When we strode out of the forest, Henry was still complaining loudly enough to draw attention our way. My clanbrothers looked amused at his predicament, and none offered him a hand to rescue him. They did make comments, though.
“Have you taken up hunting, brother?” Tyos called out with a smirk. “That’s a fine catch you made.”
“You couldn’t have carried him nicely?” someone else teased. “Is he in trouble for something?”
Faldar was practically bouncing where he sat, eager to get in on the fun. “Should we leave? Give the two of you privacy?”
Henry must have understood enough of their teasing because I felt him cover his face with his hands, and when I eventually set him down inside my tent, his face was bright red with embarrassment. When I set his instrument aside and drew him into my arms, he lightly thumped his fist against my chest in retribution.
“You ass,” he complained, hiding his face against me.
Chuckling, I tugged his tunic, removing the soiled clothing we’d accidentally covered in our release. I knew better now to remove our clothing before getting my hands on him. Once we started, I lost all sense.
“Apologies. We’ll go to the river to clean up. For now, you can wear one of mine if you prefer.”
It would be big on him, but I knew of some male bondmates who preferred to be covered instead of walking around shirtless like the rest of us did.
Henry seemed to consider the same thing, his hands moving over my chest like they had in the forest. “You almost never wear a tunic unless the weather is chilled. Do all the barbarians dress the same way?”
“Most,” I agreed, running my hands up and down the smooth skin of his back. “We wore tunics in the winter, but it is hot here. There is no need during the day.”
“Then I won’t bother,” he shrugged. “We’re going to bathe anyway.”
I studied him with a frown. I had no problem with his decision, I trusted my brothers to respect my relationship with Henry, but his skin was pale compared to mine. I worried about the sun affecting him. He had turned pink the first time he played his music outside my tent, and he complained that it was tender for days after. He had been wearing a tunic then, so only his face felt that kind of pain. I didn’t wish for it to affect his whole body.
“Perhaps we will bathe in the shade…”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
GARRUN
I thought about what Henry said to me while we walked together to the river. He said he wanted to do things for himself. With Ekkar willing to help, he might be able to move about more on his own, but it wouldn’t do him much good if he constantly felt lost with only Ekkar to guide his steps.
“How much do you know of the layout of our clan?” I asked, stopping him beside the river so we could remove our clothing and set it aside.
His head cocked as he used my arm to balance himself while removing his boots. “I mean, I think I have a general sense of it, but I couldn’t tell you for sure. Why?”
“As a warrior of my clan, I patrol the clan often. I know its layout well, even when night has fallen and most are asleep. Perhaps I can help.”
The soft smile he gave me made warmth spread in my chest, and I couldn’t resist stealing a kiss from him before guiding him to the water. He chuckled at my amorous behavior but didn’t complain, wading into the water deep enough that it came to hiswaist before ducking his head to wet his hair. I did the same, and when I came back up, I noticed more clan brothers coming to join us. Bathing in groups was common when we lived in the northern lands, where creatures would attack even in the water. We did the same now, even though the creatures we had been warned about that resided in water were in the deeper parts of the river, not in the area where we bathed. It was just habit by now.
I figured now was a good time to start helping Henry. He startled a lot when people joined him suddenly, and my clan was known for stealth. It might make him feel more secure if he knew more were joining.
“Tyos and his new bondmate have come to join us, as well as Dras and Torgrind. Over your left shoulder.”
His face turned in that direction, head cocked as he listened to the splashes as my clan brothers stepped into the water. Humming, he turned back to me, offering me the soap. “Do you always bathe in groups? This isn’t the first time I’ve had company. Alice is uncomfortable with it.”
“Most tributes are in the beginning,” I agreed. “Before, in the north, we bathed together for protection. The creatures that hunted in water didn’t approach if we were all together. Now, it is habit, I think.”
“Garrun,” Tyos greeted as he came closer, the little male he’d only recently bonded to plastered to his side. “Have you and your musician met Arlen yet? He is making new clothing for those in the clan that turn pink in the sun. We spent some time in Al Nuzem’s capital before the move, and he learned of their clothing that protects the skin.”
Arlen’s face was twisted, like he didn't quite understand Tyos’s words yet. I raised an eyebrow at my clan brother, tipping my head toward his bondmate. “Repeat that. He didn't understand.”
Tyos’s face jerked down and he winced, switching to the common tongue. “Apologies, velren. I spoke of the cloth you make. The skin covering.”
Both Arlen and Henry made a face at his response. Even I knew his words were incorrect. Skin covering sounded off.
“What did I say?” Tyos asked, his face falling as he realized his words were incorrect. His bondmate was quick to soothe him, rubbing circles on his chest with a bright smile. He spoke in the common tongue, though slower for Tyos’s sake.
