Page 6 of The Orc Chief's Baker
Fades help him.
Her brows rose again, and she shifted her gaze from the bag to his face. “You don’t have to be so timid. I’m not going to hurt you. Never thought I’d have to assure awarriororc of that. You are a warrior, right? Visiting Rove Wood Clan?”
He nodded slowly.
“I’ve heard that you warriors come to collect the healing potions every moon or so.” She released his hand, and it felt likethe sun had set on him. “Really good timing with that cat. You saved my life. Truly. Thank you for saving me.”
He could only nod again. His eyes were so wide he could feel the chilly breeze on them.
“You don’t have to be worried. My village, Oakwall, we’re friendly with orcs. We trade with you twice a moon. I personally have been trading with the orcs of Rove Wood since I was about yay-high.” She tapped her skirt where he supposed her knee would be.
Wide-eyed realization brightened her beautiful face.
“Speaking of”—she held up the dagger by the blade to show the handle—“did you make this?”
Her fingers werefartoo close to the sharp edge and his eyes fixed to them as he nodded in response.
“You did make it? I assume... that means you have access to metal?”
Access to metal?His brows furrowed, but he nodded.
“Wonderful! That makes things much less complicated.”
What... was less complicated? This was so difficult to follow.
A smile spread across her face, and Brovdir was captivated by her once again as she gushed, “It’s really beautiful work. Great quality. The skill is... how often do you visit Rove Wood? I hear the couriers for the tinctures come once a moon or so. Are you here that often?”
His brows pinched.
“Sorry. I suppose I’m muddling things up a bit.” She adjusted the knife to hold the handle again, and he breathed a sigh of relief that she was no longer in danger of cutting herself.
And then she extended her hand out to him.
“I’m Trinia, the baker at Oakwall Village, and I’d like to make a trade with you.”
Chapter
Three
TRINIA
The orc looked at her like she’d just sprouted wings and offered to teach him to fly.
“I swear that honest trade is all I’m looking for.” Trinia held up her hands to look non-threatening, only to realize that she still held the knife. She dropped it back down again. The orc still looked about as uncomfortable as a fish on a line, butFades help her, she really needed this!
“I know humans don’t trade with orcs much outside the Rove Woods,” she continued. “With the war going on, I’m sure it’s dangerous even to try. But Oakwall has been friendly with the orcs of Rove Wood Clan for centuries. We really depend on each other since we’re so cut off from the outside world. Trading between us isn’t just normal, it’sexpected.”
Unfortunately, her diatribe had only resulted in making the orc grow stiff and his feet shifted, as if readying to leave.
She supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised. The poor orc was literally covered in scars. Face, neck, chest... rippling abs...
Her cheeks heated, and she quickly averted her gaze. Most of the orcs in Rove Wood Clan didn’t have muscles like this guy and she really needed tostopogling at him before she scared him off.
She couldnotscare him off. She needed him.
She gestured to the bag of cookies he still had held aloft in his palm. “Why don’t you try those first?” Maybe a little food would get him to calm down and give her something to concentrate on thatwasn’this half naked body.
He hesitated a moment before opening the bag. His brows screwed up, and for a moment, she worried he might be upset with the offering. The vanilla cookies inside hadn’t cooked very well. Divots in the bottom of the pans she was forced to use caused them to overheat too quickly. They still tasted good, but notasgood as they could have, and because of that, they wouldn’t trade well.
