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Verrick
Living among humans will drive me mad.I walk out of the Council Chamber and veer sharply to the left, headed down to the courtyard. I need to train, to drive out my lingering fears and frustrations.
Being in Adrik reminds me ofher. Lucy. For years I have banished my treacherous former mate from my thoughts, but now that I see her people everywhere, I am plagued by thoughts of her.
Is she somewhere in this godsforsaken kingdom? Was she killed during the war? Or, when she ran off with my family’s treasures, did she go somewhere far away where I could never find her? It is likely I’ll never know because I will not look for her. She is dead to me.
I enter the courtyard and catch the eye of my second-in-command, Friza. She sees the dark cloud storming above my head and nods, pulling out her ax.
“Need the thoughts knocked out of your head?” she asks, smiling and brandishing her blade. “I can do that for you.”
“Your arrogance will get your blood spilled on the sand,” I return, glad to think of the upcoming fight and not my troubles.
For there are many. Not just Lucy and the memories I try to keep at bay, but the horrible Council, with all their nattering and whining, and . . . Pellia.
Leave it to a human woman to plague me again. Ever since we first met, she has made her interest clear. I am no fool. I can see her flirting with me. But I swore,Iswore, never to take another mate. No good can come from it, especially not another human. Even one that is warm and welcoming and . . .
Friza’s blade slices through the air and I barely dodge. Right. Naught else exists, but the task at hand.
We spar for a while, neither giving much ground. Orcs are competitive, after all. I am just about to land a glancing blow when a cry interrupts our bout, stilling both our blades.
“Warchief Verrick!”
I turn to see one of my orcs that had been on guard duty. “What is it, Ukiv?”
“There is a mob of refugees from the south at the gates! They are demanding to speak to the regent.”
I pause for a moment. This seems like more human problems and I am tempted to send for Regent Santir to deal with it. But mobs can be dangerous. I suddenly imagine Pellia being pulled under a throng of bodies and trampled. She is a small, curvy human, with no muscles to speak of. She would be lost in a trice.
Heavily, I sigh. I suppose it will be up to me, then.
“Friza, Sawak, Ukiv, you’re with me. Be ready for trouble if this gets out of hand. I will speak to them.”
The warriors I indicated flank my sides, weapons at the ready. If the mob wants trouble, we will give it to them.
As we near the gate, I hear the refugees shouting, “Bring us the regent! They will hear our voices! Bring us the regent!”
I step to the gate and see human soldiers standing at the ready.
One greets me as I approach. “Regent Verrick, I am Cole, captain of the guards. It’s looking ugly out there. I can’t say that I recommend going out there to speak with them.”
I stare stoically at the human captain. “I’ll be fine, Captain. Open the gates so that I may speak to them.”
He shakes his head. “That is not wise. They could try tostorm the castle.”
I open my mouth to order him to obey me when a warm voice interrupts from behind me.
“What is going on?”
Pellia. I thought she would still be in council, but it must have finished. She is exactly who I did not want here.
Captain Cole doesn’t seem to have my reservations, however. “Regent Santir, thank the gods you are here. Can you tell Regent Verrick that opening the gates to this mob is not the right thing to do? There are too many people. They could break away, push into the castle; they seem angry enough to do it.”
“They would never get past my orcs,” I growl, annoyed at being second-guessed.
Pellia looks considering, then smiles, “I’m sure that Warchief Verrick would have everything under control, but have we tried speaking to them through the gate? Asking to speak to their leader about why they are here? I think that would be best rather than having them rush the castle and being slaughtered. Warchief Verrick is right that they would be no match for trained orcs.”
Her words are flattering and placating at the same time. It makes me doubt them. Humans often use manipulation to get what they want and Pellia seems better with words than most.
