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Seven

SIMON

It was actually kind of relaxing after I got the hang of it. I wasn’t anywhere remotely close to making anything usable, but I watched her occasionally to see what she was doing and eventually learned how to make something resembling a bowl. When Maman checked on me, her smile was amused, but tinged with pride.

“Good. That is more than most can do the first time. Most just make a mess.”

That made me feel pretty good about myself. I didn't have many skills. My mother was a whore, same as me, and my father was one of her clients. She never knew which one. I wasn’t in any kind of situation where I’d go to school or learn a trade. The only trade I had was the lifestyle I was raised in. After she died, I managed to work my way into a nicer brothel, but that was about it. I couldn’t even read, which frustrated me sometimes. Being told I could do something well that wasn’t sex felt good.

Still, I didn't want to get comfortable here, so I couldn’t help but sass back at her. “It’s not that hard. Why are you making medo this? So the barbarian can get a break from me? Is he that weak?”

She chuckled, unbothered by my outburst. “Feigrind is capable of handling a great many things. It is being alone that hurts him. Not that I expect you to fix that. You were given to him because he is patient, not because he is interested in males.”

“Would it be a problem if he did?” I growled. Most towns made it illegal to have such relations, which was why so many came to me seeking comfort. Years of being alone took their toll.

Maman scoffed. “Gender is unimportant. There are some in the clan who have no gender at all. Only the important things, like happiness and trust, matter in a bonding. Something my son craves deeply.”

“So why isn’t he bonded, then?” I demanded. I was not jealous. I didn’t care who Feigrind ended up with. I wasn’t staying here.

“Because none who he takes under his protection choose him in the end.”

That surprised me. I knew he said he had multiple tributes. I figured either he was trying to gather a harem or he was sending them away when he got bored with them. Wasn’t that what the rumors said? That women were cast aside when they weren’t useful anymore?

“What do you mean by that? Why would they get a choice?”

When she looked up from her work, the amused grin was gone, and her face was surprisingly serious. She looked a lot like her son when she was like that.

“Because that is the way things work here. Tributes have a place of honor. They are treated as such. They get a choice of who they bond with.”

“But not a choice about staying,” I snapped back.

She sighed and shook her head slowly. “Not at first, no. Given the way the world portrays us, are you really surprised?They need time to learn that things are good here. Most choose to stay once they realize this. But if they learn our ways, meet our people, and still wish to leave, no one will stop them. If the towns allowed us to visit and trade freely, tributes would not be needed. They could mingle as most men do. They cannot, thanks to the treaty. Without tributes, we risk dying out entirely. It was your people who forced their hand and made it this way.”

FEIGRIND

I was reluctant to leave the tribute with Maman. He had run twice already, and I didn’t trust him. But arguing with her would have only created trouble for me. I stayed close enough to keep my eye on them without interrupting their conversation.

It was amusing to see the male’s confusion when Maman forced him to the task of clay making. She did this to all tributes in my care. She said it was a test of their character. A person needed both a strong and delicate touch to work the clay properly. They were not good enough for her son if they could not manipulate it well. Only one of the tributes ever managed to make anything. But she chose Tyarr. It still smarted a little.

What did he offer that I couldn’t?

“You look down, brother,” Uttin said as he approached me. He frowned and looked around. “Where is your tribute?”

“With Maman. She sent me away so they could talk.”

He snorted. “Good. Not even the most stubborn tributes can argue with her. Perhaps she can get his head on straight.”

If she did, it would only speed up his leaving. I knew this to be a good thing because we were incompatible, but Ifound myself reluctant to let him go. To lose another tribute to someone else.

My melancholy mood did not escape Uttin’s notice. He patted my shoulder supportively. “Do not worry, brother. You only need to protect him for so long. He will find a male who suits him eventually, and you will be free to find someone new.”

I didn’t answer outside of a grunt. I wasn’t going to explain that it made me unhappy to think about. He wouldn’t understand. He had no interest in settling down. It would take an arrangement by his mother or someone extraordinary to force his hand.

“Come. Let’s train. It will help you work off some energy.”

Pushing to my feet, I followed him a little farther away. Still close enough that I could keep an eye on the troublemaker, but far enough away not to disturb others. We set our weapons aside, since we had no wish to hurt each other, and got to work.

He was right. It did help a little, at least in clearing my mind. I focused only on Uttin’s movements so that I could counter them most effectively. My muscles relaxed with each round we took against each other. Uttin was quick, but I was patient and waited until an opportunity presented itself. We were pretty evenly matched when it came to hand-to-hand combat, but I managed to get the upper hand during the last round, pinning him with his arm behind his back and my weight holding him down.