Page 25 of Shared By Two Orcs

He stares up at me with widened eyes, no doubt caught off guard by my saving of Duma.

“As for you, you had better watch yourself. I’m getting real sick and tired of you pushing everyone around like you’re the top orc. Let’s see you try it out on me, come on!”

“Yamarz, I… I’m not going to fight you. Come on man, don’t stick up for this asshole!”

“Shut the fuck up, I know it was you who started this. You aren’t to push Duma around anymore, or anyone else for that matter, do you fucking got it punk?”

“Yeah man just relax!” pleads Yaghed, throwing up his palms. “We were only having fun.”

“If I find out you’ve disobeyed me, then you’ll know it, I swear to the War God.”

He clambers to his feet, rubbing his head as he stumbles away. Everyone watches him before their gaze returns to me.

“Do any of you want to mess with me?” I yell. It’s enough to get the crowd to disperse, going back to their tables and elsewhere.

“Yamarz?” says Duma.

I slowly turn around, seeing him standing there wearing a shocked expression over his face.

“What the fuck was all that about?” he asks.

“He was bothering you, was he not?”

“Well… yeah but…”

“Duma,” I say, laying a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “It’s no big deal, okay? Tell me if that bastard gives you any more trouble.”

Duma swallows then nods.

“Now go look after Willo and tell her I said hello.”

14

WILLO

Icrouch down behind a bush a few feet away from where I asked both Yamarz and Duma to meet me. My fingers part the leaves with a rustling noise until I have made a clear vantage point of the spot I expect them to both arrive in soon.

Duma arrives first, which doesn’t surprise me. Of course, he does. He’s always been the more gentlemanly of the two, if orcs can be gentlemen. Yamarz is harsh and abrasive, which intrigues me to an extent, but Duma is the opposite.

Things like this are why I have such a hard time picking between them – they’re opposites in so many ways, and it turns out I like both ends of the spectrum in small doses. Why choose when you can have it all, right?

“C’mon, Yamarz,” I grumble, keeping my voice quiet enough that Duma won’t hear me. My knees are starting to ache from this position. I can’t move, however, without risking that I’ll give myself away.

Duma shows no sign of noticing I’m here talking to myself. Instead, he sits down on the grass to wait for me patiently. He still has no idea that Yamarz is going to be the next one to arrive instead of myself.

I almost sigh when I see how comfortable he looks. I’m half tempted to just come out from the stupid bush and go sit with him. But that would waste all my good scheming and put me at a disadvantage when I attempt to introduce the reason for this clandestine meeting. I grit my teeth and try to ignore the pain in my knee.

Yamarz finally arrives. The surprise on both of their faces to see each other instead of me is instantaneous. But neither of them has a thunderous expression like I expected.

Instead, they begin to chat calmly. They’re both curious about why the other one is here, which is understandable. But there’s no preening or fighting, no bickering about which one has to leave. In fact, they almost act like…friends?

I’m shocked by this evolution in their relationship, but hardly disappointed. If anything, it’s going to make the next part that much easier. I hope.

I spring up from behind my hiding spot, strolling toward them both purposefully. I screw my face up to make it clear I am a woman on a mission. I have to take charge of this meeting if I’m going to get what I want.

It’s not easy to be the boss of two big, strong orcs, so I really have to draw up my courage from deep within.

They both turn to me with wide eyes. Yamarz drops his hands from his customary folded position on his chest long enough to gesture in Duma’s direction. “What’s going on here? I thought you wanted me to meet you.”

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