Page 41 of Tribute to the Alien Warlord

"Why did he do this? The Vandalls could use him as leverage to force us to open the gates. He must have known that.”

Cassair remained quiet by my side, and I looked up. His eyes conveyed that Brogan had known.

But if they did… I rigorously swallowed down the next sob that rose in my throat. Again, tales of torture rose to the surface of my mind. "They will torture him to force us to open the gates."

"As long as he is within arrow range…" Cassair didn't finish his sentence, he didn't have to. I knew Brogan, and I knew what kind of orders he would have given.

"Brogan, you fool," I pushed out, echoing Cassair's earlier words.

"Lady Alahna, you should really go in, warm up," Cassair tried again.

Stubbornly, I shook my head.

"The warlord will never forgive me if you freeze out here."

At that I only glared at him, unspoken words of,I have to forgive him for abandoning me first, hung on the tip of my tongue, but at the same time, I knew how unfair they would be. I had always known he was a warlord who would risk his life for his people and his domain, just like he would for me. It was one of the many things I loved about him, so how could I get angry at him now when he was only proving just that?

Please, please, please, I prayed, unable to give words to my worst fears even in my thoughts.

"I will send for you as soon—"

"Lord Cassair," Cassair was interrupted by an archer, still keeping his bow up and the line taut, ready to shoot, despite the freezing temperatures and the weight of the tensed string.

I squinted my eyes to see what the archer had spied, who hadn't only been chosen for his profession because of his upper body strength but because of his excellent eyesight.

I pushed out a choked cry when I watched first Brogan's head and then his entire body emerge from the ship's hull. He was walking erect, seemingly unharmed, followed by the leader of the Vandalls, also appearing unhurt.

It seemed whatever had transpired aboard the Vandall vessel had not ended up in a deadly match.

The two leaders were followed by more Vandalls, and… was that a cage? I squinted my eyes but couldn't make out what was inside it. Cassair raised his spyglass and pressed out a small curse.

I reached my hand up to take the spyglass from him and, without a word, he handed it over.

I had never used one before, but the long contraption was adjusted just right so I could see everything much clearer. Unable to resist, I homed in on Brogan's face, which was a mask of grim determination. His mouth moved as he talked to the Vandall leader, and I would have loved to hear what was said.

For now, all that mattered to me was that Brogan was alive and unharmed, he even seemed to have come to some kind of agreement with the Vandalls as the two of them talked to one another like allies, if not friends.

Curiosity finally won out now that I was satisfied to see Brogan unharmed, and I swiveled the spyglass to focus on the cage. It took a moment before I made out the figure inside more clearly and gasped. Inside was a human woman.

Notlettingmydefensesdown just yet, I followed King Uthar, as the leader of the Vandalls had introduced himself, down into the bowels of his ship. It was dark in here, but surprisingly warm. It took my eyes a moment to adjust, but when they did, I noticed a strange silvery material lining the inside walls, which most likely was what was keeping the cold out.

The ship swayed lightly on the rough sea, a testament to how well-built the longboats were. Not like our fishing boats that would have been rocked fiercely by the swell.

"There." Uthar led me forward to a boarded-up part of the ship, which I suspected held his private quarters. Curiously I followed him.

It was even warmer in here. A fire inside a sealed cubed brazier roared, spreading warmth into the small area that consisted of a bed, a desk with a chair, and… a cage, holding a human kallini prisoner who stared at Uthar with burning green eyes, shooting daggers of hate at him.

"That's one of them," Uthar exclaimed.

"A human?" I asked, astounded.

He told me the Vandalls had been attacked just at the beginning of the cold season by a strange new species none of his warriors had ever seen before. A dangerous, bloodthirsty species.

My imagination had conjured up all kinds of possibilities because what kind of creature could have decimated the ranks of the mighty Vandalls so quickly and devastatingly that they had seen no choice but to flee on their longboats onto the Dark Sea, knowing the cold season was approaching?

Uthar had confided that he had already lost more than half of his surviving subjects to the Dark Sea when I approached him on the beach and told me he had come, to my surprise, not to wage war against my people, but to ask for assistance in a war not of his making.

"You know them?" Uthar asked, suddenly suspicious.

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