Page 101 of The Widow and the Orcs

Oh.Really?Killikstill wanted to buildUlfarr’skofi?AndgiveLouisamore lessons, too?Butwait, he was trying to distract her, he was helping her, being kind to her.Andit shouldn’t have prickled like this behind her eyes, or — curse her — sent her staggering back toward him, her arms clutching around his waist.

“Thankyou,Killik,” she whispered, into his chest. “Again.”

Killikscoffed, but again stroked at her back with surprising gentleness until she drew away again.Andhe didn’t even look annoyed as he waved her after him through the trees, and then began pointing out animal tracks and scents.Asif this was just another lesson, and that was all.

Butit helped, too, slowingLouisa’sthoughts, calming her breaths.Andby the time they entered the camp again,Rikard’sthreats felt somewhat fainter, though they still kept whispering, nagging at the back of her brain.Iknow how to ruin you.Cancelit.Getrid of the orcs.Sayyour farewells, forever.

ButKillikkept to his word, and first escortedLouisaback down into the common-room, to whereUlfarrandRosawere both supervising asFilakand his little crew —Elgr,Igull, andRagni— struck at the common-room wall with pickaxes.AndonceKillikhad shared the news aboutRikard’sthreat,Rosalaunched into a gratifying tirade about belligerent narrow-minded lords, whileUlfarrdrewLouisaclose, and stroked her with big steady hands. “Naughtto fear,Louisa,” he murmured, again and again. “Weshall keep you safe, and keep all our kin safe, also.”

Itwas more relief, more shimmering comfort inLouisa’schest, and she willingly joined them for another meeting to discuss and strengthen theSummit’splans for security.Whichled to more letters, written specifically to some of the best spies and fighters inOrcMountain, asking them to serve as guards and scouts for the event.

Afterwards,KillikorderedUlfarrto go start gathering wood for his newkofi— a demand thatUlfarrdidn’t argue, despite the intent way he searchedKillik’sface.Andnext, as promised,KilliktookLouisaback outside for a lesson in the lostSkaitradition offlyting.Whichwas apparently a kind of competitive storytelling, in which partners took turns snapping out verses, against a backing rhythm — often just foot-stomps, but apparently sometimes weapon-strikes, too.AndwhenKilliknoticedSunewatching them from hiskofiabove, he waved him down, and then handed over one of his daggers, soSunecould use it to clash against his own dagger, making a sharp, metallic beat.

“Ach, just thus,”KilliktoldSune, with an approving grin. “Andthen verses are spoken to this.Therewere some verses all thehirthskaldsknew, but they would oft make up their own as they went, and weave taunts and jibes within them.Andat the end, the sharpest speaker would win.Justlike a sparring-match, mayhap.”

Hiseyes sparkled as he spoke, and beside him,Sunelooked genuinely intrigued, too.AndatLouisa’srequest for a demonstration,Killikwaved atSuneto begin the rhythm — and then, onceSune’sbeat was ringing through the air,Killikdrew in a deep breath, and began to speak.

Andwhile the words were foreign, deep and tangled in his throat, his voice was swift and smooth, and striking steadily along with the rhythm.Asif it was a drum of its own, sweeping and swaggering to the beat, turning it into something between a chant and a story and a song.Andthe longerLouisalistened, the sharperKillik’svoice seemed to swing around her, catching her into its convulsive thrum.Likehe was flying, or fighting, and whipping them up with him, dragging them into his thrall.

Whenhe finished,Louisacould only stare at him, her mouth slack, her heart thumping oddly in her chest.Whilebeside her,Sunewas chuckling, and signing something about the bloody lord’s skull — because right, he’d have understood the words, and of course they’d been about defeating some kind of enemy.AndKillik’sgrin looked almost soft as he signed back, a faint flush creeping up his neck — and then he glanced sideways, toward… oh.Hisaudience.KoriandFasti, both grinning.Galmr, looking stunned, with his knobbly hand over his heart.AndUlfarr, with a wide, wavering smile, and something shining in his eyes.

“Ach, listen to you, pup,” he said, his voice catching. “Ithas been thirty summers sinceIhave heardflytingthus,Iken.”

Besidehim,Galmrfervently nodded, and signed forKillikandSuneto continue.Andafter another grin that looked almost boyish,Killikdid it again.Butthis time, he translated part of the verse into common-tongue, and then kept returning to it, almost like a theme.Like… a lesson.

Ifear you not, feeder of wolves.Iscorn you and slay you and sup from your skull.

Andas he spoke it again, his voice so fierce and fluid and deadly, he signed at —Louisa.Saying,Speakthis with me.

Louisanearly choked, but belatedly made her best attempt.Hervoice faltering at first, but then settling smoother, steadier.Untilshe could say it in perfect time withKillik, and then, the next time, he didn’t say it at all.Justletting her voice carry it, before coming back in with the next line.Asif it really was a duel, or maybe a dance — and then the next time,Killikaltered the line.Istab you and storm you and stomp on your skull.

Soon the next breath,Louisaattempted to alter it, too —Ismash you and slash you and shatter your skull.

Killik’sgrin was swift and stunning, his hand signing,Keepgoing.SoLouisakept going, throwing it back and forth with him, even as it became harder and harder, and then truly ridiculous.Andby the end of it, she was laughing too much to continue, andKillikthrust both hands up into the air, and proclaimed his victory, while their audience clapped and cheered.

ButLouisastill couldn’t seem to stop smiling, and the warm, juddery thrill of it seemed to keep pulsing, echoing through her chest.Andthe memory ofRikardand his threats suddenly seemed very far away, beneath the strength and the certainty ofKillik’svoice,Killik’sverse.Ifear you not, feeder of wolves.

Andmaybe he’d chosen that on purpose, and maybe it had — again — been an attempt to help her, and comfort her.AndsuddenlyLouisacouldn’t seem to look at him, couldn’t bear the longing in her belly, wringing deeper with every breath.Gods, she wanted this.Shewanted it so damned much it ached.Shewanted the camp, and she wanted this, her house and her people, her home.Hers.

Itwas again enough to drive her through the rest of the day, working and helping as much as she could.Organizingmore flyers for delivery, digging inThomas’ new garden, helping to build the new smokehouse, and finally, late in the afternoon, climbing up to seeUlfarr’snewkofi.Whichhe’d begun to build in exactly the placeKillikhad wanted, high in an oak tree at the heart of the camp.Itwas a respectable distance fromSune’skofiacross the clearing, enough that they could both still have privacy — but close enough that they could call and sign to one another as needed, too.

Ulfarr’skofiwas also far larger thanSune’s, andLouisagasped aloud when she first followedKillikup into it.Itsfloor was made of fresh-planed pine, and it wrapped almost all the way around the oak tree’s big, rough-barked trunk.Ulfarrhad already built two walls, too — all made of slim, tightly wedged trunks and branches, lined up vertically along the platform’s edges, as if they were yet more trees, growing up out of the floor.Manyof the trunks even still branched out above, creating an intricate, tangled skeleton roof, its wood criss-crossed against the tree’s branches and leaves above, letting in dappled sunlight against the pale pine floor.

“Thisis incredible,”Louisasaid, breathless, with an awed smile towardUlfarr. “Howdid you build so much so quickly?”

“Ach,Ihave had good help,”Ulfarrreplied, with a fond smile toward whereSunewas kneeling and fitting a new branch into the wall. “Andwith a little more, my kin, mayhap we could finish it this eve.”

Mykin.Ithad surely been a slip of the tongue — surely?ButUlfarrwas still smiling atSune, soLouisanodded and plucked a branch from the stack on the floor, and went over to kneel beside him.Watchinghow he stood his branch on the platform, and bound it to its neighbour with tightly knotted twine.Nowyou place yours, he signed at her,whilstIfind another.

Louisaobliged as well as she could, and it soon made for a steady, easy rhythm, alternating back and forth between them.Andit was only once she’d placed four more branches that she realizedKillikandUlfarrwere both still standing there watching,Ulfarrwith an approving little smile,Killikwith a strange flicker in his eyes.Butupon meetingLouisa’sgaze, he glanced away, and squared his shoulders. “Ishall go fetch more wood for you, then,” he said. “Andsome furs, also.”

SoLouisakept working, moving steadily down the wall, until she andSuneran out of wood, and needed to wait for more fromKillik.WhileUlfarrclimbed around on the outside of thekofi, fortifying and fastening it together with nails and steel wire, and weaving the roof’s branches tighter together.Andby sundown, they’d fully enclosed the platform, andKillikhad indeed scrounged up a few large furs, and spread them out on the pine floor.

“Thisshall make you a goodkofi,Wolf,”Killiksaid, sweeping his gaze over their work. “Allyou need now is a tarp for when it rains, and a bed, and a chest or two for your goods.”

Ulfarrwas blinking around at his newkofitoo, and suddenly his eyes looked very bright, his mouth twisting. “Ach,Iken,” he said. “I—Ithank you for your help, my kin.Skai-kesh has so greatly blessed me.”

Mykin, again.Andthough he surely still hadn’t meant to includeLouisain that, her throat still felt tight, her eyes warm and weepy on his face. “Youdeserve it, sweetheart,” she told him. “Ihope you’ll be very happy here.”

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