An army of orcs, an ambitious young leader with an impossible proposal, and more secrets yet to be revealed. While Orvar and Gyda would love nothing more than to spend time with their newborn girl, the universe has other plans for them, but they are...
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After Emmy's arrival, decisions were made and new plans were formed.
The wounded would be brought to Hube's clan, as his place was closest, and they should get help as soon as possible. A quarter of my men would take care of that, led by Hube, who wasn't all too happy because it wasn't just the wounded who would be under his care. The children and their nursemaids would also join them.
"Tie them up if you must," I told him. "Gag the older boys if you need to."
"Yes, Orvar..." Hube answered with a sigh. "You fucking owe me for this one, though. I want a shitload of coal when all of this is over."
I patted his shoulder. This was probably the worst possible thing I could ever ask anybody to do for me. "You are the right leader for this task."
He grunted, giving me the side-eye. "Did you hear me? I said you owe me," he repeated.
"I heard you, and I will repay you with the coal you deserve." It was a fair trade. After all, it had been my decision to keep those kids alive.
"And you will take them with you to Asclan when this council shit is over too."
"I will."
"I don't want them around me." He cleared his throat and spat on the ground. "I wouldn't even know what to do with those bloody scoundrels anyway. My own bairns are coming in less than a month and that is more than enough."
"You have my word," I answered.
"I better! I need to take these babies with me while you two get to slaughter those fucking bastards," he growled.
Me, Cagan, and the rest of my men would go after the council, who had fled to a hideout half a day traveling from here. It was all thanks to my horrible sister-in-law that we knew about their whereabouts. If she hadn't overheard them, I'd have no clue where they would have gone. It seemed like the gods favored me again. It was almost as if they liked me lately.
"Commander," Yeis said, approaching me, him and another holding the stretcher that carried Ston.
He was awake.
"How are you feeling?" I asked him.
"F-fucking... amazing," Ston replied, his voice raw.
"I collected some booze here and there," Yeis said. "So he's a tad intoxicated."
I nodded. "That's good."
The less pain Ston felt, the better. It was strange to look at him and not see his complete body. Just two stumps for legs. But he was alive and that was what mattered most. He would get through this.
I gently let my hand rest on one of his shoulders. "And you make sure to stay alive so I can show you Johan's head before I take you to your family."
He nodded and smiled a stupid grin.
~
The dead had to stay behind, still laying in the same position as they were when their souls had left their bodies. I truly hated to leave them like this, but I couldn't deal with them now. I promised I'd come back for their bodies, though, and take them back to Asclan so we could give them a respectful goodbye. The goodbye they deserved.
At home, we burned our dead, and let their ashes be taken by the wind, which scattered them all over our mountains. Not all orc clans lived by the same rules, but all clans cremated their brothers.
Boom was a leader, so his death was a little different. The new leader had to be crowned. In this case, his son. The few men who'd traveled with him cut his necklace off, and one of them would bring it home, to offer it to his son, while the others stayed with me, finishing the mission their leader had started.
"Now, let us get out of this bloody stinkhole!" I shouted, standing in front of the exit. "It's time to slaughter some humans!"
A wave of growls, grunts, and yells was my answer before we marched out.
~
The sun was beginning to set as we were on our way to Gualfil Woodland—the place the council had fled to. Sigrid and Hilde connected the name to the exact location—a large mansion built by Johan's ancestors. They said it had to be that place, and I once more had to trust them.
The three women were coming with us as I might have a need for Sigrid and Hilde again, and Emmy insisted on staying beside her mother. They traveled by horse. We'd found two of them in the city.
The trip was going smoothly and would take about half a day.
"You know I will challenge you when all this is over, don't you?" Cagan said, walking next to me.
Yes, the trip was going smoothly. But Cagan was on a mission to annoy me.
"Sure." I took a sip of water.
"And it will come sooner than you think. Another war, you away from your woman and daughter, and all those kids missing their leader. More deaths and more drama." A groan escaped my lips while I placed my drinking horn back into my belt pocket. "Unless..." he said, not finishing the sentence.
I kept quiet. He sure as hell shouldn't expect me to beg him to finish his sentence, though that last word had piqued my interest.
Cagan continued. "Unless we might come to a deal..."
"Fucking finish what you want to say, boy," I hissed.
"A pact. Your daughter and my son, bonded as children, mates as adults. My son will take over after you and me and will connect both clans. Together they will become the biggest nation there has ever been."
What the fuck?
"My daughter just left her mother's womb and you want me to promise her to your fucking son?"
"Why not?" he asked. "It's not like it's abnormal in orc culture. It has been done many times in the past and you know how much the past times fascinate me. Back then, life was good, before this ridiculous council and their fucking peace accord was made and they murdered our girls. The old ways are the right ways, and I think you agree with me on that."
"The old ways are not always the right ways. And Skye is my heir. Not her future mate."
Cagan chuckled. "She's a woman. Now, I know we haven't exactly seen an orc woman of adult age, but I know she will never be able to physically take a man. How must she battle, hm? How must she lead her men, her clan?"
My blood started pumping through my veins. "That is of later concern."
"I'm dead serious. I will come to claim Asclan Peaks."
I glimpsed over my shoulder and saw how Hilde and Emmy were looking at and listening to us. I hated that they could hear us.
"There are rules among orcs," Cagan went on. "And I am very aware of them. We will not declare war when another clan is vulnerable because their leaders are away, during the first few weeks after the new sons are born, or during the breeding moon. But the rules say nothing about other vulnerabilities. So I will come for you first thing when this is all over, Orvar. When you think you can lead a happy, peaceful life with your woman, your child, all your fucking soldier son kids, and newly born bairns."
I growled so loud, I heard the women gasp behind us. "Do you think you can threaten me?" I shouted in his face, spit flying against his cheeks.
Cagan wiped himself clean with his hand. "I wasn't threatening you. I was telling you about my plans, so you have a choice. You seem to think highly of your woman, so I figured you might want to discuss the future of you and your baby girl with her." He wiped his hands on his pants. "And I kind of like Vildon. I would hate to see him hurt at the loss of his brothers..." Cagan chuckled, patting one of my shoulders. I slapped him away. "And I'm glad to have you pumped up for when we slaughter those cunts as well!"
