They made their way quietly through the woods, the horses ambling along the dirt path they had followed many times before. After a little ways, one of the barons raised his hand and they paused, listening intently. He waved and pointed to the left, and the four elves dismounted quickly, drawing their bows.
Taegan hesitated, unsure how quietly Zorvut could dismount, so he held out his hand in a halting gesture and remained on his horse. They watched the four elves creep into the woods, and soon could no longer spot them. Taegan held his breath as they waited, straining his ears for the telltale snap of an arrow being fired.
But the sound he heard was a twig snapping, then a familiar bellowing of a bull elk.
“Damn!” the baron shouted as the elk galloped away—Taegan only caught a glimpse of him through the trees, and his father approached with a chagrined expression, followed by the other three. As they mounted their horses, King Ruven looked back at the two of them waiting.
“Good call,” he said, gesturing toward Taegan. “I don’t think we’ll have much luck in the woods today. Let’s push through to the grassland. Once we spot the herd, we’ll split up.”
Zorvut nodded in agreement, and they followed the four elves through the winding path until eventually the light began to break through the canopy again, first an occasional dappled patch of sun, then a more diffused brightness as the trees became more sparse and spread out. Soon, the forest gave way to rolling grassy hills, and as they ascended the initial peak, Zorvut leaned over to Taegan.
“I can hear the herd,” he whispered. His soft voice sent a shiver up Taegan’s spine that he did his best to ignore. “Just below this hill, I think.”
Sure enough, as they reached the top of the hillside and could look down to the sloping valley below, the herd of elk was visible, grazing and meandering through the field. King Ruven gestured for them to draw closer, and they huddled together for a hushed conversation.
“Daven and I will take the center,” he said, pointing toward the herd as he spoke. “Taegan, you and Zorvut flank them on the right, and Bela and Yulen can approach from the left. Do you see the big fellow with the vine stuck to his antlers? Let’s try and get him away from the rest.”
The group nodded in agreement, and they split up, Taegan and Zorvut descending the hill from the right to swing around the gathered herd. The large bull elk Ruven had pointed out was nearer to the center, lazily following a female as she grazed. There was a slight opening they should be able to drive through to cut them off from the rest of the herd, and Taegan first met Zorvut’s eyes, then pointed at the gap. The orc nodded in recognition. They waited, watching the distant figures of Ruven and the rest of the hunting party getting into position, then Daven waved his arm and they galloped toward the herd.
The frightened bellowing of the elk on the outskirts of the herd soon sent most of them dashing away, but Taegan was able to cut them off, preventing the bull and the unlucky female from following the herd. They made a few nervous leaps toward the opposite side of the hill, but the baron and baroness blocked their way, one of the horses rearing back and sending the female elk skittering away in fear.
“Quickly!” he could hear Ruven exclaim as they circled the two elk. The bull pranced between them, and Taegan could see it glancing about, looking for an opening.
“Don’t let him get away!” he exclaimed, but it was too late—the bull was charging toward the hill, trying to break through between Ruven and Daven’s horses. They couldn’t close the gap between them quick enough and the elk went dashing past, though Ruven loosed an arrow and caught it in its front leg, causing it to stumble and screech before continuing its mad dash. The thunderous gallop of Zorvut and his massive horse were close behind, and he streaked past the others in pursuit. Taegan dashed after them, but the sheer size of Graksh’t meant his stride was nearly double that of Moonlight’s, outpacing her easily when they were at a full gallop.
Zorvut came up alongside the elk as effortlessly as if he were approaching another horse, and Taegan kept as close behind as he could to prevent it from turning to the side or going back the way it came. He watched as Zorvut drew his bow, his measured movements almost in slow motion compared to the frantic movement of the elk, and as soon as it turned its head to look at the orc with its eyes rolling in terror, he loosed the arrow which drove right through the creature’s skull. This time, the elk made no noise, but simply crumpled to the ground, dead in an instant.
“Gods!” he heard Daven exclaim from behind them as the four elves caught up. They circled their prey as Zorvut dismounted and went to retrieve his arrow. He pulled Ruven’s from its foreleg as well, handing it back to the king.
“Incredible shot,” Ruven said as he looked the beast over, looking equal parts impressed and shocked. “I’ve never seen someone keep pace with an elk that size before. Maybe I should look into getting a bigger horse.”
Zorvut chuckled, glancing away. “Thank you,” he said. “It does help to have a larger horse.”
Bela, the baroness, began to unpack a small wooden frame from her saddlebags. The carved pieces fit together to create a tiny sleigh that she held in both hands, but she whispered an incantation and it glowed with a reddish light, magically growing in size until it was large enough to haul the carcass of the elk. “Well, let’s get it up the hill,” she said, and they made their way back toward the forest with their prize.
At the top of the hill, they decided to build a fire and butcher the elk, making it easier to carry with them and get a taste of it while it was freshest.
“Please, allow me,” Zorvut said, drawing his blade, and no one could bring themselves to protest. He made quick work of it, cleanly removing the legs and gutting it while the others built a campfire. One of its hind legs was set to roast over the flame while the rest was strapped onto the cart. Bela moved her hands over it, murmuring a different incantation this time, before declaring, “That should keep it cold until we return home.”
The hot, freshly roasted meat was passed around, each of them taking a bite, enjoying the tender smokiness. When they had eaten their fill, they headed back toward the woods to return to the capital. The sun was nearing the middle of the sky, so it would still be early afternoon when they arrived back at the castle.
As they rode, Taegan glanced over at Zorvut next to him. He seemed more comfortable and relaxed in the saddle than Taegan thought he had ever seen him before. Zorvut noticed his glance and looked over at him, their eyes meeting for a brief moment. There was a flash of something like fondness in the bond before Taegan looked away.
“This has been a pleasant trip,” he said, and though he was not looking, he could feel Zorvut smile.
“It has,” he agreed. “I have... enjoyed spending the day with you, Taegan.”
A faint shiver of excitement shot down his spine. It was the first time he had heard Zorvut refer to him by his name, at least since they had said their vows to each other. He looked back over to him to see Zorvut watching him closely, an unexpected tenderness in his golden-yellow eyes. Taegan’s mouth opened to speak, but he could not find the words—he wasn’t even sure what it was he wanted to say.
“As have I,” he stammered, unable to come up with anything else. A tiny smirk played at Zorvut’s lips, and Taegan glanced away quickly, embarrassed. “We should take trips like this often, to get out of the castle.”
“We should,” Zorvut agreed, and his horse trotted a few steps closer to Taegan’s. They walked side by side for a while, in a silence that became more bearable the longer it went on.
Chapter Seven
Afteramonth,theyhad largely settled into a new normal. Having an orc in the castle was no longer a strange novelty for the staff and servants, and while some of the elves still seemed a bit uncomfortable around Zorvut, they would at least look at him and speak to him. Taegan found Zorvut to be an early riser and they spent most mornings apart, but would meet in the afternoons in the archery range or the library or his private study. He had been reading to Zorvut, as he had promised, and occasionally would find Zorvut alone in the study with an elven text and a dictionary. For all the stereotypes about orcs being brutish and violent, only caring to pursue knowledge when it would aid in their conquests, Zorvut was proving to be a very thoughtful and eager learner.
Late one afternoon, as they were leaving the castle library with a few scrolls and books, a voice called out from behind them.
