Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
ARLEN
I woke up from my nap when the rocking motion of the wagon stopped, alerting me that we weren’t moving anymore.
I sat up with a frown, looking around. The wagon was empty, aside from the furs people slept on the night before and their belongings.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d slept, I didn’t think the journey to the nearby clan would take that long, but I felt a little groggy, and it took me a minute to force myself to my feet and hop down from the wagon to look around.
The clan we had joined was pretty much what I’d expected when I thought of barbarian clans.
Tents were scattered in a semi circle around a massive fire, a mountain directly behind them protecting their backs.
There was an area to the right that held their massive horses, and the wagons had been parked on the left, leaving the view of the open plains in front of the village clear of any obstructions.
I took a second to enjoy the view, my heart skipping in my chest at the reminder that I was no longer home and wasn’t going to be forced to go back there to live my life alone.
Tyos’s words crossed my mind, and I had to tamp down some of the excitement building in my chest.
“You not alone, Arlen. I’m here.”
He’d sounded so sincere. Like he truly meant it. I couldn’t help being hopeful when he said things like that. For once in my life, I might not be surrounded by people and still totally alone.
My eyes searched for him automatically, but I couldn’t see him from where I was standing. I saw a group of familiar faces near the fire, and I headed in that direction, hoping one of them would know where my big barbarian savior had gone.
“Finally awake, I see,” Melanie teased as I joined them. “I was going to wake you when we got here, but one of the barbarians told me to let you rest. It took some convincing from his friends to get him to not hover over you until you woke up.”
My cheeks felt hot at the implication, and I bit my lip, looking around the area for any signs of Tyos. “Is he around?”
She smirked at me, waving a hand toward a big tent on the other side of the fire. “They all went in there. They said something about proper greetings and clan talks. I don’t know. They said for us to wait out here, and we’d get a good meal in a little while.”
On cue, my stomach growled, and I gave her a sheepish smile when she snorted at me.
We’d only had a quick meal after the confrontation with Marvin, and I was sure everyone was hungry thanks to my drama following me and causing us to rush.
Hopefully, we’d all be fed soon so the guilt that was eating away at me wouldn’t consume me entirely.
“Does anyone need clothes mended? We’ve got free time,” I offered.
She tipped her head thoughtfully. “I think I heard someone mention they ripped their tunic. Let’s ask.”
She grabbed my wrist, pulling me into the circle of townsfolk who were along for the journey.
I was familiar with the towns themselves but not the people.
The novelty of greeting people fully as myself without fear of them finding out my secret was a little dizzying.
None of them looked at me with suspicion or barely masked disdain.
They were all open and curious and happy to be there, just like I was.
By the time we sat down for our meal, my cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so much.
I’d met more of the people who’d joined the barbarians for the journey to Al Nuzem, as well as a few of the barbarians who’d traveled with us.
They stood nearby, protecting us, and I’d never felt safer in my life.
Especially when Matthew came to sit beside me, and his big terrifying barbarian stood directly at his back.
He was an intimidating sight, but polite to me, and I kind of liked that someone like him was on my side instead of against me like always.
Matthew was pretty quiet, didn’t say much, but I made sure to include him in the conversations, mostly sticking to yes or no questions so he wouldn’t feel forced to speak if it made him uncomfortable.
Half of our company sat near this clan’s leader, including Tyos, who didn’t look happy to be there. I kept sneaking glances at him, and he looked moments from pouting the whole evening. It was adorable on such a big barbarian.
I’d just gotten up to return my bowl to the tent where we’d gotten our food when someone new stepped in front of me.
He wasn’t a barbarian from the group we were traveling with, so I assumed he was from the new clan.
He was taller than me by at least several hands, and the way he leered at me and loomed over me made me a little uncomfortable.
“You are tribute, yes?” he asked.
I shook my head slowly. “I don’t think so. We’re just traveling together.”
At least, that was how they made it sound.
No one said we were required to join a barbarian clan when we eventually made it to Al Nuzem.
The rumors I heard said that the company was just a guide, though anyone wishing to join the clans was welcome.
I hadn’t decided yet if I was going to stick with the clans or find a place for myself in the towns of Al Nuzem.
I figured I had time to decide. Maybe I was wrong?
The barbarian’s brow furrowed, irritation flashing across his face. “You get fuck by men, yes?”
I felt my face turn scarlet at the blunt question, and I couldn’t come up with an answer for the life of me. No one had ever asked me that before. “I– I mean– That’s–”
Huffing an annoyed sound, the barbarian grabbed my arm, dragging me up against his chest. His voice came out in a purr, but the grip on my arm and the look in his eyes felt more threatening than sultry. “You want fuck?”
“N-No, thank you. I’d like to go back to my group.”
His grip tightened a little, becoming painful, and I whimpered a little under the force of his scowl. How had I gone from being a pariah to getting this kind of attention in only a day? What did I even say to the man to get him to leave me alone?
Tyos appeared almost out of thin air, shoving the barbarian away from me and forcing him to release his grip on my arm.
Like the first time we met, Tyos moved me behind him, taking a protective stance between me and the barbarian hurting me.
He growled something in the barbarian language I didn’t understand, but his tone was threatening.
The other barbarian took offense, shoving his chest and snapping something harsh, causing me to stumble thanks to my position against Tyos’s back.
“Arlen!”
Simon’s familiar voice cut through the buzzing sound that had filled my ears, and when he moved to join us, he had his knives out and a look on his face that promised pain to anyone who got in his way.
He yanked me away from the two barbarians facing off with each other, standing in front of me even though we were pretty much the same height.
A presence at my back made me tense, but I let out a breath of relief when I glanced over my shoulder and found Matthew and his bondmate standing behind me.
I was surrounded by people willing to protect me, even though they had no idea what was happening. It didn’t matter to them. My safety came first. The realization was overwhelming.
“What happened?” Simon demanded without looking away from the barbarians who were chest to chest, snarling at each other in their gruff language and looking seconds from starting a fight.
“I-I–” I wasn’t sure what to say. I felt embarrassed for causing more trouble for the barbarians. It’d only been a full day and already, they’d had to protect me three times.
Something the other barbarian said must have crossed a line because Tyos shoved him hard and started swinging, his teeth bared and his face a mask of fury.
“Tyos!” I cried, nails digging into my palms as I fought the urge to get between them. This was my fault. I shouldn’t have gotten so upset. Just because I wasn’t used to that kind of attention didn’t mean I had to insult the man. I could have been kinder about it.
More barbarians swarmed the two, separating them and keeping them apart. Uttin strode into the fray, his face like a thundercloud, and got into Tyos’s face. His voice was too low for me to hear him, but his expression was foreboding, and he didn’t look happy about Tyos starting a fight.
When it was Tyos’s turn to talk, he looked like he was fighting a scowl, his words gruff and growly.
Uttin’s gaze snapped to me for a second, and I shrank under his intense stare as Tyos explained his side of it.
I wanted to speak up, to tell Uttin he’d only been trying to protect me, but I felt a lot like I had when confronted by Marvin.
Frozen where I stood, fear and embarrassment making it impossible for me to speak.
Uttin said something to Tyos, who nodded sharply, then stepped around him, coming to stand in front of Simon instead. He didn't force the smaller man to move from where he stood protecting me, instead looking past him to speak to me without moving me from where I felt safe.
“Tyos says you were attacked. Is this true?”
“Um…” I felt tears fill my eyes, unsure how to answer him. I didn’t want Tyos to get in trouble for protecting me, but I shouldn’t have made such a big deal out of nothing either.
Spinning around, Simon looked at me, making a tick sound behind his teeth before grabbing my wrist and pulling me away.
For such a small man, he was a force to be reckoned with, and I had no choice but to follow him until we were near the wagons and alone aside from Uttin and Simon’s barbarian, who stood nearby, but with his back to us, protecting us from the rest of the clan.
“Tell me what happened,” Simon insisted.
“I-It was nothing,” I croaked. “A misunderstanding–”
“If that were true, you wouldn’t look so pale and terrified,” Simon argued.
“Simon,” Uttin chastised. “He is still new. Be kind.”
Simon shot him a dirty look, but forced himself to take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. When he looked at me again, his fierce expression was softer, and he looked a little less murderous than he had before. He gave me an expectant look, but I still didn’t know what to say.
“Would Matthew being here help?” he offered.
It was a little embarrassing wanting a man so much younger than me to be nearby as a comforting presence, but I nodded in agreement. They obviously weren’t going to let it go, and having someone familiar to me made me feel better.
Uttin called Matthew over, and he sat with me on the back of one of the wagons, a hand on my shoulder as I worked up the courage to speak.
“I was going to return my bowl when the barbarian stopped me. He asked me if I was a tribute, and I said I wasn’t, but I think he was confused because he started asking me about my interests.
I know male tributes were a thing before the new treaty with Al Nuzem.
He…” I swallowed hard, staring at my hands as I forced myself to continue.
“He propositioned me, but when I said no, he got a little rough, and I guess Tyos thought he needed to protect me because he got in between us, and they started to argue.” A tear slid over my cheek, and I dashed it away, trying to keep my voice from wobbling.
“I swear, I’m not trying to cause trouble.
I didn’t mean to upset the barbarian. I should have been more clear, more polite–”
“That’s bullshit,” Simon snapped, cutting me off and making my head jerk up. “He asked, you said no, that should have been it. He got his ass kicked for hurting you, which is exactly what he deserved.”
My hand moved to cover the spot on my arm that still throbbed from the grip of the barbarian’s hold. “It was nothing…”
Matthew didn’t seem to agree, urging me to lift my sleeve to show him the bruise forming on my arm. Simon’s eyes went wide when he saw it, and he spun around on his heel, only stopped from going after the barbarian because his husband got in his way before he could gut him with his knives.
“That’s not nothing,” Uttin said, his voice edged with fury and forced calm. “I will speak with the clan leader about this. You should not have been harmed for saying no.”