Page 25 of X'nath

It was a bold statement, but each one of us knew there was no going back to the life we left behind. The other women nodded, some of them quieter, others visibly comforted by the conviction in my voice. We stood in the water for a while longer, exchanging a few more jokes and enjoying the fleeting peace. The orc women watched us closely but without any hurry, their presence comforting but not suffocating. They’d given us this small moment of peace, and we appreciated it more than I could say.

Finally, the orc women started unpacking bundles of cloth, handing us garments that were simple yet functional—new coverings that would help protect us from the elements. The air was growing chilly, and I couldn’t imagine standing here exposed for the next thirty minutes, trying to wash our clothes in this cold.

“For you,” Arga, one of the younger orc women, said with a soft smile, as she handed me a dark green tunic. “It will serve you well.”

I nodded, accepting the garment gratefully. The fabric was thick but surprisingly comfortable, offering a kind of protection from the harsh winds. As I pulled it over my head, I appreciated the effort they were putting into making us feel more at home. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

The other women had already started to wade out of the water. The orc women brought more than enough to go around, so we were able to use a few pieces as makeshift towels to dry ourselves.

Kelly, who had been particularly anxious since our rescue, spoke. “It feels… nice, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s like we’re in another world,” Erin murmured, her expression softened as she squeezed water out of her hair. “I didn’t know what to expect from these orcs, but this…” She trailed off, looking at the water and the surrounding land as if seeing it for the first time.

I stayed quiet, watching the others, letting the moment settle over me. Once we were all dressed, the orc women led us back toward the heart of their tribe. As we walked, I began to truly observe how the tribe worked, how it all operated in a natural flow.

The air smelled of earth and wood, with a faint hint of smoke from the fires burning in the distance. Orcs moved with purpose, going about their daily routines. Some carried tools, others spoke in low voices as they worked on building what looked like simple wooden structures.

The homes were sturdy, built from stone and wood, blending seamlessly with the mountainside. Some were small but well-kept, while others were larger and appeared to be communal spaces where groups of orcs gathered to eat, speak, and sharestories. The familiar voices of the men who had found us at sea rang out, boisterous and full of energy, as they eagerly shared tales of the journey we’d endured to reach this point.

The orcs living here were practical in their approach—no excess, just what was necessary, and yet there was a quiet sense of pride in everything they did. It was a weird mixture of human culture familiarity as well as an otherworldly tribal aspect. Everything had its place, and everyone seemed to know their role. It was a strange kind of order, but it worked for them.

As we moved through the camp, the older orc women broke away and tended to fires, gathered food, and helped the children. The children ran between the adults, laughing and playing.

I didn’t know yet what would happen next, but as I watched them, it became clear that this place was more than just a refuge. It was a home—something I hadn’t realized I’d been craving until now. But then a darker thought crossed my mind: if we ever did try to leave, where would we go? Back home? That felt impossible. We'd just end up on another slave ship like before. This place, for all its rawness, might be the only safety we would ever know.

A few of the orc women began bringing supplies for us to settle, some furs, and materials for shelter. It was kind of them, though I felt a mix of gratitude and resistance. Yes, we had to rely on them for certain things, but I wasn’t about to let them doeverythingfor us. We needed to stand on our own two feet, build our own future.

Thanking them, I handed the materials to the group and told them we were going to build a communal shelter.

“Gracie, maybe we should let them help,” Kelly murmured as she picked at the some wood planks the orcs had provided.

I shook my head, trying to keep my voice calm but firm. “We need to be able to take care of ourselves. We need to remindourselves that we have value, we’re not captives. If that’s what they want us to believe, then we have to prove it to them.” I glanced at the others. "We need to do this ourselves."

A few of the other girls exchanged uncertain glances. Erin was the first to speak. “But they’re offering, Gracie. They want to build homes for us, at least that’s what I gathered from the men who found us. They’ve got the manpower, the tools. Why not let them?”

I sighed, looking around at our new landscape. “Because if we let them do everything, we’ll owe them more than we already do. And I’m not willing to fall deeper into that debt. We’ve already been handed enough, don’t you think?”

Was it manipulative of me to get them to see things my way? Possibly. But it also logically made sense.

Kelly didn’t look convinced, her brow furrowed. “But Gracie… we’re not used to this. We’re not used to surviving in a place like this. I highly doubt any of us have had experience in building a home from the ground up.”

I softened a little, though I still felt my resolve tightening. “We can do it. We’ve survived this long, haven’t we? We just need to put our minds together and figure it out.”

The women still seemed unsure, but I could tell they were beginning to see my point. That was when Arga, one of the younger orc women, stepped forward. Her expression was serious, but her eyes held a glint of understanding.

“I can help,” she said, her voice steady. “We can build a shelter for you. It may not be like what the men would do, but it will be enough.”

I gave her a grateful nod. It was better than asking the men. X’nath’s smirk came to my mind and I grimaced. Taking his offer for help might lead him on, judging by his growing flirtations. I didn’t know what he saw in me. If the men brought us hereto build families together… well, he was out of luck. At this age, children would be high risk for me.

A pang of shame sliced through me but quickly left as I refocused my attention to the task at hand.

"Thank you, Arga. That's exactly what we need."

With Arga’s help, along with a few other younger orc women who had volunteered, we began to gather the extra items we needed. The orcs had an abundance of raw resources—wood, stone, and other sturdy materials from the land itself—and though it wasn’t as sophisticated as the structures they had built for themselves, we made do. We worked quickly, using the skills we had, learning from Arga and the others as we went along.

As we toiled together, I felt a surge of pride. Despite everything we had gone through, we were still able to come together, make something from nothing. A few of the other women had softened in their resistance once the foundation started to grow. They began to help with the building, their hands moving in sync with mine as we worked. There was a quiet camaraderie now, a sense of unity growing among us, even as I felt the weight of what was to come settle on my shoulders.

When the shelter was finally done, I stood back and surveyed our work. I admired their ingenious design—a cleverly constructed gap in the roof allowed smoke from the internal fires to escape while keeping the elements at bay, ensuring a warm and dry interior. It was simple, but it was ours. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t perfect. What mattered was that we had built it with our own hands, and that felt like an accomplishment. Our new shelter was small but functional—enough to keep us safe for now, and enough to show the orcs we could stand on our own.

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