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There was a mix of concern and enthusiasm throughout the group.
“I’ve met with Jarlin Astrid, and Agnarr is currently meeting with the elders. The Fýrifírar is willing to welcome us in with open arms, but there are going to be some hang-ups that I know are going to be an issue,” I explained. “Over the last few decades, their population has become predominantly male. They don’t know why, but they are in desperate need of females. While the younger orkin are willing to accept all of us, no strings attached, some of the older orkin are insistent that the human females take orkin mates immediately.”
The tension surrounding that statement was palpable. Gemma and Zoey looked as if they might pass out.
“Agnarr and I have had long talks about this because, as the leader, they expect me to bear orklings immediately. And the thing is, I am just not down. Not even a little bit. I want children. I want children with Agnarr. But right now? Hell no.”
There were many sighs of relief as I continued to explain.
“It seems as if most of the orkin roughly our age and younger have no issue with us integrating into the Fýrifírar tribe, it is the elders that take issue,” I said.
“Ahh, so the boomer-orkin aren’t fans of us?” Ginny said.
The room erupted in laughter.
“Pretty much,” I said laughing, “the boomer-orcs aren’t fans.”
“I think we can take them,” Joey said confidently, leading to more laughter in the room.
“I know that it is a hard burden to bear. Neither I, nor Agnarr, nor Astrid, expect you to take a mate or get knocked up anytime soon. But it is the battle we are up against,” I explained.
“I mean, I wouldn’t mind getting knocked up,” Billie said openly. “I’ve wanted babies since I was young. I am happy to be the example of what a human and an orkin can produce, given I find the right mate.”
I laughed. Billie, sitting here, next to me, willing to bear the orkin babies of someone she’d yet to meet. I wanted to wrap myself around Billie and sob into her shoulder. And I wasn’t even a hugger.
“Agnarr is with Astrid right now, meeting with the elders. I know he is defending our rights and asserting that we are unwilling to be more than wombs for orkin babies. What else is on the table?”
“Well, given that we aren’t going to be forced to be knocked up right away, we should continue focus on getting us a permanent place to stay,” Lucy said quietly.
“Okay. I am going to let Agnarr fight the battles on bearing children. I am going to fight the battles of giving you all a home,” I said.
Heads nodded around the room.
“I want you to know, I feel like between you and Agnarr, we are well taken care of. We know you are trying your best to see to our needs,” Diedre said.
“Thank you, it means a lot. Even though I have experience in leading a classroom, this is brand new. I am incredibly grateful for your faith in me and your faith in Agnarr. I know there are a lot of hurdles to overcome, but Agnarr and I will support you every step of the way,” I said to the room, trying to catch each woman’s eye.
The air in the room seemed to lighten with the proclamation.
“So, it will be okay if we aren’t ready for mates or children?” Lucy asked.
“That is what Agnarr, Astrid, and I are fighting for. Acceptance without expectation.” I said bluntly.
All of the women looked at me, hopeful they’d be treated as more than just brooding mares. I felt the enormous weight on my shoulders and was ready to stumble home into Agnarr’s arms. It was late and all of the conversations had been heavy. My anxiety had me exhausted. I wrapped up the meeting, leaving the women to their own devices. I wasn’t sure where to head. Our new home was under construction, with all of our belongings still in Agnarr’s old room. I hesitated as I considered where Agnarr would hope to find me. I decided to head to our new home.
CHAPTER8
PIPER
The rooms of the old cabin were stripped bare to give Agnarr and I the option to put in what we wanted. I couldn’t help but marvel at the home nestled among the trees—laughing to myself at sayingI fucking love treesin front of Astrid. Well, if I had to pick an alien planet to land on, one filled with trees was definitely a plus. But as I looked around I saw the barren space I realized above all else, we’d need a bed. We’d also need chairs and a dining table and other pieces of furniture to fill the space. There wasn’t even a place for me to hang my cloak.
I stood in the entryway for a moment, wondering what to do with myself. Someone had left the lamps lit at the end of the work day as if they knew we would be by to look at our new home. I wandered from room to room silently planning things out in my head. I was no interior decorator, but having such a large blank canvas was amazing. I immediately picked out what would be our bedroom. It was the largest room, with a balcony that faced the forest and its own toilet.
None of the rooms had their own showers, but the back of the house had a sauna on the ground level. I thought about a bed that would fit both of us easily and wondered if asking for a four-poster would be too much. I’d always wanted one as a teenager and with the amount of wood that Fýrifírar had, it didn’t seem like much of an ask. There was an odd small room off the main bedroom that I couldn’t figure out for a moment—then it hit me—it was for a baby. Oh, this baby business was going to be on everyone’s minds for a long time. I decided not to look too deeply into it and left the main bedroom.
I inspected the three other bedrooms, all smaller but still spacious. Orcs were larger than humans, so it made sense. So with the tiny nursery and the three bedrooms, there was room for at least four children.Did I want four children?I thought, absently stroking my soft, but relatively flat stomach. Four seemed a bit much. Maybe we could use one of the rooms as a playroom.
I returned downstairs to find an office off of the living room, which would be excellent for Agnarr’s duties. I pictured him sitting at a large wooden desk, going over paperwork. Then, without warning, the image of me bent over the desk popped up. Well. That was definitely something I was interested in. As if summoned by my thoughts, he opened the front door and walked in.
