Kaius the Fierce by Cara Wylde

Chapter Four

It was the first time Grace rode in an orc car. She’d had heard about these vehicles and seen pictures of them online. They were something between a car and a carriage, they had engines, and they were huge. She needed help to climb in the backseat, and when Kaius climbed next to her, she made herself small in a corner. He gave her a frown, and she tried to relax and act a little warmer towards him. She was here now, and she was afraid that if she seemed too reluctant, he’d just take her back to the institute. Compared to the other orcs who’d visited today, Kaius was gentle and even pleasant.

Not the same could be said about the raider he’d come with. Thrak the Butcher sat in the front, behind the wheel, and when Kaius had said his name, Grace had truly shuddered. Thrak had only bowed his head slightly, without a word, but only by looking at him, Grace could tell this man had seen things and done things. Man. Could she refer to any of them as men? Males. Male orcs. That sounded more accurate. It was probably how they referred to themselves, too.

They rode in silence. Grace was struggling with keeping her red hair out of her face. She regretted not taking a scarf out of her luggage before throwing everything into the trunk. Fortunately, Kaius had brought a blanket for her, and she wrapped herself in it, feeling the chill of the wind rushing by into her bones. At least she’d been smart enough to not wear a dress.

“Tell me about your horde,” she tried to make conversation. “Is it far from here?”

“Not far.”

When Kaius didn’t offer more, she sighed. Back at the institute, she’d thought he liked her. Now he was being awfully silent, and he didn’t even look at her.

“Is it big? I mean... are there many orcs...” She didn’t even know how to put her thoughts into words. She didn’t want to sound rude or stupid. She felt like she seemed to be both, because the feedback she got from Kaius wasn’t great.

“Enough orcs in my horde,” he said simply.

She swallowed heavily. “Any female orcs?”

“Two. You’ll meet them when we get there.”

Well, that seemed to be the end of the conversation. Grace wrapped the blanket tighter around her legs and tried to focus on the landscape. They were going deeper into the Black Hills of Arizona. They drove through towns that had once been buzzing with locals and tourists but were nearly abandoned now. They crossed the valley where there were still houses, gardens, orchards, and vineyards, but significantly less people, if any, and headed for the mountains. The roads were in good condition, and they were able to drive almost up to the mouth of the caves her captain’s horde inhabited.

Once they arrived, he helped her down, and Grace almost lost her footing again. He held her up firmly, his big, warm hands on her back, this time. She cursed herself silently and promised to try and be less of a klutz.

Kaius asked his raider to take care of the luggage, and walked Grace to the orcs that were outside, talking in their strange, guttural language, laughing, and tinkering. Two of them were sharpening their hunting knives, and another was pulling apart a chair. Grace chose not to question it.

“Beka, Birma, come here,” Kaius ordered sharply.

Two female orcs emerged from behind an arch in the rock, one of them wiping her hands on a dirty towel. They were twins. Green skin, black hair, brown eyes. They were dressed in short leather dresses and sturdy boots, and they seemed to be young. Maybe younger than Grace. The only way to tell them apart was by their scars.

“Show my bride around.” And with that, Kaius turned on his heels and motioned for two other orcs to follow him. Grace had no idea where they were going, and she didn’t dare ask.

“Well, well, well... Our captain finally brought a mate home,” one of the twins said.

“Not yet a mate,” the other one said, studying Grace briefly. “He’ll want to see how she fares first.”

Grace gulped. Was she going to be tested? How silly of her to think she could just come here and be accepted by everyone in a heartbeat. She had to prove herself first. Or maybe, she only had to win the captain’s heart. If he even had a heart...

“I’m Birma the Unseen,” one of the twins introduced herself. She had a long scar on the right side of her neck, and Grace memorized it.

“And I’m Beka the Wanderer.” She had a scar running across her clavicle.

They both had tattoos on their necks and faces, which meant they were mere grunts, soldiers who followed orders and never asked questions.

“Grace. I’m Grace Adams. I... I can’t go unseen, and I don’t wander, either.” She smiled meekly. That was a bad joke. What was she thinking?

Birma cocked an eyebrow, but Beka gave a short laugh.

“I’m sure you can do better,” she said, “but it’s your first day, so I’ll call it good enough for now.”

Grace exhaled slowly and turned to Birma. “Does the Unseen mean...”

“That I can make myself invisible? In a way.”

Beka punched her sister in the shoulder. “Birma is being modest. She can sneak like no other. More silent than those animals you call cats.”

“You don’t have cats in your home world?” Grace was surprised.

“No. Those creatures are useless. I don’t know why you keep them around.”

She wanted to say “for moral support”, but reconsidered. She doubted orcs needed any kind of moral support.

“Come on,” said Birma, “we don’t have all day.”

Grace followed them obediently. She saw Thrak the raider disappear into the cave with her suitcase and her bag. She had her phone with her, but a single glance at the screen told her there was no signal. She turned it off, as there was no point in wasting its battery.

“This is the kitchen.”

Beyond a tall, elegant arch in the rock, there was a deep hole in the mountain, not quite a cave, that the orcs had turned into an outdoor kitchen. There was a wooden table, two chairs, and a sort of stove made out of a smooth, dark rock that had been chopped into a plank, sitting atop two other tall rocks. Underneath it, Grace saw the remnants of a fire. In the middle of the so-called kitchen, there was a large cauldron suspended above a pile of wood that waited to be lit. It was all simple and rudimentary, and Grace wondered how it could possibly be enough. From what she could tell, the horde was numerous. How could these makeshift appliances feed them all?

There was a bucket of what looked like milk on the table, a couple of pots and spoons, and next to them, it seemed like one of the twins had been chopping vegetables.

“Stew for dinner?” Grace asked.

Beka nodded. “If the hunters catch a few rabbits.”

“They’ll bring you your rabbits,” Birma laughed. “Don’t worry.” Then, leaning towards Grace, “Beka loves her rabbit stew. I’m more of a boar girl.”

“Boar?”

“Yes. There’s plenty of boar in these woods. The hunters bring one almost every day, roast it on the fire, and it’s delicious.”

“I’ve never eaten boar.”

“Well, you’re in for a treat.”

“No boar today,” Beka said. “The captain ordered them to bring a deer.”

“Oh, right. I forgot. We have a special guest.”

“Who?” Grace asked innocently.

At that, both female orcs burst out laughing. Grace blushed to the tips of her ears, realizing she was the guest they were talking about.

“I can help you in the kitchen,” she offered, just to change the subject.

“Good. Because we raided the abandoned villages when we moved here and gathered many jars and packages that seem to be filled with dusts that should be used in food. But we don’t know how.”

Grace smiled. “I’m pretty sure those down in the valley are towns, not villages.”

Beka shrugged and pulled out a box from inside a niche in the mountain. “We tried to use them randomly and spoiled so much good food that Kaius forbid us from touching them without the supervision of someone from your species.”

Grace rummaged through the wooden box and found salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla beans, powdered sugar, and many other spices, some of which she hadn’t used either. She wasn’t a great cook, just decent. And she needed to first search for a recipe online, and then try it. There were few things she could make from memory. But anyway, combining spices wasn’t rocket science. She could help with that.

“You don’t use salt and spices in your food?”

“No need. It tastes perfect the way it is.”

She scrunched up her nose. “Doubt it, but we’ll see.”

“Yes,” said Beka, displeased. “We’ll see.”

From what Grace could tell, the female orcs were proud of their cooking skills, and even though they wanted to try and use spices, they wanted it to be known that they weren’t necessary for a hearty meal. Grace wasn’t going to start an argument with them, only prove them wrong.

“Enough about food for now,” Birma said. “Let’s show you the caves. We spend most of the day outside, but that’s where we rest.”

Grace followed them back. As they were getting ready to enter the cave, an orc dressed in a long robe and wearing a heavy necklace made of metal chains around his neck burst out, almost knocking Grace on her bum. Beka’s hand shot out to steady her.

“Ulgan, watch where you’re going!”

The orc turned to them, his eyes flickering with mirth.

“Two birds on the moon. The butterfly just ate an owl, and it won’t hoot tonight.”

Grace blinked, utterly confused. “What?”

Birma and Beka rolled their eyes.

“What are you up to, Ulgan?”

“Silence! Finally, blessed silence! I need to pick more of the spiky herb. It works!”

“Are you still working on that potion?”

“Yes. It will be ready when the first snow comes. Or when the trees take flight.” Now he looked confused himself. He furrowed his brows and said in a deeper, lower voice, sounding more intent than ever. “No. It will be ready tonight. Tonight.”

“Good. Though the Giant hasn’t been complaining about headaches for days. But it’s good you figured it out. Maybe he’ll need it some other time.”

The strange orc turned on his heels and ran into the forest without another word.

“Okay. What just happened?”

“That’s Ulgan the Delirious, our mage. Since he got a hard blow to the head in battle, he’s never been the same. Most of what he says makes no sense, but he’s still great at what he does. Everyone wanted Kaius to retire Ulgan and get another mage, but Kaius refused. He’s a good captain and is of the belief that his raiders, grunts, and his mage are not replaceable. You’ll get used to Ulgan. He’s harmless.”

“What’s he working on?”

“A cure for the Giant’s headaches. He’s been struggling with them for weeks.”

“See, now you’re not making much sense. There are giants in these woods?”

Birma laughed out loud. “No, silly! The Giant is our captain’s second raider. Dharg the Giant. He’s huge, like a tree.”

“A very tall tree,” Beka added.

“It’s ridiculous that someone like him suffers from headaches, but I guess no one is perfect.”

“You’ll meet him soon enough,” Beka said as she grabbed a torch from the cave wall and walked deeper, knowing Grace and her sister would follow. “He’s a gentle giant.”

“That’s a relief,” Grace murmured. “The other raider, Thrak the Butcher, didn’t seem to be gentle.”

“Someone has to do the dirty work around here.”

“She doesn’t mean around here,” Beka corrected. “There’s dirty work to be done only in battle. We’re not at war anymore.”

“Maybe that’s why Thrak is depressed,” Birma mused. “He’s good at something, and that thing isn’t needed anymore.”

“He’s not depressed, he’s just grumpy, like he’s always been. You didn’t notice because Kaius always sent him on missions. Now he’s around too much.”

“He should send him hunting more often. I don’t like him breathing down my neck every day.”

Unfortunately, just then Thrak the Butcher emerged from a hidden cavern, startling the three of them. Birma and Beka laughed when he scowled at them, but Grace wasn’t amused. She covered her mouth with her hands and didn’t take her eyes off of Thrak’s back until he vanished outside.

“Oh my God, he heard you!”

“So what?”

“What if he’s mad?”

“He’s not mad.”

“He seemed mad. He scowled at us.” No one had ever scowled at Grace before.

“That’s just Thrak’s way of politely greeting someone.”

And the female orcs burst out laughing again. Grace shook her head and followed them in silence. She made a mental note to try and stay out of Thrak’s way. That name he’d been given, – the Butcher, – didn’t sit well with her. And if she ran into him by accident, she’d make sure to smile and be as nice as she could.

Birma and Beka led her deep inside the mountain. As she studied her surroundings, Grace concluded that part of the cave must’ve been natural, but most of it must’ve been dug and carved by the orcs. They came to a wide space with a roof so tall that if she looked up, she couldn’t quite see it, with torches and gas lamps lining the walls, and learned that it was called the grand hall, and it was where they often gathered to eat, talk, hold important meetings, or simply sit around when the weather was bad. Aside from the tunnel that connected the grand hall to the outside, three more tunnels opened into the depths of the mountain. The female orcs led her down the one in the middle. It was wide, and Grace could see that there were niches carved in the stone, some more spacious than others. The ones that were smaller seemed to be used as storage rooms, and the ones that were wider and deeper served as bedrooms for the orcs. She spotted pelts and blankets on the floors, even pillows. The furniture was minimal – only a few shelves here and there. Most of the entrances weren’t covered with anything, which meant that the orcs didn’t care much for privacy. Those that were covered had curtains made of animal skin hanging from the ceiling, where nails kept them in place.

“This is it,” Beka said as she stopped in front of a curtain, at what seemed to be the end of the tunnel. “The captain’s room.”

This curtain was taller and wider, and it was made up of more animal skins sewed together. Beka pulled it aside and revealed a wide gallery that was significantly bigger than the niches the other orcs used as bedrooms.

“Wow!”

Here and there, stalactites and stalagmites met in the middle, forming columns.

“Impressive, I know,” said Birma. “This was here when we came, we just had to dig our way to it. When Kaius saw it, he immediately declared it his private quarters. Which... I mean... fine. He’s the captain.”

“You’re jealous,” Beka pointed out.

“Yeah, so? Doesn’t mean I really want it for myself.”

“Make sure Kaius doesn’t hear you.”

“Come on, sister. He knows every orc in the horde is jealous of his lair. I think it makes him smug about it.”

Birma shot Beka a weird look, then shook her head. Grace wasn’t paying attention to them anymore. How could she? This was where she was going to sleep with her orc mate. No, she couldn’t call him that yet. But what if he claimed her tonight? Would he do that? Claim her on her very first night here with him? There were pelts on the floor, in a corner, a stack of pillows, and another stack of blankets. The makeshift bed didn’t look like someone had slept in it recently, but what did she know? Maybe Kaius liked to make his own bed in the morning, or maybe someone else made it for him. The room was clean and tidy, and everything was in its place. Kaius had more possessions than the other orcs, and there were more shelves attached to the walls. She spotted a few books, a notebook, pencils, and an eraser. On almost every shelf, there was a gas lamp, and all over the floor, along the walls, there were candles burning. It must have been magic, because they were burning steadily and not a lot of wax dripped down to gather at their base. Normally, Grace would consider the whole thing a fire hazard waiting to happen, but oddly enough, she felt like it was safe. The orcs knew what they were doing.

“Well?” Beka nudged her gently. “Do you like it?”

“I... I do.” She nodded firmly. “Yes, it’s lovely.” It was, but she was still concerned about the matter of the single bed. She bit her lower lip and said nothing.

“Your stuff is over there,” Birma pointed at her suitcase and bag, which Thrak had left right beside a column. “We’ll let you settle in, change...”

“Oh, there’s more!” Beka slapped herself over the forehead, then marched across the room, where she pulled back yet another curtain.

Grace had completely missed it, too busy studying the room.

“Kaius built a tunnel that leads straight to the lake. That’s where we bathe. Use it at your discretion.”

“Thanks.”

“The water is warm, by the way. He made sure to ask Ulgan the Mage to enchant a couple of hot stones for you, and then he sank them to the bottom of the lake.”

That took Grace by surprise. Now that she thought about it, she realized that it was quite warm in the room, which was strange. It was deep enough inside the mountain that she should’ve frozen by now. She spotted the heavy, rectangular stones placed against the walls. It was clear they didn’t quite belong there.

“The captain thought of everything.” Birma patted her on the arm as she walked past her.

Grace was at a loss for words. The female orcs left, leaving her alone, and she didn’t know what to do with herself. The wise thing would’ve been to unpack and change her clothes. Yes, that was what she was going to do. But she needed a moment first.