Everything I’d thought about the clan had been wrong so far. My barbarian was sweet and gentle. He never mishandled me and each time we laid together, he took the time to make sure I felt no pain and came more than once before he gave himself over to his release. It no longer felt like I was a prisoner. It felt as though we were a couple. I never thought I’d be in a relationship with a male, but I wasn’t unhappy with how my life turned out. The sex was amazing, and I had never felt safer than in my barbarian’s arms.
I’d grown used to being by his side, so when he handed me off to another barbarian, I was afraid I was going to be passed around the clan like I’d originally expected. It was only the gentle way he reassured me that made me think I was wrong. And when the new barbarian joined me in his tent, he pointed to the table and sat down, urging me to join him. He didn’t bring me to his bed or even look in that direction.
Pointing to his chest, he said, “Tyal.”
I tipped my head, frowning. I still didn’t understand a word of the barbarian language. My barbarian spoke often to me and me to him, but I had no idea how to even begin to understand his words.
When I didn’t immediately understand, he pointed to the table and said a word, then to the bowl that sat upon it, then again at himself. “Tyal.”
Understanding washed over me. He was telling me his name. I pointed to myself, answering him. “Briar.”
He nodded once, satisfied. Then started again on the names of the things in his tent. He waited for me to repeat the words and I did my best to memorize them. He was counting off his fingers when my barbarian came back.
“Khrull?” Tyal said with a frown.
My barbarian started speaking rapidly, his eyes wide and worried. I wasn’t sure what had happened while he was gone, but he looked afraid and I didn’t like it. What could scare a man his size? He was the biggest barbarian I’d seen in the clan the few times I’d been outside his tent.
“Briar.”
Tyal’s voice caught my attention and when I looked over at him, he nudged me to stand. He pointed at my barbarian. “Khrull.” Then he said a word that I’d heard my barbarian say before. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but he always said it with such reverence and followed it with a kiss. I always took it as a term of endearment. Since Tyal was pointing at my barbarian when he said it, I guessed I was right.
Looking up at him, I repeated what I assumed was my barbarian’s name. “Khrull.”
His face softened, and he drew me against his side. “Kolrav.”
I shook my head, pointing at my chest. “Briar.”
He huffed a laugh, brushing his lips against mine. “Briar. Kolrav.”
I didn’t understand, but that was okay. He was being sweet again, and I wanted to soak in his affection every time he acted that way.
While the two barbarians spoke in whispers above my head, Khrull ran his fingers through my hair, every once in a while kissing the top of my head. Whenever his grip on me tightened in a way that made me think he was afraid, I rubbed his back and cuddled a little closer to offer him some comfort. They seemed to come to some sort of agreement and Khrull pushed me gently away, lowering his face to look me in the eye. His voice was gruff as he spoke, his eyes full of worry, and when he captured my lips, he seemed to put every ounce of passion and affection into the kiss. He didn’t linger and when he pulled away, he turned on his heel and marched out without looking back.
I shot a worried look at Tyal, whose expression was grim. He put a staying hand up and shook his head, saying something I didn’t understand. I had no choice but to wait until my barbarian came back for me. And hope he hadn’t just said goodbye.
Tyal was acting strange.Not long after Khrull left, he started grunting and growling like an animal. He didn’t look at me, he seemed too busy putting his clothes into a bag, but every once in a while he reached for me and pinched my leg, causing me to cry out in pain. Each time, he flashed me an apologetic look, but that didn't make him stop. And when I tried to keep my distance, he dragged me back to his side and pinched me harder. It was easier to stick close and deal with the little pinches than to ask for more pain.
At one point, someone called out to him. He yanked me under him on my belly and jerked my pants down without warning. I thought the worst and started to cry, but he only growled something to whoever spoke to him and kept making those grunting noises. He waited long enough for the speaker toleave before jerking my clothes back into place and patting my shoulder in a sort of apology.
I was shaking and terrified when Khrull came back and launched myself into his arms the minute he ducked into the tent. He caught me against him, hugging me tightly, and spoke in harsh whispers again to Tyal. Something Tyal said pissed him off because he growled at him, but they didn’t fight. Instead, Khrull scooped me up into his arms and cradled me close, reassuring me with little kisses on top of my head.
They ducked out of Tyal’s tent together and snuck through the tents, heading for the line of trees nearby. Tyal veered off at one point and disappeared, but Khrull kept moving, heading straight into the forest. I clung to his neck, looking around warily. I hadn’t ever been in a forest before. Was it even safe to be out here alone?
We weren’t alone for long. Tyal came back with a familiar face. One of the women who had been kidnapped with me. She looked like she’d been through hell, her skin pale and bruises on her face and arms. Tyal cradled her like Khrull did to me, and he was extra careful when he set her on the back of one of the two stallions hidden in the forest. Khrull set me on the back of another and climbed on behind me, wrapping his big arms around me so he could hold the mane of the creature.
Tyal was behind the woman when he clicked his tongue and nudged the horse forward. They didn’t start slow or even at a canter. We launched forward at a gallop and I had to cling to Khrull’s arms to steady myself. It was late, the ground barely lit by the full moon through the branches of the trees, but they seemed to know where they were going. The stallions dodged trees like they’d done this dozens of times before. And maybe they had. I still didn't know anything about my barbarian captors other than my experience with Khrull. After the few hours I spent with Tyal, I got the feeling Khrull was special.
The cold air whipped through the too-large tunic I wore and I began to shiver. The only heat that kept me warm was from Khrull’s body behind me. I sank into him, wishing I could turn around so I could bury my face against him. He pressed a kiss to my temple but didn’t say a word to me, his focus on the forest in front of him. I lost track of how long we traveled, and I had no clue how far we went. The horses never slowed, and I couldn’t see past the trees to get an idea of our surroundings. It was just miles of trees and shadows as far as the eye could see.
My body went numb at one point and I fell into a fitful sleep, jerking awake every few minutes when the horses jolted to avoid a bush or tree. It wasn’t restful in the slightest, but it helped pass the time and when we finally slowed, I was at least alert enough to focus. From what I could tell, we had run all night, because the sky had gone from pitch black to a light gray. Tyal pulled his stallion to a stop and Khrull followed suit, both looking warily ahead of them.
At first, I wasn’t sure why we were just standing there, but then, right when I was about to ask, I heard it. Voices in the distance. Were we followed? Was the clan angry at them for leaving and taking us with them?
“Khrull…”
He shushed me, kissing my temple again to reassure me. I wished he could speak my language. I didn’t understand what was happening, and I was frightened. I wished he could tell me why all of this was happening. And what was going to happen next. Because I got the feeling I wasn’t going to like it.
Six
