Blood of the Orc Prince by Lionel Hart
2
Chapter Two
They were on the road within a week, each with shorter hair and plainer clothes, and a patchy dark scruff coming in along Zorvut’s chin and jaws. Taegan had been loathe to cut his hair, and could only bear to have it cut to his shoulders, while Zorvut’s long black hair was now just a short tuft on the top of his head. He was allowing the sides he normally kept shaved to the skin to grow out a bit as well, giving his head a much rounder shape. He looked almost nothing like the man Taegan married, either the first or second time, so it had been a shock when he had returned from the castle barber shorn like a sheep. That had been even more saddening than his own haircut.
“It’s just hair,” Zorvut teased as Taegan fought back tears and ran his hands through the short, wiry black hair where there had once been long, luxurious locks. “I like how yours turned out. It accentuates your jawline.”
“Don’t try and flatter me,” Taegan replied, trying to tease back, but he knew the sadness he felt was certainly loud and clear through the bond.
This would also be the first journey on his new horse, another bitter milestone. The mare was a tall red dun with a white line running from her forehead down between her eyes. Her summer coat was a lighter tan shade, while her mane was a deeper reddish hue, and a single braid ran down it. Ember, a fitting name, was much more spirited and lively than his gentle Moonlight had been, but she rode well and got along with Graksh’t. Hopefully she would do just as well on their long journey.
They left just before the sun set. King Ruven saw them off at the back gate, which let out at the less-traveled road that made a wide loop around the walls of the city before reconnecting with the main road further southeast. They had planned out their full route, and would break off from the main road once they got further from the capital and closer into contested lands that might have orc scouting parties; still, it was best if no one saw them leave. The fewer people that knew they were not in the safety of the castle, the better.
Ruven fussed with Taegan’s traveling cloak for a long moment, not meeting his gaze, before finally letting out a deep sigh.
“My son,” he said quietly, gripping Taegan’s shoulders. “You must exercise every caution. These are dangerous times.”
“Yes, I know,” Taegan agreed. “I will.”
“Remember, if you must write, have it sent to Castien at the Magenta Marigold. He knows to pass the message along to me. But only try to keep it to one, maybe two letters, one when you’ve arrived and one when you’re on the way back. And only if it’s safe.”
“I know,” Taegan repeated, and patted his father’s forearm nervously. As anxious as he was about the journey, knowing his father was also anxious made it somehow harder to bear. “I promise, we’ll return safely. The both of us.”
“Yes, we will,” Zorvut agreed, nodding at the king. He had already mounted his horse, and was standing a few paces away waiting for their goodbye to be over.
“Good,” Ruven replied, nodding once. His mouth twitched as if he meant to say more, but couldn’t seem to make the words come. He adjusted Taegan’s cloak once more, then took a long step away with a tenuously neutral expression on his face. “Goodbye, my son.”
“Goodbye,” Teagan repeated, forcing a slight smile as he turned to Ember. “We’ll be back before you know it, Father.”
The king did not reply, only nodded his head before turning to go. Even though it had been his idea to send them away, he seemed to be having a much more difficult time of it than Taegan would have expected.
“He’s your father, of course he’s going to worry,” Zorvut said wryly as Taegan mounted his own horse. “He would worry even if we weren’t at war.”
“You’re right,” Taegan admitted with a sigh. “It’s just… strange, to see him so nervous. It’s rare to see him emotional, I suppose.”
A soft protectiveness welled up from the bond, and he managed a smile at Zorvut who was still watching him closely. The horses started off at an easy walk; it would be a long journey.
After an hour or so, it was becoming too dark to see, and Zorvut pulled out a torch. Taegan watched him hold it to his hand for a moment, visibly concentrating—then a flicker of flame appeared between his fingers and caught the torch, illuminating their path, and Zorvut looked back over at him with a satisfied grin.
“Soon, I’ll be able to do a lot more,” he said, and Taegan couldn’t help but grin back. The hope in Zorvut’s face would have been apparent even without the echo of it in the bond, and he found himself hoping that would prove to be true.
* * *They traveled well into the night that first day, sleeping late into the morning before breaking camp and setting out once again. Traveling straight through the night would be difficult, especially when they neared the more mountainous terrain that served as a natural border between Aefraya and Autreth, but staying off the road during the peak morning hours for now would hopefully help them avoid most of the traffic, the greatest risk of danger.
But during the day, they passed very few others on the road, a handful of merchants but not much else. With times being what they were, Taegan wasn’t surprised—who would willingly be on the road at a time like this? His heart would pound and leap up into his throat the first few times they spotted the form of another traveler on the road; although they would often look curiously between him and Zorvut as they approached, it didn’t seem as though anyone recognized them outright, and the interest seemed to fade away as soon as they were out of sight. Still, he wondered if anyone quietly made a note of seeing them and might make a connection—or a lucky guess.
“Maybe it would be best if we were a little split up,” Zorvut suggested, sensing his nervousness.
“Maybe,” Taegan replied hesitantly, but shook his head after a moment. “I don’t want to get too far from you, though. It might be more dangerous for you to be seen alone.” Zorvut seemed to consider it, then sighed.
“You’re probably right,” he conceded, glancing away. “An orc traveling around by himself might get more attention than the two of us together. I don’t think anyone’s likely to be able to tell the difference between an orc and a half-orc on sight, either.”
“Maybe we should wait until we’ve entered Autreth,” Taegan said. “We’ll be less of a spectacle there.”
“Well, it won’t be as risky to be seen together there, either.”
“Fair,” Taegan agreed. “I was also thinking… Maybe we could see how far apart we can get while still being connected. It might come in useful to be apart but still able to communicate.”
“Hmm,” Zorvut replied, clearly surprised at the prospect. “I’ve never thought of that. But you’re right, that could be helpful. I still think we should stay close for now, just to be safe, but like you said. Once we get into Autreth, we’ll try it out.”
“Nothing too extreme at first,” Taegan interjected quickly, and Zorvut chuckled. “Just… to test the limits.”
“Of course,” Zorvut replied, and he smiled faintly at Taegan. “I love you.”
Taegan felt himself blush, not expecting the affection. “I love you, too,” he stammered, glancing away. “Of course I do. What brought that on?”
“Nothing,” he said with a shrug, and turned away to look out toward the road again. “Do I need a reason?”
He paused, then added more quietly, “Pull your hood up. A caravan’s coming up the road.”
Taegan obliged, pulling the hood of his rough brown cloak up over his head. The color was not at all flattering, but he supposed that was the point of it—though he would have appreciated it if the cloak were only ugly, and not ugly and scratchy. Ahead of him, Zorvut lifted the cowl of his cloak higher up to cover the lower half of his face. If his tusks were not visible, from a distance—and if it were later in the day with less light—he could possibly pass as a very tall, strong human, maybe made to seem taller from the size of his horse.
The caravan became visible as Taegan rounded the corner. It was small, just two horse-drawn carts each with a driver and three figures walking alongside. From the distance they were at, it was hard to tell if they were elves, but the carts looked plain and unassuming, one with a crate of apples peeking through the tarp that covered the back. By the time they were close enough that Taegan could tell they were three elves, a half-elf, and a human, he could see each of them staring directly at Zorvut, his impressive height far more eye-catching than his own average stature.
Taegan gave them a polite nod of greeting as they passed on the road, which they returned. One elf that was walking alongside the carts swiveled his head to watch Zorvut as they passed and did not turn his attention back to the road in front of him until Taegan glanced back at the group surreptitiously. He could just make out emblazoned on one of the carts, painted in green lettering: Trisfiel Family Orchards. He did not recognize the name, though it seemed safe to assume that they were farmers or merchants heading into the city to sell their wares. Most of the land on this side of the castle was still used for farming.
Their last conversation still fresh in his thoughts, he imagined one of the apples he had seen peeking out from the cart. As he thought about it, he tried to push the thought toward the point in the back of his head where his bond with Zorvut was. Apple, he thought toward the bond, concentrating as hard as he could while still keeping an eye on the road ahead and focusing on the reins in his hands. Apple. Apple.
Confusion started to trickle from the bond, and he glanced up to find Zorvut looking back at him with a strange expression.
“Are you thinking about apples?” he asked incredulously, and Taegan stifled a laugh.
“It worked,” he said, nodding. “I was just thinking about what we were talking about with the bond, and… I don’t know, I thought I’d experiment.”
Zorvut chuckled, stopping briefly so they could travel side by side. “That was very strange,” he said, shaking his head with a wry grin. “It was faint, like… like trying to remember a dream about an apple. But I definitely felt it.”
“Well, at least we’ll have something to pass the time now,” Taegan replied with a grin of his own. He eyed Zorvut up and down, his eyes lingering at the half-orc’s groin. “Well, two things, maybe.”
Zorvut laughed again. “You’re insatiable,” he said, but the heat he felt through the bond was unmistakable. It would be several hours before they made camp for the night, but Taegan made a mental note to be sure they were well off the trail when they did.
* * *Soon, they broke off from the main road and made their way up a winding mountain path that would let out on the other side of the border into Autreth. It was slow going over the old, rarely-used road, with the path often narrowing suddenly or curving into steep switchbacks. Graksh’t in particular seemed to have a hard time with the steeper paths and Zorvut would often have to dismount and lead the horse if the trail became too narrow.
Here, it was far more desolate and remote, and they did not see anyone traveling the same road the entire time they traversed the mountain. On the second night, they camped alongside the road on a fairly flat stretch of land, and roasted a rabbit Taegan had shot through some underbrush earlier in the afternoon.
“So what is it that you’re hoping this Tomlin Whitmore can teach you?” Taegan asked as they sat around the fire after their meal. Zorvut glanced at him with a raised eyebrow, the light of the fire flickering across his face.
“I told you, to teach me to use magic,” he replied.
“Well, yes, but what exactly are you hoping to learn? If he’s a bard, do you think he would be able to teach you anything helpful for fighting?” Taegan asked. Zorvut paused, seeming to ponder the question for a long moment before answering.
“It would be great if I could learn something I could apply to combat,” he said slowly, considering his words. “But if I could even learn how to control it better—how to conjure more than just a handful of fire—even that would help. And maybe I could figure out more on my own from there. As it is, I don’t even have the basics down, really. So anything beyond that would be a step up.”
“And if he can’t teach you? Or refuses to?” Taegan pressed, leaning closer to the half-orc.
“Then I have met the man who is actually my father, if nothing else,” Zorvut replied, sighing. A tinge of exasperation came through the bond as he said it. “I know you have your qualms about this, and in all honesty, they are justified. But I need to know for sure.”
“I know,” Taegan said, more quietly this time. “I mean, we’ve already come this far. I’m not going to make us turn back now.”
Zorvut gave him a chagrined smile. “I know,” he agreed, reaching over to pat his knee. “Thank you for supporting me in this. I know it was not your first choice.”
“You are my husband,” Taegan replied with a shrug. “I made a vow to support you, and I intend to keep it.”
A familiar warm fondness bubbled up as he said it, and Zorvut pulled him closer, leaving his arm around Taegan though he did not say anything in response. Taegan leaned into him and looked up at the stars, searching for familiar constellations.
“We should try that thing you mentioned,” Zorvut said after a few moments of comfortable silence. “Testing the limits of the bond, how far it can go. I think this is a safer place for it.”
“Tomorrow,” Taegan replied, pressing his head against Zorvut’s shoulder. “I want to be near you for tonight.”
“Tomorrow, then,” Zorvut agreed, and kissed him.
Being intimate on the road had proven to be somewhat messier than Taegan liked, but he could not help the desire that stirred in him at the affection. He could feel Zorvut grin against him, feeling his arousal, and pulled away.
“I told you you’re insatiable,” he murmured, pulling Taegan into his lap before he could protest.
“It’s not my fault,” Taegan protested, grinding against the thick bulge of the half-orc’s erection. “You’re irresistible.” He whined as Zorvut’s hands slipped under his shirt, brushing across his abs and nipples as the garment was pulled off of him. “And you’re not exactly complaining.”
“No, not exactly,” he replied, his voice a familiar low rumble that betrayed his own desire. “Take those off.”
Taegan quickly obliged, shifting his weight to pull off his breeches, freeing his cock that was already rock-hard. Zorvut wrapped his hand around it, making him hiss at the sudden friction.
“No,” he whimpered even as his eyelids fluttered in pleasure. “No, I want…”
“Tell me what you want,” Zorvut growled, still stroking him.
“I want you to fuck me,” he said. His hands reached for Zorvut’s pants, fumbling with the laces fruitlessly. “I want you inside me.”
“Stand up,” Zorvut said gruffly, his voice vibrating through his chest. Taegan nodded, standing up to watch as Zorvut unlaced his breeches and peeled them off. The huge, beautiful cock sprang free, the tip brushing against the half-orc’s abs and leaving a glistening smear of precum in its path. “Turn around.”
Taegan hesitated at that, then obeyed. Immediately he felt Zorvut’s hands grasp him by the waist, pulling him back onto his lap but this time with his back pressed against Zorvut’s chest. One arm wrapped around him, holding him tightly, and the other was under him, spreading his ass apart and pressing a finger into his wet hole. He groaned, trying to press down and fill himself with it, but Zorvut held him firmly in place, slowly and gently working him open despite his protests for more.
“Always so eager to get right to it,” he murmured as Taegan wriggled against him. “There is pleasure in this, too, you know.”
“I know,” Taegan said, biting his lip. “I know. I just… I want to…” He trailed off, unable to put into words how consumed he was with the way Zorvut stretched and filled him to bursting. There was no feeling like it, and was now inextricably linked with any feeling of desire he had. Zorvut made a soft, rumbling sound of recognition, sensing his wordless feelings though Taegan had no idea how much of it he understood.
“My spoiled little prince,” he murmured, spreading him open with two fingers. “I think you’re ready for me now.”
Taegan nodded eagerly as Zorvut’s fingers pulled out of him, quickly replaced by the pressure of the head of his cock against his entrance. The half-orc’s grip around his waist had loosened, and slowly Taegan lowered himself onto his cock, hissing first at the familiar burn as it stretched him wide. The sound steadily became a groan as he took in more and more, until finally he was sitting again in Zorvut’s lap, filled to the brim with his huge cock. At this angle, as he glanced down, he could just see a hint of a bulge where it pressed against his belly from inside.
But his thoughts were quickly interrupted as Zorvut’s hands spread his legs apart wider, and one came up to his chest and pulled him closer, so his back was flush against Zorvut’s chest and his whole body on display. Though there was no one around to witness them, it somehow felt more lewd, his legs splayed wide apart and his arms lifting to wrap around Zorvut’s neck—the thought only made him harder.
“Fuck,” he moaned as Zorvut began to move, sliding in and out of him in long, slow, careful movements. “You feel so good.” He felt more than heard Zorvut groan in agreement, pleasure arcing between their bond in an exponential feedback loop. For a long moment he moved in the same leisurely pace, the wet, slick sounds of their movement only occasionally broken by a soft gasp or panting breath. Every nerve in Taegan’s body felt warm with pleasure, but he desperately wanted—needed—more, needed the intense pressure welling up inside him.
“Harder,” he managed to whimper, and he felt Zorvut nod his head. Then one of his hands, so much bigger than Taegan’s, pulled his face up to kiss him. Their tongues teased against each other, then Taegan gasped sharply as Zorvut obliged with his request, fucking him faster. He whimpered as Zorvut kissed him harder, his free hand moving to stroke his cock. Taegan clutched desperately at Zorvut’s neck as he bounced up and down on his cock, the hot pleasure shooting through him rendering him unable to do anything but hang on for the ride.
He didn’t last long, between the hand stroking him and Zorvut’s cock filling him completely. He moaned against Zorvut’s mouth as he came, his body clenching hard around the huge cock as he shot streams of hot come onto his abs and chest. Zorvut growled in his ear as his climax flooded the bond, giving him only a few more hard thrusts before Taegan could feel hot liquid filling his belly, the half-orc groaning in satisfaction.
They remained joined for a moment afterward, each of them panting to catch their breath, Zorvut’s hands trailing in idle, comforting circles along Taegan’s arms and shoulders. Finally, Taegan managed to find his legs and gingerly started to lift himself off, moaning at the sensation of the cock slipping out of his overstimulated hole that seemed to go on for miles, then the thick gush of come spilling out of him in a steady stream for several seconds.
“Let me help,” Zorvut said, standing up to reach for his pack from which he pulled out a towel.
“It’s futile,” Taegan chuckled, though he started to wipe himself clean with it. “I don’t think I’ll be clean again until we find somewhere with a hot bath.”