King of the Seditious
Blindsided

Savage alerted before daylight at the sound of a woman’s step entering his tent. Strange. This is usually when Murah is leaving not arriving. He was still. Waiting.

The form lay behind him. Sliding closer. A slim hand wrapped around his side to flatten against his stomach.

Not her touch. He instantly rolled to his opposite side. Catching the spike aimed for his lower back. Wrenching it from her fist as he moved.

She tried to hold it. Following his momentum to land nearly atop him.

He reflexively sunk the spike into her forehead. Slowing enough to stop it after piercing the skin. Before it split bone. He dragged it down between her brows and lightened the pressure as he tugged it down the side of her nose and to her jaw.

Disloyal Wench. He caught the light of her blonde curls in the blackness. Though he’d already suspected it was she.

She squealed in pain.

I left Phalanx in Winter Haven. He typically had Phalanx watch over him while he rested. Would’ve been wise tonight.

Blood seeped from her face to his coverlets. “Why?” She cried.

“You just tried to kill me.” He drawled.

“You’ve scarred me.”

“I suggest you make an attempt at gratitude, difficult for you I’m aware, that you get to leave my tent with your life.”

“You’re letting me stay at the Lark?”

“I didn’t say that.” He settled back into his blankets.

Whimpering she clutched her face in her hands to stem the bleeding. Stumbling from his tent.

Just before Savage could settle back into the comfort of his linens, he heard a woman’s gasp. A familiar sound.

“What are you doing here!” Murah demanded of the other woman.

Disloyal Wench sobbed into her hands and fled.

Is it too dark for Murah to see she’s bleeding?

“What did you do to her?” Murah demanded. Flipping aside the tent flap.

How much do you know? He sat up. The blanket fell enough to expose his bare chest.

“Oh, I see now!” She said acidly. Eying the outline of his bared skin.

No, you do not!

“What are you assuming?”

“No wonder you want her gone!” She said outraged.

That makes zero sense.

“If I was laying with her, why would I want her gone?”

“So, you could meet her elsewhere and I wouldn’t know about it.” She suggested angrily.

“Murah, I’d rather slap a quiller with my part then place it anywhere near that creature.” He pointed outside.

“I doubt that’s what you said a short time ago…Or did you afterward? Is that why she fled crying?”

Ugh. Not nearly.

“No.” He sobered. Realizing that the real explanation wouldn’t soothe her and would just prolong this tirade.

Either way I lose this scenario. He cocked his head to wait for her to finish the rest of her hateful words.

“Is this the truth of it? When I am unavailable, any barmaid will do?”

That I didn’t expect! Wrath had him tossing aside the cover to leap to his feet. Gesturing to his pants.

“Have I often made love to you with my pants on?”

She frowned. Watching him stalking toward her furiously. “W-What are you doing?”

“I don’t know yet!” He grated out. “But that comment was over the line!”

She tried to retract from the tent flap, but he caught her under her arms in an iron grip. Dragging her back inside to face him.

“Now, are you quite done slinging accusations?”

“No. You do not tell me what to do in my alehouse!” She pointed a finger at him.

He turned his head to the side and rolled his eyes Heavenward, beseeching for patience. “Are we back to this again?”

“We never left it!”

“Could we?” He said dryly.

“Did you join with her?”

“No. I hacked her face.”

“What?” She was appalled. “Why would you do that? That’ll ruin her!”

“Because she tried to kill me with a chain spike.”

“I doubt that.”

“Doubt it as you see fit.” Annoyance sharpened his voice. “I told her I belonged to you. She didn’t like it.”

“You did what?”

“I told her I was yours.”

“I’m not tracking.”

You wouldn’t…

“She was trying to fondle me. I told her I wasn’t for her and to leave off. She crept into my tent with a chain spike.”

“So, you cut her face!” She shrieked in horror.

Now she’s getting it.

“With the chain spike.” He enunciated for the sake of clarity.

“You’re horrid.”

This is not new news. Why are we announcing it like some grand declaration?

“Since day one.” He dismissed. Reaching for her. “Where were you last night?” His arm circled her back.

“In my hut. Enraged at you.” She glared up at him as he tugged her against his length.

For telling her to fire Disloyal Wench. He sighed. Arm falling away.

She’s every intention of remaining furious with me all eve. Even as he thought it, she flung accusations and tossed her arms in wild angry gestures.

“Dimurah.” He interrupted her tirade. “Dimurah.”

“What?” She leaned forward, putting her hands on her hips.

“You must stop playing these games with me. I am what I am. I hurt people, I kill people, I do things you don’t understand. But I’d never hurt you. I can make you happy. And I’d protect you. You must decide if I’m what you want. Or you want me merely to defend Winter Haven. I’m content with either. But toying with me is ill-advised. Swaying to and fro is not conducive to a man’s patience. And I’m drawing perilously near the end of mine.”

“What are you saying to me?” She asked warily.

“Make up your bloody mind, Woman!”

“I have!” She stuck a finger in his face.

He batted it away. Stepping closer to her. “You’ve not even come close. You spit hateful ranting at me all day. Then come warm my staff at night. Then criticize my minimal principles. You can’t have it both ways!”

She huffed. Insulted. “Are you implying I’m a whore?”

Not nearly. He rolled his eyes. Cease this idiocy.

“I’m not implying anything.”

“Meaning you’re saying it straight, are you?”

Good God.

“No. Meaning I’m not implying anything. I’m stating facts by telling you, your actions. I called you no name. I implied you were nothing beyond indecisive.”

“Ha!” She turned on her heel. Long red hair whipping.

When it swatted his arm, he reflexively caught it.

Yanking her to a standstill. She rounded on him with blue eyes widened dangerously.