Page 6

“We’re going to have breakfast together this morning,”

Dahr announced as soon as he rolled out of bed to display a stunning backside that he hadn’t revealed to me before.

Just like the artwork within the tent, his entire back was covered in markings. From various symbols to flames, his long and sculpted muscles carried the weight of every emblem around him, like a badge of honour.

A full inferno started at his lower back and crept onto his ribs to display an entire firestorm, which climbed up to his neck, covering his shoulders and back area with a blaze of flames. And since his muscles were so taut and his back was so wide, the fire looked to come to life with every movement, as though to engulf more of the canvas his skin represented.

I had never seen such a thing; I had never witnessed an artwork that resembled the realness of flames in such a natural manner and the optical illusion on his back spread so wide that I even thought I would burn myself if I touched it.

That tattoo was unnervingly beautiful and, pressed under the shimmering skin of his tan, looked to be glowing with firelight.

When Dahr made the announcement and informed me of his decision, I lifted my head to not only acknowledge him, but to study his front and arms, overly curious if the fire had spread through them too. It seems it had not.

“I need to go to the toilet,”

I said instead of a greeting, the urgency I had been struggling against all night long demanding an immediate resolution.

“I will send Mira and Slatanya to aid you and will return when the food is ready,”

Dahr announced and moved away from me without sparing me a second glance.

Even if I had no desire to pee in a ceramic pot, I had so much urine accumulated within my body that I must have squatted for an entire minute until I felt relief again. Without having to ask, the two brunette women dressed in leather and fur ornaments brought me a small bowl of water, a bar of soap and a towel to wash my hands.

As soon as I was finished, they collected everything and moved out of the tent, leaving me once again on my own.

Mira and Slatanya, I noted their names into memory, taking enough time to settle their details and wondering which one was which.

I didn’t try to speak with them this time because I knew it was futile, and they faked not hearing me. From the fact that I had communicated with three members of their camp, and I perfectly understood the camp gossip I heard through the cracks of the tent, I knew there must have been a specific reason why they didn’t address me, so I didn’t push.

No one had a stand against tradition, so I doubted one female prisoner would make them change their minds. Instead, I settled myself on the furs by the bed for a second morning in a row and waited for breakfast. And for Dahr to return along with it.

This time, he didn’t come carrying a wooden plank filled with food alongside Markos like the day before. Two other men, dark skinned and with short dark hair, dressed in the same fashion of leather brought in various sets of plates, bowls and drinks and set them down on the furs by my side.

“These are Sylam and Grieg,”

Dahr arrived in the tent behind them and followed as they continued to arrange delicacies around me. He stood there and waited for them to finish and once they did, he politely thanked them and crouched on the furs close to me, at the other end of the food.

“We’re having breakfast together,”

I repeated his earlier announcement and took the opportunity to change my posture into a more comfortable one, that allowed me to reach the plates.

“There is a conversation we need to have,”

Dahr announced, just as I reached to grab a slice of bread that had been fried in butter and herbs.

A heavy weight bombarded my stomach, stopping all hunger and desire to enjoy the rich food.

This was it.

This was the moment that would start my interrogation.

He’d allowed me to feel at ease, he offered me comfort and food, shelter and basic commodities to gain my trust. And now he would snatch it all away and make me pay for every single breath of air I had inhaled in his camp.

I had been a fool to let myself think he actually cared that underneath that warrior cast, there was a soft heart covered by the ruthlessness he had to display.

I felt stupid. So, so stupid.

“Very well,”

I said and dropped the bread back on the plate.

“Let us have a conversation then.”

Dahr’s brows furrowed for a moment, probably noticing my change in attitude but he did not comment on it. When I saw that his mouth opened to speak, however, I lost all composure and let my own mouth run without having much control over what came next.

“I am not going to help you, so you might as well forget about that. Let us be clear here, Dahr.”

I shifted and leaned a bit over the food in what I assumed would be a threatening posture.

“There is nothing that you can give me, nothing that you can do, absolutely no universe of this rationale where I don’t see you as my enemy. There is no substantial matter in this world in which there is a reality for us to be anything but enemies. And for me to hate your guts until the end of my life. Be it sudden or lengthy,”

I immediately said.

“I will hate you forever. And I will do anything in my power to stand against you and all that you represent. Just like I have already sworn to you. There is nothing that would dissuade my determination, so don’t even try it.”

There.

It was all said.

Now he knew.

Proud of myself and fighting to settle an adrenaline spike, I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned away from him, my back finding the carved bed frame I had spent my last two days tied to and leaned against it.

Dahr’s adamant eyes remained pinned on me through it all, his features trained to not make a single movement that would give away his feelings or thoughts. If this man was even capable of possessing such a thing.

Observing that he wasn’t planning to provide me a harsh reply, I made a point to settle comfortably against the wooden frame and rested my entire body, since it looked like I wouldn’t need to put any more effort into this conversation.

Long seconds dripped in between our gazes, and I even thought that he would stand up and leave at some point. That dark focus dragged along my body, scanning me with intent to the extent where I could practically feel him on my skin.

“I never said I was your enemy, March,”

he finally replied, his voice slicing through the silence like the sun does through ice.

I scoffed at the sentence, expecting anything but this.

“First of all, it’s Milenora. Nora for short. I have told you that more times than I care to count. Secondly, what do you expect us to be when you keep me tied up and take me away from my home and everything I know? What did you expect us to be?”

I snapped, tired of this back and forth. I wanted to get a reaction out of him, for better or for worse.

I wanted him to finally reveal the information I needed, to tell me exactly why I was here and what he needed from me.

Dahr pressed his lips together once again to maintain that cool composure and hide whatever thoughts or words wanted to escape, irritating my reaction even more.

“I hate you,”

I spat and moved to stand again, frustration making me forget that I was tied up to the bed.

What did this man want from me? What did he expect me to do? Be happy that I was barely living, that he was giving me the bare necessities, such as food and shelter? When he took away an entire world I was living in? That was a poor exchange in my book and not one that I would just sit and take.

Of course, my motion was halted by the leather string that kept my wrist trapped and pulled me back, forcing me to fall, this time on my knees. Yet, before I had a chance to recover myself from the motion and the pull, the man leaned over the food and into me to close the distance between us.

Inches separated my skin from his, my sharp breaths landing on his bare chest and his hair tickling my arms as he leaned even further, to where the leather binding was caught onto the bed. His hand touched the strap and, just like he did with the metal shackle, it broke the binding in two. Letting my arm fall free for a second time in a row.

He performed the gesture without paying attention to my reaction and moved back with the same stillness, to crouch on the fur-made carpeted floor.

“If it is your wish to be untied then so be it,”

he spoke slowly, as though unsure of the action he had just performed.

Not knowing how to react, I maintained my calm, lest there be a sudden change of heart and kept my mouth shut, because in truth, I did not know what to say or how to react.

Was he truly releasing me?

As if woken up from a trance, the man stood to his full height to tower over me and for a short while, I forgot that I could do the same, since I was no longer bound. When I pushed my weight into my heels and stood to my full height however, I was humbled.

This man was at least a full foot and a half taller than me, and I wasn’t even the shortest woman in my town. He was absolutely massive, and I couldn't believe I hadn’t realised it sooner.

Sure, I’d always been restricted to sitting, squatting or lying down in his presence, but I must have severely underestimated his stature from just looking at him, because right now, when I was standing by his side, I felt like a human pygmy.

“Please, follow me,”

he invited and turned towards the direction of the exit.

Not losing a moment to trail his steps, I moved to follow him, and when the tent flaps opened and I could finally see the light of the sun, I almost wanted to cry. It took my eyes a bit to adjust to the harsh rays of the morning and discover all the details, the noise and the commotion happening around.

I had, of course, imagined what camp life must have looked like, but not in my wildest dreams had I understood the size of where I was. Where I had been taken to.

There must have been hundreds of smaller tents camped around the large one we had just left, bonfires burning, and thousands of people spread out on a surface of over two square miles. At least.

I didn’t even know this space existed, let alone that it held such capacities and provided for such a large gathering. Camp. Army.

They truly were an army.

An army heading towards the North, towards my town.

We wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Sylam will be your companion for today,”

Dahr summoned one of the men who had carried breakfast for me with a flick of his hand.

“Grannicus,”

the man stopped in front of Dahr and lifted his fingers to touch his forehead as he bowed slowly towards my captor, until he formed a perfect ninety-degree angle. I remained surprised at the reverent gesture, but did not comment on it, too preoccupied with taking as many details in as I possibly could.

“I don’t need company,”

I immediately said, careful not to offend the man and make another enemy as well as the one I had just self-proclaimed minutes before, but also strong enough to make my point.

“You are a prisoner, March. As you pointed out. You don’t expect to be let out by yourself into the enemy camp, do you?”

Dahr twisted his torso to turn towards me, giving me a full view of his sculpted abs that made my chest heave.

“Nora,”

I pressed again, sick of this game.

“It’s either this or back to the rope,”

Dahr turned fully to me this time, disregarding the man that was still waiting for orders, should Dahr suddenly change his mind. I pursed my lips, unwilling to give him a response, and he took my gesture as confirmation.

“Take her to Karisha, she’ll know what to do,”

Dahr addressed the man again.

“If there are any difficulties?”

Sylam asked, shifting a threatening gaze towards me.

“If she tries anything,”

Dahr raised his voice to be heard by all those around us, who instantly quieted in his presence.

“she is to lose a finger for every misstep,”

he replied with a snarl, his threat earning nods and comments of admiration by the spectators. With a lower tone, he focused his full attention on me.

“Is that understood?”

“What do you mean a finger for every misstep?”

I immediately jumped to protest.

“I am a sculptor! I need my fingers!!!”

I shouted at him. I heard everyone around me gasp, and even spotted a few of them cover their mouths in shock as though I had committed some sort of sacrilege.

“Then you better make sure you keep all ten by the end of the day, March,”

Dahr growled at me displaying perfectly white teeth, obviously sick of my presence.

I opened my mouth to reply but he didn’t wait for my answer as he started walking towards a group of men who were waiting for him, all of them tall and strong-built warriors.

I didn’t expect him to just leave, especially not after the threat on my life he’d just pulled in front of the entire camp, but I also did not want him back.

For whatever reason, he’d been persuaded to offer me at least a little bit of freedom, and I wasn’t going to squander this chance away. Especially as I didn’t know if a second one would be coming soon.

I awkwardly looked at the man who was ordered to be my guard and took him in. He was wearing the same sort of leather vest laced at the side as I had seen Dahr do many times and leather pants, with a belt to hold two knives on each side. He only had to move his wrist enough to be armed in a split second, and observing how annoyed the man was, I didn't have to think too hard to know that he wouldn’t have a problem hurting me.

Shivers ran down my spine and the urgent need to make myself scarce overtook my legs, making my toes twist inside the shoes I had been constantly wearing for what I estimated was a week.

I wouldn’t get far, that much I knew.

Was it worth even trying?

I didn’t presume to know what my future held, but something told me that my skills wouldn't be as useful, at least not in this camp. Was it worth risking an escape to try to get to a better life, or risk the chance of being caught and forfeit the very thought of freedom?

“Hi,”

a female voice that sounded familiar addressed me and I looked over to see Karisha appear by my side.

She was an absolute vision. Today, she wore a blue lace dress that caressed her form so tauntingly, even my mouth dropped. I couldn’t imagine what the men in this camp thought when they saw her.

Karisha’s golden hair was braided to the side to make room for an impressive set of sapphire earrings, a perfect combination for the colour of her dress and the shine in her eyes. She looked like a princess in a sea of mud, and she shone even the brighter for it.

“Hello,”

I replied, unable to contain a smile at the sight of her.

“I heard Dahr’s voice and came to investigate,”

she explained.

“I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Her surprise at the sight of me was genuine, which told me that prisoners being given free roam around the camp was not the norm.

“I am under guard and threat, so I wouldn’t call my situation the greatest,”

I confessed and took a step towards her while watching my assigned guard in the corner of my eye. My guess was correct, and as soon as I took one step away from him, he mirrored my movement and closed the distance in between us once again.

So, this man was going to trail me for the rest of the day, I sighed to myself.

Not unless…

“What are your plans for the day?”

I asked Karisha, curious and hoping that I would receive an invitation to join her.

“I was planning to come pay you a visit and offer to update your wardrobe,”

the gorgeous woman said carefully, as her eyes scanned my clothing slowly.

I didn’t have to think too hard to know how I must have looked compared to her stunning gown and presence. I was dirty, I stank and hadn’t washed in a week. My clothes were sticking to my skin, and I didn’t even want to imagine what taking off my shoes would do to the air around me.

“That would be much appreciated,”

I dipped my chin in gratitude and followed the direction of her hand as it slid towards another tent in invitation.

I half expected the guard, Sylam, to join us, but fortunately, he stopped at the entrance of the tent, the silhouette of his shadow visible from the other side of the fabric. Thank the lord, because the last thing I needed was to be spied on while I hopefully got a new change of clothes.

“Thank you for inviting me to your tent,”

I hurried to tell Karisha, not wanting to appear ungrateful, but when my eyes scanned the interior, my words halted. “It is…”

I stopped, unwilling to let my first impression come out.

She must have understood my reaction and luckily, took the observation upon herself, brushing my unsaid commentary off.

“Much smaller than what you were hoping for?”

the woman said, without a dash of scorn in her voice.

“I apologise, I didn’t mean—”

“Please, do not trouble yourself. We can’t all be Grannicus, can we?”

she smiled and moved towards the side of the tent, where a small block of wooden shelves overflowed with fabrics. As she opened one of the drawers at the bottom in search of something, I took the opportunity to look around.

The tent she resided in was probably one quarter in size compared to Dahr’s. There was no decor, artwork or even a sculpture and there was barely room for a small bed, a table with four chairs and that corner which I assumed consisted of her wardrobe.

Just like I had seen in Dahr’s tent, there was also some sort of flap that contained weaponry to the side of the tent, right near the exit, which could be concealed at will.

“I didn’t think you would carry weapons,”

I confessed, looking at the multitude of swords, knives and even a few axes that were hung into the fabric like a wall of fame.

“My mate,”

she smiled slowly as she stood and walked back to me, holding a few fabrics. I had hoped that she would share her fashion with me, but alas, the wardrobe she had in mind was made to accommodate the drake fashion and not the human one she was wearing.

“Of course,”

I said to both of my realisations. The fact that I had forgotten that I had already met her mate and that I was slightly disappointed in her choice of clothing for me.

Karisa pressed her lips together in a slight apology as she handed me two pieces of fabric.

“Everyone dresses like this,”

she pointed out.

“I am only allowed to stand out because I am the tribe lady. I need to be easily spotted.”

I wanted to ask her about her status, but she felt the need to give me more explanation.

“Grannicus didn’t like it at first, but luckily, Markos is his second cousin so I only needed a night with my mate to make sure my wish was granted, if you know what I mean,”

she giggled playfully, and I couldn’t help but smile back.

My cheeks burnt as I did so, the dirty thoughts I had when I last saw my captor made me want to bury my head in the sand and never come out for air.

“I gave that up a long time ago,”

I said instead and thanked her for the clothes.

Karisha looked at me in surprise but seeing how I didn’t offer any other explanation, she was happy to open a changing panel for me and had a few buckets of water brought in along with soap, where I could wash my hair.

She did ask if I needed any assistance, but the last thing I wanted was someone to witness my stench, so I politely refused.

“I am unable to leave, so I will just be here by the bed,”

the woman replied as her steps sounded slightly further away.

“That’s fine, I don’t plan on running anyway,”

I offered her peace of mind as I unpeeled my dirty clothes and folded them tightly together to hide the smell. I would have much preferred a bubble bath or a hot running shower, but this was better than nothing. The water must have sat in the sun for a while because it was body-temperature and the soap, although clunky, did wonders for my dirty and smelly skin.

I decided to wash my hair first and used a full bucket for washing and another one for rinsing, since my curls were running wild. There was no setting gel or even conditioner, and I doubted I would be able to control my savage curls, so I used as much soap as I could to at least make sure my scalp was squeaky clean. And then I rinsed my hair until I couldn’t feel any tangles or remains of soap, starting to feel like a person again.

“It’s not usual for Dahr’s prisoners to be out at all, so there is no procedure on how to do this,”

Karisha filled the silence I had let grow in between us.

“How many does he have?”

I posed the question to hide my real one. Why does he have them?

“Uh…”

Karisha stopped for a moment, if to formulate a lie or because she realised she let out something she shouldn’t have slip, I wasn’t sure.

“I’m not sure I am the right person to ask about this. As tribe lady, I have many responsibilities on a daily basis, so it’s hard for me to keep track.”

She didn’t seem like a forgetful woman, and I was convinced she was more than capable of handling responsibility, but I knew this pathway was shut, so I walked one that she opened for me while I soaped my legs behind the dressing panel.

“What kind of things do you have to do?”

I asked instead and listened while she told me about how she was in charge of camp purchases and part of the finances, dividing resources and organising tasks for the other females at the camp while the males trained.

Basically, she was the financial adviser and human resource planner, thus, someone more than capable of knowing how many prisoners Dahr had.

“Do you run the camp alongside Dahr, then?”

I had seen the two together a few times and Dahr had brought her in that second night to ask for an explanation.

“Oh no,”

she giggled.

“Grannicus is the camp leader, but he does not concern himself with actually leading. He has my mate for that,”

Karisha explained then added with pride.

“He is tribe lord.”

“Tribe lord and lady then…”

I noted more to myself but said it out loud. I reached for the two towels she had provided and wrapped my hair in one to dry my curls and dried my body with the other, then wrapped it to cover the important parts before I came out.

“That felt amazing,”

I said with gratitude when I pushed the panel away. I was starting to feel like myself again, were it not for the fact that I had to dress in leather.

The first thing I noticed when I reached the bed, where she had laid my new wardrobe out for me, was that there was no underwear.

“Only these two?”

I asked instead, wanting to make sure that she didn’t forget anything.

“This is called a krasta,”

she pointed towards the leather vest.

“and the skirt is a srysha. Men wear rakis.”

“Right…”

I replied, grabbing the vest that looked a lot tinier than I imagined it would.

“Think of it like a sleeveless bolero that ties in the front, it’s like an incorporated bra,”

Karisha explained but must have seen the confusion on my face.

“Come, I’ll show you,”

she offered and pointed at me to remove my towel.

Reluctantly, I lowered the towel and tied it around my waist, letting my breasts out in the air, my pebbled nipples earning a grin from the woman.

“You have stunning breasts,”

she complimented me, making the blood in my entire body boil with bashfulness.

“Thank you,”

I replied, not knowing what else to say.

“So,”

fortunately she went to the point and grabbed the krasta to show me.

“You slide your hands through here and have these two straps. They go over your breasts and tie together to keep them in place,”

she instructed as she did just that, covering my breasts and tying the leather strap over them until they were comfortably nestled in my chest.

“Then, you hide the straps to the sides and let the fabric cover the rest,” Karisha explained as she finished dressing me.

The skirt itself didn’t present much of a problem. It had various straps that tied around my waist and my thighs and stopped at a comfortable mid-thigh length that allowed both movement and protection. It felt like wearing an oversized pair of boxers, so I didn’t complain too much once I was dressed.

Karisha did offer to provide some binding for my hair, which I gladly accepted and tied it up in a bun, giving my neck and shoulders some space to breathe for once.

Food was delivered as soon as I finished dressing and after we ate and Karisha took the opportunity to tell me all about her mating ceremony and how Markos had gifted her three full chests of gold and rubies, she invited me to see the camp, an opportunity I gladly took.

Sylam still waited for us by the time we got out into the shining sun, just after lunch, and started walking around the camp, with Karisha stopping and greeting everyone, asking questions about their day or receiving requests that she noted in a small book she carried in her bag.

The man kept a few paces behind us and never entered the conversation as Karisha and I walked around the camp, meeting people. One thing I noted after the first few minutes was that I was never introduced. Even more, no one paid me any attention, everyone was too preoccupied with their daily tasks or their tribe lady’s presence, so I spent the majority of the afternoon observing, taking in details and trying to memorise escape routes.

There were hundreds of guards around the camp, placed at every opening, every crossroads and every weapons station I had seen, so I quickly understood that without proper training, even if I could blend in, I had absolutely no chance at keeping my fingers were I to attempt something.

“Are we going to visit the training area as well?”

I asked Karisha, hoping that it would lead us to another part of the camp I had not seen yet, or at the very least, the journey there would present a better opportunity.

“No,”

the woman replied to me in a slightly insulted tone.

“Women are not allowed in the training camp. We are a distraction,”

she admonished me for even suggesting such a thing and I found myself apologising, unsure exactly what for.

I liked Karisha and I did not want to ruin the bond we had created, so I kept things light after that and asked questions about food preparation, purchasing and transport, keeping my hidden agenda to myself and absorbing any information that might prove useful in the future.

The leather slippers I had been provided with knocked against the rocky terrain with every step, making my feet hurt, so after a few hours, I was starting to dread this breath of freedom, which I had started to choke on. Karisha didn’t have that problem, although she too wore the same design as everyone else, but, when I took a while longer to gaze at her steps, I spotted a thick sole that protected her feet, same as all the other women in the camp seemed to have.

I even looked back at Sylam, who continued to trail us through the camp to observe that he too, wore the same protectiveness.

Were my shoes designed to prevent my escape? And if so, how many other things were they keeping hidden from me?

The day started to taste sour in my mouth and just when I wanted to ask the tribe lady if we were going back at some point soon, commotion pointed my attention towards the southern side, where the noisy arrival of bloodied men caught everyone’s attention.

A round of applause followed their arrival, the women and other camp guards receiving them as if they were warriors returning victorious from the battlefield.

Karisha, by my side, released a cheery sound and started to run towards the men. Towards one, especially, I soon realised as I spotted the only man that wore a blue tunic among the bare-chested bodies. Her mate, Markos.

I looked around in wonder, unsure of why this was such a celebration and to my surprise, Sylam, who hadn’t said a single word to me all day, was the one to clarify my misunderstanding.

“Many perish in the training camp. Surviving another day is always a celebration.”

Nodding in thanks, I watched in wonder how bloodied men returned from the training day. Some had deep cuts on their bodies, some covered limbs with tourniquets and others carried mountains of weapons. Each walked with pride and dignity. Among them all, however, there was one that stood taller.

Stronger.

Undefeated.

I didn’t think Dahr would recognise me, let alone walk to me in the sea of people, all of them bowing at the waist in his presence, as though he was a god amongst men. I even wanted to say hi to him, but his ruthless expression stopped me.

“Take her home,”

Dahr pinned his sharp gaze on me, annoyed by my presence for whatever reason. He moved his attention just slightly to ensure that Sylam knew this order was addressed to him, before he returned his attention to me. As he did so, the entire camp stopped breathing at his words.

“Now.”