Page 99 of The Widow and the Orcs

“Ach, and what is theright incentive?”Killikshot back atRosa. “Wehand him every jewel and metal he can sniff out, across all these lands?”

“Well, it’s not like you’re using them now!”Rosacountered, her voice rising. “They’rejust buried there doing nothing, and this isLouisa’sland, so it’s not even your decision to make!Andalso —”

Shebroke off there, because thisFilakorc had taken a smooth step closer toLouisa, his eyes glittering intently on her face.Andthen he snapped up one of those pale clawed hands, and… signed toward her.Signedsomething — familiar.Somethingvery similar to whatSunehad asked her, back on that first day they’d met.

Areyou mated?it meant.ToKillikandUlfarr?

Louisablinked, and then shot a surreptitious glance betweenKillikandUlfarr— but both of them had gone strangely, suddenly still, so she drew in breath, shook her head. “Er, no,” she replied, with a wince. “We’rejust — friends.”

ButthisFilakdidn’t show any sign of comprehension, just gazing like that toward her.Soshe attempted to sign it, too — the wordfriend, and thenKillikandUlfarr’snames.Andyes, perhaps it had worked, becauseFilak’smouth curved up, and he signed back something else.Firstgesturing between himself andLouisa, and then… then jabbing two of his clawed fingers into his closed fist, and thrusting them in and out.Asif he meant — good gods, he surely didn’t mean —

“No,Filak!” snappedRosa’sindignant voice from besideLouisa. “Notappropriate!Andgood gods, not in front ofthem!”

Shefuriously signed as she spoke, ending with a wild wave towardKillikandUlfarr— who,Louisanow realized, were both looking downright murderous.Ulfarr’sbig body taut and coiled, his brow deeply furrowed, his eyes narrow and hard — whileKillik’sdaggers were now both spinning in his hands, and he gave a sudden laugh, cool and brittle and dangerously light.

“Ach,Wolf, mark this foolKa-esh, speaking thus before you, inyourcamp,”Killiksaid, his voice easy, almost conversational. “Iwonder what tongue he shall scream in, when my blades cut out all his fancy marks?Orhow he shall dance as he feeds this earth with his blood?”

“Killik!”Rosahissed, now sounding deeply scandalized. “He’sgoing to dig your tunnels, so you can’t murder him!Justtell him he can’t touchLouisa, and offer him the gems!IfLouisa’sactually even willing to agree, that is, especially after your appalling behaviour!”

Killiksnarled and bared his teeth towardRosa, but nowUlfarrgripped at his arm, holding him still. “No, pup,” he said, though his jaw still flexed in his cheek. “Weneed the tunnels.And” — his dark gaze flicked towardLouisa— “it isLouisa’sland, and thus her choice to make.Andonlyhers.”

Louisa’sbrain still felt too sluggish, too scrambled, and she drew in a shaky breath. “Soyou mean,” she began, “Filakcan dig the tunnels for us — but he wants to keep whatever he finds in them?”

Rosanodded, and cast a dark look toward him. “AndI’llwarn you, he won’t follow directions, either,” she said glumly. “He’lldig straight to wherever the best deposits are.Buthe seems to think there are some promising options here, andJohn-KasaysFilak’stunnels are always stable, and follow the natural grains of the stone.Maybeeven better” — she winced, wrinkled her nose — “than our engineers can do.”

Right.Well.Andthey did need the tunnels dug, andLouisahadn’t the least idea how to find ore deposits herself, did she?Andalso, tunnels that followed the grain of the stone sounded… right, somehow.Rightin just the same way the camp was right, tucked carefully into the trees, respecting the nature around it.

“Well, let’s do it, then,”Louisasaid, as firmly as she could. “Whatdoes he need to get started?”

Rosawinced again, but signed the question toFilak, who gave a slow, sharp-toothed smile, and began pointing out various orcs around the room.Elgr, andIgull, andRagniandKoriandFasti, andUlfarrandKilliktoo — everySkaicurrently in sight.

Killikcursed under his breath, and shoved his daggers towardUlfarrbeside him. “No, you will not have all of them,” he spat atFilak, signing along with furious gestures from his hands. “Youcan havethree.AndWolfwill choose them.Andno seeking to plough any of them, either, and taint them with your foulKa-esh scent, or elseIwillgutyou!”

Withthat, he snatched his daggers back fromUlfarr, and stalked off toward the door — and then whirled back around again, and sharply waved towardLouisa. “Come, woman,” he snapped. “Weshall takeSuneand mark your borders, whilstWolfhandles this.”

Louisashot a searching glance towardUlfarr, andRosa, too — butRosalooked deeply relieved, andUlfarreven gave a curt nod, and an approving pat toLouisa’sback.Soshe nodded too, and after a brief squeeze toUlfarr’sarm, she ran to followKillikoutside for the border-marking project.

Itwas one of the manySkaiSummitpreparation tasks on their list, to ensure that no guests accidentally wandered ontoRikard’sland.Andwhile it should have been an enjoyable way to spend a morning, tromping through the forest withKillikandSune, tying strips of cloth to stakes and trees,Louisacould still feelKillik’sanger, and his frustration.Perhapsnot only aboutFilakand his tunnel-digging, but perhaps about the night before, too.AbouthowUlfarrhadn’t wanted to live with him.

ButLouisacouldn’t dare bring it up again, not withSunehere listening — so she spent most of the time talking withSuneinstead.Askinghow he was enjoying his newkofi, and what kinds of activities he liked to do with his friends, and whether he’d like to try riding her horses again.Andwhen he showed genuine interest at that,Louisatold him he was welcome at her stable whenever he pleased, and only to make sure he checked in withJoanfirst.

Thatflashed a smile acrossSune’sface, and he shot a hopeful glance towardKillik— who nodded, and signed back.Hisexpression slightly softening, for perhaps the first time that morning — soLouisathen asked him if he’d ever ridden a horse, either.Whichapparently he had, but then he’d tried standing on its back to reach a tree, and had knocked himself out on a branch, and knocked off a dozen apples, besides.

Itwas a ridiculous tale, perhaps told mostly forSune’samusement — but by the end of it, bothKillikandSunewere laughing, and cheerfully signing at one another.AndasLouisawatched them, and did her best to keep up, there was again that whispering sense of… rightness.Of… hope.Theycould face this.Theycould do this.Theycould get through thisSummit, andKillikandUlfarrwould work this out, and…

AndthenKillikwhirled around and away from them, shovingSunebehind him, and whipping both his daggers from his hair.Hisgaze fixed narrow and intent on the west, on the line of forest across that small clearing, and…

ItwasRikard.

48

Rikardwas here.Again.Interruptingyet another lovely moment with his vermin self, this time seated astride a cantering horse that was far too large for him.

“Louisa!” he called as he dismounted, and tied the horse to a nearby tree. “Whatthe hell isthis?”

This.He’dthrust a hand into his pocket, and it came out clutching — oh.Arumpled, familiar-looking sheet of paper, with large block letters, and a clever drawing of a tree house.

EXPERIENCEADAYINANORCCAMP!it proclaimed.Bringyour friends and family for games, activities, workshops, snacks, stories, and prizes.Plus, explore tunnels and tree-houses, cheer in an orc tournament, and climb high for honey!Funfor all ages!

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