Chapter 4
Four
ZAKAI
All my plans of escape disintegrated the minute they fastened the iron shackles on. If they’d just put them on me, there was the potential to still get away. Instead, they put one on my wrist and one on the stoic barbarian’s, effectively tying us together.
I glared at him and jerked hard on the restraint, but they didn’t budge, and he didn’t react outside of a sigh.
He grabbed my arm a little gentler this time, urging me along, but I refused to go.
I dug my heels in, trying to stop our forward movement.
I had no idea what was in store for me once he took me away.
At least out here, I was surrounded by people.
What were the chances they would intervene if he tried to hurt me?
A small blond man spoke to my captor, his eyes darting to me and away nervously.
From his stature, I wouldn’t think he was a barbarian, but his clothes were the same as theirs, and he had one of those necklaces they all seemed to be wearing as well.
He gestured to me, words rushed, and once he was through, the barbarian I was bound to released my arm with a grunt and stopped trying to pull me away.
Relief flooded me. I felt safer out here.
With more care, the barbarian led me to a spot littered with pillows where others were seated and talking amongst themselves. They all stared at me, but none tried to speak to me directly. What were the chances any of them understood me?
“Does no one speak my tongue?” I asked, eyeing them all. Many were women, which, according to the rumors, weren’t from here since the barbarians couldn’t father females. Surely one of them could understand my words.
I got a few sympathetic looks, but none spoke up. The hope faded just as quickly as it had arrived. I was all alone here.
I’d never been on my own before, not truly.
Between nannies, guards, my parents, even my older siblings, the only times I was ever truly alone were in my chambers at night, and there were still guards standing outside my door even then.
And while I wasn’t technically alone here, without being able to speak with anyone, it felt as though I was.
A chubby man with spots on his cheeks and nose approached with a kind smile, offering me a bowl.
I was wary, but I noticed others had the same thing, and when I peeked inside, it was food he was offering me.
I took it, frowning at the contents. It wasn’t what I was used to eating.
Meat and bread and some vegetables I wasn’t familiar with.
Nothing nearly up to the standard I was used to.
Then again, it smelled better than what we’d received on the trip here.
That had only been dried meats and bread, for the most part.
The barbarian I was attached to accepted his own bowl with a grunt and started eating without a word.
I was feeling petulant, so I jerked my hand.
I’d thought it’d only make him flounder a little, but I caught him off guard enough that he dropped the entire bowl into the dirt.
A smile tugged at my lips. That was a happy accident.
He glared at me and an idea struck. If I could annoy him enough, he’d be forced to take the shackles off, and I’d have my opportunity to escape. I could definitely be annoying if I wanted to.
I played innocent when he spoke to the man who brought us our food, taking a bite of the meat more obnoxiously than I had to.
It surprised me that it was actually good, with enough seasoning to add flavor without overwhelming the cut of the meat.
I hummed a happy noise, taking another bite, and when I noticed the barbarian’s scowl as he watched me eat, I only got more obnoxious about it.
And when he got his next bowl, I jerked my hand again, causing it to land in his lap.
It only spilled a little this time, which was unfortunate, but he growled something at me that I guessed was a threat or something considering the glances we were getting from the people nearby. I ignored him.
Once my bowl was empty, I stretched, making it that much harder for him to eat while my arms were in the air. I played up the innocence, batting my eyes when he gave me another dirty look, and kept on stretching, making faces as I pretended to work out the kinks in my muscles.
“My journey was so long. My muscles are sore,” I pouted, when he wouldn’t stop glaring at me. I knew he didn’t understand me, but he picked up on my tone. His scowl softened just a little, and he went back to grumpily eating his supper without any complaints.
After he finished eating, he stood and went to join the older man who wore robes instead of just trousers like the rest of them seemed to favor.
I was forced to join them, standing beside the stoic barbarian as he and the older one spoke.
He ignored me completely, which wouldn’t do.
If he wanted to be stuck to me, then he had to pay attention.
Grabbing the chain of the shackles, I jerked on it hard enough to make him jerk. His head whipped around and he bared his teeth at me, clearly pissed off. In response, I flinched dramatically, raising my hands up to protect myself.
“Please, please! Don’t hurt me!” I cried. Peeking over my shoulder, I saw the frowns of his clan mates. I bit back a grin. At least some of them weren’t happy with the thought of me being mistreated. Would that affect how he interacted with me?
Callous roughened hands wrapped gently around mine, and when he pulled my hands down so I could see his face, he looked abashed. He murmured something, shaking his head, and ran his thumbs over my knuckles in a way that was probably meant to be reassuring. It’d be sweet if I wasn’t a captive here.
UTTIN
Guilt sat heavily in my gut when I saw the terror on the tribute’s face. I’d forgotten for a moment that he had just arrived and was acting out because of fear. I couldn’t hold that against him, and acting brash would only frighten him more.
He tugged a little on his hands, so I released him with one last murmured, “You’re safe.”
When I turned back to Orthorr, he gave me a disappointed look that I felt in my soul. I grimaced.
“I’m sorry, clan leader. I overreacted. I didn’t expect to be caring for a tribute and forgot to be more gentle.”
His expression softened, and he nodded. “I understand I thrust this upon you without warning, but I do feel he is best left with you until we figure out his story. To my knowledge, most who live in the towns speak the common tongue. I’m unsure as to why this one doesn’t.”
That made me frown. “Do you think he’s not from the towns?”
Orthorr tipped his head thoughtfully. “It is possible.”
Which could mean many things. The male could have been a slave or a victim of kidnapping.
He could just be an innocent who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was handed off to spare the town from handing over one of their citizens.
Or he could be a criminal from another country, and a town had volunteered to get rid of him.
I looked at him again out of the corner of my eye.
If that last one turned out to be true, he could be dangerous.
I would need to keep him away from my weapons.
“Until we know more, he will not be introduced to the clan,” Orthorr decided. “Do what you can to teach him our language. You’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way. And take care to be patient with him. He has less understanding than the rest, and it will affect his temperament.”
With a heavy sigh, I nodded. I would need to do better. It was wrong to blame the tribute for acting out, especially while he didn’t understand.
Like he wanted to test my patience right away, the tribute jerked the chain connecting us again.
It was deliberate, there was no way to pretend otherwise, but pretend he did.
He looked up at me innocently, which was when I got a good look at his eyes.
They were fascinating, like the color of the summer sky, but with an amber circle in the center, ringing the middle.
They made him look even more innocent as he blinked up at me.
It was a wonder he was alone long enough to be brought to us.
Those eyes alone would draw people to him.
My staring seemed to make him uncomfortable.
He shifted under my heavy gaze, eyes darting around for a moment before he took a step back.
I blinked, finally dragging my attention off his eyes and back to Orthorr.
He had gotten distracted speaking with Rath.
Orthorr had sent Bhortis to ask for volunteers to care for the children who were sent with the tributes.
Rath and his bondmate had been the first to volunteer.
With Finn’s ability to speak the common tongue and teach the language, it was important for them to know him.
Since I wasn’t in a position to volunteer myself and there was nothing more I could work through with Orthorr, I decided it was time to bring the tribute to my tent.
Usually they rested there after their arrival and were given a few days to come to terms with their new circumstances.
I would have brought him there immediately if Finn hadn’t pointed out how terrifying it was for him back when he didn’t understand and had been forced into Rath’s tent with no explanation.
Now Orthorr explained things to the tributes before sending them with their protectors.
I couldn’t do the same with my tribute, so Finn suggested having our first meal in the village center to put him more at ease.
The tribute yawned, jerking the chain between us again.
Figuring it was best to get him to bed, I took his arm to lead him away.
He immediately protested, shouting and digging his heels in.
When we reached the edge of the light of the fire, he dropped his weight, kicking and slapping to keep me away from him.
Thankfully most of those in the village center were bonded and understood the problem.
I got a few commiserating looks, and several looks of understanding pointed in the tribute’s direction.
None commented when I eventually picked him up and carried him away.
Once we were out of sight of the village center, his tone changed.
He sounded more desperate, his words tinged in fear, and his bottom lip trembled in an effort to hold back tears.
The guilt ate at me, but before we could explain things to them, we would show with actions that tributes were safe. He would understand eventually.
I ducked into my tent, which wasn’t far from the village center, and set the tribute on his feet again.
He immediately tried to run, shoving against my chest to get past me.
I was bigger than he was, so he didn’t have much luck.
I caught him in my arms, moving him again to stand in the middle of the tent.
“I know you don’t understand right now, but you are safe here. I am only trying to care for you.”