ONE POINT FIVE (1.5 in the Amnesia Archives)

Chapter 26

Aknon's POV

I really didn't want to stay at the orc's camp that night. I was full of questions and emotions which I had to figure out and address. But Mesh had smartly pointed out that it was far too late for me to go anywhere, Grolen and some of the other orcs would be sad or insulted, and my bed had already been decided as the one next to Mesh.

I was out like a light. Despite everything crowding my head and causing quite a painful headache, I was far too exhausted to keep my eyes open for another second after my head touched the uncomfortable pillow. I had a thin sheet to cover me, and the bed dug horridly into my side, since it was impossible for me to sleep on my back due to my tail.

I kept my sword beside me as I slept, just in case anything dared attack during the night. I might've been insulting to the rocs if they knew this, as they were very prideful on the safety of their strongholds and fighting ability. I just didn't feel safe in the slightest.

So, when I woke up to light pouring in through the small slits in the tent, I was extremely surprised. It felt like the whole night had gone by in a blink, but I felt the littlest bit refreshed.

"Good morning," Mesh greeted me cheerfully. He was dressed in new clothes, just a plain white shirt and brown trousers, and had a smile on his face. He seemed far too cheerful for someone who had just woken up, so I assumed he'd been up for quite a while. "You slept like a dog."

I rubbed the bridge of my nose. "Good morning," I replied with an attempt at politeness. "A dog? Isn't the saying 'like a log'?" I moved so that I was sitting on the edge of the bed, even though it felt like I was going to go straight through the wooden poles which made it.

"I don't know." Mesh shook his head. "You look more like a dog, tail wagging and mouth open."

I tried to hide my horrendous blush by taking a sip of water, noting that I probably did have my mouth open all night, judging by how dry it felt. "I'm electing to ignore that." I stretched my arms, hearing my spine crack. "I've got to start heading back."

"Now?" Mesh's voice was a stammer as he stared at me. "No no, not now. You need food, supplies, armour, help." He stood from the side of his bed and towered over me. He could be extremely intimidating when he wanted to be. "You wouldn't survive that trip alone without help."

I closed my eyes for a moment. "You sound awfully like me," I murmured. I began to put my coat on, which I had thrown to the bottom of the bed before I slept. "Which means you're not wrong."

A smug expression crossed Mesh's face. "Right." He nodded and waited until I had my shoes on before picking me up by the arm. "Time for food."

"I can get up by myself," I said in a bit of a perplexed voice. "Did you wait for me to wake up before getting food yourself?"

Mesh looked guilty, but he kept his head pointing forward, so I really couldn't see much of the emotion in his eyes. "I waited patiently for you to wake." I figured that answered my question.

I smiled a little and patted his shoulder. "Thank you." I looked down at my boots as they kicked rocks and dirt across the floor. I was fascinated by the orc camp, but I wasn't sure how welcome I'd be on the second day.

I knew that Mesh was probably starving, the guy didn't eat as much as I thought that he would, but he certainly ate more than I did. So, I decided that we should go and get him some food first, before I got washed and ready to go. I ran a hand through my hair and tried to make sure it wasn't a rat's nest before allowing him to lead the way.

The sun was bright outside of the tent, which was rather annoying. It seemed that the stronghold wasn't a fan of shade, which was a shame given the fact there were so many trees around. The air was filled with the sounds of grunts and laughter, something unusual but not unpleasant.