Page 93 of Wed to the Orc Captive

Larrakh parried it off, her swords clacking on teeth that did not shatter. “Its mouth is where the fangs are, you ass!” She shrieked.

Then Hagnar didn’t dodge fast enough. His scream as the creature’s fangs sunk in would haunt my nightmares.

Tyralk hacked at it, cutting the corner of its mouth. One of its tongues was bleeding.

It was retreating. Hagnar was on the ground, blood, more blood. It was pulling back.

“We can’t let it get away! Thrak⁠—"

They were doing their parts. I was supposed to do mine. Larrakh slid to Hagnar’s side, and we couldn’t let it get away. We were out here, in the middle of nowhere, because of me, because I was a person other people wanted to throw into pits.

I sang.

Harsh, piping. The wizard beast’s eyes centered on me, the head pulling back out of reach.

Its eyes fixed on me, and Vrathgar was twenty feet away. Its eyes fixed on me, and I didn’t even have a weapon.

I stopped singing.

“Someone cover Annora! It’s⁠—"

Everything felt slow. The creature surged forwards. Vrathgar was sprinting. He wasn’t going to be fast enough.

Hagnar’s axe lay apart from where he was sprawled. I lunged into the leaves, grabbed it. It was sticky in my hands; I could feel the hot blood on the handle, running from the blade, and my father’s eyes were staring, his mouth open, gaping, begging, and he was trying to stop his guts from spilling out.

“Annora—"

The snake and my father and the snake and my father and the snake the snake the snake⁠—

Something hard shoved me to the ground. When I opened my eyes, Vrathgar was in front of me, his swords through the roof of its mouth. He ripped them back. The thing spasmed, flopping as it died.

“Annar-zha!” Larrakh skidded in the leaf-drift. “Are you alive? You are hurt?”

Vrathgar turned away from the thing, back towards me, blood spattered across his face and body. “Maybe you leave the snakes to us.”

I was shaking, and then I recognized the sound coming out of me, the wild, hiccuping breaths. I was crying.

Oh no, this wasn’t the time. I shouldn’t be crying. I had to stop and tell him I was okay. I was⁠—

Larrakh pulled back. The others were running over to Hagnar. He was a shape on the ground. I should be doing that. I should be fine.

Vrathgar knelt in front of me. “Hey,” he said. His hand found my face. “Hey. You’re safe. I’ve got you.” Blood flecked his hand, up his arm.

The sound coming out of me was hissing, squeaking, and I couldn’t get my breath, couldn’t breathe.

“Easy,” he said, pulling me in, tighter. He shoved the axe away as he kneeled. “Easy.”

“I didn’t kill him,” I said, gasping, heaving.

“I got him. It’s fine.”

My voice pitched, panic, hysteria. He was going to hate me, and I still couldn’t shut up. “I didn’t do it.”

“A giant snake is a first for most of us, barbarian, you’re fine.”

“My father. I didn’t kill him. I just…”

His brow creased, and he pulled me up onto my feet. My back twinged, but I didn’t protest. Maybe I deserved this. Vrathgar was pulling me away from the others, and he pushed me down into the soft leaves again. “Some things aren’t for all ears, barbarian.”