Tansy of the Wilds

Chapter One

Xer'tal the Bloodthirsty had spent years as an orcish warrior, years as a cutthroat, and finally for the last few years, he had spent as a personal guard. The war that had entrapped Haveta and Fengalen made bandits and marauders more prevalent and he realized the coin he could make in ensuring his clients got where they needed to be was far more than any coin he had made as a cutthroat.

It had been difficult. Orcs were not considered good or trustworthy folk, most people were wary of them. They were to be mistrusted for the most part, something he had grown used to over the years but despite that he had made himself a name as a personal guard. He wasn't protecting nobles or royals by any means but merchants and travellers paid well enough for him to have food in his belly, beer in his tankard, and keep his weapons well maintained.

He was in the small town of Yarkin, nursing a tankard of piss poor beer at the cheapest tavern inn because the better one refused him service. Something he had become accustomed to but it was a rougher tavern inn, other cutthroats and brigands were served and they were rowdy. He was watching them all intently but no one met his red toned gaze. He preferred it that way. He had no patience for anyone bothering him needlessly. If he wanted a fight, he would find one but right now all he wanted to do was drink his piss water beer in peace.

He had finished guarding a merchant through bandit rich territory three days ago and he wanted a chance to find a new job but also relax. His muscles were weary and he had enough of the conniving merchant he had been guarding. The puny rat of a human male had tried to stiff him on the agreed upon price for the guarding. He had tried to say that because they hadn't run into any bandits that it meant the price was too steep. Xer'tal's response had been to hold his war axe to the merchant's throat and bark out that bandits didn't like dealing with bloodthirsty orcs to they avoided them and he was lucky he wasn't charging more.

The piss ant had paid and Xer'tal was glad to see him go.

But now he was starting to chafe under the looks that he was getting in the small town of Yarkin. He wanted another job. Simple, easy, perhaps paid in full before the job was even taken. He would like that. Xer'tal grunted as he looked down at his tankard. He sneered, the move making his tusks more prominent. It was a shit beer, watered down and foul.

He looked around once more when he spotted an unusual sight. A human female stepped through the tavern door. She was pale, overly so, looked small in her long cloak that was clearly for a man and completely out of place. She also looked damp, more than likely from the rain, it made her dishevelled look worse. He narrowed his eyes, flicking between the crowd and her. It was clear she wasn't used to the rowdy tavern as she seemed to almost frantically look around. Xer'tal thought she looked overly pathetic and he could see several of the better known cutthroats look at her before the little female's gaze locked in on him and she gave a smile of what looked to be relief and headed straight for him.

Xer'tal didn't know what to do with that. He wasn't one to deal with females, of any species really. When he needed to fuck to let off steam he would hire someone, he didn't care about species, but no female, especially a human one, looked relieved to see an orc. It made him suspicious.

So when she arrived at his table he picked up his tankard. "I don't want whatever it is yer selling, woman, go ply your wares elsewhere." He barked it out and she blinked up at him with rather large hazel eyes.

"I'm not selling anything." She sounded confused and Xer'tal grunts, taking a heavy drink of his beer. He knew he needed something stronger for this situation but the piss poor excuse for a beer all he had.

"Then why are ya here? A pretty female like you in a place like this is usually sellin' her cunt." He gave a grunt, looking her up and down. Her face was decent enough and the cloak covered most of her body but the way she had clutched it around her hinted at a rather full figure underneath it. All in all he knew he had seen prettier human females but had also seen less attractive ones as well but a female like her didn't just approach an orc unless she was selling her body.

She gave another confused slow blink at him, shuffling closer as she glanced around warily. Xer'tal gave her credit for that. Even he could tell many of the patrons were looking at her like she was a piece of meat and he knew it was good for her to be wary. She had some sort of survival instinct at least.

"I can assure you I'm not." She tilted her head as if thoughtful, "Although you aren't the first to insinuate that, believe it or not. Not that it happens a lot but the fact it happens at all should make me pause but some people don't take friendly interaction well."

"Is that what this is? Friendly interaction?" The gruff sarcasm was biting and she gave him another smile that left him a bit unsettled. No females, least of all human ones, smiled at him like that.

"You could class it as that but we could also mix a bit of business in with it. What good is business if you aren't friendly?" The little female looked at him with that same sweet smile and Xer'tal grunted, needing to distance himself slightly.

He looked her over for a few more moments before he set down his tankard, "What do you need, woman?" He asked gruffly, knowing he was more than likely going to make a serious mistake in hearing her out.