Chapter 12 #2
Miranda speaks first. “I’ve been here longest and raised my now sixteen-year-old son here.
It’s home now. The first year was hard,” she admits.
“Culture shock is real. I missed grocery stores, restaurants, my friends and yes, going to movie theatres and being able to zip through a drive thru to get some of my favorite foods. But it was a fair exchange. I really enjoy living here.”
“What changed?” I ask.
“I realized what I gained was worth more than what I lost. I really like this safe, quiet community with a partner who truly values me. My son is able to grow up with nature, family and orc traditions, instead of concrete and smog.”
Drew jumps in. “I’m from LA and lived in cities my whole life.
At first I thought I’d hate the isolation.
But it’s not isolated, instead it’s peaceful.
There’s a huge difference. And I can work from home on my laptop,” Drew continues.
“I agree with Miranda that not having to tackle LA traffic is pretty spectacular. There’s no pollution and no crime.
We don’t even bother to lock our doors around here, because there’s no need.
My kids are growing up running through forests and living in a small community where you know almost everyone. It’s really a nice place to live.”
“I grew up in Maine,” Sarah says in her distinctive accent.
“So the winters here don’t faze me. I was a Nurse Practitioner in Portland before meeting my husband while on a camping trip here in Northern Maine.
I was stressed, overworked, dealing with the opioid crisis.
Here I help with commune health needs, mainly for the women.
I like having a clinic here, it’s calmer and more personal. ”
“And I’m from Seattle,” Megan adds. “I worked in tech and lived in a tiny apartment I could barely afford. Here I have space, clean air, and a community that actually cares about each other. It’s amazing.”
“But what about the hard parts?” I ask because I need honesty. “It can’t all be perfect.”
Someone groans. “I miss shopping at Target. God, I miss Target.”
Everyone bursts out laughing.
“ is a lifesaver,” Megan says. “We order everything online.”
“Drew helps coordinate group orders,” Miranda explains. “We pool shipping to save costs.”
“And there’s a small town, not that far from here. You can go shopping there basically anytime you want. It’s about a forty-five-minute drive though, just to warn you. And it doesn’t have a Target.”
“What about the climate?”
“Maine winters are brutal,” Sarah says. “I lived in Portland so being out here during the whole winter is new to me, but I’m already used to it. The cabins are warm and the orcs handle all the snow removal.”
“I was born and raised in Southern California so all this snow was a big change for me, but I got used to it pretty quickly. In fact I’m surprised at how much I enjoy the nature and climate out here, but I do. My favorite pastime is hot chocolate by the fire,” Drew adds. “Actually kind of cozy.”
“What about your families?” I ask quietly. “Human families or friends who... might not understand that you married an orc and moved so far away?”
“I haven’t really had that problem,” Sarah says. “My friends and family think it’s cool that I married an orc. Kinda makes me a bit of a local celebrity. My parents video call weekly. They were skeptical at first but now they visit every summer and spoil my kids rotten.”
“Oh, families can visit?”
“Yes.”
“Mine don’t visit,” Megan admits. “They can’t accept it. But I’ve made peace with that.”
“Yes, it all depends on your family,” Miranda says gently. “Some come around. Some don’t. But you build new family here.”
“I thought giving up city life would be impossible,” Megan says, returning to the former subject.
“But honestly? The peace, the nature, the small-town atmosphere are so much nicer than I expected. There’s always something social going on if you want to join.
Communal dinners, festivals, celebrations.
But you can also stay in your cabin if you want privacy. It’s the best of both worlds.”
“That actually sounds perfect,” I admit.
“It is,” Drew says simply. “It really is.”
“Okay,” Miranda smiles at me. “What else do you want to know?”
I take a breath. “Everything. I want to know everything.”
We talk about food. The hunting, fishing and the communal gardens. How all orcs cook, both males and females.
“My husband makes better stew than I ever could,” Miranda admits.
“Keric made me venison stew yesterday,” I offer. “It was incredible.”
“The Irontrees are all good cooks,” Sarah says. “Known for it, actually.”
“Our freezers are always full,” Megan adds. “So much venison and elk. The fresh fish in summer is amazing too.”
“Do they eat a lot of human food?” I ask.
“They’ll try anything,” Drew grins. “Whelan discovered he loved pizza soon after I arrived. We order pizza from town and now it’s a weekly thing.”
“Chinese takeout is popular,” Miranda adds. “And Mexican. They love spicy food.”
The conversation flows easily. They ask about my work, my teaching. I tell them about how I was teaching with Ellie, Garlen’s new bride, at Black Oak Academy, in Truckee, California. I even tell them how I used to be a professor of Victorian literature and my love of books and academia.
“Oh, you know, if you decide to make a life with Keric and the two of you decide to settle here, you could always teach online,” Drew suggests immediately. “I work from home. It’s totally doable.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We have great internet. Several of us work remotely.”
That possibility hadn’t even occurred to me. I could keep teaching. Keep my career. Not give up everything.
“The orc festivals are fun too,” Sarah says. “Fire jumping competitions, strength contests. Very community-oriented.”
“Fire jumping?” I blink.
“You’ll see.” Miranda laughs. “It’s impressive and slightly terrifying.”
“Their craftsmanship is incredible,” Megan adds. “Most of our furniture is all hand-made. The quality is amazing.”
I think of Keric’s cabin. The beautiful wood furniture, the attention to detail.
There’s a pause. The women exchange glances.
Miranda grins. “Should we talk now about what you really want to know?”
My face heats up and I try to pretend I have no idea what they are talking about. “Um, what do you mean?”
“Oh honey,” Drew laughs. “You want to know about sex with orcs.”
My blush intensifies. “Is it that obvious?”
“We all wanted to know,” Sarah says kindly. “It’s normal to be curious. And nervous.”
“So let’s be honest,” Drew announces. “What do you want to know?”
I take a breath. Might as well ask. “They’re so big. Is it... I mean...”
Everyone bursts out laughing.
“Oh sweetie, yes,” Drew answers. “They are proportional to their size.”
“Meaning, they are intimidating at first,” Miranda adds.
“Very intimidating,” someone agrees.
“But they’re so careful not to hurt us,” Sarah assures me. “Especially the first time. My husband thought I’d break. I had to tell him to keep going.”
“Mine too,” Megan laughs. “He kept asking if I was okay every thirty seconds. To the point where it got annoying.”
“They’re surprisingly gentle,” Miranda confirms. “Despite how they look, they’re terrified of hurting you.”
“And once you get past the initial... adjustment,” Drew grins, “it’s incredible.”
“How incredible?” I dare to ask.
Drew leans forward, eyes sparkling. “Okay. Story time. First night with Whelan.”
Everyone leans in eagerly, like they’ve heard this story before but love it anyway.
“He went seventeen times.”