Page 22

Aldronn

The dragon returns the door of Avalon to me, and I arrange a watch rotation with my guard to protect it.

Starfall and Rune head off with Sheevora to inspect the place where the Moon Goddess stopped us from going south.

Naomi and May chat, huddling close, heads bent as they create their own little bubble of togetherness. May mimes something and makes a hand movement that has Naomi pealing with laughter. Clearly, they’re very good friends. I’m so very glad. Underneath her strong spirit, my bride carries a loneliness I don’t like. It’s good to see she’s so close to the other human witch.

Wranth stands beside me, watching them as intently as I. At his bride’s laugh, his lip quirks up on the left in a familiar half-smile. “It’s still amazing,” he says, his deep voice softer than I’ve ever heard it, “to think that she loves me.”

I grunt, unable to say the same. I’m fairly certain May doesn’t love me yet. Will I know it when it happens? Hell, for that matter, will I recognize it if I’m able to fall in love? No one’s ever sparked such tender feelings in me before, but May’s my moon bound bride. I need to open my heart, if I can figure out how.

“What’s brought that scowl to your face?” Wranth claps me on the shoulder. “ I’m the grumpy one, remember?”

I snort. “I’m fairly certain some of Naomi’s sweetness has rubbed off on you. You’re not nearly the grump you used to be.”

“True.” He glances up at the sky. “It’s not that long until evening, and we’ve got a lot of mouths to feed. What say we hunt?”

I nod. Hunting with Wranth is always successful, his tracking magic allowing him to find prey animals easily.

When we walk over to tell the women our plans, Naomi jumps to her feet. “Wait! I’ve got a better idea.”

In a blink, she disappears. When she reappears, she shoves a stack of clothes at May. “I had these made for you! I guessed your size from memory, and had the village weaver send along some needle and thread, since I know you can do your own alterations.”

“Thank you!” My moon bound beams up at her friend, already holding up the first couple of linen shirts, eager to inspect them.

Naomi’s next trip brings good orc boots for May and a pack filled with the red crystals. “These protect from magical burnout. You want to have one of these on you all the time. Maybe more than one, if the goddess is going to show up and yell in your head.”

“Okay.” May plucks two crystals from the leather bag and shoves them into the pockets of her human pants.

Naomi turns to look at us. “Northern Wastes don’t sound warm. Are we going to need special cold weather gear?”

“Good thinking. We are.” I crouch and dig through my saddlebags, pulling out the small pouch that contains my seal. “Take this to Elmswood Keep and ask the chatelaine for enough cold weather gear to fit a party of twelve.”

“Shouldn’t it be thirteen?”

“I’m fairly certain Sheevora has her own supplies. If a dragon even feels the cold, that is.”

“I’ll go with you,” Wranth says. “I can carry a great deal and save you several trips. Plus you need me to provide you a connection to the castle, since you’ve never been.”

“We won’t need any of the winter gear for several days, so we can get it later instead of carrying it all now. I was more thinking that I need to ask Reta to make us some human-sized cold weather gear.”

I nod. “You’re right—even the clothing made for orc teens will be too big.”

“And I’ve got plans for tonight. We’re doing my surprise instead of lugging more clothes around.” Naomi shoves a couple of extra red crystals down the front of her shirt, capturing them in the underwear that I imagine binds her large breasts.

Wranth growls beside me, his eyes intent on her hand.

With a mischievous wink, she disappears, popping back into view with Olivia and Rovann, followed by Taylor and Krivoth, Grace and Brannik, Selena and Sturrm, and finally Ashley and Dravarr.

May leaps to her feet and is immediately surrounded by all the other human witches. “What is this?”

“You couldn’t come to Moon Blade Village, so I brought some of Moon Blade Village to you!” Naomi says, making introductions. “Everyone wanted to meet you.”

Each woman gives May a warm hug and welcomes her, and when Ashley finally lets her go, May’s mouth trembles, her eyes covered with a sheen of tears.

Dravarr and Wranth and all the other orc husbands stand with me, looking at our brides. The humans are a variety of shapes and heights, their hair color varying from bright blonde to red to multiple shades of brown and everything from orc-straight to tightly curled. But they’re all utterly perfect, my bride the most perfect of all.

“Could you ever imagine?” Dravarr murmurs, the big warlord completely besotted with Ashley. The plump redhead beams over at him with her sunny smile when she catches him looking.

“Never.”

May’s unfettered laugh rings through the air, wild and free and full of all her great spirit. It pierces me with its sweet joy until my heart aches.

Perhaps falling in love won’t be so difficult after all.