The Barbarian's Lady

Part 8

Feminine whispers and giggles sounded all around Delilah and she scrunched her face up in annoyance. Oh gods. What is Lily doing now! Burying herself deeper, Delilah practically moaned as the soft fur lined bedding coaxed her to drift back to sleep. Delilah's mind screeched to a halt. Fur bedding?

Ignoring her pounding headache, Delilah sat up in the cushioned bedding and the feminine voices quieted. Delilah gasped as she gazed down at the sheer nightgown adorning her slim figure. Her breasts were clearly visible and her shoulders and arms bare. The nightgown wrapped around her neck and when Delilah's hands came up to the back of her neck, she found the knot there, tying the nightgown closed. A tinkling giggled to her left caused Delilah to jump and she quickly grabbed the fur lined blanket and pulled it close to cover herself. Three young girls sat at the foot of the wooden bed, eyes beaming up at her and smiles so wide, Delilah wondered how their faces didn't break from the strain.

Two of the girls had flowy, long brown hair and the other one, who Delilah thought to be the youngest's hair was red as fire. Her blue eyes combined with her red hair, made her appear like a fairy. Delilah's breathing slowed as she stared about the room, or rather, tent. The walls were of a thick fabric and the room minimalistic in appearance. A wash pot sat in one corner. A tray of foods and drink sat at a table. A large chest of clothing sat on the other corner, behind the girls and a stand full of weapons lay, entrancing Delilah. The bed she was laying in, while large with fur blankets and feather pillows, seemed to be the focus of the room. Suddenly, she remembered everything.

"Barbarians..." Delilah whispered and the three girls giggled, the red haired one spoke up her voice thick with an unfamiliar accent, "We prefer to be called the Barbaro's, my lady, after our tribe." Her words were choppy and harsh sounding due to her accent, but her smile remained.

Delilah looked about the room again and grimaced as her eyes trailed down to the nightgown she was wearing, "I need clothes. I need to get out of here. Please." Taking the fur blanket with her and holding it tightly wrapped around her frame, Delilah stood on the other end of the bed and made to move towards the tents flapping entrance.

The girls protested, in their harsh sounding language and when Delilah moved the tent flap aside, she gasped in fright. The barbarian man, the one with half of his face scarred and burned, stood blocking the entrance. A tall spear was held in his hand as he guarded the door.

His black eye and dull, glazed blind eye clashed with hers and Delilah backed away from the doorway. The redheaded girl spoke to the guard in a hushed tone and he in turn grunted back softly. The other two girls pulled her away from the door and sat her on a low stool near the water basin.

Delilah was in shock. She had been captured by them. The... what did they call themselves? The Barbaro tribe? She had never heard them called that by any of her father's scouts or generals. Though, she had been a child when they first arrived to their new home at the Court of Roses, she was sure she would have remembered hearing these barbarians called by their true name.

The brown haired girls proceeded to gather wash clothes as the red headed one entered the tent once more and smiled sincerely at Delilah. "You upset Sek with your attempts at escape."

He's upset? What about me? Delilah grumbled to herself.

The redhead in turn patted Delilah's hand and rushed about the room gathering pieces of cloth which she delivered to the brown haired girls. Delilah felt the two girls behind her pull and tug on her long blond locks. One of them clucked her tongue and spoke softly causing the other two girls to giggle.

"What did she say?" Delilah asked, her eyes following the redheaded girl, who thankfully spoke up.

"Talia believes your hair to be a gift from the goddess. She was commenting on how beautiful it is." The redhead smiled and took the wet cloth from one of the girls and began washing Delilah's hands and feet.