“Back when I lived in town, they always saw the soldiers above everyone else, but that made no sense to me. The soldierswouldn’t be able to do their jobs without the clothiers or the blacksmiths or the cooks. Just like those people wouldn’t be able to do their jobs without the hunters and gatherers. I love the way things work here. They all rely on each other, so they are all equal. Except maybe the women.”
My brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
She sighed, pressing her lips together. “Well, it’s weird, but clans like these somehow only produce baby boys. There has never been a recorded girl born to a clan member. That’s why they need to go to town for tributes. They can’t sustain their lifestyle without new members and they can’t have kids without females. Since the continuation of the clan is so important, they see tributes as a place of honor. A man can’t sit around in the clan and do nothing, but a tribute can, especially if she’s pregnant. While we aren’t really in a place of power, we’re treated with great respect and if someone insulted us, it is treated almost like a crime. Not that it happens that often, like I said, they see tributes as honorable, but it happens sometimes.”
I sank in on myself a little. “Should… Should I be working? Rath never said anything. I’m not good at a lot. I can try…”
She shook her head, putting her hand on my arm to soothe me. “Relax. Just because you’re the first male tribute doesn’t change your title. You might not produce babies, but you do provide comfort and companionship to our strongest hunter. If you want to work, we can ask around and find you something to do, but right now your job is to learn the language, how the clan works, and decide if you want to stay with your protector.”
My brows snapped together. “I have a choice?”
“Of course you do,” she assured me. “They don’t force people into relationships. It can honestly take a while for tributes to find someone they’re comfortable with. The first people they’re assigned to are their protectors, who teach them the ways of the clan so they can understand better that they are safe here. Thenthey are introduced to the clan proper. If they choose not to stay with their protector, they can choose whoever they want. Some even leave to other clans to see if there are better prospects out there.”
It was nice to hear that they didn’t force people. Honestly, most of the conversation was helpful. But it still felt like it didn't apply to me. I wasn’t a woman. I couldn’t provide babies. I’d done nothing but cause trouble and restless nights for Rath. What did they want with me?
After givingme a better idea of how things worked, Zoya gave me a crash course in the language. She taught me how to ask for things, important words like clan leader and healer, how to get help if someone was hurt. She was firmer than Rath, forcing me to use full sentences, and she invited a few other women over to join us and demanded they only speak in the barbarian language to better expose me to it. Whenever I looked confused, she translated, but mostly she encouraged me to listen and follow along as best I could.
Rath came back before supper, a large unfamiliar animal tied to his horse’s back. Those who’d gone with him had smaller kills, but no one seemed to care one way or another. They provided for the clan. That was what was important. After handing off the animal to the cooks and his horse to the handlers, he made a beeline for me. My heartbeat stuttered a little at the intense look on his face. I worried for a moment that he was angry at me for some reason. Maybe he expected me to find something to do while he was gone. All of Zoya’s reassurances fled from my mind, and I bit back a whimper when he stopped in front of me.
“Korvash,” he called, kneeling in front of me.
He reached for me, but Zoya stopped him with a harsh, “No.” It made him freeze, and he looked surprised, but she narrowed her eyes and pointed at his hands, saying something I didn’t quite catch. Rath withdrew his hands with a frown and stood again. As terrifying as I found him, the idea of him leaving was even worse and I sat a little straighter when he took a step back.
“W-Wait, I didn’t mean–”
Rath froze again and a pained look flashed across his face. He looked conflicted, though I didn’t understand why. I didn’t understand anything that was happening. I just didn't want him to go.
“Finn,” Zoya called, her voice gentling a little. “I told him to go wash first. He’s got blood on his hands from the hunt.”
Oh. My gaze dropped to his hands, which were stained red. She stopped him from reaching for me because he would’ve probably gotten it on my face had he done what it looked like he’d intended.
“I-I–” I didn’t know what to say. I stopped him from leaving, not realizing that he wasn’t tossing me aside like my family had, and I didn't have enough grasp of the language to take it back. My cheeks burned and I dropped my gaze, wishing I could crawl under a rock somewhere. First I was terrified of him, now I was clingy. I really was pathetic.
Rath kneeled again in front of me. He kept his hands to himself, instead dipping his head to rest our foreheads together. It was an affectionate gesture and it made my heart burst into a gallop in my chest. He murmured something in his language, but I didn’t ask anyone for a translation. I focused on his tone instead. No judgment, no annoyance. He was soothing me.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, in his language for his benefit. He shook his head, which was a little silly with the way we were pressed together.
“My Finn. No sorry,” he whispered back.
Oh, how I wanted to lean into that possessiveness. He made me feel wanted, and I craved that feeling so much, I felt close to tears. I held back, since I figured he wouldn’t go clean up if I cried. I didn’t want him to be uncomfortable just to comfort me. But when he got back, I didn’t fight him when he pulled me against his side. It was safe and warm and I needed it. I needed him. Did he feel the same way about me?
Six
After the first hunt, I felt more comfortable taking Finn out of my tent. A part of me wished to keep him to myself, but that was selfish. He hadn’t chosen me back yet. He would be introduced eventually. Orthorr wanted to introduce him to the clan at the new life ceremony the following evening. Earlier than most tributes, but he was well behaved when I was hunting and I didn't think he was interested in running or causing trouble. He’d need a translator, since we hadn’t gotten very far in his language learning, but Zoya seemed fond enough of him and when I asked, she said she would be happy to sit with him and help him to understand.
Today, I had plans to introduce Finn to my stallion. When we were walking back to my tent the evening prior, I saw his gaze stray to the field the horses were kept in. He looked curious, and Vann was a good horse. A good judge of character. They should meet before any decisions are made.
Finn’s small hand tightened in mine and he edged closer to me when a few of my clan brothers passed by. I pressed my lips together to hide my frown. Maybe he wasn’t ready to meet the clan yet. He was still frightened. The only people he seemed to trust were me and Zoya. As much pleasure as it brought me thathe seemed to trust me with his safety, I didn’t want to push too hard, too fast.
I thought to mention it to Orthorr, but we arrived at the field before I could change course and Finn stood on his toes for a better look, curiosity overwhelming his fear. He weighed less than a full grown zorvash, so it was easy for me to lift him to give him a better vantage.
“Oh!” He clung uneasily to my shoulder, seated on my forearm. His wide, pale blue eyes locked on me, a flush overtaking his cheeks. I wanted to explore that expression, but I held myself back, jerking my chin toward the field. He took in an unsteady breath, turning his attention to where I directed.
“Many,” he breathed. His grasp of the language had grown since sitting with Zoya, and I appreciated his dedication to learning. Not all tributes cared to learn. Some didn’t know the language at all.
“Mm. One for everyone.” I doubted he could fully understand what I said, but it was important to immerse him. He’d understand eventually.
“Everyone?” he repeated with a tip of his head. “Tributes?”
