Page 63 of Tusks, Tails & Teacakes
When Lira joinedSass in the great room, Korl was wrestling a massive, black iron beast through the door.
“Can you believe it?” Sass asked, rubbing her hands together.
Lira wasn’t quite sure what she was supposed to believe. “What is it?”
Another orc appeared in the doorway, hefting the backend of the contraption. Unlike Korl, this orc wasn’t young, but Lira recognized him. His hair boasted more silver than when she’d last seen him, and his jowls were fuller, but she would have recognized the village blacksmith anywhere. But what was one of Korl’s dads doing here?
“Vorto?”
A grin split the older orc’s face as he set down his end of the object. “Heard you were back in town.” He glanced at his son. “Been hearing little else.”
Korl grunted and put down his end, straightening and pressing his fists into the small of his back. “You needed a new oven.”
Lira blinked at him, as Sass danced around the hulking stove. “But you fixed our oven.”
Korl gave a rough shake of his head. “It won’t hold for long. It’s too old.”
“I would take offense at that, since I built that old oven,” his father said, “but the boy’s right. If you’re doing the kind of baking he says you are, you need something newer and bigger.”
Lira opened and closed her mouth a few times. It was bigger, that was for sure.
“Don’t worry about how big it looks,” Korl said, as if he had a window into her mind, “I measured the space the last time I was here. We might have shave down the side of a cabinet, but it’ll fit.”
Lira finally found her voice. “You made us a new oven?”
Vorto cleared his throat. “It was a family effort.”
Val strode in behind the orcs, giving them both a fond look. “I consider myself a part of the family, but I did not help with this.” She held up a handful of what looked like orange knit squares. “I did make some things for you to use when you pull trays from the oven, and I made them doubly thick, so the heat doesn’t seep through the yarn.”
“They’re perfect.” Sass took them from the burly blonde as if she’d offered them bars of gold and as if Sass would be the one using them. “Thank you.”
Val waved off the thanks. “It was nice to make something other than a scarf for a change.” She put a hand to the side of her mouth. “But to be honest, they’re really just short scarfs.”
Korl picked up his side of the oven again, grunting at his father to do the same, and they started walking the heavy load toward the kitchen, the thing swaying from side-to-side like a ship being tossed by waves.
“I don’t know what to say,” Lira said as Korl passed her. “You didn’t have to do this, but I’m grateful you did. Thank you.”
His gaze met hers and one side of his mouth twitched. “You are welcome.”
Then he looked down, grunted, and backed toward the swinging doors.
Heat bloomed in Lira’s chest as she watched the two orcs maneuver the oven and lumber into the kitchen.
Val winked as she sauntered by. “I’ll see if they need more muscle in there.”
Before Lira could follow them, Sass appeared at her side.
“I guess we know why he wasn’t coming around the tavern.”
“I guess we do.” Lira glanced at her. “Should I expect an apology now, or do you want to spend some time getting the wording right?”
Sass pressed a hand to her chest. “An apology? For what?”
“For saying I was the reason Korl wasn’t coming around the tavern as much.”
Sass flailed a hand at the doors the orcs had disappeared through. “But youwerethe reason.”
Lira spluttered as she shook her head.
