Page 23 of Orc's Little Human
Thali giggles. "That's why you have me. I've been learning plants since I could walk."
We make our way along the riverbank, Thali pointing out various useful specimens while I try to commit their appearances to memory. The gankoya turns out to be a stubby plant with thick, segmented leaves that smell faintly of spice when crushed. We gather enough to fill a small pouch, along with some wild onions and a handful of late-season berries.
It's peaceful work, meditative in a way that reminds me of better times. Before the camps, before the brands and betrayals, I used to help my mother tend our little garden. The memory comes with its usual sharp edge of loss, but for once it doesn't cut quite as deep.
"Selene?" Thali's voice carries a note of uncertainty that makes me look up from the herb patch.
Two orc warriors stand blocking the path ahead of us, their expressions ranging from amused to predatory. I recognize them from around the camp—Jorth and Mazg, mid-level guards who've always watched me with calculating eyes. Neither looks particularly friendly right now.
Ice floods my veins, but I force my face to remain calm. "Thali, come here."
She scrambles to my side immediately, her small hand finding mine. I can feel her trembling slightly, picking up on the danger even if she doesn't fully understand it.
"Well, well," Jorth says, his voice carrying the lazy confidence of someone who knows he holds all the power. He's younger than Korrath, maybe mid-twenties, with ritual scars covering his arms and tusks decorated with copper bands. "Look what we have here."
"Just the human and the chief's little sister," Mazg adds, stepping closer. He's bulkier than his companion, with gray-green skin mottled by old battle wounds. "Out for another one of their little adventures."
I take a careful step backward, pulling Thali with me. "We were just heading back to camp."
"Were you now?" Jorth's smile reveals teeth filed to sharp points. "That's interesting. Because I've been wondering something."
He circles us slowly, like a predator sizing up prey. My heart hammers against my ribs, but I keep my breathing steady. Show fear and they'll pounce. Show weakness and they'll tear you apart.
"I've been wondering," he continues, "what's so special about you that the war chief keeps you breathing. You don't look like much to me."
Mazg chuckles, the sound like gravel in a crusher. "Maybe we should find out for ourselves. Give you a proper test run before the chief decides you're not worth the trouble anymore."
The blood in my veins turns to liquid nitrogen. I've heard that tone before, in the camps, in the moments before everything went to hell. But I can't run, not with Thali beside me. Can't fight, not against two trained warriors.
All I can do is back away slowly and hope they don't decide to press the issue.
"Or maybe," Mazg says thoughtfully, "she's more dangerous than we thought. Maybe she's gotten into the chief's head somehow, made him weak."
"That would explain a lot," Jorth agrees. "The way he's been acting lately, keeping enemies alive, going soft on discipline. Maybe we should put her down as a favor to him."
"You can't touch her," Thali snaps suddenly, her young voice crackling with outrage. "She's under the chief's protection. You don't cross the chieftain."
Both warriors laugh, but there's something forced about the sound. Even they understand the truth in Thali's words.Korrath's authority is absolute within the clan, and challenging his decisions directly would be tantamount to rebellion.
"Smart little whelp," Jorth says, but he takes a half-step back. "But the chief's not here right now, is he?"
"He doesn't need to be," I say quietly, finding my voice again. "You know exactly what would happen if you touched either of us. The question is whether you think it's worth the consequences."
For a long moment, we stand frozen in tableau—two warriors weighing their options against a human woman and a child. The only sounds are the river flowing behind us and the distant calls of birds in the trees.
Finally, Mazg spits into the dirt. "Not worth the trouble," he mutters. "Yet."
They step aside, allowing us to pass, but I can feel their eyes burning into my back as we hurry down the path. Thali's hand stays locked in mine, her small fingers gripping tight enough to cut off circulation.
We don't speak until we're safely within sight of the longhouse. Only then does Thali release my hand, her shoulders sagging with relief.
"Are you all right?" I ask, crouching down to meet her eyes.
She nods, but I can see the fear lingering in her amber gaze. "They were just trying to scare us. They wouldn't really... they know better."
"Of course they do," I agree, though the words taste like ash. The truth is, I'm not sure what those men might do if they caught us alone and far enough from camp. The only thing that saved us was Korrath's reputation and their uncertainty about how far they could push.
But that protection feels thinner now, more fragile than it did this morning.
