Blood of the Orc Prince by Lionel Hart

5

Chapter Five

Despite his bravado, Taegan did not sleep very well that night, though he could tell Zorvut fared even worse. He slept in fits and starts, waking often, and when the sun first began to peek over the horizon he felt Zorvut shift next to him and get up with a weary sigh. Taegan tried to sleep a little longer, but the smell of Zorvut preparing a simple breakfast and some coffee soon dispelled any hope of a bit more sleep, and he too sat up to face the day.

“Good morning,” Zorvut said, noticing him stir. Already Taegan could feel the heated tremor of his anxiety from his end of the bond. He came up beside Zorvut wordlessly, wrapping his arms around the half-orc’s waist, and they held each other in silence for a few moments. “The coffee’s going to over-steep,” Zorvut murmured, finally breaking the silence, and with a wry laugh Taegan released him.

They set about breaking down the camp after their light meal, and were leading the horses back onto the road not even an hour after sunrise. It was slow going in the marshy wetlands, but even if their pace was this slow the rest of the way, Taegan expected they would reach the port of Naimere well before sunset.

But soon the trail began to curve a bit more inland, away from the lagoon, and from the map Taegan could tell the trail would curve to the southeast for a while before making a straight shot south to the port town. More and more trees began to pepper the landscape as they moved away from the wetlands, going from short shrubs to thin trees, to tall and thick ones with leaves that splayed out in long, swaying fronds or on thin, flexible branches almost like a willow tree.

“Maybe we should have a plan for if things go poorly,” Zorvut said suddenly, when the sun had reached its peak in the sky. “Maybe if he is there, but… doesn’t want to help for some reason.”

“All right,” Taegan agreed slowly, frowning. “Well, what do you think the worst case scenario would be?”

Zorvut seemed to ponder that for a moment. “Either he has some prejudice against me,” he said slowly after some thought. “Or is afraid of getting involved once he realizes who we are, who you are. He either may try to hurt us directly, or maybe will report our presence to… I don’t know, someone who will be able to get the word back to the warlord somehow.”

“That would be bad. Well, maybe we can try and figure out his position about the war before revealing exactly who we are,” he offered, though he was unsure how well that might work out. “If he tries to hurt us—well, that would be more unfortunate for him. I’m not worried about us being able to defend ourselves. If he is afraid of somehow being targeted by our enemies, we can either promise him protection, or if he casts us out, it would probably be best simply to leave without protest.”

“But I think he would suspect who we are the moment he might know we’re married,” Zorvut sighed. “Elves and orcs aren’t exactly known for getting along. Even here in Autreth, I don’t think elves would be particularly interested in a half-orc.”

“Well, you’re probably right,” Taegan admitted with a grimace. That was one stereotype about elves that was unfortunately well-informed by reality. Kelvhan’s words echoed in his mind—elves should be with elves—but he certainly had not been the first or only elf he had heard voice such sentiments. “Maybe we can pretend not to be married. Maybe we’re part of an adventuring group. Or we’re just friends, and I’m helping you out.”

“But if he does agree that he’s my father, then he would know my mother is the warlord’s wife. So then why would I not be with the clan?” he pressed. “If I had been cast out before, would I not have tried to seek him out sooner? I don’t know how well I could keep up a string of lies like that.”

“Then we just don’t offer the information unless he asks,” Taegan said. Zorvut still seemed unsettled, but did not reply, instead looking distantly toward the road ahead. “If he asks why we’re traveling together, we’re friends and I agreed to help you find him. If he asks how we became friends, we met when the war was over, and when it resumed we left. That’s technically the truth, after all.”

“Technically,” Zorvut sighed. “Maybe it would be best just to be forthcoming. If things go well at first it would be hard to backtrack on our story… And if he has some prejudice against us I don’t know if I would want to spend any time learning from him even if he were to offer it.”

That was understandable, though it elicited some mixed feelings in Taegan. It would be a shame to have come all this way only to turn back of essentially their own volition. But if he were the one in Zorvut’s place, he would certainly struggle to accept help from someone who did not accept his husband, too.

“I don’t know if we can really have a solid plan that will account for everything,” Taegan finally replied. “I think maybe it would be best if we just hold back a bit until we can get a better grasp of his intentions, his character. And I’m sure that if you open the conversation with you being his son, it will be a while before he gets around to asking about me, or us.”

Zorvut chuckled, glancing back over at Taegan. “I think you’re right,” he said. “Thank you. That makes me feel a bit better.”

“And if he does prove to be a problem,” he continued, and made a slashing motion through the air with his hand. Zorvut laughed aloud at that, shaking his head with a grin as he turned back to face the road. Taegan stifled a smile, though he was sure Zorvut felt his amusement through the bond.

They kept traveling and eventually the path began to curve more to the south again. On the horizon, the shape of buildings began to appear, slowly growing larger and taking on a more defined shape and color. Another faint spike of anxiety came through the bond once the city was within sight, though it was much less than the nerves he had felt from him previously.

There was no real gate to the city, just an open archway surrounded by a low fence. A single guard was posted at the archway, but only gave them a bored nod as they approached on their horses. Clearly, they had no concerns about who was entering the city.

“Pardon me,” Taegan said as they approached, locking eyes with the guard who perked up slightly at his attention. “Could you point us to the largest inn in town?”

“Well, there’s only two,” the guard replied, eyeing them a little more closely. “The largest would be The Snoring Seagull Inn, though. If you just follow the main road, it’ll be on the left in the center of town. The proprietor’s an old broad called Miss Jade.”

“Much obliged,” Taegan said, stifling a laugh at the inn’s name. They made their way through the archway and into town. The smell of salt in the air was stronger now, and, appropriately, seagulls were calling overhead.

“Did you want to look at a tavern?” Zorvut asked curiously.

“I figured it would be the best place to start asking around,” he replied with a shrug. “And if nothing else, we’ll know where we can stay tonight.”

“Smart,” he remarked. They followed the main path through the small town, passing by some residential buildings. Most had their windows open with curtains fluttering in the breeze, and a handful of people walking the streets watched them curiously as they passed. As a port town, they certainly had no shortage of sailors and workers passing through, but just two people, obviously warriors, arriving on horseback might be a bit more of a spectacle.

The inn he had asked about was readily apparent as they approached the town square. In a small city such as this, the town square was exactly that; a central area of the town the structures were built around, a hub for travel and activity with a few peddler’s carts set up in the open areas between the buildings and the fountain that served as Naimere’s focal point. To their left as they approached from the main road, there was one building slightly larger than the rest with open doors and more activity compared to its surroundings. A sign hung over the door, but it was so weathered and worn that Taegan could not make out either its words or the crest—only a few faint streaks of what might have once been blue and white paint remained. But it was unmistakably the inn the guard had described. Zorvut glanced over at Taegan, who nodded in affirmation, and dismounted, leading Graksh’t to a tethering pole outside the inn. A human man was leaving the inn at the same time, and stumbled at the door at the sight of them, his mouth gaping open like a fish.

“Gods!” he finally gasped, then seemed to collect himself upon seeing Zorvut’s eyes on him. “Beggin’ your pardon, sir—I just, um, ain’t ever seen a horse so big before.”

“Yes, he gets that often,” he replied with a chuckle. The man nodded dumbly before finally stumbling down the walkway he had originally started on, still turning his head to gawk at him and the horse for a moment before turning around, shaking his head.

“So much for laying low,” Taegan sighed, though he smiled as he said it. Once the horses were tethered, they entered the inn. The door opened to a narrow hallway, just low enough that Zorvut had to lean down to walk through it. The walls of the hallway were plastered with papers and some framed pictures; the papers looked to be in varying states of disrepair, some looking quite fresh and clean while others had clearly been there for a very long time with tattered, crispy edges. They ranged from advertisements to scribbled artworks to personal messages—Taegan only eyed them briefly as they walked, and the hallway opened up into a dining hall. The ceiling here was higher and Zorvut was able to straighten up as they entered. It was a large room, bustling and noisy, with long mead hall-style tables and benches taking up most of the room with a handful of smaller tables pressed up along the walls, and a long bar on the opposite end. A few people looked curiously at them as they entered, but for the most part their arrival seemed unremarkable.

Behind the bar was a single figure, an older human woman. Only one person was sitting directly at the bar, but a few tables were filled with people eating a late lunch or simply socializing. They were mostly humans, but a few dwarves were peppered throughout the crowd. The woman behind the bar was passing a drink to the man sitting at the bar, but otherwise did not seem rushed or busy, simply surveying the room and greeting them with a slight smile and wave.

“Well, shall we have a drink?” Taegan asked, and Zorvut nodded. Now that they were inside he could feel his husband’s unease, though his expression was as carefully stoic as ever. He led the half-orc up to the bar and they sat down.

“What can I get you travelers?” the woman asked, leaning against the bar in front of them. From this distance Taegan could now see her more clearly—the deep lines next to her eyes and mouth betrayed her age, as did the long gray hair she was wearing in a low ponytail. But she still stood straight and had a youthful grin as she eyed them. “Let me guess. Wine for the elf, and something stronger for your guard.”

Taegan grimaced, trying to force his face into his practiced charismatic grin. “You’re not too far off. Yes, wine for me, I think. And for you?” He glanced at Zorvut next to him, sensing his slight trepidation that mirrored his own, though his face was still neutral and calm.

“Just ale,” he answered gruffly, and the woman nodded.

“Coming right up,” she said, and turned her back to them as she grabbed a wine glass and uncorked a bottle. She worked quickly and was soon presenting them each with their drinks. Taegan took a nervous sip, but this wine proved to be much more palatable than the sour wine he’d had at the first inn that had scared him off human wines so far.

“Thank you,” Taegan said, sliding a few coins across the bar which she deftly dropped into her apron with a slight jingle. “You must be the famous Miss Jade.”

She laughed at that. “Ha! I don’t think I want to know who’s calling me famous, but yes, you’d be correct.”

“If you’ve a few moments to talk, I was hoping you could possibly point us in the right direction.”

“Well, sure,” Jade replied with a grin. “What are you looking for?”

“We’re looking for a who rather than a what,” he said. A spike of anxiety came through the bond, and he projected calmness toward Zorvut as much as he could manage. “We’re looking for a human named Tomlin Whitmore. We’re not entirely sure if this is where he is, but this is where the rumors have led us thus far.”

The woman’s grin dropped slightly at that; her expression was not hostile, but had become decidedly less cheerful. Whatever that meant, Taegan couldn’t guess.

“Well, the rumors led you true, I’ll give you that,” she retorted, placing her hands on the bar and leaning toward them. “If it’s an autograph you’re looking for, well, Tom will probably give it to you but he won’t be happy about it. He came here to retire in peace, after all.”

“I’m afraid there’s a misunderstanding,” Taegan said quickly, raising his hands in a placating gesture. “I’m aware of his previous exploits, but this is not the purpose of our visit. Rather, we’ve been sent to, ah, deliver a message.”

“A message?” she asked, raising her eyebrow. “And what might that be?”

“A message our benefactor believed Mr. Whitmore would be very interested in hearing,” he replied, smiling wider. She sighed and shook her head, though the amused grin still lingered on her face.

“I can see you’re not going to take no for an answer,” she sighed, leaning back and folding her arms across her chest. “He doesn’t live too far from here. If you head toward the harbor from the town square here, he lives in one of the tall houses with a blue tile roof. His is the one with yellow curtains. He’s usually home this time of day, or out fishing if he’s not there.”

“Much obliged, Miss Jade,” Taegan replied graciously, letting his face relax into a more natural smile as he handed her another coin. She raised an eyebrow at him, but took it without comment.

“Yes, well,” she sighed, rummaging idly behind the bar before retrieving a rag with which she began to wipe down the bar top. “I remember how it is to be young and adventurous. If you didn’t hear it from me you’d go bark up another tree, and maybe this way I’ll at least get some more of that coin you’re so generous with by renting you a room.”

Zorvut laughed at that, the first obvious reaction he’d had in their whole conversation, and Jade chuckled in response.

“Look at that! Made the tough guy laugh,” she said, more to herself than to them. Taegan met Zorvut’s gaze, and the half-orc managed a slight smile.

“Well, if we do end up needing a room for the night, we know where we’ll find one,” Taegan agreed. “In fact, if you have a stable we can keep our horses, we might just take advantage of that now.”

“Certainly!” she agreed, and leaned her head around the corner of the bar to yell up the stairs for a stable boy. “Vance! Come down here and help some customers with their horses!”

An irritated-looking boy of about sixteen emerged from the stairs a moment later, with dark wavy hair that flopped into his face. “Yes, ma’am,” he said in a monotone voice.

“It’s the biggest horse on the tether, plus the little red dun next to him,” Zorvut said. The boy hesitated at his appearance, then nodded. “You’ll know them when you see them.”

They stayed just long enough to finish their drinks. Zorvut was sipping his slowly, nervousness still simmering occasionally through the bond, but when Taegan downed the last of his wine it seemed to kick him into action and he, too, finished off his drink in a few long gulps.

“Shall we?” he asked as he slammed the now-empty ale mug onto the bar, and Taegan raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Let’s go,” he agreed simply, and Jade waved them away as they stood.

“Good luck!” she chirped, a wry grin on her face. Taegan wondered what Tomlin Whitmore must be like for her to have such obvious schadenfreude at the thought of them approaching him.

They walked out to the town square and along the southern path toward the coast. The glimmer of the ocean was visible on the horizon, and on the widest parts of the street Taegan could make out the shape of the harbor and some boats.

As they got closer to the harbor, most of the buildings had a deep blue tile roof just as Jade had described, a pleasant contrast to the white stone the rest of the buildings were made of. It gave a decidedly nautical atmosphere to the cobblestone street. On the right side of the street, the buildings were taller and more narrow, and one had a set of yellow curtains fluttering through an open window in the cool breeze.

“That must be it,” Taegan said, pointing to it, and Zorvut nodded. He paused, hesitating, and Taegan turned to look at him. His brows were furrowed and his gaze was locked on the narrow blue-roofed home.

“Let me do the talking,” Zorvut said.

“Of course,” Taegan agreed, nodding. Though he had been the one to act as their spokesperson for most of the trip, it only made sense for Zorvut to take the lead now. Taegan might have been the more chatty one between them, but ultimately it was Zorvut’s quest for them to have ended up here at all.

Zorvut took in a long, steadying breath, and resumed walking toward the building, striding up a few stone steps to the door of the house with the yellow curtains. The door was wood, painted white to match the building, but streaks of pale brown were showing through where the paint was weather-worn and chipping.

“Here we go,” Zorvut said, barely above a whisper, and raised his fist to knock on the door—three solid knocks in rapid succession.

“Coming!” a voice called from inside. It was clearly a man’s voice, deep and melodic even as he simply spoke. Taegan raised a comforting hand to give Zorvut’s back a few gentle pats before pulling away as the door unlatched loudly from the other side.

Taegan was standing behind Zorvut on a lower step and couldn’t get a good look at the human who stood in the doorway as it swung open, but could make out just a few features—a tall, skinny man with a short dark beard, a simple dark brown shirt and tan trousers.

“Can I help you?” the man asked after a beat of silence, obviously startled as he looked Zorvut up and down.

“Are you Tomlin Whitmore?” Zorvut asked, and his voice was even and calm despite the steady, staccato beat of stress coming from him through the bond like the tapping of a drum. The man’s tense stance visibly relaxed at that, and Taegan heard him chuckle faintly.

“I am,” he answered. “I take it you’re here for an autograph? Let me find a pen—“

“No, we’re not,” Zorvut interrupted, and the man stopped halfway ducking back into the house. “I—we’re here to deliver a message. May we come in?”

“A message?” he repeated, sounding surprised. “From who?”

Zorvut glanced back at Taegan nervously for a brief second before looking back at the human.

“May we come in?” he asked again, lowering his voice slightly. Something in his expression must have pushed the man into action, for he hesitated for just a moment longer before stepping back, pulling the door open wider.

“Sorry, I didn’t see you back there,” he said, leaning around Zorvut to catch Taegan’s gaze. Now that he could clearly see the man’s face, he was taken aback at how much like Zorvut he looked — the shape of his eyes and mouth, though of course scaled down on the human’s smaller face, were identical to Zorvut’s own. His hair had clearly once been dark but was now mostly gray, as was his beard, both of which were short and tidy. He was on the taller side for a human, and classically handsome with brown eyes that shone with an amber tint in the sunlight.

He shook himself back to reality before his silence went on too long. “Not a problem,” he answered with as gracious a smile as he could manage, and the man smiled back instinctively though his confusion was still apparent in his eyes. Taegan followed Zorvut into the house, and the human closed the door behind him.

“Why don’t you have a seat?” he said, brushing past them and leading them into a small kitchen on the left, where the window with the yellow curtains was located. There was a small dining table as well with only two chairs. “It might be a bit small for you, my tall friend, I apologize. Have a seat, please, and I’ll bring in another chair. Something to drink?”

“No, thank you,” Zorvut answered as he carefully sat down. The chair was decidedly too small for him and creaked under his weight. Taegan sat as well, and they waited in an awkward silence for a moment. It was a comfortable-looking kitchen, with white tile floor and blue accents of dishes and wall art to mirror the white and blue motif of the surrounding buildings. A few fresh flowers were in a vase of water on the table next to them, and the stove was turned off although the kitchen was a bit warm and had the aroma of a meal recently being prepared.

Tomlin Whitmore emerged from the entryway with a stool which he placed opposite them on the table and perched on, a smile on his face though his posture was nearly as tense as Zorvut’s.

“Well, what’s this important message then?” he asked, looking between the two of them. Taegan glanced over at Zorvut, who was looking at him, and nodded encouragingly.

“Well,” Zorvut replied slowly. “My name is Zorvut the Relentless, from the clan Bonebreaker. I came here to tell you… My mother is Naydi, wife of Hrul Bonebreaker. But I learned, not long ago, that the warlord is not my father. She says that you are my father.”

Taegan’s gaze had been on Zorvut, but once the confession was in the open he glanced over to the human. His brows had raised incredulously, and for a long moment he was perfectly still until he finally leaned back in his seat, very slowly, and raised a hand to cover his mouth.

“By the gods,” he breathed, his eyes locked on Zorvut. “I didn’t—I mean, yes, I remember Naydi, but… I had no idea. Gods!” He rubbed his beard nervously, and finally let out an incredulous laugh. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say.”

“Of course,” Zorvut replied, sounding just as nervous. “I, um, I only found out a little while ago. It was a shock for me, too, certainly.”

“A son,” Tomlin said, shaking his head. “I have a son. Gods! How do you say your name again? Zor-vit?”

“Zorvut,” he answered.

“Zorvut,” the human repeated, and he laughed again. “Wow. Well, to be honest, this has never happened to me before, all the stereotypes about bards aside. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if there are a few more of you, none have ever come to find me like this. Well, it’s good to meet you, Zorvut. May I?” He stood and extended his arms. A rush of incredulous surprise flooded the bond, but slowly Zorvut stood and took a step closer to the human. They embraced awkwardly for a brief moment, the human’s arms not quite able to fully wrap around Zorvut while he patted Tomlin’s back carefully.

Once they stepped back, Tomlin looked up at Zorvut with his hands on his hips. “How long will you be in town, then? I’d love to get to know you, maybe go on a bit of a fishing trip…”

“Ah, well…” he started, then trailed off anxiously. “I came here for another reason, too. Around the same time I learned about you, I, ah, discovered some latent magical ability. Orcs don’t really have much in the way of magic, and I haven’t been able to find a suitable teacher, so… we came here in hopes you could maybe provide some guidance, or even just point me in the direction of someone who can.”

“Magic!” the man exclaimed, surprise overtaking his face again though there was a tinge of delight in his voice. “Well, magic definitely runs in the family. My father had some ability with the arcane, as did his father. I’ve been blessed with no small talent as well. I can definitely help you out, though if you’re, ah, traveling with elves, I’m surprised they haven’t been able to help you more.”

Taegan grimaced, speaking for the first time. “Unfortunately, sir, I don’t have much in the way of magic myself. Hence our journey to come find you.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I caught your name,” Tomlin said quickly, seeming to truly look Taegan over for the first time.

“I’m Taegan,” he replied. “Pleased to meet you.”

“And you as well, Taegan. And I must thank you for accompanying Zorvut here. I’m sure it was a dangerous journey, things being what they are in the world.”

He chuckled, nodding. The man didn’t know the half of it. “I’m happy to help.”

“But as far as magic, sure,” Tomlin said, turning back to Zorvut. “I don’t know how good of a teacher I’d be, but I’d be happy to help however I can. Do you have a place to stay?”

“We have a room for the night at The Snoring Seagull,” Taegan interjected quickly.

“Ah, well, Miss Jade is a lovely woman,” Tomlin chuckled. “I can prepare rooms for you if you’d like to stay with me for a bit, after tomorrow.”

“That would…” Zorvut trailed off and glanced over at Taegan again, a hesitant look crossing his face. “I think… Maybe you should tell him.”

“Tell me?” Tomlin asked, glancing between the two of them. A faint grin was still on his features, though it had fallen a bit, seemingly still unsure about them despite his warm demeanor.

Taegan nodded slowly, then looked back to the human. “There is more to the story, Mr. Whitmore. My name is Taegan Glynzeiros, and I am the prince of Aefraya, the son of King Ruven Glynzeiros. And Zorvut…” He glanced over at the half-orc, who gave a tiny, imperceptible nod. “Zorvut is my husband.”

Tomlin looked between the two of them, his grin slowly dropping until his mouth hung open. “Oh, gods,” he gasped. “You’re the elven prince. Then you’re the half-orc, and…” He stumbled back to his seat, leaning against the stool. His hand came up to cover his still-agape mouth, running his fingers nervously along his beard. “That’s why the orcs declared war again. Gods, you’re married? You can’t be more than, what, seventeen?”

“Nineteen,” Zorvut replied dryly. “But orcs are considered adults at fifteen.”

Taegan blinked, pulling his surprise away from the bond. He knew Zorvut was a young adult, like him, but had he really not asked his actual age before? Nineteen felt awfully young even if he was an adult—but that was a conversation for another day, he supposed.

“And you,” Tomlin stammered, looking at Taegan once again. He stood quickly, his face taking on a panicked expression. “You’re a—I am so sorry, I’ve just never had a—a prince! A prince in my house.”

“Please,” Taegan chuckled, raising a placating hand. “It’s quite alright. And, you know, Zorvut is a prince as well, by extension.”

The baffled human looked between the two of them for a long moment, then burst into a loud, nearly hysterical laugh before covering his mouth with both of his hands and sitting back down.

“I have a son,” he whispered, seemingly more to himself than to either of them. “I have a half-orc son. And he’s a prince, and he’s married to the prince of the fucking entire elf kingdom. Gods help me.”

“I understand it’s a lot to take in,” Zorvut offered cautiously, still sitting with his back stiff and straight in the too-small chair. He had hardly moved during the entire exchange; Taegan could feel trepidation coming from him more than anything else, though he was certainly feeling a wide range of emotions all at once. “Like Taegan said, we’ll stay at the inn for tonight, and you can think everything over. Then we can come back tomorrow and decide what you’d like to do?”

“Of course, of course,” Tomlin answered, nodding without meeting his gaze. “I mean, you can certainly stay here, and I’ll do whatever I can to help, but you’re right, this is a lot for one day.” He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head rapidly as if trying to clear his thoughts before looking at Zorvut again with a weak smile. “Thank you for coming to find me.”

Zorvut managed a slight smile, clearly disarmed by his words. “O-of course,” he stammered. “Truth told, I was very nervous going into all this. We didn’t know if you would be… open to this, or if you would want to help me at all, or if you wouldn’t want to get involved with, well… all this. I should be thanking you.”

“Right, of course,” Tomlin said, suddenly frowning. “Is it—it’s safe for you to be here, right? You’re not being chased down or anything? I don’t know much more except the orcs and elves are at war again. Are you in trouble?”

“No, I don’t believe we’ve been followed,” Taegan said, interjecting as Zorvut seemed hesitant. “It is an unfortunate possibility, but one we have taken many steps to avoid. If we believed we were bringing anything dangerous to town, Mr. Whitmore, we would not have led it to your doorstep.”

“Please, you can both call me Tom,” he said with a wave of his hand. “And that’s good to hear. I mean, I would still want to help, certainly, but… Well, I wouldn’t want to endanger anyone, of course.”

“Of course,” Zorvut echoed. “I agree, there were no signs we were being followed.”

“In that case, please, I’d love to host you here for a little while,” he said, then started laughing again, shaking his head in disbelief. “What a day! By the gods, I have a son. A son!”

The conversation seemed to fizzle out from there, both of them unsure of what exactly to say to the other. That was understandable; how often would one have a conversation with a father they’ve met for the first time? And learning he had an adult son must have been quite a shock for Tom as well, and his wide eyes seemed to continually dart back and forth between the two of them. Taegan watched their uncertain interactions as they tested the waters with each other with a faint smile on his face. In spite of their awkwardness, there was a clear magnetism between them. Now that they were facing each other and speaking, the resemblance between them was only more apparent, which still amazed Taegan.

Eventually they sat in awkward silence for a long moment, at which point Taegan decided he needed to guide the conversation.

“I must thank you again for your hospitality toward us, Tom,” he said, standing up. “You certainly did not owe us anything, but you’ve been exceedingly generous. I think I can speak for both of us when I say we greatly appreciate it.”

“Of course, of course,” the human said, standing as well, his back stiffening. He clearly was still even more unsure how to act around Taegan, despite his reassurances. “It’s been a shock, certainly, but I’m glad to have you here.”

“I think now is a good time to take our leave,” Taegan continued, glancing back at Zorvut as he spoke. “To give you some time to process, and we can reconvene tomorrow. Does that sound agreeable to you?”

“Oh, yes. That’ll give me time to tidy up my guest room,” Tom continued, glancing up toward the ceiling — as tall and narrow as the house was, Taegan imagined most of the living quarters were probably on the higher level. “Please, come back tomorrow, I’ll be here.”

They agreed to return before noon the next day, and with one last uncertain but earnest embrace, Taegan and Zorvut took their leave, stepping back out on the street. Taegan could feel the human’s gaze lingering on them for a long moment before he heard the wooden door close as they walked away.

“That went well,” Taegan said as they walked, and Zorvut nodded quickly. Taegan could feel the bond quiver with contained energy, all but buzzing with excitement, but Zorvut was the perfect picture of restraint. From his outward appearance, he did not seem any more energized and excited than usual, yet just under the surface he was roiling with clamped-down emotions. The half-orc briefly met his gaze, now barely stifling a grin. They would talk more in the privacy of their room at the inn.

“So how’d it go?” Miss Jade asked with a smirk as they returned to the tavern. Taegan returned her grin with a self-satisfied smile of his own.

“Very well, thank you,” he replied, bowing his head graciously. She hummed in acknowledgment but her gaze became decidedly suspicious, and she watched them with curious eyes as they headed up the stairs to the room they had rented. It was nicer than the roadside inns and village taverns they had stayed at on their journey, a little bit bigger, but still a far cry from their own quarters in the castle at home. The white and blue motif seemed to permeate the entire town, as the room had plain stone flooring and white-painted walls, but the wooden furniture was also painted white, and deep cerulean curtains hung on the window, the same oceanic blue as the sheets and pillows on the two beds. Taegan had not quite had the courage yet to ask for just one bed, but Zorvut did not seem to mind much either. Hopefully it would be the last night they would sleep on two beds pushed together.

“I can’t believe how well everything went,” Zorvut said breathlessly the moment the door closed behind them, hardly able to contain the words any longer. “That was really… The best-case scenario in every way. Gods, Taegan, I was so worried we’d be kicked out of his house or—or chased out of town, or worse.”

“Yes, that went about as well as anyone could have hoped for,” he agreed, a slow smile spreading across his face. Though Zorvut was clearly feeling a mix of emotions, the overwhelming relief and joy flooding through him was infectious.

“I almost can’t believe it. I’m almost afraid to be too happy about it yet,” Zorvut sighed, running a hand through his short-cropped hair. Taegan nodded slowly.

“That’s understandable,” he said, but Zorvut continued as if hardly hearing him.

“It doesn’t feel real,” he sighed, pacing around the room—it was small enough he could only get three, maybe four steps before needing to turn back around. “Like… I could wake up tomorrow and it could all have been a dream. That was real, right?”

“Yes, it was real,” Taegan laughed, nodding. He sat down on the bed, watching Zorvut in fascination. He could not think of a time he’d seen the half-orc so moved—at least, not since their emotional reunion and re-bonding. “But I understand. I’m still a little hesitant as well, to be honest. There’s no guarantee he might not change his mind come tomorrow morning. He did seem a bit nervous about us bringing danger into town, after all.”

“No, no, I don’t think he will,” Zorvut answered quickly, waving his hand. Taegan stifled the tiny spike of irritation he felt at that. It felt too much like being waved away, but he told himself Zorvut was just excited, eager—could he really blame him for that at a time like this? “He seems like a man of his word. And if he can teach me more magic, I’m sure he can hold his own.”

“Well, I hope you can learn much from him,” Taegan replied, and when Zorvut met his gaze his eyes softened into a more tender smile. Everything else seemed to melt into the background when Zorvut looked at him with the eager, hesitant smile that curled around his tusks, brightening up his golden-yellow eyes like a beam of sunlight. “This whole trip will have been worth it if you can learn something worthwhile.”

“Thank you for coming with me,” Zorvut said breathlessly. He stepped toward Taegan and fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around the smaller elf and pressing his face into Taegan’s lap. “Thank you, thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me, my love,” Taegan chuckled, gently stroking Zorvut’s hair and pressing a hand to his cheek when he glanced back up at him. “But, I did want to ask you… Are you really only nineteen?”

There was a beat of silence between them, then Zorvut laughed aloud, the tension in his muscles all suddenly breaking at once as he leaned harder into Taegan affectionately.

“Yes,” he said, shaking his head incredulously. “Yes, but orcs are considered adults at fifteen. I promise I wasn’t a child bride.”

“Well, that only makes me feel a little better,” Taegan teased, chuckling. “I can’t believe I never asked you before.”

“It never came up,” he replied with a shrug, then raised an eyebrow. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-six,” he answered with a grimace. “Though, elves aren’t really considered full adults until twenty-five, so in a way you’ve been an adult longer than me. Still, though… Nineteen!”

They had dinner still in the effervescence of the successful day, their joy echoing back to the other and building upon itself. The inn had a nice bath and they were each able to wash away the grime of the day before turning in for the night.

Zorvut fell asleep quickly, clearly crashing after having spent much of the day in nervous anticipation. But Taegan laid awake for the long time, watching the flicker of shadows in the candlelight against the wall.

Now that he was in the quiet of his own thoughts, his own worries slowly started to creep in. What if the man did change his mind? Or worse, what if they had been followed after all? Would Tom chase them out at the first sign of trouble? And what if he could not really help Zorvut? The warlocks of the elf capital had tried to guide him but were unsuccessful—who could say this human had any better way of teaching him than they did? He had not shown them any magic while they were there, offered no proof of what he was capable of doing.

But if nothing else, Zorvut had been able to meet his father. The satisfaction of that, alone, would make all of this worth the trip, he told himself. The thought echoed in his mind until he was able to finally fall asleep.