Page 19 of Orc's Claim
“It is not our place to question our grak’s orders.”
“Are you here to guard the supplies or me?” he asks directly. This male does not usually pry. When my brow ridges rise, he adds, “Our grak doesn’t trust me.”
“You would not drive the cart if he did not trust you.”
“I would never steal from our people.”
“You are the one who raised the question of trust.”
He grinds his tusks against his lips. “Our grak rarely speaks to me. Not like he used to. He speaks to Duvik and Evve more than me.”
This is not the discussion a male has with a warrior not of his line, but Sojek’s father died on Orcos and he has no other males to speak with, aside from our grak. “Your siblings are younger. And without a father.”
Sojek’s ridges remain raised.
“It is not for us to question our grak. He’s ordered that no one travel to Pen’Kesh alone. And you are not a warrior, Sojek. Learn your place.”
Learn your place, Ryko.
I hear my grak’s voice in my head, saying those same words tome the day I wanted to gut the vint who threatened my female. Instead, he held me back.
I have plans for the human females. You will keep your distance from them.
I worry that Atox’s plans could endanger Lily.
Sojek ties off the work gorja against a tree, channeling his frustration into the knot. “He does not think I can handle myself.”
“You can’t,” I say plainly. “But in time, you will.Ifyou continue training with your knives.”
“Why do you not complain as the other warriors do when they’re assigned escort duty?”
“Complaining accomplishes nothing.”
“Or is it because you wish to be here in Pen’Kesh?” he says, rekindling the earlier discussion I diverted. “I’ve seen you watching the humans. One female in particular.”
I nearly stop removing the blankets from my gorja, but doing so would confirm his suspicions.
“I watch all the humans. And the moxxins and bantarans. And especially the vekking vints. Every being here who is not orc is the enemy and not to be trusted. Remember that.”
“Even the females?”
Vekk, he’s smart.
“Females are often the most dangerous of beings. I’m here to guard you, first and foremost, but as warriors—as orcs, Sojek—we cannot become complacent or trust those who would annihilate us. If you wish to be a warrior, then you must learn that.”
“Our grak will never let me enter warrior training.”
“Prove yourself to him,” I say, while wondering who other than Sojek may have spotted me watching Lily.
“The humans will not survive on Kovos long,” he adds.
“This is a fatal flaw, Sojek. Making assumptions can and will get you killed. Never underestimate the enemy.”
“Are they our enemy?”
My female’s sweet face flashes in my head. Her expressions, her trust, her kindness. She is no one’s enemy. But I can say none of this.
“All who are not orc are the enemy. That does not mean we cannot live beside them in peace. But never trust them.” The words which I’ve heard repeated to me dozens of times by my grak and neld taste bitter on my tongue as Lily is not our enemy. But still, my people will not accept her. Not unless our grak does.
