Rise of the Warrior of Everfen

Chapter 40: Love Could Save Us All

"Okay." She cut him off and pulled back to look up at him with agreement. "I'll try, I promise."

"Good." He looked her up and down, searched her gaze, and then finally said, "Where do we go from here? You told Wren to let him go. What happens next, Sheobulf? Our clan says you will not see or speak to them, that you go out of your way to directly avoid Cold Hammer and that only Bukoo and the humans keep you company."

"I don't know how." She shook her head sadly. "I thought...I thought I'd found my place, that this might be my family, but then I went home."

"Do you want to stay with the humans?"

She cocked her head back, looking at the humans scattered about. Wren's guards, Khash, the king himself was tucked away inside his own tent. "I want...to see Thunderfall. I want to see the palace and the streets Wren and Khash speak so fondly of..." Lohke's hands slipped off her shoulders and he bowed his head, sadness in his eyes.

"You do want to stay with them."

"Lohke,"

"I always knew it would come to this but these last few weeks, I really thought you would stay with us, up until what happened with Cold Hammer at Broc'tannen..."

"Lohke," she set her hand on his arm, "I want to see all of that, but then I want to go wherever you go, wherever Cold Hammer goes."

"You've barely spoken a word to him in the last week."

"I need time."

"So...you want to stay with him?" He questioned slowly and she nodded and his shoulders sagged with relief. There was as much confusion in his eyes as she felt her in heart though.

"My heart grieves, Lohke, with more pain than I could've ever imagined. I feel betrayed, even if we did not know each other when it happened...I don't...I don't know if I know how to move forward. But I still love him. I do know this. I don't know how or why, but I do. I know that when I was out there alone, he still held my heart, when I was scared I still called his name. No one else's...not even yours."

He listened as she spoke and she couldn't read his expression and she imagined his emotions were as tumultuous as hers. He took a long time to consider what she said before he spoke, "I cannot claim to know what you are feeling, but I do know that the heart is sometimes it's own being. It doesn't always listen to our heads, but it's not always wrong to do so."

She frowned as she considered that and then said, "Is it wrong to stay with him? To be with the one that...killed...my...family?" She could barely speak the words through the lump in her throat.

"I can't answer that either, Sheobulf." He whispered back, "But I don't think it's wrong to stay with the one you love. He is not who he used to be, but neither are you. You're not that scared child running anymore, nor are you short tempered woman you were when we met. You've grown. You've a good head on your shoulders, diplomatic even. I've watched you grow to love him and the same for him. The two beings who should never have fallen for each other fell hard. Maybe it was fate. Maybe it was chance. I don't know, but I think love like that can be worth it."

She stared at him through her tears, sniffling before she said, "When did you get so smart on matters of love, Lohke? You've never been in love."

He smiled and turned his head quickly and she thought she saw a hint of tears that he brushed away before he said, "I haven't, but I've known great love anyways. The pure love of a friend, of a father, of a brother." He cocked his eyebrow, "Of a Sheobulf. Sometimes I think your love could save us all, Sheobulf. All that you've been through, you still find it in your heart to love us all."

She nodded but said nothing. She wasn't sure there was anything else to say. Lohke pulled her in for another hug and she leaned into him. She could see Cold Hammer still watching, standing across the field, arms crossed. "I still need time." She whispered to Lohke and he released her slowly, nodding in acceptance.

"I understand, but...I hope you do decide to continue on this path. Stay with us." There was a gentle plea in his voice.

"I will." She promised quietly and she thought she meant it.

He seemed satisfied, for now, with her answer and replied, "I think it would kill him if you chose the humans now." His eyes flicked down to her stomach and she felt a hint of surprise. "Even before he knew about the baby, he loves you so much it would've killed him to lose you."

"You knew I was with child?"

"He told me when I arrived." Lohke knew the whole time he'd been over here and he had still asked her what she wanted. It was why she loved him, as a brother. From the day she'd met him, the moment he'd freed her, he'd let her choose what was best for her.

"Thank you, Lohke, for speaking with me."

"Of course, you're my sister, my clanmate, and one of my best friends."

She smiled at that but said nothing more and after a long moment, he nodded again in understanding and returned to the orcs, leaving her to dwell on everything they'd discussed, but his words still rang in her ears: sometimes I think your love could save us all.