“Lady Norr is here?” Ella said finally, the disbelief thinning out her voice. “Mated to yourCaptain?!”
“Ach, for many months now,” Natt replied stiffly. “She carries his son. And she has put away the name Lady Norr, so do not call her thus.”
Good gods. It was impossible, unthinkable, that a true lady would actually give up her title, herlife, for a life with anorc, carrying an orc’sson— but suddenly Ella’s shock had become reality, because Natt had drawn her into another room, this one with a large, low square table in the midst of it, and a fire crackling at the opposite end.
And sitting on the floor around the table were five huge orcs — one of them was the Baldr orc they’d met in the corridor — and, there, at the far end, a woman.
The woman was already rising to her feet, a touch unsteadily, gripping for balance to the shoulder of the huge orc beside her — and that was because her belly was indeed very full and round. And more than that, it was partiallyexposed, displaying an expanse of taut skin, because the woman’s short tunic only just covered her full breasts, and she was wearing actualtrousers, tied low beneath the huge swell of her waist.
The sight was so suddenly, inexplicably alarming that Ella couldn’t seem to move, or speak — but the woman was now striding toward her, and giving her a warm, delighted smile. Forcing Ella to finally take in the rest of her — she was tall and capable-looking, with strong, symmetrical features, a long dark braid, and broad shoulders — and Ella smiled back, even as her eyes gave another betraying glance down to the woman’s shocking ensemble.
“Oh, how lovely to have another human among us!” the woman was saying, and when she reached out her hands to grasp Ella’s, they were warm, strong, surprisingly reassuring. “I’m Jule, of Clan Ash-Kai. Welcome to our home.”
Her smile was truly contagious, setting her dark eyes sparkling, and Ella felt herself relax slightly, even as her brain distantly registered the woman’s cultured accent, the low, well-trained timbre of her voice. It was the kind of speech Ella had long sought to attain, firmly stamping away any remnants of her father’s working-class twang — and finding it here, in Orc Mountain, was still so stunning that Ella could scarcely seem to speak.
“Um, hello, I’m — Ella Riddell,” she managed. “You’ve perhaps heard of my father, John Riddell? From Ashford, in Sakkin Province.”
“Oh, yes,” Lady Norr — Jule — replied. “We met several times, he was an absolutedear, and I remember him speaking about his wonderful daughter, and all the fun you had together. I was so sorry to hear of his passing. You must have been devastated.”
The genuine-looking sympathy in her eyes seemed to strike deep in Ella’s chest, and she made herself nod, her eyes blinking hard. “Yes,” she said. “I was. I still am, I think.”
The understanding flared again across the woman’s eyes, and she gave another smile, almost sad this time. “But here you are,” she said firmly, “and I hope you’ve been made to feel welcome. How long have you and Nattfarr been mated?”
Her eyes had darted down toward Ella’s neck as she spoke — good gods, to Natt’steeth-marks— and Ella was still feeling thoroughly confounded, enough that her mouth seemed to open on its own, and say things she didn’t mean in the least. “Oh, foryears, ever since we were —“
She bit off the words far too late, her eyes casting a truly chagrined glance up at Natt’s blank, unreadable face beside her. No, it hadn’t been years, he’d been with otherwomenall that time, and Ella wasbetrothed, to Alfred — and she swallowed hard, took a bracing breath. “I mean,” she said, “we’re not —mated, like that. We’re — friends. For a long time, I meant.”
It came out sounding pathetically foolish, but the woman — Jule — only nodded and smiled, as though this were the most natural thing in the world. “Of course,” she said. “How rude of me to presume. And I haven’t even done any proper introductions! Won’t you come, and meet my kin?”
Herkin? But she’d already drawn Ella away from Natt, toward the table of strange, staring orcs. She didn’t seem alarmed in the least, however, and was particularly smiling at the huge, heavily scarred, barrel-chested orc she’d been sitting next to, who was now giving Ella a slow nod.
“This is my mate, Grimarr, of Clan Ash-Kai,” Jule said, with an unmistakable warmth in her voice. “The father of our son, Tengil, who we’ll fully meet in the spring. And this” — she nodded more formally toward the next orc, seated to Grimarr’s right — “is Drafli, of Clan Skai. My mate’s right hand. He is fierce and strong, and sees much that others do not.”
This orc was just as big as Grimarr, sporting just as many scars all over his bare chest and shoulders, but he was also perhaps more wiry-looking, his face harsh and angular. His eyes were narrow and glittering, and they were currently assessing Ella with a frank, chilly gaze that surely would have been frightening, had they been alone.
“And I believe you’ve already met Baldr,” Jule continued, with a nod toward his huge greenish form, seated across the table from this unnerving-looking Drafli. “Grimarr’s left hand, also of Clan Grisk, like your Nattfarr. The gods have gifted Baldr in many ways, but perhaps most of all with kindness.”
Baldr’s greenish cheeks had gone rather pink, but he smiled again at Ella, inclining his head toward her. And Ella again found herself smiling back, more genuine this time — until Jule directed her attention to the orc beside Baldr. This one was also alarmingly large, with heavy, craggy features and massive shoulders, and his eyes on Ella were watchful, wary, assessing.
“And this is Olarr, of Clan Bautul,” Jule said, with a quick smile toward him. “One of the most fearsome warriors in our mountain. He serves as one of our two Battle-Captains, along with his brother Silfast.”
This Olarr did bear a strong resemblance to the shameless Silfast orc from the Bautul common-room, Ella noted, as she gave a careful nod toward him, and earned a curt nod in return. And finally Ella followed Jule’s gaze toward the last orc, seated across the table from Olarr.
And this orc — Ella blinked, and looked again — bore a smooth grey face that was utterly unmarked, with no scars or bruises whatsoever. His features also seemed softer than the other orcs’, the lines of his face not etched quite so deep. And combined, the effect was almost as though he might have better been a man, or an elf.
“And this is John,” Jule said warmly, ignoring Ella’s twitch of surprise at that too-familiar human nameJohn. “Of Clan Ka-esh. He likely knows more than the rest of us combined, and after the recent passing of our wise elder Fror, now serves as our chief advisor on many important matters.”
John seemed entirely unimpressed by the praise, only eyeing Ella with a steady gaze, his head slightly tilting. To which Ella managed a nod back, and then attempted a smile at Jule, and then the table at large. “Thank you for welcoming me to your home,” she said, with a little curtsey. “It’s so lovely to meet you all.”
Jule beamed back toward her, visibly pleased, and when she gestured for Ella to sit at the empty side of the table, there seemed no other option but to obey. And after a moment’s stillness Natt thankfully sat too, close beside Ella, his knee brushing against hers.
But Natt wasn’t looking at her, and was instead staring straight across the table. Toward Jule’s mate, the orcs’ Captain. Grimarr.
This Grimarr was staring steadily back at Natt, one thick black eyebrow slightly raised — and even at this distance, Ella could perhaps understand how this orc had become Captain, and perhaps even gained a real lady’s hand. There was a — weight about him, a kind of latent, settled power, as though he could be either supremely generous, or extremely dangerous.
But Natt seemed entirely unaffected, only gazing back toward him with flat, unreadable eyes, and finally it was Grimarr who spoke first. “I heard you were again attacked, brother,” he said, his voice rumbling from deep in his chest. “Did you gain any wounds?”
“Ach,” Natt said, voice curt. “There were five men, and I did not draw my blade. As you wished.”
