Page 4 of Loved By the Orc

“That is the name of the town. But for now, you are in my office.”

The new voice startled me and I looked up to see a woman in a doctor’s coat standing there beside me. She must have walked over when I was busy talking to Tark, because I hadn’t seen her earlier.

Except when I looked at her more fully, I realized it would be impossible for her towalkanywhere—because the bottom half of her, from the waist down, looked like an enormous snake!

“I am Madam Healer,” the snake-woman said to me. “I take it you have never been here, to Hidden Hollow before?” she added dryly, probably because my eyes were getting bigger and bigger as I looked at her.

“N-no,” I stuttered. “I…I’ve never been here before. Or seen anyone like you—either of you,” I added, looking back at Tark. The huge Orc was still cradling me like a baby in his arms and I had never felt so helpless—so vulnerable—in my life.

Madam Healer made what sounded like a hissing sigh and I saw a forked tongue flicker out from between her perfectly lipsticked lips.

“Ah, she is a virgin human,” she remarked, clearly speaking to Tark. “The town is drawing in so many of them lately!”

“Er, I’mnota virgin,” I said quickly, wondering if they were looking for some kind of virgin sacrifice for some reason. Of course, I hadn’t been with many guys either—I had a grand total of two ex-lovers, though the last one hardly counted since he had gotten drunk and passed out halfway through. However, the first one had been successful—I most definitely wasnota virgin.

But Madam Healer was shaking her head.

“No, my dear—that wasn’t my meaning at all.”

“Madam Healer means you’re a human who doesn’t know anything about magic,” Tark explained. “And you’re probably surprised to be here, in Hidden Hollow.”

“Surprised is an understatement,” I admitted. “I was trying to get to the ladies room so I could have a good cry!”

“And instead you ran into me.” Tark smiled down at me, (a surprisingly friendly expression considering the tusks.)

“Um, yes. I guess I did,” I said cautiously. “Look, I really need to get up.” I tried to sit up and he helped me, lifting his arm to raise my head.

I promptly groaned.

“Oh, why does it hurt so much?” I moaned, touching the lump on my forehead with my fingers.

“Probably because of the pain and damage spell on my armor.” Tark sounded apologetic. “Sorry—it’s supposed to hurt enemies only. I guess it mistook you for one, since you came rushing at me through the magic door.”

There was too much going on in that statement for me to even form a question about it, but I tried anyway.

“Are you saying your armor knows if you have an enemy after you?” I demanded weakly.

“That’s just the way it’s spelled,” Tark explained. “Like I said, if you hadn’t come running at me, it never would have hurt you.”

“Enough of this—let me look at the girl. Bring her to my exam room,” Madam Healer demanded.

“Yes, Madam Healer,” Tark rumbled. And before I could make any moves to get out of his arms and stand on my own, he was lifting me and cradling me to his chest as he followed the snake-lady further into the dimness.

At last we went into a slightly brighter area. There was a counter and sink with some open-form cabinets on one wall. The cabinets were filled with all kinds of bottles and jars, some with mysterious, sparkly contents and others with murky dark liquid inside. There was a rectangular, unpadded exam table in the center of the room.

“Sit her here—unless you prefer to hold her?” Madam Healer said, looking up at Tark.

“I’ll hold her,” he said firmly, without even asking me.

I started to protest, but the exam table didn’t look very comfortable and I wasn’t sure I trusted the snake-lady. Oddly, Ididseem to trust the huge Orc who was holding me, though I couldn’t have said why. He just seemed…safe.I know that doesn’t make any sense, considering how he looked, but that was how hefelt.So I didn’t make a fuss as he cradled me in his arms.

Madam Healer leaned over me and produced a light which she shined in my eyes.

“Hmm, pupils are normal,” she pronounced and frowned at me. “How are you feeling now? Do you still have pain in your head?”

“Only when I touch it.” I pressed my fingertips lightly to the bump on my forehead and winced. “Ouch!”

“Hmm…a lingering effect of the spelled armor, I think,” she remarked. “Let me get a counterspell healing potion—that should take care of things.”

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