Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
JAMAL
I went for a long ride with Abigail and Godr, which was more entertaining than I’d expected given how boring the rides were on the journey here.
They were good company, and watching Godr wrestle with the younger horse a time or two when it decided it no longer wanted a rider and tried to buck him off was entertaining.
And it wasn’t work. I would remain stubborn about that.
Despite what my father wanted, I didn’t come out here to work.
When we returned, Godr’s son had returned from the training some of the younger boys did, and they both showed me a game they liked to play that the barbarians had created themselves.
It was a simple enough game, and I noticed almost immediately that Godr was right and his son was cheating.
The fact that Godr couldn’t figure out how was so funny, I chose to feign ignorance when Godr asked me if I’d seen anything.
I was teaching them and Abigail how to play cards when Zakai and Simon came to find me. Zakai’s hands on my shoulders made me look up and when he leaned over me, I grinned. “Hello!”
“Hello to you, my friend. What are you doing?”
I gestured to the cards laid out on the ground in front of us.
We’d had to move just outside the paddock to a shady spot nearby because a few of the horses tried to eat the cards, and Abigail couldn’t stray since it was her turn to watch over the herd, but the sun was no longer at its height, and the breeze was decent today, so I didn’t mind.
“Ah!” He shot an amused look at me and shook his head when I offered for him to join. “I know better than to play cards with you. I lost enough money to you over the years.”
I beamed, pleased with the recognition. “And I don’t even need to cheat to do it.”
Simon seemed curious, looking over the cards, but before I could invite him to play, a voice called out to Godr and his son. “Godr? Seb?”
Godr’s eyes lit up, and he shot me an apologetic smile. “We’ll have to come back to this later. I promised my family we’d go for a ride. Come back again soon. I want to see if I can beat Seb at one game at least. You aren’t done teaching me yet.”
Sebastian snickered, looking smug as he stood and raced for the paddock, leaving Godr and another man with glasses who came to join them to follow behind him.
Abigail patted my shoulder. “I gotta go, too. There’s always something to do around here, so if you’re bored come back. We’ll find some way to entertain you.”
Chuckling, I gathered up my cards and pushed to my feet, spinning to look at Simon and Zakai. “What do you do for fun?” I demanded.
“Fuck,” Simon replied.
He hadn’t waited long enough for Abigail to leave, and I heard her choke on a laugh behind me, calling out from the paddock, “He means besides that! Goddess, you’d think the cocks around here are magic for just how often you are all clamoring for it all the time.”
I shared a wicked grin with my friends. They knew just as well as I did that the cocks were magic. Though, Abigail was bonded to a barbarian. Maybe it was only the ones who fucked males who had magic cocks?
Simon made a face. “What’s more fun than fucking?”
Snickering, I followed them away from the horses and back toward the clan.
“She’s trying to help me find things to do when my barbarians are busy.
They both are training this morning, and I’m bored.
And I refuse to work when this is the only opportunity I’ll get to avoid doing so.
Once I return to the city, my father will be relentless. ”
Zakai nodded in understanding. “I never did envy your work. I agree that fucking is what I do for fun. Since I have duties to attend to as liaison between the clans and the kingdom, there’s always something to do.
But when I’m not busy with work or with Uttin, I spend time with Simon and the other male tributes. Have you made any friends in the clan?”
“Some,” I agreed. “Yngvar makes his own ale. It’s amazing.”
That made Simon bark out a laugh. “Definitely make friends with him. Barbarian ale will always liven things up.”
See? This was why I was so excited to see Zakai and now Simon, too.
They understood me. What was better than fucking and drinking and spending time with those who enjoyed the same thing?
Perhaps I needed to get my barbarians to drink with me.
Then they’d figure it out. As well as the joys of drunken sex.
brENEK
“Watch for the smaller one,” Torgrind muttered under his breath. “He’s quick. I’ve seen him train before.”
When the clan leader insisted on the training between clans, I’d expected to be paired with another clan brother for the sparring portion.
It surprised me that Torgrind and I were paired together.
We were paired against each other often when training with just the clan, but rarely worked together as a duo.
The only time we’d ever done so before was in the tavern while rescuing Jamal.
It was the first time we were together without Jamal between us, and while we still made comments and teased, the urge to take him down a peg wasn’t as intense as before.
I accepted the pairing without fuss, ignoring the stunned and curious looks of my clan brothers.
There didn’t need to be such fuss over us working together.
It wasn’t a big deal. I’d grown used to his presence since we were forced to cooperate to keep Jamal happy, that was all.
“You are right to let me handle him, then,” I quipped with a smirk. “I am much faster than you are.”
“And much more annoying,” he countered. “I’m going to stop offering insight. Let you fail on your own from now on.”
The larger of the two we were to face off with looked at his companion. “We sounded like that once.” He shot a mischievous smirk my way as he added, “Better be careful, or you’ll end up fucking each other before long.”
The comment made me splutter, which I realized too late was exactly his intention.
The call for the sparring match to begin sounded just after he said it, and I was immediately put on the defensive because I was too distracted to focus properly.
The smaller one dodged around me, trying to come around my back, and I had to duck and roll to avoid him.
His face lit up at the move, his stance still low even while he said, “That was a fun move. I want to learn that next.”
“Sure. After you lose this match,” I grunted, lunging for him. We were evenly matched, but Torgrind was right. He was fast, faster than I was, and would have gotten the upper hand if my clan brother didn’t have my back. Literally.
The clang of weapons sounded as his back bumped against mine, blocking me from a blow I didn’t see coming. It changed the match back to two on two, but with his back against mine, there was less chance for an opening.
“Let’s pull a trick,” I gritted out, pushing my opponent away.
“Like the tavern?” he murmured, moving away long enough to parry another attack before bumping into me again.
“Yes. Do it,” I agreed, spinning around to glare at him. “How can I fight with you on top of me like that?” I snapped louder so the other pair could hear.
“Maybe move your feet,” he growled back, body half-turned to keep an eye on his opponent while he feigned a fight with me.
The pair wasn’t as easily distracted as the criminals had been, but they did share a confused look at one point, moving back to each other’s sides instead of forcing us back to back, perhaps to redirect us back to the fight.
Shoving my shoulder against Torgrind’s, I pushed him away from me. “I should not need to hold your hand while fighting! Make space!”
When he shoved me back, looking to all intents and purposes like he was angry with me, I let the shove knock me over, rolling with it to cause the bigger of the two to fall.
Unfortunately, unlike the last time we did this, their blades weren’t pointed at someone else, and when he stumbled, the bigger of the two nearly landed with his blade against my throat.
If he’d have succeeded, he would have cut my head clean off, and it wouldn’t have even been on purpose.
“Brenek!” Torgrind shouted in warning, causing me to lift my blade just in time to catch the falling man’s blade only inches above my neck. His eyes widened in surprise, and he immediately jumped off me, putting his hands up in surrender.
Torgrind hurried to stand over me, sword still up to protect us both in case the smaller of the pair didn’t notice the match had ended. “Are you alright?”
“I swear, I didn’t mean to do that,” the bigger brother rushed out at the same time.
“I’m alright,” I told them both, blowing out a breath when I sat up. That had been a little too close for comfort. I’d been too cocky, sure the distraction would work like it had before. If Torgrind hadn’t spoken up, I shuddered to think what would have happened.
“Brenek?”
The concern was still in my clan brother’s voice, and when he offered me a hand to stand, I didn't push it away like I normally might, taking it and allowing him to haul me to my feet.
“I’m fine. Just spooked. I’ve done that move dozens of times. No one has ever fallen quite like that before.” I shook off the shock, giving Torgrind an appreciative smile. “Thanks for the warning. It saved my neck.”
His brow furrowed, and instead of a biting or teasing comment like he normally would, he gripped my shoulder and squeezed. “I’m glad I spoke.” His lips crooked at the corners when he added, “Jamal would be pissed if you got hurt. Try not to ruin the night for both of us.”
Throwing my head back, I barked out a laugh. “I’ll do my best.”
I ended up learning a few things during the match, and sharing some things I excelled at with a few of our sparring partners.
It was a good training session and made me even more certain that the collaboration between clans was a good thing.
When it was over, and Idrull sent us to supper, I waited for Torgrind to grab a flask of water to drink before heading back with him.
“What do you think our troublemaker got up to in our absence?”
He grimaced. “I’m almost afraid to find out.”
Chuckling, I patted his shoulder as I passed him, quickening my pace to find our gorgeous troublemaker. “Between the two of us, I’m sure we can handle it. Let’s not keep him waiting.”