Page 54 of Orc's Little Human
And it is. The wall rises straight and true, fitted so precisely that no mortar will be needed. Strong enough to weather anything the coast can throw at us, but still shaped with the organic curves that make this place feel like home instead of a fortress.
Thali has abandoned her shell collection to investigate our progress, scrambling up onto the half-built wall with the fearless agility that gives me nightmares. At nine years old, she still thinks she can climb anything, jump from any height, explore any dangerous-looking cave without consequences.
"When will the roof go on?" she asks, balancing on the narrow stone edge like it's solid ground.
"Carefully," I tell her. "Down."
She rolls her eyes but obeys, dropping lightly to the sand. "I want to help with the roof."
"You can help by not falling off it."
"I won't fall. I'm not clumsy like?—"
A splash from the direction of the water cuts her off, followed by creative cursing. We all turn to see Selene waist-deep in thetide pool she'd been using to wash the morning's construction dust from her hands. Her copper-gold hair has escaped its braid and hangs in wet tangles around her face.
"The rocks are slippery," she announces with wounded dignity, water streaming from her clothes.
Thali dissolves into giggles. "I thought you said water flows around obstacles."
"Water is treacherous," Selene corrects, wading back toward shore. "It lies in wait, pretending to be helpful, then attacks when you're not paying attention."
I wade in to help her out, catching her elbow as she navigates the uneven stones. Her skin is cold from the water but warm underneath, and when she looks up at me, there's something in her expression that makes my chest tight.
Gratitude, maybe. Or wonder. Like she still can't quite believe this is real.
Neither can I, most days.
A month ago, I was preparing to die fighting thirty soldiers in a mountain pass. Now I'm building a home with the woman who saved my life and my sister who's finally free to be a child again. No councils questioning my decisions. No warriors challenging my authority. No clan obligations pulling me in directions I don't want to go.
Just the three of us and the sound of waves and the satisfaction of creating something that belongs only to us.
"We'll need to stock up before storm season," Selene says, wringing water from her braid. "The fishing boats that passed yesterday—they might trade for worked stone. I could make jewelry, or..."
She trails off, still not entirely comfortable with long-term planning. Too many years of surviving day by day, never knowing what tomorrow might bring. But she's learning. We're all learning.
"There's a settlement two days north," I tell her. "Traders, mostly. Neutral ground. They won't ask questions about an orc and a human living together."
"And Thali?"
"Will charm them into giving us their best prices."
It's true. My sister has always had a gift for making people forget their prejudices. Something about her fierce curiosity and complete lack of fear when it comes to strangers. She'll have half the settlement wrapped around her finger within an hour.
The afternoon passes in comfortable work. Thali sorts her growing collection of shells and stones, creating elaborate patterns in the sand while she tells elaborate stories about sea spirits and underwater kingdoms. Selene and I continue raising walls, our magic flowing together as naturally as breathing.
By sunset, we've completed the main structure. Tomorrow we'll start on the roof—proper wooden beams covered with slate and sealed against the weather. But for now, it's enough to stand in the doorway and see the space we've created.
Four walls and a floor. Nothing elaborate or grand. But it's ours.
"It needs a name," Thali announces from where she's building a miniature castle out of shells. "All proper homes have names."
"What do you think?" Selene asks, settling beside her in the sand.
Thali considers this with the seriousness she brings to all important decisions. "Something with 'stone' in it. And 'wave.' Because of the cliffs and the water."
"Stonewave Keep?" I suggest.
"Too formal," Selene objects. "This isn't a keep. It's a... haven. Stonewave Haven?"
