CHAPTER TWO
Vrogul
As much asI would have liked to throw the hellcat spitting wildfire over my shoulder, I had responsibilities as the chief. Also, the hole in my fooking shoulder would have made such a thing difficult.
Thanks to her.
So why wasn’t I angrier? Why wasn’t I anticipating her punishment, especially when I saw the way her false bravado masked her fear?
Why was myKteerhumming in satisfaction at the way she molded against my side?
“Maardok?”
When my brother stepped up—causing more than a few of the villagers to gasp and shrink back further, either inresponse to his size or his scar—I forced myself to loosen my hold on the human.
“Take her to the birlinn,” I commanded, thrusting her toward him.
My brother’s brow twitched as if he wanted to ask if I was certain, but he reached for her arm.
To my surprise, she hissed,“Nay!”
She stepped away from him…toward me. I told myself she was just trying to escape Maardok’s hold, not that she was running to me…but that didn’t stop myKteerfrom preening at the thought.
My brother merely growled at the evasion, ducked his shoulder, and hoisted her over it. The wildcat immediately began to kick and scream, punching at his kidneys with her fists, and I felt my grin growing.
“Ye’re certain ye wantthisone?” my brother rumbled, and I knew ‘twas mostly for show.
I, too, made a point of scanning the gathered humans, as if I was reconsidering my choice. Every female, and most of the men, hunched away from my gaze, their own eyes locked on the ground ahead of them.
Weaklings.
I’d found the prize of the village.
Or mayhap she’d found me.
I jerked my head, telling my brother without words to prepare the birlinn. As he stomped away with the screeching wildcat, I forced my attention back to the village and the work which needed to be done.
As the afternoon dragged on, my shoulder ached more and more. I pressed my elbow against my side to keep my arm immobile and wondered if my new prisoner was as uncomfortable under Maardok’s stern gaze as I was now. I trusted my brother to inventory and stow our spoils, carefully balancing the ore and barrels within the boat.
I didnottrust him to see to our enemy’s comfort.
My warriors took what we so desperately needed, and a few extras beside. There was a loom Auld Ebben would find intriguing—I had her son take it apart so it would stow more easily while the human owner stood stoically by. Ballik found the village’s store of grains and seeds, so we took a handful of each to supplement my clan’s vegetable gardens next year. And of course, we helped ourselves to Issa’s favorite cheeses, taking two logs of each type.
As I herded the last of my men out of the village, I saw the humans glancing at each other with shadowed hope. I doubted they knew how keen an orcs’ senses were—otherwise they wouldn’t have dared voice their whispers.
“Is that all they’re taking?”
“We won’t be left to starve?”
“Thank God, thank God.”
I found myself scowling. They should be thankingmefor pitying them.
The late summer sun was low over the water when I pulled myself aboard the birlinn with a final grunt. My brother was there to haul me upright then hand me a hunk of bread and a cup of cold water. Gods below, I wanted ale and meat—as did we all, for certes—but we had no time.
“Everything is stowed?”
“Aye,D’malk,” Maardok intoned as he led me to a bench back near Auld Garran. He only called mechiefwhen we were raiding, and everyone knew the best raiding was done under a late summer’s full moon.
