Many of the horde came to watch the sparring sessions. Especially children. Especially unmated females, who were hoping to catch the eye of adarukkar.
There was a healthy sized group now, made even larger by the unexpected presence of the newMorakkari. But Mina held herself apart, sticking with Hukri, as she looked on with a mixture of wary curiosity and…discomfort.
I expected the raw brutality of such things might remind her of Benn. His violence. It might remind her of the flash of my sword as I sliced through the bones of his wrist.
“What in Kakkari’s name got into you, Rowin?” Valavik ground out, keeping his voice low, always aware that we were watched. Constantly. He sucked in another lungful of air. “I’d think a night between your prettyMorakkari’sthighs would have cured you of your tension.”
Pretty.
Did he think so?
Why did that thought make me want to punch him right across the jaw?
I wasn’t used to jealousy. I didn’t think I’d ever been jealous over a female in my entire life.
What I was really angry at, however, was that mypujerakhad hit the nail on the head, only not in the way he’d expected. A night between her thighs hadcausedthis turmoil within me.
I’d been furious at myself for most of the morning, plagued with unfamiliar emotions when I was forced to realize that my ownMorakkarimight view my actions last night as unforgivable.
I’d marked her.
I’d made herbleed.
And then I’d left her.
Three offenses against me.
And this morning, when I returned to ourvoliki, the first thing I’d done was snap at her. Yet, I couldn’t help the fear sizzling through me at the sight of her power, bubbling just under the surface of the water, threatening to break free.
She thought me a villain now, no doubt. She’d been soft with her words and her touches last night, except when her nails scratched down my forearms in her pleasure. For a moment, she’d looked at me in awe, like she couldn’t believe what we had been building together. She’d kissed me with enthusiasm. And she might not have realized it but she’dsmiledas she came for me and I swore I’d never seen anything more beautiful.
This morning, however, she’d barely met my eyes. I’d seen the bruises across her flesh and though she’d tried to hide it from me, I’d caught her winces as we walked through the encampment.
Even now, I was scorning her.Ishould be the one showing her around the horde. Not Hukri.Ishould be walking beside her, the first day after thetassimara,as was custom, showing off myMorakkariproudly to all.
Yet, after we received our markings, I’d left her with herpiki, feeling shame and restless guilt build under my flesh, buzzing and irritating, and I knew I needed to scrape it free. And I’d taken it out on Valavik.
Mina turned, said something to Hukri, and the pair left the training grounds, weaving east to take the pathway that led to thebikkus’kitchens. The moment myMorakkariturned her back, I saw the whispering begin. I hadn’t greeted her. She hadn’t greeted me. She walked with herpikithis day and though I’d tried to hide it, I knew that some horde members had seen me early this morning, bathing in the commons, and retreating to my council’svolikibefore the sun rose.
There would be rumors I hadn’t stayed the night in our bed.
“Vok,” I rasped, turning from the onlookers and drawing my sword up. “Again,” I told Valavik, wiping the sweat from my eyes.
* * *
The day was long.Oftentimes, asVorakkar, I felt like a rope being pulled in different directions. Thebikkusreported the horde’s food stock to me after my training session. Our root supply was lower than usual for this time of year and so I ordered more to be planted.
The ground was hard, however. In the eastlands, the soil was like compacted clay. And so, I’d had the plots broken up and tilled. I’d sent a group of hunters to a forest that lay in the southlands to retrieve satchels of tree pulp and rot and anything that would bring new life to the soil. But they wouldn’t return for two days, so the planting of the roots would have to wait and I knew that we would run out of our rations completely before new crops grew.
Then themitrireported that after crafting new blades and arrows for thedarukkars,the Dakkari steel supply was depleted. We’d used much of it on the construction of the gates surrounding our horde. And so, I’d sent off our lastthespertoDothik, requesting more to be brought to us.
Midway through the day, I’d rode out to the encampment I kept near the edge of the fog. Thedarukkarstraveled the path often enough that there was a subtle road etched into the land. They’d reported a sighting of a human, climbing up one of the mountains that lay to the north of the horde. Though thevekkirimale had scuttled away when he spotted thedarukkarsin pursuit.
The humans were still watching the horde. By Mina’s account, the Dakkari witches would have arrived under the Dead Mountain already. Were they still trying to claim the heart of a horde king? For their blood magic?
It was worrying. If they were desperate enough, would they twist their words and say thatanyDakkari heart could make a heartstone? Would they try to take one of thedarukkars? Or one of thebikkusthat traveled the pathway to bring meals out to them?
With that in mind, I’d ordered that no male would go off alone and that anyone leaving the gates needed to be accompanied by an armeddarukkar.
