Page 38 of Marked By Feral Monsters
I did something I shouldn't have. I sought the forbidden, and the only thing I have to show for it is a broken heart. Broken for Ulack, and for me. I left a piece of me behind at that waterfall. Something I'll never get back. And now I'm here, in this place, where I've never felt at home.
Devis berates me, but I shrug him off and walk away. Past the roaring fire, where people are gathering for evening meals. I walk into my tent, crawl under my furs, and cry.
Skyler checks on me before dinnertime, and again later. She returns alone, just as the sky darkens completely. Nudging my leg with her foot, she says, "Come on. Tell me what's wrong. Ergo will be here soon, and I'll be too distracted by your misery to enjoy myself."
That makes me laugh, and she joins in. "I'm kidding. Sort of. Now, tell me what happened today."
I turn in my bed and sit up. "I don't even know where to begin."
"Were you hurt?"
I shake my head.
"Were you lost?"
Another shake.
She huffs and throws her hands in the air. "Well, what happ—"
"I found an orc."
Skyler gasps, slapping a hand over her mouth. "What! Oh my goodness! I can't believe this! And you let Devis just hound you for screwing up! You should have said something; he wouldn't have been so harsh with you."
I roll my eyes. "We both know that's not true. Besides, I don't want Devis to know. And you can't tell anyone, especially not him!"
"Eden, we need to know if orcs are moving into our territory. We need to be prepared to move; the guards need to be ready for attack—"
"No!" I bark. I think back to what Ulack said about humans, how they attack unprovoked. I can picture it now—an orc like Ulack, wandering through the woods, minding his own business, then coming upon a human who doesn't ask questions, just pokes him with his spear out of fear.
I shake my head and try to calm my voice. "No. It wasn't like that. They aren't moving close. In fact…" I hedge, thinking about how much to share. Skyler is my closest friend here. She means well, and doesn't judge me the way the others do. But this secret—it's far bigger than me just screwing up or daydreaming inappropriately.
"I spoke with the orc. He was… kind. He explained the orcs don't care about the humans. They don't want to attack. Seeing their tracks through the woods is just that. Tracks. They searchfor game, same as us. But they aren't actively trying to hurt humans, not unless they're attacked first."
Skyler's eyes grow wide. Her mouth drops open in disbelief. "They… he… waskind? He told you they don't want to attack us?"
"No. They want to keep to themselves."
"So let me get this straight. You spoke with an orc. You had an actual conversation. And he managed to convince you they're harmless?"
"No, that's not what I'm saying. And he wasn't trying to convince me. We were just talking."
Skyler shakes her head, pressing her lips into a thin line. Then she stands and walks to the entrance of our tent, tossing her shiny hair over her shoulder. "Ergo will be here soon. I know you like to listen in, but for once, could you leave and give us a little privacy? You make us both uncomfortable, and it's hard to enjoy myself when I know you're enjoying it, too."
I shrink away, my throat constricted, a useless defense on my tongue.
And with that, she lifts the flap, then disappears into the night. For the second time since I've been back, in less than an hour, I feel deep shame. I don't belong here.
I don't know where else to go.
I gather my heaviest fur, slip out of the tent, then walk to the entrance of the woods. It happens that I end up on the north side of our camp. Just past the clearing, beneath the canopy of a large oak tree, I curl into my furs and cry myself to sleep.
Ulack
It took less than an hour for me to follow Eden back to her village.
Our goodbye gnawed at me. It didn't feel right; it wasn't enough, and I knew I couldn't let her go so easily. Not without knowing whether she felt the same way, if I'd imagined something deeper blossoming between us.
And so I followed her home, and then I lingered, concealed by the forest. And when night came, I watched her carry her furs away from the other cluster of tents, and sleep alone beneath the stars.
