“What did I say?” I queried in our tongue.
Dras just shook his head, leading the way through the darkness toward where we’d left our stallions. We’d chosen to travel through the trees so the town would not see us approach and raise the alarms, leaving our stallions on the treeline so they didn't risk tripping over roots and hurting themselves. They were mostly hidden from the road, under a large tree to protect them from the weather.
Ghaevek waited alongside Dras’s mare, eyeing her like he always did. Dras preferred the mare over a stallion, becausehe liked soft things and she was sweeter than the others, but whenever we travelled together, Ghaevek made eyes at her. I felt bad for him. She gave him nothing and side stepped him whenever he got too close. She was not interested in his attentions. Much like Dras never gave his attention to any of the tributes, male or female, in the clan. He was particular, a trait he seemed to share with his horse.
“Ghaevek, leave her be,” I chided as we moved to join them. “We have another passenger this night. We need to get him to safety.”
Ghaevek gave me another huff, but didn’t argue against the extra weight, allowing me to place the small man on his back. I hopped up behind him, frowning at him when he squirmed and spoke too fast for me to catch the words. Perhaps Dras was right. I really should have paid better attention to my lessons.
“He is worried about getting you dirty,” Dras explained with a chuckle.
“Ah,” I nodded in understanding, ignoring the mud as I wrapped my arms around the man and pulled him against my chest. “It is fine. Rain clean us,” I told him, urging Ghaevek back toward where the rest of our group was camped for the night.
The ride wasn’t that long, though longer than before because we didn't want to frighten the man by running full speed. By the time we reached the camp, our new traveling companion was shivering, and all three of us were soaked. Our group had moved a short distance, closer to the treeline for protection against the weather, and a hide had been stretched across two leaning poles to protect the fire and those acting as sentry in the poor weather. It didn’t surprise me to find Einar on watch, his bondmate beside him. The rest must have moved to the empty wagons for protection from the weather, as all wagons were covered to better protect our charges.
“Brother,” I greeted, sliding off Gheavek’s back and helping down the smaller man. He nearly collapsed when I set him on his feet, so I scooped him up as I had before, moving him over to the fire to warm him up.
Matthew stared at the man long and hard for a moment before speaking barely above a whisper. “A-Arlen?”
The small man’s head whipped up, and when he locked eyes with Matthew, his eyes widened so much, I thought he might faint from shock. “Matthew? What are you doing here?”
Matthew gestured to Einar, his face a mask of discomfort, no doubt because he was not comfortable speaking. No one wished to force him. I spoke up in his stead, giving him a smile to show there was no judgment against his struggles.
“Matthew protects Simon and Briar. He strong.”
Matthew’s face flushed, but it was the truth. I didn’t know Matthew when he was a tribute, we were from different clans, but he was trained by Einar the Feral. I’d seen him training while we were in Al Nuzem’s capitol city for the wedding and signing of the alliance. He might not be an intimidating presence like Einar, but he knew how to fight and protect his people.
Einar grunted in agreement with my statement, putting a possessive arm around his bondmate. “You did not tell me that town was your birthplace.”
Matthew’s mouth twisted against a smile, his words shaky and quiet. “Y-You w-w-would have c-caused t-t-trouble if y-you kn-knew.”
From the look on Einar’s face, Matthew was right about that. It didn’t surprise me. Einar’s protective instincts rivaled my own. The difference was that I wished to protect everyone. His entire focus was on Matthew alone. Nothing and no one was more important to him than his bondmate.
The new arrival looked between Matthew and Einar with something akin to fascination, his own voice trembling when he asked, “Y-you truly found love after volunteering as tribute?”
Matthew turned back to the man, nodding slowly, then glanced at Einar, perhaps for a translation. Einar’s expression hardened, but he didn’t fight his bondmate’s need for help. “We bonded for Matthew’s protection. Our love came later,” he said gruffly, barely glancing in the man’s direction before giving his attention back to the land around us. Protecting his bondmate even while the rain poured steadily and only the truly insane, or determined, would travel in this weather.
“Oh… That’s nice. I’m happy for you,” the man replied uneasily. A shiver wracked his small frame suddenly, and he curled in on himself. I frowned at him.
“Take off clothes,” I insisted.
His head jerked up, and he looked horrified at the prospect. I knew this time I did not say my words incorrectly, so I glanced at Dras who was warming himself by the flames, speaking in our tongue instead. “His clothes are soaked and muddy. He needs to remove them, or he will freeze.”
He nodded in agreement, speaking to the man more clearly than I could manage. “He’s right. You are muddy and soaked. You need to remove the clothes. Tyos will fetch you a fur to keep you warm. Your clothes will dry overnight by the fire.”
The explanation didn’t seem to make him feel any better. He hugged his arms around his body, shaking his head rapidly, but his lips were turning blue, and every time a breeze swept across him, he trembled and curled in on himself again.
It was Matthew who convinced him to listen. He reached for the man, putting a hand on his shoulder, his voice unsteady but reassuring. “Y-You’re safe. Th-They are g-g-good p-people. Th-They w-won’t hurt y-you.”
The man searched Matthew’s eyes for a long moment before he nodded, standing on shaky legs. I stepped away to grab him the largest fur we had, returning as he stripped to only his small clothes, his body trembling from the cold. Dras took his soaked and muddied clothes, and I wrapped the fur around him, urging him to sit in front of the fire again. He likely needed rest, and I would move him to the wagon eventually, but it felt unsafe to do so while his lips were still blue.
“Are you hungry?” I asked as I stripped my own soaked clothing. I’d brought with me one spare, as most of us had. I would have offered it to the man to wear himself and dealt with my soaked clothes without complaint, but I was much bigger than he was, and I doubted the legwear would have stayed on properly.
The man didn’t answer, and when I turned to check on him, he was gaping at me. I seemed to invoke that reaction from him often. “Something is wrong?” I asked him.
He blinked rapidly, ducking his head. “No! Nothing!”
I shot a questioning look at Dras, who shrugged his ignorance, then at Matthew, who must not have noticed the reaction. His attention was on the smaller man, a frown pulling at his lips as he pointed at him. “Y-Y-You’re h-hurt.”