When We Were Kings (The Wolf of Oberhame Book 1)

by Auryn Hadley

  The fighters knew something was up and began to gather. In the torch light, she saw nothing but men. Yet again, she would be the only woman. She just sighed and looked for her new owner to tell her where to go. She didn't get that lucky.

  A man walked toward her with a devious glint in his eye. Across his chest were scars proving that he'd done his time. The size of his arms said that he wouldn't go down easily. Leyli waited.

  When he got close enough, he grabbed her, his hands pulling her hips against him. "I think I got a new bitch."

  "Not your bitch," she warned.

  So he moved his hands higher. Just as they found the underside of her breasts, she swung. Using her entire body, Leyli hit his jaw with her right forearm. When he staggered, she caught his chin with her left fist, then hit it again with the right. Tristan had taught her to use both arms equally. She couldn't risk being weak on one side, and the faster she could swing, the more likely she was to live through it. Just as she reared back to kick, someone grabbed her.

  Out of habit, Leyli tensed to slam her head into him, but his words stopped her. "Don't. I'm a guard."

  She went limp. "Sorry, sir."

  With a chuckle, he set her down. "No fighting in the compound."

  "Then tell the boys I'm not going to fuck them. They don't grope me, I won't hit them."

  "You heard her. The Wolf is off limits. If she complains of rape, the offender will be castrated. Am I clear?"

  "Yes, sir!" the men called back.

  Then the guard grabbed her elbow. "Let me show you to your new home." He gestured to the barracks.

  The man didn't act afraid of her, but he kept one hand close to his sword. For a moment, she debated telling him that a properly trained fighter could take it from him easier once he pulled it out of its sheath, but decided against it. The man was being nothing but respectful, if guarded. If she had to guess, she would bet that most new gladiators weren't very easy to deal with. She decided to put on her best manners.

  "Thank you," she said, falling in at his side.

  He shrugged it away, but looked over at her. "Have we met before? You look very familiar."

  "I don't think so, but you've probably been to the games."

  "No." He laughed at himself. "I just work the compound. Don't really get out much. Just moved here a few months ago."

  Her skin tingled. It was the first hint of the fear that always gripped her before a fight. "From where?"

  "Oberhame."

  She nodded, trying to play it off, but now she could taste metal at the back of her tongue. That was adrenaline. "That's where I'm from."

  He paused, then turned to face her. "Gustavo. I've been assigned to the veteran's barracks."

  "Leyli. Guess that means I'm not with the regulars?"

  "No," he said, sounding distracted. "How'd you end up in the games?" His eyes narrowed.

  She stepped back. "What did you do in Oberhame?" Her voice wasn't as casual as she wished.

  "City watch. How did you end up here?"

  "My cousin needed money."

  His head twisted slightly. "What's your name?"

  "I told you!"

  He stepped closer, looking nearly frantic, and dropped his voice to a hiss. "I think there's a ten thousand crown reward for news of you. Why are you hiding?"

  "Who sits on the throne?" she countered.

  "Ilario Aravatti, but his son was murdered and his daughter kidnapped. They fear she's dead, but will pay for proof of even that. Rumor says they have no clue who did it, but the Prince and a maid were found dead in the Princess's rooms."

  She looked around them quickly, thankful that no one was close enough to eavesdrop. "If you want that money, try telling the Master of Horse that the Wolf of Oberhame is named Leyli, and she wore a pink dress. You'll either get paid or get laughed at."

  "It's a long ride. Mail would take a few weeks."

  She shrugged. "I don't care either way."

  "Princess," he hissed.

  She turned to him and shoved a finger in his face. "If you want to see a silver, you will never whisper that word in my presence, am I clear?"

  "It is you."

  Her jaw clenched. "There are enough people that want to kill me in the games, I don't need anyone else trying to help."

  Gustavo nodded, his skin blanching before her eyes. "I think my mother's taken ill. I need to make an emergency trip back."

  "Tomorrow afternoon," she told him. "Do not tie it to my arrival. If I die, the Lion will hunt you down, and so will my father."

  "I understand. You have my loyalty, Wolf. The name is fitting."

  Chapter 25

  Leyli slept poorly that first night. The next day, she couldn't stop watching her back. Luckily, they all thought it was because she was a woman. No one seemed to guess it was her fear of someone trying to assassinate her. Then again, they shouldn't have a reason to think of her as more than another gladiator. When dinner time finally arrived, she was asked to head to Theodian's office.

  The door was open. Her new owner sat behind a desk filled with papers. He saw her and looked up, waving her in with a smile. "Please, Wolf. Close the door behind you."

  "Can I help you, sir?"

  He gestured at the papers. "According to you, yes. I want to see if you're full of shit."

  She stared at him, then let her eyes roam the pages. "Thought you were one of the higher quality team owners."

  "Mm. I know how to work with the games. I know how to make gladiators into winners." He looked up. "I also am why Merino is so scared of the Lion. I used to be known as Whirlwind, about ten years ago."

  Her mouth dropped open. "You're the only person to win free of the games? I knew he'd bought a team, but..."

  He nodded. "Didn't come with business instruction. Wolf, I want to find enough money to buy the Lion."

  "Why?" Her guard was instantly up.

  Theodian dropped his head into his hands. "Because I know what the last fight is. They chain one leg, give the gladiator nothing, and send dozens of men at him. To win free of the games, a man – or woman – must prove they can defy the odds. I got lucky. The first gladiator rushed in alone, and I managed to get my hands on a sword. Seven other men have failed." He looked up at her. "My own tandem partner was one. I understand that bond. You said you know business. Can you help?"

  She stepped closer, grabbing the first stack of papers. "I need a chair, paper, and a pen. Places to organize all this would be good, too."

  "Merchant's daughter?" he asked.

  She didn't bother to look up. "No."

  He chuckled, understanding that meant she wouldn't offer more. "Ok, how about a better name?"

  "Leyli. Are these sorted at all?"

  "Nope. I'm a fighter, not a businessman. Problem is that in order to feed the rest of the people here, I can't just keep you in the office."

  Her hands were making two stacks, money in and money out, but she was listening. "I'll take lunch and dinner in here. You have a table at the side that will do. I prefer wine if it's not cheap. Beer if it is. After my evening workout, I get access for the rest of the night."

  Theodian laughed and pushed away from the desk. "I see. Let me get you a meal, highness."

  "That would be great, thanks." She glanced up, grinned, then went back to the pages. "You wanted my help. I'm giving it, and we don't have much time. He's running two fights a week."

  "Can you do both? Leyli, I don't want to get you killed. I try to keep all of my fighters alive, because I know what it's like."

  She nodded, making a third stack for additional papers. "I can. I just want my best friend to live through this."

  Her owner left then, to get her meal like he'd promised. Leyli put her full attention into the task. She had to come up with at least fifty thousand, maybe more. What she found instead made her head spin.

  Among the invoices and receipts were lists of fights. Gladiators who had lived, those who had died, and the rankings of them all were in there. The even
t circuit was detailed and contracts for fights came from both owners and locations. With every page she saw, she understood how deeply this system was ingrained into her nation. Cities relied on the games to control their worst criminals. Entire towns needed the attraction to create work for the citizens. Her problem was that so much of it relied on people who fell on hard times.

  There had to be a better way. There had to be something to make this work without crippling her country's economy. With the documents before her, she could figure it out, and when her father found her, maybe Theodian would even be willing to help make changes.

  He returned with two plates and an amphora of wine. "It's my own stuff. You let me know if it's cheap," he said, pouring a glass.

  She took a sip, paused, then shrugged. "It'll do. Sanlien grows better fruit, but Amylad is easier to come by."

  He huffed a laugh. "Ok. So now I feel bad giving you chicken for dinner."

  "I like chicken."

  "Leyli," Theodian said gently, his voice trailing off.

  She lifted her head and took a deep breath. "I showed up in the arena wearing pink chiffon. My nightdress was better than what these people wear to weddings. No, I won't tell you my former title. Yes, I had one. No, I don't give a shit if you like it, and yes, I really can fight without the Lion at my side."

  "Eat," he said, grabbing the papers from her hand. "Talk, even if your mouth is full."

  She obeyed, biting off a hunk of the bird. "You're bleeding money because you aren't organized. In two weeks I could get the funds; I'm pretty sure. You need to be sure what he's asking."

  "Fifty is the first thing he's shown an interest in. That's fifty thousand."

  "Figured that out." She shoved a spoonful of beans into her face. "Your veterans are earning you plenty, but you spend it replacing gladiators who lose. Novices don't make you much money, but you have to start somewhere. Give them two weeks of intense training, then run them all on this circuit." She slid a paper at him for fights where the gladiators took care of criminals. "In a month, they'll have their wins, they'll get used to seeing blood and death, and you can figure out where their skills lie."

  "Ok? How does that help?"

  "Your fighters don't die before you break even. That means no more expenses to purchase more. Right there should be enough to buy the Lion. The ones that are too weak to move forward, what do you do with them?"

  He sighed. "Trade them. That's how I got you. Four men who will die in a few weeks, but they didn't stand a chance." There was torment in his voice.

  "I hate it, too," she told him. "Your other option is to make them work it off in the camp. Food service, laundry, and those sorts of things. It would take longer, but they might be able to earn off their debts, and you wouldn't have to pay out."

  His eyes were growing wide. "That's brilliant!"

  "Get used to pink tunics."

  "It's a good color for fighters, makes the enemy underestimate them." He was starting to grin. "Ok, so I'd need one person on the payroll that's skilled, right?"

  "Maybe not. See what they used to do. Never know what you'll find in chains. The changeover will have some hiccups, though."

  "Always does. I think you just made me twenty thousand."

  "At least." She turned her attention to her meal. "I have these sorted in easy groups. Money in, money out, events and contracts go here, and the last one is anything that doesn't fit in the others." Leyli gestured at the desk. "Can you work on that while I'm training?"

  "Yes, ma'am. Can I talk to you about your next fight?"

  She leaned back and nodded. "Sure."

  "Sword and shield is your preferred weapon style. I got your armor, but it's not that great. Your first opponent is going to be a man named Sand. He likes two handed weapons. Reach is your problem."

  "I can use a trident, too."

  "Ever fought spear and shield?"

  Leyli couldn't help but smile. "No, but that makes a lot of sense. Can I get a dagger to go with it?"

  "Yep. Your second fight is easier. Debtors."

  Her eyes closed. "Any way around that?"

  "No. Conditions of the event. Your choice. Take the first round, or the last?"

  "Last. How many am I against?"

  "King of the hill style, probably twelve men, coming in unarmed. I'll have Plague – he rode back with you – in the fight as well. You don't have to work with him, just don't kill him."

  "I can do that. Which one is he?"

  Theodian held his hand up at shoulder height. "Blonde, short, quiet."

  "Yeah, the guy who didn't talk. Easy enough." She rubbed at her eyes. "It's not the same, fighting alone."

  "No. Sucks, doesn't it?"

  She nodded and rubbed harder. "A lot. I didn't expect him to kiss me."

  He laughed gently. "Didn't look like you minded, either. He's got quite the following of lady fans. They say he's handsome."

  She waved that away. "No one is handsome when he's old. I don't know why it's such a draw. It's the mind that matters, and the patience to calm a terrified girl in her first games."

  "And recognize her potential." Theodian reached over and rubbed her arm. "I tried to buy you, but Merino was faster. He made a lot of money running you with the Lion."

  "I know."

  He shook his head and bent, forcing her to look at him. "No, you don't. The first day, when the veterans got to pick, he bet that the Lion would let you live. Wolf, the Lion's played that game before, and always started out by killing his partner."

  "I know."

  "He's not a nice person, Leyli."

  She lifted her glass of wine and took a sip, her eyes locked on her owner. "None of us are. We're gladiators, and we do exactly what we have to in order to survive."

  "Why did he take a risk on you?"

  She lifted her brows at him and drank again. "I heard he picked last. I couldn't make myself look appealing to the other fighters. I could, however, make sure I wasn't. He noticed. When he asked if I wanted the sword or the shield, I chose the shield. That proved I was willing to work with him, not just for myself. When I got the first sword and gave it to him, he was sure that I was a team player, and decided to keep me."

  "Why'd you give him the sword?" Theodian was watching her closely.

  Leyli smiled. "Because I'd never used one in my life, but I know how to scream and duck behind something. The Lion with two was ten times more lethal than me with one. It made sense."

  "He could have killed you."

  "Yep. Without him, I was already dead. I figured it was an acceptable risk." She pushed her chair back and drained her cup. "I came into the arena with one thing going for me: I know how to predict what people are planning to do. It kept me alive this long, and now I can use a sword. I need to find a spear."

  She stood and headed to the door, but Theodian's next words stopped her. "Why are you here, Leyli?"

  "You asked for help."

  He shook his head. "No. In the games. You're not like the rest. How did someone like you end up in a place like this?"

  "Prove to me I can trust you, and I'll answer that."

  His head twitched slightly. "I just paid twenty-five thousand for you. Merino swears he never got your intake papers. There's something funny going on, isn't there."

  She paused. Merino should have her papers. She'd watched the clerk pass them over. She'd seen him put them in his pocket. So why did he say he didn't have them? Slowly, she looked over Theodian. If Merino knew who she was, why had he let her live this long?

  Which meant he didn't. Merino wasn't in the loop. He was just a tool, and it wouldn't take long before someone found out she was still alive. Someone knew who she was, and she no longer had a big, scary protector to keep them all at bay. She couldn't trust anyone. Not now. Not anymore.

  Leyli planted a polite smile on her face. "Yep. Pretty sure my sale wasn't legal."

  He groaned. "And I'm sitting on the stolen property." His head bobbed slowly. "That's why Merino made me the o
ffer." Then he paused, his head jerking up. "That's the secret you were talking about. That's what would make the Lion kill you?"

  Crap, he was too close! She pointed her finger at him. "Do not over think this. I will not answer."

  "I can help, Leyli, and it might keep my ass from jail."

  "Prove I can trust you and we'll talk."

  "How?"

  She stepped back into the room, tilting her head at the papers. "Buy my best friend, keep him safe. That's a good start. I'm sure you can think of others."

  "What if Merino won't sell? He knows I want to keep the Lion alive. He hates that I've taken half his business. What if he thinks the future costs aren't worth it?"

  "Then make sure he doesn't die!" She shoved her hand into her hair. "I don't care how. I don't care if I do. Just don't let them kill my partner, ok?"

  "I can't stop it, Leyli. Merino's the one that signs his contracts. I can't force a fighter onto the field to help, no matter how much I want to."

  "Then make sure he has a dagger tucked into those vambraces. You prove to me that spilling my past won't make his life worse, and I'll make sure you don't suffer for it."

  "I swear," Theodian said softly. "I watched Tornado die. I stood in the stands, unable to do anything but scream as they hacked him down. It felt like I lost half my soul and we didn't spend nearly as many months together as you and the Lion."

  "Five months, one week, three days," she whispered. "I counted every one."

  Chapter 26

  As Merino's gladiator, her days had been under Tristan's control until she no longer fought beside him. After that, her schedule was still the same, just with different trainers. With Theodian, everything changed. At the crack of dawn, a servant pounded on her door. Thirty minutes later, she was with a group doing the standard muscle stretching. When that was done, they ran. Leyli had never been forced to run as exercise, but it made sense, so she didn't complain.

  One lap around the entire compound and she was gasping for breath. After the second, she wanted to cry. There was a sharp pain in her side and her lungs were burning, but she couldn't stop. The trainer would only punish her in some other way, but that wasn't all. Her problem was the men around her. They all looked at her, trying to determine if she could stand up for herself. If she dared show any weaknesses, they would take advantage of it.