14. Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fourteen
Nalina
T here were possibly a hundred or more birds fluttering about in the trees surrounding the cave. Their tweeting was so loud it was a wonder we hadn’t heard it inside. Their little eyes were all trained on Hendr and a few even swooped down to land on his head. He batted them away.
“Don’t hurt them,” I snapped at him, and he allowed one to land on his shoulder. “Look, they have messages.”
I reached up and grabbed the message off the bird’s leg and it fluttered off.
“Don’t open it.” He snatched the paper out of my hand before I could even blink.
“Hendr! Give that back.” I went up on my toes, leaning into him as he held the note above his head. He felt strong under me, like an unbending boulder.
Could he really teach me to use strength of my own?
Could I really soften him?
My heart thundered at the thought and my mind flashed with silly little images. Of warm nights by the fire. Of bickering matches at dinner. Of feeling safe, and comfortable, and full and . . .
“This is my private business, woman,” he said, bringing me back to the present. He was smirking at my feeble attempt to grab the note. I wanted to smack him.
“There are a hundred birds here, Hendr!” I jumped, using him as leverage, but it was no use. He was too tall. “Fine! If you don’t want to show me that one, I’ll go get another.”
Hendr whistled and the birds all took flight at once. I yipped with shock as the fluttering of two hundred wings roared above my head.
“You’re incorrigible!” I snapped at him. “Tell me what is going on! You clearly know, or you wouldn’t be trying to stop me from looking.”
“It is nothing to concern yourself with, woman,” he said gruffly as he crumpled up the note in his palm.
“Hendr. Either you tell me what is going on or I’m going to demand you take me back. I’m not going to tolerate you keeping secrets from me.” I crossed my arms over my chest and leveled the massive orc with a glower that made him blink. “Either you tell me what’s going on or I walk back to Oakwall by myself.”
His eyes widened, and then he started grinning.
“Why are you smiling ?” My palm itched to slap him. “This isn’t a joke!”
“No. It isn’t. And I will tell you, but only after you acknowledge how you feel in this moment.”
“How I feel . I feel frustrated and annoyed and—”
“Strong?”
I shut my mouth.
His smile softened. “You are strong, Nalina. You just need to remember that when you are telling off that old woman.”
My stomach did a little flip. Fades, he was right .
“ There you are!”
I gasped and whirled around just as Hendr yanked me behind his back. But my alarm was short-lived when I saw the orc chief, Brovdir, breaking through the underbrush.
He was a tall, dark-colored male, and it made the hundreds of light-colored scars that covered his body even more pronounced. The old injury at his neck was the worst by far. Fades, it looked like he’d nearly been decapitated. Every time I saw him, I had to work at turning my gaze away from the injury.
“Been looking everywhere . Nalina, are you well? What has he done?”
Fades, the male looked raging mad. “I’m fine. He hasn’t done anything,” I quickly said.
Hendr raised his brows at me as if he’d expected me to tattle on him instantly. I scowled at him.
“You must come back now . ” Chief Brovdir’s sentences were short and clipped. His voice was so rough it sounded like he’d swallowed broken glass. He shot a glare at Hendr, who had balled his fists up.
“Why? What’s going on?” I glanced between the two tense males. “Hendr, tell me.”
But he looked away.
“Waston saw him with you,” Chief Brovdir said.
My eyes felt like they would engulf my face. “Waston saw him pull me from the wall? Are you serious?”
“You really did pull her?” Chief Brovdir’s low growl was enough to make my heart stutter.
“It’s fine! I’m fine!” I insisted before they could start brawling. “He just brought me out here to trade.”
“That’s not what Oakwall thinks,” Chief Brovdir said. “And after everything with Susara, the village is ready to go to war . Now let’s go.”
“She’s not going anywhere with you. This woman is mine .”
Chief Brovdir’s growl was so low it felt like the ground was shaking under my feet. Hendr stepped forward.
“Whoa, whoa! Hold on!” I pushed a hand into Hendr’s chest and he stopped advancing. “Just calm down, Hendr.”
“He’s not taking you.”
“Hendr, be reasonable,” I said. “I have to go back to Oakwall, eventually. I can’t stay in this cave with you forever.”
“Why not?” Hendr snarled indignantly.
“Don’t make me challenge you over this, Hendr.” Chief Brovdir’s words were clipped with the promise of a violent end. “I will fight you to bring her back.”
Hendr clenched his fists.
I gripped his arm tight and tugged him back. “Hendr, stop it.”
He tensed as if ready to shake me off and my mind skipped over itself, trying to find some way to stop him as I dug my fingers into his arm.
My mother’s words flashed in my mind. Breathe . Use the air to cool your anger.
“Hendr, you told me you want me to teach you to calm down. Well, here’s your first lesson. Stop fighting me. Take a deep breath.”
His jaw worked as he looked back at me.
“I mean it. Breathe.”
He swallowed, flexed his hands, and shivered slightly.
And then he sucked a hard breath of air in through his nose.
“Good,” I said. “Now listen to logic . How will fighting with your chief benefit any part of this situation? At best, you’d be badly injured!”
I saw his throat work in a gulp and then he mumbled, “You’re worried about me?”
Fades, he’d asked me this question so many times already and it was time to be honest. “ Yes , Hendr. Of course, I’m worried about you.”
His brows popped up in shock and a fierce, delighted spark flashed in his eyes.
I had his full attention now. “Answer my question. How would fighting with your chief do anything to benefit us?”
“You would stay,” Hendr said without hesitation. “I’d get to keep you.”
I shook my head. “I wouldn’t stay, Hendr. I have to go back home, no matter the outcome of your fight. And you don’t need to worry about keeping me, Hendr. You already have me. I’m already yours.”
All the fight left him in a rush, and his mossy green eyes went big enough to engulf his face. His jaw went slack, his body loosened, and he looked like he was about to fall right over.
“I am yours.” I tried to ignore how hot my cheeks had gone and how giddy his delight had made me. “But I won’t be if our communities go to war. I need to go back and get things straightened out before things get worse. You understand that, right?”
He looked down at the forest floor. “I just wanted a little more time with you.”
His fists relaxed, and I wanted to burst with triumph. Instead, I reached up and rustled his hair back. “I want more time with you too, Hendr. And we will get more. After everything is repaired. All right?”
He let out a huff as he looked me in the eyes. I swear those green eyes hooked right into my soul and tugged.
He nodded.
“Good.” I sagged with relief and looked up to find Chief Brovdir regarding us with blinking eyes and his head tipped as if he’d seen an oddity beyond his reckoning. “I’ll head back now.”
Chief Brovdir shook the shock off his face. “Hendr, go back to the clan.”
Hendr’s fists clenched all over again and he looked ready to pounce on his chief. “No. I stay with her. The woods aren’t safe.”
“I’ll walk her.”
“Like fuck you will.”
“He’s right, Hendr.” I touched his arm, and he swung his gaze to mine. I held firm despite his glowering. “If Waston saw you take me, you can’t show up at the village now. It will only cause more chaos. I need to go back alone and get this taken care of quickly before more rumors can spread.”
Hendr’s jaw clenched tight, and a low growl escaped him.
“Hendr.” I stroked his arm again. “Please.”
There was a pregnant pause and then he bowed his head, shoulders slumped in defeat. “Fine, Nalina. If that is what you want.”
My heart panged even as a little thrill of confidence coursed through my veins. “Thank you, Hendr. For showing me how to be strong. I couldn’t have done that without you. And now, I’m going to put that new strength to the test.”
His brows rose as I went up on my toes to kiss him. He met me halfway.
He tasted so good. I didn’t want to let him go.
But I had to, or this might be the last time I could kiss him.
I patted the middle of his chest as I broke away. “Tonight, after this is done, I’ll start working on your shirt properly. But I still need to get your measurements.”
He huffed with pleasure. “I’ll see you later?”
“Yes,” I assured him. “You will see me later. I promise.”
He searched my face a moment.
And then smiled.
I exhaled my relief and stepped away. “All right, just let me finally relieve myself and then I’ll be ready.”