Page 5 of Bred By the Orc
“Keep yer tongue still, brother, lest I remove it,” I growled.
Judging from the slightest lifting of his lips, he was pleased at my reaction.
Hells. How was it easier to be chieftain to the Bladesedge clan than older brother tothismale?
My self-pity was interrupted by the sound of hoofbeats and I turned in time to welcome Varkaan as he trotted up wearing a big smile. As always.
“The warriors are ready, Chief,” he announced, pushing himself up in the stirrups—another fine human invention Korvak eschewed—to peer at the circle of stones in the hollow below. “We but await yer signal.”
I nodded, pleased thatsomeonecould maintain discipline around here. “My thanks. Yer brother believes ‘tis helpful to stir resentment.”
Varkaan sent his twin a smirk. “Why is hemybrother when he’s doing something difficult, butyerbrother when ye brag about him to the other chieftains?”
Pretending embarrassment, I hissed from one corner of my mouth, “I told ye no’ to mention the bragging! Torvor’s Hammer, his head will swell even more!”
“Impossible,” Varkaan scoffed good-naturedly as he shifted in the saddle. “If his head swells more, he’ll fall off his horse.”
“Fall from my horse? Dinnae speak of such impossibilities,” growled his twin, and Varkaan, of course, laughed.
Sometimes it amazed me—and the rest of the clan—that these two could be twins. Och, ‘twas common for orc females to birth twin sons, but two more different personalities could not be imagined. While Korvak was grumpy and short-tempered, his twin was appealing and affable, always ready with a laugh or joke. The fact that Varkaan was considered a charmer and a favorite of the females of the clan didn’t hurt his reputation, either.
Mayhap Korvak is the way he is simplybecausehis twin is so charming.
Mayhap.
All I knew was that I was a lucky male to have two such brothers. Each brought different things to my life. Not only as a family member, but as the chieftain of a powerful orc clan. I was glad to havethem at my side.
Not just for tonight’s raid, but always.
Speaking of which, however… “Varkaan, ye are on Moltar tonight. Keep him contained, aye? He’s made a foolish wager with yer brother—”
“There ye go again with theyer brothernonsense.” There was laughter in Varkaan’s dark eyes as his mount reacted to his high spirits by side-stepping away from mine. “What is the wager?”
“He thinks to kill more humans than I,” Korvak deadpanned.
Before his twin could respond—possibly adding more fuel to this fire—I held up a hand to cease the conversation. “I would havenaehumans killed.”
Both my brothers settled their attention on me. Now I spoke as their chief, not their childhood playmate, and I needed them to understand.
“Gelma’s vision will secure a peaceful future for the Bladesedge clan,” I explained. “If I can breed the Tarbert daughter and get a son by the spring solstice, I will have the alliance we need to stand against the Bloodfire clan.”
“Aye,” growled Korvak unnecessarily. “Hence this raid to fetch yerMate.”
The only way I would be able to breed this human female was if shewasmy Mate, as Gelma promised. Only Mated pairs produced offspring, everyone knew that. I didn’t feel the tug the elders hadspoken of when a male knows his Mate was near…but I had to trust my grandmother’s vision.
Our people relied on her knowledge, her guidance, and she wouldn’t turn us the wrong way now.
“Tonight’s raid will gain my Mate and secure our future, only if Laird Tarbert doesnae have cause to hate us. Hence the trouble to contact the human John and promise him gold. If he can bring us the human female to the place we planned near the stones, there will be no need for any deaths tonight.”
“He’ll come,” Varkaan assured us. “Ye didnae see how greedy he was. The Tarbert’s eldest daughter’s name is Sorcha, and she will be in the dilapidated building east of the circle tonight.” He nodded toward the stones. “Already the mist rises.”
I glanced down to see that my brother was right. The moon was almost in position and soon the veil would be thin enough to travel through, as so many of my ancestors had done before.
Nodding once, I caught Varkaan’s gaze again. “We cannae give Tarbert reason to hate us. We cannae slaughter his men tonight. It is vital he think our only crime is that of stealing his daughter, which he will eventually forgive when he hears of her happiness and meets his grandson.”
At least, that was what Gelma had assured me. I prayed to all the gods that she was right.
My brother studied me for a long moment then nodded. “Aye, Chief. I will spread the word among the men.”
