Page 11 of Between Two Barbarians

Jamal jumped, clinging tighter to my tunic as he trembled between us. Using my free hand, I pulled him tighter against me, giving him comfort without removing my attention away from those that threatened him. The newcomer wasn’t a threat. It was our clan leader.

“What is the meaning of this?” Idrull demanded. He stormed into the room, followed by more of my clan brothers, who took up protective stances nearby. Those who weren’t part of the fight quickly exited the establishment, leaving us and ruffians alone. They looked uncomfortable with the change, huddling closer to each other while the middle one spoke in the common tongue to Idrull.

“The little shit cheated us. He was warned to leave us be and demanded to play anyway. He owes us compensation for the trouble.”

That made Jamal stiffen, finally looking around Brenek to glare at the leader. “I didn’t cheat! You can’t blame me for–”

“Torgrind, remove him from this place,” Idrull interrupted with a growl. “I will handle this.”

Jamal didn’t want to go, now that he felt he had back up he wanted to stay and argue his case. I had to scoop him off his feet and carry him out of the tavern kicking and shouting to get him to go. I brought him past the walls of the town, but not yet to the clan. Not when he was shouting like that.

“Tavi–”

“No! I’m not a cheat! I didn’t do anything!”

His upset was too great for me to speak with him properly. Instead, I pulled him into my arms, holding tightly against my chest and whispering into his ear. “I feared for you.”

The comment didn’t end his struggles to free himself from me, likely to run back to confront his attackers, but he did lose some of his fight. His attempts were half hearted, and when Brenek came to join us and put a hand on his back, he slumped in defeat. There was no way he could escape us both. And neither of us would be willing to let him out of our sight any time soon.

JAMAL

Being surrounded by the two protective barbarians, I felt my body finally let go of the terror I’d felt inside the tavern. I’d never had something happen to me like that before. But then again, I hadn’t ever been so far from home before. People knew me there, knew my connection to my father and therefore the king as well.

They also knew I wouldn’t be caught dead cheating. I didn’t need to.

When I started getting worked up again, struggling against the barbarian’s hold, he only held me closer while the other one pressed himself against my back. Trapping me between them like I had been in the tavern. When they’d risked their lives to save mine.

Whispered footsteps came closer over the sand, and I braced myself for the worst. If those assholes somehow got the upperhand–

“Is he hurt?” the clan leader asked, his voice gruff and tight with irritation.

“Not that I noticed,” Torgrind answered. Yes, I’d eventually learned their names, though I sometimes pretended I hadn’t just because they had both denied me for days now. I didn't want to reward them for their ‘gentlemanly’ behavior when I wanted no part in it.

Torgrind finally released me, shifting back to look me over. He tracked every injury, lifting my chin gently with his knuckle to check my neck and caressing the marks there before moving on to my arm. Aside from a little soreness, I wasn’t hurt. My pride was damaged, and I still wanted to go back and demand my money. They’d stolen it. I won fair and square.

Batting Torgrind’s hand away, I stepped back, only to bump into Brenek who stood behind me. I couldn’t avoid the clan leader’s probing eyes, and irritation swelled as I felt trapped between them.

“I didn't do anything!” I snapped. “They lost!”

“In my experience, outlaws don’t care about who wins or loses. You tried to take coin from them. They took exception,” Idrull said. I waited for the shaming, the accusations like my father would have cast at me for being there in the first place. Idrull patted my shoulder, tipping his head toward the camp. “For tonight, it is best to return to camp. Torgrind and Brenek will make sure you get back safely.”

And then he just… walked away.

It was confusing. I’d gotten scolded more times than I could count at home. I’d gotten used to it. And I might have possibly deserved it this time. Not only did I sneak away from camp, I got drunk and picked the worst possible group to socialize with, nearly got hurt, and put two of his people in danger protecting me. Why wouldn’t he scold me for that?

My body was still primed for the fight, the defensive argument still on my tongue, so when the two barbarians who’d been hovering around me since I arrived both turned their full attention to me, I lifted my chin, glaring at them. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

They nodded, and neither argued with me. It stunned me so much, I didn’t protest when they led me away from the town and back to the camp. And when Brenek brought his bed roll and placed it beside mine with Torgrind on my other side, I found myself ushered into the middle, both of them crawling into their rolls beside me and putting hands on me. Not to keep me captive. The touch was gentle, like they merely wished to know I was safe.

I fell asleep confused and uncertain for the first time in my life. Why were they treating me so kindly? Why had no one said anything? And why did it bother me so much that they didn’t?

They were still there when I woke. I wasn’t sure why I thought they wouldn’t be, they’d been there since the beginning, but I was still feeling uncertain after the night prior. Nothing turned out the way I’d expected it to. And part of me wanted to test just how far I could go before they pushed back. They had to lose their patience eventually. Where was the line before that happened?

Sitting up, I rubbed my face roughly, grumbling as my head throbbed. I may have gone to bed feeling sober, but I woke up with a hangover anyway and seriously considered going back to bed until the pain went away. It was the smell of food that got me moving. The hangover wasn’t the worst I’d experienced and whatever the clan was making smelled good.

“Tavi,” Torgrind greeted with a soft smile when I finally dropped my hands and looked around. “Are you hungry?”

I only had enough energy to nod once, accepting the bowl he offered me. I startled a little when something cool and wet touched my neck, but when I jerked around to look at what touched me, Brenek gave me an apologetic smile.