Page 23 of Sorcery, Swords & Scones
Lira’s jaw dropped then she jerked one shoulder. “I guess that’s fair, but this is regular cake. No magic. I did promise, you know.”
Sass finally took the cake from Lira, the warmth of it seeping through the cloth and into her fingers. “I suppose baking solved a lot of problems when we were trying to attract folks back to the tavern. Didn’t you also use an apple cider cake as a thank you after Korl made you an oven?”
Lira's cheeks flushed pink, but she laughed. "I might have, which is how I know it works. No magic needed.”
Sass lifted the wrapped cake to her nose, inhaling the rich scents of cinnamon and tart apple cider that wafted from the cloth. “If this works, I’ll owe you one.”
Her friend squeezed her shoulder gently. "That's what friendsdo. Now go on, before you lose your nerve and the cake loses its heat.”
Sass gave a determined nod as she left her apron on the bar and strode from the tavern. The door of The Tusk & Tail closed behind her with a soft click, and she took a beat to breathe in the cool air. Even though she’d left the Ice Lands and didn’t miss the cold, she also wasn’t sad that cooler weather was coming. It was more reason to pull a chair up around a fire and sip hot drinks, which Sass counted among her favorite things to do.
The gravel crunched under her boots as she made her way along the familiar path; the stream gurgling on one side and horses' hooves shuffling in the distance on the other. As she approached the stone bridge that spanned the stream, Sass could smell the lingering traces of heated metal and wood smoke from the day's work at the blacksmith's forge.
The combined blacksmith and wheelwright workshops stood on the far side of the bridge, and smoke still drifted from the forge's chimney, suggesting that Vorto and Klaff had been working late into the evening. The house attached to the workshops spilled golden light from its windows, and Sass could see movement through them as she hurried across the bridge.
She paused when she reached the door, her heart knocking against her ribs. The cake in her arms was leaden, and she couldn’t seem to raise an arm to knock. What if Val was angry at her? Or worse, what if she’d misread the situation entirely and Val didn’t care?
One foot was poised to spin her around, but she gritted her teeth and rapped one knuckle on the door before she could talk herself out of it. When there was nothing but silence inside, her heart plummeted.
“Hells and cinders,” she muttered as she looked back at the bridge and wondered how fast her short legs could take her back over it. “This was a mistake.”
Sixteen
Before she could puther running to the test, the door swung open to reveal Klaff's dusky green, weathered face. The orc's eyes widened in surprise, then crinkled with genuine pleasure.
"Sass!" he boomed, his voice almost knocking her back a step. "What brings you out so late? And what's that delicious smell?"
"Apple cider cake," she managed, holding up the bundle. "Lira made it and… I brought it.”
Her nonsensical explanation did not dissuade the orc. Sass guessed she needed little excuse when she came bearing a cake.
“Apple cider cake!" Vorto's voice carried to them from inside the house, followed by the scrape of a chair being pushed back. "Did someone say apple cider cake?"
Klaff chuckled and stepped aside, gesturing for her to come in. "You'd better get in here before my husband tramples us both in his eagerness."
The interior of the orcs' home was warm and welcoming, with thick wooden beams overhead and a massive iron table that dominated the main room. The orc-sized furniture made Sass feel like achild again, but the feeling wasn't unpleasant. It was cozy in the way that only truly lived-in spaces could be.
"Sass!" Vorto emerged from what she assumed was the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dish towel the size of a blanket. His face lit up at the sight of the cake. "And apple cider cake? Lira's apple cider cake? I don’t know what we did this time to deserve it, but far be it from me to question good fortune.”
Sass couldn't help but smile at the orc’s enthusiasm, some of her nervousness beginning to fade. But then she caught sight of the figure sitting at the far end of the table, and her heart did that peculiar little skip it always did when Val was near.
The guard looked up as Sass entered, her blue eyes reflecting the lamplight. She managed a wary smile as her large hands fidgeted with what looked like an unevenly knitted section of scarf.
"I'll just put this on the table," Sass said, her voice sounding higher-pitched than intended. She unwrapped the cake, revealing a golden-brown surface that was crackled and sugary.
"Beautiful!" Vorto declared, already moving toward a cabinet to retrieve plates and a knife. "Absolute perfection.”
His husband peered over his shoulder, nodding approvingly. "Lira's gotten as good as her gran, and that's saying something."
Within moments, the cake was hacked into generous slabs and distributed around the table on platter-sized plates. Sass sat across from Val, acutely aware of every movement the other woman made. The orcs insisted everyone try the cake immediately, their enthusiasm brooking no argument. Sass knew from Lira that Klaff and Vorto did not believe in saving food for later or in savoring baked goods over many days.
Orcs lived in the moment, enjoying things fully and not worrying about the future, and Sass couldn’t argue with their life philosophy.
It took two hands for her to maneuver the giant fork so she could take a bite, but when she did, Sass was rewarded with the perfect blend of warming spices and sweet apples. At any othertime, Sass would have savored every morsel. Tonight, however, the nervous flutter in her stomach overshadowed her love of cake.
"Lira really has outdone herself," Val said, which Sass realized was the first time the guard had spoken since she’d arrived.
Vorto was already reaching for a second slice when Klaff cleared his throat meaningfully. "I believeweshould go to bed. We have an early day tomorrow."
