Rise of the Warrior of Everfen

Chapter 13: Sheobulf of the Dire Wolf Clan

They sat down to eat and once again she felt like the spectacle of the evening. She'd finally been starting to get along with everyone, she was talking with them each night over their dinner, and now the newcomers were here. Once again she felt out of place, right on the outside and it was disappointing because Lohke and his warrior band had been the best thing she'd ever experienced in her life. Their laughter, their banter, everything.

She hadn't realized how much she felt like she was fitting in until just now, as she sat here feeling like she'd lost it. Everyone was making friends with the Free Roamers, but none of the Free Roamers spoke to her. They didn't even ask her curious questions as Lohke's orcs had when she'd first arrived. Although, she suspected Lohke's own interactions with her were part of why. Watching their chieftain freely speak to her let them know they were allowed to freely speak to her.

Right now he was spending all his time speaking to Vustig. It was a shame because she'd been enjoying their conversations as well. For the youngest orc and warrior here, he was surprisingly wise and knowledgeable. She ate her dinner silently and quickly, Kitchka beside her flirting with one of the new warriors. On her opposite side, Ghaug was engaged in a tale of one of his battles with another of them and Ghorg was throwing in his input simultaneously.

It would have been entertaining if their backs weren't to her, if she didn't feel so left out. It reminded her that she was still human. Still in orc lands waiting to be amongst her own kind. It reminded her that she'd never had the chance to have friends and that she'd been developing friendships here. With orcs of all things.

As she finished her dinner, she rose to her feet and left. She didn't say anything to anyone and no one asked her as she went to pitch her tent. She had her own tent now, they'd found it rolled up on the horse's saddle bags. As she collected her tent, she pat the horse and smiled. He was a good horse, well behaved, despite the lithe build that suggested he was younger rather than older.

"I guess I should set about naming you." She murmured softly, stroking his neck. "Lohke says you're mine now. What do you say? Partners?" He nudged her with his nose as if he understood and she smiled. "You know, when I was little, locked up in an orc cage, I used to dream about what it'd be like to be free again, to have my own things. Sometimes I used to think of my Papa's horses and then I would think about what I'd do if I had my own. There was one name I always liked...Lothar."

The horse snorted almost as if in answer and she laughed.

"What? It's the name of a great warrior from one of the stories Papa used to tell me before bed."

"It is a good name."

Erinne flinched and wheeled around, startling the horse into jerking his head up. Cold Hammer didn't even react. "How long have you been standing there?"

"From the moment you opened your mouth. I thought you were speaking to me, but as you went on, I decided I wanted to hear the rest."

"So you sat there and eavesdropped?" She demanded.

"Yes." He said blandly. "I eavesdropped on you and your horse talking." She glared at him before rolling her eyes and facing the horse, grabbing her tent and walking away. Cold Hammer followed her.

"What are you doing?"

"I noticed you left. You didn't seem to enjoy the conversation at dinner anymore than I did."

"Well don't expect conversation from me now."

"I don't. When you're with the humans, I'm sure you'll have plenty to talk about with people that are like you." His voice was filled with nothing but pure disgust as he said it and she threw her tent on the ground and wheeled to face him.