And suddenly, my stomach clenched and my knees weakened in a burst of longing so intense I couldtasteit.
There’d been nights like this in my childhood, before my father’s rebellion and loss. For years I’d wandered, searching for a place to call home. I thought I’d found it at the mining village, but seeing the unabashedjoyon thesefaces, I realized I’d never experienced this kind of community there.
Mayhap this kind of community existed nowhere else?
“There she is!” boomed a loud voice, and I flinched when the Stormseeker’s scarred lieutenant, whose name I’d learned was Maardok, pointed at me. His other hand balanced a huge horn sloshing with some liquid, and he stood beside a spit roasting a large pig.
“There’s our wee wildcat!”
Oh God. I felt a hundred sets of eyes turn my way and resisted the urge to scuttle backwards.
It would have done me no good, though, because Maardok fought his way through the crowd and threw his arm around me, pulling me into the fire’s light.
“This is Rowena!”
The huge man lifted the horn in salute to me as he spun me about for everyone to see.
“Our chief’s prize.Whyis she our chief’s prize, ye might ask?”
His smile turned absolutely wicked as his audience began to call out jibes and suggestions.
“Becauseshe’s the only human to bloody the Stormseeker of Battleborn!”
I braced myself for the blows, the jeers, theretaliation.
Instead, the clan erupted in laughter and cheers, and Maardok turned me about so I faced the Stormseeker who was seated upon a fur-covered log—a place of honor—with his legs braced and his hands on his knees.
Watching me.
I caught my breath, wondering if this was the moment I had been dreading. Determined to face my punishment with courage, I lifted my chin in challenge…and was completely unprepared for the way Maardok thrust a horn into my hand and shoved me toward his chief.
“Sit at my brother’s side, wildcat! Ye’ve earned the honor!”
I stumbled forward, and only when the Stormseeker raised his hand to catch me and guide me to the log beside him, did I understand. Maardok was the chief’s brother, and I was to be…honored?
For wounding him?
The Stormseeker said naught but continued to watch the festivities. I took a sip from the horn to cover my confusion.
Unfortunately, that sip wasn’t water. ‘Twasn’t even ale.
I began to cough, and the male at my side turned just slightly to glance down at me, his dark eyes sparkling in the firelight.
“Uisge beatha. The water of life. We’ll get some meat into yer stomach to soak it up, and then ye can enjoy yerself, aye?”
Enjoymyself?
Did he expect me toenjoymyself here at this revel?
Well? Why not? He and his men are enjoying themselves.
Which gave me an idea.
Thoughtfully, I took a much smaller sip of the strong spirit and planned.
As the night wore on, I pretended to drink, pretended to grow more and more tired. By allowing my captors to think me lulled, I would fool them. I watched and waited for my opportunity—opportunity forwhat, I didn’t know, but I hoped I would recognize it.
‘Twas difficult not to be infected by the joy around me. I found myself grinning at the enthusiastic celebration and tapping my foot in time to the music a few times. This was so different than the somber religious ceremonies in the mining village where I’d spent the last two years as an observer.
