Saving the Orc: Orcs of Clan Cumhdach

Chapter 6

The next morning Nora woke inside her hut. Alone. She stretched her body as she slowly sat up, working out the soreness the previous night’s activities had left behind. She smiled to herself as she got to her feet, still stretching her sore muscles. Since she was inside, it was obvious that at some point he’d carried her inside. Then a heavenly aroma hit her senses. “Ohhh, he’s cooking,” she murmured as she followed the scent outside.

The moment she appeared in the doorway, Gorta bestowed the most glorious smile upon her. “She wakes!” he said happily.

“Good morning,” Nora said, walking toward his outstretched arms.

“Good morning, my Nora,” he said, holding her tightly as he kissed her forehead and temple.

“What’s all this?” she asked, gesturing toward the meat roasting over the fire. He’d driven a sharp stick through the carcass of whatever unfortunate prey he’d caught, and balanced that stick on two other larger ones he’d cut a ‘V’ into the tops of to hold the stick driven through the creature as it roasted over the fire.

“I went hunting.”

“I see that,” she said, the aroma tantalizing. “Smells wonderful.”

“You will need to start a garden here. I’ll build you a pen, bring you some chickens. Find you a grinding stone so that you can turn your grain into flour for bread.”

She realized he was planning for her to stay here, permanently. “Gorta, I’m not staying here. We’re not staying here.”

He’d been tending what she believed was a rabbit over the fire, and turned to look at her. “You said forever.”

“So did ye.”

“There are many reasons I can’t go to your time.”

“And there are many reasons we can’t stay in yers.”

“You. Said. Forever.”

“And I meant it. But I didn’t say where or when.”

“I can’t leave my people.”

She took a moment to think about their predicament and realized what he’d said. “Wait a second. Ye said “I” need a garden, not we. Ye said ye’d build “me” a chicken pen, and get “me” a grinding stone. If this is “my” place, where do ye plan tah be?”

“I must lead,” he said, his tone pleading with her to understand.

“And I’ll, what? Stay here. Be available for whenever you’re able to slip away to spend a few hours with me?”

Gorta’s chin jutted out, his tusks more prominent as if that was even possible, at her insinuation that she was an afterthought. “You know what you mean to me. Which is exactly why I cannot risk Taven telling them you are a witch. It would endanger you. For now, this will be the best solution.”

“For now, the best solution is that ye go back to yer people,” she said. She wasn’t even angry. She wasn’t shouting. She’d just realized that no matter what she did, she couldn’t save him. They just weren’t meant to be together. Instead they were meant to struggle all their lives, across many lives, and never quite be able to reach each other.

His brows did that bunching thing that let her know he was confused and didn’t like her decision.

“You want tah keep me a secret. I want tah take ye tah a safer time. Neither of us is going tah give up what we think is our purpose in life tah accept the other’s choices.”

“Things will change in time. You’ll see.”

“They will, for both of us, but not both of us together.”

“I have a people that depend on me. I cannot just abandon them!”

She nodded.

“Do you not hear me? Do you not understand?”

“I do. And that undying conviction tah lead yer people is what will get ye killed. I can’t watch ye die again. Ye’ve made yer choice, and out of self preservation, I’ve made mine. Go back tah yer people. I’ll do whatever it is that I decide I must do. But I won’t be waiting here for ye, so don’t come back looking for me.”

Gorta’s face grew angry and he threw his head back, roaring his anger and frustration loudly.

Nora watched him dispassionately.

When finally he finished, he paused while he caught his breath from his long winded roar.

“Are ye finished?” she asked.

“You do not accept a male as mate, then refuse to be his mate!”

“No, ye shouldn’t. But neither should ye take a woman as mate, under false pretenses, not telling her ye expect her tah live alone, waiting until ye come back tah her at yer convenience, if ye come back tah her at yer convenience, if yer people don’t kill ye first.”

“That’s not what I did!”

Nora crossed her arms over her chest, a perfect impersonation of his stance while she was catching more fish than he at the river the previous day, and waited for whatever he’d come up with to defend himself next.

“I do not expect you to live here alone forever. Just until I can make things right.”

Nora sighed. “Do ye believe that I’m here tah try tah save ye?”

“Yes. And you have. You’ve warned me. I will be prepared and no one will cause my death. I will live a long life. You’ll see.”

Nora nodded. “So, you’ll continue tah lead yer people, ignoring the fact that I told ye Ozaq leads them and creates a wonderful life for them.”

Gorta turned his back on her and prodded the rabbit a bit. Finally, he shrugged. “Leading my people is all I know how to do, Nora. It’s who I am.”

“Ye could be so much more, but not here. There are too many things that we’d need tah avoid here. It’s not safe for ye or me. We should try again in another time.”

“In your time, I’d have to stay hidden. Allowing you to provide for us both.”

“If Ozaq doesn’t lead yer people, I may not ever be born. Which may be for the best.”

“That will never be for the best. You have to be born! You are mine, Nora! All of this talk is nonsense! Here and now. We are living in the here and now. Do you remember that?”

“Doesn’t matter anymore, Gorta. I’m tired. And it’s too late. I’ve spent half my life chasing ye through time. Didn’t ye notice that I’m not as young as ye are? More than twenty years I’ve wasted finding ye, only tah lose ye again. I can’t do it anymore. Maybe that’s why this time is different. This time I was given a chance tah say goodbye so I could not only warn ye, but walk away and let the fates finally have their way.”

“You cannot walk away from us.”

“But ye can walk away from us tah return tah a people who have in the past killed ye over and over again.”

“It is my duty to lead them!”

Nora nodded. “I understand how ye feel. But ye don’t understand how I feel. I’ve told ye things are better for yer people after ye. I’ve told ye that Ozaq leads yer people to greatness. I’ve told ye that I’m descended from Ozaq, and that without him, I might not exist if his life isn’t allowed tah play out the way it always has.”

“You would change my life, though, to give him the future of leading my people in my stead.”

Nora huffed a soft laugh. “No. I’d never take anything away from ye, even at my own loss. I thought only tah snatch ye away from death long enough tah give ye another life in me time with me.”

“I won’t give you up. You will stay here and give me time to put things in order. Then I’ll bring you into my tribe. You’ll take your rightful place at my side.”

Nora realized that several things were happening here. First, Gorta hadn’t been betrayed by any of his people. In fact, he’d successfully led them without any negative occurrences, so it was impossible for him to believe that he didn’t have the ability to steer things in a direction that would work for them to be together. It wasn’t his fault. He was a product of his times and the person he was then. Nothing she said in a matter of only days could convince him there was another choice. Second, she’d been so caught up in the romanticism of saving her male, so obsessed with saving the one soul that was her other half down through the ages, that she’d not stopped to consider that when she found him he might not be so receptive to making a quick escape and living with her in her world rather than facing the danger that threatened to end him in his. He was the kind of alpha male who faced danger head on, he didn’t run from it. Third, and most importantly, no matter how easily she saw their life at her home back in her time, he was right about the life he’d have. Granted, he wouldn’t be able to go into the cities and move freely about, but on her land, among her family, he’d be welcome to move about at will. It was pretty much equal to moving about in his own time, with the added nuance that he would have to avoid all but her family. Yet, hiding like a fugitive on her land was no kind of life for a man who was used to governing all around him as they quaked at the idea of his displeasure. A quiet, humble, country life was no kind of life for the sort of powerful male that Gorta was.

Nora raised her eyes to Gorta’s. “I love ye. I’ve done all I can, but I understand now, why ye can’t accept what I offer.”

“What does that mean?”

“Ye should return tah yer people. Do whatever ye think is best. I have no right tah tell ye what ye should and shouldn’t do.”

“But you love me?” he asked cautiously.

“With every fiber of me being.”

“You will continue to love me?”

She smiled at him, forcing it to reach her eyes. “Forever.”

Gorta stepped closer to her and pulled her into his arms. He held her tightly, not yet understanding that her declaration of love was also a goodbye.

She held him just as tightly, knowing that he didn’t understand.

“Gorta?” a deep male voice called.

Gorta spun to find Taven standing just outside the forest’s edge in the distance. “It’s not three days!”

“It’s close enough,” Taven said, eying the witch in Gorta’s embrace. “What is happening here, Gorta?”

“I told you to go!”

“I knew there was a reason to return for you. I knew you’d be tempted.”

“You do not understand what you speak of! She did not tempt me! I chose her.”

“You chose a witch?”

“She’s not a witch.”

“You and I both saw what she can do, Gorta. Come with me. Before it’s too late, leave her to her spells and potions and we’ll return to our lives.”

“I have another day. Leave us, Taven.”

“You are under her spell!”

“I am not under any spell other than that any male has for his woman!” Gorta snapped.

Taven watched Gorta for only a moment longer before he turned and disappeared into the forest on the far side of Nora’s home.

Gorta looked down at Nora. “I have to go after him or he’ll tell the others I’ve been bewitched, and have fallen under a witch’s spell. They’ll not only battle for control of my people, they’ll come to end you so that you can’t be a threat to any of them when I’m gone.”

“This is how it happens.”

Gorta shook his head. “I know what to watch for. I’ll be safe. You stay safe here. You still have your weapon, yes?”

“Yes.”

“Keep it with you. I’ll return as soon as I can. We’ll find a way, Nora. You believe that, don’t you?”

“I believe that ye’ll return as soon as ye can, if ye can. But ye need to know that the male who was just here, was running from yer dying body each time I saw ye. The other one I described was there as well, but so was the one who just left.”

“Taven? You must be mistaken. He’s been my most trusted friend for all of my life.”

“I know what I saw, Gorta.”

“I know him. I trust him. But I must go make him understand so that he can’t involve the rest of our tribe. I’m out of time, Nora.”

“Go.”

He pressed his lips to hers, then hurriedly took several steps away before turning back. “Be safe, Nora. I’ll be back soon.”

“I’ll be safe.”

He jogged quickly toward the last place Taven had stood before slipping into the forest. He turned again to face Nora. “I love you.”

Nora nodded and lifted a hand in a silent goodbye to him. She gave him enough time to be sure that he wasn’t coming back, then she sat down and allowed herself to fall apart. Her situation, her quest, was hopeless. All the same players were here to play their parts, and each of those parts would lead to Gorta dying at their hands while she crashed uncaring through time to save him. And this time, she’d arrived in time to finally learn what catapulted him toward death time and time again. It was her. His people decided that he’d been bewitched by a witch and turned on him to take over his position, no doubt professing his inability to lead while under the influence of a witch. She was the reason for all of it. The one constant cause of all the heartache they’d had to endure was her inability to accept that she couldn’t have Gorta, and in so doing she’d been his downfall.

After a good long cry and bout of self pitying, Nora finally rose from the log she’d been sitting on and forced herself to go into her hut and retrieve the shotgun and ammunition. Her plan was to return to the circle of oaks and do what she could to try to activate it so it could carry her home. Without him here to stop her attempt to activate it, hopefully it would work. She had to go, and as soon as possible. If she disappeared before he returned, if she stopped chasing Gorta through time, maybe he’d have a chance to live a long, full life without her bringing about his downfall. Maybe he’d convince himself that she was truly just a witch, and he’d go on without her. Maybe Ozaq wouldn’t take over his tribe and lead them to anything, and maybe she’d never be descended from him and Maddie, which meant she’d never have to experience any of this.

She was crying again when she exited the hut, her eyes blinded by tears, her focus on what was better for Gorta, rather than her own selfish desires. Her distraction kept her from noticing the lone figure standing just outside her hut, to the side of her doorway. When he grabbed her from behind, she screamed, knowing the hand tangled in the hair at the base of her skull was not the loving touch of Gorta. The ice cold burn of the blade as it sliced through the flesh at the side of her neck terrified her enough to have her instincts kick in. She spun away from her attacker despite the hold he had on her hair, causing the blade to be lifted away from her throat.

Nora struck at her attacker, bringing her elbow down on the arm that was attached to the hand that still held her hair in its grasp. The male snarled as his hand was flung away from her, complete with a handful of hair as she broke away from him and tried to run. He threw the blade at her back, then ran her down to pull it from her back, and stab it into her twice more. She lay gasping for breath, wide-eyed and terrified as she realized this was it. This time, it was her who’d die, not Gorta. This was the last of the differences in this trip back in time.

“Taven!” Gorta bellowed as he charged into the clearing and found his friend standing over Nora’s body.

Taven jumped at being caught in the act of doing away with Gorta’s witch, but turned to defiantly face him anyway. “You put this witch first! You do not deserve to lead our people!”

“What have you done?” Gorta demanded. He ran toward Nora, dropping to his knees beside her, near panic taking over his every thought and action. “Why, Taven? She’s my mate!” he roared, taking Nora in hand and gently turning her over. He looked down into her face and a broken sob left his body when he saw her terrified gaze. Her lips stained with her own blood as she struggled to breathe. “Nora!” he shouted. “Nora, hold on! I’ll get you to the circle. I’ll get you home. Your people can save you, can’t they? They’ll save you!”

Gorta lifted her into his arms and made it only a few dozen or so steps before a loud shot shattered the sound of his sobs and Nora’s gasps. Gorta stuttered to a stop, then went down on his knees before dropping her to the ground, his own body collapsing on top of hers.

“How could you betray our people? Blarque was right! He should lead! Only those focused on our people should lead!” Taven stopped shouting at the couple bleeding on the ground before him. Another thought suddenly took life. “I’ll lead. I’ll lead our people. All will follow my words, my orders!” he shouted. “I will lead!”