“Or mayhap she would rather wait outside,” Iyolf said, in a deceptively soft voice. “As she has so oft wished the rest of us to do, all these past summers.”
Raye’s breath seized, and sudden bitter awareness flooded through her thoughts. They… they knew who she was, then. They’d surely been among the orcs Kalfr had sent to her, perhaps watching over her, or dropping off goods and coin at her door. They’d perhaps even been some of the orcs who had knocked, and begged in vain for a few moments to speak, and slipped Kalfr’s letters through the crack.
They knew everything. They knew all Raye’s shame, all her failings. And gods, how many of the other orcs here at the mountain knew, too? How many of Kalfr’s acquaintances and clanmates? Surely… all of them, right? Surely they would all have known about Kalfr’s son, and asked why he’d never once brought him to visit?
Raye’s face burned, her arms folding over her chest, and curse it, now Svein was looking at her, too. His expression was just as unreadable as Kalfr’s had so often been, these past days, and the sight of it struck Raye with more misery, more bitter dread and shame. How could she face this mountain, and all its certain judgement, without it negatively reflecting on Svein? He’d been so excited for this visit, and she couldn’t ruin it for him. She couldn’t.
“Right, then,” she managed toward this Iyolf, and his cold, unfriendly eyes. “If it would be best, I’ll be happy to stay out here and wait, while Svein goes with my —”
She bit her lip just in time, because what else had she been about to say? Svein would go visit the mountain with her lovers? Her enemies? The two bonded orcs who she’d helped to keep apart all this time, and who were very possibly only tolerating her for Svein’s sake?
But then — Kalfr. Kalfr’s tall body, stepping quick and jerky toward her. And Kalfr’s hand, settling together with Gaelfr’s on her back, and Raye frowned up at him, not following that look in his eyes. What was he doing, what was he saying, was he…
“Raye will come with us,” Kalfr said, his voice deep and certain. “And you will welcome her with only honour and kindness. For she is not only the mother of our son, but she is” — he took a breath — “ourmate.”
35
Their mate.Theirmate.
Raye looked at Kalfr for a hushed, jolting instant, her heart skipping. Despite Gaelfr’s many claims about this, Kalfr hadn’t once called her his mate since they’d reunited, had he? Let alonetheirmate?
But now, here he was publicly announcing it. Endorsing it, for his clanmates to hear.
Our mate. The mother of our son. Ours.
A quivery thrill shot through Raye’s chest, followed by a whisper of uncertainty, or even suspicion. She was still supposed to be earning Kalfr’s forgiveness, and proving this to him. So… was he just saying this for Svein’s sake? Or maybe just to show a united front before his people?
But Kalfr’s eyes were flinty, intent, even as his hand dropped from Raye’s back, while on her other side, Gaelfr curtly nodded too, and drew her closer into his side. “Ach, Raye is our mate,” he said firmly. “She has been a brave, faithful mother to our son, and now we wish to welcome her to our mountain, together.”
More warmth thrilled through Raye’s body, even though — Gaelfr couldn’t mean all that either, right? Surely he was also just pretending, for Svein?
Even so, Raye couldn’t help a grateful smile up toward Gaelfr, and toward Kalfr, too. But Kalfr was still looking toward this Iyolf, waiting, demanding, until finally Eyolf cleared his throat, and meaningfully gripped at Iyolf’s arm.
“This is most wondrous to hear, brothers!” Eyolf said, with a too-bright smile toward Kalfr’s face. “You shall wish your mate and son to have a proper tour, then, ach? If you shall come in, and only wait a moment, we shall arrange this for you!”
With that, he tugged Iyolf backwards, and after one more narrow look at Raye, Iyolf nodded, and jogged off after Eyolf to the mountain’s waiting black entrance. Leaving Raye still feeling flushed and uncertain, until Gaelfr’s hand nudged her forward, toward the mountain.
“Be at peace, woman,” he murmured. “You are safe with us, and welcome here.”
Welcome here. At Orc Mountain. It felt impossible, even more absurd than Kalfr publicly calling her their mate — but Gaelfr looked very certain, and on Raye’s other side, Kalfr curtly nodded, and guided Svein forward, too. And it was enough to slightly steady Raye’s pounding heartbeat, and she accordingly went, walking straight toward Orc Mountain. She could do this. Orc Mountain.
“Ooooh!” came Svein’s excited voice, once they’d all stepped beneath the mountain’s arched stone opening, into the waiting darkness beneath. “Look at it, Mama!”
Raye took a bracing breath, and obligingly blinked around her, toward… the corridor? Yes, they were now standing in a broad, open corridor, with flat floors, smooth stone walls, and lovely wrought-iron lamps studded between the occasional doorway cut into the stone. It didn’t look at all like the crampeddark hovel she’d expected, but more like an inn, or even a large, well-maintained home.
Gaelfr was looking around too, his expression both surprised and intrigued, and he tapped his claw against the nearest lamp. “These are new, ach?” he asked toward Kalfr. “Were you part of this,ástin mín?”
Kalfr shrugged and waved it away, suggesting that perhaps yes, he had been — but he was glancing up the corridor, toward where two new people were sprinting toward them. Two newwomen, both dressed in highly unusual ensembles, and both wearing pleased grins on their faces.
“Kalfr!” one of them exclaimed — the shorter one, who was blonde and pert-looking, and wearing a belted knee-length tunic. “It’s true, then?! You’ve finally brought your son! And your —”
Her voice faltered, her wide eyes darting between Raye and Gaelfr, and back to Kalfr again, in a clear silent demand. And for a hanging, horrible instant, Raye was certain Kalfr would entirely forget what he’d said outside, and would respond with something dismissive, something safe.
But then he squared his shoulders, and took a deep breath. “Ach, this is my son Svein, and Gaelfr, my bond-brother,” he said. “And this is Raye, our mate.”
He said it easily this time, without a whisper of reluctance or hesitation, and it fully swallowed Raye’s breath, and swarmed more confusion through her thoughts. Why was he saying this? There was no way he meant it, right?
The two new women both looked confused too, as if they also knew every detail of Raye’s miserable history, everything she’d done to keep Kalfr and Svein apart. But the women didn’t immediately speak, and when Kalfr angled a glance toward Raye, it looked… defiant. Challenging. As if daring her to argue with him, or question him. And as if maybe — awareness floodedthrough her — maybe this was part of the test. Part of her atonement. Showing him. Proving this.
