Page 57 of First Comes Orc, Second Comes Baby
“Get out,” Milgrida said, parking and shutting the car off. It wasn't the only car, which made Charlotte feel something. Certainly outnumbered. But maybe this was like a pre-baby shower.
“Will there be cupcakes?” she asked to test the water, clinging to the door handle as Milgrida undid Charlotte’s seat belt.
The Orcess snorted and left the car, slamming the door, and stomped around to Charlotte’s side. She yanked open the passenger door—Charlotte had to let go to protect the integrity of her finger bones,oh my gaaawdOrc females were strong—but there was still a small tussle as Milgrida wrestled her out of the seat.
“Have some dignity, Human,” Milgrida puffed. “This is happening.”
“You haven’t told me what this is! I’d rather survive, and every instinct is firing off right now.”
“Great, you’re not stupid. Don’t make me—”
Charlotte gave up. She wasn’t going to win a fight, and had a feeling Milgrida was going easy on her anyway.
“Let’s go,” the Orcess said, and turned to stride into the forest.
“Wonderful,” Charlotte said, and slowly followed.
* * *
“In the old days,” said Orcess #1—no one had bothered with introductions. “We took the Humans who wanted to join us into the woods and carved our names into their backs.”
She was the eldest looking present, with lines at the corners of her eyes and thick grey hair in a curly mane around her head and shoulders. Like all the Orc females present, her arms were bared by a tank top, and toned. But her biceps also sported scarring.
Charlotte wanted to cringe, but she only blinked—slowly, her most vapid expression fixed to her face, and fished her phone out of her pocket. She figured if she looked pathetic, it would be beneath any of them to actually harm her. It was Brahnt’s fault, really. He’d been filling her head with stories about the female’s circle, and she was now properly terrified.
So Im in the middle of a forest in the middle of nowhere and there are like twenty orc chiks and none of them look friendly
I can’t talk to you about this, Charlotte.
Your mother is dressed like Linda Hamilton. It’s definitely a look
Female’s circle business, Charlotte.
Am I going to survive this
I love you
“Someone take her phone away,” Regine said to the air.
Milgrida held out a hand. Charlotte spent time looking for the phone, a feat since it was right there in her palm, but Milgrida waited.
“And now?” Charlotte asked, handing the phone over, also wondering if hazing was legal. She could have sworn it wasn’t, but then who was going to take these Orcs to court? Technically they were sovereign on any Orc owned land, even smack in the middle of a Human city, one of the main reasons behind the constant protests.
“An Act of Courage,” another female said.
“An Act of Courage?” Charlotte echoed. “Is that a thing or did you all just make it up for me?”
“You’re already pregnant,” Regine said, casting a critical eye over Charlotte, “we took that into account and modified the task. We decided a broken leg or arm won’t hurt the baby but you could still break your back or pelvis. Or your neck.” She smirked, an expression Charlotte didn’t like on Regine’s face one bit.
“Thanks for the consideration, I guess.”
“If you have to pee,” another female called out, “just crouch in one of the bushes. None of us mind. We’ve all been pregnant. Well, not Milgrida.”
“Daylight’s wasting,” Orcess #1 said. “Let’s begin the trial.”
18
As they waited,Charlotte dabbed sweat from her cleavage and forehead, gratefully accepting a glass of iced lemonade and sipping delicately.
