Mrath looks at the ogres with visible disgust.
“You are correct.” Her voice is deep, and her words come out slowly.
Braareg doesn’t move. “There is a darkness in the mines. Show me your plans.”
Mrath laughs. “You can’t be serious. Didn’t your backwater magic already show them to you or are you baiting us?”
“Mrath,” Teo says in warning. Then he takes a deep breath, studying the Ogre King. It’s a thing to watch as the Enduares and elves, save Mrath, lean in, waiting on his next words. They are drawn to his magnetic ability to lead. His quiet confidence strikes me as it has a million times, and his self-assurance brings peace in a way that nothing other than a capable leader can provide.
“Shaman or not, you are blood kin to the giants,” he says at last. “Surely you must understand why we would be cautious about your coming into our meeting and demanding our strategy.”
The Ogre King stares at Teo for a long moment. “We do share blood with the giants, but we no longer consider them our kin.”
Mrath laughs. “No? Really? I suppose now would be the time to announce that I have also stepped down as leader of the sisterhood.” Her chortle cuts off as she thrusts a finger into the air. “Come now, you sound like petulant children. You live because the giants decided to let you live over the last millenia. You wouldn’t turn your back on them.”
Braareg glares at her. “Do children not break free from their parents? Or is parricide only acceptable for the elves?”
“That’s quite a large word?—”
“If I still held the status of bloodkin as legitimate, I would’ve alerted Rholker of your arrival half a day ago, and you would already be waging war,” Braareg says with finality, cutting off Mrath’s insult.
I consider this, thinking once again about how the giants disrespected him.
The giants believe in themselves and their future, and they think that the rest of the world is conditioned to believe they arebeneath them because they say so. It isn’t far-fetched to me to believe that the ogres have had enough.Humanshave had enough. As have the Enduares.
After casting my thoughts to my husband, Teo nods slowly. “Why are you here then?”
Braareg straightens his great green shoulders. “To see if you would speak to me face-to-face, as king of my own right.”
I take a deep breath, showing Teo all the times I’d seen the ogres just behind corners, in dark hallways, and shadowy rooms. It takes courage to step forward and draw the gaze of their glowing eyes. My shoulders straighten, just like Liana showed me.
“Rholker did not respect your rule. I saw evidence enough of that during my time there,” I say firmly.
Braareg looks at me and says, “I keep wondering where your collar is.”
I glare up at him, letting the anger seep out of my pores.
“I broke it and cast it into some heap of rubbish.” Then I nod. “As a Fuegorra reader of my own people, I believe I understand what you do quite well. I recognize you as both shaman and king.”
Braareg’s eyes gleam. The wind blows around our tent, causing the fabric to billow and flap. The hunters who had led them inside rush to hold down all parts of fabric. He turns to Teo.
“Do you share your queen’s sentiment?”
Teo nods. “Yes.”
Braareg’s eyes are cast to Mrath, then land on Ayla. The curves of his lips turn down.
She killed the old Ogre King, no?I ask through the bond.
Yes, but she also inadvertently made Braareg king. Ogres don’t use a familial royal system, so his power would’ve awoken at thedeath of the old shaman. I think he would’ve attacked her if he wasn’t begrudgingly indebted to her actions,he says back.
“What a thing it is to be ignored and humiliated by those who share your distant blood, no?” Mrath says, pushing past the battle map. “I will accept to share our plan if you swear your blade to our battle. Will you join us in our fight?”
The ogre looks down at her, and the wind dies down. “We will not join a fight we were not originally invited to.”
“I would invite you now,” Teo says firmly.
Braareg considers this, and the men he brought appear intrigued. One of them stands dangerously close to Thorne, who has stealthily left Mrath’s side and appeared at the outskirts of the tent.
