Chapter 38
“A re you sure you’re up to supervising the kids today, Buck?” Leonie asked. She cast an unhappy glance across the dining hall, at the empty chair where Honey usually sat. “Your pack could join mine this morning, if you, ah, need to take some personal time.”
He shook his head. “Rather keep busy. What’s on the schedule?”
Leonie kept her clipboard clamped tight against her chest, both arms wrapped around it. “Really, it’s no trouble. And you should talk to Honey before she leaves.”
“Already said everything that needs to be said,” he replied curtly. “Stop interfering, Leonie. Everyone’s done enough of that recently.”
Leonie winced, dropping her gaze. Buck felt a slight flicker of guilt—but it was distant, muffled by the blank silence filling his mind. He seemed to be having trouble feeling anything much this morning.
“Well…” Leonie consulted her clipboard. “I did have your pack down for a hike, but the kids caught me earlier. They seemed to have their heart set on going canoeing instead. I didn’t see any reason not to indulge them. With… everything that’s going on.”
“Sounds good. When does the new counselor get here?”
“Around midday.” Leonie did not look notably enthusiastic about this prospect. “And I’ll need to give her some basic orientation before we can put her to work. Are you sure you can handle the pack on your own?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Buck swung round, lifting his voice. “Kids! Fall in. We’re going to the lake.”
The campers immediately scooted over, abandoning their barely touched breakfast plates. That was odd, since they usually fell on waffles like wolverines that hadn’t eaten for weeks. It didn’t seem important, though. Nothing seemed important, today.
“We’re going canoeing, right, Buck?” Estelle asked anxiously. “With Moira’s group? Leonie promised we could.”
He grunted in assent, and the kids let out a mass exhale, as though they’d all been holding their breath. They followed him out of the hall, trotting at his heels like attentive, obedient puppies.
That was odd, too. He’d been expecting tears and tantrums, or at least to have to pry them off Honey like barnacles from a rock. Yet there wasn’t so much as a single snarky comment as he led them down to the lake. They didn’t even ask to say a final goodbye.
He was vaguely aware that he should probably be feeling uneasy about this, but holding onto a thought felt like trying to grab a handful of fog. Besides, the silence matched his mood.
This pleasant numbness lasted right up until Ragvald strode out of the boathouse and, without the slightest warning, punched him in the face.
“Ragvald, no! ” Moira yelled as Buck staggered back, head abruptly filled with nothing but pain. “What in the Sea are you doing?”
“My apologies, princess, but this is a matter of honor!” The huge man shook off her attempts to restrain him, advancing on Buck like an angry, mobile mountain. “To reject your own mate is the vilest of acts. He is an oath-breaker, a bringer of shame to this steading, unfit to teach our younglings!”
Buck spat out blood, ears still ringing. Ragvald must have pulled the blow, otherwise he would have been searching for his lower jaw right about now. He waited for the snarling surge of fury, for blessed darkness to rise up and swallow his conscious mind… but it didn’t come.
Typical. The one time he could have used its help, the motherloving monster was taking a nap.
Ragvald reached behind his back, in a gesture the entire camp had come to know and dread. Kids bolted for cover as—sure enough—he pulled the inevitable pair of axes out of his apparently infinite ass.
“Buck of Thunderbird Steading, I challenge you!” Ragvald boomed. He flicked a wrist, sending one of the axes hurtling into the ground half an inch from Buck’s foot. “Let us settle this like men!”
(“ This is your idea of a diversion?” Ignatius hissed at Finley from behind a nearby canoe.)
There still wasn’t a flicker of reaction from the asshole beast, but he didn’t need the fucker anyway. A very human anger filled him.
“You know what?” Buck yanked the ax out of the ground.
“I have had it with everyone getting up in my face about things that are none of their business. I have had it with this fated mate crap, and having a squatter in my skull, and this whole goddamn camp. And I have especially had it with motherloving shifters! ”
(“Uh, guys? Was this the plan?”
“No! I need him distracted, not dead!”
“Well, he’s definitely distracted.”
“I’m sorry! Ragvald swore he would keep Buck busy. I didn’t think to ask how!”
“I am surrounded by idiots. ”
“ Iggy, stop complaining and go! ” )
“You want to settle this like men?” Buck snarled, as a small figure broke from cover and dashed away. He fell into a combat stance, ax held low and ready. “ Fine . Let’s dance, sunshine.”
Ragvald made no move to raise his own weapon. He didn’t even drop into guard. “What in the name of the ancestors are you doing?”
“Getting ready to kick your motherloving ass,” Buck snapped. “Are we fighting or not?”
Ragvald stared at him as though Buck had just suggested they pleasure each other with the ax handles. “You want to fight me?”
“Why do you sound surprised? You’re the one who just handed me a motherloving ax!”
“Ah, Ragvald?” Moira said. She had her arms spread, holding back any kids from getting too close. “I think something is getting lost in translation. To us, demanding to settle things like men means that you’re challenging someone to a duel. Especially if you punch them in the face first.”
“Sea and Earth,” Ragvald muttered. He shook his head. “Outlanders. How there can be so many of you is a mystery. You are all insane.”
Buck was starting to feel rather ridiculous, standing there like a gladiator while everyone else discussed linguistics. “Does someone want to tell me what I am supposed to do with this motherloving ax?”
“Chop wood,” Ragvald said, as though this should have been obvious.
Buck blinked at him. “What is this, competitive lumberjacking? Biggest pile of wood wins?”
“Now you are being silly.” Ragvald slung his ax over his shoulder. “Come, oath-breaker. To settle such a great grievance will take many logs.”
Ragvald strode off toward the woods. Buck cast at Moira, but apparently she had no more idea what was going on than he did.
“I’ll look after the campers,” she murmured. “You’d better go with him. I don’t think Ragvald will let you back out of… whatever this is. I’m afraid wyrms take their traditions extremely seriously.”
Since he didn’t seem to have much choice, Buck headed after Ragvald. For such a big man, he moved damn fast.
“I’m pretty sure I’m going to regret asking this,” Buck said. “But why, exactly, do we need logs?”
“To burn, of course.” Light glinted from the blade of Ragvald’s ax. “In the sauna.”