Rise of the Warrior of Everfen

Chapter 6: I Want Peace

It'd been a long morning. After her confrontation with Cold Hammer, she was tense and ready to fight. It didn't help matters when she noticed him watching her every move. While they rode, his eyes were intently trained on her as if he thought she might pounce on his chieftain at any moment. When they stopped for breaks he hovered just a few steps behind as if waiting for her to bolt. She kept casting him harsh glares so he knew that she knew what he was doing.

The road they followed kept pace with the stream, providing immediate water anytime the wolves got thirsty, like now. She slid off the side of Lohke's dire wolf, patting her side before she walked to the stream ahead of her and squatted down, refilling the canteen they'd given her.

She was still filling it when Cold Hammer lumbered into view, almost lazily, and squatted down next to her to do the same. The difference was, he wasn't looking at the water. His amber colored eyes were dark, almost red. It would've been disturbing if she scared easy.

Instead she turned her head and stared back at him just as hard. She wasn't sure how he felt about it until she saw the corner of his mouth twitch with either amusement or irritation. Possibly both.

"You can stare at her all day, Cold Hammer," Chigun, one of the other orcs called as he walked to the stream some of the wolves were now standing in, "but I don't think she's going anywhere."

He curled his lip, still glaring at her. "She's a bit jumpy, I'm just making sure she doesn't put one of you in a grave."

"Little chance of that."

He snorted, "You didn't see her fight."

"Quit staring at her." Lohke butted between them and she blinked, her gaze finally snatched from his and she looked up at Lohke. "And what did I tell you about challenging creatures bigger than you?"

She glanced at Cold Hammer who was still peering past Lohke's legs to stare at her, so she decided amity was the best course of action. Something she'd learned to do to piss Nukbrik off was to respond with warmth and happiness. In an unmistakable falsetto, she smiled up at Lohke sweetly, "That I should make sure they're not looking when I attack?" She lowered her gaze back to Cold Hammer and batted her eyes as an abrupt roar of laughter rose up all around her.

He was two seconds from smoke rolling out his ears as he glowered at her and Lohke rolled his eyes, nudging Cold Hammer away. "Perhaps I should remind you who saved you. He was there, you know."

"He didn't save me. You did." Lohke didn't look like he appreciated her response. "He was just your enforcer. He does what you tell him."

"Yes, he does, something I'm going to have to work with you on." He knelt down so he could fill his canteen with water. "You have a strong heart and a lot of nerve, but you're in my care right now. I don't want to have to worry that Cold Hammer is going to kill you because you two can't get along. I'm trying to get you to human territory in one piece."

She lowered her eyes to the water. If he'd used anything but the gentle tone, she might've rebelled at the thought, but he sounded concerned. "You want...to protect me?"

"Yes."

She swallowed, keeping her head down as she tried to understand that. No one had been kind to her in ages, certainly not an orc. She lifted her eyes back to his, "Why are you doing this? Why save me?"

"You know why." He sounded puzzled.

"Nukbrik broke your laws." She shook her head, biting her lip, "But you made those laws. They weren't there before. Why did you change it?"

She didn't fail to notice the way the other orcs quit doing what they were doing and turned to look their way. Their eyes said they knew the answer, but surprisingly, Cold Hammer's eyes were haunted as he faced Lohke who'd bowed his head. She wasn't sure if she'd asked the right or wrong question.

"I want peace with humans." He finally stated.

"But why?" He still wasn't looking at her. "Why would you want that when no other orc has?"

"Other orcs want peace." One of the others said and stepped closer. "War hasn't been easy on us either."

Another of the group said, "Humans raise their young to believe all we want is war and destruction. That's not true. I want my children to grow up without the threat of their village being razed to the ground."

Children. These orcs had children. Homes. Family. All she'd ever known was Nukbrik's type. Orcs that hated her for what she was and treated her accordingly. Still, she'd seen his soft side as he held his wife in their hut, saw the loving glances as he looked at her growing belly. She knew they were capable of love and gentleness, but she'd seen it so little with Nukbrik, confined to the barn when she wasn't' working, left to soothe herself alone every night, no one to hold or care for her.

"You want your families safe?" She asked and received several nods.

"I've fought in two wars already. I'm done with this." Chigun told her.

Cold Hammer and Lohke were both silent. She looked back to them but Lohke said nothing, did nothing. There was something more, something had happened to Lohke. "What about you?"

Cold Hammer glared at her. "That's enough." His tone left little room for argument and he hauled Lohke to his feet who shoved him off and gave him a sharp look before he plugged his canteen and walked away.

She watched him go, curiosity piercing her gut, but a strange sense of sadness filled her. Something had happened to Lohke, something bad, and that hurt her heart. "Will he be okay?"

"Keep your nose out of it!" Cold Hammer took a threatening step towards her and she shot to her feet, fists ready, but one of the other orcs grabbed his arm. He wheeled on him, fist lifted, but he didn't strike as the orc cowered back without releasing his arm.

"Let it go, Cold Hammer," he plead softly.

One of the two female warriors eased forward and also set her hand on his arm, "I'll go speak to Lohke. Don't fight while we're gone, okay?"

He scowled and pulled away from them, walking in the opposite direction of Lohke. She couldn't help but notice that, despite how much this bothered him, just as it'd clearly bothered Lohke, no one went to talk to Cold Hammer. They left him to deal with his pain in silence. For some reason, that hurt her heart just as much, if not more. She'd always been left alone to deal with her own griefs and pains, too.

***Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading! There will be a new chapter posted every Monday! Stay tuned for more Rise of the Warrior of Everfen***