Lonely Orcish Girl (Orcish Women Legends #1)

CHAPTER ONE

It didn't take long for Reed to realize that leaving the road wasn't the best decision. With each step, the forest grew thicker, and it became increasingly challenging to keep an eye on the banks of the Silver Spring River. Still, he knew it was wise to follow its course. All he needed was a safe place to wade, or at least a fallen tree he could use to get to the other side.

That shouldn't be too hard , he thought.

The water in this area was calm and, at most, waist-deep. So, he kept his nerves under control because, despite the lost time, he could still reach his destination before nightfall if he stayed focused.

Earlier, Reed had managed to avoid a much larger threat—or at least, that's what he had thought at the time. He had spotted some suspicious-looking men from a distance, standing near the bridge. It was the only official way to cross the river on the road to Larrant, a small town Reed had visited many times, though never alone. He had always traveled there with his mother and other people from their village, Stagmoor, to sell their crops at the market.

The men blocking the bridge were acting loudly, laughing, and cursing, and Reed suspected they were thugs. He was glad none of them noticed him and, without giving it much thought, he walked off the road.

Maybe they were lumberjacks on a break , he had tried to reason with himself at first, but he still didn’t want to take any chances. Opportunity makes thieves , his mother had once told him, and Reed wasn’t eager to test the truth of that saying on his own skin.

He didn't consider himself a coward, but neither was he a fool. A nineteen-year-old boy against four men—that wouldn’t have been fair under any circumstances. Besides, he couldn’t risk being robbed, not when he carried a pouch with all his money—every single coin he and his late mother had managed to collect over the years.

Reed decided it would be better to push through the wild brush for a while, hoping to find a safe passage to the other side of the river and, in the process, avoid the bridge, just in case the men had bad intentions.

But it was only a seemingly easy task.

The deeper he ventured into the woods, the more he regretted his decision. The bank grew higher, steeper, and rockier in this part of the forest, and after countless twists and turns, Reed lost his sense of direction, especially since the river occasionally split into two channels, and at times, smaller streams blocked his path. He could no longer tell exactly where the road was.

Reed knew that it would have been wisest to return to Stagmoor the moment he discovered those alleged bandits, but he pushed that thought aside. He couldn't go back—not empty-handed. Not after the bold promises he had made. He had to reach Larrant.

Gritting his teeth, he continued to fight his way through the dense undergrowth. His frustration was about to peak when he unexpectedly found what he needed—a thick tree lying across the river. Encouraged by the discovery, he jogged to the tree and began to examine it closely. It was very solid and didn't budge even when Reed kicked it.

But in his excitement, the young man didn't notice that it was getting much darker; the sun had disappeared behind the line of bushes.

It also started to drizzle lightly. Reed began to make his way across the river, using the tree, hoping the wood was still dry enough for him to walk on safely. He moved very slowly, and that was his mistake. Out of nowhere, the rain picked up and went from a light shower to a full-on downpour in no time. He was only a few feet from the opposite bank when he realized that he could barely see the other side through the gray wall of water pouring down. In a matter of seconds, Reed's clothes were soaked, and the previously solid and safe tree trunk now looked treacherous and slippery.

"Gods! Why now?!" he cried out helplessly.

Cautiously, he inched toward the end of the tree trunk. He was perhaps a yard from the other side when a tremendous, deafening thunderclap ruptured nearby, shattering a tree. Startled, Reed flinched and… slipped.

The dark water swallowed him up. Overwhelmed and shocked by the sudden cold, Reed plunged to the sandy bottom. Only then did he begin to kick and flail his arms in an attempt to resurface. Here, the river was neck-deep, and he had to swim to the nearest place where he could climb back to shore.

Coughing and sputtering, Reed got back to his feet. He glanced around—the dark forest now looked even eerier and more hostile.

The rain was relentless, and even the canopy of leaves offered no protection. Reed's clothes were thoroughly soaked. Although it was the end of summer, the water was freezing, and Reed shivered.

He knew he had lost a lot of time, so he started walking in the direction he thought the road was. His clothes were heavy and uncomfortably chilled his skin.

Toiling away, stumbling constantly, he pushed through bushes along the riverbank. All he wanted to do before nightfall was find the track again.

Unfortunately, this faint hope was shattered when he came upon a steep rock wall that stretched from the shore deep into the forest—he couldn't even see where it ended.

Reed felt as if someone had kicked him in the gut. His shoulders slumped. He wanted to howl in despair, but the truth was he didn't have the strength. The cold was taking its toll on him. He felt very weak and tired.

"I'm lost…" he whispered to himself, barely hearing his own voice in the roaring wind.

Staggering, he wandered into an unknown part of the forest, inwardly cursing himself. I'll die here! Jolene will marry Petyr, and I won't be able to do anything about it. And I'll die a virgin! What was I thinking?! What got into my head?! That I'd show them? That if I came back with a gift, Jolene would be mine? Stupid, stupid, so damn stupid!

He thought of his farm, his only inheritance. It would be ruined and wasted. He had asked his neighbor Joseph to take care of his chickens during his absence, but the old man wouldn't do it forever. Everything was turning into a disaster.

After a while, Reed realized he was dizzy, breathing heavily, and feeling exhausted—oddly enough, too exhausted, even considering the distance he had traveled. He knew he had good endurance. Working on the farm his whole life had hardened him, but now he felt as weak as a baby.

The forest grew dimmer and more unsettling, and the rain didn't let up.

Reed was about to give up, shivering from the cold, when he spotted something in the distance in the near-pitch darkness.

A faint light shone through the trees.

He stopped and wiped his wet forehead. The light didn't disappear, so it wasn't an illusion. He blinked a few times, but it was still there.

Is it a friar's lantern from the tales? Or is it an evil spirit trying to lure me? Or maybe there are people who can help me? Or kill me…

Seeing no other option, he decided to walk toward the bright point. His body was failing him, his jaw painfully clenched, his limbs intensely trembling. He didn't believe in creepy legends about ghosts, drowned people coming to life, or swamp monsters. He didn't care at that moment, either.

Soon, the young man noticed that he had entered a small clearing—the glow seemed to emanate from a window in a hut or a small house.

"Hello!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, but wasn't sure if his voice could be heard over the roar of the storm.

He approached some sort of porch and stumbled, falling hard to his knees. At that moment, the door opened abruptly, and the light from inside was blocked by a massive figure. Reed's vision was so blurred that he could only make out the person as a dark shadow.

"Who's there?!" a sharp voice called out.

"Please… I mean no harm…" Reed used all his willpower to say those words. The whole world was spinning around him now. "I am lost. Can I… please—" Reed tried to ask for help, but his voice failed him.

Suddenly, his head felt unbearably dizzy, and he slumped onto his side, losing his balance. The last thing he was aware of before he passed out was being grabbed by someone’s hands and lifted up.

Then blackness took possession of his mind.

***

When Reed opened his eyes, he didn't know what was going on or where he was—or if he was even still alive. But the light hurt his eyes so much that he figured his time hadn't come yet. Pain means life, unless life after death is some kind of strange joke , he thought.

He blinked a few times and tried to look around. The surroundings were dim. He noticed a rocky wall to his right that radiated warmth.

"Am I inside a hut?" he muttered in confusion, as he suddenly remembered.

As he examined his surroundings more closely, he saw a roof made of logs and thick thatch. He also realized that he was thickly covered with heavy animal furs from his neck to his feet. He felt weak; even moving his eyes seemed painful. Only then did Reed become aware that he truly was seriously ill, probably in the worst condition of his entire life.

In the past, whenever he was sick, his mother had known what to do, and when her knowledge wasn't enough, Marga, the village healer, had always offered help. Although, he couldn’t recall ever feeling this bad before.

Reed tried to lift his head, but he was too enfeebled to do so. He heard birds chirping outside and other sounds like rhythmic scratching, some rustling, and… soft humming?

The young man wondered for a moment who this might be. Who could live so deep in the forest, in the middle of nowhere?

What if it's someone dangerous? he wondered, but quickly reconsidered. Nah, why would they bother to help me then? I’d be dead by now.

He opened his mouth to say "hello", but only managed a barely audible rasp. However, the humming stopped. Reed heard the creaking of a chair, followed by a few footsteps. After a tense moment, his rescuer’s face came into view above the bed.

Reed gasped quietly, shocked for several reasons.

First of all, the face appeared at a very high level, which meant the person was really tall. He could only make out half of the figure, perhaps because he was indeed in some sort of inglenook.

But the second, even more surprising feature was the skin color of his rescuer—light green, like mint leaves. This could mean only one thing: he had been saved by an orc. Well, not quite.

…because the third surprise was the gender of the orc. It was a woman. Reed couldn’t estimate her age because his vision was blurred, but he had the impression she was very young.

She gazed at Reed with quiet interest. Realizing that he was staring at her vacantly, he tried to speak again.

"Hello…" His own voice sounded strange and hoarse.

The orcish girl nodded slowly at him, and Reed wondered if she even knew the common human language. But his doubts quickly dissolved.

"You're stronger than you look. I was starting to think you were a goner," she said. Her voice was quite deep but distinctly feminine. She had a thick accent. "You’ve been asleep most of the day," she finished, still looking at him intently.

"I'm… ah…" Reed tried to respond, but his aching throat failed him, and he only managed a weak screech.

The orcess disappeared from his sight, but quickly returned, holding a wooden cup. Involuntarily, he flinched slightly as she knelt beside his legs and partially crawled over him, leaning on one arm.

Only then did he truly realize how huge the orcish girl was. He had heard that orcs were taller and bigger than humans, but he hadn’t expected such a difference.

She wore a simple sleeveless vest and leather pants. Her upper body was broad and muscular, but her waist was slim and shapely, contrasting with her wide, round hips. She had the silhouette of an hourglass.

Her arm, now inches from Reed's head, was impressively muscled. A hardened, sculpted forearm, a well-defined bicep, and a round, strong shoulder gave the impression of a powerful warrior woman, capable of wielding a sword with ease. She wore a thick copper bracelet on her wrist, which caught Reed's attention for a brief moment.

In contrast to her muscles, her chest was very plump and ample, but Reed avoided looking at it. He had been taught that it was rude to stare at a woman's cleavage. But a single discreet glance was enough for him to realize that none of the women from his village were as generously endowed as this orcess.

She literally filled the nook where Reed lay, dominating the limited space with the sheer size of her body.

Reed had never seen such muscles on a woman in his life, although he had heard tales of orcish female warriors. Certainly, none of his neighbors were built like this girl. Reed himself was one of the tallest and strongest men in Stagmoor, especially for his age, but his body was still more lean and wiry. He hoped that, with time, he would gain more muscle like his late father, who had been one of the most robust residents of their village.

"Drink this," the girl said, holding the cup closer to his head. The contents were smoky and had a strong scent.

"What's that?" he managed to whisper in a raspy voice.

"Poison, obviously," the orcess said sarcastically, grinning and rolling her eyes. Then she explained, "Herbs. Drink. It'll help with your sore throat and fever."

Reed felt foolish for even asking—it could easily be taken as distrust.

Obediently, he tried to raise his head, but didn’t have enough strength even for that. Seeing this, the girl knelt a little closer, slipped her hand under his neck, and lifted him slightly. Then she put the cup to his lips, and he began to drink.

The brew was warm and had a pleasant taste. But most importantly, it soothed his throat. Reed felt the pain ease, at least a little.

As he drank, Reed took the opportunity to observe the orcess more closely. She seemed to be around twenty, very close to his own age. Her face showed the typical features of orcish women, with thick eyebrows, a straight nose, and a rather firm jaw, but it all seemed smoother and more harmonious than that of a typical orc, at least that’s what Reed thought. Her ears were pointy, unlike those of humans. Her curly hair looked raven black in the dim light, framing her head like a crown. The long strands were tied into multiple braids, while others were loose, adorned with shiny beads and rings of steel, bronze, and copper.

Her orcish heritage was clear, but her austere look was softened by high cheekbones, full lips that were also green but in a darker hue, and her most captivating feature—large violet eyes with thick, black eyelashes.

The girl was a beauty of her own kind, exotic and unique, and Reed thought she could even be described as stunning.

Those distinctive eyes, intense as colorful flowers from a meadow, looked at him calmly, as if assessing his condition. After she helped Reed finish the herbs, she gently laid his head back on the bed. Her hand lingered on his forehead for a moment.

"You're not burning up like before, but the fever will come back later. You need to rest," she said in a matter-of-fact tone, leaning back against the wall.

Her eyes remained fixed on his face. She smirked and asked, "So, lost boy, what do they call you?"

"Reed," he answered quietly. "And what's your name?"

"Katuri," she replied shortly, emphasizing the hard 'r'.

Reed nodded and repeated the name in his mind. It sounded very foreign to him, but there was something vibrant in it that he liked.

They looked at each other in silence—Katuri with quiet interest, Reed struggling with his emotions for a moment. Slowly, he realized what had happened the day before and the role Katuri had played in it. He felt overwhelming gratitude.

"Thank you, Katuri," he said solemnly. "You saved my life."

Her reaction was odd. At first, her eyes widened as if surprised, but then she smirked and waved her hand dismissively.

"I just dragged your limp body off my porch, right?" She laughed shortly. "Nothing overly heroic."

"Still, thank you sincerely. I'm in your debt," Reed tried again, but the only response from her was a barely perceptible nod.

It made him wonder if Katuri was embarrassed by his honest acknowledgment, but he thought she was being too modest. However, he knew next to nothing about orcish customs, apart from a few—possibly exaggerated—rumors. The only inhabitants of Stagmoor were humans, and he hadn't had much opportunity to come into contact with other races.

Reed wondered if perhaps it wasn’t customary among her people to show gratitude. From what he had heard, orcs were proud and valued strength, so he wondered if showing compassion might be seen as a weakness for them.

According to the most common rumors, orcs were aggressive, hostile, violent, treacherous, and so on—the list of their bad qualities was long. Reed realized, though, that some of these flaws could apply to any other race as well, but… not to Katuri.

Reed was lost deep in his thoughts, which were foggy and blurred because of the fever. He peered curiously at the orcess. The more he looked at her, the more attractive she seemed. He was pretty sure it wasn't just the effect of his feverish state. The mixture of hard and soft features on her face was new to him, but quite pleasant. He wouldn't say, however, that she was as pretty as his Jolene.

My Jolene … he noticed he hadn't thought about her in a long time and felt strange about that realization. Jolene was the reason for everything that had happened—why he had left Stagmoor, tried to reach Larrant, got lost, and nearly died. That acknowledgment caused an unpleasant shiver. She's not mine; she's marrying another man. Don't be stupid, Reed.

"You stare quite a lot," Katuri's voice snapped him out of his musings. "Never seen an orc before, or what?"

She was smirking softly, showing no signs of anger or outrage, but Reed felt caught red-handed, and a wave of unease washed over him.

"I'm sorry, didn't mean to. I've seen orcs before, but never an orcish woman," he replied. “I heard you are all mighty warriors,” he added quickly.

He had only known two orcs in his life. One was an old hunter who sometimes traded with men from Stagmoor when Reed was a child. He had never looked at him up close, though. The second was Gurak—a grumpy blacksmith from Larrant, although that man wasn't a full-blooded orc but a mix with a hobgoblin.

"I see. But I guess you’ve never seen a real orcess yet. I'm not a pureblood. My father is one of the pink-skinned kind like you," Katuri said with a smile that was hard to interpret.

"You're a half-orc?" asked Reed. Somehow, he wasn’t surprised. She definitely looked different from what he had heard and imagined about stereotypical orcish women.

"Yeah. That's why I don't have tusks like a wild boar. And maybe I have less here than typical orcish gals," she pointed to her ample bust, "or here," she briefly flexed her arm to show off her chiseled muscles, "but at least I have more here," she finished with a sly grin and pointed to her head.

Reed smiled a bit uncertainly, having trouble imagining that pure-blooded orc women could be taller, bustier, and more muscular than Katuri, who was already impressive in every way. Although he had a feeling that her kind was more savage-looking in appearance, she seemed balanced in proportions, with a harmonious, feminine shape to her body.

"That's very int—" Reed tried to answer, but suddenly coughed so hard that his throat hurt.

Katuri came closer and again placed her palm on his forehead. She glanced at Reed with a worried look.

"It was nice chatting with you, Reed, but I think you should rest. Try to get some sleep. The fever is coming back." She sat back on her heels, right next to Reed. "We'll talk more later, okay? If you need to pee, there's a latrine just outside. Call me if you need help."

"Thank you, Katuri. I will never be able to repay you," Reed murmured, shifting a little under the furs. His hand touched his thigh, and then he discovered that he was… completely naked. He tried to hide his surprise, but Katuri noticed anyway.

"What is it?" she asked, cocking her head.

Reed chuckled nervously, the feeling of shame overtaking him. "Um… nothing, I guess. I just noticed I don't have any clothes on. Did you undress me yesterday?"

Katuri frowned at first, but quickly her violet eyes widened, and her lips twisted into an impish grin. She leaned down and said in a lowered voice, "Oh yes, of course, I did. I had to check if you were fit to… repay my hospitality. Because, you know, among orcs, 'payment in nature' is very common. It's a tradition. But we'll come back to this matter later when you feel better."

"Oh…" Reed only managed to open his mouth because he was completely shocked by Katuri's words. He felt as if his cheeks were about to explode.

Is she serious? Does she want to have sex with me?! Frantic thoughts overwhelmed him. If it's tradition for her, then I cannot refuse. Not after what she has done for me. It would offend her! But… oh, gods! She'll find out I have never done this before! It will be embarrassing!

He swallowed hard and looked into her enchanting violet eyes. Then he cleared his throat and said solemnly, "If that is customary among your people, then I will respect that. It will be my honor to share the bed with you, Katuri."

The orcess looked at Reed with barely concealed amusement. When he finished his respectful statement, she abruptly burst out laughing. Reed was as surprised as he was confused.

"Oh, an honor? That was so sweet, Reed," she finally said, once she had caught her breath. "I was kidding! Did you really believe me? Mating as a form of payment? There's no such thing!"

She giggled and ran her hand through his hair in a playful gesture. Reed chuckled as well, partly because her laugh was infectious, partly due to his confusion.

"No, silly, I didn't undress you because I couldn't resist my lust." Katuri tilted her head and winked. "You were soaked to the bone. There wasn't a dry thread on you. Were you swimming in your clothes or what?" Katuri smiled again and patted him on the shoulder.

"Um… I fell into the river yesterday," Reed replied, feeling shame wash over him again.

"That sounds like an interesting story, but you'll tell me later. Try to sleep now," Katuri said to him, still grinning widely. She moved toward the edge of the bedding. "And sorry for the joke, but I couldn't help myself. Your face looked so flabbergasted! But you know what? At least you showed you weren't a coward. You were willing to lie with a big, scary, ugly orc? That's a brave attitude, haha!"

Katuri laughed again and dropped to the ground. She shook her head with a smile and was about to disappear from Reed's sight when he called out to her:

"Katuri?"

"Yeah?" she answered, looking at him intently.

"You're big, but not scary. And definitely not ugly. I think that… you are unique and very pretty," Reed murmured.

"Thank you. You’re not bad yourself," Katuri replied in a different tone than before, and to Reed's surprise, he found that her voice contained very similar vibes to Jolene's when they spent time together.

"Good night, Katuri," he said quietly.

"Good night, Reed," she replied with a warm smile.

With those words, she moved out of Reed's sight. He closed his eyes and tried to process everything that had happened. It wasn't easy, as the rising fever caused his mind to drift away quickly, but for the first time, he thought about a girl other than Jolene before he fell asleep.

***