Page 9 of Between Two Barbarians

“Where is Jamal?” I asked him, growing worried as I noticed the rolls nearby were all filled with sleeping brothers and the little male was nowhere to be seen.

Brenek looked up at me, confused. “What do you mean? I thought he was with you.”

My stomach tightened uncomfortably. “He was angry with me. I thought he went to you. When did you last see him?”

His expression grew concerned as he set aside his work and pushed to his feet. “Not for hours. He asked me to go into town, and when I told him it wasn’t safe until morning, he stomped off. I thought he’d go to you instead.”

A part of me wanted to blame him, he was the last one to see Jamal and should have known to make him stay. But I knew better. This was my fault. I knew Jamal was bored, knew he needed to get his energy out before he could rest. I should have taken his complaints more seriously, or at least stayed beside him until I was sure he was safe.

Brenek’s eyes scanned the camp where our clan brothers and sisters slept. “Do you think he found someone else to spend time with? Yngvar is always willing to provide him with ale at the very least.”

Putting aside our rivalry, we went looking for Jamal together. We circled the camp, looking for all the places Jamal might have snuck off to find entertainment. No stallions were missing, Yngvar was asleep in his bed, and none of the other clan brothers who Jamal had flirted with were sharing a bed with anyone this night. When my eyes shifted to the town, Brenek shook his head.

“I told him it was dangerous. He knew to stay clear.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “What makes you think he wouldn’t choose not to listen? He’s done so in the past.”

Jamal had ignored my suggestion to go easy on the ale and wound up so hungover the next day he had to sleep most of the day away in the carriage and couldn’t eat until supper the following evening. And he ignored Brenek’s suggestion to wear a covering on our first night of travel, requiring us to stop and find him a cloak because he’d ended up shivering and whining until half the clan was aware of his feelings on the matter. I wasn’t sure I’d trust him to behave, even if there was the possibility of danger.

Brenek and I exchanged a glance, sharing no words between us as we realized what must have happened. Jamal did as he wished, and because we were too distracted by his beauty, we didn’t think to watch over him properly. When I cast my gaze in the direction of the town again, I noticed a trail of footprints in the sand, barely illuminated by the moon’s rays.

Brenek started moving at the same time I did, both of us racing for the town. Jamal was a free spirit, full of joy and mischief, and he was unaware of just how dangerous the town could be. They left our people alone because we were larger and a new threat they’d yet to come across, but Jamal was not a clan brother. He had nothing that tied him to us. If he spoke or acted the way he did with us around dangerous men, his life could be at risk.

CHAPTER SIX

JAMAL

The ale in this small town was shit, but after a few cups, I no longer paid attention to the flavor. It wasn’t as potent as the barbarian ale, but it was still enough to ease some of my frustration and make the room turn warm and a little fuzzy. I let my gaze trail over the patrons, most of which were consuming their own ale and speaking amongst themselves. It was late, though I wasn’t entirely sure how late, and the energy wasn’t as lively as I’d hoped. Just because the town was small didn’t mean taverns needed to be sedate.

It was becoming apparent that my eagerness to join a barbarian clan had been a mistake. If I’d been at home, I could have snuck out to my favorite taverns, perhaps found a man to entertain me for the night. Instead, I was stuck with gentlemen in barbarian clothing who wouldn’t touch me if there was any ale in my system, which I needed to get through the day because I was so bored, I was losing my mind.

The barbarians weren’t the wild and violent people I’d thought them to be. My adventure with them was turning out to be a lot of sitting around. And the traveling. Goddess, the traveling was boring. Weren’t barbarians supposed to be racing on horseback? I swore I heard Zakai mention racing with his barbarian. Perhaps it was just the clan I ended up with? They were all handsome but moved through life so sedately, I felt like I was going to go insane.

A raucous laughter drew my attention to a table in the corner. While most of the patrons in this town were just enjoying a quiet drink, the table in the corner looked to be having a little fun at least. I wandered closer, noticing the cards on the table, and felt excitement swell in my chest. I was excellent at card games.

Taking an empty chair at the end of the table, I plopped myself into it, smiling brightly as the company all turned to look at me. “Deal me in.”

One of the men closest to me sneered, making no move to hand me cards. “Fuck off.”

I wasn’t that easily deterred, and I had just enough alcohol in my system to make me look like an easy target for a game when money was involved. I pulled out my pouch of coins, waving it at them with a smirk. “I’m good for it. Unless you’re too scared to go up against me?”

That seemed to make a few of them rethink telling me to leave. They eyed my pouch which was heavy with coin since my mother didn’t want to send me with nothing on this journey. Despite his anger over my behavior, my father could do nothing about it. My mother always did spoil me.

When one of them reached for it, I pulled it back, tucking it against my side again. “Deal me in,” I insisted. “Let’s see who can keep up with me.”

The one across from me smirked, raising an eyebrow at me. “What makes you think we won’t just take the coin from you and end you where you stand?”

I raised an eyebrow right back. “Because then you’d look pathetic for needing to bully a smaller man into giving up his coin instead of earning it in a fair match. If you’re all that pathetic, then I guess I’ll take my coin elsewhere.”

I made to push out of my seat, going just slow enough that I didn’t need to fully stand for them to change their minds. The one across from me made an irritated sound, jerking his chin at the one closest to me.

“Deal him in. Wiping the floor with him will be just as entertaining.”

I bit back a smirk, hiding my glee. He’d regret underestimating me. I did love putting big men like him in their places.

Since they were already unhappy about my arrival, I knew it was best to let them win a few rounds. I feigned frustration at my losses, tossing a few coins onto the table before accepting a new hand. Only once I was sure they were starting to relax around me did I play how I was taught to play. Some of the best card sharks in the country lived in Talqara. And a few of them happened to like fucking men. I may have exchanged sex for lessons just for the fun of it a few times.

“You little cheat,” the leader of their little group growled after the third hand I won.