Page 34 of The Iron Oath
It didn’t take them long to reach the study. A guard stood outside the door. Upon their arrival, he opened it for them. She followed behind her sister and entered the room. The door shutbehind Magoza and Amuleta. Her mate swayed closer to her where her free hand rested on Magoza’s forearm.
Her parents stood in front of the cold stone hearth across the room. With the climate in Udenia, it was rare that a roaring fire was needed, but Angarth Keep was built back in a time when the things were different.
“Banhas. Ranhos,” Magoza greeted both of her parents. She strode proudly across the room with her mate in tow. She was sure she already knew why they had intercepted them.
Her parents turned to them. Nargol moved to the side to allow her and Amuleta to walk ahead of her.
Dura and Tulak stared openly at Amuleta. Magoza beat down the strong notion to move in front of Amuleta. Her parents were not an enemy. A fierce protective nature settled in the middle of her chest.
“It is her,” her father murmured. He took a few steps forward and stopped in front of them.
Her mother came to stand beside him as they took in Amuleta.
“You brought her here?” Tulak asked.
“Kraz,” Magoza answered immediately.
“You resemble your father so much,” Dura said. Tears appeared in her eyes.
Magoza could only remember seeing her mother cry a few times in her lifetime. The mate to the chieftain was a strong female and was even a fierce warrior, but she never hid her emotions when they took over her. One thing she had taught her daughters was compassion for all.
“You know who I am?” Amuleta asked softly. She stared back at them with wide eyes. “How?”
“I’ve waited solars for this moment, Amuleta Sesh, daughter of a great warrior, a well-respected orc, who was also my friend and brother-in-arms, Xagok Sesh,” Tulak announced. A sadnessappeared in his eyes. He ran a hand over his face and let loose a deep sigh. He motioned to the chairs and sofa that were nearby. “Please have a seat and so we can talk.”
Magoza escorted Amuleta to the sofa then stood behind her. She was too wired to sit. Her sister stood next to her while their parents both sat in the high-backed chairs across from Amuleta.
“Your father was loyal to our clan for solars. I remembered the day he arrived here to pledge to the Nidani Clan,” Dura began. A smile appeared on her lips. She brushed her hair from her face. Today she was dressed as the lady of Angarth Keep in a beautiful deep-golden dress that highlighted her eyes. Even though she dressed in the finest that money could buy, it didn’t mean the mate of the chieftain was not armed with weapons.
“We had received word a few days before that a banished warrior from the Dhogurd Clan would be coming to request the ear of the chieftain,” Tulak added. He sat forward with his hands braced on his knees. “Your father admitted that he and his cousin had a personal disagreement that led to him being shunned by his people. I had heard of your father through channels and knew that he was a fierce and loyal warrior. Whatever the family squabble was, it was none of my business. He appeared to be a good man, so we allowed him to pledge to our clan, but he would need to prove himself worthy to remain.”
Magoza remembered also when Xagok had first arrived. He had trained harder than any other warrior. Fought harder. He was an experienced warrior who many had begun to look up to. He’d proved himself over and over that he was loyal to the Nidani. He’d moved up the ranks swiftly, and it wasn’t long before he had taken the place of commander when the former one decided to retire. Magoza had been in her late teens, a cocky young warrior who was making her way through the ranks of her father’s army. Her size, fierceness, and talent with her axes had allowed her to join at an earlier age than most.
“But we also didn’t know that he had a mate and a young child. I wish he would have confided in us—” Dura began but was cut off by her mate.
“Xagok did what he thought was best for his family. We will not judge him for keeping his family safe.” Tulak laid a hand on Dura’s knee.
She sighed and nodded in agreement.
He turned back to Amuleta. “We are sorry for the loss of your father. He was like family to us. My daughter has shared that you are her fated mate, and to be honest, I couldn’t think of a better person to welcome into our family.”
Magoza gasped. She hadn’t expected those words to flow from her father. He had voiced concerns about Amuleta being a half-breed and that their people may not accept her. She hadn’t even thought ifhe or her motherwould accept Amuleta.
“I would love to meet your mother,” Dura said. “We hear that the two of you still live in the Eltaki Woods where he built you a home. Do you think she would be open to meeting with us?”
“No.” Amuleta’s single word caused the room to go deathly silent.
Magoza’s gaze cut to her mate. She reached forward and rested a hand on Amuleta’s shoulder.
“I see,” Dura murmured. She glanced over at Tulak, a bewildered look clouding her face.
“Why?” Tulak asked.
It wasn’t that often that the chieftain was denied any request, and Amuleta had sat there and given them a chilled no.
“Because my mother blames you for my father’s death.”
Nargol’s quick intake of breath was the only sound in the room. Magoza gave a squeeze to Amuleta’s shoulder before she lifted her hand. That was why Gelisha had acted the way she had. Not only did she blame Tulak for Xagok’s death, she probablydidn’t trust that she and her daughter would be safe around them.
