Not that any orcs had gone to visit an institute yet, but it seemed that Morgath didn’t want to put on a show for them anymore.
Audrey was intrigued by the change and didn’t know what to think about it. She watched him from the corner of her eye during meals, but he never looked at her or acknowledged her beyond the occasional grunt when she asked him to pass something.
This was how two weeks passed without much happening, and Audrey grew more frustrated each day. She felt like she was spinning her wheels.
Until one night, something finally happened.
Morgath didn’t lock her bedroom door. In fact, he didn’t come home at all.
Audrey didn’t think much of it at first. She went to sleep, woke up in the morning, and went about her day as usual, spending time with the girls in the kitchen. But Morgath was not at dinnereither, and his absence felt strange after two weeks of sitting next to him every evening.
Audrey took a seat between Maika and Dorsha since the captain wasn’t there.
“Where’s Morgath?” she asked.
The female orcs exchanged glances, and Maika shifted in her seat. Dorsha looked down at her plate and didn’t answer right away.
“What?” Audrey pressed. “Where is he?”
“Something went wrong,” Zulka said, her voice quiet. “With one of the potions he’s been working on.”
“What do you mean something went wrong?”
“He’s locked up in his hut,” Maika said. “I brought him food this morning, but he left it untouched at the door.”
Dorsha leaned closer. “I heard him making sounds. Grunts and keens of pain. Something bad happened.”
“Did you try to go in?” Audrey asked.
“I knocked and asked if he needed help. He howled at me to go away and never return. He sounded angry and in agony at the same time.”
The girls started speculating, leaning in and speaking in hushed tones about what could have gone wrong. Zulka thought maybe he’d inhaled something toxic. Dorsha wondered if a spell had backfired. Varka suggested that perhaps he’d been testing something on himself and it hadn’t gone as planned.
Raknar the Steadfast joined the conversation, pulling up a chair across from Audrey.
“I am worried too,” he said. “I tried to talk to the captain this afternoon. He sent me away with orders to mind the horde for a few days.”
“Did he say what was wrong?” Audrey asked.
“He would not speak to me through the door. He only shouted that he had it under control and that I should leave him alone.”
“He has it under control,” Zulka said quickly, as if trying to reassure herself. “He’s our captain and our mage. He knows what he’s doing.”
“I hope so,” Raknar said. “We need him. Both as a captain and a mage.”
Audrey listened to all of this with growing intrigue. She’d spent two weeks trying to find a way back into that hut, and now Morgath was locked inside and clearly vulnerable. This might be the opportunity she’d been waiting for.
After dinner, instead of going back to the house, she slipped away from the others and made her way through the darkening forest toward the hut. The walk felt longer, and the sounds of the forest louder. Owls hooted in the trees above her, and something small rustled in the underbrush to her left.
When she reached the clearing, she saw the warm glow of candlelight flickering in the windows. She crept closer and crouched low as she approached one of the windows. She rose up slowly and peered inside.
In the soft candlelight, she saw Morgath’s face for the first time.
Audrey covered her mouth with her hand as her eyes traced over his handsome features. He had a straight nose and high cheekbones, full lips, and a strong, square jaw. His tusks poked out of his mouth, long, sharp, and perfect, and his black hair fell loose around his shoulders. He was the most ruggedly handsome man she’d ever seen. The sight of him made her breath catch in her throat.
Then she noticed that his skin was covered in sweat. He was straining as if in pain, his fists clenched at his sides, his jaw tight. He stood rigid in the center of the room, breathing heavily. His whole body trembled with the effort of staying upright.
He was shirtless, he had no pants on, and he was barefoot. It seemed he was suffering from a fever and couldn’t stand clothesanymore. He wore only briefs that were tented by his massive, pulsating erection. His green skin looked darker than usual, flushed with heat and exertion.
