Page 14 of The Outcast Orc

Borkul nudged a signal with his shoulder. We started rounding the firepit in a well-choreographed move, minimizing every vulnerability. A couple of goblins scrambled to cut us off from our humans—Bronze Earring in the lead with an ugly, serrated blade in his hand.

“Come on, now,” Borkul said to him. “Is that any way to be? I thought we were pals.”

“You should have just sold the wench when you had the chance,” the goblin hissed, and swiped at Borkul’s knees with the blade. Goblins have a surprisingly long reach, and that blade was just the thing to saw through a tendon. But Borkul sidestepped and gave him a solid whack in the shoulder with his plank.

“Walk away,” Borkul said, all playfulness now gone from his voice. “No one needs to die tonight.”

Earring wasn’t impressed. “You might be big, but you’re outnumbered. Give us the female and I’ll go easy on you…for old time’s sake.”

No doubt he would just as soon run Borkul through with his jagged blade.

There were too many goblins in our way for us to get to the humans, but at least now I spied a weapon. A thick branch protruding from the smoldering remains of the campfire was within reach. I made a grab for it. The branch came free with a rain of red cinders, and the doused fire sprang to life again once the air hit the sleeping embers.

Smoke, sparks, flame. The campsite was in chaos. I ignored the charred wood scorching my palm and lashed out at a scurrying shadow. But goblins are quick—especially when they’re trying to save their own skins—and the small fighter dodged and parried. I shoved toward him with the hook of my eating knife, but he danced out of reach.

I swung wild with the branch and finally made contact, hitting the goblin with a shower of sparks —

—just as the rest of the goblins made a break for the humans.

8

QUINN

When I found myself surrounded by gargoyles come to life, I’d taken it, initially, for a nightmare.

But they were all too real.

And they werefast.

I figured they’d meant to kill us, slaughter us in our sleep. But the lightning-quick swing of a hatchet didn’t land on anyone’s skull—just the chain tethering Bess to me. Sparks flew…as well as a hunk from the blade. “No good,” the thing barked to its companion. Itspoke.

“Then open it!”

How many of those monsters were there? Hard to say. Not only was it dark, but everything was a shouting, grunting chaos.

“Stay still,” the one with the axe snapped at Bess. “You don’t want me to slip.”

Archie said, “They’re on our side—stop struggling!”

As the creature wedged the chipped blade into Bess’s collar, I saw it wasn’t attacking her—it was trying to free her. But before I could step in and help it by holding the collar still and giving it room to work, I heard one of the other ones complaining, “Why can’t those dumb orcs just shackle the wrists like everyone else? We’d take off her hand and be done already.”

“She won’t last long without her head,” the other said. “Though a few of the human sickos would pay to have a go at her before she fell to rot. Even headless.”

Clearlynoton our side.

While Hatchet tried to open Bess’s collar, the complainer managed to work loose the spike that was pinning us to the fallen tree. Just as soon as I felt the chain slacken, I reached around Bess and yanked it from the startled beast’s hands. The spike flew off into the bushes—a real shame, since I could’ve used it as a stiletto. But I wasn’t empty-handed. I still had the chain.

“Stay close,” I told Bess and Archie—because it was bad enough to be surrounded and outnumbered in the dark without tangling myself up in the chained collars. The chain was heavier than my old whip and not nearly as long…but if I connected, I could do some serious damage.

“We only want the female,” Hatchet claimed. “Drop the chain and we’ll let you live.”

I lashed out and cracked it in the kneecap.

It staggered back, hissing. “You’ll be sorry!”

Maybe so, but the only thing I’d truly regret was giving up while there was still some fight left in me to make a final stand.

The creatures could likely see better than any of us with their oversized eyes. Between their numbers, their weapons and their eyesight, we were at a major disadvantage—until sparks erupted from the embers of our campfire and the flames leapt back to life.

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