But Gaelfr shook his head, his eyes fixed straight ahead. “There are no secrets amongst the Bautul,” he muttered back. “Matters of war and battle are shared between us all, as are matters of peace and pleasure, also.”
Raye swallowed, and glanced back toward Kalfr, who had slightly fallen behind them. And though he didn’t look surprised by Gaelfr’s claim, or by the goings-on in this room, he also looked… wary. Uneasy. Grim.
It was a look he’d borne since they’d left the schoolroom, enough that Raye had wondered if he’d heard some of their earlier conversation in the corridor, or perhaps scented the gist of it. But maybe… maybe his reluctance had been more about this. About this meeting. About the question they’d come to ask.About him potentially risking his clanmates’ lives, along with his own.
Raye exchanged a glance with Gaelfr, and then, as if in silent accord, they both eased back beside Kalfr. Flanking him, standing side by side with him, settling their hands together against the warm, sweaty skin of his back. And perhaps it was helping, because Kalfr took a breath, and strode forward into the room. Straight toward where a massive, heavily scarred orc was sitting sprawled on a bench, with a plump, pale, pretty woman curled up against him.
They’d been deep in conversation with another couple on the bench — a tall, shaggy-haired orc, and a slim, dark-haired woman. But upon Kalfr’s approach, both couples stopped speaking, and stood up to greet him. Both of the women cautiously smiled, glancing curiously between Raye and Gaelfr, while the shaggy-haired orc looked decidedly smug. All in stark contrast to the huge scarred orc, who viciously frowned as he came a menacing step toward them.
“Brothers,” he said, in a deep, gravelly voice, raising his big fist to his heart. “You have finally seen fit to come home, then.”
His beady eyes glinted particularly on Gaelfr, who betrayed an unmistakable grimace as he returned the orc’s gesture, his fist bumping against his heart. “Ach, Captain,” he replied, with a bow of his head. “I am most sorry for any grief or loss my absence has wrought upon our kin.”
It sounded surprisingly genuine, enough that Raye grimaced, too, and gulped down a bracing breath. “But — Gaelfr didn’t have a choice, about leaving,” she broke in. “You can’t — blame him for his absence, all these years. Because it was due to — my demands on him. On Kalfr.”
Too late, she clamped her mouth shut, while the huge orc’s frown deepened, his eyes glittering with disapproval. “We well know of your demands, woman,” he said coldly. “You would bewise to refrain from making more of them, most of all to your captain.”
Raye twitched, her face burning — gods, what had she been thinking, to throw herself into the middle of this, with a dangerous-looking orc who was apparently theircaptain? But beside the orc, the plump woman twitched too, and when she squeezed a hand at his massive scarred bicep, his expression briefly softened into something almost fond as he glanced toward her.
“But also, we’resoglad you’ve come,” the woman said, thrusting out her hand toward Raye. “You must be Raye, right? I’m Stella of Clan Bautul, and this is my mate, Captain Silfast. And this” — she nodded toward the smug orc and the slim woman — “is Joarr, our mountain’s Chief Scout, and his mate Gwyn, our midwife.”
Orc Mountain had amidwife? Raye blinked, but this Gwyn nodded and smiled back, and shook Raye’s hand, too. “It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you,” she said. “And if I can ever offer you my services as a midwife — any pregnancy planning or prevention, that kind of thing — I’d be happy to help.”
Raye’s face unaccountably burned hotter, but she attempted a smile back, and shook her head. “I’m sure we’re fine for now, thank you,” she said thickly. “And I know we came here today to discuss — other matters. Right?”
She shot a helpless glance toward Kalfr and Gaelfr, who both were looking back at her with odd expressions on their faces — but then Gaelfr harrumphed, and nodded. “This is truth,” he said flatly. “Ach,ástin mín?”
Raye could feel Gaelfr’s hand still stroking Kalfr’s back, encouraging him, and Kalfr nodded. “I have come to you today, Captain,” he said toward Silfast, “as thevörðurof theFyrsta Byrgið. I wish to make a request of you, and all our kin.”
The room around them had gone noticeably quieter than before, but Kalfr held his gaze to Silfast. Waiting, stiff and unmoving, until Silfast inclined his head. “We shall hear your plea,vörður,” he replied. “Speak this.”
Kalfr squared his shoulders, and took a breath. “I seek a war-band,” he said, his voice carrying low and clear through the room. “I seek a band of strong Bautul orcs to stand beside me. I wish them to help me guard my home and my kin from the threats that have arisen against them.”
If Raye wasn’t mistaken, that was a flicker of relief in this Silfast’s eyes, and in Stella and Gwyn’s exchanged glance, too. But before any of them could reply, Kalfr drew himself straighter, his eyes flinty on Silfast’s face. “And if aught befalls me,” he continued, “I wish you to swear that this war-band will stay with Gaelfr after me. I wish you to swear that it will guard my mate and my son, even well beyond my death.”
Wait. That hadn’t been part of what they’d agreed to ask for… had it? But no, Gaelfr surely hadn’t expected it either, his eyes angling narrow toward Kalfr, and then toward Raye. Holding on her with something like accusation, but Raye gave a minute shake of her head, and watched his jaw flex in his cheek, his gaze narrowing back on Kalfr again.
“And,” Kalfr continued, his own eyes still fixed on Silfast, “if aught befalls Gaelfr or my war-band, I yet wish you and the clan to swear to guard my mate and son. You will grant them safe refuge, and offer them your help. You will treat them with no judgement or shame. And when Svein comes of age” — his voice hardened — “you will keep him from seeking any vengeance in my stead. You will keep himsafe.”
Damn it. Raye’s eyes closed, her stomach dropping, because curse Kalfr, this wasn’t him planning to use the band to help him find a way to defend against Sybil and her men, was it? No, this was… this was his exact same plan from before. This was himsaying, shouting, that he would still sacrifice himself for this. He was still planning to offer himself up to Sybil. He was still planning hisdeath.
But now — surely based on their conversation from the night before — he was seeking to keep Svein guarded and safe. He was seeking to gain a guarantee of protection for him, with this war-band. And gods, was that the only reason Kalfr had agreed to come here today, and make this request?
And — Raye’s stomach plunged deeper — was that also why Kalfr had kept publicly calling her their mate, this entire damned visit? Had he been preparing for this? Had he wanted his kin to believe it, wanted this entire mountain to believe it, so they would help her? So they would help Svein?
Raye fought the sudden, horrible urge to clutch at him, to shout at him, to wail — but she held herself silent and still, waiting for Silfast’s response. And it was almost a relief to see the displeasure, the disapproval, crackling in his beady eyes. Because maybe… maybe he would see through all this, and refuse. Maybe he would demand that Kalfr stay here instead, stay safe and alive, be the father Svein so desperately needed.
But then this Joarr leaned into Silfast, and muttered something into his ear. Something that only drew Silfast’s frown deeper, and he glared back at Kalfr, and folded his bulky arms over his chest. “You kenyouhold the right to this band, due to your place asvörður,” he growled. “But after your death, you yet wish us to bind this band to them? Toher?”
To them. To her. He meant… to Gaelfr. ToRaye. A shock of cold misery flashed through Raye, because the entire room had gone silent now, and she could feel the eyes, boring into her back. Judging her. Condemning her.
“For they have both broken their vows as Bautul, have they not?” Silfast continued, with a contemptuous wave toward Raye and Gaelfr. “Gaelfr, you spurned your kin and ran fromus, when we most needed your strength. And woman” — his voice went even harder, his eyes glittering on Raye’s face — “you have brought both our brothers great pain and grief. You cleaved them apart, against their vows, and against the will of the goddess. You kept them from their ownson. How can we be sure you will not do this again? How can we be sure you will not betray us, or wield our own band against us?”
His voice thudded through the room, swung deep and painful in Raye’s gut. He didn’t trust her, he thought she would betray them — and no wonder, because perhaps she already had, hadn’t she? And what was she supposed to say to that, what possible response could she give?
But Silfast’s eyes were already back on Gaelfr again, his brows raised. “We will hear you first, brother,” he said. “How will you make amends to us, and regain our trust?”
Amends again. Raye fought down her flinch as she glanced toward Gaelfr, but he held his gaze on Silfast. “Before the goddess,” he began, hoarse, “I shall again swear my fealty to you, Captain, and to myástvinur, and to our kin. I swear to uphold and strengthen and defend Kalfr and his kin and his war-band, even unto my death. There isnaughtthat will make me abandon them again.”
