Kwin

by Trudie Collins

  “Why should you care about that?” Kwin asked. “After all, you do own them.”

  Luka didn’t care for his tone, and nor did Canis, who was under the table. The growl he made was threatening.

  Kwin’s tone was lighter when he said, “So I met Lord Trane. He’s a pleasant fellow isn’t he.” He failed to hide his sarcasm, if he had even bothered to try.

  “I would say he grows on you, but I would be lying.”

  “So is he the reason I am here?” he asked, then took another spoonful of his porridge.

  “One of the reasons, yes.”

  “So what are the ground rules?” Luka looked at him quizzically, not understanding what he meant. “What am I allowed to do to him next time he visits?”

  She was tempted to say ‘anything you like’, but didn’t. There would be reprisals and she didn’t want her household investigated. “Nothing that would cause permanent damage.”

  “No turning him into a goat then.”

  The comment took Luka by surprise. “Would you care to explain that?”

  “Just a suggestion I made to Drake.”

  “So what exactly did you do to Trane? I am aware that you used magic on him.”

  “Actually I didn’t. I threw a shield over Drake when Trane went to hit him. Or should I say slap him. He isn’t man enough to even hit someone properly.”

  Luka was happy to share her opinion of him. “He’s a creepy little worm with an over inflated ego who doesn’t take no for an answer.”

  “You’re lucky that you were in here when he arrived, rather than walking by the front door. If he had seen you, Drake wouldn’t have been able to pretend you weren’t here.”

  Luka said nothing. Luck had nothing to do with it. She had sensed Trane as soon as his carriage entered her estate and had warned Drake of his imminent arrival. Not that she was going to mention that to Kwin.

  Kwin changed the topic of conversation. “If I’m going to fit in here, I need to know you better.”

  Luka couldn’t argue with that and while she was prepared to tell him almost anything, he had yet to earn her trust enough to know everything about her and the household she ran.

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Drake said something that has me curious. He said Trane has been making advances toward you ever since you split from your betrothed. What caused the break-up?”

  Luka had not been expecting such a personal question so soon. “I’m not really sure that’s any of your business.”

  “I share a suite with you. If you are into performing blood rituals at night or sacrificing virgins, I think I have the right to know, so I can be prepared to defend myself.”

  Luka laughed. If Kwin had meant to put her at ease, he had succeeded.

  “No, you are perfectly safe in that regard. I do those out in the meadow behind the house.”

  “So what is the reason or do I have to keep making guesses until I get it right?”

  Luka had to admit, he was persistent. If she didn’t tell him, she had the distinct impression he would keep asking her. She had no idea why he wanted to know about her past love life, but she saw no harm in telling him.

  “I broke off my arrangement with Jona when he didn’t have the balls to say no to my mother when she invited him into her bed.”

  Kwin had just taken a sip of coffee and began to choke. “You’re joking,” he said when he was able to breathe again.

  Luka was amused by his reaction. “No, I’m perfectly serious. My mother thinks she is entitled to take anything she wants from anyone and took a liking to Jona. We were having dinner at her house one evening when she calmly announced that Jona would be sharing her bed later that evening. I told him he had to make a choice and he made the wrong one.”

  “I don’t get it. Why would he do it?”

  “My mother has a lot of political influence and even more money. Most people do not say no to her. I hoped he would be one of the few who did, but I was disappointed. Afterward he begged me not to end our agreement, but he had made me see him for the weak willed fool that he is. I couldn’t marry him after that. He was suitably punished for betraying me though.”

  “What happened to him?”

  “My mother married him.”

  Kwin stared at Luka as if he was trying to work out if she was lying or not. She hardly knew him, but could already read him.

  He shook his head, though whether in disbelief or amazement she wasn’t entirely sure. “I think I am going to enjoy getting to know you,” he said. “I’m beginning to understand why the rest of your slaves appear to respect you.”

  Luka tensed. She didn’t like people using that term when talking about her servants. Technically it wasn’t true, but not many people knew that. She no longer owned anyone who worked for her, other than Kwin, but it would be a long time before he found that out. Even the servants would keep it secret until he had earned everyone’s trust.

  Kwin appeared not to notice her reaction as he ate the last of his porridge. She waited until he had finished then asked him if he knew how to ride.

  “If you’re talking about horses, then yes.”

  “What else would I be talking about?”

  “Anything with four legs that is large enough to fit a saddle on is fair game in Tippet. Some zealous young men see it as a challenge to ride a...”

  Kwin paused, then instead of naming the animal, he described it, making Luka realise he didn’t know what it was called in her language. “Large creature, about twice the size of a horse, with a long neck and tusks.”

  Luka worked out which creature he was describing. “Oxkin,” she said. “Your people actually ride them?”

  Kwin grinned. “They try to. Personally, I have never been that stupid. Getting on is hard enough. Staying on is even harder and if you fall off, they like to use their tusks. It’s not a nice way to die.”

  “I was referring to horses,” Luka said. “I have a fair few and I like to take one out each morning for a run.”

  She instructed Kwin to go to the room her father’s things were in and select something suitable for riding. When he returned, she nodded her approval of what he had chosen. He had even managed to find some boots.

  By the time they arrived at the stables, two horses had been saddled and bridled, ready for them. Kwin went down on one knee and held his hands together, providing Luka with somewhere to put her foot so he could help her mount. She smiled at him then leaped into the saddle unaided.

  They rode in silence for a while. When Luka’s horse spotted a stream ahead, it increased its pace and jumped it, landing neatly on the other side. Kwin barely had time to prepare himself before his horse followed. He was swearing when he reached the far bank, which made Luka laugh.

  “Tell me,” she said when he had calmed down. “Why are you really in Wayvern? I can’t picture you being captured during a raid.”

  Kwin tensed and she wondered if he was going to answer her and, if he did, whether he would tell her the truth. She could force him to, but she had no intention of doing so.

  She waited while he looked at her, obviously deciding what to say. Eventually he spoke.

  “My betrothed was taken the day I was due to marry her. My friend and I crossed the border and intend to rescue her.”

  She noted that he used present tense. He had not resigned himself to being a slave for the rest of his life. She wasn’t surprised. “What happened to your friend?”

  “He was purchased a few days before I was.”

  “Do you know who by?”

  Again Kwin hesitated before confirming he did. “The lady’s name was Ofar Jade.”

  Luka tried to keep the smirk from her face but failed. She knew Ofar, she knew her well. “I bet he’s having fun then.”

  “He seems to be, most of the time.” Kwin froze the moment the words were out of his mouth. Luka said nothing, giving him the opportunity to explain the comment before asking him to.

  She waited, one eyebrow raised que
stioningly. Just when she thought Kwin wasn’t going to say anything, he sighed. “I linked our minds before we entered Wayvern. We can talk to each other, telepathically.”

  “I see,” she said. She understood what he was talking about. Her father had taught her to do it when she was still a child. “And what exactly have you told him?” She kept her tone soft. She was merely making an enquiry, not interrogating him.

  This time Kwin did not hesitate. “Everything. If we are to escape, we need to share our knowledge.”

  If Kwin had been expecting her to react to his statement, she disappointed him. Without saying a word, she dismounted and removed her horse’s bridle. “Go get a drink,” she said and the horse wandered over to the stream.

  Without waiting to be told, Kwin did the same.

  Luka walked over to a tree and sat down in the shade. She put her hand into her bag and withdrew a glass of water. “What would you like to drink?” she asked.

  Kwin was too busy staring to answer.

  “Magic bag,” she explained. “My father created it for me a long time ago.” She was lying; she had created it herself, but it was a lie that she told everyone, other than the few who knew she had magic. The fact that he was being so open and honest with her made her believe she would be able to trust him one day soon, but not quite yet.

  “How does it work?” Kwin asked.

  “It’s connected to a shelf in my pantry. It also goes a few hours into the future. I can put my hand in the bag and take whatever is on the shelf. I just have to make sure I put what I need on the shelf later.”

  The look Kwin was giving her suggested he didn’t believe her. Then he grinned. “Alright. I would like a cold tankard of ale.”

  He was testing her, but she didn’t mind. Koal had a barrel of ale he kept in the cool room and he wouldn’t mind putting a tankard in the pantry when they returned from their ride.

  She put her hand into the bag and picked the ale from the shelf. She couldn’t help grinning at the look on Kwin’s face as she handed it over.

  “How did you get your scar?” she asked as he drank the foaming liquid.

  “A fight with a raiding party. We were outnumbered, by a long way, but still managed to kill them all. Trust me, my opponent came off worse.”

  Luka shuddered. Being a soldier in Wayvern was a dangerous job and many died in Tippet.

  “Can I ask you a question?” Kwin said before taking another mouthful of ale. He continued when Luka nodded. “Why do your people take mine as slaves? Our history shows our two countries used to be on friendly terms until Wayvern closed its border to us.”

  “Plague,” Luka said. “And it wasn’t us who closed the border, at least not according to our history books.”

  Kwin made himself more comfortable on the ground then indicated that Luka should continue.

  “The plague spread fast. We asked Tippet for help, but instead of aiding us, they used magic to close the border and prevent anyone leaving Wayvern. By the time our magic users could counter it and open the border once more, over three quarters of our population were dead.”

  Kwin whistled. It was hard for anyone to imagine that much death.

  “With so few of us left,” Luka continued, “there were not enough people to run the country. It was decided that we should use slave labour to do the menial tasks and the raiding parties were formed.”

  “Why not just ask our people to move to Wayvern?”

  “After the way they reacted to our plight? I don’t think so. Besides, we wouldn’t have been able to afford to pay them.”

  “It sounds like revenge to me.”

  Luka smiled. “Maybe it was. It was a long time ago and we only have the written accounts to base our understandings on. Who knows the real reasons behind the decision to use slaves.”

  “In a way I can understand where you are coming from, but why take sex slaves?”

  Luka could not keep the disgust she felt from her face when she answered. “With so few people, we had to treat each other with respect. We couldn’t afford to force our sexual needs on our own race so an alternative had to be found. And some of my kind have some very perverse sexual needs. Also, we have discovered that our two races can’t breed so there’s no risk of unwanted pregnancy.”

  “I think it’s the same everywhere,” Kwin said. “You will always get those sort of people, the sort who enjoy inflicting pain on others or making them do things they don’t want to do.”

  “But you don’t have sex slaves where you are from.”

  “No, but attacks happen. We try to find and punish the culprits, but are not always successful.”

  Luka shivered, but not from cold. She wanted to change the subject. “Who is Hellan?” she asked. “You mentioned her name when you first saw Canis.”

  “His,” Kwin corrected. “Hellan is one of our gods, mated to the goddess Petra.”

  “We don’t believe in gods anymore,” Luka said quietly. “Not since they abandoned us to the plague.”

  Kwin looked like he wanted to say something, but remained silent.

  “If you have so few people,” he asked after a while, “why do they join your army? A lot of them die. Surely you want to preserve your population.”

  “Those in command decided that the gains are worth the losses. We have many volunteers to join the army, more than we need. There’s a waiting list of both men and women.”

  Kwin looked confused. “Why? People join the army in Tippet to defend their country, not to attack and enslave.”

  “After five years serving in the army here, they are released from service and given a slave to do with whatever they want.”

  Anger crossed Kwin’s face and Luka wondered what he was going to do. It took him a while, but eventually he got his feelings under control, though she could still detect them simmering inside him when he spoke.

  “Why do you call your slaves servants? You’re deluding yourself if you think a word can alter reality.”

  Luka couldn’t help smiling at him. There was a lot of things he needed to be told, and the answer to that question was one of them, but not yet.

  “Prove to me you can be trusted and I will answer you.”

  Before he could respond, Luka stood up and called her horse, who obediently walked over to her. The one Kwin had been riding was not far behind.

  “We should head home,” she said. “I have a lot of work to do.”

  They galloped back to the stables. Instead of trying to control his horse, Kwin relaxed the reins, allowing the animal to set the pace. The tactic worked and he arrived at their destination a little ahead of Luka. Canis was there waiting for them, sitting on his haunches, and frowned at Kwin as though he had done something wrong.

  “I suppose you think I should have let her win,” Kwin said, grinning down at the dog, who nodded. “Tough. It’s not in my nature.”

  “Nor in mine,” Luka said, having overheard the one-sided conversation. “I’m not a competitive person, usually, and I would rather lose than not win fairly.”

  “Luka,” Kwin said, smiling, “I think we are going to get on well.”

  “We’ll see,” she said. “We’ll see.”

  Chapter 12

  Shona was in a buoyant mood when she woke. She now knew the truth about Brend and Fillen’s relationship and she intended to use it to her advantage. The way Dani pined over Brend suggested that she didn’t know of his sexual preference, but Shona needed to find out.

  When Dani arrived with her breakfast, she decided she would question her. She waited patiently in bed until there was a knock at the door. She called out, “Enter,” and smoothed the covers over her legs, ready for the tray to be placed there.

  However, it was not Dani who entered, but Brend, and he did not look pleased to see her.

  “The master demands that you join him in the dining room for breakfast,” he said, his voice filled with hostility.

  “First we need to talk,” Shona said.

  “We have not
hing to discuss.”

  “Oh I think we do. I suggest you close the door,” she added, seeing that he had left it open.

  She had no idea what changed his mind, but Brend strode over to the door and closed it before leaning back against it, his arms folded. “So talk.”

  “I know about your relationship with the master.” She almost said ‘Fillen’ instead and stopped herself just in time.

  Brend went pale before saying, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Don’t worry,” Shona said. “Your secret is safe with me. At least it explains why I was purchased. Now I know the reason, I’ll be able to play my part better.”

  For the first time since she had set eyes on him, Brend looked unsure of himself.

  “You can trust me,” Shona said. She held up her arms, showing off her bracelets. “Why would I betray you when you can easily kill me?”

  She watched emotions play across Brend’s face. Anger gave way to concern, then relief. “Why are you telling me this?” he eventually asked.

  “Because of the way you reacted when the master protected me last night. You looked like you wanted to kill me. I now know it was just jealously, but it’s not my fault that we all have to maintain this charade, so please don’t take it out on me.”

  Brend sighed and let his arms drop to his side. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have treated you as I did.”

  Shona smiled at him. “I take it nobody else knows.”

  Brend shook his head. “We’ve managed to be discrete. How did you find out?”

  “You didn’t close the door properly last night when I came to speak with you.”

  Brend said nothing, though the tension that suddenly filled his body told her that it was a mistake he should not have made.

  “Can I ask you a question?” she continued. Brend nodded his head. “Why do you still call him master? Surely he has given you permission to call him by his name.”

  The beginnings of a smile tugged at Brend’s lips. “He has, but I can’t keep my emotions out of my voice whenever I speak his name, so we both agreed it was best if I call him master.”