Chapter 16

The orc leaned down and looked closely at Vall, who trembled as tears ran down her face. “Oh, now, girl. I will not hurt you, I promise.”

“All your kind has ever done is hurt her,” I snapped.

She whirled to face me. “You are a brave one. Are you as brave with a knife in your belly?”

I stood my ground as my emotions warred within me; fear for Vall, and determination to not abandon her competed with my rising anger. “She is my mate.”

The war leader glared at me for a long moment, and then she stepped away, and bent down to pick up a knife. Returning to me, she pressed the tip against my belly, just above my navel. “I will gut you, and then please myself with her. When I am done, I will give her to my guards.”

I tasted the fear in my mouth, and I stood still, fortified with my last scrap of courage. I loved Vall, and there was nothing I could do to save her. I just looked into the orc’s eyes, and waited for the agony of her knife in my gut.

She glared back at me for a long moment, and I could feel the knife tip moving against my skin as she breathed. Her expression smoothed, and then she stepped back and turned away. She picked up a pair of large skins from the pile next to her bed. Turning around, she tossed one to me. “Both of you; sit.”

Vall ran to my side, and I tugged at her hand to sit her down next to me. I pulled the skin over both of us, and put my arm around my trembling mate.

The orc draped another skin over her body like a robe, dragged a large trunk over close to us, and sat down on the lid. She sighed and regarded us with an expression I couldn’t parse. “You, girl, are not a shaman. And you, human and elf, are no servant.”

“No, we are not,” Vall said. She scrubbed at her cheeks with her hand. “What will you do with us?”

“Help me, and I will help you,” the orc replied evenly.

Vall shook her head. “I don’t understand. How can we help you?”

She reversed the knife and handed it to me, hilt first. “Take this, and deliver it to the war leader you seek, with a message.”

“They might kill us,” I said, taking the knife and setting it down across my lap.

“Not when I tell them you are my emissaries. They will not dare touch either of you, or anything you have.”

“We will do as you say,” Vall said quietly. I nodded in assent.

“Good.” The orc stood. “Put your clothes on.” She turned away, and collected her own clothing.

Vall and I dressed quickly, and I wrapped the knife in a small cloth I found next to it on the floor. When we were done, we faced our captor-turned-benefactor.

“Tell the war leader,” she began without preamble, “that I will meet with him as he has requested. You may go; my knife will assure your safe passage. Now, let us go out.” She stepped toward the door, and then turned as Vall stepped up to her.

“Thank you,” she said, and then wrapped her arms around the leader’s waist.

The orc stood still for a moment, and then she reached down and touched Vall’s head with her palm. “Go now, child.”

Vall released her, and the orc ushered us both outside. The guards turned as one, and looked at us with questions in their eyes.

“These are my messengers,” she told them quietly. “Make sure what is theirs is returned to them, and take them as far as the river. There, they will continue their journey.”

“Yes, War Leader,” one of the older guards replied with a respectful nod.

A short while later, we were back in our wagon and driving down the road toward the mountain we sought. Everything had been returned to us, although much of our clothing was muddy. The orc warriors had been almost apologetic as they returned our purses, and we thanked them with respectful nods in return.

We reached a river crossing at nightfall, and I guided the wagon to a wide spot beside the road. Vall briefly conversed with the guard leader, and then she returned to my side. “We will camp here for the night. The guards have an outpost nearby, and they will be able to see us from there.”

The rain discouraged us from building a cooking fire, so we ate our evening meal cold; dried meat, cheese, and squares of hard bread that were more palatable when soaked in water. After the meal, we went to bed.

“Why do you think the war leader let us go,” Vall asked once we were settled into bed.

“I don’t know. Her manner changed when I stood up to her.”

“That was brave of you. I thought that she would kill you.”

“Brave had nothing to do with it; I was frightened, and not of me dying, but at the idea of watching her hurt you.”

“I don’t think she would have hurt me, even if you had said nothing.”

I rolled my head to look at her. “Why do you say that?”

Vall sighed. “There was something that changed in her manner, and I really think the part about the knife was a ruse.”

“I do hope the war leader she’s sending us to doesn’t think her message is a ruse.”

Vall smiled. “No, I don’t think it is, but I do think it was a convenient device for her to aid us.”

“You know, things were so much simpler before I found you that day.” I sighed dramatically, and then I squawked as she punched me in the side.

“You oaf!” She growled and rolled on top of me. “You are still simple.”

“Can you two keep it down,” Pel called from her bed. “Some of us are trying to sleep, instead of mating like rabbits.”

“We’re not mating,” Vall protested.

“Oh, yes you are,” Pel returned. “Keep it down.”

“We’re not mating,” Vall hissed at me, and then her eyes widened as she felt my shaft press into her crotch.

I pulled at her thighs, and lifted my hips to bring us both into position. I bumped against her sex, and I placed my hands on her hips and pushed her backward onto my prod.

“Oooh, you are a monster,” she breathed as she opened her thighs wider and settled down on me.

I pulled her down for a kiss. “Yes, but I’m your monster.”

In the morning, we ate a light breakfast, bade farewell to the guards, and started the wagon north toward the mountain we sought. We crossed the ford and continued up the road as the leisurely pace of our oxen team.

Two hours later, at the tenth hour by our talismans, we saw another guard post on the road ahead. Vall picked up the war leader’s knife and cradled it in her lap.

“I don’t think we have to act like servants, but don’t speak, anyway,” I cautioned.

We drove up to the guards; the orc standing on Vall’s side of the road held up his hand, and I stopped the wagon. He moved closer and spoke to her. She showed him the knife, and the guard spoke more, pointing up the road with his free hand. Vall replied, and then she turned to me. “Go ahead.”

I started the team again, and we plodded onward. “Well, it worked,” I remarked.

“The guard said the war leader’s camp is five leagues ahead. We are supposed to take the right fork at the crossroad,” Vall replied.

I peered ahead at our destination; it was so close. “I wish we had a more detailed map. I don’t really know which road to take to the mountain.”

“Maybe we will see something at the next crossroad,” Pel said. “At least, I hope so.”

“At least the rain has stopped,” Ket observed, looking up at the sky from his perch behind me. “That way, our things won’t get so muddy when they are thrown in the road.”

“What a ray of sunshine you are,” Vall deadpanned.

“I’d be even sunnier if I got a decent night’s sleep,” Ket tossed back. “Between you two females, it’s a wonder that Ornthalas and I are even able to stay awake. Ow!” Ket shifted away from his mate as she slapped his arm.

“Serves you right,” Vall giggled as Pel glared at him.

“The females always band together,” I intoned gravely.

“Do you need discipline, too?” Vall smiled at me across the seat.

After a second glance, I saw that she was more showing her teeth than smiling at me. “Uh, no?”