He was never going to be one of them, just as he was never going to be an elf, either.
He belonged with nobody and no one.
Except her.
He’d do well to remember that.
Lashrud lowered his voice. “It is not as you say, sir. I do not think that you do not deserve your relatively quick rise in the ranks of the orc forces. I see that you have a certain genius, a capacity to understand people. Perhaps it is onlythat you do not shy away from the worst elements in others. You see them and you exploit them—their vanity, their insecurity, all of it. I see what you have done to worm your way into the High Chieftain’s good graces.”
“Worm my way, hmm?”
“Yes, I see it, but I do respect it,” said Lashrud. “I respectyou.”
“But you do not trust me,” said Dathor. “None of you do. It’s all right. I’m used to that.”
“I suppose you are,” said Lashrud. “But a man like you, with all his intelligence, all his intensity, all his conviction… you are formidable, but you are unpredictable. Who is it you’re fighting for, sir?”
“I am fighting for a better world,” said Dathor.
“You know what I think? I think you might be fighting for her cunt and nothing else.”
“Well,” said Dathor, “if that’s the case, I suppose I’ve already won. No need to fight anymore.” He glared at Lashrud. “Next time I want your opinions, ashreg, I’ll ask for them. Dismissed.”
Lashrud inclined his head. “Noted, sir. Apologies, sir.” And then he left.
Dathor ran a hand through his hair, sighing heavily.
His balls ached.
Next time he got a letter from the High Chieftain and he was that close to an orgasm, he wasn’t forgoing it.
“HE IS TAKINGme to Bilkwood,” Aerhril said to Celedin. “Also, the letter to the south, it did not get out. He intercepted it. So, no help is coming.”
Celedin got off the bed. “You won’t be here?”
“No,” she said. “I am, even now, in the midst of trying to pack a trunk without any servants. How does one keep dresses from wrinkling in a trunk, Celedin, do you know?”
He drew back. “Wrinkled dresses, yes, that’s obviouslywhat we need to be worried about now.”
“No, I know,” she said, hugging herself. “I am the only one who knows you are here. You can’t be fed if I am not here. I can tell someone, of course, but I don’t know who to trust. I think perhaps the Wardeness nae Gilsin seems as if she will not betray you, but I am not sure she is capable of bringing you food and seeing to you, and—”
“No, no,” said Celedin. “Do not worry about me. I’ll see to myself.”
“How?” she said.
“I am much better,” he said. His voice was still rasp, but she had seen that his neck was knitting itself together again. He would have a horrible scar, but he would be all right. “I am going to find a way to sneak out.”
“They are on every door, Celedin,” she said. She considered. “I am going to see Elrion today with Dathor, and Elrion knows you are alive, so if there’s some way we could make that work, perhaps… you could be in disguise again, like a woman again? He could come and call? He could usher you into his carriage?”
“Why are you going to see Elrion?” Celedin gave her an odd look. “With Dathor? I can hardly make that make any sense.”
Well, here she was, right at the crossroads of it all.
“You’re with him now,” said Celedin, blinking at her. “That actually took longer than I thought it would. I suppose his taking you by force in front of all our wedding guests took you a bit of time to forgive.”
She hung her head.
“But you’d forgive him anything,” said Celedin.
