Page 31

“I can carry him,” Vorgath offered.

I looked back at him, surprised. “It's a long walk,” I reminded him.

He nodded. “I am a strong orc.”

I stifled a laugh. “But are you sure it’s not too much trouble?”

He gave a small, almost imperceptible shrug. “No trouble at all.”

“Right,” I smiled, feeling oddly relieved. “Thank you.”

With that, Vorgath effortlessly gathered Elias into his arms, cradling him as though he weighed nothing. The sight made something soft and warm coil in my chest. It was the tenderness of it, maybe. Despite all of his raw strength, Vorgath held my son carefully, like he was precious.

It was—well, it was something. Probably best not to think too hard about it.

The path ahead was dimly lit, and the trees loomed on either side, their branches casting intricate shadows in the fading light. The earthy scent of pine and damp soil filled my lungs as we walked, our footsteps muffled by the carpet of fallen leaves. In the distance, an owl hooted, its call echoing through the stillnessof the forest. I shivered slightly, pulling my shawl tighter around my shoulders.

“Are you cold?” Vorgath asked softly, mindful of the sleeping child in his arms.

I glanced up at him. “A little,” I admitted. “But it's not far now.”

He nodded, then surprised me by shifting Elias to one arm and draping the other around my shoulders. The warmth of his touch sent a jolt through me, and I found myself leaning into his side almost instinctively.

“Is this... acceptable?” he asked.

I nodded, not trusting my voice for a moment. “Yes,” I managed. “It is.”

We walked in companionable silence for a while, the only sounds our footsteps and Elias's soft breathing. As we neared the edge of the woods, the trees began to thin out, revealing glimpses of the town's twinkling lights in the distance.

“Vorgath,” I said softly, breaking the silence. “I wanted to thank you... for today. For looking after Elias when he snuck away. I hope he wasn't too much trouble.”

Vorgath's deep chuckle rumbled through the night air. “He was no trouble. The boy has a keen mind and eager hands. A natural smith in the making.”

“He takes after his father in that regard,” I said softly, a bittersweet smile tugging at my lips.

Vorgath was quiet for a moment, and I worried I'd made him uncomfortable by mentioning Kald. But when he spoke, his voice was gentle. “He takes after you as well. Your determination, your spirit—I see it in him.”

His words caught me off guard. “I... thank you,” I murmured, slightly flustered by the compliment.

I stole a glance at Vorgath's profile, illuminated by the soft glow of the moon. The strong line of his jaw, the curve of histusks, the gentle way he held Elias—all of it combined to create an image that stirred something deep within me. He fit so seamlessly into this moment, into our lives. Maybe more than I ever expected.

But as soon as the thought crossed my mind, I remembered my earlier conversation with Thyri, and I was glad for the cover of darkness to hide my blush. It's not like I was some innocent maiden; I had been married, had a child for goodness' sake. But Kald had been my first and only, and I hadn't given much thought to being with anyone else since he passed.

And now, here I was, walking alongside an orc, his strong arm around my shoulders, and my mind was racing with thoughts that would make a sailor blush. I snuck another glance at Vorgath. He was so... large. His hands, his muscles—everything about him was massive and powerful. A shiver ran down my spine, and it wasn't from the cold.

If things were to... progress between us, how would that even work? Would he... fit? I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. Were there actually happy human-orc couples out there? And if so, how did they manage the, well, logistics?

I tried to shake off the thoughts, to focus on the path ahead. But my mind was a whirlwind, filled with images of Vorgath's hands on my body, his mouth on mine. I stumbled slightly, surprised by the vividness of my own imagination.

Vorgath steadied me, his grip tightening around my shoulders. “Alright?” he asked.

“Fine!” I squeaked, my voice embarrassingly high. “Just... tripped on a root.”

Thyri would be having a field day if she could hear my thoughts right now. I could almost hear her voice in my head, “Where there's a will, there's a way!”

I bit my lip, trying to stifle a nervous giggle, earning a curious look from Vorgath. I just shook my head, not trusting myselfto speak. Instead, I focused on putting one foot in front of the other, all the while very aware of the warm, strong arm around my shoulders.

A few minutes later, he released me to follow me up the narrow steps to the front door of my house. The moon had fully risen by now, casting a soft glow across the cobblestones beneath our feet and bathing the little cottage in muted blue light.