Page 34 of Halfling
None of this eased the irrational worry that burrowed beneath his skin, making him itch. He petted Darrah absentmindedly, trying to think of where to camp for the night that wouldn’t be too far away. Just in case…
“Orek…?”
The sound of his name fluttering on the breeze had his skin breaking out in bumps. His breath caught in his lungs, and his ears perked, unbelieving.
Over his thumping heart, he heard it. Footsteps cautiously stepped out from the borders of the human village. He’d walked alongside her for days now; he knew her gait when he heard it.
With a hand on Darrah, Orek stood, shouldered his pack, and carefully picked his way silently through the trees.
He went slowly, to be sure it wasn’t a trap.
From behind a massive oak, he spied her.
Sorcha stood all alone amongst the trees, her face turned away from him. Her pupils were blown wide in the growing dark, and her fists were clenched white on the straps of a pack.
“Orek?” she called again, a little less hopeful this time.
Throat bobbing on a nervous swallow, Orek emerged from behind the tree. Her gaze snapped to him, and her chest expanded with a relieved breath as he closed the distance.
To his amazement, a smile blossomed across her face as he neared.
To his frustration, his cock gave an interested kick in his braies.
If he’d thought her lovely before, river-soaked and travel-weary, it was nothing to her clean. With his orcish eyes, he could see the fluffy softness of her clean hair. Her skin had been scrubbed pink and clear of the days of sweat and grime, making all the charming freckles across her cheeks and nose stand in sharper relief. She still wore her coat and boots, but a new shirt and braies clad her limbs. And worst of all, she’d found one of those contraptions human women wore to support their breasts and middles. It emphasized the dip of her waist, lushness of her hips and thighs, and of course the generous swells of her breasts.
“You’re still here,” she said, relief making her tone breathy.
More blood rushed from his head southward, and he was grateful her sight would be poorer than his.
“Are you all right?” he asked. His eyes flicked over her head to assess the village. He didn’t see any torches or angry townsfolk yet, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there.
“I’m fine. I was able to get supplies.” And she hefted her pack to show him.
“You don’t want to stay?”
“I’m not welcome,” she said, the cheerfulness draining from her face.
Another irrational growl worked up his throat, but he bit it back ruthlessly.
Before he could ask, she sucked in a breath, looking suddenly shy. She stepped closer, leaving only an arm’s distance between them. When she looked up at him, her eyes were big pools, drawing him in, a planet to her sun.
“Orek, I…I have something to ask of you. If it’s too much, I understand. It would be a risk for you and possibly dangerous. So it’d be all right if you didn’t want to, it’s not fair of me to ask in the first place, but I don’t want to go alone. I was able to get a map, so I know where I need to go and how long it will take me. It’s a long journey and I thought…” Sorcha bit her lip, cutting off her string of babble. Her cheeks reddened, and she wouldn’t quite meet his gaze.
“Ask,” he said softly.
Her eyes snapped back to his, brows arching in hope.
“Would you take me home?”
Something like a fist squeezed his heart, and Orek felt himself rocking towards her. The simple question shocked and shattered him in ways he didn’t understand. Agreement jumped up his throat, eager and willing, but he swallowed it.
Why would she want me? Surely another human could take her.
When he didn’t answer after another moment, she shifted her weight to one hip.
“I know it’s a lot to ask, and it wouldn’t go unrewarded. My family can compensate you for your trouble. I’ll personally make sure you get whatever you want and need. Anything.”
Distaste had his mouth twisting into a line. He didn’t need a reward or compensation for this.
