Uthar the Hunter, page 13
part #7 of Orc Mates Series
“I got you,” he whispered in her hair. “My love. I got you.”
“I knew you would find me.” She sniffed and wiped her tears. “I wasn’t worried for a second. Well, I mean, I was a bit afraid... I don’t know what’s out here and what would want to eat me.” She chuckled, trying to ease the tension. “But other than that, I was certain you would find me. That’s why I waited. No point in getting lost more than I already was.”
“I’m sorry. I should’ve never let you go on your own. That was stupid of me. Unacceptable.”
“You couldn’t have known.”
He grunted and didn’t say another word. Beth looked up at him and saw that he was angry. Angry at himself. She wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a kiss on his collarbone.
“So, what happened? Did you put out the fire?”
“Yes.”
“Did Morok start it?”
“Yes.”
She sighed. “What did he want? I don’t understand.”
He remained silent, and she dozed off as he carried her back to their town. He’d come on foot, armed to the teeth, but she didn’t feel for one second that she was a burden to him.
He stopped in front of the diner. Most of the orcs were inside, around the table. Kinna and Lonar were outside, talking in hushed voices. Beth went straight to them.
“Where is Abby?”
The mage turned to her but didn’t look into her eyes. Lonar averted his gaze, too.
“Is she okay?”
Kinna took a piece of paper out of her pocket and gave it to her.
“I’m sorry. She was gone when I went to check up on her. I found this.”
Beth felt chills creep up her spine. She felt cold to the bone. She unfolded the piece of paper and read, “Your sister will be a good mother to my baby.” It wasn’t signed, but Beth knew who’d written it. She knew who’d taken Abby.
Morok.
She had never been the target.
Chapter Twenty-One
Beth felt sick to her stomach. Even if the table was empty, – aside from a few bottles of ale, – the diner smelled of food. There was nothing she wanted more than to rush outside and breathe in the fresh morning air, but the horde had decided to gather here, and Uthar was on his feet, pacing the room, talking about all the gruesome things he was going to do to Morok the Unhinged. His words filled her with hope. And power. Even though she could barely stand, she was ready to go rescue her sister. She needed a good bath, and then some rest, but she couldn’t allow herself to have either when Abby had been kidnapped.
They had to act today.
“We’ll be walking into a trap,” Lonar the Beast said. The voice of reason.
But it wasn’t that the others lacked reason. They knew exactly what was going to happen if they attacked so soon. That was what Morok expected.
“And it won’t matter,” Uthar growled. “We are many, and we are united.”
“Morok’s horde is bigger,” the raider said.
“They’re not united, though,” Kinna said. “He built his horde from scraps. Those orcs aren’t loyal to him. He gave them a home for a while, and that suited them. But they are rogues, grunts who lost their captains, orcs who don’t belong. They won’t fight for him. Not to the death.”
Uthar nodded. He looked at Kinna pensively, and she looked at him.
“Do we know anything about his mage?” he asked.
“No,” Lonar said.
“I do. I recognized him when Morok came here to threaten us. Borrin the Dancer.”
“Dancer?” Beth asked.
Kinna drummed her long fingers on the table. “Yes. He is said to dance with the spirits. I don’t believe that.”
“And if it were true,” Beth said, “What would that mean? That he dances with the spirits...”
“Talks to the dead,” the mage explained. “Gets his wisdom from them. Learns ancient spells that have been forgotten.”
“Have you ever seen him fight?” Uthar asked.
“No. Back in our world, Goran the Vengeful never faced the captain Borrin the Dancer served. I’ve only heard of him. They’re all rumors.”
“So, if he dances with the spirits,” Beth said, feeling silly just hearing the words come out of her mouth, “Does that make him hard to... I don’t know...”
“I can take on anyone,” Kinna said, head held up. “Don’t worry about me. Worry about the ones who will dare to stand in my way.”
“Then it’s settled,” Uthar said, banging a fist on the table. “Get ready. We ride in an hour.”
“Ride where?” Lonar asked. “We don’t know where Morok’s horde is. We only know they’re somewhere in this area.”
“I will track him down,” the captain said.
“No. I will.” Kinna stood up and walked up to Beth, who was sitting at the head of the table. “Give me the note.”
Beth had it crumpled in her hand. She gave it to the mage.
“What will you do with it?”
“Morok wrote it. Which means it belonged to him before he left it. I will use magic to track him down. It will be faster and more precise.”
“Do that,” Uthar said. “Quick.”
Kinna headed to the door, shooting over her shoulder, “It will only take a few minutes. Make sure we’re all ready to leave.”
The orcs started dispersing then, rushing out of the diner to go find their weapons and battle armors.
Uthar pulled up a chair and sat down next to Beth. He covered her shaking hands with his.
“We will get her back. I promise. Untouched and unharmed.”
Beth sobbed. “Lonar is right. You’ll walk right into his trap.”
“It doesn’t matter. We can defeat him. My horde is loyal to me, but that’s not why we have an advantage over Morok. What makes us stronger is that my horde is loyal to you.” He touched her round belly. “And to our baby. They have something to fight for that is far more precious than anything Morok could offer or promise his horde.”
“I don’t want this,” she said. “I don’t want you to have to fight for me. Or for my sister. It’s not fair. This shouldn’t be happening. We never bothered anyone.”
Uthar smiled. “My love... You’re so innocent.” He bent over and kissed her forehead, then her cheek, and finally, her mouth. “It’s not about what is fair and what isn’t. Morok would’ve done something like this anyway.”
“I don’t want you to go.”
“I must. And you will wait for me with Sonya and Gorya. You will be safe there. Gorya is armed, and she is a great warrior, even though she is retired. She will protect you.”
“I still don’t want you to...” She took a deep breath and released it slowly, calming herself. “But he took my sister, and if you don’t hurry, who knows what he’ll do to her.”
“So I must go now.”
“Okay.”
He stood up, and Beth made an effort to peel herself off the chair and stand on her own two feet. He kissed her again, and this time, it was long and passionate.
“I will be back. I promise. And Abby will be with me.”
She nodded. He didn’t leave right then, though. He first took her to Sonya’s house and made sure that she was going to be safe. He exchanged a few words with Gorya the Patient, and Beth felt bad that the old female orc was now responsible of two useless, helpless humans. But Gorya seemed to be proud of her mission.
Uthar kissed her one last time, and then he was gone.
* * *
It was getting late. The sun was about to set, and Sonya had tried to make her eat something all day.
“When do you think they’ll be back?”
The horde had been gone for hours. Well, not the entire horde. Uthar had left two more grunts to guard the house. They patrolled up and down the street.
“They must’ve found Morok’s horde by now,” Gorya said. “They will most likely attack at night.”
“So, you’re saying it hasn’t even begun?”
Gorya shrugged. “I don’t know. I can only tell you that an attack like this, especially when you know you’re walking into a trap, is better launched at night.”
Beth sighed. She kept pacing Sonya’s living room. Up and down, up and down, until her feet hurt. But she couldn’t stop. She was restless. Inconsolable.
“Eat something, Beth. You must.” Sonya hadn’t given up yet. “If not for you, then for the baby.”
Beth groaned. “I can’t. I feel like throwing up. I wouldn’t be able to hold a single bite down.”
“Then drink some krag milk. Or cow’s milk. Do you want me to make you tea?”
“Oh God, Sonya, I don’t want anything. Not even water! I just want... I just want...” She stopped pacing for a moment. She wrapped her arms around herself and looked out the window, lost in thought. Gorya and Sonya let her be. Then she snapped out of it and went to sit on the couch, next to the widow. “I’ve never felt like this in my life. Not even when I got the phone call about my parents.”
“I’m so sorry,” Sonya whispered. “How old were you?”
“Twelve. Abby was nine. It was horrible at first. Like a nightmare that never ended. That kept repeating every time I opened my eyes in the morning and had to survive another day. Then it got better... After a year or so. We moved in with my aunt and uncle. They raised Abby and me until we could get jobs and move out. They didn’t really love us or want us there. But it had fallen on them to take care of us, so they took the responsibility seriously and did their job as best as they could. But they were detached... A bit cold. They’d never wanted kids, and they’d agreed they would never have them before they got married. And then Abby and I happened... What could they do?”
“I’m sure they loved you,” Sonya tried. “They just didn’t know how to say it.”
“It’s okay. Abby and I were a handful, especially through our high school years. My aunt and uncle were patient, but we could tell they couldn’t wait to get rid of us and finally get to enjoy the peaceful life they’d planned for. That’s why Abby and I left the second I got my first job. They helped us, though. They helped us get an apartment, and we never had to struggle financially, because we could always count on them.”
“See? That is love.”
Beth sighed. “I guess so.” She rubbed her eyes and combed her fingers through her red, entangled hair. “No, you’re right. Of course they loved us. We lost touch after a while, though. Abby got a job too, and we could support ourselves without their help. They started traveling a lot. Every time I called they were somewhere in Europe. I’m happy for them. And I’m happy for Abby and me. We found our way.”
Sonya nodded. They were silent for a while, as Beth gathered her thoughts and checked in with her feelings. She was better. Maybe she would even eat a little soon.
“I can’t lose her,” she continued. “I can’t. I can’t imagine my life without her. We’ve survived so much. Morok can’t take her away from me... just like that.”
“And he won’t. The captain will bring her back.”
“I know.” Beth stood up and started pacing some more. “No, I know. I trust him.” She looked into Gorya’s eyes. “I trust everyone. I’m sorry I’m so... all over the place.”
“It’s understandable,” Gorya said.
“I... Maybe if I lie down for a bit...”
She was exhausted. Sonya showed her to the bedroom, but when she made to leave, Beth reached for her hand and pulled her back.
“Stay for a while?”
Sonya climbed into bed and rested her head on the same pillow as Beth. She smoothed down her wild hair.
“I’ll stay for however long you need me.”
“Thank you.” Beth closed her eyes and tried to imagine Abby walking through the door.
Positive thoughts. Positive thoughts only.
Chapter Twenty-Two
They took her to a farm. It was abandoned and run down, and there were no farm animals in sight. Only krags that grazed leisurely, as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening, and orcs in full armor and armed to the teeth that yelled, and laughed, and ran around getting ready for things Abby didn’t even want to think about.
She was taken inside and forced into a room that was damp, cramped, and had no windows. The empty shelves that lined two of the walls told her it used to be a pantry. They locked the door, leaving her in the dark. She curled on the floor, pressing her forehead to her knees and rocking softly. Tears streamed down her face and soaked her pajamas. She was barefoot.
No one came for a while. An hour passed, maybe more, and she’d managed to calm down and tell herself that she was going to be okay. They hadn’t hurt her. She had scratches and bruises on her legs and arms, but only because she’d fought them. These orcs were nothing like Uthar’s orcs. They were loud and vile, scary and covered in scars. She feared that they had seen more battles and blood than Uthar’s horde, and she also had the feeling that they were more numerous. Beth had told her a few things about Morok the Unhinged and how he’d gathered his horde. She tried to remember what her sister had said. These orcs were all rogue and savage. Many of them had been banished from their hordes because they didn’t agree with the peace treaty, or they’d left themselves to search for something else that aligned with their values and beliefs. And Morok had found them and brought them together.
Abby knew that Morok wanted Uthar’s horde. He believed that it was his by right. What she couldn’t understand was why he’d taken her. She wasn’t even part of the horde. If they were trying to hurt Uthar the Hunter, they’d taken the wrong human. Not that she’d preferred her sister to be kidnapped instead.
She heard steps outside the door. She took a deep breath, wiped her tears, and straightened her back. She considered standing up, but she felt weak and a little sick. Since Kinna the Mage had been doing magic rituals for her every day, and pumping her full of herbs and concoctions, she’d been feeling better, eating better, and looking better. Her hair had started to grow back, and her whole head was covered in soft, blond fuzz.
The door opened, and a female orc stepped inside. She was tall and lean, with long, black hair that she wore in a complicated braid. For a second, Abby was relieved. She could deal with a female orc. But then another figure blocked the light coming in through the doorway, and Abby knew this orc was a male. He was twice as big as the female, with broad shoulders and long, thick limbs. A sword dangled from his hip. He had to bend his back to enter the small room, and when he straightened it again, his head almost touched the ceiling.
Morok the Unhinged. She recognized him from the fair. And the female was his mate, Hula. Abby couldn’t remember her other name.
“She’s too thin,” Hula said. “And she has no hair. Why does she have no hair? She’s ugly. She will give you ugly babies.”
What?
Abby’s eyes widened. She hoped to God she hadn’t heard right.
“She’ll do just fine,” Morok said in a low, bored voice. He pushed Hula aside and stepped in front of Abby. He looked down at her like she was a bug, and he was trying to decide if he should lift his foot and squash her or give her a chance. “Stand up. I want to see you.”
Abby was tempted to disobey him. But she was in a dire situation already, and she doubted Morok would have the patience to deal with her if she tried to be fussy. She pushed herself to her feet and tried not to shake too much.
“Why do you have no hair?” he asked. “You sister has beautiful red hair. It’s a sight to see, to be honest. Had she not been pregnant with Uthar’s child, I would’ve taken her.”
“I’m ill,” she said. “All my hair fell off because of my sickness.”
“See?” Hula threw her hands in the air. “Useless! I told you. She was not worth taking. We should’ve killed all of them and been done with it.”
“Kill my own horde?”
“They’re not your horde. Kill some of them. Enough of them, until the rest surrendered and accepted you as their captain. Now, what are you going to do with this skeleton? She’s sick. She can’t give you children.”
“Silence!”
Abby saw Hula shrink in fear. There was hatred in her eyes, and she wondered whether it might be directed at Morok and not at her.
“I don’t believe that you’re sick,” Morok told Abby. “You are lying, hoping I would change my mind. Tell me. Are you really sick? Because if you are, I have no use for you, and I will have to kill you.”
Abby shook her head. “N-no. I’m... I’m not sick. I lied...” She choked on the words. But she believed him when he said he would kill her. She could see in his eyes that he was cruel. He didn’t care about anyone. If Hula was his mate and he treated her this way, Abby couldn’t hope to get any mercy from him.
“Always be truthful to me,” he said. “If you lie again, I will know.”
He wasn’t very bright, then. But that only made him more dangerous.
“Hula the Relentless is my mate,” he continued. “I will keep you for breeding and nothing else. If your sister can give Uthar a child, then you can give me a child.”
“But she’s thin and ugly,” Hula hissed. “Do you want ugly children, my mate?”
“Shut up! The orclings will all look like me. After she gives me two, I will get rid of her.”
“Good,” Hula whispered. And Abby could see that his promise eased her pain a little.
Morok took a step to the right, but he had nowhere to go. He frowned in displeasure. The space was too cramped for him to pace.
“This is temporary,” he said. “I will take over my father’s town, and we will all live there. Maybe I’ll even let you live in your own home if you behave and cause no trouble. I don’t care what you do with yourself as long as you come when I ask and open your legs to receive my seed. Hula and I will move into Uthar’s house. I might spare your sister, too.”
“You can’t spare her,” Hula said. “She carries Uthar’s baby.”
