Page 6 of The Physician's Barbarian
Uttin snorted, a smile finally breaking his scowl. “None are like Simon this cycle, thank the gods. No, he was well-behaved on the journey here. He does seem… troubled.”
That wasn’t unusual for tributes, so if Uttin was saying it, it meant the tribute was probably more upset than most. I’d need to keep an eye on him.
“I’ll do my best to reassure him. Where is he?”
Uttin led the way into the receiving tent. It was mostly empty, which meant most were with their protectors now. Only three were left, and only one of them was male. Uttin said something to him in the common tongue and he stood, his lips pressed into a thin line. He was obviously unhappy to be here.
I was surprised at his stature. Most male tributes who had joined the clan so far were smaller. Patrick was the tallest, and he was still smaller than Verus. This male was as tall as I was. He was thin, not much weight on him that I could tell, but his height was surprising. His silky black hair was cut short, and he had a light dusting of stubble on his jaw. Round glasses sat perched on his nose, and he had a wrinkle between his eyebrows that made me think he frowned often. He studied me suspiciously, and I saw a muscle jump in his jaw. He reminded me of a wild stallion, distrustful and ready to explode should I make a wrong move. I would need to take care with him.
Most tributes were carried to their protectors’ tents, too upset to walk on their own, but I knew better than to try it with this male. Instead, I turned to Uttin.
“Can you ask him to follow me?”
He glanced at the male, then back at me. “Smart move. I don’t think he’ll accept being treated like most tributes.”
No, I could see that wouldn’t end well. Thankfully, I had practice wearing down stubborn stallions. I could be patient.
Uttin spoke in the common tongue to the male, and he gave a sharp nod in response, turning his suspicious gaze my way again. Tipping my head, I gestured him toward the exit and led the way, glancing back on occasion to make sure he followed. He did so, though his eyes scanned his surroundings with heavy misgiving. That was normal. Tributes were often told they would be treated poorly with the clans. Finn’s language lessons would help dissuade him of that idea.
That, and it was my job as his protector to show him he was safe here. We would only be together for a few weeks, but I would make sure he was taken care of in the meantime.
As we approached my tent that sat right next to the fenced in area where the stallions resided, I saw Drin explaining things to Patrick while Verus stood watch. He looked over his shoulder at me, a deep frown on his face when he noticed the tribute behind me. I shook my head minutely. While we had our fun together, neither of us were interested in more. It wasn’t a relationship. He could wait until the tribute moved on before we fooled around again.
He scowled, crossing his arms petulantly, but I ignored him. It wouldn’t be pleasant to go so long without sex, but that couldn’t be helped. Tributes were precious. Even if this one would be given to another clan, he deserved my full attention. I would make sure he felt safe and cared for until he was ready to move on to his next clan. Maybe the time apart from Drin would be good. He had been getting a little possessive lately. Some distance would help to remind him he had other options.
Four
AMBROSE
I’d expected the worst when the barbarians took me away. My father fought tooth and nail against it—sending his only son away could ruin our family—but the mayor overrode him. I’d volunteered, and they wouldn’t send someone unwilling when there was a volunteer to go. He’d always been a fair man, even sending his own daughter when the lottery picked her. He didn’t enjoy sending frightened women away, so if someone volunteered to take their place, he wasn’t going to argue.
The barbarians showed up the following morning, and I was in a caravan with the other tributes before the sun had set, on our way to a barbarian clan in the middle of nowhere. Thus far, they’d been kind. They fed us on the journey and gave us blankets to keep warm at night. It took a few days to get to the clan, but in that time, no one was mistreated or assaulted in any way. I half expected to have to put up a fight to protect the women who couldn’t protect themselves. But aside from helping them on and off the carriage to relieve themselves and sit around the fire, none of the barbarians touched them.
My suspicions that they were just waiting until we were surrounded by the clan and therefore unable to run away grew as the women were taken away one by one from the tent we’d been ushered into upon our arrival. By the time it was my turn, I was poised for a fight. One of the barbarians who’d accompanied us on the journey introduced me to a new barbarian who he called my protector and told me to follow him. The new barbarian led me away from the village center and to a tent near the field of horses. A part of me balked about going in there with him, but I’d volunteered for this. I was worried if I put up too much of a fight, they’d send me back and demand my sister instead. So I ducked my head to enter and moved out of the way for the barbarian to join me.
The tent wasn’t very big. There was a pallet of blankets that made up the bed, a small table off to one side, and a trunk that had clothes spilling out of it. There were also clothes on the rug-covered floor that he hastily picked up and tossed in the trunk with a sheepish grin. The small act of normalcy lowered my guard just a little. Sebastian was just as messy and gave me that same grin whenever I went into his room.
My heart sank when I thought about my son. I missed him so much already. I’d thought to bring him with me, but I was too afraid of where I might end up. I didn’t want to put him in danger just because I selfishly wanted him with me. He was being cared for by Evelyn, and I hoped he’d forgive me one day for this. Doing the right thing to protect my sister didn’t make the ache in my chest any easier to bear. Once I had a better understanding of this place, I’d figure out a way to contact him. Maybe I could write him a letter to apologize, if the barbarians allowed it.
While I was lost in thought, the barbarian who was supposed to be my protector studied me with a frown. I’d seen the way he sized me up when he first arrived. I’d done the same thing tohim. Like most of the barbarians, he was shirtless, showing off his impressive torso. He wasn’t as wide as the other barbarians, more trim, but still stacked with muscles, especially his legs. I wasn’t naïve enough to think he wasn’t a threat. His hair was shaved on the sides and long on top and in back, twisted into twin braids that fell down his back. He seemed young—younger than me at least—with smooth, tanned skin that said he spent a lot of time out in the sun. He didn’t scowl or glower like I’d expected from him once we were alone. He actually looked a little out of sorts, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, like he wasn’t sure what to do with me. It was confusing, to say the least.
A voice called out from outside and the barbarian jumped, huffing a laugh and shaking his head at himself as he edged around me to poke his head out. He pulled the flap aside and allowed someone new to enter, his demeanor a lot more relaxed around the newcomer.
The man who joined us was a redhead with a heavier build at odds with the other barbarians. He was dressed the same, but he didn’t fit in with thoseI’d seen during my journey. He also had a cane, which made me frown.
“Are you injured?”
The man blinked and looked at me in surprise before smiling. “It’s an old injury. I only use this when I’ve had a long day. Arrival day is always busy,” he explained, gesturing to his cane. He had a basket with him that he handed to the barbarian, leaning a little on his cane as he introduced himself.
“I’m Patrick. I’m one of the clan cooks. If you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask for me. And if you have any food intolerances, let me know.”
My brow furrowed. “You speak really well.”
The only barbarians who’d spoken the common tongue in my hearing so far had heavy accents that were sometimes hard tounderstand. But this guy spoke like he’d been raised in one of the towns.
Patrick chuckled and nodded. “That’s because I’m not from here. I’m bonded to one of the men in the clan. He found me hurt and alone in the forest and saved me. I’ve been here ever since.”
He noticed the barbarian watching us and switched languages, probably to explain what was being said. That’s what I assumed based on the expression of understanding that flashed across the barbarian’s face before he nodded and sat down by the small table, pulling bowls of food out of the basket.
