Page 9 of Lost to the Orcs

“They wander but I know o’ one. Irf.” His frown turns into a scowl with a full scrunched nose and show of his terrifying teeth. But the emotion isn’t complete annoyance. There is something else there. Something… almost sad.

“Urf?” He snorts but doesn’t correct me.

“We can see Irf if it’s your wish.”

I nod frantically and he sighs. Regret in that gust of air. If I hadn’t already figured out that he was reserved towards Irf, then I would have from his sigh. “I just need answers.” I murmur imploringly.

He nods in agreement before putting on his pack and lifting me in his arms. “Jaedason said if I did no’ return to the waters, he would meet me at ‘he mountains.”

“Where is this urf?”

He smirks at some private joke. Probably because I keep messing up the name. But itreallyjust sounds like he’s saying urf and I have no other way of sounding it out. “Near ‘he Mountain. Two days.”

“To get there?”

He coughs but it sounds like he’s trying to cover up a laugh before he shakes his head. I feel his fingers flex on my thigh as he murmurs softly enough that I can’t hear but I think he’s counting. “Two or threeweeks.”

“WEEKS?!” I squeak.

That does make him laugh. That loud booming beautiful sunshine laugh. I am awestruck and flushed. Dazzled by the sun in his eyes. My whole body tingling with awareness of justhim. I clutch my hands together under the confines of the cape, closely to my chest in order to prevent them from shaking.

“If I carry you all ‘he way?” He cants his head, thinking some more. “A week.”

I frown. “Why would it take longer if I walked?”

“Slow. Too too slow.” I scoff. How dare he! My fist clenches, ready to punch him. “If you strike me, I’ll see beneath my cloak.” My outrage is sucked back in at this realization and I shake like an angry little chihuahua. I hate the analogy but it’s probably pretty accurate. Especially next to this, I take it back, he’s definitely a beast.

~~~~~

Three days into our walk we find a small body of water. It’s fed from a stream further up that cuts through the land. I am happy because I can tell how smelly and gross I am. U’snar took all the leaves and twigs out of my hair after I muttered expletives and complaints while pulling at them. But there’s still dirt and grime on me that has accumulated during our travel so far.

Every night, U’snar would take the time to clean the goop off my chest and feet before he would reapply it. The healing is going by so much faster than it had before. Which I find surprising but do not mention. We both know I’m somehow not knowledgeable about a world I obviouslyshouldknow about.

There wasn’t really much to do on the walk these past few days. So, all I did was stare at him or the surrounding trees while he carriedme. I slept a lot and he said it was normal. I guess the salve had some herbs that are there to help with the pain. The only side effect is that people tend to fall asleep. Usually it’s children, as adults have had it enough that they aren’t affected by it as often. It’s another thing that makes me wonder about myself. My origin so to speak.

I look at my reflection and see myself as, well, as I’ve always looked. Same eyes, same hair. Same skin. I’m not as round as I remember but that could be due to essentially a week of eating mostly nuts and berries and not cheeseburgers or rice and salty hot dogs. I blink. The dawning of what could only be a first world horror filling me. Oh my god do these people have cheese?? Mexican blend? Pepper jack?? Oh, I think I’m going to cry.

Why is itcheesethat pushes me over the deep end?

I watch my face blur and then the water ripples as the tears fall into the water. Obscuring my image further. My silent sobs wrack my body with horrible trembles as I clutch the mud and rocks on the little bank. I want to scream. I want to cry.

It took nearly a whole week and the thought of cheese to break me down. What if I can’t go home? What if it were all a dream? What if everything I knew was a lie? Do I have amnesia?

I don’t want to think that my parents weren’t real. I remember the love and affection they showered me with. The hugs and kisses. If I didn’t have my locket—

Oh no! I pat my chest frantically. No no no. “Oohsnar!” I shout and I hear his feet rushing towards me in moments. When he sees me on the ground, still not washed and scrabbling to stand on my still hurt feet, he stops me.

“What?” He shakes me gently. But still my teeth rattle and a headache blooms. I can’t even think about if he weren’t gentle how much that’d hurt.

I sob. “Necklace. Did I have a necklace?” I continue to pat my chest as if it would magically appear. Checking imaginary pockets because this stupid dress doesn’t have any before going back to my neck and chest.

His frown deepens into that ugly look that I dislike. “Necklace?”

“Thelocket!” I shout loud enough to make birds flutter in the nearby trees.

Light dawns in his eyes before he lets me go and walks away. He returns not long after, while I’m trying to stand. He makes a growling noise I hadn’t heard in some time and sits me back down on my bottom. He dangles something from a chain in front of my face. It’s my mother’s locket. I go to grab it but he pulls it away. “That’s mine!” I hiss, rage replacing my grief.

“Bathe.” He orders. “You can have it once you bathe.”

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