Page 101 of The Orc Chief's Baker
It was a wonder she didn’t collapse with relief.
“Brovdir, you can’t just tell her. You know Chief Sythcol’s orders?—”
“Chief.”
The venom in the word almost made Trinia flinch and Iytier blinked.
“I amchief,” Brovdir said firmly. Iytier instantly bowed his head in a nod. “I am chief as much as Sythcol, I have the right to speak these truths. And I have decided I will.”
With that, Brovdir whistled and a messenger bird flew down from the trees and landed on his shoulder. Then he reached into his waistband and produced a paper.
Her sketch of his home.
She blinked at the two-bedroom layout she’d drawn. “Why do you have that?”
Brovdir glanced at her and his cheeks went dark, but instead of answering he shoved the sketch back into his waistband and turned to Iytier. “Fetch a pen and parchment.”
Iytier hesitated. “You... are you really going to send a message to the headman?”
Brovdir stood tall. “You wish to challenge me over it?”
Iytier paused a moment, he glanced back over his shoulder toward the door where Trinia realized Savili was lingering. Her cheeks were wet as she bounced her baby on her hip.
“No,” Iytier said as Savili’s lip trembled. “No. I won’t fight you,ChiefBrovdir. But I hope that you know what you’re doing.”
With those quiet words, Iytier went into the house and fetched the paper Brovdir needed to send the message. Brovdir took it from Iytier gently and began to write before the male had returned to Savili’s side.
She watched him, with his brow set tight and his posture hunched, as he scribbled a message on a tiny note in his palm. He tucked the remaining paper into his waist band and called a messenger bird.
Her chest swelled with emotion she could hardly put a name to. One that made her feel like she was floating. Like she could finally breathe again. Like she was warming up after a hard freeze.
But as she watched the bird fly off, the weight of what was coming settled firmly on her shoulders.
Everything was about to change.
Chapter
Thirty
BROVDIR
The message was sent to Headman Gerald. A call for a meeting with him the next morn. A confession that secrets had been kept from him and that they would be coming to light.
And he felt nothing but an ease of tension in his chest. Nothing but steadfastrelief.
This had been the right thing to do.
“What... are we going to tell Sythcol?” Iytier pulled his woman into his side. His shoulders were tight, and his mouth was held in a firm line.
“You say nothing,” Brovdir said. “I am chief. It is my duty. I will not mention your part.”
Iytier sagged with relief even as he said, “It would be easier with his fury divided between us.”
Brovdir snorted. “You think I cannot stand against his fury?”
Iytier broke a smile.
“Sorry about your back door,” Brovdir said, “I’ll come by later to fix it.”
