Page 26 of Saved By a Barbarian

She tsked, pinching my cheeks affectionately before releasing me. “At least he has some brains, then. Why are you here so early? You should be resting.”

I glanced at Saneth, who still stood there gaping at her, but Yamileth seemed intent on ignoring him. “I, uh… Verus has to go on a long hunt. I was going to cook him and the other hunters some bread to bring with them so they don’t get hungry.”

She gifted me with a soft smile, patting my cheek again. “You’re a good boy. I will help. If we add fruit, it will keep them healthy. A few of them use the long hunt to skip on their vegetables. Giant children, the lot of them.”

I huffed out a laugh, still staring at her as she puttered around the tent, poking through the boxes of dried fruits and meats against one wall. She was quickly becoming my favorite person, aside from Verus. She cared more about me than my parents ever had.

She pointed me to my table where I prepped the bread daily and set me to work on mixing the ingredients. When she noticed Saneth still standing there, she rolled her eyes.

“Do you plan to stand there all day gaping like a fish?”

Her comment seemed to snap him out of his shock and he took a step back, pointing at her accusingly. “You admitted to a crime. I will be telling Orthorr.”

“Do so,” she challenged. “Perhaps he would like to know how you two treat our visitors. Or maybe he would like to hear of Tavik’s intent to frame Patrick for a crime he did not commit. You two are not without fault. Now, begone. And don’t comeback. You two can feed yourselves for a while. Perhaps that will teach you some manners.”

Saneth paled at her accusations, no longer looking like the tough barbarian warrior. Instead he resembled a little boy getting scolded by his grandmother. I’d laugh if the situation wasn’t so upsetting. I was still afraid that he’d tell the clan leader that I was poisoning Tavik and get me thrown out.

His mouth gaped open and closed for a moment before he spun on his heel and hurried off. I watched him go with my heart in my throat, only turning back to my work when Yamileth put her hand on my shoulder.

“Do not have fear, Patrick. They got what they deserved. Though, next time I will add more visek to Saneth’s meals. He should have been suffering alongside his little friend. He has a stronger gut than Tavik does.”

Stunned, I whipped my head around to look at her. “So you were telling the truth? You really poisoned him?”

She scoffed, waving a wrinkled hand dismissively. “No. Visek is not fatal. It merely clears out the system. He would need to eat the whole bush to suffer anything more than the shits from it.”

My stomach dropped out, and an incredulous laugh bubbled up in my throat. She grinned and winked at me, puttering away to grab the dried fruit for the bread.

“Have you done this before?” I had to ask.

She snickered, setting the dried fruit on my table. “On occasion. The clan knows better than to bite the hand that feeds them. If Tavik had been smart, he would have avoided my tent for a time after upsetting you. It is his own arrogance that landed him in his predicament.”

I should have questioned her more when she said she’d handled them. I thought a little old woman wouldn’t have been able to cause much trouble. I was very wrong. And now I knewbetter than to ever make her angry. I didn’t want to face the same consequences as Tavik.

Hoping to stay on her good side, I quickly got to work, mixing the ingredients together and folding in the dried fruit. The dough went into a covered pot hanging over the fire. I hoped it would be done before Verus left. I’d lost time when Saneth came to harass me.

After stoking the fire, I moved to start the morning preparations for breakfast. It took time and planning to feed an entire village. It made me wonder how Yamileth handled it all by herself.

“Have you always worked alone?” I queried while chopping some fruit into small pieces. The toddlers would choke if I didn’t.

She hummed, shaking her head. “Not always. My husband would help me when he was alive. My sons did while they were little, until they grew bored of it. A few in the clan offer their help, but you will see when they do that they only cause more work. It is not hard to chop things evenly. They ruin the food with such sloppiness.”

I snickered, doling out the fruit into small bowls. “I’m glad I don’t cause you trouble.”

She stopped beside me, pinching my cheek again. “As am I, young one. Now enough chit chat. We have work to do.”

A smile pulled at my lips as I followed her directions. My father always hated that I was more interested in cooking than things like fighting or hunting for sport. He thought it was an embarrassment, especially when I opened a bakery instead of a tavern. He thought at least a tavern wouldn’t be considered women’s work. But my skills were needed here. I was glad I followed my heart.

Nineteen

When I woke alone, I was disappointed and a little worried. Patrick and I woke together most days. I enjoyed spending quiet mornings with him, getting cleaned up by the river and getting him settled in the cooking tent. That he was not with me when I woke was concerning. I went looking for him, my worry compounding when I saw a group of people hovering around the cooking tent. Even from outside, I could hear the raised voices of Tavik and Yamileth. But where was Patrick?

Pushing my way through the crowd, I stepped into the tent. My eyes immediately landed on Patrick, who sat on a stool in his usual spot, his gaze locked on the trio speaking nearby. Yamileth stood with her arms crossed, her glare locked on Tavik, who was throwing a tantrum of epic proportions while Orthorr listened on. Coming in late, I didn’t know the full situation, but what little I heard was surprising.

“She should be banished!” Tavik demanded.

Yamileth snorted, raising an eyebrow at him. “And who then would feed the clan?”

She had a point. Whatever she had done, it was unlikely that Orthorr would send her anywhere. She was necessary to theclan. No one else could cook like she could, especially not for such a large number of people. We had been spoiled for many years since she became the clan cook.

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