Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
TORGRIND
I had no intention of walking away. I could tell Brenek wouldn’t either.
Neither of us wished to leave such dangerous men out in the world where they could hurt someone helpless again.
Brenek stepped forward, a growl in his throat as he brandished his sword menacingly, but before either of us could take action, a barking voice made us hesitate.
“Enough!”
Jamal jumped, clinging tighter to my tunic as he trembled between us. Using my free hand, I pulled him tighter against me, giving him comfort without removing my attention away from those that threatened him. The newcomer wasn’t a threat. It was our clan leader.
“What is the meaning of this?” Idrull demanded.
He stormed into the room, followed by more of my clan brothers, who took up protective stances nearby.
Those who weren’t part of the fight quickly exited the establishment, leaving us and ruffians alone.
They looked uncomfortable with the change, huddling closer to each other while the middle one spoke in the common tongue to Idrull.
“The little shit cheated us. He was warned to leave us be and demanded to play anyway. He owes us compensation for the trouble.”
That made Jamal stiffen, finally looking around Brenek to glare at the leader. “I didn’t cheat! You can’t blame me for–”
“Torgrind, remove him from this place,” Idrull interrupted with a growl. “I will handle this.”
Jamal didn’t want to go, now that he felt he had back up he wanted to stay and argue his case.
I had to scoop him off his feet and carry him out of the tavern kicking and shouting to get him to go.
I brought him past the walls of the town, but not yet to the clan. Not when he was shouting like that.
“Tavi–”
“No! I’m not a cheat! I didn’t do anything!”
His upset was too great for me to speak with him properly. Instead, I pulled him into my arms, holding tightly against my chest and whispering into his ear. “I feared for you.”
The comment didn’t end his struggles to free himself from me, likely to run back to confront his attackers, but he did lose some of his fight.
His attempts were half hearted, and when Brenek came to join us and put a hand on his back, he slumped in defeat.
There was no way he could escape us both.
And neither of us would be willing to let him out of our sight any time soon.
JAMAL
Being surrounded by the two protective barbarians, I felt my body finally let go of the terror I’d felt inside the tavern.
I’d never had something happen to me like that before.
But then again, I hadn’t ever been so far from home before.
People knew me there, knew my connection to my father and therefore the king as well.
They also knew I wouldn’t be caught dead cheating. I didn’t need to.
When I started getting worked up again, struggling against the barbarian’s hold, he only held me closer while the other one pressed himself against my back. Trapping me between them like I had been in the tavern. When they’d risked their lives to save mine.
Whispered footsteps came closer over the sand, and I braced myself for the worst. If those assholes somehow got the upperhand–
“Is he hurt?” the clan leader asked, his voice gruff and tight with irritation.
“Not that I noticed,” Torgrind answered. Yes, I’d eventually learned their names, though I sometimes pretended I hadn’t just because they had both denied me for days now. I didn't want to reward them for their ‘gentlemanly’ behavior when I wanted no part in it.
Torgrind finally released me, shifting back to look me over.
He tracked every injury, lifting my chin gently with his knuckle to check my neck and caressing the marks there before moving on to my arm.
Aside from a little soreness, I wasn’t hurt.
My pride was damaged, and I still wanted to go back and demand my money.
They’d stolen it. I won fair and square.
Batting Torgrind’s hand away, I stepped back, only to bump into Brenek who stood behind me. I couldn’t avoid the clan leader’s probing eyes, and irritation swelled as I felt trapped between them.
“I didn't do anything!” I snapped. “They lost!”
“In my experience, outlaws don’t care about who wins or loses.
You tried to take coin from them. They took exception,” Idrull said.
I waited for the shaming, the accusations like my father would have cast at me for being there in the first place.
Idrull patted my shoulder, tipping his head toward the camp.
“For tonight, it is best to return to camp. Torgrind and Brenek will make sure you get back safely.”
And then he just… walked away.
It was confusing. I’d gotten scolded more times than I could count at home.
I’d gotten used to it. And I might have possibly deserved it this time.
Not only did I sneak away from camp, I got drunk and picked the worst possible group to socialize with, nearly got hurt, and put two of his people in danger protecting me. Why wouldn’t he scold me for that?
My body was still primed for the fight, the defensive argument still on my tongue, so when the two barbarians who’d been hovering around me since I arrived both turned their full attention to me, I lifted my chin, glaring at them. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
They nodded, and neither argued with me.
It stunned me so much, I didn’t protest when they led me away from the town and back to the camp.
And when Brenek brought his bed roll and placed it beside mine with Torgrind on my other side, I found myself ushered into the middle, both of them crawling into their rolls beside me and putting hands on me.
Not to keep me captive. The touch was gentle, like they merely wished to know I was safe.
I fell asleep confused and uncertain for the first time in my life. Why were they treating me so kindly? Why had no one said anything? And why did it bother me so much that they didn’t?
They were still there when I woke. I wasn’t sure why I thought they wouldn’t be, they’d been there since the beginning, but I was still feeling uncertain after the night prior.
Nothing turned out the way I’d expected it to.
And part of me wanted to test just how far I could go before they pushed back.
They had to lose their patience eventually.
Where was the line before that happened?
Sitting up, I rubbed my face roughly, grumbling as my head throbbed.
I may have gone to bed feeling sober, but I woke up with a hangover anyway and seriously considered going back to bed until the pain went away.
It was the smell of food that got me moving.
The hangover wasn’t the worst I’d experienced and whatever the clan was making smelled good.
“Tavi,” Torgrind greeted with a soft smile when I finally dropped my hands and looked around. “Are you hungry?”
I only had enough energy to nod once, accepting the bowl he offered me. I startled a little when something cool and wet touched my neck, but when I jerked around to look at what touched me, Brenek gave me an apologetic smile.
“It will help the ache. Eat,” he urged.
The coolness of the cloth on my skin was kind of nice and the bowl had everything I liked and nothing that I didn’t, which made me think Torgrind had picked out the bits he’d seen me avoid before.
I melted a little, leaning into Brenek’s touch as I ate.
When I finished, I was feeling much more human, and the determination to retrieve my coin was back with a vengeance.
I wasn’t going to let those assholes steal from me.
When I brushed off my hands and stood, both barbarians stood with me. Torgrind took my hand, frowning at the bruising on my arm, while Brenek lifted my chin to get a better look at my neck. Their concern distracted me, and I lost track of my plan for a moment.
“We should see the healer,” Torgrind suggested, giving my hand a light tug. “She will have something for the pain.”
I opened my mouth to say I was fine, but Brenek spoke next, his fingers gently brushing along my neck. “I will fetch a flask. Some cool water may help your throat.”
Taking a step back, I looked between them with a frown. “Why–” A dry spot made me choke on the words, and I had to clear my throat to speak properly. “Why are you fussing? I’m fine.”
“You’re injured,” Torgrind pointed out.
“Just bruises,” I argued. “I need to go back to town. I want my winnings. I didn’t cheat.”
Brenek shook his head, but before I could get incensed by his refusal, he said, “They’re not in the tavern. I looked when some clan members went into town to use the well this morning. They’ll likely not be back until evening at the earliest.”
I deflated, scowling at the ugly little town that had caused me so much trouble. “Can’t we ask where they live? Go to their home?”
“They’re unlikely to answer,” Torgrind said. “This town is filled with unscrupulous people. We’d have to pay for the information, and it might not be true.”
Ugh. He had a point. I’d heard that in the more dangerous parts of the city, neighbors were discreet about certain activities unless offered a large sum to share secrets, and even that could turn out to be a false lead.
They’d more likely disappear with their coin than face the wrath of their neighbors for snitching.
Growling, I plopped back down on my bed roll, crossing my arms over my chest. The barbarians erected large coverings over the camp to create shade, so it was at least comfortable. Maybe going back to bed wouldn’t be the worst idea. I had nothing better to do.
The reminder only made me scowl. This really was turning out to be the punishment my father intended it to be. It just wasn’t the kind of punishment he thought.
Torgrind left first, coming back with the healer who cooed over my injuries and covered them with a poultice to ease the pain and encourage healing.
When Brenek disappeared next, I assumed he went to get the water, and I was preparing myself for another day of boredom when he came back, flasks in hand, and a pack of cards he handed to me as he sat on my bed roll beside me.
“The game you played. Can you show me?”
Surprised, I blinked down at the brand new deck he’d brought me. It was obviously unused, wrapped tightly with twine, which made me think he went to buy them just that morning. For me?
Torgrind sat on his bedroll across from me, looking just as curious as Brenek. I felt a smile stretch my lips as I unwound the twine and shuffled the deck. “I can teach you, sure, but we’ll have to choose what to bet. Without my coin I can’t bet properly.”
“What did you have in mind?” Brenek said distractedly, his eyes on the deck and not on me. I didn’t miss that one spoke my language while the other used the common tongue. I was curious about them.
“Information. If you lose a round, you have to answer a question. The same will go for me.”