Something furry and large bumped my side, startling me, and I practically leapt into Garrun’s arms to avoid it. He made a tsk sound, but the noise didn’t seem to be directed at me because he spoke in the barbarian language, his words only just slow enough for me to catch what he said.
“Leave him be. You are frightening him.”
Replying in the common tongue, since I still wasn’t confident with my barbarian language skills just yet, I reassured him, “It’s fine. I was just startled. What is Ekkar, exactly?”
“An ulvor,” he explained, but that didn’t help me. It was a word I wasn’t familiar with.
Like he could see my confusion, I felt Garrun’s hand take one of mine, lowering it enough to touch the furry creature that had bumped me before. To get a better understanding of whatthe animal was, I released my grip on Garrun’s arm, using both hands to feel along the creature’s face and down his back. I tipped my head thoughtfully. “A dog? No… He’s a little big to be a dog, isn’t he?”
“Uh… Henry…”
Alice’s voice sounded worried, and when I turned my head toward her, I frowned. “Alice? What’s wrong?”
“That’s, um… Maybe you should let go… I’ve come to take you to the next meal.”
Her voice sounded strained, and I wasn’t sure what was bothering her, but I did as she asked, giving the animal one last friendly pat before standing again. My movements were shuffled as I headed in the direction of her voice, and when her hand caught mine, it was clammy to touch.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” she replied quickly. “We should go.”
“That’s fine, let me just–”
“Now, Henry,” she insisted.
Whatever was bothering her was obviously not something she wanted to discuss in front of an audience. I wasn’t sure if there were more people aside from Garrun, but he was still a stranger.
Looking over my shoulder, I hoped I gave Garrun a smile in his direction. “Thank you for escorting me. Hopefully we can speak again. Good evening, Garrun. Ekkar.”
Alice was already tugging me away before I even finished my sentence. She waited a few moments, and when she spoke again, her words held a tone of disbelief. “What were you thinking?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You were petting a wolf like it was a pet!” she hissed, stopping our forward momentum so she could berate me properly. “Did you even ask what it was before touching it?”
“Well, no… but it was Garrun’s pet. I assumed it was safe. It didn’t growl at me or anything.”
“There is no way that was a pet,” she insisted. “It was huge!”
I’d never seen a wolf, even before losing my vision, so I had no idea just how tall the creature was. I still didn’t think I was in any danger, though. Garrun had kindly taken me to the trench and escorted me back. I didn’t think he’d put me at risk by introducing me to something that would hurt me. None of the barbarians had been that cruel since we came to stay with them. Why would Garrun be any different?
After supper, I sat in the main square with Alice, listening to the conversations around me. There were at least three languages being spoken around the square, and all the voices sounded happy and upbeat. Alice had described it to me as a gathering area with a massive fire in the center, with all the tents circling around it. During one of our language lessons, the teacher said the square was where many people socialized, and if we wanted to practice our languages, this was the best place to do so.
Someone sat down next to me, and I turned my head curiously toward the newcomer. “Hello.”
“Hello to you,” the male voice replied. The tone was unfamiliar to me, almost like a purr, and I jumped when he put a hand on my knee. “You have been staring at me. Do you wish to get to know one of my people, little one?”
Startled, I jerked my head back. “What? Oh, no, I wasn’t–”
“There is no need to be coy. You townspeople have been taught you cannot explore your interests freely. You are safe here. If you wish for my attention, you need only say so.”
His words were disconcerting, a mix between suggestive and reassuring. Like he wanted me to feel safe to express my interests. Unfortunately, there was just one sticking point regarding that.
Grimacing, I told him, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stare. I can’t see. I didn’t even know I was looking at someone.”
I could almost feel his demeanor change, his hand drawing away slowly. “You can’t see?”
Shaking my head, I explained, “I got sick when I was a child. I lost my sight. I’m sorry if I made you think–”
