Page 41 of Marked By Feral Monsters
"Well, what are you all doing just standing around? Kill the orc!" Devis demands. I scream and jump in front of Ulack.
Ulack picks me up, so I'm seated in the crook of his elbow. I point at Devis. "Don't you dare hurt him!"
"My god, girl. I knew you were stupid, but this?" He's incredulous, but doesn't pause for long. "Then I guess you've made your bed, haven't you? Kill them both!"
Ulack roars, but fortunately, the guards don't attack just yet. It's Ergo that calls out. "Wait, Elder Devis, perhaps we should—"
"Do you not understand orders, boy? I saidkill them!"
Ulack hugs me tighter. I can feel his fear. My poor gentle giant. I turn in his arms, but he doesn't loosen his grip. I say tothe guards, "He isn't here to hurt you. He's here for me. Just let us go. We won't bother you again."
"Eden!" Skyler shouts from the trail. "What are you doing? Don't do this!"
I point to Devis. "He'll have me killed if I stay. It isn't safe for me. Besides, why would I stay? There's nothing here for me. There never was."
I can see my words hurt her, and she flinches. Perhaps feeling bad for the way she's treated me the last few days. But can't she see I was right? Ulack isn't here to attack.
"It's a trick!" Devis shouts. "He's brought a horde with him. Our village is under attack. We must fight back!" He sounds frantic, flailing about, and for the first time, I think everyone sees what I've always seen when I look at the old man.
A power-hungry storyteller.
"There is no horde. No attack," Ulack says calmly. "I will take my Eden and we will leave." His voice doesn't shake, but I can tell he's nervous they won't let us go. He could probably take them, even without a weapon, if he's forced to fight back.
But we both know I would be collateral damage, now that I'm in his arms.
I think that's all I've ever been to my villagers.
"Let us leave," I say again, more firmly. The guards look from me and Ulack, standing here, calmly asking to leave peacefully, then to Devis, who is still flailing about and shouting exaggerations about orc attacks, and violence and blood and gore.
Ulack is the only one bleeding.
"It was his tracks we saw a few weeks ago," I tell them, then pointedly look at Skyler. She was there with me. She started this, in a way, going on about orc tracks and how close they were to our camp.Shebegan this hysteria.
We trade places for once, and I see a little shame in her eyes too. "Eden is right. All I saw were a couple of simple tracks. Nothing close to camp. And I've been casing the forest all week. There are no other tracks, even from the north. We are safe. We should let them leave."
Devis snarls, "The stupidity must be contagious. You've been spending too much time with her!" He points a crooked, bony finger at me. Ergo moves to stand beside Skyler, and I wonder if they've become more than bedmates. Perhaps time alone with me out of the tent has given their relationship space to bloom.
Look at me. I fall for an orc, and suddenly, I'm a romantic.
Orah stands beside the old man and waves a hand. "Be quiet, Devis. That's enough. We will let the girl go." She pins me with a glare. "You've got the clothes on your back. You may leave, girl, but do not return. You are no longer welcome in our village if this is the path you choose."
I look around at all the familiar faces. These people I've known my entire life, have grown up with. Skyler's eyes water. She presses her lips together, but makes no move to convince me to stay.
I feel like I don't know them at all.
And this hurts. It really hurts to be cast out so easily.
But Ulack, bracing me, protecting me, offers more comfort than anyone else has, my whole life.
"Goodbye, Skyler," I say. "Ergo. Tika."
They both nod. A tear spills from Skyler's eyes, but she says nothing. Ulack takes a step backward, then another, afraid to give them his back. He's right not to trust them.
The spears don't lower. But eventually, he turns his back on my people, and carries me away into the forest.
Eden
We're quiet. I don't know where he's taking me, but he doesn't put me down. That's okay with me. It feels good to be in his arms. Safe. Cared for.
