Page 14 of The Orc Chief's Baker
The males all nodded silently and returned to their duties. But there was a distinct energy to them. A kind of unsteady relief and brightness.
Hope.
There was not one of them in this party who had not tried to have a son before. And very few of them had succeeded.
But now, with these humans who did not fear or hate them, they might stand a better chance.
Trinia’s bright face flashed behind Brovdir’s eyes and his breath caught in his newly healed lungs.
“Brovdir.” Karthoc’s voice was a deadly low rumble that quaked in Brovdir’s gut. “Follow me.Now.”
Brovdir didn’t hesitate and he finally clambered back to his feet, though his body danced with the anxiety that he was about to be challenged again. And this time, Karthoc would not hold back.
He followed his brother into the tree line and deep into the forest, past deep springs that were bubbling with healing waters, over fallen logs that were springing with life even in death, around huge trees so thick all fifty of the Warlord’s orcs could fit inside the mighty trunk.
Karthoc finally paused in a clearing and Brovdir stood tense under his brother’s furious gaze.
“What happened?”
Brovdir tried to speak, but all that came out of his throat was a painful garbled growl. The old wound in his neck might have been physically healed but only rest would allow his voice to return. No magic could bring it back.
“Itoldyou to avoid Oakwall. It was myhighestorder. How dare you defy me?”
Brovdir swallowed hard, willing his voice to come so he could explain about the blighted cat that had forced his hand.
“Did she evenseeyou, or are you just caught up in your own blasted urges?”
Brovdir stood tall and tapped next to his eye.
“She really saw your ugly mug and didn’t run screaming?” Karthoc snapped. “Fuck, I guess the warriors might have ablastedchance.”
Brovdir’s gut twisted at the slight.
“I’m already run to the bone trying to get Ergoth and his half-crazed conjurers to see a littlereasonand now I must also add this task as well! How thefuckam I going to manage to introduce fifty orcs to the people of Oakwall? It’s not like I can just show up at their gates! They’ll think we’re there to fuckinginvade.”
Brovdir swallowed hard, worked for the last scrape of volume he had and managed a single word.
“Trade.”
“Trade.” Karthoc searched his face, but Brovdir’s eyes were already watering from the pain that single word caused and he was unable to force another. “What do you meantrade?”
Brovdir held up the beeswax bag and pointed toward Oakwall.
Karthoc searched his face a moment, putting together the parts. “Do you mean the trade Ergoth mentioned? The one they all do with Oakwall twice a moon?”
Brovdir nodded, tapped his chest, the bag, and then pointed toward Oakwall again.
“You saying sheinvitedyou to the trade?”
He gave another swift nod.
“Fuck, Brovdir.” Karthoc threw back his head in exasperation. “Why didn’t you just sneak over there and leave the rest of the males out of it? Why did you have to make this whole thing a fucking blastedmess?”
Brovdir gave his brother a dry, unamused look and jerked his head toward the Rove Wood Clan.
“Don’t give me that. You could have managed to get there somehow...” Karthoc paused, swiped a hand over his face,and cursed under his breath. “Fuck. Fine, you’re right. They would have spotted you. You really met a woman from Oakwall? One whose never met a warrior outsideGovek, with your teeth looking likethatand all your battle-hardened scars, and instead of running like the rest of them do, she fucking gave you sweets and invited you to see her again?”
That pretty much summed it up.
