Page 63 of Orc's Promise
“Your orc brought the bear in the middle of the night,” Poetry says from across the room where she sits on her pallet, weaving a reed basket. One of the orc women brought the reeds to her and taught her how to weave. Everyone works in the colony, even a woman too afraid to leave the cave. It’s the only contact Poetry’s had outside the twelve of us. Well, thirteen now, including Ethan.
“Verig brought Ethan’s teddy bear?”
“He placed it in Ethan’s arms while you two slept. I didn’t ask him where he got it.”
Of course she wouldn’t. I’m surprised she didn’t scream at seeing a male orc in here. “Did he say anything?”
“He whispered something after kissing your forehead, and then Ethan’s, but it was in Orcan.”
He kissed our foreheads?
“I want to go outside and play, Mommy,” Ethan whines while pulling at my hand. I guess my day is starting.
I pick him up, with Brownie in his arms, a familiar and welcome sight. “After we eat, we should find Warrior Verig and thank him for bringing Brownie.”
“And I can go swimming!”
I laugh and hug Ethan, reinvigorated by having my son with me. Now, all I need is one strong warrior in my life. Time to mend some fences…
“What do you mean, he left?”I ask Paloma, my voice pitching high in panic when she tells me Verig’s gone. I can’t believe he’d give up on us, just walk away without giving us a chance to fix what’s wrong between us.
I’mwhat’s wrong with us. I was harsh on him.
“He can’t be gone,” I snap, even though there are tons ofpeople around who can hear me. I know Paloma won’t take my outburst personally. The woman gets me. But the orcs here don’t like seeing their leaders disrespected, and that includes Paloma, even though she’s human.
“Relax, Tansey. It’s a day trip. He’s doing escort duty to Pen’Kesh.”
I sink to the log next to her. Both babies are fast asleep, and Paloma’s enjoying the plate of food Evve brought her before running off with Ethan. I’m still nervous about letting him out of my sight, but Evve’s proved quite responsible.
“Verig’s not going anywhere permanently,” Paloma adds, as if reading my mind. “He’s too important to Atox.”
“You could have fooled me the way he stripped him of his position and gave it to that ass, Yanzu.”
“Verig is an excellent warrior, and a good male,” Atox says from behind us.
Fuck, I didn’t see him standing there. It’s creepy how light on their feet and soundless these hulking orc warriors are. Atox makes me uncomfortable, probably because he’s gruff and so serious all the time, but I like Paloma, so I have to put up with him.
Atox leans over, kisses the top of Paloma’s head, making me think of Verig all over again.
He whispered something after kissing your forehead. I can’t forget Poetry’s words.
After nudging aside the fur blankets wrapped around his children and satisfying himself that they are well, Atox sits beside Paloma, straight across from me.
“If you believe Verig’s such a good warrior, why did you strip him of his position? He made a mistake. Surely his loyal service, as your second, should count for more than one mistake.”
“Disobeying my orders was not a mistake, female. His actions were intentional. I will not—cannot—tolerate disobedience, especially from my neld.”
He’s right. I guess. But that doesn’t make it easier to hear. “He did it for me.”
“Finally, you see that,” Paloma says.
“I know he meant well. It’s taken me a while to see that. When I tried to apologize to him for how I reacted, he walked away from me. I thought he was done with me. Then he brought Ethan his teddy bear from home.”
When Atox opens his mouth to speak, I cut him off. “I don’t know where or how he got the toy, so don’t punish him again, please.”
“I was no harsher on him than he is on himself. Less.”
“That makes no sense.”
