Page 18 of The Orc Chief's Baker
“My great-grandmotherbuiltthis bakery, Ulia. My grandmother and mother worked together to furnish it. Even the creation of the oven was overseen by them personally. I can’t leave it behind.”
Ulia let out a long, ragged sigh. “You’re too loyal for your own good, Trinia.”
It wasn’t just loyalty; it was tradition. But that wasn’t something that Trinia felt she could explain to Ulia or anyone. Trinia spent almost every moment in this bakery. She evenlivedhere, sleeping on a cot made of old flour sacks near the back behind the oven. Her devotion to this place wasn’t just out of a love for her family, this bakery was her entireworld.
Despite this determination, Trinia found her eyes lingering on the paper in Ulia’s hand. The little floor plan she’d made. The delight she’d felt in the task even as she was swinging upside down...
She pushed it out of her mind and went back to concentrating on finishing the rosemary rolls.
The door to her bakery swung open and Trinia barely managed to withstand a groan as her sister walked through the door.
Yerina was dressed to impress. The tight red wool gown she wore accentuated every one of her sister’s best features. Wide hips, large breasts, golden shimmering hair.Whereshe had gotten such a gown was a mystery Trinia didn’t want to know the answer to, though she suspected the missing pans had something to do with it.
“Govek is coming to the trade today!” Yerina announced without preamble.
Trinia felt her eyebrows arch despite herself, and Yerina, unfortunately, latched right onto her surprise.
“It’s true, sister! The headmanjustspoke to me about it! And he’s going to be namedchieftoo. Can youbelieve?” Yerina came over and clutched Trinia on the shoulders so tightly it stung. “Now I need your help. I need you to make yourbestbread for me to give to him so I can win him back.”
Trinia’s mouth dropped open, and she sputtered. “I don’t have time for that. The trade is in an hour!”
“Of course you’ll make time for it!” Yerina demanded. “I’m going to becomematriarchof Rove Wood Clan. Just think of what that means foryou.”
Almost nothing from what Trinia could figure. She tried to move out of Yerina’s grasp. “Even if I did have time, you’ve stolen all of my good pans. Icouldn’tmake extra bread for him even if I wanted to.”
Yerina pursed her perfect red lips. Her cheeks had rouge on them and her eyes were darkly outlined with coal. She must have visited Leanna and gotten the woman to fancy her up. “Did you not hear me, sister? Govek is going to bechiefand I’m going tobematriarch.It would be rather stupid of you to defy me in my time of need, wouldn’t it?”
Trinia’s breath caught as Yerina’s expression turned hard and calculating.
“Maybe if you helped instead of stealing, things would have moved in your favor.”
Yerina moved her attention to Ulia, and Trinia shifted out of her sister’s grasp.
“This has nothing to do with you, little girl,” Yerina said as Ulia rose her brows. Trinia also thought it was a stretch to call the nineteen-year-old a little girl. “Don’t you have some wood to whittle?”
That quip got Ulia to scowl. But instead of backing down, she said, “I’m shocked you would even believe the rumors that Govek would become chief. We all know that’s never going to happen.”
“Headman Gerald told mehimself,” Yerina said with far too much confidence. “You would know if you’d gone to the meeting this morning.”
Trinia’s back straightened and Ulia gave her a quick look before saying, “My parents were there. I can find out the truth from them. I’ll come back and let you know, Trinia.”
Trinia nodded, but no relief came when none of Yerina’s haughty arrogance diminished.
She was telling the truth.
“I’ll ask Victir to come pull your cart for you too,” Ulia said quickly before giving a little wave and hurrying out the door into the chilly autumn morning. A tiny breeze cooled Trinia’s overheated skin and then it shut tight, and she was trapped in the stifling heat.
With her sister.
Who was now curling up her nose at the sight of the blackened mess. “What isthis? I can’t give this to Govek!When did you become such a horrible baker? Mother would be ashamed.”
Trinia took a deep breath and ignored her bait. “Headman Gerald is really going toletyou come to the trade, Yerina?”
“Of course he is!” Yerina tossed the burned bread she’d been examining back into the pile causing a handful of loaves to roll off onto the floor. “After you almost got attacked by that blighted cat yesterday, he knows how important it is to get Rove Wood’s best hunter back in our good graces!”
That was true. Govek had been the one to cull most of the blighted animals. But still, after everything Yerina had done and all the lies she’d spread, it seemed more prudent to keep herawayfrom Govek.
Trinia wasn’t going to argue. She knew from experience that if her sister was involved, it was best to stay out of it.
