Page 31 of Lonely Orcish Girl

As he started to walk, he grabbed Katuri's hand again and held it tightly to show her his support. The orcish girl looked at him hesitantly, and her face showed a mixture of emotions, but the clearest was determination. Her violet eyes sparkled, and she even forced herself to smile. Reed smiled at her too, feeling truly proud of her.

Soon, the whole group gathered in front of the old healer's house.

CHAPTER NINE

The narrow interior of Marga's house was now crowded. Inside were Reed, Katuri, Zachary, Matzie, Zed, and two other council members. The rest of the villagers waited outside, gathered in small groups.

The old woman lay on the bed, looking even skinnier and older than usual. She seemed almost lifeless, but she was still conscious—her eyes slowly moved over the people in the room and stopped on Katuri. A faint smile crossed Marga's face, and she raised her hand toward the orcish girl. Katuri knelt beside the bed and gently took Marga's hand.

The room fell silent, and everyone could hear Marga's weak voice say, "Hello, my child. It's good to see you again."

Katuri nodded respectfully and then delved into the details of the healer’s condition. The others listened intently, and Reed watched their reactions. He saw a change in their faces as they realized that Katuri had extensive knowledge of herbal treatments. Seeing Marga, with all her wisdom and experience, trust Katuri with her life seemed to convince them.

After the discussion, Katuri stood and motioned for everyone to go outside. She then turned to the council elders. Reed stood beside her, watching the villagers approach, including Esther, Martha, and the others who had previously been hostile to the orcess.

"Marga needs a stronger dose of the antidote to counteract the poison. She said she had a small amount of the base potion that slowed the toxin, but now she needs something extra—a herb to help cleanse her blood. If I can give it to her quickly, I believe she can recover fully," Katuri explained matter-of-factly. "I know the plant I need and the type of forest floor where it grows, but I need someone who knows these woods well to guide me."

"I can guide you, Katuri!" Matzie volunteered. “I know the forest around here pretty well.”

Reed looked at Matzie with newfound respect. Given recent events, she had really grown as a person.

"Perfect. Let's set off, then. We can be back before dark," Katuri replied.

Matzie needed to grab a few more things and ran back into Marga's house. Zachary wished Katuri good luck and stepped aside. The crowd parted respectfully, gathering again in smaller groups. Reed overheard some villagers making plans to prepare food at the campfire and bring out barrels of moonshine and ale. It seemed they were settling in to wait for the outcome.

Katuri turned to Reed, her face set with determination.

"It shouldn't take more than two hours," she said quietly, so the others wouldn't hear. “If Matzie's right, the plant should be fairly easy to find.”

Reed nodded and wrapped his arms around her waist. He leaned in and whispered, "I really admire you for doing this, Katuri. These people don't deserve your kindness."

"But you deserve it." Katuri looked him straight in the eye. "And Marga needs my help. I've only met her a few times, but she was always kind to me. She never showed fear or disrespect. And you saw that not everyone was against me. This is my chance, Reed—the same chance my father had—to show themthat I have good intentions, that I just want to... live with you, in peace."

"I want that too." He pulled her into a kiss. He needed it so much. And he wanted everyone to see them together, to know that Katuri was his woman and that nothing they said could change that.

A little later, Matzie returned, and she and Katuri headed into the forest. Reed watched their silhouettes, so different in size, then leaned against the fence and sank into his thoughts.

Suddenly, he felt someone watching him. He turned and met Petyr's dark eyes. Petyr stood with Jolene and a group of their peers. They were all glancing at Reed, some with neutral expressions, others with lingering distrust. Only Jolene and Petyr seemed different—Jolene with uncertainty, and Petyr with a hint of challenge.

"You wanted to say something, Petyr?" Reed asked loudly, making sure the whole group could hear.

"Yeah, I did." Petyr nodded. "What's with the change, man? Going green or what? Did she enchant you or something? You seem... different." He smirked, and Reed didn't like it. But if Petyr wanted to keep pushing, Reed wouldn't back down.

"Oh, do I?" Reed shot back. "Well, maybe it's because I almost died, Petyr. And then I was saved by her. I learned to appreciate honorable actions over someone's skin color."

Petyr's smirk faded slightly as Reed's words hit their mark. The group looked uncertain, but only Petyr seemed unaffected.

"It changed my perspective," Reed continued, his voice harsh. "I began to see what really matters."

"Because of that... orcish gal? Come on, you can't tell us that she—" Petyr began, but Reed cut him off.

"Yes, because of Katuri! That's her name!" Reed snapped.

"But you barely know her, Reed!"

"You're wrong," Reed said firmly, silencing Petyr. "I haven't known Katuri for long, but I've learned more about her through her actions than I ever needed to know. When I was in the forest, during the storm, totally messed up and dying, Katuri selflessly helped me. She gave me shelter, fed me, cared for me when I was feverish, and nursed me back to health. She's a great healer—her mother taught her well."

Reed paused, letting his words sink in. He looked around at their faces, stopping at Jolene. She lowered her gaze, unable to meet his eyes.

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