Page 59 of The Widow and the Orcs

Suneshot her another narrow sidelong look, but then sighed, and nodded.Andthen, after an instant’s stillness, he squared his shoulders, and rapidly gestured something else.Somethingthat looked like — him mimicking putting a ring on his finger, and then… then rocking ababy.Andthen, oh gods, he jabbed his slim clawed finger atLouisa, and made theUlfarrsign again.AsifSunemeant — he thought — he thoughtLouisaandUlfarrwere going to… get married?Havea baby?!

“Oh, gods, no!”Louisaexclaimed, too shrill, rapidly shaking her head. “No, nothing like that!UlfarrandIare only friends, only for a short period of time, nothing more, and…”

Hervoice trailed off into silence, becauseSunewas viciously glaring toward her, and shaking his head.Andthen, very slowly and deliberately, he pointed toward her, rapped his nose, and made theUlfarrsign again.She— nose —Ulfarr—

Louisacouldn’t bite back her groan, and squeezed her eyes shut.Damnit.ShesmelledlikeUlfarr, he meant.Andorcs could smell such things, yes, and evenSunecould smell such things?AndLouisawas not thinking about this, she was not, what the hell was she supposed to say, what if she lied and he could smell that, too…

“Look, it really isn’t — serious,” she finally said, with a grimace. “Ihave my own home, with peopleI’mresponsible for, andUlfarrhas a home with you andKillik, with his own people to care for, too.Somarriage is truly out of the question, for both of us.And— and children, too.”

Suneshot her another narrow, skeptical look, but his shoulders sagged a little, and that might have been relief, exhaling from his mouth.Asif… as if he didn’twantUlfarrto marryLouisa, or have children with her.

AndmaybeLouisashould have felt insulted by that, but as she studiedSune’sface, there was only sympathy, or maybe even sadness.Andmaybe she should just tell him the truth, that it wasn’t something he would ever need to worry about — but it felt too tight, suddenly, too shaky in her throat.Sheneeded to forgetLordScall,LordScallwas dead…

“Andbesides,Ulfarralready has a son,” she said instead, attempting a smile towardSune. “AndIknow he cares for you very much.Andso doesKillik.”

Sune’smouth spasmed atKillik’sname, and his glance toward her looked searching this time, uncertain.Andthen he jerked a shrug, one that might have meant something like,Maybe.I’mnot sure.

Andblinking at him, at that uncertainty on this wounded boy’s face,Louisasuddenly wanted to curseKillik, to grab his own damned daggers, and start waving them in his eyes.Becauseshe knew, with a deep, unshakeable certainty, thatKilliklovedSune— but it would be just like him to not even say it, or make sureSuneknew it, right?Justlike him to take a woman to bed, and then tell her maybe he’d come back in a week.

“Killikloves you,Sune,”Louisasaid, sharper now. “Hewould doanythingto help you, and keep you safe.Andif he hasn’t made thatexcessivelyclear to you, you can be sure it’s no fault whatsoever of your own, and is only due toKillikhaving the emotional sensitivity of aslug!”

Suneblinked at her, looking genuinely taken aback — but then a brief smile twitched across his mouth.Lookingalmost grateful, for an instant, andLouisacouldn’t help her own quick grin back, or the roll of her eyes. “Anancient, crispy, dried-out husk of a slug,” she continued flatly. “Likethe kindIoften find mouldering in my compost pile.”

Sune’smouth twitched again — and then he broke into silent laughter, his slim shoulders shaking, his mouth pulled into a broad, adorable grin.AndLouisalaughed too, suddenly feeling light, easy, almost hopeful.Sunewas alive, and she was going to get him safely home.Andshe was damn well going to have a word withKillikabout this, too.

Therest of the trip passed with surprising speed, between their ongoing sign language practice, and then a brief break to eat and rest the horses.Andwhile gettingSuneoffMay’sback still presented a challenge, his wounds’ bleeding had noticeably lessened, and he seemed in less pain than before.Andwhen he saw the lunchElisehad packed for them, his eyes lit up, and he gobbled it down as though he hadn’t eaten in a week.Andafterwards, he waved forLouisato guideMayunder a tree-branch, so he could climb the tree with his hands and his one good leg, and then drop down ontoMay’sback.

Louisawhistled as she watched, genuinely impressed, and earned a shy but pleased little grin in return.Andas they headed back down the road,Sune’sexpression looked almost eager, his eyes bright and intent on the sight of the mountain up ahead.

Louisahad been trying to ignore that slowly rising spectre ofOrcMountain, looming ever closer and larger before them, but her heart was now racing in her chest, her breaths short and shallow.Shewas going toOrcMountain, willingly,now.Andshe couldn’t just turn around and leave again, either, because it was already late afternoon — and even if there’d been enough time to get home again before nightfall,MaxandMaystill needed to rest.AndLouisastill needed to make sureSunewas taken care of, and safe.

“Doyou know whenKillikandUlfarrwill be back here?” she tentatively askedSune. “Soon, maybe?”

Sunebit his lip with a sharp tooth, and shook his head.No, he signed.KillikandUlfarr—— nightfall.

Nightfallwas one of the many signsLouisahad learned that afternoon, mimicking the sun setting over the horizon.Andthough she nodded back, her heart thudded louder in her chest, her hands tight and clammy onMax’sreins.Soshe would need to try to sort this out herself, then, and find a place to camp for the night.Andmaybe she could try asking at the mountain forJuleorRosa, hope they remembered her, hope they were even still here…

Butthen the horses rounded a bend in the road, and suddenly — there it was.OrcMountain.

Andoh, good gods, it was huge.Soaringgrey and craggy above them, its white peak nudging into the clouds above, its multiple smoke-streams wafting gently toward the west.Andaround it was a large rocky clearing, a smattering of wooden outbuildings, and a lane that went straight toward what appeared to be its front gate.

Louisaswallowed, her eyes darting uneasily up and around — was she just supposed to walk in? — when suddenly, sprinting out of the mountain, there were — people.Twopeople, two young people, both aroundSune’sage.Onewas another orc, with neatly braided black hair and greenish skin, while the other person was — agirl.Aslim, blonde human girl, dressed in a frothy white dress, and a pair of sturdy-looking black boots.

“Sune!” the girl yelped, her hand clapping over her mouth, her eyes gaping at the sight of his mangled leg. “Whatin the gods’ names did youdo?!”

Thegreen orc looked deeply alarmed too, his nostrils flaring, his clawed hand gripping the girl’s arm, holding her still.WhilebesideLouisa,Sunerolled his eyes, and began rapidly signing back toward them, so swiftLouisacouldn’t follow.

“Itdoesn’t look like nothing,Sune!” the girl retorted, wringing her hands. “Itlooks like your leg is about to fall off!Andwhat willKilliksay, what if he makes you stay here for another whole fortnight again?Oh,Itoldyou not to go, and now —”

Shebroke off there, her eyes darting warily towardLouisa— while the green orc rushed forward, his eyes fixed onSune’sbloody leg. “Ach,Sune,” he croaked. “Thislooks and scents —dreadful.Ach, what did this to you, you must be in such pain, you must come to the sickroom atonce.”

Hewas speaking very quickly, his voice cracking, and he snatched forSune’shand, dragging him toward the mountain — a futile effort, sinceSunewas still on an immobileMay’sback.Butwith a lurch,Suneawkwardly dismounted, sliding down into his friend’s waiting grip, and he only slightly grimaced as he balanced on his good leg, and signed back something that might have meant,I’mfine.

Butthe green orc shook his head, and circled his arm aroundSune’sback, holding him upright. “Youare not fine,” he countered. “Ican scent you, you stubbornSkaifool, you haveneverscented thus before, we must send for your fathers atonce.”

Suneheavily sighed, but he didn’t argue this time, and gave a reassuring pat to his friend’s shoulder.Buthis friend didn’t look at all comforted, giving him another anguished, wet-eyed look, while the girl let out an irritated huff, and rushed over to grip atSune’sother arm. “Oh, he’ll be all right,Timo,” she said firmly, though she shot a worried look down atSune’sleg, too. “Youshould be telling him he deserves it for running off alone like that, and doing something sostupid, and making you worry all day like this!”

Butthe green orc —Timo, apparently — only shook his head, guidingSunealong faster.LeavingLouisaalone with the horses, outsideOrcMountain, and she blinked helplessly up at its smoking bulk, and then back toMaxandMay.Whatthe hell was she supposed to do?Shouldshe followSune, leave the horses out here, go ask for help, or…?

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