Page 26 of Alien Orc Warlord's Captive Bride

I turn, my eyes wet, and run from the Orc village. I race down the mountainside, then stop, panting. Ragnar said it's filled with traps and pitfalls. Any false step, and I could fall into a hole with spikes, and my death would be meaningless.

I need to get down to the army, to give myself up to Lord Ashbourne. If he gets back his bride, maybe then, I can end this. Lord Ashbourne is only brave because he has the King's backing. I look up—the third, surviving black bird is flying back towards Ashbourne's palace.

Did it drop all of its payload?

Or was the loss of two of them too much for the King to withstand?

He keeps a tenuous grasp on this land only through his superior technology, forbidden to commoners. The Lords get rifles and powerful armor for their troops, but the King himself has works of intellect that seem like magic to us. Losing two of the deadly scouting birds could be unacceptable to him.

If I turn myself in, and say that Chieftain Ragnar sent me as a peace offering, would it be enough to end this?

I don't know.

But I have to try.

"Where do you think you're going?" The words are filled with hate, and I turn.

Behind me is Gorak. He's over seven feet tall, and his face is burned, his chest covered in fresh white marks, but he stands tall and powerful.

"You brought this on us, worm. You corrupted our Chieftain," he snarls, his face a rictus of agony. He clutches his war axe in a white-knuckled grip. "You deserve to die."

"Gorak. Listen to me. Bring me down to Lord Ashbourne. Show me the way through the traps. I'll tell Ashbourne that Ragnar gave me up to him. That he knows he can't stand against the armies." My voice is wracked with emotion, knowing I am damning myself to the worst captivity I can imagine, knowing it is the only way to save the tribe.

"It won't stop him. Nothing can stop him now."

"You don't need to stop him. You just need to show that your species is broken. Subdued. And the King will not risk his technologies, not when he's made his point. Ashbourne can't stand alone. He only dares a full out assault with the King’s backing… but the King is loath to lose his ancient technologies. To lose two of those black birds against Orcs is unacceptable to him."

I don’t know if I believe my own words. Once an Orc has defied a human Lord working for the King, maybe the only way for this to end is in blood.

But maybe, just maybe, I can end this myself.

Gorak's eyes, filled with hate, narrow.

"Why should I trust you, worm?"

"Because I love him. I don't want you all to die." I raise my hand, showing him the fresh cut, my blood mixed with Ragnar's. "I am Ragnar's wife. And I will be given up to Ashbourne, the ultimate sign that Ragnar is broken."

"Damn you. Damn you!" he says, but he puts his axe back into his belt. "I should throw you off this mountainside. Ragnar was strong, until you filled his fool head with fantasies."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but you can end this all. You can save your tribe, when he couldn't."

His lips curl back in a grin. "You're right. I can save them. Me, alone. Ragnar no longer deserves to be the Chieftain."

He steps forward, and I can smell the stink of chemical on him, the burning of flesh, and he wraps his powerful hand around my arm, throwing me over his shoulder, grunting as I grate against his tender flesh.

"So little you weigh. So meaningless, to have brought this death to my people."

He carries me roughly down the mountainside, stepping carefully in places to avoid triggering traps, bouncing me as he rushes me down the face of the mountain, until we are above the tundra, huge boulders looming over us, nearly at the bottom of the peaks I wish I could call home.

A few miles away, the pennants of Ashbourne's army flutter in the wind. "Sing, little bird. Sing and make sure they know Ragnar is broken."

"I will," I say, my voice choked.

I look back up at the mountains. No matter what Lord Ashbourne does to me, no matter how he punishes me or takes out his anger on me, I'll know that the tribe is safe. That Ragnar is up there, alive, eating meat, setting up the nets, providing for his people.

After the trio of black birds spewed their fire over his village, I know he won’t risk more death of those he is sworn to protect to come after me.

At least, that is what I hope…

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