Page 11 of Lonely Orcish Girl

Reed shifted nervously under the furs, unsure of what to do. He wanted to ease Katuri's stress somehow but didn't know how.Do something, he scolded himself, but still, he didn't move.

Finally, he decided to change the mood by asking about something less relevant. “What was he even doing in the woods? Why did the elves have their camp there in the first place?”

The young orcess sighed. “There were some ancient ruins of an old elven goddess's temple in the forest, and they were visiting them on a pilgrimage.” She fell silent for a moment before resuming her story.

"I allowed Ehrendil to be my first," Katuri said in a calm but sullen, deadly serious voice. She stared at Reed, her expression impassive, only her violet eyes burning with emotion.

"It was romantic, to be honest, I couldn't complain." Katuri paused, her eyes drifting into the distance. Then she slowly shook her head and continued, "So now we had added sex to our secret relationship. I felt like I was in a fairy tale where a handsome, rich prince chooses a poor peasant girl. I was stupid, Reed, so damn stupid. In retrospect, I knew it was just a break from boredom for Ehrendil—a new experience, a temporary excitement. I didn't know it then, but that soon changed."

"What happened?" Reed asked, his voice strained and rough. He felt a surge of anger toward this elf, even though he had never met him.

"One day, we were caught in the act by his father."

"Oh, gods…" Reed gasped.

"His reaction was entirely different than what I'd expect from orcish parents. He was icy cold and composed, just told Ehrendil to get dressed, and called the guards. The way he looked at me… like I was a worthless leech." Katuri's voice trembled.

Reed wanted to sit up and hug her, but he thought that would be too forward. Instead, he freed his hand from under the furs, reached for hers, and enclosed her palm with his own. Katuri glanced at their joined hands absentmindedly. He squeezed her fingers as she continued her story. She didn't seem to be bothered by it, but she didn't react in any other way either.

"The guards, Ehrendil's parents, and my lover himself escorted me to their camp. Then an interrogation took place.His father, his wife, and the other elves accused me of spying—which was absurd—and of seducing their son. They just set me up as a scapegoat. Ehrendil sat quietly the whole time, allowing his parents to lash out at me and insult me. Then, the elves demanded explanations from me and Ehrendil. And I, in my infinite stupidity and naivety, said what I thought was the truth—that I was in love with him. But Ehrendil didn't react to my words. He said… that it was just sex. That he wanted to try something new. I couldn't believe that was how he really felt. I wanted to… I wanted to believe that he was just saying that to avoid upsetting his father, but… I already knew I was just fooling myself. Ehrendil didn't feel anything for me. I was just a toy for a bored, spoiled young elven heir. A distraction."

Katuri looked up at the ceiling, tears shimmering in her eyes. She clenched her left hand so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"I barely registered what happened next. I was numb, as if someone had hit me with a club. The elves tied me up like a pig and brought me to the gates of my village. I didn’t know exactly what they told the orcs, but they must have said enough, so the people from my tribe knew everything. The next thing I knew, I had to listen to the scolding from our chief and the council of elders about the shame and disappointment I brought upon them by fornicating with the enemy of our race. It didn't even surprise me when they decided to banish me. After all, I had given my virginity to their worst adversary, right? A young orcish woman mating with an elf and then humiliating herself by proclaiming her love for him? That was far too much for the great honor of orcs." Katuri's tone was sarcastic, but it was clear to Reed that it was her way of coping.

The orcish girl didn't look at him, but curiously enough, their hands stayed connected.

"My mother tried to fight for me, but I told her to let it go. I was kind of relieved to leave the tribe. It meant… freedom. So I left with almost nothing, just my bow and a grudge against the tribe. It was a year and a half ago. The rest of my story was full of more stupid decisions. Since I had always been a decent archer, I thought I could join some adventurers and make a living that way. So I met some people, only to find out that they saw a different purpose for me in their group. After the first camp, I knocked out one of the men who tried to put his dirty hands on me, then I ran away. Finally, I came back here, found this clearing, and built this house. I decided to live as a hermit."

After Katuri spoke, a long silence filled the air.

She lowered her eyes, pensively looked at Reed's hand, still holding her own, as if only now realizing it. It worried him a little that she might not want his touch anymore, but she didn't pull her hand away, so he continued to hold it, sensing that she needed it. And he couldn't deny that it was pleasant to hold her this way.

Katuri looked at him and smiled sadly. "Do you believe me now that I know how you feel, Reed? About Jolene?"

"Yes," he answered, then added earnestly, "And I'm very sorry that all this happened to you. That was… too much for one person. And that Ehrendil! What a coward, what a weasel! I’m very sorry, Katuri! You didn't deserve any of this!"

"Oh, yeah?" Katuri winced and said resignedly, "You don't know me, Reed. Maybe this was exactly what I deserved. For being naive and easily impressionable."

"No, I don't think so. Yes, I don't know you well, but I know you're a good person, Katuri. You deserve much better! Being naive or trusting doesn’t give people the right to mistreat you. If that wasn't true, would that mean that I also deserved… my heartbreak? To be deceived and fooled? Or was it just someone else's ill will and selfishness?"

Katuri looked at him intently, as if desperately searching for a way to refute his words. Finally, she sighed and said, "You're right. But that means true love not only barely exists, but it's also overrated. And for an orc like me, it's pretty much impossible. Orcs… just don't get to be loved."

Katuri's words were full of disappointment, and they hit him hard at first, but then a moment of clarity came. He smiled at her and said, "I disagree. You know, so far in our stories, only a human girl and an elf boy have been dishonest and vile. But there’s also an example of true and strong love between a human and an orcish woman!"

Katuri frowned, fixing her violet eyes on her knees as if still not convinced.

"Your parents are a great example of overcoming hardship and… stereotypes," he said excitedly, giving her hand a little squeeze. The fact that he was still holding Katuri's hand made their conversation feel even more intimate.

"That's only one rare case…" Katuri whispered, then fell silent mid-sentence, as if she were just realizing what Reed was trying to emphasize.

"Your mother was willing to fight for your father against anyone in your tribe. And he… He gave up a much simpler life among humans and was willing to be mocked and mistreated by the orcs. All of that for… her! If that's not true love, I don't know what could be! Even if they are a rare case, there's always a chance for… everyone," he finished a bit sheepishly.

Katuri snorted at first, but then a soft smile lit up her face. For the first time in a long while, it was a happy smile. "Well, you're right. Rare, but not impossible. Maybe we should never give up hope?"

"A lot of good things are rare in this world. We don't know what lies ahead of us. The future can be surprising!" Reed added with youthful optimism.

Katuri laughed heartily and shook her head. She glanced again at their joined hands. This time she squeezed his hand lightly as if saying ‘thank you,’ then let it go and put it back under the furs, covering Reed snugly.

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