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“Thank you for choosing me amongst many.” I repeat. Then I pick the sludge and start covering. “I will honor you. I will carry your name with pride. I will serve only you. I will feed you and your offspring. And I will comfort you at night.” I repeat but I almost laugh loudly. They put that in the vows. These orcs are more forward than I thought. I see the hint of amusement in Igor’s eyes too. I finish covering the cuts.
“Aria of Nathaniel, you now belong to Igor of Zad. Let no one ever tell you otherwise. Go forth and be fruitful.” She smears something red on both our foreheads.
The crowd roars with applause. And they all rise. Igor winks at me before we turn to face everyone. He lifts my hand with the bracelet and there is more joyous noise. Igor’s mother and Gremlo join us on each side.
“Welcome to the new members of our tribe. The lost son and his mate. Tonight, we will eat and drink in their honor as we accept back in our ranks one of our own.” Gremlo says next to Igor and the crowd cheers.
I feel Igor’s hand squeeze me a little and I turn to him. He looks fine but I sense something wrong.
“Igor fought for his place back with us. As you may remember, he was banished to the human realm. But he is back. And there are changes from what has been previously expected. I would like to put you all at ease and assure you there will not be any changes in leadership. Igor has seen that he will be more effective in the fight against The Soko at the border. He will lead the team ofsoros.” Gremlo turns to Igor with a smile.
The look I see on Igor’s face is beyond cold. So cold that I only hear murmurs in the crowd, and no one cheers. Igor keeps his gaze firmly on the crowd and the creature that stands next to me is nothing like the one who was smiling to me just a few minutes ago.
“And my nephew has agreed to join the team that is leaving tomorrow in the afternoon. As you all know we are waiting for an attack any day now, and we need all able hands we can find. And I have trust in my nephew, as I’m sure all of you do.”
Instead of happy claps again, there are awkward murmurs, but nobody says anything. I choose to focus on the crowd.
“Enjoy the meat and drink your throats under and may the Gods fill you with glee.” Gremlo finishes with a twisted grin on his face and Igor is holding me a little tight, but I don’t say anything.
But he is leaving tomorrow. Why are they taking him away so soon? Did he know?
“Drink and be merry!” Igor’s mother says next to me, and she lifts a chalice. The crowd claps with cheers.
We go into the crowd and many pat us in congratulations. We stand around as we receive everybody’s congratulations and Igor introduces me to many orcs with their mates. I can barely concentrate, most as my mind is frantic thinking about him leaving tomorrow.
I don’t know if I’m ready to be without him here yet, and with my birthing day expected in just over two months, should he even be leaving for such a dangerous place? Maybe if I ask him to not go he won’t. He has never denied me anything. I should ask.
The elderly orc we met yesterday comes walking with an elderly female orc. I am a little surprised they are holding each other’s hands. That is the first time I am seeing orcs show each other any kind of outside affection.
“Aria, I am Owa, Igor’s godmother.” The female orc speaks first before Igor or Jani do.
Igor has a fond smile on his face.
“Nice to meet you, Owa. So does that mean you helped birth him?” I ask, needing to know if that tradition is the same as our realm. Feeling plenty comfortable with these orcs for an unexplained reason.
“Yes. I was the first to touch him and see him. I can even relay to you how he cried the first time.” She giggles.
I laugh. “I am looking forward to it.”
“This is my mate, Jani. He has told me much about you. You are like a feast for the Gods, child.” She smiles.
I smile back. I feel Igor chuckling, relaxed when he is around them.
Owa suddenly stops blinking for a second and she gets an intense look on her, looking at me like she is seeing through and beyond me, and she touches my face with utter concentration. The mood shifts instantly. I throw my eyes nervously at Igor, but he doesn’t have any alarm in him.
“The Goddess Odala is with you.” Then she looks at Igor. “Son of Zad, you really found the Queen.”
I swallow. Iwasa queen. Didn’t she hear I just got severed from my old life? Is she okay? Odala? Isn’t she the Goddess of witches? When I was a child, my mother used to tell me and my brother about the Goddess of witches. Maybe it’s because my mother is a witch. Maybe that’s what she sees. It’s in my bloodline.
“Old orc, I don’t understand,” Igor says next to me, his hand steadies me by my back. I hear the concern and curiosity in his voice.
“You will.”
“Owa, Odala is the Goddess of witches. I am not a witch. How is she with me? Am I going to be a witch like my mother?” I ask.
“You are not.” She says simply. Then like nothing happened her face and eyes go back to normal and her hand falls from me.
She smiles.
