Page 39 of Mountain Orc Daddy

“How, Uzul? Think! Your tribe doesn’t even know about the feud with witches, do you really think you know how to defeat them? You can’t just run up there without a plan.”

She’s right. If I go to my tribe now, it’ll change nothing. I need to be smarter about this. That’s what they need from their Chieftain.

“You also,” she continues. "Certainly can’t run up there without these four, powerful witches, by your side, ready to help.”

“You’ll help protect my tribe?” I look at the Morgan family and they all nod in agreement. I take my hand off the door knob.

“So,” Blair slowly pulls me away from the door, this time I comply. “Let’s come up with a plan.”

24

BLAIR

Almost instantly, Uzul and my parents start forming a plan. It then doesn’t take very long for me to notice what else they’re doing. None of them are even looking at me.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” No one even hears me. They’re too busy brainstorming ideas, all of which include me staying behind.

I’ve experienced this my whole life. Maybe I was foolish to think that something would change after these past few days. I have no magic, I’m not as strong as an orc, so why would I be included in the plan?

But I’m putting my foot down today. Things will change. I know I can be just as useful as anyone else in this family. There is no way I’ll be sitting at home while Uzul’s whole tribe is in danger.

“So, I think the five of us should drive up there and-” My dad starts to say.

“Six,” I chime in. “The six of us. There are six of us, not five.”

While before all of them were too caught up in making a plan to look at me, now they are all actively looking away. Even Uzul is refusing to make eye contact with me. None of them want to include me.

“I’m not staying behind,” I continue. "Not again. I’m just as much a part of this as anyone else here. I want to help. I want to help end it.”

“You can’t be serious,” Remus says with a scoff. I glare at him. “You’ll just get in the way.”

“Remus!” My mom snaps, she then calmly looks at me. “Blair, we understand why you want to help. Why you want to be there. But… Your brother is right.”

“Mom-” I start to protest.

“Blair,” she continues. "You don’t have any powers like we do. This rogue coven will not hesitate to kill you. You have no way to protect yourself out there.”

“And,” Jade cuts in. "If we have to protect you it’ll just get us killed too.”

“You won’t have to protect me. I can take care of myself. I promise.”

“We know, Blair.” My dad looks at me with more pity than I’ve ever seen from him. “We know you can take care of yourself. But that is no reason to run headfirst to your death.”

“I’m not going to run straight into the middle of the battlefield. I’m not stupid, dad. But I can still go with you and help. I’m sure there is something I can do.”

My dad shakes his head. “There is just nothing that you can do in the fight that will be worth risking you getting hurt or worse.”

I look to Uzul for support, but he isn’t looking at me. His eyes have been glued to a map of the mountains since I joined the conversation. Then he turns to face all of us.

“She’s coming with us.” He says with certainty, as if it isn’t even a question.

“What?” My mom is shocked, along with the rest of my family. “But, Uzul, you do know what she’ll be walking into. She can’t defend herself like we can.”

“I know. But I believe in her. Her intelligence and resourcefulness can be just as useful as your magic or my strength. We can’t afford to not have her around for this fight. This isn’t a discussion, she’s coming.”

My family all reluctantly nod in agreement. I look at Uzul as he returns his focus to the map. It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone support me like he just did. Once all of this is over, I’ll need to properly thank him.

“Besides,” Uzul says. "We’ll all be heading straight to our deaths if we don’t come up with a plan that’ll actually work.”

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