Orin

Page 3

When I get home that morning it's to find that those we were waiting for had arrived and wanted to leave immediately they were anxious to get home. So we gathered our things and left the city. As we traveled, periodically I'd reach to my pocket and the silver leaf there.

"Lets camp here tonight. A month, a month before we get home." my brother Bruce grumbles. I ignore him and the other four talking about home. Home wasn't where my mind was. It was traveling north with a certain silver god. He'd be on his horse, toward the front given I was very sure he was nobility. Altair. I wanted to find out about him but it was best to leave it to the nights we shared and let it go. Reaching into my pocket I pull out the silver leaf. It was a heavy solid piece. Where had it come from. Was it decoration from something that he'd pulled off to give me? I reach into my bag and sort around till I find some black cord. I wrap the end tightly and secure it so that it won't fall off then tuck it inside my shirt. A rock into the forehead gets my attention.

"What?" I grouse. Bruce snorts.

"What was that you just hid?"

"Nothing."

"Looked silver." Ormr says. "Something a female would give as a token. Leave behind some broken hearted female?" he teases me.

"No." is all I say and lay back and ignore them.

"Must be something special to get his attention." my brother says. "Not an Orc I can tell you. Only one place had Orc females and he never came with me to visit. There's some humans will take an Orc. Some lily soft wench got his attention. She probably gives all her visitors those little leaves." I closed my eyes. I wouldn't spar with them. It would only get their curiosity up more and I wasn't going to tell them anything.

We traveled all day every day. Only stopping for camp at night. By week three they were done talking and just wanted home and bed. As we got home our father asked us all about our trip. Which was fine till he brought up the silver leaf and who must have given it to me. Father gave me a cuff in the shoulder.

"Should have brought her home if you miss her that bad." I say nothing but stand and leave the house.

"My best guess, she's married. He won't say anything about her at all." I tune them out as I lean against a tree next to the house. It was going to be hard to want anyone after him. The Redridge mountains, so named for the red clay that made them up, ran from the south here around the southwestern point of the continent and up the west side. Orcs lived all along them. The big pines that doted them mixed with the red ground and white snow. We had no big cities but just village after village that had grown to where you had a string of us no more than a days walk from one village to the next. I'd trade it all for him. Taking my sword from it's sheath I went to a stump I sat and began to polish. It was a mind numbing task that would get some peace.

It was a hand on my shoulder that brought me out of my thoughts of Altair. Looking up I see my little sister Bess. I say little sister but she was full grown with a mate and children of her own. Not so little anymore.

"They said you've been out here for hours by yourself. Brooding over some woman you left in the city. Bruce said she gave you a silver leaf. May I see?" I just pull the leaf from inside and let her finger it.

"That's beautiful. Must have cared for you to give it to you. Did you care for her as much?" I just nod and go back to my polishing. She takes the rag.

"You keep that up it'll be so shiny you'll give yourself away to the enemy." I chuckled and put it away. She sat on the ground next to me. "I've never seen you like this. What's so special about her that has you unable to even talk about her?" she asks. I say nothing. It wasn't a her and if they wouldn't except it all I'd give them nothing. She waited but I just watched her stare at me. "Wow. Not even going to tell me huh? If she's worth that much maybe you best go back and find her." I sighed.