Page 27 of Shared By Two Orcs

Then I turn to face Duma, offering him my lips this time while I stroke Yamarz’s muscular arm.

When I pull away, my smile feels like it is at risk of stretching my face out, permanently. “So, what are we going to do now?” I ask, a hint of a tease in my voice.

It’s twice as much fun when I see the way both their eyes darken with lust. Just like I hoped.

15

DUMA

Iwoke up this morning thinking it was going to be a special day spent in the company of Willo. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Right now, I’m walking to the right of Willo as I hold her hand. Holding her other hand is Yamarz, him, too, seemingly pulled into this group date without a word of warning.

While I don’t have a problem, I only wish Willo had run this idea by both of us first. It would have given me more time to mentally prepare. Then again, she’s far smarter than orcs give humans credit for. Maybe she knew we’d both have shot down the prospect of a group date right off the bat.

Now, neither of us have no choice but to continue forward, having already agreed to it. I try not to overthink it though, seeing how happy it makes Willo. I’m willing to give this a chance.

“So, shall we go ahead with the picnic?” I ask.

In my other hand, I carry a hamper of food, as does Yamarz.

“Yeah, let’s do it,” replies an enthusiastic Willo.

Yamarz and I don’t exchange a word as we walk through the forest. There isn’t a sound to be heard except for the faint splashing of water and Willo’s voice.

“Ooh, let’s grab some of those berries,” she says, pointing to a bush. “They look delicious.”

Yamarz and I reach our hands out at the same time, accidentally brushing our fingers. He pulls back as if stung by an apis. I don’t blame him. This is definitely outside what we talked about.

“Oh uhm…” he stutters. “You go ahead.”

I pick a few vines of berries and throw them into my basket. I scratch my head walking past Yamarz as he glances away in the distance, seemingly pretending to be studying something. We continue our journey, eventually coming to a lake.

Silver caesin jump up out of the water before splashing back in. For those few precious seconds they’re in the air, their scales glint in the sunlight’s reflection. The water in which they swim goes deep, clear as the sky as each of us peer into it. Schools of caesin chase each other around, bobbing and weaving between rocks and leaves fallen from the trees above.

Some swim around long green stems which lead up to green lily pads sitting on the surface of the water. Varying in size, they pepper the lake on various spots. They bob around from small ripples traveling throughout the water, created from the splashes of the agile caesin. Jumping from lily pad to lily pad are groups of bufo, catching unsuspecting pillas with their tongues.

Sitting on the edges of the lake are flowers of various colors, some petals of which now float on the water. Apis fly between each one in search of nectar. Directly across from us on the other side is an abandoned fishing hut. Its wood is deep brown, having rotted from decades of neglect. Half of its roof is missing.

“Won’t be staying there anytime soon,” I chuckle, causing Willo to laugh with me. I catch a smile on the face of Yamarz.

“Let’s set up here, it’s such a nice place.”

From my basket, I remove a yellow blanket large enough to fit only two. I look at it concerningly before deciding that Yamarz is just going to have to sit on the grass. I turn around, seeing he holds the exact same one.

“We’ll put them together side by side, that way all of us can sit on it,” he says.

When that’s done, I begin emptying my hamper. I pull out bottles of ale and set them down, clinking as they collide with one another. I take out salted dripir, as well as some bread, fermented vegetables, and the berries I picked from earlier.

Yamarz has brought some wine, salted taura, and creamy white cheese that tastes like butter, wrapped in a white, bloomy rind. I open a bottle of ale with my teeth, offering it to Willo who accepts. Glancing at the orc with us, I decide to offer him a drink too. He looks at it in surprise.

“Is that for me?” he asks.

“Yes, take it.”

“Thanks,” he says, taking the cold ale from my hands.

After I open my own bottle, we clink our bottles together, sending frothy bubbles of ale traveling down our arms.

“To good health,” I say.

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