mutt like he was chiseled by the gods, and if you want to go that way, none of us are goin’ to care. I think we wouldn’t mind another husband or several if it means bein’ with ya.”
“I do not,” she said, elbowing him.
“Yes, ya do. So does Senri, and she has another baby on the way and hates her own husbands. So does Allaina, and she’s addin’ a wife to her family. The only female who doesn’t look at Emerian like he’s a piece of prized meat is Yenni, and we all know why that is.” Bryn laughed.
“How do you even know all of this?”
“I’m observant,” he reminded her with another grin. “It’s been an interestin’ study. A lot of Andinna have a hard time trusting Luykas for being a mutt. I think it’s because of his obvious ties to Alchan, which makes him intimidatin’, on top of different. He also does sorcery and blood magic, a taboo. Then everyone found out about Shadra. Some still whisper about that, which I keep an eye on for his safety.”
“I know about that last part. Is there anything to be worried about?”
“No, not yet. If there is, I’ll call the entire company together to handle it or deal with it before it goes any further,” he promised. “But that’s Luykas. Emerian is a different case. He’s a mutt, sure, even acts more Elvasi sometimes, something that annoys me, but I can’t…I can’t hate him for it. He is who he is.”
Mave made sure not to point out the double standard. He was fine with mutts, even if they acted like an Elvasi sometimes, but an actual Elvasi? Absolutely not.
“Every female just looks at him and sees how pretty and kind of lost he is. I think half the females in the village want to save him from himself, while the others want something exciting, not understandin’ he’s really no different in bed than the rest of us. I have evidence of that now, too. Luykas is a mutt, and he’s…not all that special.”
“You spend a lot of time thinking about this?” she asked, smirking as his face turned a light shade of pink.
“I spend a lot of time out here, walking alone. When I’m in the village, I’m vigilant. A combination of information I’ve been able to obtain and too much time out here dealing with the scouts, who keep me movin’. I’ve noticed and figured out lots of fun things I keep to myself.” Bryn shrugged.
“Oh, now you’re teasing me. Tell me something,” she ordered, rolling to put her head on his shoulder.
“I can tell you that Rain and Lady Lilliana are becomin’ best friends, somethin’ I’m sure Alchan wants no part in. Just last week, they went to the market together when it opened. They’ve gone every day since, and from what I hear, it’s laughter and smiles for those two.”
“Really?” Mave considered asking him to spy on that further but decided against it. She would just harass Rain. She had very limited experience with Lady Lilliana, something every dominant in the valley shared. Alchan kept her out of the public eye or at least away from where any of the dominant females like to spend their time. The little ahren never came to a training field, and Mave never went to the market in the morning. Normally, it was her last stop of the day for a snack.
“Oh, ye—”
He stopped, sitting up quickly. Mave sat up as well, looking around. She hadn’t heard anything, but Bryn was staring intently.
“Come on out,” he called softly. “She’s here with me today.”
Out of the shadows of the trees came a thin male, looking more than a little rough and wild. He had a somewhat fearful expression, like a wild animal that saw a potential predator but wasn’t sure.
“We were just talkin’ about life in the village,” Bryn explained softly. “She’s my wife. Ya’ve heard about her before.”
“The Champion.” The male bowed low. “It’s nice to meet you. Is there anything I can do?”
“No, no,” she said quickly. “I’m really just following my husband around today. We don’t get to spend a lot of time together.” Mave tried to quickly bury the uncomfortable feeling that hit her. She was dominant, which meant she should have been in charge of people, but she didn’t know this male, and he was half-groveling.
“I need your report,” Bryn said, stepping in front of her.
“Here you are, sir.” The male pulled out a small book. “Wrote everything