Chapter 6
They left Soza midafternoon. The sun still clung stubbornly to the sky, but thick clouds rolled in as Nargol watched. She scented the storm on the horizon. Hopefully it would hold off until she was back from their little adventure they were about to embark on.
Nargol welcomed this ride.
The steady rhythm of Torch’s gait usually cleared her mind.
Being on the back of her shukan helped sharpen her focus.
The road east of Soza narrowed quickly. It traded packed dirt for winding trails that cut through dense forest. Ancient trees rose around them, thick-trunked and gnarled, their branches interlocking overhead like the ribs of some massive beast.
Nargol glanced around and took in the surrounding area.
Centuries ago, a brutal battle had commenced here, long before Soza was a thought.
She remembered learning about it during her lessons.
It had been between orcs and trolls. Nargol was fascinated with history, and this particular battle had been one that even her father had spoken of.
She glanced around, and one would never be able to tell that blood had been spilled here.
The land remembered, though. After such a battle where fires burned cities down, the land rebuilt itself. It healed. Life came after death.
A chill swept into her bones.
She rode beside Makhel in silence. Her cloak was drawn close, and her hood remained low. The wind carried the scent of damp earth and tree sap. Somewhere deep in the woods a bird cried out—a sharp warning sound.
Focus, she told herself.
But her thoughts betrayed her.
Orlena’s face came to her mind. Warm, brown skin lit up by sunlight, eyes bright with wonder. The way her voice had softened when she’d spoken of the dreams she allowed herself to have.
Mate.
The word sat heavy and undeniable in Nargol’s chest.
She hadn’t been sure at first, but the signs were all there. The pull. The need to be around her. The way her body reacted whenever she was close to Orlena. The way she wanted to protect her.
But it was the truth.
Orlena was hers.
On this mission, of all times. The goddess couldn’t have sent Orlena to her before she’d left the mission.
No. The female is bound here in Soza.
Maybe this was Nogora’s way of getting Nargol to come to Soza.
Nargol tightened her grip on the reins. She could not afford a distraction.
What she was about to step into requested precision, control, and deception.
The orcs gathering in these woods were not misguided youths or drunkards.
They were conspirators. Traitors. Men and women willing to tear the clans apart for power.
And today, she would be one of them.
“It shouldn’t be too much longer.” Makhel shifted on her beast’s back.
“I’m ready,” Nargol murmured.
“My contact will meet us there,” Makhel announced.
Nargol nodded and eyed the sky. The clouds had rolled in and completely covered the sun. Even the bright blueness was not fading to a gloomy gray color.
They rode deeper into the forest where it grew thicker. Moss clung to stones like rot. The air cooled, heavy with the promise of rain.
When they finally dismounted, twilight bled across the sky.
The clearing lay ahead. It was wide and uneven, ringed by the towering trees whose roots clawed through the earth. Torches burned at irregular intervals, their flames fluttering in the breeze. Orcs gathered in small clusters, some openly armored, others cloaked and hooded.
None of them were trustworthy. That was very apparent to Nargol.
She cataloged every face. She would remember them all.
She nodded to a few who curiously glanced her way.
She kept her hood low in the hope her identity wasn’t revealed.
According to Makhel, some of these orcs had been to Udenia.
There was a small chance she could be recognized.
“There.” Makhel leaned close and nudged Nargol.
She followed Makhel over to a broad-shouldered orc who stepped forward to greet them, his tusks stained dark. His gaze flicked over to Nargol, returning to Makhel.
“You made it.” He held out his hand to her.
She thrust hers into his in a rough shake.
“Hagu.” Makhel’s voice grew gravelly. She stepped back away from the orc. “You said there’d be others.”
“And there are,” Hagu replied. “There are plenty of orcs who are down for our cause, but are you?”
“We didn’t ride this far for nothing,” Nargol muttered. “We came for a reason.”
“And who might you be?” Hagu trained his gaze on Nargol.
She didn’t falter when she met it. She was being tested, she was sure.
“The name is Bula,” Nargol said without hesitation.
“She’s with me,” Makhel said. She slapped Nargol on the shoulder. “She can be trusted.”
Hagu gave her another once-over, jerking his head in a nod.
“If you say so, Shel.” He sniffed. He motioned over to an area where the orcs had moved to. “Come. Grat is about to speak.”
They followed him through the crowd. Tension coiled inside Nargol with every step. The ground beneath their boots was thick wet mud and leaves. It was already slick from the first drops of rain that had fallen.
A large menacing orc stood atop a felled tree. This must be Grat. He was massive and imposing, his armor etched with symbols older than the Cydassi reign. Nargol recognized them immediately. The orc’s voice boomed as they approached.
“The Nidani have forgotten who we are!” Grat snarled. “They bow to weakness. They no longer abide by the ancestors’ traditions. They have traded strength for a false sense of peace.”
Murmurs of agreement floated through the crowd.
Nargol’s jaw clenched.
Her father and his father before him had fought for unity amongst the clans. It was a must with the ever-changing world. It was for survival. These orcs twisted what they called tradition into what it was not.
“The attack was not a failure. It was a test,” Grat spouted.
A chill slid down Nargol’s spine. She adjusted her hood to ensure it remained low to block her face. She bit back a scowl and tried to remain interested in what this orc had to say. She searched the crowd, taking in how each orc was captivated by Grat’s words.
“It was only the beginning,” Grat said. “How does the chieftain of our great nation have weak warriors? Our men were able to blow past them without restraint.”
Nargol exchanged a brief glance with Makhel. That just confirmed their suspicions. Nargol bit back a snort. Their men may have gotten the initial drop on the royal guards and warrior, but none of them had returned to their families. Was that something to boast about?
“We have allies,” Grat continued on. “In Udenia, right now as we speak. They are in place and are waiting for the signal.”
Udenia.
Nargol’s blood ran cold.
“They think Tulak is strong.” He paused amongst the boos and displeasure of the crowd.
Nargol’s hands clenched into fists. She blinked and had to remember her place. She relaxed them.
“But strength without cruelty is weakness. It is time for the Nidani to step aside and let a real clan lead this country.”
Cheers erupted.
Nargol forced her expression into a sneer and joined the noise. Every instinct screamed for her to cut Grat down where he stood.
But she resisted and listened. More orcs got up and spoke, giving riveting speeches. They were recruiting for their cause.
“We don’t need a leader who allows his heir to mate with a half-breed. We need orcs to remain pure and strong. Introducing other races into our blood weakens our nation!” another orc shouted from a makeshift stage.
If only they knew who was currently standing in the crowd.
They were dissecting her family. There was only so much she could take.
She breathed in deep and had to continuously remember why she was there.
She would like to see any of these orcs fight either of her parents, or her sister, or even her.
They would show them who the weak orcs were.
If not her clan, the Nidani leading Aghon, then who would be the next choice? Cardu’s name surfaced again and again—not outright but hinted. It was obvious these orcs were his supporters. They would do anything for their leader.
Even cause a revolt against the current chieftain.
Commit treason.
Hagu turned to her and Makhel. He slapped Makhel on the shoulder.
“I’m glad you came tonight. We need more orcs willing to act,” he said.
“I’m glad I found you. This is what we have been looking for,” Makhel announced. She motioned to Nargol. “Whatever needs to be done, we are willing to do.”
The lie was a bitter pill to swallow. Nargol nodded in agreement with Makhel.
“That’s what we want to hear. We will be in touch.” Hagu nodded, too, then shoved his way through the crowd.
Nargol shared an unspoken look with Makhel.
Much would be discussed once they left here.
An urgency built inside Nargol. She had to find a way to send word to her father.
He had to know what she’d discovered so far.
This could not wait until she returned. If there were orcs already in Udenia ready to strike, he needed to prepare their warriors.
Increase security, and after what she’d discovered about the human treatment here, Magoza would certainly want to keep a closer eye on Amuleta and her mother.
Thunder raged overhead. Rain fell. At first it was a slow drizzle, then switched to a pounding force that soaked through her cloak. The ground turned into a slick mess. The torches surrounding the area hissed and dimmed.
The meeting dissolved as the rain refused to let up. Orcs scattered into the shadows. Nargol and Makhel raced back to where they had left their shukans. They mounted quickly and took off. Nargol’s heart thudded. Not from fear, but from the weight of what she carried now.
Another attack was coming.
And she was running out of time. She’d have to find a way to send word home without blowing her cover. She refused to remain here and allow them to come under attack without warning them. Eventually, she would have to go back to Udenia, but she couldn’t leave quite yet.
Not without the information she’d been sent to gather.
And certainly not without Orlena.
They rode their beasts hard. Makhel must have sensed the urgency that rested inside Nargol. She had made a promise to Orlena that she would see her tonight.
As they rode back toward Soza, night swallowed the forest. Rain lashed against her face, cold and relentless.
“Are you sure you don’t want to seek shelter?” Makhel hollered.
Nargol shook her head.
“You can if you want. I need to get back to the village,” she shouted.
“If you are going back now, then I shall ride with you,” Makhel said. She bent down low, close to her shukan as they charged toward the village. Their beasts may be large and bulky animals, but they were surefooted.
Nothing was going to stop her from keeping a promise.
Orlena had probably already closed the shop.
Had she been safe when walking home? She’d said Soza was a safe village and that she always walked home after closing.
The memory of the orcs outside the tavern came to mind again.
Nargol urged Torch on. She’d ensure he’d get plenty of treats once they had arrived back in the village.
Right now, she needed to see Orlena.
Her mate.