Page 100 of The Widow and the Orcs

Itwas the flyer they’d begun printing and distributing the day before, with the text they’d all finally agreed upon.AndatRosa’ssuggestion,Louisahad reluctantly agreed to have one delivered toRikard, with a personal written invitation for him to attend.Infoolish hopes that perhaps it was a kind neighbourly gesture, or at least a fair warning, if nothing else.

Butpredictably,Rikardonly looked enraged, his eyes goggling, his hand furiously waving the flyer in midair. “Answerme,Louisa!” he demanded. “Whatthe hell is this?!”

Louisa’sirritation was already far too close, and she couldn’t stop her heavy sigh, or the roll of her eyes. “Whatthe hell do you think it is,Rikard?” she shot back. “Abiscuit?Aboat?Abarn?”

Behindher, bothKillikandSunesnickered, andRikardrounded toward them, his mouth contorting. “Howdare you,” he hissed. “Howdareyou do something like this,Louisa!Mostof all withthem!”

Hewaved aggressively atSuneandKillik, who were both glaring back toward him, even asSuneedged further behind the safety ofKillik’staut, armed body.AndLouisafelt her own hand clutching for her knife, gripping it tight, while a low growl scraped from her throat. “It’snone of your business whoIspend time with,Rikard.Justlike it isn’t your business ifIdecide to hold an event onmyproperty!”

Butmore fury flashed throughRikard’sbeady eyes, and he jabbed his finger toward her, and then toward the now-marked property line running between them. “Itis my business,” he snarled, “because those orcs are a hazard to my safety, and my property, and mylife.I’vewarned you multiple times, and if you don’t cancel this travesty of aneventat once” — he gave another wild wave of the flyer — “Iwill be forced to take drastic action,Louisa!”

Louisaopened her mouth, about to protest that there was nothing he could legally do,nothing— but suddenly she seemed caught, trapped, in that look in his eyes.Inhow he looked gleeful, triumphant, invincible.Justlike howLordScallhad looked when he’d made his threats, and…

“Iknow how toruinyou,Louisa,”Rikardgrowled. “Ican destroy you.Notjust your ridiculousevent, but yourlife!”

Asharp chill wrenched upLouisa’sspine, and though she barked a loud scoff, it was too weak, too late. “Youwill not,” she countered. “Ihave every right to be here, to hold an event here, and —”

Butat that, there was a touch, faint but purposeful, at her shoulder.Claws.Killik’sclaws.AndwhenLouisadarted a sharp look toward him, he swiftly signed back, the exact same thing he’d said in bed the night before.No.Leaveit.

Ittook an instant forLouisato follow that —Killikwas telling her to leave it? — but then her shoulders sagged, her hand rubbing at her eyes.Hewas right, damn it.Rikardwas trying to goad her, and there was no point in losing her temper with him, or offering up information he could later use against her.Sheneeded to escape him, forget him,LordScallwas dead…

Shedrew in a shaky breath and spun around, walking away as fast as she could, withKillikandSunealready in step beside her.Butno matter how fast she walked,Rikard’swords kept echoing, ringing in her ears.Drasticaction.Iknow how to ruin you…

“Youwillcancel this,Louisa,” calledRikard’svoice behind her, shrill and vicious. “Andget rid of the orcs.Orget ready to say your farewells, forever!”

Farewells.Forever.Onlya short time away, only one night left,Iknow how to ruin you, forever…

Killik’shand was firm onLouisa’selbow now, marching her away, away. “Breathe, woman,” he murmured. “Drawup the earth.In, and out.”

Louisadesperately fought to obey, but her hands were trembling, and something had clamped around her chest, squeezing her breaths fast and shallow.Farewell.Forever.Joltingup the dark, bitter terror, in a way she hadn’t felt in days, or weeks, perhaps since they’d started all this — and no, no, even the light was flickering, her ears ringing, her feet staggering beneath her.Andshe barely heardKilliksaying something toSuneabout returning to the camp, and…

“Breathe, woman,”Killiksaid again, deeper than before, as his hands gripped her shoulders, his eyes glinting, commanding on hers. “Lookat me, and follow my breaths.Naughtshall harm you.Youare safe.”

Safe.Itscraped intoLouisa’sthoughts, sliced through the mayhem juddering in her chest — and she fought to focus onKillik’sface, his eyes, his breaths. “Youare safe,” he said again, as he breathed in, and out. “Youare safe,Louisa.Thisfool bleating man shallneverharm you.”

Itsank a little deeper, catching, quivering, andLouisadragged in a breath, though it still trembled and faltered in her chest.Iknow how to ruin you.Iknow.

“Butwhat if,” she choked, “what if he can.Whatif he — what if he —”

ButKillikgave her shoulders a gentle shake, something flashing hard in his eyes. “Hecannot,” he said, deeper now. “Wewill not allow this.Itold you, we are watching this man, and guarding you.Youare safe,Louisa.”

Right.Right.Itsliced a little sharper, drew the breath deeper, andLouisadesperately searchedKillik’ssteely eyes. “Butwhat about — the camp,” she gulped. “Andthe house, and my staff, and the children?Youdon’t understand,Killik, if something happens to me” — she gulped for air — “Rikardgets everything.Myhouse, my land, my staff, the camp.Everything.”

Itsurged more sharp, genuine terror up her back, flashing it white behind her eyes, and she gripped back atKillik’sarms, her nails digging into his skin. “Ican’t change it,” she said, her voice rising. “Itried.Idon’t have a husband or a son, or any male relatives closer thanRikard.Andyou realize he can do anything, and get away with it, and it’s just likeLordScall, he always does whatever he wants, and no onecares!”

Herwild eyes were searchingKillik’sface, pleading with him to see, to understand.Andthat was something strange in his eyes, in that crease on his brow — but he drew in another deep breath, as his strong hands stroked up and down her arms. “Ach,Iken,” he said, low. “ButnowLordScallis dead.”

LordScallwas dead.Butyes, yes, he was, wasn’t he?AndKillikwouldn’t lie about that,Killikknew that,Killikcould be trusted.Andmaybe that meant he really could help her, he could — and somehow,Louisanodded, rapid and relieved, and then sank toward him, into the safety of his strong arms, the gentle scrape of his claws stroking her back.LordScallwas dead.Dead.

“Andnow we are with you,”Killikadded, even quieter. “Weshall face this, together.Andyou ken” — a slow exhale against her hair — “you can speak truth to us, ach?Aughtyou might wish.Andno matter what this is, we shall yet stand beside you, and keep you safe.”

Itflared a sharp shudder upLouisa’sback, and a sudden, helpless longing.Gods, she wanted to tell him, wanted to just babble it all out into the warmth of his chest — but she couldn’t.Couldn’t.Itwas too risky,drastic action, destroy you,LordScallwas dead…

ButKillikdidn’t press it, or ask again.Instead, he just kept standing there, holdingLouisa, stroking her, breathing in and out.Untilfinally, at some point, her awareness crept back in again — and with it, the realization that she was standing in the middle of the woods, clinging helplessly toKillik, and sniffling against his chest.Becauseapparently — she flinched backwards — she’d gone and had a full-on nervous collapse, and dragged him straight into the midst of it.

“Gods,I’msorry,” she croaked, rubbing both hands at her hot face. “Ishouldn’t have —Ididn’t mean to — damn it.IthinkIshould go home, and —”

Sheflapped a hand in the direction of her house, and lurched a step toward it — but wait.Killikagain.Andthat wasn’t concern in his eyes now, or confusion, but instead a cool, taunting challenge. “Youshall not,” he said, clipped, “forWolfshall wish to hear of this at once, and we shall work together to further bolster ourSummit’ssafety.And,IkenIought to start giving you lessons onflyting, if we truly seek to do this together at theSummit.And” — a faint twist on his mouth — “we ought to helpWolfstart his newkofi, also.”

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