Page 42 of Lost to the Orcs

“It should be fine. You’ve gone picking with us before.” He gestures to our baskets for berries that are going to be harvested. These, are not the blueberry looking ones. But a different kind that I honestly can’t wrap my head around. They look strange. Like corn but in a circle instead of oblong. And they’re pink.

“Well, I just don’t want Jae or U’s to feel upset when they find me gone.” I grouse.

Warren rolls his eyes. In the few weeks we’ve known each other, he’s grown several inches and the top of his head is now eye level. Even Ys’ari has grown a few inches! Whatever Shalk is feeding these kids, it’s gotta be fertilizer. “I left them a note as youasked. Now we go while the sun is out? Rain can start in seconds.”

I’m not sure how it is in my world, as where I lived we didn’t really have a winter, just endless fall. But here, they start with balmy days and cool breezes that mean their autumn. This is when the people start their pilgrimage to the mountain, if they hadn’t already joined the Tribe during their spring and summer journey. Mid autumn is just a lot of cool days where they start wearing alotmore leather stuffed with cotton of some kind. Many if not all of those joining the mountains will have already arrived by this time as late Autumn, early winter, they get rains. That is what everyone on the mountain is waiting for. The end of Autumn.

“Well then, let's get this over with.” I pick up my basket with one hand and take Arawn’s hand in my other. “C’mon boys. Let’s get as much as we can.”

~~~~~

We’ve been out here for several hours filling all of our baskets when it starts.

Just a drizzle. But I don’t want to be caught when it turns into a deluge. Especially when I’m alone with the boys. I inwardly curse myself for not asking for an adult Orc to accompany us. Hani’s mate would have been great in a time like this. Considering he would know where the fucking mountain is.

I choke on my groan, not wanting to make Warren feel badly. If it hadn’t rained he’d have been fine finding the mountain. But with his senses still developing in the trade he wants to go into, the rain has washed what little he could smell.

“It’s okay guys. It’s a light rain. We’ll get to the mountain.” I hope. I swallow my fear. I don’t want them to smell it.

What are we going to do? I look around us and see a hill a little higher up than where we are standing. It’ll be impossible to climb up there with all of our baskets and the children. “Warren, head up to that hill and see if you can see the mountain. If we can find the mountain in the horizon we can walk back.” The boy nods. “Take Ys’ari with you. It’ll give him something to do.” Another nod and the boys head to the hill.

I clutch Arawn to my chest as I huddle beneath a tree, our baskets surrounding me, tucked against the roots. My baby looks up at me, fear in his eyes as he watches the rain from inside my cloak. “We’ll beokay baby. Your Aithír’s will be waiting for us and they’ll scold me for going out and we’ll have some berries for dinner. Sound like a plan?” Arawn nods as he clutches me.

These past few days, my mates have been getting to know their son. Since they didn’t really have the chance to do so before with all of their traveling. But here he is. Home now. So they take every opportunity to make him feel it.

And when they are not available, well, even if they are, I’m there. I’m there for cuddles and kisses and playing. He was hesitant, but once he found out I was some helpless damsel, he seems to have changed his mind. He’s two seasons. But I would never have known if they hadn’t told me.

“It’ll be okay.” I try to reassure us. The clap of thunder is loud in our ears and it makes us both flinch. The rain is coming down harder. I feel it starting to soak into the upper layers of my cloak.

Another loud crack. I try to swallow the feelings of trepidation filling me but the rain keeps coming. And coming.

Crrrrrr-ACK!

My eyes widen as a tree falls. Showing me a portion of trees and earth sliding down the mountain that was only a couple hundred feet away. I don’t have time. Not to run. Not to scream. I look down at the fear stricken child in my arms and turn my cape around.

“I’m sorry. But it’s gonna be okay.” I murmur as I tuck the massive thing around him as tightly as I can. Just as I’m finishing I’m slammed by the water. My head cracking against the earth.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE: LANDSLIDE

Jaedason

Ay wipe sweat from my brow. U’snar an’ Ay’ve been workin' nonstop since ‘fore ‘he first light o’he morn. Told ouer mate we would be out, where we could be found. But it is like she didnae hear us. She was quite tired.

First, it was ‘he nearest village was tryin’ to rob good Orcs an’ their mates on ‘he way here; t’ ‘he belly o’he serpent. Then ‘he seer’s visions o’ floods an’ ‘he damage it could cause that made us check ‘he structure o’ ouer tunnels nearer ‘he tail.

We are heading back t’ ‘he belly when ‘he commotion finds us.

Two distraught, disheveled, an’ near drowned Orclings are bein’ chased by what ouer mate calls a ‘day-care-wurk-curr’. “Chief!” Warren sobs. Ay’ve ne’er seen him so distraught. No’ e’en when his parents were killed soon af’er Ys’ari was born.

“What is amiss, Ganák?” U’snar voices, concerned an’ confused as Ay.

Ganák shrugs. “They deman’ t’ speak wit’ ya.”

Ay take in their disheveled appearance. “Why are they wet?” Warren is tryin’ t’ speak. As is Ys’ari. But they are mostly crying an’ it is hard t’ get out what they are saying.

“Outside.”

“In the rain?” Ay demand in alarm. My brows lifting in a clear display of my own agitation. “Didnae we tell Dagorim to inform e’eryone inside?” Ay turn t’ themale in question. A pale skinned Orc with murky green eyes. He states an affirmative. But there is uncertainty in his gaze as Ay scratch my chest. Something Ay’ve been doing nonstop since we went towards ‘he tail.

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