Page 51 of The Orc Queen

“I could carry you.”

She narrows her eyes at me. “So the children of this tribe could have a good laugh at me, orc?”

Her attitude is endearing. “Why do you care about them?”

She side-eyes me as she passes me.

We walk to the old orcs quarters and the sun is almost gone. Day light is almost wasted.

Owa lets us in, and she beams when she sees the basket with the containers Aria packed for them.

“Is that Aria?” Jani asks from somewhere in the house.

“Yes, dear. She and the young one are here.”

When we walk in, Jani emerges from the passage, and he has a mortar in hand, like he was busy with something. It comes with the job of being mated to a powerful sorcerer, I suppose.

“Son of Zad, how is the border? We heard what happened.” He says to me.

“Yes, I finally encountered the Sokos.” I say.

Aria’s eyes turn to me. I told her about what happened, but I don’t know why I haven’t told her about what I retrieved. I am hoping it can be something. But it seems a useless detail.

Jani and Owa both solidify with mild fear on their faces.

“Indirectly, when I got to the river, they had taken the soro but I fought the last one underwater,” I say. Aria did not like hearing I did that.

“You fought one of them?” Jani questions.

“Yes, but another came and yanked their comrade and they slipped from me,” I explain.

Owa and Jani sit on the other sofa. Owa nods. When they don’t respond immediately, I say, “Owa, can I please have a word with you? Alone.”

I feel Aria’s gaze on the side of my face, and I turn to her. “It’s just a little something I need to ask, Dove.”

She nods and we get up. She leads me to her room of plants. Most of these may seem like regular plants to the unperceiving individual but here lies some of the most powerful herbs I have ever encountered. Powered with magic they are even more powerful, even deadly.

“You have my audience, son of Zad.” Owa goes to her chair, and I follow.

“When I was fighting the Soko, I got something.” I pull it out and move closer to her. Her eyes widen when she stares at the severed finger that is now starting to rot.

She gets up and takes it from my hand. “You ripped it from them?”

I nod. “I don’t know if it’s anything, old orc, but can we do something with it? I don’t even know what I am asking you. Maybe something to help us protect ourselves from them?”

She looks at the finger like it’s the most interesting thing she’s ever seen. “I don’t know what I can do with it. I will consult the spirits.” She says in a voice that tells me she is invested in the item and done speaking with me.

“Another thing, Owa, I don’t know how to do what you said I need to do. I need guidance, great one.”

Her eyes find mine, and she focuses on me for the first time since she saw the finger. “I cannot tell you that, King of the orcs, only you know. It is your destiny. It is onlyyourpath.” Then she looks to the other side of the room where she has a small cupboard.

“I need a jar. Be a good orc and tell my mate I need a jar with cold water.”

She is done with this conversation, so I retreat and deliver the message.

We sit afterwards and eat. Just after the sun hides from the land, a knock comes to the door. Zod walks in.

“You are a bad orc, Zod. I haven’t seen you in forever.” Owa says.

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