Page 4 of The Orc Who Saved Christmas

With a snarl of frustration, I turn back to my cave. I can't save everyone. I couldn't even save my own clan. But as I start to retreat into the darkness, the echo of her screams linger, a siren call that I can't ignore.

With a final glance at the darkness within my cavern, I make my decision. "Time to remind them why they fear the night," I say, my voice a low rumble that matches the growing resolve within me.

A low growl rumbles in my chest, an ancient reflex I can't suppress. With a snarl, I leap and roll down the massive slope, landing in a crouch before the orcs. The first one barely has time to register my presence before my axe finds its mark. The blade cuts through him with a wet squelch, and a spray of hot blood paints the snow crimson. He crumples to the ground, life fleeing his eyes.

The woman gapes at me, her eyes wide with shock. The second orc roars in fury, tossing her aside like a ragdoll. She hits the ground with a dull thud. I square off against the remaining orc, our weapons clashing in a deadly dance.

"You're a dead orc, traitor!" he spits, his eyes burning with hatred.

"Then come and claim my head," I retort, my voice a low growl.

We clash, axe against axe, the ring of steel echoing through the night. He's strong, but I'm fueled by a raw fury that's been simmering for years. I parry his blows, each one jarring my bones, and then I strike back with deadly precision.

"The Icefang Clan will destroy you!" he snarls, trying to throw me off balance. "And the woman—she'll wish for death long before we're through with her!"

His words are meant to incite fear, but they only fan the flames of my resolve. I drive my axe deep into his side, feeling it bite into his flesh. With a final, guttural roar, I twist the blade, and he collapses at my feet, his lifeblood seeping into the snow.

I stand over him, my chest heaving. The taste of victory mingles with the coppery tang of blood in the air. I turn to the woman, who stares at me with a mixture of fear and awe. Her face is pale, her body trembling from the cold—or perhaps from the shock of what she's just witnessed.

Blood drips from my axe, pattering softly onto the snow. I meet her gaze, my amber eyes locking with her wide, brown ones. For a brief moment, we're the only two beings in this vast, frozen wilderness.

Without a word,I turn and begin to walk away. I've done what I set out to do. I've saved her life. Now, I need to put distance between us, to return to the solitude that has been my only companion for so long.

"Wait!" she cries. Her voice is weak, but it carries in the stillness of the night. "Mr. Orc? Can I… can I follow you?"

I pause, my back to her. My shoulders tense, and I can feel the force of her gaze on me. I'm not used to being followed, to being needed. I'm a lone wolf, a solitary figure in a world that has turned its back on me.

I grunt in response, neither an invitation nor a rejection. She takes it as a sign to approach, her steps hesitant, her breath coming out in ragged puffs.

We soon walk in silence, the only sounds the crunch of our footsteps on the snow and the distant howl of a winter wind. Ican sense her fear, her uncertainty, but there's something else there too—a spark of determination that I can't help but respect.

As we move deeper into the night, the woman stumbles after me, her body pushing past the limits of exhaustion. I could leave her behind, but I find myself slowing my normal pace, allowing her to keep up. I tell myself it's because I don't want her falling prey to some other beast, but deep down, I know it's more than that.

The night closes in around us, a shroud of darkness pierced only by the twinkling of distant stars. I lead her through the wilderness, my instincts guiding us away from the dangers that lurk in the shadows. She follows without question, her trust in me a heavy burden to bear.

5

CLAIRE

The darkness of the forest presses in around me. My breath comes out in misty clouds, the cold seeping through my layers of worn clothing. I'm following a massive orc—a creature of nightmares—deeper into the wilderness, away from the relative safety of my settlement. I can't shake the irony of it all.

"I really hope you know where you're going," I say, my voice a weak echo in the vast expanse of trees. The orc doesn't respond, his heavy boots leaving deep impressions in the snow.

I hurry to keep up, my legs aching with the effort. "Because I sure don't," I add, partly to fill the silence, partly because I'm terrified of being lost and alone forever.

He stops abruptly, and I nearly crash into him. He turns, his amber eyes glinting in the moonlight that filters through the canopy. "Quiet," he growls, the single word vibrating with an authority I can't ignore.

I nod, chastened, and we continue in silence. The trees creak and groan around us. Their icy branches sway in a wind that seems to grow colder by the minute. I clutch my arms tighter, trying to ward off the chill that seems to have settled into my bones.

As we walk, I find myself staring at his back, at the way his muscles ripple beneath his armor. There's a grace to his movements that's at odds with his monstrous size. "You're not what I expected," I blurt out, then immediately regret my words. What was I thinking, provoking a creature that could snap me in half without breaking a sweat?

But he doesn't react aggressively. Instead, he glances over his shoulder, a flicker of curiosity—or maybe it's confusion—crossing his features.

He doesn't respond, and we lapse into silence once more. The moon hangs heavy in the sky, its light casting an eerie glow on the landscape. I can't tell how long we've been walking, but my feet are numb, and my eyelids are growing heavy.

The cold bites at my cheeks as I scramble to keep pace with the orc striding ahead. My breath comes in ragged puffs. But I can't help but nervously ramble, words tumbling from my lips like a stream overflowing its banks.

"Really, I can't thank you enough," I say, my voice a thread of sound against the vastness of the night. "Back there, with those orcs... I thought that was it for me. But you... you just appeared out of nowhere."

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