Page 134 of The Orc Chief's Baker
“He’s fine, Headman Gerald,” Trinia said as he quickly went back to digging her leg out of the muck. It popped free, and he gave it a quick once over. She was no worse for wear. Thank the Fades.
Headman Gerald let out a sharp breath that seemed to give him courage, and he stepped in closer to the huge sinkhole. Little waves lapped gently at the muddy banks. It seemed the intake had slowed to nearly a halt now that the outtake was plugged.
“Careful, Headman!” Estoc’s oldest son proclaimed. “It’s undercut there, I think.”
Headman Gerald backed off and examined the group with confusion before his eyes found the group of thirty or so boys with their arms outstretched toward the wall. The younger sons had their brows knitted with concentration, but the older ones looked almost relaxed.
“Are you boys all right?”
“Course we’re all right! It’s just a little bit of magic. Can’t you see that?” one son said snidely.
“Humans can’t see magic, you dolt!”
“You’re doing well, boys. Keep it up while we call for help,” Headman Gerald said in a much more powerful voice. He straightened his back and looked around with more purpose. “Everyone on the other side of the wall has been moved, but we need to brace it. You boys can’t hold that magic all night.”
“Bet you we could!”
“I’m not even breaking a sweat!”
Headman Gerald turned to Brovdir. “This is what you were meeting with me about tomorrow, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “And... more...” His throat felt like open blisters were being grated with a metal file.
“Let’s speak on it tomorrow,” Headman Gerald said with a sure nod. “One task at a time. Could your warriors cut down and carry some larger trees? We could use those to brace the wall.”
Brovdir rose his brows but nodded.
“You want to use the warriors?” Trinia asked. “Folks won’t be put off by them?”
Headman Gerald shook his head and dug in his coat pocket for some paper. “It’s high time we saw the benefit of having warrior orcs in these woods. The tension between our communities has gone on far too long.”
With that, he held out the parchment to Brovdir expectantly.
Brovdir exhaled with relief and took it. Trinia gave his arm a squeeze as he began to write.
As the birds flew off, Elder Plog approached. “I suppose the conjurers can help cut down trees too, as long as they’re willing to learn the magic from me.”
Brovdir’s brows rose at the elder and the male shrugged.
“Physical tasks have always been put to the wayside in our clan. It’s not the kind of magic Ergoth liked to have taught, so nobody knows it. But I learned it long ago all on my own. Great fun to throw things at people too far away to know it was you!” Elder Plog said with a laugh.
“So, you taught it to the boys? Just now?” Trinia asked as Brovdir helped her to her feet. Her leg seemed to hold weight well.
“Earlier during the digging.” The elder shrugged. “Too many big rocks, too many small hands. You know, it’s not hard to learn it if you try. This kind of magic is what we’remeantto do. Orcs are guardians of the land. We aren’t supposed to use the Fadesgifts to force growth. We’re meant to workwithFaeda, not try to change it. We forgot that along the way.”
Brovdir’s shoulders sagged as he thought of his brethren who had never even tried to commune with the Fades before.
A warm hand patted his shoulder, and he looked down at Elder Plog’s kind face. “We’ve all lost our way, haven’t we? All lost the purpose the Fades set us before they went into the great unknown.”
“You mean when they went to sleep?” one of the sons asked.
The elder chuckled and shrugged and Brovdir could not fathom what Plog meant by any of this, but after today, he would never again think the male’s odd words were entirely nonsense.
“Brovdir,” Headman Gerald said, “if your orcs cut and place the trees, my men can build braces at the bottom.”
Brovdir considered. “Set in holes?”
“Yes, that’s a good idea. We’ll need some for both sides. How many trees do you think it could take?”
