Kaius the Fierce by Cara Wylde

Chapter Nine

Maybe it was foolish of her to feel so hopeful, but the next morning, she and Kaius had woken up entangled in the warm blankets, her back pressed to his chest, his arm draped over her waist. And it had felt good. It had felt like the world was theirs and nothing could go wrong because they had found each other. It was all moving quickly, but that had never been something that scared Grace off. She was happy it had all evolved exactly as she’d hoped and planned.

Her orc mate was in a good mood. He wasn’t as upset about the apple orchard as he’d been the previous day, and before he went to meet with his raiders and grunts, he kissed her passionately.

“Be safe,” she whispered.

“I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Do you really think Goroth will listen?”

“We all want peace, don’t we?”

She bit the inside of her cheek. Okay, maybe she was a little concerned, given that Kaius still refused to share the bounty of the valley with the other orc captain, but he was right, wasn’t he? His horde had been here first. Goroth the Devourer had to respect that. She’d just gotten here, and she didn’t know how it all worked. Kaius would take care of everything, all she had to do was help Beka and Birma with the krags and whatever else they busied themselves with, while waiting for her orc lover to return with good news.

Kaius only took a few orcs with him, the purpose of the meeting being a diplomatic one. They went right after breakfast – freshly baked bread, krag milk that Grace had insisted to be boiled before consumption, and dried meat. In Grace’s book, dried meat and milk of any kind had no business being consumed together, but it wasn’t like she could make the orcs give up their bad habits. Their stomachs were strong, unlike hers. She could easily suffer from indigestion if she didn’t eat right, but they didn’t seem to be bothered by the combinations they made.

Grace spent the day trying to teach Birma and Beka the little knowledge that she herself had about cooking and combining ingredients. She’d never been a great cook, but she’d always managed. At the very least, she knew how to use the spices the female orcs had collected in time, and through their combined effort, they put together a meal like the orcs had never had before. It seemed the right thing to do while her man was away.

Kaius and the party he’d taken with him returned late in the evening. The captain was fuming. He ignored the dinner the females had prepared and went straight into the cave. Grace rushed after him.

“What happened? How did it go?”

“Poorly. We couldn’t reach an agreement. Goroth wants war, so I will give him war.”

“What?! No...”

“Yes.”

She struggled to catch up with him. He was walking purposefully down a corridor he hadn’t yet showed her. They seemed to be going even deeper inside the mountain. The torch he was holding barely managed to chase the darkness away. At some point, the ceiling was so low that Kaius had to hunch to pass through. It was easier for Grace, who was naturally petite. Eventually, he emerged into a gallery that was a little smaller than the one they shared at night, and Grace covered her mouth with her hand when she saw what lined the walls.

Weapons.

“War,” she whispered. “You don’t mean that...”

“And what would you have me do?” he turned to her, anger flashing in his dark eyes. “Give up the valley? Offer it to them on a silver platter?”

“N-no... I don’t know...” She pursed her lips. She was completely unprepared for this, so maybe it was better for her to just keep silent.

“I know what I’m doing, Grace. I’m providing for my horde, for my bride, and for my future heirs.”

She blushed. Future heirs. They’d only slept together once, but it was only natural for him to think about putting a baby inside her. After all, that was the whole point of her being here. And she wanted him to put a baby inside her. Grace felt like she sucked at many things, but there was one thing she could be truly good at: motherhood.

“I trust you to do the right thing.”

He cupped her cheek with his big, calloused hand. “This is the right thing.” Then kissed her forehead.

She stepped aside and crossed her arms over her chest as she watched him weigh a sword in his hands, hook it on his belt, then grab two axes.

“These are enchanted weapons,” he explained.

“I know. They taught us about your magic at the institute. Orc magic. Birma and Beka said Ulgan is quite good at what he does.”

“He’s a little mad...”

“He doesn’t make much sense,” she chuckled.

He smiled. “But yes, he is a great mage. He’s never disappointed me, and he won’t disappoint me today. I’m taking him with me.”

She munched on her lower lip worriedly. “Is that wise?” Instantly, she regretted saying the words. She fully expected him to become angry at her, but he simply raised an eyebrow. “I mean... Oh God, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“What did you mean, then?”

“Maybe it’s better if he stays here? To protect... the horde?”

“The horde is coming with me. All of them. Even Beka the Wanderer and Birma the Unseen. I know you see them tending to the krags and preparing our meals, but they are warriors. They are my trusted grunts, and they are brave in battle.” But then, he finally saw the fear in her eyes, and it dawned on him that if he took his entire horde with him, then she’d be left here alone. His gaze softened. Now he knew what she’d meant. “You’re right. I will ask Ulgan the Delirious to stay behind. He can cast a protective shield from here and aid us in battle. Since his... accident, he hasn’t been the same, and it’s smart to keep him away from bloodshed. He’s the only mage I have.”

“Y-yes...” She could tell he’d practically read her mind. She didn’t want to be left here alone. “Thank you.”

He kissed her once more, then they were interrupted by his horde bursting into the gallery, eager to claim weapons for themselves. Kaius spotted Ulgan checking the weapons to make sure they were laced with strong magic that acted as a poison once the blades pierced the skin of the enemy and approached him.

“You will remain here and look after my bride. My mate.”

Grace heard him and smiled to herself. Mate. He had spoken the word, and it couldn’t have made her happier.

“But, captain...”

“Do as I say.”

“Yes, captain.”

They jumped on their krags and rode at midnight. Wrapped in a woolen shawl, Grace stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking the valley and peered into the darkness. Ulgan stepped beside her.

“The night is alight with victory,” he said.

“Is that a promise, or can you see into the future?”

He looked at her, a furrow on his forehead. He was trying to find his words; words that if strung together, made sense.

“The future is only a reflection of the past.”

She smiled. “Well, it’s not that I don’t agree with you, but that doesn’t seem to answer my question.”

“The stars sing songs of home. Kaius will return.”

She shook her head. Even though she didn’t understand him, she was grateful for his presence. She knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight. The food she and the female orcs had made had been left untouched, and while they were all preparing for battle, Grace had made herself useful by wrapping it as well as she could and storing it in a cool hole for later. She hadn’t eaten much since breakfast, and she wasn’t hungry. All she wanted was for this to be over, for this night to end, so she could start living the life she’d always wanted with Kaius the Fierce.

Soon, she heard the battle unfolding in the valley. She saw fire, heard orcs shouting, the clang of weapons... She wrapped the shawl tighter around herself, keeping her fear in check. She eyed Ulgan the Mage and saw that he had his arms raised and was whispering something under his breath. The spell was in orc language, and all she could hope was that he got the words right.

It lasted for hours. The noise died down before dawn, and the fires were put out one by one. She was too far away to see who had won, so until Kaius and his horde emerged from the woods, Grace held her hands over her heart and prayed silently. Kaius walked next to his krag, his back straight and his chin held up even as he limped slightly. She ran to him. He was bleeding from too many wounds. She didn’t dare count them. There was a deep scar on his chest, and the edges were blackening. Magic.

“Are you okay?” she sobbed, burying her head in his chest.

He placed a gentle hand on her back. “Yes. We won.” He looked at Ulgan over her shoulder. “No time to waste. We all need your healing skills.”

But Kaius was the last to be healed by the mage. He first made sure that all his orcs had the poison of the enemy’s weapons pulled out of their blood, and only when they were all safe and on the road to recovery did he allow Ulgan to tend to his wounds. He’d bled heavily, and his skin had darkened with poison in too many places. He clenched his jaw and let Ulgan work. Grace could tell that he was in a lot of pain. She took his hand in hers.

“I’m so glad it’s over.”

“Yes. The valley is ours. You have nothing to fear, my bride.”