Fearless (Nameless #3)(26)
Then he imagined someone swooping in and taking all of that away.
“Gryphon? Are you all right?”
He looked down into Zo’s piercing eyes. By stars and shield, she is beautiful.
“Gryphon?” Zo asked again, concern lining her face. “It’s only a two-day journey to the Kodiak. I will be back before you even have the chance to miss me.”
He picked up her scarred hands and kissed each one in turn. “Impossible.”
Just as impossible as Zo’s chance of helping Ikatou free his family and the other Nameless.
Unless …
The Great Move and the distraction of his execution.
Telling Laden would be the ultimate betrayal of his people …
Gryphon closed his eyes and prayed for forgiveness.
His decision was made.
Gryphon left Zo at the flaps of her tent, his lips still tingling from their kisses, his heart pounding like a hammer on an anvil. He stormed through the camp, giving no heed to the muted conversations and blatant stares of soldiers sitting around crackling fires. He assumed his four guards were waiting for him outside his tent, but he wasn’t ready to head back just yet.
The Kodiak faction was situated on the eastern rim of the camp. When giving his tour of the valley, Laden had explained that the Bears struggled to sleep under an open sky and so near the other clans. On this side of the narrow valley, the solid rock mountainside leaned over the earth just enough to provide shade and shelter from the rain and wind. It was a prime location for anyone, but Laden had given it to the Kodiak as a peace offering in hopes that, should the Kodiak chief leave his caves and join them, he would be flattered by the gesture.
Only a few fires burned on this side of camp. The flames illuminated the angular faces of the men named for their size and temperament. He spotted Ikatou sitting with the group of men who had traveled with them to the Allied Camp only a few days ago.
Ikatou must have sensed him coming. He looked up from the fire, squinting into the night. Slowly gaining his feet, Ikatou stepped away from his comrades and walked toward Gryphon.
“What brings you, Ram?”
Gryphon didn’t so much as hesitate as he strode toward Ikatou, slamming his fist into the bear’s face. “You bastard.”
At least ten men jumped to their feet and charged, but Ikatou’s growl made them pause. “Go back to your fires.” He worked his jaw, as if to test that it still worked. Then he eyed Gryphon and scowled. “She finally told you, eh?”
Chest pumping, adrenaline racing, Gryphon knew he was outnumbered, and that if Ikatou hadn’t stopped them, those men could have easily ripped his limbs off. He’d always been trained not to attack in anger, and he certainly couldn’t afford to lose his temper again.
And yet, his tightly wound body didn’t agree.
He dropped his shoulder and launched himself at Ikatou, arms out wide, ready to tackle the bear to the ground. Ikatou anticipated the second attack and jammed his knee up into Gryphon’s chin, dropping him to the ground.
Laughter and jeers filled the Kodiak camp as Gryphon lay facedown on the ground, his vision swimming. Ikatou grabbed a fistful of Gryphon’s hair and yanked his head back, using his knee to pin Gryphon to the ground.
Gryphon breathed through the pain, fighting back a gasp, and managed, “How could you drag an innocent girl into this mess? She would have helped you without a blood oath.”
Ikatou put more pressure on his spine and Gryphon arched his back in pain. “If you’re done making a fool of yourself, let’s take a walk and I’ll tell you.”
Humbled, Gryphon grunted and Ikatou released him. His jaw throbbed where Ikatou had kneed him, but luckily it had missed his nose. He’d broken it so many times, he didn’t know if it could take another hit.
Ikatou led them away from the other Kodiak. It didn’t take long to find privacy in this corner of the valley.
“I risked my life and the lives of my men to save Zo in the wilderness. But for some of them, saving Zo from Boar meant destroying the only hope we had of getting into Ram’s Gate to find our families. The blood oath was necessary.”
“But now that you are here, and you know Laden is willing to help, why don’t you release her from it?”
Ikatou shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way.”
“Why not?”
“I’m not the only Kodiak protected under the blood oath. Besides,” he took a few steps before adding, “it’s clear that Laden loves the girl.” He gestured to Gryphon, “So do you—the only Ram fighting for our cause. You both would do anything to see her safe and guarded. As long as Laden knows her life is attached to the Nameless, my family has an actual shot at survival and freedom.”
Anger in its purest form threatened to overtake Gryphon again, until he considered Zo’s words from earlier: Can you imagine having your little girl stolen from you to become another man’s slave? Gryphon thought back to his daydream of Zo by the stream. Of the little ones surrounding her. Closing his eyes, he let his tight fists relax and tried to calm his beating heart. “Promise me you will protect her while she is away.”
Ikatou folded his arms across his chest and surveyed Gryphon with a critical eye. “We Kodiak take those words quite seriously. By now, I’m sure you know that.”
“Exactly why I asked.”