Page 6

Chapter 6

Odik

“I ’m flying,” Eleri cried out. “I’m flying!” Her arms lifted, and she tipped her head back against my chest. “I can’t believe it. I haven’t run since I was three but now I. Am. Flying!”

“You’re not afraid,” I shouted over the wind buffeting around us.

“Should I be?” She peered over her shoulder at me, and I swore I read mischief in her eyes. “You jumped up onto this thing and—”

“Vox.”

“I’m sorry?”

“We’re riding on a vox.”

“And a lovely vox it is. Green scales. Who would’ve thought?”

“His name’s Zarran.” I wasn’t sure what to make of my mate. She’d initially come along with me willingly, something I’d heard wasn’t common. The other human females fought their mates at first. It took time and patience to show them they didn’t need to be afraid.

Then she shared a bit of her past and fear seemed to consume her. She slept in my arms in a trusting way, but her sharp cries told me she had nightmares.

What kind of life had she led?

Now my mate was acting like she was on an adventure.

“Can I pet your vox later?” she asked.

“You’re not afraid he’ll bite your head off?”

Laughter bubbled in her voice. “Will he?”

“Of course not.”

“Then why ask if I’m afraid of him hurting me? Obviously he won’t or we wouldn’t be riding him. You know him well enough to give him a name.”

“I, yes, I do. I bonded with him from the moment he slipped from the seed. I worked hard with him, teaching him foot commands. He’s a loyal, friendly vox.”

She leaned back against me. “See? I knew I had nothing to be fearful of.”

“You enjoy flying?”

“Well, I’ve never done it before. But it always takes me twice as long as everyone else to go from one location to another. My leg has held me back almost all my life. I love that I’m traveling through the sky on a great winged creature named Zarran and that I’m going somewhere quickly. It’s quite freeing.” She sucked in a deep breath and released it.

“I feel the same.” A frown brewed on my brow. “Why aren’t you afraid of me ?”

“I’m sure I should be.”

“Actually, you shouldn’t. I told you I won’t claim you as my mate until you’re ready.”

“And that’s why I’m not afraid. Back in the village, everyone tells horror stories about orcs, how they’re fierce beings—”

“We are.”

“I could see that when you fought the ashenclaws. Watching you battle them was both exhilarating and astonishing.”

“Why astonishing?”

“Everyone else would have run in the opposite direction.”

“You’re my mate. My fated one. My clan pendant chose you for me. I’d be a poor mate if I ran and didn’t remain to defend you.”

“What do you mean your clan pendant chose me for you?” She lifted her arms, tipped her head back with her eyes closed, and grinned.

I’d felt the same the first year or so I’d ridden Zarran—once I’d learned how to hold on and not fall off. When had I lost the joy of flight?

Perhaps when I took over the burden of leading my people.

Worry about that would consume me soon enough. For now, I nudged it aside to focus on my mate.

“Our pendants always choose.” Realizing that wasn’t much of an explanation, I continued, hoping I didn’t bore her. “There are six orc clans, and each member wears a pendant with a different symbol. When we meet our fated one, our pendants flare. Mine did when you left the fortress.”

“Ah, interesting. Magical?”

I shrugged. “No one knows why.”

“I noticed your pendant has swirls.”

“To represent air. I’m Caedos of the Zephyr Clan.”

“Caedos?”

“Leader.”

“Ah.”

“What does ah mean?” Females were complicated creatures. Since the shaydes killed most of them five years ago, I’d only interacted with a few of them.

“It just means I assumed so. You have a commanding presence.”

My chest puffed with pride. “Thank you.”

“And you take charge quite easily.”

She hadn’t even seen me among my people, and she’d noted this already? My chest expanded further.

“As I said, Zephyr represents air,” I said. “My people live on an island far out to sea that juts into the air.”

“And your vox flies you from the shore to your home.”

“We use voxes for transportation but also in battle.”

“The shaydes are horrifying creatures.”

“They killed most of our females. They’ve attacked us for many generations, but five years ago, they gathered into large packs and challenged us all at once. We lost many warriors but the worst thing of all was that they found the building where we’d hidden our precious females. They killed almost all of them.”

“That’s why you formed the treaty with us,” she said, her fingers twitching where she’d laid them on her thighs.

“Your village needs protection, and we need orclings if our species is going to survive.”

“Two women a year won’t give you many orclings.”

“It will have to be enough. We don’t want to ask for more.”

“Why not? I imagine the village would give you more if you demanded this from them.”

“Because your population could not sustain more than two.”

“That surprises me,” she said. “There are over a thousand people in the village, and more women than men in general. I imagine we could give five or ten a year.”

My mate was an interesting woman.

“We signed the treaty already. It would be wrong to ask for changes.”

She shrugged. “Maybe come to the fortress walls and ask to speak to the women.”

“Would they talk to us?” I couldn’t imagine such a thing. They feared us. Cried out in terror when they saw us.

“If they knew you weren’t horrifying beasts,” she said. “Women might join you willingly.”

“Would they?” I asked, skeptically. “We’re big, green, and we have horns. We’re not tiny and delicate like human females.”

“We may appear delicate, but I bet we’d surprise you. Most of us are tough on the inside, where it truly matters.”

“I’m beginning to suspect you’re right.” With her, at least. Other orcs had not shared my experience with their mates initially. This made my heart lighten. Perhaps I’d find peace and comfort with my mate, not a battle like many others. I cleared my throat. “Why didn’t you run when I collapsed?” Something that gravely embarrassed me, though I was not going to remind her. I’d never lost consciousness after a battle, and I hoped I never did again.

“Because you were injured. You didn’t collapse. I suspect you were knocked out. Don’t you remember the last ashenclaw battering your head?”

Vaguely. “I’d killed all the ashenclaws. If you’d fled, I’m sure I would’ve survived.”

“If my guardian had left me in the forest when I was three, would I have survived?”

“You were young. Gravely injured.”

“You were also gravely injured.”

“You have a soft spot for those who need aid?”

She shrugged. “It didn’t feel right to leave you.”

Was the bond influencing her already? Those chosen by clan pendants fell for their mates quickly, and this had universally happened with the females sent from the fortress to be claimed.

I couldn’t imagine anyone loving me other than through a sense of duty, like those I took care of back in my village. Something deep inside me ached to feel the love of someone special, however, a person who’d care for me when no one else could.

Was that Eleri? May the fates make it so.

“Tell me about the other clans. What symbols do they wear?” she asked.

“Those of the Basselt or earth Clan live within the heart of the enormous mountain range near our biggest city.”

“In caves?”

“So I’ve heard. They say things glow there, but I can’t imagine such a thing. I haven’t visited. I prefer the sunshine and the sea.” Even if the lack of rain was decimating my clan numbers. “Then we have the Azuris or water clan. They primarily live in the city built along the shore. My friend, Jaus, is the newly appointed commander of the military. When the dresalods attack, he leads the charge.”

“I’m surprised your clan isn’t Azuris since you live far out to sea.”

“Clans were chosen many generations ago. Zephyr fits us.”

“Ah.”

Again, that ah, as if she was processing everything I said, though not judging. A feeling of contentedness settled over me, the first time I’d savored the feeling in ages. The weight of my people’s survival had fallen on me when I was much too young to take on the mantle. My father died during the great shayde battle five years ago when I was seventeen, and only Crickin, Drabass’s father, challenged me. My father had trained me well, and I won the match.

No one else had tried to claim leadership. Our life was tough, and eking out an existence on the islands was challenging enough without dealing with the day-to-day tasks of the caedos. Most could see that.

Not Drabass, but he was a fool. He’d make a horrible caedos, and despite not always wishing to have this role, the fates were wise when they chose me.

Now they’d proven their wisdom again with Eleri.

“The other clans include Lumen, for the sun,” I said. “They live high in the mountains, and many are part of the royal family. The other two clans are the Malis or shadow clan who live in the forest, and the Ember or fire clan. They live beyond the mountains in a stark, dry climate. They foster our voxes.”

“You travel there to claim one after it's hatched?”

“They form within a seed that’s half the size of me, and when they slip out, they’re known to bond with the person closest to them. In earlier days, this was their parent, but now all eligible males and females travel to the Ember Clan to be there during the hatching. We remain there long enough for the vox to grow large enough to take flight, feeding and grooming it so it knows our touch. We learn to fly along with them, then take them to our homes so they know where to find us. They nest near us but always return to the Ember territory when they’re ready to produce young, though that’s only every three years.”

“Fascinating.”

Again, she wasn’t frightened. This female stood up to the ashenclaws with only a stick. She rode my vox without fear. And she’d met my stare with a steely one of her own.

She was worthy of being my mate.

Was I worthy of her?