Chapter 18
Eighteen
I woke up early the next morning, carefully pulling out of Verus’s arms. He said the hunt would be long, which meant for the most part, they would probably be feeding themselves as they tracked the herd. But I wanted to cook him something that would last a while. I didn’t want him to go hungry.
Sneaking out of the tent was difficult with the crutches, but I guessed I wore him out the night prior, because he didn’t stir. My face flushed in remembrance of our time together. Being inside of Verus was like a dream. I warred with myself on whether it was better to wake him with sex, but my need to feed him won out, and I hobbled away, keeping the weight on my good leg.
The sun had yet to come up, the sky only just turning gray, so most of the village was quiet. I saw a few warriors who guarded the village at night marching around, but none approached me. I slipped into the cooking tent, already running through the ingredients in my head that I needed to make the treat for Verus. If I made enough, it could be shared with all the hunters who were going.
“What do you think you’re doing?” a familiar voice snarled.
Jerking around almost sent me toppling to the ground, and the twist was painful on my injured leg. I grimaced, shifting my weight to take the edge off the pain.
“You are planning to do something to the food, aren’t you?” Saneth accused. “I knew it was a trap to trust you.”
My brows furrowed. “What would I do to the food? I am here to cook.”
He didn’t look like he believed me, his eyes narrowed and suspicious. “Arms out. I will find the poison on you and prove it.”
Looking down at the crutches and back at him, I wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted me to do. If I put my arms out, the crutches would fall, and then so would I. He seemed to come to the same conclusion because he made an irritated sound and stomped up to me, grabbing a stool nearby and shoving me onto it.
I stayed stiff as he searched my pockets, and he could only do it while I was seated because of the trousers that were made for me were so loose. His accusations were baseless—I would never do something so awful to the clan—but I was only a visitor here. If it came down to my word against his, the clan would no doubt choose to believe him. It reminded me too much of when Richard tricked me. I wanted to run away, to call for Verus, but I sat there frozen until Saneth had finished his search and stepped back again.
“You carry nothing on you,” he complained.
I nodded slowly. “It’s hard to reach my pockets with the crutches.”
He glanced at the crutches, then back at me. He looked confused, his expression twisted. “Then why are you here if you are not planning to cause trouble?”
“Verus is going on a hunt,” I explained, my voice trembling. “I was going to make him bread to take with him. If he’s careful with it, it will last a while.”
My answer seemed to surprise him. He studied me, looking for a lie, and when he didn’t find one, he threw his hands up in frustration. “He said you were poisoning him!”
I didn’t need to ask who. Tavik didn't like me, and it seemed like he wasn’t above spreading rumors. I sank a little in on myself, fighting back tears. That kind of rumor would get me thrown out or even killed. I was terrified of what Saneth would do to me.
“I-I haven’t. I swear.”
Saneth growled and stomped away, spinning on his heel to march back. He did that several times, pacing in the tent, and when he came back again, his expression was more hesitant.
“I told him I’d catch you in the act. I’ve been watching you. But you are never alone. Not until now. Are you cooking the clan meal as well? Is that how you poison him?”
Shaking my head rapidly, I told him, “I can’t cook for the clan yet. Yamileth would be angry with me. It’s her job to feed the clan. I only help her.”
His eyes flicked around the tent before narrowing on me again. “I don’t believe you. We will bring you to Orthorr, see what he thinks.”
“You will do no such thing.” Yamileth’s voice cut through the quiet, low and ominous. “It is not Patrick you should worry about. I’m the one who punished Tavik. Had he kept his mouth shut, he would not be suffering right now.”
My mouth fell open at her confession. Even Saneth looked stunned, spinning around to face her.
“You punish him by poisoning him?” he screeched.
She scoffed. “No, I punish him by giving him the shits. Since his mouth is so full of shit, I felt it best to clear that from his system. Perhaps now he will speak better to others.”
Saneth looked like he wasn’t sure what to do with that information. Neither was I, for that matter. I watched as Yamileth elbowed him out of her way, coming to stand in front of me and cupping my face in her warm hands.
“Are you hurt?”
I shook my head minutely, grateful for her presence. “No. He let me sit down before questioning me.”
She tsked, pinching my cheeks affectionately before releasing me. “At least he has some brains, then. Why are you here so early? You should be resting.”
I glanced at Saneth, who still stood there gaping at her, but Yamileth seemed intent on ignoring him. “I, uh… Verus has to go on a long hunt. I was going to cook him and the other hunters some bread to bring with them so they don’t get hungry.”
She gifted me with a soft smile, patting my cheek again. “You’re a good boy. I will help. If we add fruit, it will keep them healthy. A few of them use the long hunt to skip on their vegetables. Giant children, the lot of them.”
I huffed out a laugh, still staring at her as she puttered around the tent, poking through the boxes of dried fruits and meats against one wall. She was quickly becoming my favorite person, aside from Verus. She cared more about me than my parents ever had.
She pointed me to my table where I prepped the bread daily and set me to work on mixing the ingredients. When she noticed Saneth still standing there, she rolled her eyes.
“Do you plan to stand there all day gaping like a fish?”
Her comment seemed to snap him out of his shock and he took a step back, pointing at her accusingly. “You admitted to a crime. I will be telling Orthorr.”
“Do so,” she challenged. “Perhaps he would like to know how you two treat our visitors. Or maybe he would like to hear of Tavik’s intent to frame Patrick for a crime he did not commit. You two are not without fault. Now, begone. And don’t come back. You two can feed yourselves for a while. Perhaps that will teach you some manners.”
Saneth paled at her accusations, no longer looking like the tough barbarian warrior. Instead he resembled a little boy getting scolded by his grandmother. I’d laugh if the situation wasn’t so upsetting. I was still afraid that he’d tell the clan leader that I was poisoning Tavik and get me thrown out.
His mouth gaped open and closed for a moment before he spun on his heel and hurried off. I watched him go with my heart in my throat, only turning back to my work when Yamileth put her hand on my shoulder.
“Do not have fear, Patrick. They got what they deserved. Though, next time I will add more visek to Saneth’s meals. He should have been suffering alongside his little friend. He has a stronger gut than Tavik does.”
Stunned, I whipped my head around to look at her. “So you were telling the truth? You really poisoned him?”
She scoffed, waving a wrinkled hand dismissively. “No. Visek is not fatal. It merely clears out the system. He would need to eat the whole bush to suffer anything more than the shits from it.”
My stomach dropped out, and an incredulous laugh bubbled up in my throat. She grinned and winked at me, puttering away to grab the dried fruit for the bread.
“Have you done this before?” I had to ask.
She snickered, setting the dried fruit on my table. “On occasion. The clan knows better than to bite the hand that feeds them. If Tavik had been smart, he would have avoided my tent for a time after upsetting you. It is his own arrogance that landed him in his predicament.”
I should have questioned her more when she said she’d handled them. I thought a little old woman wouldn’t have been able to cause much trouble. I was very wrong. And now I knew better than to ever make her angry. I didn’t want to face the same consequences as Tavik.
Hoping to stay on her good side, I quickly got to work, mixing the ingredients together and folding in the dried fruit. The dough went into a covered pot hanging over the fire. I hoped it would be done before Verus left. I’d lost time when Saneth came to harass me.
After stoking the fire, I moved to start the morning preparations for breakfast. It took time and planning to feed an entire village. It made me wonder how Yamileth handled it all by herself.
“Have you always worked alone?” I queried while chopping some fruit into small pieces. The toddlers would choke if I didn’t.
She hummed, shaking her head. “Not always. My husband would help me when he was alive. My sons did while they were little, until they grew bored of it. A few in the clan offer their help, but you will see when they do that they only cause more work. It is not hard to chop things evenly. They ruin the food with such sloppiness.”
I snickered, doling out the fruit into small bowls. “I’m glad I don’t cause you trouble.”
She stopped beside me, pinching my cheek again. “As am I, young one. Now enough chit chat. We have work to do.”
A smile pulled at my lips as I followed her directions. My father always hated that I was more interested in cooking than things like fighting or hunting for sport. He thought it was an embarrassment, especially when I opened a bakery instead of a tavern. He thought at least a tavern wouldn’t be considered women’s work. But my skills were needed here. I was glad I followed my heart.