by Auryn Hadley
"Hey," he whispered, lowering her onto a soft mattress. "Stay and chase away the nightmares?"
She sat up, shifting higher in the bed. "Tristan..."
He chuckled. "Not like that. Us poor folk pack all the kids in bed together. I had a brother and a sister. I never really learned to sleep alone. I'm not going to cross that line with you, Ley. I promise. I think we both know it'd get us killed."
She looked up at him in the darkness, seeing only honesty. "Best friends?"
He nodded, dim light glinting off his smile. "Forever, little Wolf. Just partners."
She pulled off her belt, tossing it to the floor. "Your bed is softer."
"Oh yeah." He slid beside her, then pulled her against his chest. "You're a good little left hand."
Unable to stop it, exhaustion making her foolish, Leyli giggled. "Is that the hand you..." She giggled again, unable to finish.
He tried to hold it in, but the laugh rumbled in his chest. "No. I'm right handed."
"Is that how that works?"
Tristan rumpled her hair. "Oh, pup, your brother forgot to teach you a few things. Don't worry, I'll fix that."
Shaking her head, she shifted, finding that she fit beside him perfectly. "Ok. I'll hold you to it." Then she yawned. "Tell Gust to leave me alone."
"Yeah. I'll tell all of them. He's not the only one that's asked, just the most frequent."
"Thank you." She pressed her cheek against his chest. "Tristan, getting pregnant would get me killed."
"They'll think there's something between us." He smoothed back her hair.
She shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I have no virtue left to protect. At least they won't try to pick a fight with you."
"Yeah." He took a deep breath. "It would make things easier. I'll stop denying it."
"Thank you."
He pressed his head against her hair. "Thank you, pup. Now go to sleep."
It didn't take any more encouragement. Even knowing that sharing a bed with a man was taboo didn't hold back exhaustion. Leyli relaxed in Tristan's arms, feeling safe and comfortable for the first time since she'd left the palace. Her honor was long gone. Having been alone with so many men for so long, no one would believe she was still a virgin, so none of it mattered.
She was learning what she had to. She was becoming a warrior. No, a gladiator. Luck had favored her with the best mentor in the games, and Leyli wouldn't let her pride stand in her way. She would learn to survive. She would learn to get revenge. She would also learn how to be strong. Being able to win wasn't enough. She had to learn to bend enough to accept what she couldn't control.
That's what made her father such a good king. He didn't need the rules and law to tell him what to do. He knew what was right, and was brave enough to take the risk. Tristan was the same. He let her in, knowing it could cost him everything, aware that it was the only way to survive what came next. And they would survive. Together, they would become unstoppable. Leyli would learn. She would get better. She may never be great, but she would make sure that at least the Lion lived long enough to get his revenge. It's what she thought a friend would do, and he was so much more than just a common friend. He was her partner. Her gladiator.
If she was lucky, maybe he'd be willing to help her after their hell was over. Maybe he'd be the weapon she needed to make the Domn pay. Maybe, just maybe, with the Lion of Lenlochlien beside her, Leyli could make all of this be worth more than just misery.
That night she dreamed of freedom – not her own, but his. He looked over lush meadows with his arms around a girl. She could only assume it was his miller's daughter. Children played around them. Horses grazed in the distance. On his chest was the badge of a captain in the King's Guard. It was the highest a gladiator could ever get. To be an officer serving the King was something even nobleborn boys dreamed of. For a common man to achieve that would be a dream come true, but Tristan deserved it.
Her first thought when she woke the next morning, was that she had the power to make it all real – if she could stay alive long enough. She owed it to him for making her a warrior. It was the least she could do. She had to get good enough to live, so Tristan could be happy.
Chapter 12
Leyli waited, chained to her partner's arm, for the next lesson. The sun poured down on their heads, the sand beneath their feet getting warm as spring staked its claim. Across the arena, two men discussed how best to take on the Lion and the Wolf. Leyli swung her shield at her side, letting her arm relax while she still could. Tristan rubbed her other shoulder with his bound hand, and all the trainees noticed.
"I want you to focus on the defense," he said softly. "If one of those swords hits me, I'm going to take it out of your hide."
She glanced up at him. "Oh, really?"
He held up a single finger. "I will tickle you until you piss yourself in front of all of them."
Leyli tossed her hands up in surrender. "I'll block! Damn, you don't even play fair."
"It's why I win."
She grinned. "Point made."
Their practice opponents were finally ready. Tied together with a rope, they moved awkwardly. Tristan and Leyli were connected with a real chain. They needed to get used to the weight of it, and the way it swung and tangled around them. In the distance, Merino sat in the shade, watching.
"Go!" yelled a man at the side.
Leyli went. Surging forward, Tristan kept himself just behind her, giving her the room to work. She slammed her shield into the closest man, then struck at his partner's head. When he swung, she reached up, blocking the blow. The other man swiped at Tristan, and she cracked him across the face for the arrogance. The smack of wood, the slap of flesh, and the grunt of men in training filled the air.
"Focus!" Tristan yelled at her.
Leyli didn't bother responding, just moved, flowing with him. She blocked another shot while Tristan made a few of his own. Over and over it went, until the men realized their own weakness. Finally working together, possibly by sheer chance, they both attacked. Leyli could only block one. She took a thump in the ribs but kept the wood from connecting with her partner's face. A yelp burst from her lips, and she swung in retaliation.
Wood connected with the man across from her, blood proving the hit was solid. When she tensed for another swing, the chain jerked her back. "Hold!" Tristan yelled. "Damn it, pup, curb your temper!"
She grabbed at the bruise, folding over her arm as she knelt. "Sorry, sir."
"You ok?" he asked, bending to check her injury.
She nodded. "Don't think it's broken, just bruised."
"Can you breathe?"
She shot him an evil glare. "No, I speak out my ass."
He slapped her shoulder. "So, can you breathe?" Then he grinned, looking at the men across from them. "Gust, you sound?"
"Just a split lip." He pushed at it, proving the point.
"Good. Then we do it again. This time, my pup won't go rabid."
They did, then they did it one more time. When that was done, they swapped sides. Tristan insisted that she learn to use the sword as well as the shield. She'd gotten better, but she still wasn't a match for him. She might be good enough to save their lives if she ever lost her shield, but that was about it. In just nine days, she'd mastered the basics, but she still had a lot left to learn.
After that, they broke for lunch. Leyli made no attempts to eat like a lady. Her body needed fuel to build muscles, and the compound provided it. The meat was cheap but plentiful. The sides were simple but nutritious. When she claimed her place at the table, her plate was heaping with food.
Just as she lowered herself into the chair, a hand closed on her rump, squeezing. The plate clattered as it hit the wood, and she turned before her mind engaged. Without a word, she lashed out, cracking the man across the jaw with her forearm.
"Stop!" Tristan yelled, his voice halting the man's reaction. "Damn it, Ley. If I've told you once." He set down his plate beside hers. "Then I've told you a thousand times. Use your
whole body. Like this." Then he repeated the attack, his arm crashing into the man hard enough to knock his head into the table. Tristan glared at him for a moment, then turned to Leyli. "Whole body. Pivot from the hips. Now try it."
The man groaned, but Leyli obeyed, hitting him harder than she had the first time. His head didn't quite hit the wood, but it was close. Tristan patted her shoulder, scooted her down, then claimed the space between them.
"I'm going to make this real clear," he told the entire room. "You treat my Wolf like the damned princess of Norihame, or I'll turn her lose on you."
Leyli felt shivers run down her spine. "Tristan," she hissed.
He shook his head. "Only person who puts hands on you is me. Merino bought me a present, not them. When they've lived through two hundred fights, then they can find their own bitch."
"Thank you." She turned her face to her meal, unsure if she could ignore his comparison.
"You're welcome. After we eat, I need to make sure you can throw a decent punch."
She nodded. "And kicks. I don't have the balance, yet."
"Can do."
He kept his word, but showed her how to wrap her hands, first. By the time they broke for dinner, Leyli was convinced that dying couldn't possibly hurt as much. Then they spent the evening dancing. Every day turned into a variation of the same, until, on the morning of the twelfth day, he declared her ready.
In the center of the sandy arena, Tristan tossed her a wood sword, but left the chain laying on the ground. With a devious smile, he walked toward her, gesturing to the men around them. Leyli realized this was going to be a new lesson.
"Eight at a time," he explained. "No rules except death blows. You live through two waves, pup, and you get the rest of the day off."
"And if I don't?"
He sucked at his teeth, looking her over. "You spend the rest of the day fighting like an amazon. Bare breasted."
The men cheered at that. She knew he'd just offered them a reward for beating her. She also didn't get a choice. Testing her weapon, she moved to stand at his back. She leaned just enough to touch him, finding her center, then lifted her weapon.
"Go!" yelled one of the men not fighting.
The trainees went. Roaring like savages, they rushed the pair, wooden blades coming from all directions. She blocked, she attacked, and she had to focus on where Tristan was. With her mind whirling, she didn't care if she damaged the men sparing with her, she just wanted to win. She had to live long enough to keep her shirt, and they all wanted her to lose it. She'd already given up most of her pride. This was her line. Cursing and fighting was one thing. Showing her body to strangers was more than she was willing to take.
The hits began to get harder as men fell. They swings became more wild, and she had to not only protect herself, but also Tristan's back. At least she didn't have to worry about her own. He had that covered.
Someone smacked her hand, making her knuckles burn. She ignored it, reaching up to parry a blow to Tristan's head. When another swiped at her ribs, she grabbed the fool's arm, stepping over to stay with her partner. She followed that with a kick, hitting someone hard enough to knock out his breath. Tristan shifted again, turning her to a new set of enemies. Thankfully, these weren't as fresh.
She barely felled the last of them when Tristan yelled, "Next!"
Eight more men rushed in. Eight more wooden swords flew at her face. Her body was tired, but her pride wouldn't give in. One man staggered back when she punched him in the throat. Her sword blocked a thrust, turning it aside, and she grabbed yet another man's arm, yanking him out of the way. Keeping time with Tristan's movements, she slapped at a leg, deflected another blade, and hit someone with her elbow, ignoring the sparks in her arm. She almost made it.
With only one man remaining, her arms were tired. He slashed, and she dropped, throwing up her sword to block Tristan. He felt it and spun, finishing off the threat. Automatically, she resumed her place, her eyes seeking the next attack, but they were all gone. Behind her, Tristan chuckled before slipping an arm around her waist.
"You think that last one counts? I mean, I had to kill him for you."
She groaned and leaned back against him. "I kept him from cutting your spine."
"Mm. I'd say we should ask them, but they just want to see your tits."
A slow clapping came from the side. Tristan pulled the sword from her hand and dropped it in the dirt with a heavy sigh. "Merino," he grumbled. "Holding a weapon could be considered a threat to our owner."
She looked over her shoulder at him, then nodded, showing she understood. So that was why he always dropped his gear as soon as the fight was done. It was his safety, preventing anyone from claiming he'd tried to attack them.
The pompous man strolled toward them. "I wasn't sure you could do it, but looks like the puppy has some teeth, after all."
"One or two," Tristan agreed, sounding annoyed. "She's still weak and has no experience solo."
"Yet you're giving her the day off?" Merino lifted his brow.
Tristan nodded. "So her muscles get a chance to heal. It will only make her stronger, and she's learned well enough."
"Good. You think she's skilled enough to make her own matches?"
Tristan looked at her, his eyes narrowing. "Not quite. I'd planned to work on that starting tomorrow."
Merino nodded, his face saying something, but Leyli wasn't sure what. "Should I find her suitable opponents? I'm sure she wouldn't mind earning a few extra victories."
Suddenly, things began to add up. Tristan always spoke politely to his owner, but his tone proved he was just going through the motions. Merino always taunted him, reminding the Lion of every possible weakness he had. She'd assumed it was simply that Tristan disliked the idea of being owned, but for the first time, she realized it was more than that. It was the look in Merino's eyes. The look that said he was speaking to a corpse.
She shifted, making the men look at her. "I think I have time, sir, and my attacks aren't good enough to live through a man half the Lion's size."
The team owner chuckled snidely. "It talks. So when do you think you'll be ready, Wolf?"
His attitude was grating. Where Tristan was seen as a threat, he treated her like a waste of air. Everything about him reminded her of her cousin. Palino had thought of Kale as being in the way. She swallowed, the pieces falling into place. It hadn't just been Kale. Her cousin had used the same tone with her that Merino used with Tristan: an obstacle to remove before it caused problems.
Pulling away from her partner, she squared her shoulders and tilted her head. Looking at her owner as she would a supplicant in court, she said, "Right about the time you fulfill all your contracts for tandem fights. Otherwise, you'd be risking your best asset for a paltry victory prize from a novice. The ranking I get chained to the Lion still counts for me. That means in the end, my death will earn you just as much with a lot less risk."
Her posture had an effect, but Merino refused to be cowed. "And you're willing to put off your own freedom for his? Is it a love match I've made?" The sneer was audible.
"No." She remained regal. "Neither of us is foolish enough to believe that. I'm just well aware that the prize isn't always won quickly. Sometimes it's the planning that matters. Don't be distracted by the cut glass, Merino. It's pretty, yet worthless. You've invested enough in me that you want to make sure at least the Lion pays it back."
Around the sand, the men all watched, aware that Leyli had taken control of the debate. Merino felt it too, but didn't know how to regain the upper hand. Beside her, Tristan said nothing, his eyes watching her every move. Leyli decided to give the man back his pride.
"It's basically what you've already been saying, isn't it?"
Merino's jaw clenched and released. "You're talking nearly four extra months on your sentence, little Wolf."
"No. I'm talking about four months where I get to learn how to win, master." The last word dripped with sarcasm. "The blow to my pride won't kill me
. The lack of knowledge and practice might. It would be a very costly mistake for both of us."
Merino took a deep breath, then looked at the Lion. "Does she turn her teeth on you as well?"
Tristan dared to smile. "Rarely. It's her tongue that's so concerning. Sometimes it soothes, but more often it cuts. The worst part is when she's right. Like a dog with a bone, the bitch remembers."
"Then teach her how to mind." Merino ducked his head, emphasizing the order. "Am I clear?"
"Perfectly," Tristan assured him. "Thank you, Merino, for the consideration."
"Don't make me regret it." Then he smiled at Leyli. "Enjoy your day off, whelp."
"Thank you, sir."
The group was silent until their owner was not only gone, but definitely not returning. Leyli busied herself with picking up the weapons scattered through the sand. When her hands were full, she moved to the rack.
Tristan sighed. "Don't fuck with him, Ley."
"He asked if I wanted to die young. I said no. That's it."
"That's not it, and you know it." With everyone watching, Tristan stepped into her face. "You piss him off and he arranges a fight you just can't win. You embarrass him and he thinks your cost might become an acceptable loss. Am I clear?"
"Perfectly." She stormed past for another load of weapons.
"Don't give me that shit. Just fucking say it."
"Really?" She turned to face him, standing straight. "Really, Tristan? You bitch because I speak the truth, then dare me to speak my mind? Are you that foolish?"
One man sucked in a breath, backing away from the brewing fight. Tristan ignored it. "Yes. I said don't piss off the man that owns you. I never told you to act like my wife."
"Fine." She dropped the swords before the rack and turned to face him. "What happens when you finish this? He loses everything, and you gain it. You become a liability to him. Are you so blind you can't see it?"
