CHAPTER TEN
Reed slowly opened his eyes, feeling better than ever. A sense of renewed vitality washed over him. As he lifted his head, he became aware of a warm presence beside him. Turning, he saw Katuri snuggled against his side, her sharp features softened by the mellow morning light, looking at him with a tender smile, her violet eyes sparkling like two amethysts.
Reed's heart swelled with emotion.
"Hey, how long have you been awake?"
Katuri leaned in to nuzzle his chest. "Long enough to realize how lucky I am to have found a good and handsome man like you," she whispered, her gaze even more intense.
"I'm the lucky one here, Katuri," he said sincerely. "I still can’t wrap my head around how I found such a wise, strong, and beautiful woman."
"You say that so often, I’m starting to believe it." Katuri winked.
"You better." Reed sported a roguish smirk.
As they kissed, Reed knew this was where he belonged—in Katuri's arms. Today, yesterday’s fears and doubts seemed so far away, irrelevant. He was hopeful and full of optimism. He felt like the luckiest man alive; finally, everything was as it was meant to be.
When they finally pulled away, Katuri gave a grin and said, "I'll make us some breakfast. What do you say?"
Reed's stomach growled at the mention of food, but he hesitated. "Actually, I think we should collect some eggs first. We can’t have breakfast without fresh eggs, right?"
Katuri’s eyes sparkled with amusement. "You’re right, of course. I forgot we’re on a farm now. No more stealing pheasant eggs!"
Reed cracked up, feeling a sense of excitement. "Speaking of which, I want to show you around the farm. Yesterday, we were a bit distracted, don’t you think?"
Katuri nodded with enthusiasm. "Yes! I’d love to see it. Lead the way, my sweet farmer."
Reed chuckled, and they began to dress. Then, he took her hand and led her out of the house into the bright morning sunlight. The air was crisp and clean, filled with the scent of blooming wildflowers and the chirping of birds.
As they walked, Reed pointed out the various parts of the farm. "Over there is the chicken coop. And just beyond that, you’ll see the vegetable garden—though it’s a bit neglected now. I want to expand it so we can grow more food. Behind that slope is our main field for larger crops. With the help of our beautiful new mare, plowing will be much easier."
Katuri's eyes widened as she took in the sights. "It's lovely here." Her voice filled with wonder. "I like that you called all of this ours."
Reed looked at her with seriousness. "Because now all of this is yours too, Katuri."
She blinked rapidly and turned her face away, as if wanting to hide her emotions.
Seeing her reaction, Reed took her hand again and led her back.
"Speaking of our horse, we need to build her a little stable. What do you think? Could you give me a hand with the construction?" he asked as they were heading toward the chicken coop.
"Of course, Reed. I’m glad that you asked. I’ll be happy to help." She glanced toward the mare, she added, “Yeah, she definitely needs a house too. By the way, what is her name?"
“Hah! I haven’t thought about it yet; I had too much on my plate to do so. But maybe you have some ideas?”
Katuri hesitated for a moment, then on her lips appeared a mysterious smirk, "How about… Hope?" Reed looked at her curiously, thinking how unusual the name Hope was for an all-black horse. He tended to associate that word with something colorful like rainbow, but after a moment's thought, he realized that perhaps such an unexpected name was fitting. In a way, it reflected his and Katuri's journey—coming out of the shadows of their past, finding hope for a better future in the most unlikely circumstances.
"That's a great choice, Katuri. So, we need to build our Hope a home," he said with an all-knowing smile, pleased with the double meaning of his words.
Katuri nodded with a matching expression.
As they approached the chicken coop, the soft clucking of the hens could be heard inside. He opened the door, and Katuri peeked inside, chuckling at the sight of the fluffy birds pecking at the ground. Reed reached into the nesting boxes and gently collected the eggs.
Walking back to the house, eggs in hand, Reed realized this was what he had been missing—sharing his life with someone he loved and enjoying the simple pleasures of farm life together.
Suddenly, Katuri turned to a spot under a nearby tree. She stopped, her eyes fixed on something. "What's that?"
Reed followed her gaze, his expression softening. "That's my mother's grave."
Katuri's mouth parted in surprise, and she looked at Reed with a mixture of curiosity and respect. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Can I see it?"
Reed nodded, flooded with memories. "Yes."
Together, they walked to the tree. The grave was marked by a simple stone monument, with a few dandelions blooming around it. Reed knelt on the soft grass, and Katuri followed suit.
For a moment, they stayed in silence until Katuri leaned forward and touched the tombstone. Reed heard her muttering something in Orcish, words he didn’t understand but sensed were Katuri’s way of paying respect to his late mother.
He took a deep breath and said, "I know she’s not here, but I hope that somehow she knows I’m happy—that I’ve found someone like you."
Katuri met Reed's eyes and smiled softly. She reached out and took his hand, her touch warm and comforting.
"I’m sure she does, Reed. And she’s happy knowing she succeeded in raising you to be a wonderful, fair man." Katuri’s voice was filled with emotion.
Reed softly sighed and felt a reassuring squeeze from Katuri’s fingers. He wasn’t sure what to say, or if anything needed to be said at all. Instead, he stood up, and they walked back to the house.
There, a surprise awaited them in the form of an unexpected guest.
It was… Martha! The older woman was incessantly knocking on the door and flinched slightly when she saw them approaching from behind the house. Her expression was apprehensive.
“Good morning, Reed,” she said, nodding at the orcess with some caution. “Katuri.”
“Hello, Martha. What brings you here so early?” Reed tried to sound friendly, surprised that Martha dared to come after all she had said yesterday. However, her expression seemed to be a mix of guilt and shame, so he restrained himself from being too harsh.
“I’m sorry if I’m interrupting, but I came to see Katuri.” Martha glanced uncertainly at the orcish girl.
“How can I help you, Martha?” Katuri asked politely.
The woman darted a glance at Reed, and he realized she had come to Katuri with some kind of health issue.
“Marga was sick for so long that now people want to swarm there with their problems. I thought I could ask you something, as I simply can’t afford to wait in line all day—my farm needs me.”
“I’ll go chop some wood for the furnace.” Reed stepped away quickly, giving them space.
As he grabbed his axe and headed toward the woodpile, he overheard Martha mentioning that something had popped up on her big toe, and Katuri asked her to show it.
Reed began chopping logs, glancing occasionally at their interaction. Martha removed her shoe, and Katuri knelt to examine her foot attentively. After a moment, the orcess stood up and began explaining something, even using a stick to draw in the soft soil. The older woman listened carefully, and when Katuri finished, Martha grabbed her forearm, saying something emphatically, and thanking her earnestly. At first, Katuri’s expression was hard to read, but then she nodded, eventually smiling. Afterward, Martha said goodbye, waved to Reed, and left.
Reed gathered the logs he’d chopped and hurried to join Katuri, who was standing in front of the house, gazing into the distance. He tossed the wood onto the ground and stepped closer to her.
“You won’t believe what she said.” Katuri turned to him with a smile.
“That she grew claws on her toes like a gargoyle?” he joked, touching her arm.
Katuri chuckled. “No, actually, her problem isn’t that serious. I told her which herb to use to get rid of it. But she apologized, Reed! And it seemed genuine!”
“That’s very out of character for her, I must admit. Martha isn’t a bad woman, but she’s as stubborn as a mule. For her to apologize means she must have felt she crossed a line yesterday.”
“Yes! But it also means I have a real chance here, Reed. Even people who were skeptical, if not openly hostile, are coming around, accepting me. I’m so happy,” Katuri pulled him into a hug.
Reed held her close, gently stroking her back. They stayed like that for a long moment, his heart swelling with emotion, knowing he had to finally confess everything he felt. He raised his head and touched her chin.
"I love you, Katuri," he said as seriously as he could, looking directly into her eyes.
The orcess gazed at him, surprised, and let out a soft gasp. She was silent for a moment, and Reed feared that she didn’t return his feelings or believe in the sincerity of his confession. But his worry lasted only a moment as two large tears rolled down her cheeks, and she smiled as if relieved.
"I love you too, Reed," she whispered, raising her hand to touch his face. Her thumb caressed his cheek tenderly. She cleared her throat. "Those are the most beautiful words I've ever heard."
Reed thought the same thing but couldn't find the wits to sum it up, so he decided to remain silent. The moment was too magical to spoil with clumsy speech. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder.
He tried to take in everything that had happened. He, an orphan with a broken heart, had found love at the most unexpected time and place. She, exiled from her tribe, had made history repeat itself by doing almost exactly what her father had done. When Reed thought about it, he couldn't help but feel that it truly was their destiny.
Katuri hugged him too, and he felt the cold of her bracelet against his neck. His thoughts went back to the piece of jewelry, remembering the engraving on her former bracelet.
Lonely… She's not lonely anymore. And neither am I. She is loved.
And with that thought and a sense of deep happiness, Reed stood on his farmyard, hugging the woman he had chosen. Their future looked as bright as the morning sun.
THE END