Page 33 of The Orc's Thief
“Sarrai…” I begin, my voice hollow.
But she’s already shaking her head. “If you think I’ll let you run off on your own, your brain really is addled. Think of what you’re saying.”
“I know exactly what I’m saying,” I counter. “Your duty is to our clan, and you have to be there for them. In a matter of days, the entire caravan will pack up, and they’ll need you on the road. Darrin is too young to lead them, and Marut and Violet will have their hands full with the twins.”
She lifts her chin, her expression stubborn. “Then you should wait so we can send for more warriors. They’ll guard the caravan, and I’ll come with you…”
“I can’t.” It’s my turn to take her hand, and I give it a squeeze, trying to make her understand. “Tessa is in trouble. If I don’t find her, someone else will, and I can’t let that happen. I still don’t know exactly where she’s going, and she’ll be faster than me on the road, with a lighter horse. If she slips too far away from me…”
If anything happens to her, I’ll never forgive myself.
My expression must show some of my thoughts, because Sarrai lets out a sigh and pats my hand.
“All right. Tell me what to do.” She leans back in her chair. “Do you have everything you need for the road?”
A rush of warmth fills me at her easy acceptance. This is why we’ve been friends for almost three decades.
“I think so.” I shove a piece of bread in my mouth and mumble around it, “I just asked to buy a pack animal and some food for the road.”
She purses her lips. “How about a tent? A kettle to cook over a fire? Where will you sleep?”
“Gods, I don’t know.” I shovel up some eggs and chew thoughtfully. “It’s late in the year for camping if you’re human, don’t you think?”
“You think she’ll prefer to stay at inns?” Sarrai taps her long fingers on the table. “If you want to woo her, definitely make sure she’s safe and warm at night.”
“Aye, that’s what I was thinking. Need to find her first, though.”
I’m eating methodically, not lingering over the food, even though it’s good. The faster I leave, the better my chance of catching up to Tessa by tonight.
“Where would she go?” Sarrai stands, walks to the wooden chest holding my belongings, and starts sorting them into two piles. “What’s your plan?”
I bite off a piece of sausage, wipe my hands on a napkin, and join her. “I’ll visit each of the gates to see which general direction she picked.” Though I have an inkling, judging by her questioning last night. I’ll start with the Eastern Gate, then work my way around the city clockwise if no one saw her there. “Hey, I’m not taking that tunic. Put it on the other pile.”
“It’s your nicest one, dummy,” she retorts, already handling a spare pair of boots. “You should put your best foot forward with your mate.”
I frown at her. “She’s my mate. Once she knows I won’t hurt her, she’ll understand we’re meant to be together.”
My friend gives me a look of deep pity. “She hit you in the head. I think you’re going to have to work harder than that to win her over.”
Godsdamnit, that didn’t even occur to me. For an orc, scenting a mate is enough. I caught one whiff of Tessa and knew she was mine, and it didn’t matter that she attacked me and left me for the rats, as she said.
“You think she might reject me?” I push back to standing and march over to the door where I hung my weapons belt. The need to ride out after her is pounding stronger with every minute. “I never thought past finding her, to be honest.”
Sarrai scrubs a hand over her face. “You’re sure you don’t want me to come with you?”
I give her an unimpressed look. “No, but I’ll take your advice.”
“Just ask yourself what you can do to make her comfortable. If she’s runningfromsomething, she’ll want to feel safe.” She grimaces. “Unless she’s running from you…?”
“It’s not me,” I tell her. “She didn’t smell afraid when she tied me up.”
Sarrai grins, and I know she’ll tease me about this for ages.
But she takes pity on me and adds, “If she’s running toward something, she’ll accept your help to get there faster.”
“Right.” I pull a pair of saddlebags from the bottom of the chest, then hand a purse of gold to my best friend. “Will you go downstairs to check on Pip? And make sure they’re not trying to sell me their worst animal just because I’m desperate.”
She nods and disappears from the room. Some of my tension melts away at the knowledge that Sarrai has my back. She might not be able to travel with me, but at least she understands why I’m leaving.
