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

by Auryn Hadley

  She was a slave, and she knew it. Not even the threat of castration would keep her safe. No, that punishment would only be carried out after the fact, and if she was dead, she couldn't tell. Tristan had warned her about such things in the past. It was one of many reasons he stayed at her side. She could fight off a few of them at once, but only if she had the upper hand. Leyli would never be strong enough to wrestle off more than two men without a weapon.

  When that torture was over, she was given half an hour for breakfast. Unlike Merino's dining options, Theodian offered more than just beer or wine to start the day. Cold, clear water was plentiful, but there was a selection of juice to go with it. Not that she got that luxury. By the time she made it through the line, the men had already drank it all, and there just wasn't enough for all of them.

  Then she was in training. Theodian had her scheduled to learn to fight with a spear and shield. When Leyli took a place at the back of the group, the trainer noticed. As they went through their warm-up maneuvers, the man walked along the block of bodies until he stood at the end of her row. Over and over, he called out standard weapon postures, but his eyes never moved away from her.

  "Stop!" he yelled.

  Leyli let her eyes close as she took a deep breath. He was about to make her into a spectacle, and she didn't really need any more help. The man walked toward her, ignoring everything else, then stopped.

  "You. Who are you?"

  "The Wolf of Oberhame, sir," she replied.

  He nodded. "Where did you learn to use a spear?"

  Her head twitched as she looked up at him. "I've never held one before last night."

  "Mm." He crooked a finger at her, ordering her to follow. "Plague!"

  From the other side, a young man groaned. "I didn't do a damned thing, Jovian."

  "Not yet," the trainer promised, "but you will."

  He positioned Leyli and Plague at the front, right in line of the other eight gladiators. While they both looked at each other, naturally sizing up their opponent, he chuckled. Then he patted Leyli's shoulder and moved to address the rest.

  "Do not think you know something you do not. The spear is not a sword. It does not cut. It does not hack or crush. The only thing a spear does is pierce."

  Under her breath, Leyli grumbled. Her eyes were on the weapon, but from what she could tell, it did so much more than just poke her opponent. Unfortunately, Jovian heard. He turned back, glaring at her.

  "Do you disagree, girl?"

  She refused to act meek before this man, so lifted her chin. "Yes. It also gives the bearer more reach, better leverage, and the back end could become as useful as the tip."

  The trainer smiled and nodded. "That," he told the rest, "is what makes a veteran gladiator. The girl has never used a spear before, but she understands how a weapon works. She thought about it." He tapped his head. "Because the brain makes us more deadly than anything else. Plague, girl, prepare to fight."

  "It's Wolf," Leyli told him.

  Jovian shrugged. "Live long enough and I might remember."

  Across from her, Plague hefted his weapon and squared off. "Saw her fight before. You'll remember, Jovian. The Wolf matched the Lion for brutality."

  "The Lion's bitch, huh?" Jovian sounded almost impressed. "Knock Plague on his ass without injuring him, and I'll remember."

  The blonde guy nodded, catching her eye. From the look on his face, he was up for it, but wouldn't just let her win. Leyli stood relaxed, the tip pointing across her body, and waited for the call. Seeing that she refused to take a proper stance, Jovian grumbled one more time, then ordered them to fight.

  Plague thrust, using the entire length of the dull tipped spear to reach her, but Leyli was one step too far back. As soon as he began to retract the weapon, she moved. Spear across her chest, with both hands holding it up, she charged into his space, lashing out with the back side as she danced around him. She caught Plague's ankle, forcing him to stumble, then kicked at his good leg. He stabbed at her again, but she caught it with the wood shaft, shoving their weapons up. Pulling back as fast as she could, Leyli cracked him across the face with the point, slammed her body into his side, then stabbed down, knowing he was about to hit the dirt. The wooden tip buried itself into the sand just above his shoulder.

  Plague laughed. "Fucking glad Theodian bought you, or I'd be dead in two weeks."

  "Huh?"

  He thrust out his hand, signaling for her to help him up. "Abindon in Lanmont. Both of our teams will head that way, and we probably would have gone head to head." He gestured to the spot his body had left in the sand. "And I'd rather do that in practice than in an arena."

  She bit her lips together and nodded. He'd just admitted she would have killed him. It should have been a good feeling, but it wasn't. It just reminded her how many good men were dead at her hands. Then she dared to look at his eyes. They were blue. Pale blue, like a winter's morning. The smile on his face wasn't reflected back in them, but at least there was no anger. She wondered if her own eyes looked the same. Sad, and a little hollow.

  "Now do it again!" Jovian ordered, gesturing for the pair to return to their places.

  She did it again, then again, and again after that. Repetition was something she could handle. It trained her muscles to do it on their own, so her mind could think about everything else. If she could master this weapon by the end of the week, she just might live to see her father. Or maybe the week after. She wasn't exactly sure how far they were from Oberhame, but the guard had recognized her. All she had to do now was just not die.

  Or get raped, beaten, or discovered by someone who would sell her secret to her cousin. When they were finally released, Leyli just wanted to go hide in her rooms, but she couldn't. She still had to find a way to get her best friend free. At least in Theodian's office, she wouldn't be an easy target for the insanity that kept following her around.

  She tossed her training spear into the pile with the rest, then turned for the dining hall. Just two steps later, someone was calling her name. Not her real one, but the only one these men knew.

  "Wolf!" She turned, braced for anything, but the blonde kid was jogging to catch up. He was smiling. "Slow down, my legs are short."

  She glanced at her own, then back to Plague's. "Really?"

  He reached her side and bumped his hip beside hers. So close together, it was clear that he had at least two inches on her. "Ok, so yours are, too." Then he dropped his voice. "Lemme walk with you?"

  "Why?"

  His hand pressed between her shoulders, turning her back toward their next meal. "Because there's more of us than there are of you, and the Lion isn't here to scare the shit out of them."

  "Oh, but you're ready to take his place?"

  Plague shrugged. "Let's just say that some gladiators think it gets too lonely at night."

  She stepped away from his touch. "And some don't."

  "Relax," he whispered. "We're on the same side. Those guys think that because I'm half as big, I must be willing to be their bitch. Figure it's not going to be any easier for you, but two is a lot better than one."

  Her feet stuttered, but before she could stop and stare at him, Plague was guiding her forward again. "What?" she hissed. "They think you..."

  He finally stopped, then turned to face her. He couldn't meet her eyes. "Make. Not think, make. Force. Whatever you want to call it."

  "Report them!"

  He shook his head. "That is one thing I'd rather the entire compound didn't know about. All I'm saying is that you and I? We're on the same side, ok?"

  "And when you get lonely?" she asked.

  He finally looked up. "Doesn't happen much, but I'm sure not about to rape anyone."

  Those pale blue eyes, that's why they were so empty. It wasn't just the deaths in the arena, it was so much more. In that moment she realized dying wasn't the worst thing that could happen to a person. Death was final. Some things tore at a person for the rest of their life, festering until they made a quick e
nd look like the better option.

  She decided to change the subject. "Do you know how to read and write?"

  "A bit, why?"

  "How much?" She motioned for him to keep walking. A plan was forming in her mind.

  Plague shrugged. "I dunno. I mean, I can write a letter home well enough, but I'm not always sure of spelling. Why?"

  "Because I'm probably going to need help. Theodian asked me to get his paperwork in order."

  Like a snake, he grabbed her arm, pulling her close. "Why?"

  That seemed to be his favorite question. "So his team can make more money and take less risks."

  "And what the hell do you get out of it?"

  "My partner. If I find enough money, he'll buy the Lion of Lenlochlien."

  The kid laughed but said nothing else. He did stick with her through the food line, though. When she had a full plate, Leyli turned for the stairs that led to their owner's office, and Plague was right on her heels. Maybe he just didn't want to face the rest of the men alone, but she'd take what she could get. The more eyes helping, the faster she could find the money.

  Theodian was waiting in his office. Seeing Plague, his brow wrinkled, but he didn't send the kid away. Instead he looked at Leyli. "Making friends already, my lady?"

  "Keep guessing," she grumbled, gesturing for him to move.

  When Theodian abandoned his chair for her, Plague sucked in a breath. Their owner chuckled, but gestured for the kid to join him on the other side of the desk. It wasn't much, but they had enough space for their plates and the pages around them. Leyli took a bite and grabbed a stack of papers, gesturing to the rest.

  "I need these divided into money spent or money earned. Anything else goes in a third stack. If you aren't sure, ask."

  Plague nodded, took a bite of bread, and got to reading. He didn't bother saying a word. It was kinda nice. She didn't need to worry about him talking to everyone else about what she did on her free time, and he wouldn't distract her from her thoughts.

  Theodian dropped a glass of wine beside her, then reached across to place one beside Plague. "Want to tell me what you're doing, Leyli?"

  "Finding your money."

  He sighed. "Is this a test?"

  Plague's head snapped up at that, but Leyli shrugged. "Sure. Call it whatever you want. He can read, I need eyes."

  "And?" Theodian wasn't going to just drop this.

  She lifted her glass and leaned back. "Are you aware of what happens between your fighters at night? Do you have any idea what it's like to be a woman among nothing but men?"

  "I'll cut off the balls of any man here who tries to rape you."

  She just lifted a brow. "But what about each other? There's rumors out there, and Plague's going to make sure I have at least one person on my side."

  The kid put his nose back in the papers, refusing to say a word. Across from her, Theodian's face was serious. The man didn't blink. He was trying to read every nuance of her expression.

  "I just need to know who."

  It was all too easy to put on her calm mask. It came so naturally. "I don't know their names, yet."

  "Yeah." Theodian set down his own glass of wine. "Most of these men can draw, and most of our names make a real easy picture. That's all I need."

  "Slipped under the door, here?"

  He nodded. "That'll work. Or handed to me by a woman. Either way. Figure if they're stopping by for a drink with you and your best friend, then no one will think a thing of it. You willing to help?"

  She lifted her glass to him. "Getting warmer. That is a pretty good second step."

  "Wanna tell me how many it's going to take?"

  Her chest rose and fell with each breath. "No, because I'm not sure. This isn't a little thing."

  "I figured." Then he dropped into the chair beside Plague again. "At least I know you're not alone out there. Plague's two doors down from you."

  Leyli looked at the little guy, but her words were for her owner. "What's he in for?"

  Plague didn't let him answer. "Owed six thousand for my education, but couldn't get a job. After a year, they sold it and I became the Plague of Bretonvale."

  "It's just not right," she mumbled, turning her attention to the numbers before her. "There's not enough coin in Norihame worth anyone's life."

  "Yeah?" Plague snapped. "Now just tell that to the damned king."

  She tried to keep her mouth shut, but just couldn't. "That's exactly what I plan to do, because someone has to."

  It wasn't loud, but she had a funny feeling that Theodian heard.

  Chapter 27

  After lunch, they split for another round of training. Leyli asked Plague to meet her back in the office for dinner. He was more than happy to agree. That didn't mean she was going to wait for him. Finding enough money to buy Tristan was the most important thing on her mind. Every time she closed her eyes, she could imagine him chained out like a dog, getting hacked apart by less experienced gladiators who wouldn't have stood a chance against him in a fair fight.

  That drove her more than anything else. Knowing her father was still alive was nice, but it wouldn't help her best friend. She'd been out of the palace for over five months – nearly half a year, now. Things had changed, and the court had moved on without her. Palino was probably the heir by now, and her very existence could jeopardize everything. It could also change it for the better. She just had to be careful. She just needed to have someone on her side that she could trust.

  But her cousin was devious. He would have men everywhere. It's what she would do. People would do almost anything for a political favor. A few years without taxes, a pardon for some crime, or even a word about their chosen cause. It didn't take much to make someone loyal, which meant his spies could be anyone.

  That's what her mind was on when she walked into the office. She was so distracted that she almost didn't realize Theodian closed the door behind her. He'd been waiting. She spun instinctually, her knees flexing, but he just leaned back against the wood.

  "Relax, I'm not about to take on a young fighter. My bones are too old for that."

  Leyli closed her eyes in a slow blink, and let out the tense breath that had gotten trapped in her lungs. "What do you want, Theodian?" Her tone was the same one Tristan had always used for Merino.

  The man chuckled, obviously aware of it. "I just want you to tell me one thing. Why is this secret of yours such a big deal? What would happen if someone found out?"

  "I have work to do."

  He wouldn't let her off so easy. "You owe me that. I don't have to let you up here. I don't have to try to buy your partner, but I am. All I'm asking for is to know what the fuck I've gotten into."

  At the edge of his desk, standing beside her chair, she paused. For a moment, her fingers trailed across the papers. "What's the worst thing you can think of?" she asked, daring to look back.

  "I dunno, you refused to marry some man who wanted to make his embarrassment go away? He sold you into the games, and if he finds out you're still alive, your entire family will be killed?"

  She chuckled. "Close, but worse."

  "Ok. You're a Deiton warlord's daughter, and if you're found here, the entire country will fall into war."

  She looked up, catching his eyes. "I'm not a Deiton."

  Theodian's shoulders softened, dropping down in shock. "But you aren't denying the war part?"

  "Exactly, so can we please move on?"

  "Leyli," he whispered, dropping into the chair across from her. "How can I help? I'm just a retired gladiator doing his best to take care of his fighters. I'm trying to make a difference."

  "Me, too. I'm just trying to make a bigger one, and everything I need to do it is right here."

  "My papers?" he asked.

  She nodded. "Every detail and nuance about the games. Every copper it costs to maintain a team of slaves. The only thing you don't have is the rate paid for debtors, and how that works."

  "Leyli..." He pushed his chair back and headed
across the room. Pulling out a drawer, he grabbed one more stack of paperwork. "I have that, too, but it's going to cost you."

  "What?" A dozen things ran through her mind, but the foremost was the secret she would not share with him.

  Theodian dropped the stack before her. "I want you to try to trust me. Just try. Don't tell me why, but I have a funny feeling that you're trying as hard as I am to change the system, and I'm willing to help, even if I'm doing it blind."

  "I can't tell you," she said softly, looking up into his warm brown eyes. "It's not safe."

  "Then don't. My hands are tied without some evidence to free you. They'd just list you as an escapee, and put you back on an arena team until another owner bought you. If you don't tell me, I can't get you free, but I'll do my best to keep you alive, just like everyone else here."

  "It's enough." She took the stack of papers, then paused. "Thank you."

  "Gonna try with that trust thing?"

  She nodded. "I don't promise I'll do well, but I'll try."

  "Just make sure they don't hang me, Wolf. That's all I want."

  "You have my word."

  ***

  That evening, she was assigned to work with Plague. Theodian was pleased that they were getting along. He had enough offers for fights that would let him put two men in together. A few were to kill off debtors, but most were either some form of a skit – which was dangerous – or facing down criminals.

  Usually, debtors were put into a round robin type system, like she'd been. Unfortunately, not all were bought at the end of the game. The arena paid off the debt owed in exchange for the body of the person who owed it. Usually it was men, but not always. There were enough people to make a long string of fights. People from the area would pay for tickets to watch the games, which repaid the cost of the men who died. On rest days, the games ran from lunch to well after dark. On work days, the arena team – usually debtors who hadn't been good enough to get training – would fight for a few hours each night.