8. Vaelin
Chapter eight
Vaelin
I should really tell him that I was planning on robbing him.
I think about how I can make it sound better as we walk to Garnok’s place. So Theo, before you come home with me and fuck my brains out, you should know I wasn't planning on helping you, I wanted to rob you. Or, Hey Theo, the reason my parents disagree with my work is because I'm a dropout wizard turned thief, and you're my mark. No, of course I'm not still trying to rob you, I actually like you.
Yeah…none of that sounds good.
So I just keep my damn mouth shut.
Garnok lives on the outskirts of town, in a small cottage where he runs his woodworking business. Hearthwynd isn't always particularly welcoming to orcs–I really don't know why he sticks around–but Garnok has always been a nice guy. His house is lit up and welcoming as we come closer, and I can feel Theo’s tension mounting.
I glance over at him. “Are you nervous?”
He chews on his mustache, grunts in acknowledgement. “Yeah.”
“Why?”
He sighs. “Well…I've never met another orc. I don't know what to expect.”
“Gotcha,” I nod. “But don't worry–Garnok is good people.”
“How do you know each other?”
Hm…well, I guess now is as good a time as any to start being honest. “We were both scholarship students at the Arcane Academy.”
Theo stops in his tracks. “You’re a wizard?”
“No,” I laugh. “I dropped out. So did Garnok. Left me with a mountain of debt and a few fun party tricks.”
“Like what?”
I smirk, holding up my hand. Channeling some arcane energy, I snap my fingers and send up a plume of holiday-colored sparks.
Theo looks like I've just raised the dead. “ Wow. ”
“It's really not that impressive, but thanks,” I laugh. “Now…let's get inside. You ready?”
Theo frowns. “Yeah, but…will you hold my hand?”
I slip my hand into his. “Sure.”
I knock on the door, an oversized monolith that's more Theo-sized than my folks’ house. I can feel Theo trembling a little as we wait, then the door opens, revealing my orcish friend. Garnok is a little shorter than Theo, a little more slender, with dark hair more typical of orcs. The red hair must be Theo’s human side–because even Garnok seems surprised by Theo’s appearance. The scent of emberleaf rolls out around Garnok, and I wonder if he thinks he's hallucinating all this.
“Whoa,” he says. “Hey Vaelin–and you must be Theo? Come on in.”
We step through the door into the welcoming warmth of Garnok’s house, finding it littered with wood shavings, tools, and candles. There's a fire roaring in the hearth, sending out a comfortable wave of heat. We move toward it, Theo lingering at my side like he doesn't know what to do.
“Please, sit down,” Garnok says. “Feel free to hit the emberleaf, I've got plenty…”
I get the feeling Theo doesn't exactly know his way around a bong, so I shake my head. “I think we're good. Actually on the hunt for information.”
“Yeah, you mentioned that.” Garnok comes and sits down, picking up the bong now that he knows we don't want any. He hits it, the water inside bubbling, then he exhales a big puff that surrounds us with the earthy, spicy scent of emberleaf.
Theo coughs.
“Shit, sorry,” Garnok says. “I didn't even ask if you were okay with me doing this.”
“It's fine,” I tell him. “No…we're here because Theo is trying to reconnect with the orc side of his family. He's never met them.”
“Oh…dang, yeah,” Garnok nods along. “I've got some relatives that still live up in the Dragonsteel Mountains. Your family from there?”
“I don't actually know,” Theo says. “All I have is a name–Torin?”
Garnok frowns, screwing up his face. I can see the wheels turning–slowly, thanks to the emberleaf.
“Huh,” he says. “You know…I've heard the name, but only as like–a legend? There's a Torin who was a roving warlord about twenty-five years ago.”
Theo's eyes widen–and I know this is the information he was looking for. “Really? Can you tell me the story?”
“Definitely,” Garnok says. “Yeah… Torin the Terrible. Well, that's what the townspeople called him anyway, but orcs say it's because he was so charming that elven and human wives left their husbands for him. He came from way down south, near the Shadowlands. They say he swept into town, had this wild affair with a human noblewoman, then went right back.”
“And he's still alive?”
“Hey, man, I don't even know if he's real.”
“But,” I cut in, reaching over and squeezing Theo’s knee. “It sounds promising, doesn’t it? Charming orcish warlord, here around twenty-five years ago, and the legend of his affair with a noblewoman…”
Theo’s hand covers mine, his big fingers curling around my palm. Garnok notices and flashes me a smirk, but Theo’s too wrapped up in what he’s learned to care. I watch him for a moment, trying to gage if he’s excited, scared, or a little bit of both.
“So,” I say. “What’s the next step?”
Garnok stands up to grab a poker and starts lazily prodding the embers in the fireplace. Theo lets out a breath like he’s made up his mind.
“You said some of your family lives in the Dragonsteel Mountains,” Theo says. Do you think they would know more?”
Garnok scratches his chin, looking thoughtful–or at least as thoughtful as anyone can look when they’re completely blazed. “Maybe,” he says. “I mean, it’s a small community. Word gets around. If Torin really existed, and if he went back to the Shadowlands…someone would know. But it’s not exactly an easy trip, and you know…orcs can be pretty standoffish.”
“But I am an orc,” Theo presses.
“Just don’t be surprised if people aren’t sure about you,” Garnok says. “If you really plan on going, I could send word to my uncle. He could put you up.”
“Then…I guess that’s what I’ll do,” Theo nods.
Garnok leans back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Well, if you're dead set on heading up there, I’ll send word to Uncle Tharl. Just…be careful. He’s not as friendly as I am.”
“Thanks,” Theo says, and squeezes my hand. “I really appreciate it.”
Garnok waves him off. “No problem. Just make sure you don’t freeze to death before you even get there. The Dragonsteel Mountains aren’t exactly hospitable this time of year.”
Theo nods, but I can see that he won’t be dissuaded. This guy would march straight into a blizzard if it meant getting a shred of information about his father, which is equal parts admirable and frustrating.
Admirable because, well, it’s classic Theo: dedicated to a fault.
Frustrating because I know he’ll walk headfirst into trouble, and he needs somebody to watch his back.
We stand to leave, and Garnok ambles toward the door to see us out. “Take care, Vaelin,” he says, clapping me on the shoulder. “And you too, Theo. Don’t let this guy talk you into any schemes.”
Theo chuckles, completely unaware of the very real schemes Garnok is referencing. “I’ll try.”
As we step into the cold night, the warmth of Garnok’s house fades away, replaced by the chill of winter. Snow crunches under our boots, and the city’s faint glow lures us back. For a moment, we walk in silence–then Theo stops.
“Vaelin?”
“Hm?”
“I…” He hesitates, frowns. “I want you to come with me. To look for my father.”
I crane my neck to look up at him. “Really? Why?”
“Because,” he says. “I don’t know what I’m walking into. And…I trust you.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. Trust . That’s a rare thing in the circles I move in, and hearing it from someone like Theo–so painfully genuine–makes it feel like I’ve swallowed a stone. My chest tightens, and I know now’s the time to tell him. To come clean.
But how do I tell him that the trust he has in me started with a lie?
“Theo,” I say, swallowing hard. “Before you make up your mind about that…there’s something you should know.”
He reaches out and takes my hand, his huge hands warm around mine. “What is it?”
I pull away, making him frown, and run a hand through my hair. “I’m…look, when we met, I wasn’t planning on helping you. I was planning on robbing you–telling you I would help you, taking your coin and bolting.”
Theo stares at me, jaw tense. I’ve never felt smaller, and that’s saying something considering he’s towered over me from the beginning.
“You were planning to rob me?” he says quietly. “You…you’re a thief. That’s why your parents don’t approve.”
I nod, wincing. “Yep. They…they would never turn me in, but they hate it. They want me out of that life.”
“And you were going to take what little I had left.
I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Yes. At first. But I didn’t.”
“And I’m supposed to be grateful for that?” he snaps. “You lied to me. You acted like you wanted to help me, but you were just…waiting for the right moment to screw me over–”
“No!” I interrupt. “It wasn’t like that. I mean, yeah, I was looking for a mark, but then I met you and we talked and–”
“And what?” His voice rises, tusks flashing in the moonlight that glints off the snow. “You realized I was just clueless enough to keep around? That you could string me along until I wasn’t useful anymore?”
“Theo, it’s not like that,” I say, the words spilling out. “I know I screwed up. I know I should’ve told you sooner, but…” I take a deep breath. “I didn’t, because I didn’t want to lose this.”
“This?” He gestures between us, movements short and sharp, angry. “What is this , Vaelin? What do you think this is?”
I flinch. He’s right; I have no idea what this is. “I don’t know, but my feelings for you are real,” I finally say. “Way, way more than what I planned at the start. You’ve got to believe me.”
He looks at me for a long moment, molten brown eyes hard and unreadable–almost black in the snow. Finally, he lets out a sharp breath and shakes his head. “You don’t get it, do you? I trust you. I put my life in your hands. And now…” He trails off, voice cracking. “Now I feel like an idiot.”
“You’re not,” I say softly, taking a step closer. “Theo, you’re not an idiot. I’m the asshole here–”
“Don’t,” he says, stepping backward. “Just…don’t.”
For a moment neither of us speaks.
Then he shakes his head. “I think we should probably part ways.”
“What?” I watch him, eyes wide. “Theo, no. You said yourself you don’t have enough coin for another night in a tavern, and I want to help. We don’t have to do anything. Let me prove–”
“I can’t, Vaelin,” he interrupts. “I have to be careful who I trust…and I can’t trust someone who started out wanting to betray me.”
I open my mouth to say something, to argue, to talk my way out of this like I always do…but he’s already turning toward town, his massive frame silhouette against the glow of the city’s Yule lights.
He doesn’t look back.
And as I watch him walk away, the knot in my chest twists tighter, and I realize something I never thought I’d feel: regret.
Not because I just lost a mark.
Because I lost him .