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“Well, I was really only …” she clears her throat. “It’s true, though I had no illusions about my chances at victory in that fight. If not for Jovak coming along, I would have perished. Or suffered other equally awful fates at their cruel hands.”
“It takes more bravery to go into a battle you cannot win instead of the one you know you can.” Otunga nods sagely. “Your courage is a testament to your spirit, Paige Holdfast.”
“Paige is cunning,” I say, smiling as I speak from the heart. “And resourceful, kind, brave, and true. Plus, she knows some medicinal skills. She will bear me wise and mighty children.”
Paige stiffens at my side and gives me the subtlest, quickest narrow-eyed glare I have ever endured. I suppose perhaps that last bit went too far in her estimation.
“But now that I have returned,” I say, getting the crowd back on my side, “and have heard of the plight of our people, I am determined to help. I will find the missing orcs and bring them home safely.”
“Our Chief!” shouts someone. I can’t make them out, but it sounded like it came from my left. I look around, and then someone else shouts.
“Jovak the Noble!”
Now I know that none of my people would say something like that to me. It’s just not an orcish turn of phrase. And yet, a shout is carried up, a general chant of praise and commitment to following my leadership and finding the missing tribesmen.
I catch something out of the corner of my eye, a slight motion in the back of the wagon. It’s Laney. She ducks back out of sight, and I wonder what she is up to.
“Now, however, the journey has been a long one, and my mate is tired. I must see to her needs and those of her sister who has come into my care.”
“Sister?” Otunga glances into the back of the wagon and gasps. “New blood. The chief has brought us new blood.”
Paige looks alarmed, but I catch her eye and smile.
“My people believe children to be sacred and the next to bear the banner of our tribe. We are not the same as the Red Wyrm tribe.”
She relaxed and nodded.
I led the wagon back to my hut, second in size only to the shaman’s temple, which doubles as a hospital and is as much a medical center as a holy place. Once I have both women inside and the door is tightly shut, I turn an awkward look on Paige.
“Thank you,” I say. “Your ruse has smoothed things over.”
“Don’t mention it,” Paige replies with a wink.
“Ruse?” Laney grins at both of us. “I might be a kid, but I know that word. Ruse means you guys are just pretending to be mates, right?”
I close my mouth and look at Paige. Paige looks quite uncomfortable. She starts to stammer out a response when Laney talks again.
“Only, you guys aren’t really pretending to like each other, are you?” Laney snickers. “You’re pretending to like each other and pretendingnotto like each other at the same time.”
My face burns with shame because the child has struck the right of things as cleanly as a hammer's head meeting a nail. Laney’s gaze darted around the hut, nodding to herself at what she saw.
“Not a bad setup you have here, Chief Jovak. I could get used to it.”
She went over to my cold box and opened it.
“Oh, hey, is this smoked salmon?”
Laney took a nibble of the meat and then put it in her mouth.
“Laney …” Paige put her hands on her hips and glared at her younger sibling. “You should ask permission before you touch someone else’s food.”
“Maybe he should ask permission before he helps himself to my sister.”
My eyes and mouth go wide. Paige sputters something unintelligible, and Laney laughs.
“Calm down. I’m just kidding, both of you. It looks like there are two bedrooms. I’ll just take this smaller one down the hall.”
She moves that way and then turns back to grin at us.
