Oh. Ohhhh. Maria felt herself wincing too, even as Baldr kept speaking, his eyes now on his clenched hands before him. “I was — late, coming to our mountain,” he said, in a rush. “Almost fully grown. Until then, I spent the whole of my life with my mother, and I loved her with all my strength, ach? You humans are so soft, so sweet. Sowhole.”
And as Maria considered that, it occurred to her that Simon had spoken like this, too. But instead of the bitterness she remembered in Simon’s voice and eyes, Baldr just looked… sad. Alone.
“Well, if it is a woman you truly want,” Maria said, into the stilted silence, “perhaps it might be worth pursuing, then, if it would make you happy? And I’m sure, Baldr” — she felt herself smile toward him, small but true — “you would have no trouble at all finding a woman to adore you.”
But across the room, Joarr had again snorted, this time pausing his sharpening to smirk at Baldr. “Ach, until she meet Drafli,” he said, with gusto. “He send her away screaming, ach? Or better, he take Baldr before her, and makehimscream her away.”
Joarr looked as though he would thoroughly enjoy witnessing such a sight, and in return Baldr actually bared his teeth, a low growl hissing from his throat. “That isbollocks, Joarr,” he snapped. “You know Drafli would never touch meagainif I took a woman for a mate.”
Joarr barked a laugh, his spiky head shaking. “Ach, Drafli soon overcome this,” he said firmly, “when his pretty Grisk pet deny him. Walk aroundshrivelling. Reek only ofhuman. You ken you say no, when he fight you down and plough you? Whilst little human watch in fright, and helaughto see her run?”
Baldr glared at Joarr, and opened his mouth — but then closed it again. As if he couldn’t argue this rather horrifying little image, and Maria blinked between him and Joarr, her brain fighting to catch up. “So you reallywouldchoose Drafli, over a woman?” she asked Baldr. “You care about him that much? Even if he’s constantly —”
Betraying you, she was about to add, though she cut off the words, just in time. Because surely it wasn’t evenslightlyfair to Baldr if Drafli was off blatantly taking his pleasure however he wished, while also demanding Baldr deny himself the mate he clearly longed for? While also possibly planning toterrifysaid mate into oblivion?
But Baldr’s nod was slow, weary, almost painful to watch. “Drafli and I have had an — understanding, ach?” he said, quiet. “I know the Skai ways. I thus — agreed to this with him, even if I do not like this. Until all this, it was yet worth —”
He didn’t finish, grimacing down at his hands, and across the room Joarr laughed again, and actuallywinkedat Maria. “Worth strong Skai ploughing, ach?” he said. “You agree, woman? You have borne much for Skai prick, I ken?”
And gods curse her, but Maria couldn’t help a small, twitching smile back, even as Baldr hissed another growl toward Joarr. “It is not just this,” he countered. “Drafli is — good to me.Kind.”
That truly seemed beyond fathoming, to Maria’s mind, but Baldr was frowning between her and Joarr, as though he needed to say this, to prove this. “When I came here,” he said, “this mountain was not… safe. Most of all for those who did not belong. And Drafli” — he drew in breath, his voice thickening — “Drafli kept me safe. He taught me to fight, and showed me these strange orc ways. He…sawme, when others did not.”
Oh. Maria swallowed, the words resonating low in her belly — but Baldr was frowning at Joarr again, his eyes resentful. “In the face of all your damned Skaiways,” he hissed, “you are good at that, ach? You oft seem so hard and cold, but you watch, and listen, andknow. And youneverabandon your own.”
Joarr’s hands had returned to his sharpening, but he was smiling toward Baldr, placid and smug. “No,” he agreed. “And thus, you ken all you do, when you run away from him with pretty Skai woman, ach? Are yousureyou no wish to add strong Skai ploughing to this? Thatsuresend my brother raging, ach?”
Baldr groaned aloud, burying his head in his hands, but Joarr kept grinning, his sparkling eyes flicking to Maria’s face. Clearly expecting her to share in the joke, and somehow, she actually did feel her mouth tugging up, the warmth creeping into her eyes.
Because Joarr was saying — again — that there was hope. That the Skai wouldn’t give up. That Drafli wouldn’t give up. That maybe Simon wouldn’t give up.
And she wouldn’t give up, either.
That certainty kept rising, even as the three of them settled down to sleep, Maria curled up in her cloak. She would do this. Prove this.
And as the next few days passed, filled with tiring but productive travel, and truly enjoyable companionship, Maria also began to realize that it wasn’t just about proving this to Simon, or to her unborn son. It was about proving it to herself. About becoming, finally, the person she wanted to be. Brave. Fierce. Loyal. Unashamed. Someone who would never abandon the people she cared about.
And it kept sinking truer, deeper, as Maria began each day with a prayer to Skai-kesh, begging for Simon’s safety, his victory. As she sought to be a helpful fellow traveller to Baldr and Joarr, fetching wood and water, cooking her own meals, staying close and safe. As she worked to learn whatever Joarr and Baldr would teach her, whether about themselves, or the Skai, or orcs in general. And as she ended each day with Simon’s gift, imagining his scent, his power, his certainty.
It was early on the fifth day — the same day of Simon’s fight against Ulfarr — that they finally crossed the border into Preia. As they crept overland through the forest that encircled Duke Warmisham’s sprawling estate, and Maria caught her first glimpse of Warmisham House, looming tall and square and elegant beyond the trees.
And perhaps it was fitting, Maria thought, as she carefully washed and dressed, that she and Simon were each facing their respective enemies on the same day. That even parted, they would fight together for the clan and the people they cared for. The people they loved.
And as Maria strode up the lane, smoothing out the expensive silk of her stylish new dress, she thought of Simon. Of his courage. His certainty. Of all he’d taught her. Of home. Skai.
Her gloved hand rapped on the huge door with resounding sureness, and she stood calmly, quietly, as the door opened. As the butler’s jaw dropped, and behind him, a passing housemaid skittered to stillness, her feather-duster falling to the floor with an echoingthunk.
“Good afternoon,” Maria said, with a smile. “Is my husband at home?”
35
On another day, Maria might have almost enjoyed the chaos her unexpected arrival had created. Drawing the attention of not only Warmisham House’s butler and housemaid, but soon the head housekeeper, the cook, several gardeners, and a footman.
“You — you werekidnapped by orcs, your grace,” said the breathless maid, her hand clutched to her heaving bosom. “How did youpossiblyescape?”
Maria’s laugh rang out on its own, bright and genuine. “Kidnapped byorcs?” she echoed, her voice carrying through the vaulted entry-hall. “That’s preposterous. I most certainly was not kidnapped by orcs, but rather” — her eyes flicked to the rear of the hall, to where a familiar silhouette was lurking — “was urgently called away, to manage some family affairs in Sakkin Province.”
She gave the still-goggling maid her sweetest smile, and then strode across the hall, her high heels clicking on the marble floor. Her gaze fixed to the tall, well-dressed man standing stock-still at the back of the room, staring at her with blank, shockedloathingin his lovely grey eyes.
