Page 93 of The Orc Warrioress and the Elf Lord

“The orc you sent back to the north,” said Iahir.

“Dathor came and counseled caution,” said Gathren. “He kept trying to organize some kind of alliance between your people and mine, against Findas. He said that if the orcs tore down the entire government, it would have unintentioned consequences on the entire country. He spoke of trains and government and treaties and all manner of things that the army did not care about.”

“Things that are now coming to pass,” said Iahir.

She eyed him. “You blame me. For sending him off?”

“No, no, it’s only that perhaps we should bring him back, send him to the orcs and see if he can’t end this madness.”

“Oh, no, he was a deserter, same as me,” she said. “They were angry with him when he left. He would not be welcomed back.”

Iahir sighed. He paced, running a hand through his hair. “We have destroyed everything, you and I. We have torn everything down.”

“Who told you this?” she said. “Did you see your father?”

“No, I told you, it will be days before he is even aware I am here,” said Iahir. “I have it from servants, mostly. They are particularly chatty, and they are particularly angry and frightened of orcs, and they all saw you.”

“So, it is just as it was in the inn,” she said. “Servants are often more disdainful of orcs than the upper classes. They have very little to look down upon. We are beneath them, in their minds, and their hatred for us is quite fierce because of that.”

Iahir grimaced. “Well, that’s horrid. It seems they should be more understanding.”

She shrugged. “Sometimes, perhaps, yes. Sometimes. If we have a common enemy, like the nobility, perhaps.”

He looked down at the plate. “I can put that in the ice box.”

“There is no ice in the icebox, my lord,” she said.

He sighed heavily. “I would have brought back servants, warrioress, but I’m afraid there are none I would trust to serve you.”

“Perhaps I can go out and purchase ice,” she said. “Not now, but early tomorrow. Is there somewhere that I—”

“No.” He shook his head. “Do not leave this house, and do not go anywhere without me. They will kill you, I think.”

She bowed her head. “I am causing issues for you. I think I must leave.”

“As you say, you have nowhere to go,” he said.

“Well, I cannot live here, like this, hidden away, frightened for my life,” she said.

He sighed again. “I will have ice delivered here. I can ask someone to make sure that happens, and anything else we need. I will make sure that food is brought, too, from the main keep. I can have someone bring it.”

She nodded. “Whatever you think.”

He looked down at the floor, fingers tangled in his hair, his face drawn. “I don’t know what I thought was going to happen when we killed him. I suppose I didn’t think about that part at all.”

“Why did you do it?” she said. “Why did you kill the High King?”

“Other people seemed to think it was a very good idea,” he muttered to the floor.

“That’s not the reason,” she said.

“It’s simply that it’s the sort of thing that I do,” he said.

“Is it?” she said.

“Yes,” he said. “You must have noticed. You must have seen that I am the sort of person who does imprudent and outrageous things.”

She nodded. “And everyone says it’s because you are trying to get the attention of your father.”