Page 62 of Orc's Promise
I open the door. “When?”
“Sojek is preparing the gorjas.”
“I’ll join him shortly.” I dress, affixing my weapons when I spot the toy I brought back from New Earth sitting on my trunk. I intended to give it to Ethan, but kept it as a reminder of him. Of those precious hours when I held him in my arms as we rode to Mount Racha. Holding a youngling again brought back many memories of Veeya. Ethan is not my youngling. I know this, and yet I cannot help but smile when I see him.
I scoop up the toy and move quickly through the tunnels, so as not to delay the group heading to Pen’Kesh. When I open the door of the women’s quarters, the female who sleeps by the light disc that always stays on sits up in bed, her eyes wide. I hold up the toy, showing her I only mean to leave it for Ethan.
Her eyes track me, but she does not wake the others as I tuck the toy in Ethan’s arms while he lies beside his mother. My hand reaches toward Tansey’s golden locks, but I don’t touch her.
Instead, I kiss her forehead and then Ethan’s as lightly as I can so I don’t wake them. The blessing I whisper is a prayer to the gods to watch over them while I’m gone. To not punish them in my stead.
I steal a few precious moments watching them sleep. I never thought of humans as anything but ugly, with their flat foreheads, small noses, and lack of tusks. On Tansey, though, the difference in features did not appear homely. Everything about this female appeals to me and has, from the moment I first saw her. The same for her son. Ethan is a precious youngling with an inquisitive mind and a brave spirit, much like his mother.
It eases my heart seeing them together. I do not regret bringing him to her. If only I could find a way to convince her we belong together, the three of us.
Walls, even ones made of metal, cannot stop an orc. What we cannot destroy, we topple, climb, or burrow under. But this wall between my female and me is growing, and I do not know how to break through it.
I exit the women’s quarters as quietly as I entered, leaving a part of me behind with my female and her youngling. As I hurry through the tunnels and out to meet Sojek, I vow to find a way through to my female.
“Neld. I mean Warrior,” Sojek corrects himself as I emerge from the mountain. He’s riding atop the cart and holds my gorja’s reins in his hands. We are alone. No other warriors are here.
“Where are we going?” I ask, as I glimpse the mounds of animal skins in the bed of the cart.
“Delivering animal hides to the bantarans in Pen-Kesh.”
I nearly growl at realizing Yanzu has assigned me vekking escort duty for a bunch of animal skins. No one would dare attack Sojek over such an insignificant load. Not even the vints.
To Pen-Kesh and back is a full day’s ride, with nothing but scorching sun, boredom, and, of course, humiliation. Warriors see this task as a punishment. As neld, I often assigned it to whichever warrior had proved lax in training or failed to perform his duties satisfactorily.
I remind myself that Sojek is not a warrior, and our grak has commanded that any non-warrior who leaves our territory must have a guard at all times. I must focus on the worth of this task, as I have all the others Yanzu has assigned me. Especially now that I’ve told Ethan a warrior should learn all tasks and perform them with pride.
I grab the lower spikes of my gorja’s head and swing myself onto his back. “This was Yanzu’s idea, wasn’t it?”
“Our neld is off scouting the human settlement with four warriors. Our grak ordered you to accompany me.”
Vekk, that’s worse. Atox is still angry, or he would not have chosen me for this duty when there are younger warriors who need the experience of learning Pen’Kesh. I’m no longer sure if he means to teach me a lesson or make an example of me. Or both.
I turn my gorja by squeezing his ribs with my knees. “Weleave,” I order Sojek. As a warrior, I still have authority over non-warriors. Sojek follows with the cart, and we start the long trek.
Perhaps I can use this time to figure out what to do about Tansey, the woman who has lost all respect for me, much as my grak.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
TANSEY
Asmall hand pushes my hair off my face. I’m too damn tired to open my eyes. That, and I want to return to my dream where I’d just cuddled up next to my big, brawny orc.
“Mommy, can I take Brownie swimming with me today?”
“No swimming unless Verig is with you,” I mumble, then curse silently as I remember Brownie’s back in our house on the edge of our colony, a place we may never see again. I need to explain to him that his favorite toy is lost to him.
Brownie survived three moves, including a very rushed one to get away from my ex, and then the incredibly long trip across the universe to Kovos, only to be abandoned in New Earth. Similar to how I abandoned Ethan, though neither was by choice. Kidnappers don’t take the time to pack their captive’s belongings.
“I’m sorry, sweetie,” I mumble, drifting back to sleep. “We can’t go back for Brownie.”
Something soft presses against my face. “He’s right here,” Ethan says.
I force my eyes open to the worn, soft, familiar sight of the beloved teddy bear Ethan’s had since he was a baby. “Brownie.” Itouch his soft fur. I never thought I’d see him again. Or Ethan, for that matter.
