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“Bye, Shally!” Twin faces pucker up their little bow mouths at me, two green mouths with tiny tusks. Tusks that I don’t have, and that doesn’t escape my notice. Surely if they have the same mother, they would look as human as I do? Mayhap these orcs lie and try to worm a way into my heart by giving me pretend brothers.
I can’t help but I kiss each one, anyway. But the Silann asks for two because I passed Latjo’s germs to him, and then Latjo asks for another because Silann got two, and they’re giggling back and forth as I pepper them both so quickly they lose count. And then Hisa’s swatting their little behinds as they scamper away.
“Do you have plans without Bakog today?” she asks me.
“Nay. I thought I’d walk around.”
She smiles easily. “Didn’t you get that in with the little ones?”
I nod shortly, unaware if she’s keeping me from exploring on my own, or if she’s been watching me. “Where did Bakog go?”
She angles her neck to point down the trail and we begin to slowly walk that way. “They went to pick up the other three prisoners,” she says softly. “They were found not far from the Southpeak territory, where the other two were.”
My heart pounds. What if Stug tells Bakog I’m his mate?
“Are you okay?”
I force myself to nod.
“It’ll be okay. No matter what,” she says. She points to a small stream that cuts through the back of the village. “Come on. We always sit on the edge and soak our feet.”
It doesn’t feel familiar at all as I awkwardly sit next to the beautiful woman. “Does it feel strange?” I blurt out. “To see me?”
“Not strange,” she says. “Because I love you. It feels like my sister is home. I know it’s strange for you because you don’t remember us, but I hope that’ll come back with time. Especially if you’re around things we used to do... like this. Soaking our feet in the creek, and dramatically pretending we’re overworked.” She gives a rueful giggle. “Up ahead, where the creek gets bigger, is where my mother was once abducted. Long before I was born. Blackhearts had been tricked into purchasing her for an arranged marriage and came for her, thinking my father had stolen her. They were captured.”
I shudder. “Stolen this close to home?”
“Aye. And surprisingly, your mom became friends with them. Such a sweet soul. You got that too, you know.”
“What about Bakog?”
“I kind of pushed you off on him a lot. Bakog was always a worry-wart. Making sure we didn’t stray too far. Making sure he was the one to do a lot of our training—though Grumpy also did a lot. Along with many of the royal guard.”
Grumpy? The old man from breakfast?
“Why did you push me off on him?” I ask, puzzled. Surely that wasn’t a hardship?
“Because that left me along with Tok, Bak’s best friend. You and I had a plan for me to tempt Tok until he finally mated with me. Bak wasn’t too happy at first about his best friend being interested in his little sister.”
“Until he was interested in me?” I ask.
“Oh, Bak’s always been yours,” she says. “But he never allowed it. I guess that’s the one good thing to come out of your disappearance, as awful as it’s been. At least he’s finally seen the light.”
“I remember dreams,” I say. “Dancing by moonlight. Dancing by campfire. Male voices and yours.”
“I was with you for every dance,” she says. “The moonlight dancing is the womenfolk of the village. And the campfire dancing is everyone. So, we attended both together.”
“Only the womenfolk?” I find that curious that the females separate themselves from the males—and that the orcs allow it.
“Aye,” she nods. “We follow the moon calendar. In fact, old Mag, our healer—delivered us both, she did—wants you to return to your rituals. She thinks they will help you regain your memories. Give us at least this much, since you won’t take a day to dress in your old clothing.”
Aye, these orcs try to trick me into being the girl who obviously ran away from their horrible clan.
“What are these rituals?” I ask suspiciously.
She laughs and it’s as light as the gurgling stream that runs between our toes. “Nothing as awful as you’re thinking, for sure. Some meditation practice, and it’s always different. Sometimes we use chanting. Sometimes we use drumming, or singing bowls. Other times we just dance. It’s female energy, and it’s strong and powerful when you believe.”
Powerful enough to heal, I wonder?
