was called upon to assist in guarding or fighting if the fighters of the clan were outnumbered. It didn’t happen often, but they had gone out to gather the newest batch of women for the clan. Perhaps a town had finally gotten brave enough to refuse them.
Ducking my head, I stepped out of my tent, following my brother to the center of our village. We were nomads, we moved often, but during the colder seasons, we settled near the forest for easier hunting. As the best hunter, I was used to long days in the cold, and it didn’t bother me, but it was always nice to sit by the massive fire that burned constantly in the middle of our village.
Orthorr was waiting for me, his frown pronounced by the wrinkles on his face. He was an elder and he didn’t hunt anymore, but he taught me the skill himself when I was just a boy, and I was always happy to see him.
“Village leader, you sent for me?” I asked, putting a fist to my chest with a slight bow in greeting. He returned the gesture with a fist to his chest and a dip of his chin before tipping his head towards the receiving tent. I fought off a grimace. I had no interest in what lay in there.
“One of the towns offered a male. I considered sending him back, but you’ve been alone too long. Go see if he interests you before I decide.”
I wasn’t the only male in our clan that had no interest in females. There were others. A few who weren’t interested in relationships at all. But most were open about their conquests and not interested in settling down. I had no interest in trysts. I wanted a bondmate, someone to take care of. But since the towns who were beholden to us only sent females, I thought that was impossible.
With a certain level of wariness, I stepped into the tent. The females were offered as a tribute to protect their towns. They were supposed to be volunteers, but more often than not, they were sent without true consent. It took those ones longer to accept that they were in good hands. My clan didn't hurt females. We needed them to continue our line. Our clan, like so many others of our line, produced only males. We needed females from outside our clan to continue on. None would be forced, but after a while, they would learn to accept their status as a place of honor. We would truly cease to exist without them.
Loud sniffles and whimpers filled the room as I stepped inside. It was dark, given the late hour, and the females couldn’t yet be trusted with an open flame without supervision. There were two guards on either side of the tent, watching over them, but they wouldn’t harm them. They were only there to keep them from running off. It was dangerous to wander the forest alone, especially if you didn’t know it like I did.
For a moment, I couldn’t see the male Orthorr referred to. It couldn’t be a joke, Orthorr was not the teasing type, so I considered maybe he’d gotten out and was going to check with the guards when I saw him. In the sliver of light from the fire, he sat curled in a ball, his arms wrapped around his knees and his head down. I would have walked past him had his hair been any longer. But males of the towns often kept their hair short, like this one did. He was a tiny thing, no bigger than a female, with pale skin and a slim figure. I stepped up to him, curious, and froze when he looked up at me. Even in the dark of the tent, I could see how pale his eyes were. Without the sun to offer its light, I couldn’t be sure, but they looked like the early morning sky, pale blue and enormous. They filled with tears and he scooted farther away from me, bumping into a female behind him.
His fear of me made me sick to my stomach and the need to care for him was overwhelming. I scooped him up without forethought. He cried out, frightened, but I wasn’t going to harm him. All the tributes would be assigned a male to watch over them eventually. To better teach them our ways and keep them safe. This male would get the same treatment from me. I would protect him and care for him until he was trusted enough to assist with tasks for the clan or… Well, women who became with child were allowed to stay with their chosen males and merely rest, but that wouldn’t happen with him. Perhaps he could join me on the hunt if he was interested in such things. Given his petite frame, I kind of doubted it.
If we were compatible, I’d do whatever necessary to get him to choose me. Orthorr was right, I’d been alone a long time.
Stepping out of the receiving tent, I masked my discomfort at the male’s tears. I wanted to comfort him, but our languages weren’t the same. Only a few spoke the tongues of the town clans. They gathered the women and brought them here. If I wanted the male to know he was safe, I’d need to show him until he understood me better.
Orthorr turned as I stepped out, raising an eyebrow at me. “He suits you then?”
I didn’t answer outside of a slight nod. Time would tell if we were truly compatible, but he was very beautiful, and he called to my instincts to care for him. It was enough for him to be assigned to my care. Orthorr nodded.
“We will accept his tribute, then. Tyarr will bring your meals to your tent. Uttin said he was well behaved, so he should not cause trouble, but watch him closely. We’ve never accepted a male tribute before. He could be a trap.”
“Yes, clan leader. Thank you for calling for me.”
The little male cried the entire way back to my tent. Not loud sobs like most females would. He muffled the sound by biting his bottom lip, his body shaking from the effort. His hands were bound at the wrist, which was normal, though the rope looked old and scratchy. Even in the light of the moon, I could see the irritation on his slender wrists. I would remove that soon and apply some healing ointment.
Ducking into my tent, I sat him down on the pallet I’d used as a bed since we settled here. It wasn’t much. I was used to sleeping in trees or on the ground on long hunts. Hopefully, the male wouldn’t be too upset about it. I’d never taken a tribute before. I hadn’t prepared for this.
Once I released him, I waited to see if he would run or try to fight. He did neither, hugging his knees tightly again. Good. That would make this easier. I removed the rope first, biting back a snarl at the mangled skin underneath. How long had he been tied up like this to have such injuries? I’d never seen a female with skin so badly damaged. I wanted to apply ointment, but I worried about doing so without cleaning it first. I could bring him to the river to bathe, as most of the clan did, but given how frightened he was, that seemed like a bad idea. Instead, when Tyarr brought our meals, I requested a bowl of warm water from him. Tyarr was a kind brother, and graciously retrieved the water for me. I could see his curiosity, he wanted to meet the little male, but now was not the time. He would be kept separate for a few days to not overwhelm him while learning about his new home.
The male hadn’t moved when I ducked back into my tent. The tent was lit with a lantern in the corner, giving me a better look at him. He looked disheveled and dirty, his clothes torn in some places. That couldn’t have been from us. My clan treated tributes well. I wished I could ask how he came to be this way, but the language barrier prevented it. With a sigh, I put the bowl aside and searched my things. It was all too big for him. I could request new outfits from those who made the clothing, or I could sew something myself. My mother had taught me that a male was useless if he couldn’t be sufficient on his own. But that would take time. For tonight, we’d have to make do.
Pulling out my smallest tunic, I set it aside. I knew the town people wore clothes under their clothes, but I had no such things and my legwear was far too big. The tunic would be long enough to cover all of him, though, so hopefully it was enough.
Turning back to him, I hesitated when he flinched and hugged his legs tighter. I tried to show him through my face that I wasn’t going to hurt him, but he didn’t understand and tears spilled constantly down his cheeks. With a defeated sigh, I decided it was best to get the bathing over quickly. I pulled his soiled clothes off him, tuning out his whimpers and pleas. I did not blame him for doubting me. It only made me more determined to prove him wrong. I ran a wet cloth over his skin, wiping away the dirt and sweat. I was careful but thorough around his injured wrists, and wrapped them with another cloth after I applied the ointment I got from my hunting bag. It was easier to carry it with me than constantly return to the healers for treatment. I was glad for it now.
When I set to remove his legwear, he cried harder, trying to push my hands away as he shook his head. I wished I could leave them, but they were soiled and smelled terrible. He needed something clean. Carefully, so I didn’t hurt him, I took his hands in one of mine, removing his legwear and his little clothes underneath with the other. I purposely avoided looking at his intimate parts, to give him his privacy, and quickly cleaned his legs and feet. I offered it to him to get his private areas, and he hastily cleaned himself before trying to scoot away again. I couldn’t allow that yet. I wasn’t finished.
Tugging the tunic over his head seemed to settle him enough to whimper instead of full blown cries of fear. Normally, I would have waited on the tunic so it wouldn’t get wet, but I thought it was better for him to be covered. Instead, I maneuvered him so he was lying over an uncovered portion of the ground, his head supported by my hand so I could pour water through his hair. He flinched and whimpered, but seemed to finally understand what I was doing because he didn’t fight me anymore. I rubbed my fingers through his hair to get what dirt out I could and poured more to rinse it. Once he was more comfortable, I’d take him to the river to bathe more effectively.
The last thing I cleaned was his face. Tear stains streaked through the dirt there, and he squeezed his eyes shut when I started, like he was expecting rough treatment. I gentled my hand as much as I could, wiping away the dirt and tears carefully. When he finally opened his eyes, I felt my breath catch in my chest again. Pale blue and so fearful.
“You are safe,” I murmured, though I knew he couldn’t understand me. Hopefully my tone would be enough. “I won’t hurt you.”