Chapter One #2
"Wake up, sleepyhead," Katuri's voice reached Reed's ears as if through water.
He opened his eyes and saw her sitting beside him, her legs crossed. Again, the light struck him painfully, and he had to blink a few times to see clearly.
"Morning," he said in a hoarse voice. His throat felt like he had swallowed a handful of gravel.
"How do you feel?" Katuri asked, touching Reed's forehead. She kept her palm there for a moment, then let it slide down to his cheek in a motion that felt almost like a caress. It was almost shocking to Reed how pleasant this simple gesture was. Until that moment, he hadn't realized how much he longed to be touched by another person.
"Ugh… like a herd of cattle trampled me," he answered faintly but gave her a smile.
"If it cheers you up, at least you're not burning like yesterday. Here, drink this." As she had the day before, Katuri lifted Reed's head and brought the mug to his lips.
This time, he drank without hesitation, recognizing the same infusion Katuri had given him the day before. Reed found it to be the most delicious taste he had ever experienced.
"Finish it all, Reed. You need to drink a lot. It'll help you," she said calmly, her voice almost as soothing to Reed's ears as the herbs were to his throat.
"Oh, so much better." He sighed as he emptied the cup.
Katuri didn't reply but rose to her knees and reached for something above the stove that Reed couldn't see. What he could see, however, were Katuri's full breasts hanging almost directly above his face. He averted his eyes, but not because he thought it was rude to stare at them; he didn't want to get aroused. He was afraid that Katuri would notice.
She sat back on her heels and placed a short board with a wooden bowl next to her legs. Then she bent over Reed and lifted his head and shoulders, pulling him closer to her. If earlier he had been merely distracted by her plump breasts, now he couldn't help looking at them as they were almost pressed into his face. For a split second, his chin touched the smooth green skin of her cleavage, and Reed felt a wave of swooning heat engulf him. His cock instantly stirred, and Reed thanked the gods that the furs covering him were heavy enough to hide his reaction.
Katuri laid him down again, placing a pillow under his head and shoulder blades so that he was in a slightly elevated position.
She looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes. "Are you all right? You're blushing." Her hand went to his forehead again, but she quickly lowered it. "Weird, you're not burning… Anyway, time to eat," she said with a smile and picked up the bowl of food.
Katuri lifted the spoon and blew on it before carefully bringing it to Reed's mouth. Obediently, he opened his mouth and swallowed.
"It's delicious!" he exclaimed, pleasantly surprised. It was a thick, rich stew with vegetables and some kind of shredded meat.
"I'm glad you like it. It's quail. I caught it yesterday." Katuri sported a warm smile.
She gave him spoonful after spoonful, and Reed could swear he felt a little better with each bite. He also felt more and more grateful to Katuri, appreciating how focused she was on trying not to spill the stew on him. That was unexpectedly sweet and caring of her.
Reed still couldn't believe his luck—there were countless ways he could have died in that wild forest. But not only had he been rescued and cared for, but it was all done by a unique girl who knew herbs, could cook so well, and was a skilled hunter. A girl who was a stranger yet had shown him more kindness than anyone else before, apart from his mother.
More than anything Jolene had ever done for me , a bitter thought crossed his mind, but he pushed it away. No, she wanted to be with me; it's not her fault that her parents would rather have her married to Petyr.
No matter how much he tried to rationalize Jolene's decision, it just didn't ring true. Especially when he recalled her demeanor when she and Petyr had shared their wedding plans. She seemed genuinely ecstatic, as if her time with Reed had never mattered. He tried to convince himself that Jolene was simply putting on a show for others, but deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that her actions toward him were also part of the facade.
Suddenly, he found a certain clarity, as if for the first time he perceived the whole affair with her through facts rather than feelings. But it only made him feel incredibly naive. All the reasons he had wanted to go to Larrant, his whole plan to 'win back' Jolene, seemed silly and completely pointless.
"Now, will you tell me what you've gotten yourself into, Reed? Why did you wander so deep into the forest at night?" Katuri interrupted the silence, looking intently at him.
"I was going to Larrant, but—" he began, only to be interrupted by Katuri.
"To Larrant? Reed, you came to my house from the opposite direction of the path leading to the city. The trail is north of here; you came from the south. What happened?" She frowned.
"I had to go off the path…" replied Reed, then he told Katuri about the day's events, hesitantly mentioning the men he thought were thugs. He knew it was an irrational fear since he wasn't a warrior, but still, he felt uneasy about admitting that those men had scared him—the last thing he wanted was to appear cowardly, especially in front of a strong-looking girl like Katuri.
He was already tired of making fool of himself, but talking about his missteps still filled him with shame. Yet, Katuri seemed to see his situation differently.
"You were wise to avoid the bridge, Reed. Those men were most likely bandits; I've seen similar groups on this road a few times," she said in a matter-of-fact tone, looking at him sympathetically. "The rest… Well, it was a combination of bad luck and your lack of experience. And the unforgiving weather conditions. It's a miracle you found my house."
"Yes, I was really lucky…" he whispered, overwhelmed with gratitude again.
Katuri finished feeding him and leaned her back against the wall. She raised her arms to straighten one of her braids, her arm muscles flexing and twitching. Reed still couldn't believe someone could have a body like that. Katuri, however, seemed unaware of the impression she was making on him.
"Are you from the little village that lies southeast of the road to Larrant?"
"Yes, from Stagmoor. But it's not so small. We have nearly two hundred people. Do you know it?"
"Sort of. I believe I met a woman from your village a few times, deep in the woods. A very old woman. She was gathering herbs. Her name was Marga." Katuri shrugged.
"Yes! She’s our healer!" He suddenly perked up, pleased that they had something in common, even if it was just a small thing.
"Yes, that would explain her knowledge," Katuri said respectfully, averting her eyes as if deep in thought.
Reed considered how to politely ask about her background, but when he opened his mouth, Katuri was already speaking. "So, why did you go to Larrant alone? What are you running from, Reed?"
"Running? What do you mean?" Read tried to buy himself time to figure out what to say. He felt strangely self-conscious that Katuri could see through him so easily.
"I think you know, Reed," she replied with a crooked grin. "Or are you trying to tell me that it's common in your village for young men to go on such a dangerous journey all alone with a bag of coins? By the way, don't worry, your money is safe."
"No, it's not like that. It's just… nothing to be proud of…" Reed hesitated, looking at the wall.
"I get it, but entertain me. Life in these woods is pretty boring, so I wouldn't mind listening to a story. Tell me what crime you committed." Katuri's voice was calm, but she smirked as if she found it a bit amusing. Reed didn't know if he liked it or not.
"I didn't commit any crime!" he retorted, a little annoyed.
"I know, I know, you seem too righteous for that. I'm just messing with you a bit," Katuri chuckled, patting the fur covering his leg. Then she got more serious and asked, "So, what was it then? A girl, I suppose?"
He raised his eyebrows, wondering if it was obvious enough to guess. "Yeah, but… it's just complicated."
"It's never simple, is it?" Katuri gave him a more understanding smile. "C'mon, you can tell me; maybe you'll feel better if you get it off your chest."
Reed was silent for a moment, simply looking at Katuri. Her violet eyes gazed back at him, and he felt an odd warmth in his chest. The orcish girl really triggered strange, conflicting feelings in him. A bit wary, but at the same time… friendly.
What if she's right? Maybe it will be better to tell someone about it. Perhaps then I can get over it , he thought.
"Fine. But you'll probably think I'm stupid or something," he muttered wryly.
And he poured his heart out to her. He told her about growing up with Jolene and the other village kids, how they grew closer as teenagers, and their secret meetings in the woods and by the lake. He talked about their first shy kisses and holding hands, and then about the last village feast when Jolene and Petyr announced their marriage plans, which shocked him and broke his heart.
At first, it was odd for Reed to tell all this to Katuri, who was, after all, a stranger to him. But the orcish girl sat silently, listening without interrupting him, and soon Reed still felt a bit uncomfortable, but at least more at peace with the whole situation.
"She was toying with you," Katuri said flatly as soon as Reed finished. But her eyes seemed almost sympathetic.
He frowned and initially wanted to deny her judgment, but bit his tongue and thought about it. Could it seem that way from someone else's perspective?
"I don't know… Do you think she planned this? It doesn't seem likely," Reed replied.
"Nah, I doubt it was consciously planned. More like out of her need of attention. She probably just wanted to have it both ways, without worrying about the future. Just a selfish, silly goose," Katuri said, shaking her head in disgust.
Once again, Reed felt the need to defend Jolene's honor, but he hesitated and finally decided not to do so. And strangely enough, the need was no longer so strong. Simply put, Katuri summed up everything he'd subconsciously known but hadn't managed to figure out for himself. Or maybe he just didn't want to.
"Did you at least claim her?" A teasing smile appeared on her lips. She tilted her head.
"Claimed? No. We just kissed and hugged," Reed replied, feeling a blush creep into his cheeks. It was irrational, but he felt as if he had admitted to Katuri that he was still a virgin.
"That's too bad; you got nothing out of it." Katuri sighed. "So, what was the plan to go to Larrant? That's the only thing I'm missing here."
"Um, that probably won't sound very smart either, but whatever."
Struggling how to explain his impulsive decisions, he finally told her about his plans to go to Larrant and return with a gift for Jolene to win back her heart. As those words were leaving his mouth, it occurred to him more and more how naive and pointless the idea was in the first place. This only deepened his self-frustration.
Katuri shook her head and snorted as if in disbelief. "Oh, Reed, that was so naive of you."
Reed looked at her with resentment at first, but at the same time, he knew she was right. He averted his eyes and mumbled, "See? I knew you'd think I was stupid."
"No, Reed, I didn't say you were naive. I just think what you did was unwise. Romantic, I admit, but very rash and reckless. You obviously didn’t think it through. Look where it got you. You got lost in the woods, barely survived the storm, and now you've got swamp fever. It could have ended even much worse if you hadn't come across my house. And you know that little silly goose is going to marry another man anyway, Reed. That's her choice, no gifts would help," Katuri said firmly, gazing intensely at Reed.
He was silent, trying to digest what she just said. It wasn't easy to accept how Katuri described Jolene, but it was a different feeling to hear another person come to similar conclusions as he had, deep down inside. Reed looked at Katuri again and noticed that her expression was full of true compassion.
"Please, don't be mad at me for saying this. I just want you to know that I understand how you feel. I know what it's like to feel betrayed and abandoned. But eventually, it'll wear off, Reed."
"How can you be so sure? You don't know everything about that situation," he replied with a miffed tone.
"Because I've been there, Reed!" Katuri leaned in, her voice filled with emotion. "I know what it's like to do silly things for someone who makes you think they care about you, someone who acts like they love you but doesn't mean it!"
Abruptly, Katuri fell silent and turned her face toward the window. Reed observed her profile, stunned at her sudden outburst of emotions. He saw her jaw clench, and her full lips twitch slightly.
"So… it didn't quite wear off for you?" he asked softly, trying to be empathetic. He knew Katuri revealed her vulnerability, and he was grateful for that. It made him feel like they connected on a deeper level.
The orcish girl grunted softly and faced him with a soulful smile. "The love disappeared quickly because my situation left me with no doubts or choices. But what remained was anger and pain. However, I suspect my spite is due to the fierce nature of my orcish blood. You do not have to follow in my footsteps," she said, turning her head back to the window.
"Will you tell me your story? I’m a good listener too," Reed asked.
"I will, Reed. However, not today. The sun is high, and I have some errands to run around the house. And you'd better get some rest; it seems the fever is back." She knelt over him again, touched his forehead, then let her hand slide to his cheek and kept it there for a moment. This time her gesture was caressing; of that, Reed had no doubt.
This strangely intimate moment lasted only a few seconds before Katuri smiled ruefully again and left Reed alone. It appeared to him, she was right again—the sickness hit him full force, and he quickly fell into a slumber.