“So?” she made herself say, quiet, through gritted teeth. “Are they still watching?”
Rathgarr drew in a long, purposeful-looking inhale, and then shook his head. “I ken they are gone now,” he replied, just as quiet, as he reached for the pack, and slung it up onto his shoulder. “I can no longer smell them.”
Geva jerked a curt nod, and then spun away, moving too quickly back toward the road. “And can we really trust your so-called sense of smell?” she asked tightly, over her shoulder. “Shouldn’t you have at least” — she felt her steps faltering, while a grim, belated comprehension flashed across her thoughts — “smelled them approaching, while we were…?”
Gods, she couldn’t even say it, the simmering fury and frustration surging higher into her throat — until something caught her arm, and drew her to a halt. Rathgarr’s… hand. Turning her around to face him, as if he wanted her to see his eyes.
“I did not smell them there,” he said, grimacing, “until we were well in the midst of it. And by then, it seemed a waste to stop. This was” — he paused, rubbed at his face — “this was a good showing, poppet, and I ken it helped me more than aught else so far, ach? It is all to my gain, if the Skai — and most of all Ulfarr — see me as an addled, lovestruck fool, and not as a true threat.”
Geva blinked at Rathgarr for a choked, frozen moment, while too many thoughts swarmed her head at once. He’d thought that was agood showing? That, with the suffocating tension, the lost match, the visceral malice from Ulfarr? And he thought what he’d done with her — all that warm, indulgent approval — had been the behaviour of anaddled, lovestruck fool?!
“So why,” Geva managed, desperately groping for the real questions, damn it, “would you present atruethreatfor them? When you’re only one orc, and you haven’t been home inyears? And you apparently can’t even beat Killik — who must behalfyour size, by the way — in combat?”
She couldn’t deny the petty-sounding mockery in her voice, but Rathgarr didn’t even argue it, just grimaced again, and gave an unfairly elegant shrug of his shoulder. “My blood-kin once stood in high esteem, amongst the Ash-Kai,” he said finally. “We once bore great wealth, and power, and gifts. And now that I seek to return…”
His voice trailed off there, but Geva was still staring at him, her heartbeat rising in her chest. “Now that you’re returning, you’re a threat to what?” she demanded. “Towho?
Rathgarr shrugged again, his gaze angling away, but he drew in a breath, let it out. “To the new captain of Orc Mountain, mayhap,” he said flatly. “Grimarr, of Clan Ash-Kai. A hard, ruthless, single-minded orc, from a long line of the same. And like his father before him, he bears no dissent, and no rivals for his place.”
Wait.Wait. Geva’s mouth had fallen open, her thoughts spinning, flailing between comprehension and disbelief.No rivals. So was Rathgarr truly saying that the orcs’ owncaptainmight actually see him as a rival? And this captain — Grimarr — had apparently sent Killik and Ulfarr out tospyon him, tosparwith him, to gauge the likelihood of him being a true threat? When Rathgarr had said — yes, he’dsaid— he didn’t expect any actual violence from the other orcs? Hadn’t he?
“I told you, there is naught for you to fear, woman,” Rathgarr’s stiff voice said, as if he’d too neatly followed Geva’s thoughts. “If they wished to maim or kill me, they would have done so many days past, ach? I have a strong plan in place, and I shall face their mistrust with ease. Grimarr and his attack dogs shallnotfind a threat in me, you ken?”
Geva couldn’t stop gaping at him, while yet more understanding flashed through her thoughts. Rathgarr had astrongplan. Which meant that little sparring match with Killik just now — the match he’d supposedly lost — hadthatbeen on purpose, too? More pretending? Part of theplan? And he hadn’t bothered to tell her,again?
“So if your own people don’t actually want you, or trust you,” Geva snapped, “then why thehelldid they ask you to come back, then? And why the hell did you agree to it, if you need to put on an act like this the entire time? If everything you show them is going to be alie? Includingme?!”
She could see her own rising frustration reflected in Rathgarr’s narrowing eyes, in the hard set of his mouth. “Ach, do not question me in this, woman,” he shot back. “I have already told you all this. Andyouagreed to help me!”
Geva blinked, and snapped her mouth open to reply — but Rathgarr lurched a sharp step closer, his huge body looming over her, his eyes cold and glittering on hers.
“But here it is again, poppet,” he hissed. “I shall show myselfsettledupon my visit home, with a sweet devoted mate by my side, and mayhap a sweet little brat soon on the way. I shall smile, and tease, and lose all my sparring-matches, and flaunt all the gold and goods I can carry. I shall be an obedient brother, a harmless Ash-Kai, and a boon to my kin. And thus” — his voice had deepened into a growl — “I shallneverlet the Skai or their foulusurpercaptain see what I truly think of them!”
Geva’s voice had entirely vanished in her throat, her eyes staring wide and blank up at Rathgarr’s face. This… wasn’t just pretending, then. This wasn’t just about making a good impression after a long absence. This was about politics. About enemies. Aboutpower.
And for what? Revenge? Conquest? That position ofCaptain of Orc Mountain?!
And before her, Rathgarr barked a harsh, sudden laugh, his eyes blazing on hers, his hand gripped tightly to his sword-hilt. Making another silent, but very real threat. Making it clear that he was a threat. Hewas.
“And neither shallyoubetray me, my prettypoppet,” he growled. “Until my ends are met, and my price is paid!”
And with that, he spun around and stalked away, his cloak whirling out black and furious behind him.
14
For a wild, panicked moment, Geva stared after Rathgarr, her heart lurching in her chest.
Of course there was more to all this than he’d let on. Of course he had ulterior motives.I have good cause to show myself settled. I could be well-served by a… deception.
And staring at his diminishing back, at that huge billowing cloak behind him, Geva felt an odd, distant whisper of… fear. Perhaps she should have been more afraid of him, all this time. Perhaps the Rathgarr she’d met that first day — the terrifying orc who’d so easily threatened to kill her, and gloried in the taste of her blood — perhaps that had been the real Rathgarr, after all. Not the one who’d wanted her to dress him just now, not the one who’d praised and petted her, not the one who’d brought her breakfast in bed this morning.
Because this Rathgarr was… powerful. He had enemies. He was playing a political game, and he’d wrapped Geva up in it, and he hadn’t even told her, he didn’t even care…
But suddenly his long strides halted, his head tilting toward the sky, his shoulders sagging beneath his cloak. And then he turned around, and… held out his hand. Toward her.
Geva blinked at him, swallowed as her eyes dropped to his hand, and then flicked back to his face. To where he again just looked… tired, his mouth thin, his brow creased, his hand still outstretched. Waiting for her. Asking her.
Wantingher.
