Page 27 of My Fated Orc Hero

“Thokk, archives and old documents ... records, that’s my wheelhouse.”

“Your what?”

“That’s what I do. I practically lived in libraries for like six years in school. I’m coming with you.”

“Fine. Admittedly, books arenotmy wheelhouse.”

“That’s what I’m saying!” She leans over and plants a kiss on my cheek, rubbing a tusk before pulling away.

How does she know I like that?

We spend the next little while preparing for our trip.

It is still early, but regardless as we make our way, I make sure we take the least travelled paths as we head toward the woods first. Zoe once again reluctantly donning her "prisoner" disguise. We decide that even out of sight, it’s best she have the collar on, just in case.

"This whole Slave Leia look is overrated" she says.

“Slave who?”

Never mind, she quickly replies, eyes twinkling despite the circumstances.

"Just do what you did last night. It worked perfectly."

“Umhm. If you promise another massage, I’ll think about it.”

“Done!” With that, we begin our journey, skirting the edge of town, ducking behind market stalls and ancient oaks. As we near the town square, I spot Murk, the dwarf shopkeeper, strolling the street.

"Quick!" I pull Zoe into a shadowy alley. We press against the cool stone, my body instinctively shielding her smaller frame. Her warmth against me is... distracting.

Once Murk passes, we make a dash for the imposing stone building housing the archives. Just as we reach the steps, I hear a familiar voice.

"Thokk! There you are!"

I turn to see Elowen, our town witch, approaching. Thinking fast, I growl at Zoe, "Stay put, prisoner," before striding to meet Elowen.

"Any luck finding your cat?" she asks.

"Not yet," I reply gruffly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have ... prisoner business to attend to."

Elowen's eyes narrow suspiciously, “Oh a prisoner? Is that the story you’re going with?”

“Yes, of course she’s my prisoner. Can’t you see she is a human!”

“I see alright.” There is an unmistakable twinkle in her eye. “Most curious. A female showing up just like that in town. A human female no less. Most curious indeed.”

“Yes, very curious. Now if you don’t mind, we must be on our way ...”

This is not the time to confide in anyone. It is regrettable anyone is even aware of her presence.

“Mmhhm.” There is a definite smirk on Elowen’s face, but she says no more and simply nods and continues on her way.

After finding an open door, we sneak inside the archive. Confronted with row upon row of leather-bound texts, Zoe's eyes go wide. "This place is incredible!" She practically skips down an aisle, running her fingers along ancient spines as I follow along. “Put this on my list of places to return to!”

I follow her lead as we dive into our search, pouring over crumbling scrolls and faded tomes. Zoe's enthusiasm is infectious, and I find myself smiling, despite the seriousness of our mission.

"Oh my god, look at this!" she gasps, pointing to a faded illustration. "It shows humans and trolls – at least I think they are trolls - working together!"

I lean in, my heart racing. "You're right, good start, and they are, but it's not enough. We need more concrete evidence."

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