Page 92 of The Orc Chief's Baker
But she couldn’t help herself.
She picked up the first slip.
Toclad Clan and Welvio Clan are both preparing to travel. Suspected arrival, late winter. Estimated 430 adult orcs, 90 sons, 12 mates. Needs at least 200 new homes in Rove Wood to accommodate.
Trinia read the parchment again. And then a third time. Still, she couldn’t quite understand what she was reading.
They’d been told that warrior orcs were coming to settle in the Rove Woods, but only a few hands’ worth. Perhaps fifty at the most.
Four hundred and thirty adult orcs.Two hundred new homes.
That . . . didn’t make sense.
She shouldn’t snoop anymore. This wasn’t her business.
Shereallyshouldn’t.
But she did anyway.
She picked up the stack of parchment and began to read.
Arrival at Toclad. Told of prophecy. Refusing to leave. Want to wait till spring. -Karthoc
Trinia’s hand was shaking as she picked up another.
Toclad relented after Seer showed Earth vision to Chief. Will leave after preparations are made. Suspected late winter arrival. 203 males, 52 sons, 8 mates. -Karthoc
Earth vision? What did that mean?
Why were the warrior orcs from outside Rove Wood comehere?
She scoured over every letter, parchment, and note on the desk, searching for answers. Hands shaking. Blood hot. Her breathing grew heavy.
She didn’t find any details she wanted. Nothing about the prophecy or the seer’s vision. But one thing was certain.
The orcs of Rove Wood, including Brovdir, were keeping far more secrets than she could ever have fathomed.
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
BROVDIR
Brovdir stepped out of his home, into the crisp, chilly morning feeling lighter and fuller than he’d ever been in all his years.
The sun was bright, birds chirped in the trees despite the winter cold, and the clan members he passed were both lively and pleasant.
He could not wait to get back to Trinia.
But he needed to find a way tokeepher first.
“Brovdir, hold a moment!”
He would have groaned had he not been in such a good mood. He turned to find Plog rushing over to him as fast as his elderly legs could carry. The male certainly was spry for his old age.
“Brovdir, you look fit. I suppose last night perked you right up.”
Irritation flashed behind his eyes, but his spirits were too high to censure the male. “What do you need, Elder?”
