The barbarian turned to look at me, his expression open despite his intimidating size. “He used vardak fur to create the clothing. It is the lightest thing we had.”
“I… don’t know what that is,” I replied with a grimace. I gestured to the toddler, who was sucking on his thumb now, clinging to Finn with an unhappy expression on his face. Poor thing. “Can I feel it?”
Finn stepped closer, allowing me to touch the material of the clothing made for him. It was soft, I’d give it that, but if I had to guess, it was made from some kind of animal wool. In Eldara, it might have been light enough to not cause any issues, but in Al Nuzem with the heavy heat, it was too much, especially for a toddler unused to such an environment.
“I heard the Al Nuzem people used a different kind of material for their clothes. Have you tried that?” I asked curiously.
Finn sighed. “Kirn tried, but he says the material is too fragile. It tears whenever he tries to make anything with it. Theother clan clothes makers are having the same issue. No one knows how to work with such delicate material.”
Pursing my lips, I looked around for someone wearing the material. My father taught me how to work with delicate material. Silk was a pain sometimes. I got the feeling I could figure something out.
“We don’t have anything here, but…” Finn glanced at his bondmate. “Can you ask Kirn if he has any left so Arlen can see it?”
The large barbarian nodded but didn’t immediately move away. He eyed the toddler like he was considering taking him back, sighing when the toddler buried his face against Finn’s tunic. Finn’s mouth twisted in a vain attempt to hide a smile, shifting the toddler a little higher in his arms.
“I’ve been telling you since we met that you run warm. He’s already hot. He’s okay here. People usually like it when he joins the lessons.”
With a nod, the barbarian leaned in to press a kiss to the toddler’s hair before stealing a quick one from Finn and leaving. Finn looked pleased by the interaction, his cheeks a light shade of pink, and when he turned his attention back to me, he couldn’t stop smiling. “Sorry about that. Did you have a question to ask me? I noticed you waiting before.”
“Oh, um… No, not really. I was coming to apologize.”
His smile faded as confusion took its place. “Apologize for what?”
Rubbing the back of my neck, I admitted, “I missed a few days of lessons. I don’t have a good excuse for it, and I swear I wasn’t avoiding learning. I just–”
“Fell in love with a barbarian and got swept away by their charm?” he offered, cutting off my rambling. When my shoulders slumped, he laughed, blue eyes twinkling with amusement. “Believe me, I know exactly how you feel. I was thefirst male tribute. It only took a few days before Rath completely swept me off my feet. I’m sure it would’ve been sooner if we spoke the same language. I don’t think there’s a single bondmate in any clan that would judge you for stealing away somewhere with your barbarian if given the chance.”
He wasn’t the first to tell me that, and it soothed that anxious part of me that hadn’t yet let go of the fear of making a mistake and losing everything I’d found.
“Thank you. I’ve been traveling with the barbarians for a while, and everyone told me I’m safe, but I still struggle sometimes accepting that. After being hunted by people I’d grown up with, I’m having trouble accepting that I’m truly safe.”
His eyes flew wide, his mouth falling open in shock. “Hunted? Truly? That sounds terrifying!”
I nodded, making a face as I explained my harrowing escape and the town’s attempts to bring me back whether I liked it or not. Several times, I was certain I’d be dragged back to my home town and either killed or forced into servitude the rest of my life to make up for my actions. Only now that I was surrounded by the clans and slept in Tyos’s arms each night was I starting to feel truly safe.
“Well, you don’t have to worry about that here,” Finn said adamantly. “You don’t owe anyone anything. Not even working for the clan if you really don’t want to. Bondmates provide companionship. For some, that’s enough.”
I shook my head rapidly before he could even finish the sentence. “I think I’d go crazy if I sat around all day. I was a tailor in my old town. If I can, I’d like to help.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ARLEN
After making an outfit for Finn’s son using the material his bondmate gave me, I suddenly became very popular with the clans’ clothes makers. Cedric had to step in at one point and insist on me returning to my lessons because making clothes for every clan would take weeks, and I already lost time with Tyos as well as while explaining how to work with the material.
Tyos eventually insisted on giving me a break, both from my lessons and from tailoring. He stole me away, ignoring the protests of the clothes makers who’d waited for me after my lessons, and sat me on his horse’s back without a word of warning. I shot a worried look over my shoulder at the disgruntled clan members, I asked, “Won’t we get into trouble for ignoring duties?”
“They ask too much,” he grumbled. “You wished see Al Nuzem capital. We do this now.”
As much as I worried about the potential consequences—I did not want to do something to end up on Idrull’s bad side and earn trench duty—excitement filled my chest as Tyos climbedonto his horse behind me, wrapping his big arms around me. I saw the capital in the distance, heard rumors about how amazing it was, but I hadn’t yet had the time to visit. I was eager to see it for myself.
Tyos’s horse joined several others making the journey, most of which I wasn’t familiar with. These journeys to the capital were often a mixture of clans, not just members of the Velgraz Clan, so I wasn’t surprised to not know all of them. I was happy to see Dras, though, waving at him with a big smile on my face as we pulled up alongside him.
“Dras! I haven’t seen you in a while.”
He gave me a long look, making my face flush as I remembered why I hadn’t seen him. Any spare time I had, I spent it in our tent with Tyos wrapped around me. The man was determined to show me everything I’d missed during a lifetime of forced abstinence.
He smirked at my response, shaking his head. “I’m your escort. Idrull wanted to make sure Tyos brought you back and didn’t get distracted along the way.”