“But he is far away and does not understand the first rule of leadership.”
Vrogul was silent in the time it took him to finish carefully rinsing the soap from my hair. I thought he wasn’t going to answer, and I realized all my senses were attuned to him, waiting—hoping.
Finally, I heard him exhale.
“Aye? And what is the first rule of leadership, my wee wildcat?”
My lips twitched just slightly in approval, although my back was still to him and he did not see.
“Your people are not pledged toyou, Vrogul. You are pledged tothem.”
Suddenly desperate to make him understand, I turned, placing my hands on his forearms, staring up at him.
“A chief, a leader, is a shepherd—afather—to his people. You aretheirservant, aye?”
He stared down at me, his expression carefully blank, his eyes still flashing with that strange green glow. I thought of how terrifying I’d considered him only a fortnight before, and wondered when I’d stopped being afraid of him.
When I’d started to admire him.
When I’d ceased counting him my enemy.
“Aye,” he finally admitted cautiously.
I smiled softly.
“In that regard, Callor should be servingyou, protectingyou. He does not, though, does he? He just demands tribute, a tribute you are hard-pressed to provide because your clan struggles to survive on their own, without help from him.”
That little furrow appeared on his brow as he stared down at me, and I realized Iknewthat meant he was thinking, considering my words. When had I come to know him so well? Or was it just something I sensed?
“How do ye ken this, Rowena? Are ye guessing?”
Time, I supposed, to reveal my own past.
“My father…”
My gaze dropped to his chest, but even that felt too intimate, so I pulled away.
“My father was a vassal pledged to a warlord who took and took and took, in the same situation as your clan.”
Swallowing to clear my throat and give me a moment to consider my words, I stepped back, turned my shoulder to him, focused on the cliff face. Wondered how many others had stood in this spot over the years.
“He was no longer willing to sacrifice his people’s happiness.”
I felt Vrogul move up beside me, until my shoulder pressed against his chest.
“What happened?”
Ifeltthe rumble of his voice.
I leaned more fully against him. It felt good to allow myself that comfort.
“He rebelled. Our men were destroyed, our people spread to the winds. He was killed, and I eventually ended up in that mining village, hiding who I was.”
Vrogul’s arm went around my shoulders, drawing me even closer.
I tipped my head back to look up at him.
“But that is because we were not stronger than our overlord. Do you see? Are you stronger than Callor?”
