21. Timas
Chapter 21
Timas
T he morning sun beats down on my tent and, through the thin fabric, wakes me from a peaceful sleep. After Emilia fell asleep, I held her in my arms for a long while. I didn't want her to get cold, so I picked her up in my arms and walked back to camp. I look forward to the day that I will hold her in my arms all night, every night. Just as I am reflecting on such a great evening, I hear a high-pitched scream coming from outside the tent.
Jumping to my feet, I quickly throw off my blankets and exit the tent to find Milori dancing around, shaking out his clothes and running away from his tent.
“What the FAIRY RING is that!?!” Looking around, the Noble Guard is just standing around, chuckling at their commander while Garrick is on the ground, holding his stomach and laughing. The adrenaline pumping through me, preparing me for a fight, was subsiding. Emilia caught up to me, a smile across her face, watching the scene before us. She wraps her arms around my waist, attempting to stifle her giggles and silently laughs. Looking back at Milori’s impromptu dance, I can’t help but chuckle, too. By this point, Milori stops and turns to Garrick, who is trying to stand back up after laughing so hard on the ground.
“I repeat, what in the FAIRY RING was that?!” With his hands on his hips, he stares down at Garrick, who is smiling from ear to ear.
“A wake-up call. Didn’t you say you didn’t want to sleep in?”
“I SAID to gently wake me up in the morning because I’m not A MORNING PERSON! Not to throw a rodent into my tent!” Garrick starts to chuckle again.
“I mean, you never told us how to wake you up. Besides, I think that little guy enjoyed the rousing it gave you.”
By this point, the entire Noble Guard is laughing, and Milori is obviously annoyed, but he regains his composure, dusting off invisible dust and addressing the lot.
“Well, if you’re done, let’s eat and pack up.” Milori glares at Garrick and then turns, mumbling to himself.
The clean-up and breakfast take only a little bit of time, and then we are off flying again, heading towards Dorron. Cold air causes a shiver to run through my body, so I squeeze Emilia tighter to keep her warm. The sun’s warm rays feel good on the skin, staving off the cold. We only fly for a few hours before a mountain peak comes into view. According to Milori, Dorron is on the other side, sitting between the valleys of the two mountains. Cresting over the mountain’s peak, a valley comes into view—a large river runs between the two mountains, with round shelters peppering the area. Smoke rises from the chimneys of the houses, carrying the aroma of cooking meat towards us. It certainly smells better than the dried grains we ate this morning. The Southern Orcs live semi-nomadic lives, only travelling when the mines dry up. The main settlement of the Southern Orcs has been here for nearly one hundred years. Their housing can be easily disassembled, but some structures are permanent, always leaving a pattern of where they have settled and moved.
Orcs are coming out of their homes and taking us in from the ground. In the centre of town, there is a larger circular home with other structures attached to it. It’s bigger than the other buildings, so I assume this is where the chief lives. My assumption is proved correct when Milori leads us to the centre of the settlement, landing almost directly in front of the largest building. A large Orc man, likely seven feet tall and certainly taller than me, walks out bare-chested, with fur cloth and some cotton trousers wrapped around his waist. He is flanked by two equally large Orcs who are there to protect or counsel him–I am unsure which, as Orc tradition and culture are not something I know well. Garrick practically leaps out of Milori’s arms. I suppose it might be embarrassing to be carried in by the Fae. Garrick moves his blade to his front while Emilia also pulls the blades under her tunic to her front. Looking around, the Noble Guard must pick up on the importance of the action because they, too, do as Garrick and Emilia do .
“Throm-ka.” The chief steps towards our group, and though we agreed to meet and discuss the situation, I don’t trust him. I step in front of Emilia and place myself in front of the group.
“Greetings. I am sure there is no issue, but I would appreciate it if you would maintain a respectable distance from my spirit bond.” The fact that we have not completed the ceremony puts me on edge. The chief stops and assesses me, my men and my spirit bond, the latter causing me irritation. My markings start to glow slightly. Though I know it is not a problem and no one wishes us harm, the other part of my brain doesn’t want to be rational.
“I am Ruk, the chief of the Southern Orcs. Thank you, Dorgan Garrick, for your respectful appearance.” I side-eye Garrick, who steps up towards Ruk and stretches out his arm. Ruk grasps his forearm while Garrick does the same. Garrick clenches a fist and smacks it on his chest. Ruk grunts. This must be some sort of greeting. Emilia tries to step around me, but my instinct to protect her has not waned, and I hold her hand in mine. Ruk turns to Emilia, making me bristle at his attention to her, and he nods in her direction in greeting.
“Dorgan Emilia, throm-ka. As your bond is untrusting, I will greet you from afar, but know you are welcome in my house. Come, we have food prepared. We will discuss your father inside.” We head into the building, but Emilia squeezes my arm. I look down at her to see a concerned face.
“What is the matter, my flower? ”
“You should have let me greet him. He is still my chief.” She worries the inside of her lip as she watches everyone head inside.
“My flower, they know how bonds work. He knows that it is challenging for me to see you close to another male.”
“But it was fine with the Noble Guard.” Sighing as quietly as I can, I try to think of a way to explain this to her.
“I am sorry, my darling. I am more jealous than I should be. My men are under my command, and I trust them. I do not trust this chief, and though I am unsure of the customs of the Orc, one thing is certain between our races: we value and respect the bond between two people. Please forgive me for being a touch possessive. You have become everything to me, and I do not wish to kill someone because they came too close to you. I hope my agitation will dwindle after the bonding ceremony, but I am not known to be someone who shares well, so I likely won’t change.” I give my most remorseful face, which is enough for Emilia to smile contentedly at me. She reaches up and pulls me down into a sweet kiss. Her lips are soft and make the agitation building inside of me subside. The amount of power this woman has over me is concerning, but I wouldn’t change it at all.
“I’m yours, my scary Fae king.” She winks at me and starts heading into the building, hand in mine, pulling me along. I think she just gave me a nickname. That makes me far too satisfied, even if it says I’m scary…but it also says I’m hers.
The floor is made of stone, and a fire pit sits in the middle, boiling soup that smells very appetizing. A large table sits on the far side of the room where Milori is seated, along with Garrick. Another table sits off to the side where the Noble Guard seats assessing their surroundings like good soldiers. There are two empty seats beside Ruk and one beside that, which I assume are for Emilia and me. I lead her to the seats, pulling one out so she can sit down first and then take the seat next to her. Ruk looks over to the side and raises a finger. Light drumming begins, and a couple of Orc women pour out, bringing food to the table.
“I hope you don’t mind. We like to serve food to our guests as soon as they have arrived.” Plates of seared and marinated meat are placed on the table. Roasted root vegetables accompany them. The food looks hardy, like the Orc people, whereas the Fae tend to like lighter foods. Either way, the giant smile on Emilia’s face tells me I may have to adjust our usual dinner menu, especially considering how happy she is to see this food.
“Roasted venison… fried rutabaga… these are my favourites,” Emilia whispers under her breath, and her joy makes my heart joyous. I am grateful to see her happy with how much she has endured this past year. The food was good, though a bit heavy in my stomach. After the meal, many of those who sat with us to eat left, leaving a handful of Orcs and my guard behind. We moved to a small room attached to the larger communal area with chairs and lounging furniture covered in furs and tightly woven blankets. I find a spot where Emilia and I can sit together. Ruk sits across from us with a drink in his hand.
“My scout gave me a report of your interest in Ezuren. To say I was surprised that the Day Court King was poking around is an understatement, but perhaps we can help each other. We have the same enemy, after all.” He is a shrewd man, taking advantage of this situation, but what he doesn’t seem to understand is that I can go in and get Dorgan Zornak out unassisted. It just may cost hundreds of lives. Now, I don’t want to do that, but I would in order to save him. I have not considered this seriously because it would not make Emilia happy, and I will try to avoid upsetting her if possible.
“I will not be coerced into joining a war between the Orcs. We have no reason to become involved. One of your spies informed me that you would be willing to give us information on guard rotations and the specific location of Emilia’s father. Now, if your requirement for that information is to become involved in a war we have nothing to do with, then the answer is no. We will go into Ezuren and find him ourselves. I do not know how much you know of me or my abilities, but I am very capable of handling any situation that arises.” Ruk assesses me, leaving a long pause hanging in the air.
“I do not wish to lose my honour over something like this. The goddess is already displeased with Dorgan Zornak, who has been captured and forced to work for Gormash.” Ruk spits on the ground, saying the name of the other chief. “Dorgan Zornak is an honourable Orc who fought alongside me during many wars with the Northern Clan. I owe it to him to see his liberation. I ask for forgiveness from Dorgan Garrick and Dorgan Emilia for being unable to do anything sooner. By the time we knew what was going on, you were being watched too heavily, and Zornak had been imprisoned in Ezuren, a city we could not penetrate yet. My scouts will share the layout of the city and the guard rotations with you. I have arranged for you to meet one of my spies outside the city early tomorrow morning before dawn. He will take you inside and show you the way.”
“Thank you.” Emilia has entwined our fingers at this point. I knew she was nervous when I refused to give in to the subtle request, but I would not be backed into a corner.
“We Orcs are not known for being politically knowledgeable, but within our customs, a conversation needs to be had if you hope to bond with a clansman. She may not be an Orc by blood, but she is one of us. I will not demand anything from you because I have heard of your powers, and frankly, I like my house, so I will request that we meet and discuss an alliance. You may not want to get involved in the Orc wars, but I’m afraid the Orcs are already a part of the war you are fighting at home. We have gained more than just information on the humans trying to take over our lands; we also know of some of the inner workings of the Night Court.”
He doesn’t seem to be trying to antagonize me; he is merely stating what he knows. Though I hate to admit it, Emilia was raised by Orcs, so for that reason, I will entertain this thought.
“After we rescue Zornak, you will be invited to the Palace. We will discuss a potential alliance then.” Seemingly satisfied with that, he nods and stands, the rest of us following suit .
“We have made space for you to rest before your flight tonight. My understanding is you will need to leave at the height of the night?”
“That is correct, and I would like to ask that Emilia stay here and be protected while we are away.” Emilia’s hand tightens around mine, stronger than I was expecting. I do not share this part of the plan with her, but I can’t focus if she is there. I hope she will understand that.
“Of course. She will be safe here. My wife will make sure she is well tended to.” We all leave with a nod of his head, and our group is escorted to another similar building with a series of small rooms off the main area. The men fan out to find a space to rest before our departure tonight. I escort Emilia to a small room with a twin bed and a window, which gives a lovely view of the mountains.
“I’m going with you.” She releases my hand and walks to the other side of the room. I figured I would have to convince her to stay, but I don’t like the amount of anger in her voice.
“My flower,”
“Don’t you ‘my flower’ me. This is MY father! I want to be there!” Behind her anger, fear surfaces, which pulls me across the small space to wrap her in my arms.
“My flower, I know that staying here is the last thing you want to do, but let me ask you how you see your involvement in the rescue.” My question isn’t to belittle her but to help her see that staying here is better and safer .
“Well, I-I know how to sneak around. I’ve done that for the past year, haven’t I? I also know how to use a weapon when need be.” Her last response is weaker than the first.
“As great as those skills are, what would you do if we were in the middle of a fight?”
“…so, I don’t know how to fight…but I-I don’t want to be left behind. Besides, you’ll make sure nothing happens to me.” A surge of pride fills me, knowing she trusts me enough to protect her.
“You’re right. I would protect you. In fact, I would protect you over your father.” That makes her still, the words sinking in. “I can’t focus on rescuing your father while I constantly check to make sure you are safe. I promise I will bring him to you as fast as possible, my flower.” A small tear escapes her eye. I wipe it away and kiss the track it left on her cheek. She leans her head onto my chest and takes a deep breath in.
“And you’ll come back with him?” She whispers into my chest.
“I will, and Garrick too. I doubt Milori will let anything happen to any of us. When he goes into a fight, he is methodical and vicious.” She looks up at me, surprised because, unless you have seen Milori fight, you would never expect the carnage he can cause. I don’t want her last memory of us to be this, so I lean down and take her lips in mine. She gasps at the surprise affection which spurs me on. Wrapping my arms around her body, I pull her close, relishing the feel of my spirit bond in my arms. She melts into my embrace and, for a moment, the pressure of the circumstance melts away as well. But it’s just that–a moment–and the strain of it all comes crashing back on us. Reluctantly pulling away, I take her face in my hands instead.
“I love you, Emilia. Even if I didn’t have a strong bond with you, I have grown to love every aspect of you: your loyalty, perseverance, kindness, and even your snappy tongue. I love everything about you. I am honoured to be able to bring your father back to you, which I will do. You will be with your family again, Emilia. I promise.” Her watery smile brings me peace, but I am shocked by what she says next.
“I think I love you too, Timas. I don’t know how much of this is the bond or just getting to know you and being able to trust you, but somewhere along the way, I think I started falling in love with you.” Sweeping her up in my arms, I hug her tightly, burying my face in her hair. She loves me!
“You can never know how happy you’ve made me, Emilia.” Still holding her off the ground, I kiss her again. When we part this time, I know it’s for the necessity of rest, to be best prepared for what faces us tonight.
“Say goodbye before you go?” Brushing the hair out of her face, I can’t help but touch her.
“I will.” One last kiss, and I head to the room designated for me, which, surprisingly, is bigger than the one I left Emilia in. One day, I won’t need to leave her. That day can’t come soon enough.