Chapter Seven
“You should be resting,” I growled out at the female, halting before her, thekerisatrailing behind me.
The healer had informed me thekalleshad woken, bathed, dressed, and eaten. Hearing the news filled me with relief, but when I reached thevolikiand found neither the guard or the female inside, I’d grown irritated…and worried.
She hadn’t gotten far. I’d heard her laugh before I saw her…and that laugh, as small and quiet as it was, made my pace quicken towards her.
“I’ve been resting for five days, apparently,” she told me when she turned to look up at me. I couldn’t help but notice she took a step away, putting distance between us, but I hid my scowl as best as I could. “I needed some air.”
I’d forgotten how small she was, how delicate she seemed. I hadn’t stood next to her since I’d ordered her punishment.
Nostrils flaring at the memory, I looked past her and saw Arusan, an older male who’d been with my horde since the beginning. He looked after and crafted our weapons…an accomplished blacksmith. One of the masters trained inDothik.
I inclined my head at him and noticed his daughter’s son, Arlah, peering at me from behind his legs. How had they made thekalleslaugh, I wondered?
“I apologize,Vorakkar,” Neeva said, coming forward. He was the guard I’d posted outside myvoliki.“I tried to have her return, but she—”
“I know,” I said, cutting off whatever he was about to say. In Dakkari, I told him, “She has a will of her own, it seems.”
I watched as her dark gaze fluttered between the guard and I, her expression unsure.
A small crowd had gathered, I noticed. Vodan had been right when he’d told me that whispers had begun through the horde. They were curious about thevekkiriI had brought into the camp.
“Come,” I told her, gesturing her forward.
“I still intend to see that enclosure over there,” she informed me, pointing towards thepyrokipen. “I can meet you back at your tent if you wish to discuss something.”
Thekerisamade a sound of surprise behind me. Then a growl escaped me, sudden and low. “Kalles,you will—”
She turned her back to me, looking at Arusan and Arlah. The older male had a speculative expression on his features, almost amused. He’d told me long ago that he enjoyed laughing, that he liked to do it whenever something pleased him. He looked on the verge of it now.
“My name is Nelle,” she told him, making his eyes widen and making me clench my jaw.Nelle. “It was nice to speak with you.” She looked down at the boy. “And you.”
Vok, she knew nothing of the Dakkari, knew nothing of our ways. I looked around at the small crowd and saw some of them murmuring to each other. There were those in attendance that understood the universal language, those that now knew her given name. And it would spread among the horde until all knew.
Nelle.
She turned and continued on her way—towards thepyrokipen—and I stared after her, irritation and frustration and a heavy dose of disbelief pulsing hot in my veins.
To the guard, I said, “I will send for you when I need you. I will handle this.”
“Lysi, Vorakkar.”
Gritting my jaw, I stalked after thekalles, leaving the crowd behind me, though I was sure some brave souls followed.
She was heading towards the pen and I stayed a short distance behind her, letting my temper cool before I spoke to her next. As I waited, I studied her. I studied the way she walked, the way she turned her head to regard any Dakkari that stared openly at her, the way she peered into an unlit drum fire she passed, as if trying to ascertain its purpose.
Vok,she even poked her head into the common bathingvoliki, though her cheeks appeared reddened when she straightened and continued on her way.
She was a curious thing. Perhaps to a fault.
Finally, she halted at thepyrokipen, to the east of the encampment. Themrikro,thepyrokimaster charged with overseeing their care and training, was busy inside, ordering around a handful of spare horde warriors. They were still building thepyrokis’ nests for the cold season, though only a few more needed to be crafted.
I watched as thekallespressed her belly to the fence, leaning on the rails heavily. She was tired, I realized. When I drew closer, I saw a sheen of sweat on her forehead.
“You need to rest,” I growled, halting just behind her.
“I would rather be out here,” she said without looking at me. She sounded out of breath.
