SEATED ON THE floor in front of the hearth, Tiwaz’s complete attention focused on mending one of her old tunics. Kerk laughed as he related the incident in the market. “You should have seen the looks on their wolfy faces, lad! Hoo! I don’t think they could decide whether to laugh or spit nails at her nerve.”

Doom, seated on the rough-hewn chair made from a large, single section of fallen tree, chuckled quietly, eyes on his friend. “Sorry I missed it. I imagine it was something to see.”

“Oh, it was, it was,” he agreed, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. He went to a hutch to take out several mugs and poured three drinks from a small keg. “Ah, lass, you should have come here sooner. I could have used a laugh like this a long time ago. Never seen so many put in their place so effectively.”

Drawn out of her concentration, she stared at him until her eyes focused. “Sorry. We were delayed. We are here now,” she pointed out.

Kerk chuckled, handing Doom one of the mugs, another to Tiwaz, then sitting in his chair with his own. The pair looked at the drinks warily. “What’s this?” the gromek wondered.

“That is dwarven ale. Best and strongest stuff in the Northern Territories without magic influence. Try it. It’ll grow hair on your chest.”

Tiwaz perked up, looking at Doom with intense curiosity. “Hair? Really?”

Doom rolled his eyes. “I think it is a figure of speech, Ti.” He hesitated. “Isn’t it?” Kerk could not speak, laughing so hard tears rolled down his cheeks. All he could do was wave at the gromek. Doom made a face before finally taking a sip, rubbing his chin. “It is good.” He downed the rest in one swallow.

When she didn’t see hair sprouting on her friend, she took a very tiny sip, then held the mug out to Doom. “It is good, but I do not drink spirits. I have seen what they do to reflexes.” She smiled at her friend. “I think it would probably take a whole wagon load to affect you, Doom.”

He shrugged and took his time with the second mug. “I think it might, but I do not intend to drink so much at once.”

They all looked up at a demanding rap on the door. Kerk pushed himself to his feet, grumbling, “Who the hells would be out this time of night?” Doom retrieved his cloak and drew the cowl over his head as the man opened the door. He sat up and Tiwaz stood when three wolflen entered, the leader the same one she had scolded earlier. However, they displayed so little arrogance, it bordered extreme humility, and their attention was entirely for Tiwaz.

“I am Pack Leader. The humans call you Warrior,” the leader more stated than asked.

“I answer to that,” she confirmed, her tone neutral.

“Have you come to settle in Bralden?”

Tiwaz and Doom traded confused expressions to the line of questioning. “We have not decided yet,” she said slowly. “Right now, we plan to shelter here for the winter.”

The wolflen frowned. “Then you will not be remaining when the season turns warm again?”

“We have not decided yet,” Tiwaz repeated. “I would only choose to stay if my friend is welcome.”

All three wolflen jumped, raising spears when Doom lowered his cowl to reveal his face to them. Whatever fear of him they evaporated the moment Tiwaz grabbed their spears, wrenched them from their grips, and threw them on the floor at their feet. She snarled, her temper almost as palpable as the heat from the hearth. “You dare raise a weapon against my friend? In Kerk’s home where we were welcomed? What hypocrisy infests this place? We were told people of the north do not judge a person on their looks but on their deeds.”

She pointed at Doom as he walked up behind her, calming a slight bit when he put his hand on her shoulder. “He is my friend. My family. I thought your kind would understand that!”

The three wolflen traded looks, glancing at the gromek and woman occasionally as they spoke. After several minutes, the leader turned to them and bowed, their demeanors submissive. “Forgive us, Warrior. We did not mean to bring insult to your pack.” Her expression did not change. To the gromek, he stated, “Your kind is unknown to us, but we have seen you hunting in the forests around Bralden. The friend of Warrior is welcome to hunt within our range.”

“I am called Doom,” the gromek replied with a nod. “Thank you.” He leaned close and whispered in Tiwaz’s ear, “We will discuss your temper later.” She waved at him to go sit again with some impatience, eyes on Pack Leader expectantly.

The lead wolflen composed himself, standing with pride. “I have come on behalf of Shaman to invite you to participate in our Solstice Games. He is interested to see for himself if the awe you have inspired among the other inhabitants of Bralden is justified.”

“Do others besides your people participate?” she asked. “My life has been spent fighting for other’s entertainment. I have had enough of being others’ freakish curiosity.”

“Traditionally, the games had been only for wolflen. But this year, others in Bralden will be invited to join our contests. Perhaps we will continue to do so in the future if it proves challenging to us. But you have already proven to be a better fighter. Shaman wants to judge you by those closer to your kind as well as to us.”

Tiwaz was silent for a time with a slight frown. “I cannot answer now because I must consider your offer. I will tell you my decision tomorrow at highsun.”

Disappointed, but understanding, the leader bowed. “As you wish. Tomorrow. Highsun.”

Kerk secured the door after the trio had left, then dropped into his chair and took a long drink from his mug. He exhaled heavily while regarding Tiwaz. “You just inspire upheaval, don’t you, lass?”

Turning her back on them, she headed towards her bedroom. “I have known nothing else.”

TIWAZ GAZED OUT the dirt-hazed window from her seat at the head of her bed. She glanced over at a quiet knock at the door. “Come in,” she called, her voice without inflection. She turned her eyes back to the window as Doom entered.

“You don’t usually close the door,” he observed as he sat on the floor by her.

“I do not think of the room being a cage when the door is closed so much anymore.” She touched the cold glass. “The window helps. I closed the door because I wanted quiet to think.” She sighed, lowering her gaze when he put a comforting hand on her knee. “What should I do, Doom?”

“What do you want to do? You can make the choice for yourself. You don’t need me to think for you anymore.” She flashed an angered look at him. “It is the truth of how it has been since we escaped. Anytime you said what you wanted, I ignored you because I thought I knew better. I made you doubt yourself.”

She looked out the window again. “You did know better. You do know better. I know nothing of the world outside of a cage or off a leash. A cage with an open door is still a cage if I can’t bring myself to leave it. A leash does not need to be physical for me to be aware of how long it is.”

Doom’s expression faltered, troubled. “You think I hold your leash? Ti, I would never—” He fell silent when she put her fingers over his lips lightly.

She smiled, both sad and loving, sitting on the floor beside him. “The leash Alimar controlled us with was not one he created but the one we made. We have been bound to each other ever since I woke up in the pen with you,” she pointed out. “My first memory is of you. The only person who has my absolute trust is you. You helped me when Alimar hurt me.”

He closed his eyes, looking away. “You were hurt because of me. I owed you,” he began.

“Only in your mind,” she interrupted. “I never thought you owed me anything. Alimar used our loyalty, our leashes, to each other to control us.” She leaned against him; he put his arm around her. “We did and still do everything for each other. It has always been this way between us. I know you would never knowingly do anything that would hurt me.”

The gromek was silent as he digested the magnitude of her faith in him. He kept his words slow and measured as he asked, “Do you want to participate in the wolflen’s Solstice Games?”

“Yes. No! I don’t…I don’t know what I want,” she whispered, agonized. “I want to…I have done little more than train since Dramaden. However, training means nothing if I do not test myself. If I have nothing challenging me. But…people. I had never been allowed to talk to more than Alimar, or you. Zuneer only because he trained me. The other gladiators Alimar owned, until he started making me kill them. Tambek didn’t care. He knew the risk, but he…” She looked away. “I’m afraid. I’m afraid others will be hurt if I do not remain apart. And I am ashamed because I am too weak not to be so anxious.”

“You have always had such courage and strength. But it’s okay to be scared,” Doom informed her, his voice tender. “I am, too. I have always been afraid. Of losing you more than anything. The first time during our lives in slavery that I had not felt any fear at all was when I decided to escape. Because I had nothing left to lose when Alimar nearly killed you.”

She watched him as he spoke, then turned her face away. “I feared failure, because you were punished if I failed. But I never feared death because I wanted to die. The only freedom I believed in was the oblivion of death. But Alimar always made sure I lived. And now I am free, and still I know no peace.”

Doom frowned faintly, confused and concerned. “Why?”

She smiled bitterly. “When the dragon removed the glyphs and I was really free, I felt…lost. I only realized then that everything I knew but you was gone. Everything.” She could sense his gaze on her and she smiled faintly. “No, I did not nor do I want to be a slave again.”

Her smile faded. “But I did not know what was out there. I knew nothing so I held onto the only thing I knew, that I had always known.” She looked at him. “You. But how can I participate in these games? I do not know how to interact with other people.”

“The only way to learn is to walk among them. Talk to them. Listen to them. You already know what is important.” He patted her hand. “You stepped in when the lives of children were endangered.”

She turned red, looking away. “When we were children I had always promised myself that if lived to become an adult, I would never not help children, even if no one ever helped us. It was foolish of me. No one here is like Alimar.”

“It doesn’t matter if they are or not, Ti. You stood up for the children because someone had to.” He touched her chin to turn her face towards him. “The difference is you were successful. Not like those who abandoned us.” He smiled sadly. “I won’t tell you what you should decide to do, Ti. I won’t take your freedom to choose away from you, even if you trust me enough to let me. But I will stand with you, no matter what you choose to do. I will always be here for you.” She closed her eyes with a sigh, leaning against him as he tightened his arm around her.