“Yes. It’s just a workout though. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. This is part of my job here.”
His smile didn’t falter. “But you made one for me first. I am the very first orc on the team you thought of. Even if this is part of your job, I like that I will be first.”
I should have made one for Ozar, or Bwat, or Ugwyll first. Why oh why did I choose Eng, when I knew he’d probably take this as a sign of my warming up to him.
Because Iwaswarming up to him. And because, in spite of everything that had happened, he was my safe space. He wouldn’t tell the others or the owner if I messed up this initial plan. He’d help me fix it and keep any mistakes between us. He’d made sure no one else knew about us making out in the gym. I might not be ready to trust him again with my heart, but I absolutely could trust him with this.
“Do you want to start now? Although you’re probably tired from this morning. Would you rather take a break and go through the workout after lunch?”
He looked mildly offended at my suggestion. “I am not tired, but I need to be on the ice for practice, so perhaps after that is over I can meet you back here.”
I must have heard him wrong. “Practice? On the ice? You’re actually going to that?”
Eng nodded. “The coach wants me to play as the goalie. I will need to practice as much as I can before Friday’s game.”
“Goalie? You’re going to be the team’s goalie?” I sounded like a total idiot repeating him but my brain could barely process the idea that he not only was open to this assignment, but that he was actually planning to participate in the game and in team practices.
He nodded again, and there was a flicker of something that looked like unease in his dark eyes. “I may be a terrible goalie, but I am willing to try.”
I was stunned into silence. He was willing to try. Somehow those words felt as if they encompassed more than hockey.
“So I will meet you here after practice?” he asked.
“Yes. After practice.” It was all I could manage to get out.
He turned to leave and I watched his very fine backside until the locker room door closed behind him. Then, snapped out of my stunned state, I jogged to the arena.
A number of the orcs were already on the ice as I snuck into a seat where I was semi-hidden behind a support pillar. I couldn’t hear what Coach Rencovitch was saying, but the man was on skates and appeared to be positioning the team in a more traditional pattern. The orcs’ usual bare chests were covered by mesh pinnies—blue for one team and red for the other.
Ozar and Ugwyll were facing off as centers of opposing teams. Bwat and Pug were opposing left wing, Trap and Ttonel were opposing right wing. Morag and Frmkxwn were left defense. Snog and Dozet were left defense. Mur and Grung were right defense. The was no one at either net. I assumed Eng and whoever would be covering the opposite goal were still in the locker room.
Coach Rencovitch was waving and pointing as Eng and Knax came onto the ice. Both orcs were fully kitted out in goalie pads, including helmets. The owner would be annoyed that two of his players wouldn’t be showing off their magnificent torsos, but I was glad the coach was opting on the side of safety and not letting the team goalie play with only leg protection.
Eng took position in front of one goal while Knax did the same at the opposite net. After some shouted instructions that I was too far away to hear, the coach dropped the puck and the orcs exploded into action.
Twenty minutes later it was clear that the team would need a whole lot of work. It wasn’t just their skating skills and game strategy that were weak. The Tusks needed better communication. They needed to come together as a team. And where the guys clearly had muscle mass and power on their side,they lacked flexibility. My thumbs flew as I typed notes on my phone, and I quickly revised a few of Eng’s exercises based on today’s training session. Agility work. Speed drills. Balance.
After the mock game, Coach Rencovitch brought the guys on the sidelines onto the ice and split the whole team into groups to practice stick work and shooting. I watched intently as half a dozen orcs tried to get their pucks past Eng and into the net…and failed. The orc might suck at skating, but he had amazing reflexes. The groups switched back and forth between activities, but Eng and Knax remained at their position, never taking a break from the onslaught.
When the coach called them all back to do some cool down laps around the ice, I snuck out of the arena and back to the gym to wait for Eng.
37
ENG
Isaw her up in the stands, half hiding behind a support column as she watched us practice. Her presence during games had always solidified my decision to do nothing except stand against the wall and try to remain upright, not wanting to embarrass myself in front of anyone, let alone the shrew. Now her eyes on me had a very different effect. It didn’t matter if I fell or looked like an idiot as long as I kept the pucks from reaching the net.
It was exhausting work, far more strenuous than any of the shrew’s workout routines or my military training back home. As my muscles began to shake with fatigue, I imagined that I was guarding our gates against an army of fae, and when that motivation began to lose the fight against my growing fatigue, I visualized myself protecting myWillowynfrom a marauding hoard that wished her harm.
I’d never pushed myself that hard for anything. By the time the coach told us to take some easy laps around the ice to cool down, I could barely stand. My cool down consisted of my holding on to the wall with one hand and dragging my stick behind me with the other as I slowly put one foot in front ofthe other. Thankfully the other orcs were just as weary, and the shrew had left before I began my slow and painful laps. How could I possibly summon the energy to complete another, individual, workout with her after this? But the alternative was to postpone our session, and I was too proud for that.
Plus, I was eager for any chance to see her, to be alone with her. Somehow I would force my tired body to obey. And then I would go back to my hovel and sleep. I might even take an Uber rather than attempt the walk home.
As we staggered toward the locker room, I realized that I wasn’t just tired—I stank like a deadMorfestthat had been baking in the hot sun. There was no way I could face the shrew like this, so I elbowed two of my teammates out of the way and threatened two others to make sure I was first in line for the showers.
Hot water and soap never felt so good. I nearly dozed off against the warm tiles, but the shrew was waiting, so I turned the water on cold to blast myself awake and hopefully energize myself enough to run or throw anvils or whatever else she wanted me to do.
When I finally made it into the gym I saw her sitting on one of the weight benches, alternating between scribbling on paper and looking at her phone. She glanced up, then jumped to her feet when she saw me, the paper falling to the floor.
