Page 13 of Mountain Orc Daddy

He smiles and nods. “I did, thank you. What about you?”

“I slept well, too.”

We sound like an old married couple. I don’t want to get ahead of myself since this is the first man that’s ever paid attention to me. We also just met not that long ago. I still can’t help but find it endearing.

“What would you like to do today?” he asks

For sure, I don’t really want to spend the day together with my family. It sounds mean, but I want to spend alone time with Uzul. Having my family around will be overkill.

“Hello, Uzul, good to see you this morning,” my mother’s voice intercepts.

Crap.

“You as well, Mara,” he greets her.

One by one, my family members make an appearance. Already hogging Uzul’s attention. It shouldn’t bother me as much since I’m used to being cast aside. This is different though.

It’s fine. I suppose it’s also beneficial for our family of witches to have friendly relations with the orc tribe.

So, for today, Uzul’s showing us around the forest. Pointing out which plants are deadly, which good to eat, and the ones great for magical concoctions. My parents are especially interested in the last bit.

While we walk through the forest, Uzul keeps looking over his shoulder. I smile at him discreetly. He doesn’t respond the same way, but his gaze lingers for a moment before turning away.

He also shows us around his base. The everyday life of the Broken Maw tribe. Where I get to learn more about Uzul’s upbringing.

They’re very protective of one another. They keep their distance while watching intently. Some with curiosity others with doubt.

The curious ones approach my family, offering bits of their harvest. Things we’ve never seen before. My family instantly went on to ask about the food. They’d never pass up an opportunity to make new magical recipes.

But, they’re now distracted talking with the tribesmen. While they did that, Uzul approaches me.

“What do you think of the tribe?”

I respond. “It’s amazing. There’s so much liveliness here. I’ve read about tribes from different species but nothing can compare to this.”

“In what way if I may ask?”

“I guess how united everyone seems. Despite being quite big and strong, you all are an affectionate group.”

My eyes go wide when I realize what I just said.

“I did NOT mean it that way. I mean that in the best way possible. I think it’s so amazing that the tribe likes to exercise a lot. That dedication is admirable because I can almost run without fainting. I mean there’s even different areas for different exercises. It’s great!”

Uzul gives me a quizzical look. I ranted again. What if I said something stupid and now he’ll think I’m an idiot? God, why can’t I shut up when I’m with him?

He chuckles to my surprise and relief. Then he gently places his hand on my shoulder.

“I'm happy to hear that,” he says.

Afterwards, he heads towards the other “tour” members. I stare at Uzul from afar, watching how he interacts with the rest of them. My mom shows her powers using the new ‘ingredients.’ She grabs what looks like an orcish eggplant. A green light emanates from her hands and the vegetable triples in size.

Uzul gives her a small dagger. She does the same trick to it. The orcs ooh and aah. My eyes remain on Uzul’s fascinated expression.

I can’t hear what he says, but I know he’s asking to show him more. More orcs gather around them. My family gladly demonstrates how amazing their powers are. How it can destroy, create, and embellish.

My heart stings a little, seeing that image. They feel farther away even though I’m standing ten feet from them. When Uzul looks over at me, I offer a smile.

Suddenly, he walks away and up to another orc off to the side. When he whispers something to him, the other orc nods.

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