Heart of Flame

XVI. Happiness and Vision

"I'm not ready for this," Murdak said, running his hand over his short hair as he paced inside his room. Dawn was breaking on the eastern skyline and the camp was already humming with activity. There were quite a lot of preparations that needed to be made, even though the work on this particular project had been underway for two weeks now. The orc was out of his customary armor, just wearing a plain white tunic and dark pants tucked into his boots. He'd cleaned himself up well before dawn. By the time Sorne had arrived, he'd cleaned up everything he owned. Even his armor practically gleamed, and it was dull demon's hide.

"Please," Sorne said, waving off his anxiety. She was leaning against the wall and watching him pace with an amused, if sympathetic, expression. "You were born ready for this."

Murdak shook his head. "I'm a warrior. I'm not good at this."

"I know you, Murdak War-Son," Sorne said more firmly. "You love Thadash and he loves you. Don't make this more complicated in your head than that."

The orc growled deep in his chest, but it was a worried sound rather than an angry one. Granted, with Murdak, worry tended to turn into anger almost immediately. "What if I mess up?" The look he gave Sorne was wide-eyed and surprisingly vulnerable for an orc Sorne normally associated with jovial violence or raging temper.

Sorne wanted to hug him, but she knew he probably wouldn't appreciate it. "Murdak, we've established that even when you mess up, Thadash forgives you. I know you don't necessarily trust yourself, but trust what you share with him."

"What if he changes his mind?"

"Then he can stab you in the face and find a new husband," Sorne said with a grin.

It made Murdak chuckle a little, breaking through his nerves. "How is he? Are you going to see him?"

"He's actually the one who sent me over here," Sorne admitted freely. "To, quote, Make certain Murdak's not getting in his own way again. The lummox had better remember we're in this together."

For a moment, Murdak's nerves were gone, replaced by warmth. "I'm lucky."

"Insanely so," Sorne agreed. "Thank you for remembering on your own. I was worried I was going to have to drag you to Thadash so he could punch sense into that big blocky head of yours."

Murdak looked embarrassed, but still said, "I think I'd like to see you try, pipsqueak."

"Oh, don't think you're going to wiggle out of this rousing battle speech with a little insult, Murdak," Sorne said as he sat down on the stump next to the fireplace. Orcs didn't really differentiate between indoors and out of doors as far as furniture or...anything, really. "Look, you two make each other ridiculously happy. If you will ever make a decision that you won't regret for the rest of your life, it's this one. Relax, Murdak. Thadash has got your back, always. No matter what you do or what you say, he's going to care about you and want to be with you. I know that both because he told me and because I've watched the two of you together for what feels like forever."

The tension seemed to be fading from the big orc's shoulders as he looked at her. "You're right," he said quietly. Murdak smiled at her. "Thank you, Sorne. I feel a little better now. Might still throw up, though."

"You'd better not get it on me," Sorne said. "Also, I have something for you. I already gave Thadash his." She unwrapped the tiny bundle in her hand to reveal a polished bone ring. Sorne had drawn a pattern for it and Áshildr had scrimshawed it in carefully, scratching into the bone and then dying the pattern in with special ink, designed to last centuries. She'd consulted Jukha about traditional inscriptions for wedding bands.