It hissed at me in warning, posturing to get me to back down. So I hissed back. It seemed to anger the creature, and it lunged at me. I did the same, blocking its claws with my arm as I sliced through its middle. I would need a visit to the healers for that, but it was worth the injury when the animal shuddered out its last breath and went limp.
When I was sure it wasn’t faking to get me to lower my guard, I pushed to my feet again. It wasn’t a sorvik, but shadowstalkermeat was hearty in a stew. It would feed some of my clan at the very least.
A whimper drew my attention over my shoulder. I turned just in time to watch the unfamiliar man’s eyes roll back in his head as he collapsed.
“Kaiza,” I cursed low, rushing to his side. I checked for any signs the shadowstalker had already got to him, but all his injuries were meager in comparison to the creature’s normal attacks. Small cuts, as though he’d rolled through a thorn bush or two, some bruising, and a tear in his trousers along the knee, likely due to his recent fall. His clothes were soiled and, from his unkempt appearance, I guessed he’d been out here a few days at least. Alone? Why? He was not a hunter. He was not dressed for the weather that still dipped at night. He had no weapons on him. From the looks of him, I didn’t think he was prepared for entering the forest at all. Underneath the dirt and mud, the clothing he wore looked fancy, like what they wore in the nearby towns.
I reached out to brush a lock of his hair away from his face, flinching when I felt how cold his skin was. I had a great many questions, but he needed care first. Besides, if he truly was from a nearby town, he would not speak our tongue. I would need someone to translate for me.
Carefully, so as not to disturb any unseen injuries, I lifted him into my arms. He was not a slight man, more curvy and thick. Not heavy, not for me anyway, but not as thin as Finn. The meat on him was probably the reason he lasted so long out here alone. He didn’t stir, and his head lolled when I stood, but I could feel his shallow breath upon my skin. He was alright for the time being.
With him in my arms, it was a pain to also grab the shadowstalker, but I refused to leave the kill behind. Unlike the man, who was larger but light enough in my arms, theshadowstalker was small and dense, and my forearm burned, carrying it by the scruff one handed. I was grateful when we reached the gathering tree where my stallion waited.
“Dhellgas, my dear friend. We have another passenger this day. We need to make haste to return to the clan.”
The stallion bobbed his head like he understood me. Godr, the horsemaster of our clan, believed they did. As he was my best friend’s brother, I listened to his counsel and always treated Dhellgas as though he understood me. He was sometimes feisty and petulant if I didn’t often bring him farther into the forest to join the hunt, but he was a good stallion and an excellent listener when I was drunk and needed someone to complain to.
Unlike townsfolk, who used leather seats on their animals, we rode without. It was why we brought our kills to the gathering tree, as it was close enough to the village that we didn’t need to worry about hurting our stallions with the extra weight. I had to set down the man while I draped the shadowstalker on Dhellgas’s back, ignoring the flick of his tail to show his annoyance. Shadowstalkers were heavy.
“I will tell Godr to give you an extra treat for carrying us. Be at ease, my brother.”
This settled him, and he stood patiently while I gathered the man up again and jumped onto his back. Once the male was safely tucked against me, I patted Dhellgas’s hide to urge him forward.
“Make haste. He needs a healer.”
As we rode, I looked down at the male in my arms. His skin was pale, and he had dark circles under his eyes, but if you looked past that, he was a sweet-looking man. He had hair the color of the setting sun and spots on his cheeks and nose. His lips were petal pink and soft looking, and his eyelashes were long, resting delicately on his rounded cheeks. My chest tightened a little, looking down at him. What were the chancesthat I was considering searching for a bondmate and happened to stumble upon him in the forest alone and in need of protection? It seemed almost too good to be true.
Three
Voices around me brought me out of unconsciousness. Exhaustion pulled at my senses, urging me to go back to sleep, but the last thing I remembered was the growl of that terrifying creature in the forest as it chased me. There were no people. So then where…?
I forced my eyes open, despite how heavy they felt. The room I was in was bright, lit by an open fire in the middle with a hole above it to let the smoke out. It was warm too, and after days of being cold, it felt so good, I whimpered. The sound drew the attention of the people standing nearby; a woman with long skirts and a rounded belly, and two enormous men with hair shaved on the sides and symbols inked on their skin. Barbarians.
Fear and horror flooded my system, and I sat up abruptly. It all came back to me in a rush. The creature that had been stalking me had lunged at me, and a barbarian man with huge muscles and a slightly curved sword jumped in between us, knocking the creature away. After watching the barbarian growl and hiss at the creature like an animal, I wasn’t sure which to be more frightened of. And when he sliced the creature almost in half, it was too much for me to handle after what felt like countless days in constant terror. My consciousness slippedaway from me just as he stood, towering so far above me it looked as though he was as tall as the trees.
He must have brought me back with him. I’d heard the stories of the barbarians. They were dangerous, violent, and only a treaty between the towns and their clans kept us all safe. A treaty I may have broken by accidentally stumbling onto their land. Panic swelled in my chest, and I looked around for a way out. Maybe if I ran far away, they’d?—
“Shh… It’s okay,” the woman said, her hands up like she was trying to soothe a wild horse. I shrank away from her, my eyes constantly flicking over her shoulder to the men that stood behind her. One was familiar, the one I’d seen in the forest. The other looked older but no less intimidating. They both watched me with deep frowns. I probably offended them by ending up here. Maybe it would’ve been better to let the warden take me instead. At least a hanging would be quick.
I shifted to get to my feet, the panic making me want to run, but moving my right leg hurt, and I flinched automatically, crying out in pain.
The barbarian appeared at my side in an instant. I never even saw him move. He said something I didn’t understand, nudging me back onto the pallet of blankets they had me on. The woman sighed, exasperated.
“I’m sorry. They’ve got intense protective instincts, and you’re hurt. Please don’t be scared. You’re not in any danger here.”
“W-where am I?”
The older barbarian stepped forward, his words heavily accented but easily understood. “Our clan currently rests against the edge of the forest. We are a great distance from any town. Where did you come from?”
I opened my mouth to answer automatically before thinking better of it. I didn’t want them to send me back there. If thewoman was right and they weren’t going to hurt me, I wanted to be sent somewhere that I had a chance at living a normal life. Starting over with no money would be hard, but at least I would live through the week.
“I… I’m sorry for coming into your territory. I didn’t mean to. I’ll leave?—”
The barbarian next to me spoke again, his brows furrowed in confusion. He didn’t understand me. Which was strange, since the few times I’d seen the barbarians come to retrieve their tribute, they always spoke our language.
The woman shook her head at him, but he didn’t like that answer. He said something else, more demanding this time, and her expression flattened in annoyance. She answered back in his language, her voice terse, and when he bared his teeth at her, I shrank back automatically. He noticed the movement and whipped his head around, a pained expression flashing over his face when I flinched. Before I had a chance to blink, I felt his hands underneath me, pulling me off the bed of blankets and into his arms. Pain and panic shot through me, and I shot a terrified look at the woman who’d been speaking to me, my voice warbling as tears filled my eyes.
“Please. I didn’t mean to. Don’t let them hurt me.”
