Page 12 of The Orc's Oath

"Okay. Impressive," I said to the thin air around me, not sure if he was actually gone or just invisible. No reply.

"If you can do that, not sure why you're still in this place."

Silence. I shrugged. Okay, I'd give it a day for a chance at having my axe back. I'd need it to get me and my Uk'lah out of here.

When the guards came to get me and took me to my session, I observed them. Hyena and the bald one seemed overly pleased with themselves. They were up to something. If I hadn't agreed to let my Uk'lah kill her own enemies, I'd have downed them on the spot. I had only promised to leave Hyena to her though…

"Zesh!"

Her voice brought me out of my musings. I looked over to where she was pulling books out of a bookshelf in the corner. She was dressed in green today. A deep green like the forests of home. For a moment I felt homesick. I couldn't wait to take her there and show her everything. To watch the stars at night with her.

Our eyes connected, and it felt like an eternity that we gazed at each other. The blue of hers was like the glimpses of the sky that you get through a canopy of trees. I didn't even notice when the guards unshackled me and left. She could disarm me and leave me vulnerable in a way that no one else ever had. In the only way I didn't mind.

"Please, sit."

"I would like to stand for a moment."

"Oh?"

The words of the shadow demon rang through my mind. I wanted to prove myself to her. But he was right, she needed more than fighting from me.

"I'd like to teach you an orcish dance."

She stared at me for a moment, her mouth hanging open.

"It's a simple one, only a few steps," I assured her.

"Umm, okay."

I moved the chairs to the side of the room and then stood in the middle. She put her books down and stood in front of me.

"When I step right, you step left."

I moved right, a slow step, and she copied my movement but moved to the left. Her hips swayed naturally as she copied me.

"Then back the other way."

I let my arms raise as we stepped, and hers flowed upwards like this was completely normal to her. More graceful than I could ever be.

"Then we move around each other, but each keep facing the way we were."

I moved around her in a circle, letting my arms fall again. She caught on to what I was doing immediately. I watched her as long as I could over my shoulder, our eyes locked, until we were back to back. Then continued moving around until we could see each other again. Our eyes latched back onto each other. We did a few more swaying steps, which she copied with ease until I took her hand and spun her around. She laughed and her dress twirled out. My heart felt so full, watching her joy. As we ended face to face, I knew I had never truly known what love was before her. We repeated the steps again a few more times. Her body swayed and swirled in a way that I thought might drive me mad. The tension between us grew until I struggled to resist having her there and then. But I still had to prove myself. I ended the dance with a bow, and she curtsied back.

Bloodletter chirped in my sash, and my Uk'lah glanced in his direction. I fished him out and passed him to her. She cooed and lavished kisses on his head and beak. For a moment I was jealous. But also pleased that they had bonded so well.

"Zesh, I'll look after Bloodletter if you want. Keep him safe. Only if you want."

My heart sang.

"Thank you. But in my tribe an animal sent from the gods is an important thing. You must protect it and keep it by your side always. He must stay with me."

"I understand."

She snuggled the bird with her face again.

"I have been teaching him some fighting tricks to stay safe."

"Fighting tricks?"

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