AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’d never been part of a sorority in college but I imagined that it must have felt something like this. A sisterhood. We all had each other’s backs. We gripped each other’s hands tightly.
“Are we ready?” I asked, looking at eleven faces.
Everyone nodded. At this, I ushered them out of Emla’s cabin and toward the village center. It was a short distance and it wasn’t long before I could see the glowing braziers and the decorative banners that hung in honor of the occasion. We arrived to find the square buzzing with orkin, eating and drinking, ready for a night of celebration. As we approached, the crowd grew quiet. Astrid took it in stride and headed to the small stage that had been erected.
“Orkin of Fýrifírar, I invite you to welcome the newest members of our tribe,” she said enthusiastically, gesturing at me and the other women.
To my relief, applause broke out. I knew that Agnarr, Astrid, and the elders had worked hard to ensure that this evening would be a success, having sat in on almost all of the council meetings, but the nervous side of me still anticipated things would go sideways. I watched as the women stepped into the crowd, mingling with the orkin, feeling like an overprotective mother. I was watching each woman like a hawk, ready to step in at any sign of discomfort. Seeing all of the women at ease, I allowed myself to head to the long table set up in the center of the square. It was piled high with food and drink, and I was starving. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast. I was in the process of devouring a roasted vegetable pie when I felt a warm breath against my ear.
“You look absolutely delectable.”
I jumped and turned to see Agnarr staring down at me, hunger completely unmasked. He was dressed similarly to me, in a gray tunic with silver embroidery and neatly stitched leather pants. Someone had ensured we’d match this evening. He looked as if he would devour me on the spot.
“You look—” I paused, choking on the words, assessing my giant orc. “You look magnificent,” I said, dropping the pie and raising my hands to press them against his chest, reveling in the firm muscles underneath his tunic.
“Easy now,” he whispered, “we have to make it through this entire evening; you and I are the stars of the show.”
“Oh hush, look around you. They might be watching us, but most of them are interested in the other women,” I said, looking out at the crowd.
Billie and Ginny were standing, drinks in hand, surrounded by a group of orkin males. I tensed for a minute before I watched the small group erupt in laughter at something Billie had said. Billie was the opposite of me, a delighted extrovert. She was in her element and clearly having a great time finally meeting all of the other orkin. She and Ginny had become fast friends, and I had no reason to worry about them.
My eyes flicked over to all the other human women. Some of them were standing amongst groups of elders having animated conversations, others seated quietly, getting to know the orkin individually. I was pleased to see Zoey, Lucy, and Jodis playing a game that somewhat resembledduck-duck-goosewith the orklings. I saw Odin shrieking with laughter as he ran around the other orklings, before hiding himself behind Zoey. I breathed a sigh of relief. Of the human women, I was definitely worried about Zoey and Lucy, given their pasts. I would love to see Jodis take them under her wing. Perhaps they’d be a good fit in the classroom.
Agnarr still stood behind me, clearly assessing me for tension. I turned to him.
“I think we could relax for a bit, have you eaten?” I asked.
“No, I wanted to make sure you ate,” he mumbled, stroking a thumb across my lower lip.
“You watched me eat!”
“Barely half a vegetable pie,” he scoffed.
“Alright, alright, let’s get some food,” I agreed.
We had deliberately not set a high table, instead opting for several small tables, to allow for more intimate conversation. Agnarr and I got ourselves a sampling of everything that was to offer at the food table—Runa and her team had clearly outdone themselves. We took a seat at an empty table and I was reminded of how hungry I was. I stuffed a large portion of roasted meat in gravy in my mouth and groaned at the taste. I was definitely getting spoiled by communal eating. One of the things I hated the most about living alone on Earth was having to decide what to eat for dinner every night. More often than not, it was something that was frozen and easy. A far cry from the tender, delicately spiced meat I was currently consuming. I continued to attack my meal with enthusiasm until I looked up to find Agnarr staring at me. I swallowed my last bite audibly.
“Aren’t you hungry?” I asked, observing his untouched plate.
“Oh I am, but not for food.” He licked his lips in a completely obscene way.
I blushed, feeling my clit throb based on Agnarr’s look alone, “We’ll have plenty of time for that later, you need food—actual food—right now,” I admonished, taking another bite of food.
Agnarr grumbled before acquiescing and starting on his own meal. Though he ate with less gusto than I did, I could tell he was enjoying the flavors that Runa and her team had accomplished. As time wore on, and the tribe continued to celebrate, I knew it was time for us to address the crowd. Astrid, Agnarr, and I had planned this carefully. Astrid was at a table with her two children, Ottar and Inga, along with Runa and some of the other elders. I caught her eye and she nodded. It was time.
I grabbed Agnarr’s hand as I stood. Astrid stood as well. As we walked to the center of the gathering a hush fell over the crowd, all eyes on us. Astrid stood in front with Agnarr and me slightly behind her. I leaned in closer to Agnarr, nervous, as Astrid addressed the crowd.
“Welcome! Welcome all to Fýrifírar! We are so pleased to finally meet and welcome our new members!” Astrid beamed at the crowd, “This is a sign of a new chapter for the Fýrifírar Tribe. Our new members will provide new insight and visions for the future. Our new jarl and jarlin will provide the balanced leadership we need in this time of change—”
“Já, and what if we don’t want thischange?” A voice growled from the back of the crowd.
I’d been watching Astrid and hadn’t noticed Magna and the dozen other orkin who hadn’t been at the celebration arrive. They were all male, mostly elder, but with a few that appeared to be around my age. Magna stood, arms folded across his chest. I blanched. I’d tried very hard not to let the other women be exposed to this ugly side of the elder members of the tribe. I watched as they shifted position in the crowd, gathering near Billie, who was the de facto leader in my absence. She looked confused, but not scared.
My eyes whipped back to Astrid. She didn’t skip a beat.
“Those that are unwilling to accept change will not be welcome in the tribe. Either accept the new members and the new leadership or leave,” she said coolly.
“This is our tribe too. We’ve been here just as long as you. I remember when you were nothing but a young gardener before you were claimed by Ulf,” Magna sneered.
