Ekkar’s sturdy form bumped against my legs, and I looked down automatically, asking him, “Can you help me find Garrun? I should’ve asked him to stay close.”
“I am here,” Garrun said, his voice coming from my right not far from me. I stepped in that direction automatically, only for Ekkar to bump me again, pushing me a little. I stopped, worried I’d step on him, and heard muffled footsteps in the sand as someone brushed past me.
“Apologies,” I murmured, waiting with a hand on Ekkar’s back until he let me know it was safe. We didn’t go far, I assumed Garrun came to us, and when I felt his hand on my arm, I let out a sigh of relief. “Hello.”
Garrun grunted, moving my hand to his arm again like he had the day before. His footsteps were slower, and I managedto make it to the forest without tripping over myself. While we walked, I took in the sounds of the forest, so different from the town I grew up in.
“Did you live near a forest?” I asked Garrun, following his guidance when he murmured to step over a root. “Before moving to Al Nuzem, I mean.”
“No, not our clan. We lived near…” He trailed off, sounding like he was considering his words before muttering in the barbarian language. “What is the word for cliffs?”
“I know that word,” I told him with a bright smile. “We learned about landscape during the trip here. Finn had lessons when we settled at nights to keep us occupied during long travel.”
Garrun grunted in acknowledgement, his reply again in the barbarian language, but slow enough that I could understand. “I do not know it in the common tongue. In our language, we called it ‘Sky Steps.’”
“Sky Steps,” I murmured thoughtfully. “That sounds pretty. Is that where the hawks came from?”
He hummed. “Yes. They rest in the cliffs. Sit here. There is a flat rock.”
Following his instructions, I sat on the rock that was warm like it’d been heated by the sun at some point. The shade from the trees was enough that I didn’t feel like I’d get overheated, and the warmth was kind of nice. Setting my case beside me, I opened it and pulled out my violin, testing the strings and tightening one that was out of tune. I heard Garrun’s movement like he was settling beside me and felt my cheeks pinken, but I tried not to think about it too much. The only other person who watched me play was Alice. I felt a little shy to play for Garrun, but I didn’t want to throw his kind gesture in his face by asking him to leave.
Letting out a slow breath, I closed my eyes, focusing on the bow on the strings and nothing else. I took a second to take in my surroundings, the gentle breeze on my skin, the smell of trees and sand, and the distant sound of running water. It calmed me and brought an emotion I hadn’t expected to the fore. Relief. For the first time in maybe years, I felt truly at peace. It was amazing.
Using the emotion to guide my hand, I played the song I felt in my soul, giving myself over to the music entirely until I lost sense of my surroundings. I barely felt when Garrun shifted away, moving to sit on the ground near enough to me that I knew he was there without crowding my space. I missed entirely when Ekkar jumped onto the rock until he leaned against my back and fell asleep. I lost track of how long I played, one emotion flowing into another in song until my fingers began to ache and my stomach growled, reminding me that I skipped breakfast. I didn’t regret it for a second, not when I got to experience such freedom, but perhaps next time it would be better to eat before I came out here. I’d definitely be coming again, though. I’d live out here if I could.
“That was beautiful,” an unfamiliar feminine voice murmured.
Turning toward the speaker, I asked, “Why are you whispering?” in a tone just as quiet. I was a little worried she was whispering because something was wrong.
“Garrun is asleep,” she answered with a quiet laugh. “I don’t want to disturb him.”
Surprised, my eyebrows jumped up, and I listened a little closer to the man seated nearby. Sure enough, the sound of deep breathing reached my ears, not only from him but also from Ekkar behind me. I huffed out a silent laugh, shaking my head.
“I’m not sure whether I should be insulted or proud right now.”
“Go with proud,” she answered, the sound of her voice coming a little closer. “He’s had trouble sleeping since the attack. It worried us. I’m glad you helped him finally get some real rest.”
I frowned in the direction of Garrun, concern making my chest tighten. Alice mentioned he had scars on his face like he’d been attacked, but I hadn’t asked. It didn’t feel polite to do so, nor had it come up. If I wanted to see his scars, I’d need to touch them, and that felt invasive.
“Your sister has been looking for you,” the woman said, voice still quiet. “She said you missed breakfast.”
My stomach grumbled in reply, and I wrinkled my nose in embarrassment. “She’s not wrong, but… I’m a little worried I’ll wake him if I move.” He wasn’t as close as Ekkar was leaning against my back, but if Garrun had trouble sleeping, I didn't want to move at all if I could help it.
“I’ll bring you something,” she offered. “I’m Lisa by the way, one of Clan Velgraz’s healers. You’re Henry, right?”
“That’s right. Alice didn’t actually send the whole clan looking for me, did she? I didn’t think we’d gone so far that she wouldn’t be able to find me.”
Lisa snickered. “No, you’re fine. She was talking to someone and practicing her language skills. I offered to check on you for her so she wouldn’t have to end the conversation.” Amusement tinged her tone as she added, “Between you and me, I think there might be something developing there. Vaddarr isn’t usually the type to volunteer to help with language learning. He’s a little shy. He looked smitten when talking to Alice, though. That’s why I offered to come instead, so they could keep talking.”
Hope and nerves warred in my chest. I’d wanted Alice to find someone since she became of age. I wanted her to be happy, to have her own family, to have someone to care for her for a change. If she found that amongst the clan, I’d be glad for it, but I was worried at the same time. Not only would the barbarianneed to accept my presence in her life, which I wasn’t sure would be well received by a big alpha male like the barbarians, but living with the clan permanently was never part of the plan. We stayed to learn the language, laws, and get comfortable in Al Nuzem before heading into the city or a nearby town to find a place to settle. A life on the move would be incredibly difficult on me. I’d never have the chance to find my bearings. I’d constantly need someone to help me, which was the opposite of what I’d hoped for when coming out here. A house in the city or a town would at least give me a space I could get used to. I wasn’t sure how I’d cope if we joined the clan.
But… I didn’t want to be the reason Alice couldn’t find love either. If she truly fell for someone in the clan, I’d want to stay just to make sure she could have her happiness. Even if I was miserable sitting alone in a tent for the rest of my life.
CHAPTER SIX
GARRUN
I hadn’t intended to fall asleep. I thought to sit with Henry while he played and rest after I brought him back to his tent. It wasn’t until he started and the sounds of the music sank into my skin that I lost my battle with sleep. I was always tired, it had been that way since the attack, but I hadn’t expected Henry’s music to make it so intense.
