Rise of the Warrior of Everfen

Chapter 21: The Killing Blow

"Hey, can you pass that rope to me?" Erinne asked and was surprised when Cold Hammer walked past her like she hadn't spoken at all. "Hey!" She turned with him, reaching for him, but he twisted out of reach and kept going, proving that he was aware she was there, but purposefully ignoring her. She frowned as she glanced around. The nearest orcs were the twins, both tending their dire wolves as she tended her horse. "Who pissed in his breakfast?"

No answer, not even a glance.

"Are all of you ignoring me now?" She felt a strange sense of betrayal as the thought occurred to her. Was she too human for them now? "Are you really-"

"I am not ignoring you, Sheobulf," Ghorg murmured, voice low, but he was staring after Cold Hammer with his head ducked down. Ghaug didn't stop running a brush through his dire wolf's fur, removing any burr's or tangles as he worked.

"What's going on?" It was unlike Ghorg to remain so quiet, but he kept his head down, not speaking until she twisted to face him fully and demanded, "Ghorg!" Her concern was growing, but as she snapped he finally answered her.

"Okay, okay."

"He's going to murder you." Ghaug said it so matter of fact that he had to be completely serious.

"Several orcs suggested that Cold Hammer was too close to you. That he was a human lover. Now he won't talk to you because he's concerned more orcs will think that."

Ghaug hissed with annoyance and stopped brushing his dire wolf who looked disappointed that he did so. "Tell her the whole story."

"You tell her."

"Both of you tell me now or someone is getting hit!"

They raised their hands in surrender, only to have their dire wolves nudge them roughly and so they resumed brushing the beasts. Ghorg continued, "Shortly after it was said that Cold Hammer spends too much time with you, Vustig suggested you spend too much time with the human king each night."

"He did it to provoke him," Ghaug added, "everyone could see that."

"But it worked."

"Cold Hammer nearly took his head off."

"Lohke had to intervene."

"Almost wrecked everything we have going here."

Ghorg gave a deep nod, "Now he won't talk to you because...well...we're not sure."

"Maybe he does spend too much time with you."

"Maybe he is a human lover."

Erinne snorted and asked, "So why were you ignoring me?"

"We weren't ignoring you, we're just scared like everyone else." Ghorg told her. "He's in a foul mood and there's no telling what he'd do to us if he knew we told you what happened last night."

"I see." Last night. While she was with the king exploring the human camp again. Not that there was much to see there, but it gave her something to do while King Wren explained more about human life to her. Lohke had Cold Hammer on the edge of the territory every night, waiting for her to return so he could safely escort her through the orc camps. "It's not Cold Hammer's fault his chieftain has ordered him to keep an eye on me."

Ghorg frowned, "Lohke's given no orders."

She shook her head in disagreement, "He has. He had Cold Hammer stand guard so no one bothered me while I slept, he's had him walk me through camp when I return so that I'm safe..." the looks on their faces suggested she was missing something. "What?"