Page 77 of The Orc's Rage

“Indeed. Lord Rukhan heard my missive and responded well.” Orgha turned as another orc appeared, a behemoth of a creature with a wide, mighty face. He was even bigger than Kargorr, truly a beast, and he rode the biggest cat to ever live.

“Your presence is greatly welcomed,” Lord Kargorr said as Lord Rukhan dismounted. Rukhan thumped his chest, as did Kargorr in return, and then the other orc’s stern lips broke out into a mad, wicked smile.

“I am only here because Orgha promised me many human heads would roll,” Lord Rukhan said with a feral look in his eye. “I will join any effort to this end, as strange as it might be to find so many of our kind squirreled away in one place.” He eyed the massiveparogthat had doubled in size already. “I hope that there is still room for us.”

“We will make room.” Kargorr’s voice carried over the sound of drumbeats. “And we will then move southward, to take what is ours.”

He knew Cedar was approaching before he even saw her, and turned to bring her under his arm. Orgha quirked a brow, but did not speak.

“Make yourself at home,” Lord Kargorr said, “though please, do not insult myyapiraor she may strike you the way she struck Lord Gannag last night.”

A huge, booming laugh streamed out of Lord Rukhan.

“A human, no less,” he said, eyeing Cedar’s belly. “I thought we were here to kill them, not breed them.”

She tensed at Kargorr’s side, but he stroked her arm.

“I do not know if all of them are as bullheaded as mine,” said Kargorr, “but she is as fierce as any orc and will raise fine warriors. Many of them.”

Lord Rukhan seemed to consider this as they began welcoming in the new arrivals. It would be madness for some time, Lord Kargorr knew, trying to get them all settled. But he handed out commands, and Orgha spread the word, even as he reunited with his ownyapira.

They would have time later, but for now, the construction of Kargorr’s mighty city would begin.

37

Cedar

The clan grew and grew, until the camp had become more of a city. Carn kept Cedar busy curing new hides to be sewn into tents, to help accommodate the massive influx of orcs that had taken over the camp. More trees had been felled and carved into posts, then piled high for future bonfires.

Though there were more mouths to feed, there were also more hunters and more livestock that had come with the travelers. And every night, more orcs crossed the lines, and Cedar foresaw dozens of ceremonies in the future between those who had been here, and those who had recently arrived, their unions tying all the groups together.

A distinct change came over Lord Kargorr in the days and weeks following. In the evenings, he told her everything that he had done that day in the new, largerparogas he rubbedkujaover the pink lines forming on her swollen belly. He had conflicts with the other lords over how to proceed, and the role of peacemaker did not come naturally to him. He would tell her what they argued about, and to her surprise, asked Cedar what she thought.

She gave him as wise counsel as she could, advising him how to play the other lords against each other to get what he wanted, how he could weasel them into agreeing to his proposals by doling out fodder for their egos.

And Kargorr listened raptly to her, then reported back how well it went.

“Orgha thinks I have lost my mind,” he said one evening as they sat on the floor in front of the fire, blankets and furs piled around them in a nest. “Allowing them to ‘walk all over me,’ as he put it.”

“You are the puppet master.” Cedar leaned back into his hard body, and he reached around her belly to cup it in his hands. “The puppet master’s moves should be invisible.”

He chuckled into her hair. “My cleveryapira.” He kissed her there, his lips traveling down to the nape of her neck, his hand trailing up to her breasts, which grew larger with each passing day. They were also more sensitive now, and so Kargorr was gentle with her nipples as he teased them. “Is this how you mastered me? With your tiny strings?”

She chuckled as she kissed the palm of his hand. “Like gentling a cat.”

When he took her, he was more careful with her, and Cedar had to ask for him to fuck her harder.

Kiya was old enough that he could no longer sleep in their tent, as big and clawed as he had become, and so he moved out to sleep among the other cats. There were many new arrivals, and Kargorr appreciated it would improve the diversity of the group and prevent inbreeding.

Though Cedar missed Kiya at times, she went and saw him often, and whenever she called his name, he came running. He would snuffle at her hand, purring as she scratched behind his ears, and she always fell to her knees to hug him before she left again.

He was happier there, she knew, and the pang of loneliness she expected to feel never came. Day by day, Cedar grew more anxious to meet their orcling. Carrying it was no easy task, either. She grew quickly and often visited the healer to see that all was well. The oldshosekstill sneered down her nose at Cedar, but she didn’t dare speak out against her lord’syapira. She applied salves to keep away stretch marks and tested the orcling’s position in Cedar’s belly with her hands.

“It is healthy,” she would say in Orcish. “Healthy and... strong.” She hesitated on the last word, as if she didn’t want to admit it, but it was too true to ignore.

And their orcling was growing strong, Cedar could feel it with every passing day.

“You are full to bursting with me,” Lord Kargorr would say, cupping her belly as if to take off some of the weight and carry it for her. Then he would kiss her throat, and palm one of her swollen breasts, even in the middle of theparog. Other orcs gave him appreciative nods, showing their respect for him and hisyapira.

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