The Prison Realm

Chapter 6: Running by Moonlight

Garin'thar:

He had done it.

Garin'thar had found his wife.

Future wife, he corrected himself. That was all semantics. He had felt the connection so many times that day from the moment they locked eyes to right them when she lay content and sated in his arms. She had cried in pleasure, Rosa had smiled a smile that was genuine and stunning. Garin'thar could not have truly imagined the tales of finding his life mate now that he had experienced it. That immediate intimacy was indescribable.

It didn't matter that they were in a prison or not of the same people. What mattered was the two of them and this union. The beginning of what would eventually be their family.

Garin'thar put her to bed with him, securing her to his side and holding her to him while he experienced the enormity of this life-altering emotion. He needed to sleep. Hells knew they both did.

But he wasn't ready to end this night. He wanted to burn it into his memory so he could call upon it whenever he liked.

An hour passed, and Garin'thar felt himself reaching up to stroke her hair while he fantasized about their future. He was suddenly second-guessing how easy it would be to introduce her to his current tribe. They were nothing like the easygoing nomadic tribe he'd grown up with. The orcs he knew were... rough.

Well, that was putting it mildly. But perhaps they would change once the rest of the tribe were given wives. He'd known even the grisliest warrior in his tribe to be domesticated by a good woman. Garin'thar decided this had to be what would happen because there was no alternative way to live in this world the way it was.

Rosa would see that once she experienced more life outside that dirty cell. Khagra had a certain charm, a charisma that made him such an effective chieftain. He would spend the rest of the trip telling her what to expect and promising that life would only get better from this point.

Garin'thar's hand stilled as he relaxed, comforted by the idea of having a plan. His eyes became heavy, and his breathing evened.

Rosa stirred.

Garin'thar almost lifted his head to ask if she needed something, but he stopped himself. She was being so careful not to wake him, and he smiled as he imagined her simply trying to be considerate of his rest. He became curious and wanted to see what she did without his interference.

Rosa tip-toed quietly across the sand, probably looking for privacy to relieve herself. She should probably return the way they came behind the rocks, but she didn't. Instead, she went right to Rinir. The terran was half asleep but lifted his head when Rosa went to his saddle bag and started to rifle through Garin'thar's things.

She whispered to him.

"Be cool, man. You don't kick me, and I don't kick you," she said, her tone as soothing as it was threatening. Rinir, the traitor, let out a huff of a sigh and tolerated her rummaging.

What was she doing?

She pulled out one thing, then another. With her body in the way, he could not quite see what of his things she was taking. Denial dug its heels in the sand, even as logic dragged him along. She couldn't be doing what he thought she was doing, could she?

No, he told himself. You saw the way she looked at you. She's simply woken to get something to drink.

Then, he watched numbly as she hurriedly tucked everything she'd grabbed into the front of her tunic. She looked over her shoulder at him, pausing as something flickered across her features, illuminated by the campfire's dying embers.