Bear Naked 4: The Sons of Garm

Chapter 25

Amanda had always found Darren's pavilion to be as homey, if not more so, than their cabin in Dubuque. The thought made her sad, but not unbearably so. She looked around the space. Tanner and Brianna had done a passable job on the rocket stove and Connor and Jonathan had carried in sleeping mats and bags, creating a ring around the edge of the pavilion.

Aaron and Arthur paced the center ring. Amanda expected more comments from Arthur about the bear "stink" or something, but instead his eyes contained a light and he looked satisfied.

"What do you think?" Connor asked. Amanda had been thinking the same thought, but she'd never give Arthur the satisfaction of knowing she wanted his opinion on anything.

"Now that I see it up, it will do. It will do nicely, indeed," he replied. "The council meeting, the treaty, it's only the tip of the iceberg for a gathering like this. There will be many more smaller meetings between one tribe or another. Especially this time around, feeling each other out, sorting out side alliances, seeing where others stand." He paused and smiled as his eyes took in the pavilion. "And the Leidulf's alone have a place for that. A private place to speak more freely. Yes, it's quite a coup."

Connor beamed. "Yes, it's good that Amanda insisted we bring it."

Amanda blushed, caught between being glad that Connor gave her credit and angry to find that she wanted the praise. "It's just, Darren always said."

"A remarkable man," Aaron said. "His advice rarely went wrong. I agree with Arthur. This will be a great space for private interviews."

Erica entered the pavilion, followed by a woman with nut brown hair. She looked to be in her late thirties or even early forties. She looked around nervously and then cast her eyes down.

"Umm, sorry, I should have been here to help," Erica said to Connor.

"Indeed," Arthur said.

Connor and Amanda both shot him a look. It was not his place to scold their wolves. Arthur gave a slight nod and shut his mouth.

"And this is?" Amanda asked, gesturing towards the woman.

"This is Myrna Kolkov," Erica said. "She, umm," Erica blushed and Amanda knew that Erica had just realised she hadn't thought something through and was trying to figure a way out. "She doesn't have a place to stay and I thought maybe she could stay with us awhile." She gave Amanda an earnest look, like she had brought home a lost puppy.

"Kolkov?" Aaron said. "I'm not familiar."

"They are a far eastern tribe," Arthur said, his lips tight. "Or were."

"Were?" Connor asked.

"We were," Myrna said without raising her eyes. "Far eastern. Both here and the old country. Still are in the old country, as far as I know. My mother's people lived in upstate New York, before my tribe was conquered. By the Sarkanas tribe." She paused and added, "led by Olaf Garmenson and his son, Fenrir, of course."

"Of course," Arthur said with a low drawl. "The Sarkanas had not the power by themselves. They were one of the first tribes to be unified under Olaf's banner when he arrived from the old world." Arthur was as much lecturing them as he was talking to Myrna. "With his son Fenrir as his captain, they waged a war to bring all the eastern tribes to heel, or to destroy those that didn't come. The Kolkovs were one of the first to fall. And you were?"

"Captured," Myrna said without looking up. "Barely a pup. I can remember only bits and pieces."

"And how did you come to be here at this gathering?" Arthur asked, acid in his voice.

"I belonged to Fenrir, his pet." She choked and a tear slid down her cheek. "I displeased him."

"He freed her," Erica said. "Told her to leave. She's got nowhere to go. She doesn't know anyone." Arthur silenced her with a sharp look.

"Stand outside, woman," he said to Myrna. "We will call you back when we are ready."

Myrna left, giving no sign that she was affected by his rude behavior.

"I just thought we could let her stay a day or two. Until she figures out what she wants to do know that she's free," Erica protested. "I mean, it's terrible, what he did. Look at her, the poor thing."

Tanner put his arm on her shoulder. "I know you mean well Erica but..."

"But that's Fenrir's toy!" Arthur raged.

"She's a human being. No! A wolf. Like us," Erica shot back.

"She's a sex slave, Erica. Since she was little she's been trained to serve his whims. And you'd just bring her into our camp? Come on."

"Arthur," Aaron cautioned, moving forward. "Look Erica, we have to be careful. These wolves we are dealing with, they can be devious, you know that. What's to say they didn't set you up? To put a spy in our camp."

Erica blushed but shook her head. "No, sir. I saw. He didn't know, either. I saw him free her, tell her he was displeased, to be gone. Just look at her grief. She's upset. That's real."

"Alligator tears to fool a young girl," Arthur sneered.

"No, I wouldn't be so easily fooled."

"Wait," Amanda said. "They have slaves? Like real life slavery? That's been outlawed, you know."

Arthur snorted.

"We've known this since our research on Stanley," Aaron reminded her. "Sex trafficking. It's how the Sons of Garm have gotten rich. One of the ways."

Amanda reeled. He was right, they had known that, sort of. But Amanda hadn't ever connected the dots, thought about them actually owning slaves. She just thought, well trafficking was a vague thing bad people did, but it somehow sounded different than slavery. "I just, never thought..."

"That you'd have to confront it so directly?" Aaron said. He sighed. "Yeah, I wish you didn't have to."

"Of course she can stay," Amanda said. Both Aaron and Arthur gave her looks. "I'm not letting her leave now, to go back to that life. She's free."

"Amanda," Arthur growled, a warning in his voice. "She's Fenrir's toy. Why he let her go, what his game is, I don't know. But how is he going to feel about her being in our camp? Think, girl."

Amanda glared at him but didn't answer. Because he was right. She closed her eyes.

It was Tanner that spoke next. "Give her a tent," he said. "We've got extras. Give her some supplies. Let her set up nearby. That way Erica can look out for her, you can help her learn to be free. But she's not in here when we are having private discussions. If Fenrir or anyone asks, it's just between them."

Amanda looked at him, grateful for the easy out. She nodded.

"Fine," Erica muttered. She snatched a small dome tent from the pile of spare supplies in the corner and stormed out of the pavilion.