Page 7 of The Barbarian's Claim
I drifted off to sleep, still thinking of the possibilities.
EINAR
I felt when the tribute finally fell asleep. My instincts didn’t like someone else beside me. I didn’t know him or trust him. He hadn’t spoken once since the night before, and only showed with his expressions what he was thinking. I couldn’t decide if I liked that or not. On the one hand, I rarely trusted people’s words. They could be lying. His expressions were harder to hide. On the other hand, he could be faking, for all I knew. Townsfolk weren’t trustworthy, and tributes were less so because they didn’t want to be here. They would do almost anything to get away.
While I was contemplating sleeping outside and coming back near mealtime to fetch the tribute, I felt him move behind me until his body was pressed against mine, his arms tuckedbetween us, and his forehead resting between my shoulder blades. I couldn’t move without jostling him or rolling on top of him. With a heavy sigh, I rested my head on my arm. At least if his body was close, I would feel if he moved to attack me.
I managed a little sleep, enough to function at least. A dark dream woke me, but that was normal, and I was glad that the tribute was behind me when I woke. I sometimes lashed out in my sleep. He was safe against my back. I would wake up before I could turn fully to face him.
He woke when I rolled out of bed and sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. He had soft black hair, a little longer than most townsfolk preferred, falling almost to his shoulders. No facial hair to speak of. His features were young, younger than normal for a tribute, but Uttin would not have accepted the offer if he were not of age. He was also thin. Almost too thin. Like he did not eat enough. He would need to fix that to survive the winter. When he blinked up at me, I finally noticed his eyes. Gray like an approaching storm, and bigger than I was used to. The size made him look innocent, and when they’d filled with tears earlier, it tugged at my chest painfully. Innocents were meant to be protected. His silence didn’t make that any less true.
“Are you hungry?” I asked gruffly in the common tongue, because staring at him was making us both uncomfortable.
He didn’t answer out loud, but he nodded uncertainly. Unlike Orn, the quiet didn’t bother me. He’d still answered the question.
Had he been a new arrival, I would have left him in my tent and brought him food instead. But he had been here a few weeks by now, so I figured he understood enough to be able to move about. I grabbed a few weapons, gesturing for him to follow me. He did so without question or complaint and stuck close. At one point, he grabbed my tunic like he had earlier, and I resisted the urge to scowl. I understood his urge to seekprotection, especially after the attack on the clan. I just didn’t like him touching me. I ignored it, determined to finish the task of fetching our meals quickly so we could separate again.
I didn’t normally join the clan for meals. I preferred to hunt on my own and cook at the fire in front of my tent. But the meals provided by the clan were better balanced, and the little tribute needed to eat. I pointed to some cushions near the fire, turning enough to look at him.
“Sit.”
His gaze darted around uneasily, and his grip tightened on my tunic. He didn’t want to; he showed that in his actions, but he also didn’t argue. It was the fear on his face that made me change my mind when he released me and took a step back.
“Stop. You will come with me instead.”
The relief on his face was instant, and when I waited long enough for him to grab my tunic again, he gifted me a small smile. I didn’t understand Orn. The tribute was well-behaved and didn’t whine or fuss. Why was it wrong that he was quiet?
I shook my head, walking into the tent where we would get our food. I would not waste time trying to understand the stupidity of others.
Five
MATTHEW
While Orn had been determined at first to get me to speak, Einar didn’t seem to care. He spoke to me in the common tongue and only ever when he needed to. Otherwise, he was quiet like me. He went through his tasks with quiet efficiency and never stayed still for long. There was always something to do. He didn’t sit around chatting with others, either. He rarely even acknowledged them. I didn’t mind so much. I helped where I could, cleaning clothes and washing the bowls after we used them. I didn’t feel lonely when he was nearby, even though we were quiet. It was only when he was gone, hunting or guarding the village, that the loneliness crept in. I wanted to follow him around all day, so I didn’t have to feel that way, but I didn’t think he’d let me.
It was my fourth day staying with him when Uttin came to visit. He looked lighter than before, less stressed, and when he greeted Einar by the fire, he had a smile on his face.
“Greetings, brother. Matthew. How are things going so far?”
Einar grunted in response, which didn’t tell Uttin much. It was more than I could muster, though, and I dropped my gaze. It wasn’t that I couldn’t speak. It was just shameful when I did. And embarrassing.
“There will be a celebration soon. Feigrind and Simon are bonding with each other. It would be a good opportunity for Matthew to meet new members of the clan.”
The statement made me uneasy. Was it wrong that I didn’t want to meet any new members? I’d volunteered to be here, but I still couldn’t muster the courage to speak. I didn’t want to meet people and have them learn to hate me or take my silence as an insult. Einar didn’t mind it. I wanted to stay with him.
Unfortunately, because I wouldn’t speak up, I had no say in the matter. I stared at my boots, which were worn on one side. It wouldn’t be long until they got holes in them. It had taken forever last time before I was able to buy replacements.
“No,” Einar said bluntly. “He does not wish to go, and I will not make him.”
Surprised, I looked up to find Einar watching me. He didn’t look annoyed with me, his expression blank. If I could, I’d ask how he knew what I was thinking, but Uttin spoke before I could think of what to say.
“He has not said either way,” Uttin argued. “Besides, it is important that he meets more people. You are not looking for a bondmate. He is here for this reason. Others will want to meet him to see if they are compatible.”
Einar slowly turned his gaze to Uttin. “I do not need to ask. It is written on his face. No. If others wish to meet him, they can come here instead.”
He tossed another log onto the fire in front of his tent before turning back to where he had been chopping more, effectively ignoring Uttin. The barbarian looked resigned, turning to face me instead.
“You should consider it. Unlike most, you volunteered to be here. You wanted to find a match, yes?”
