Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

RYKO

" T his is becoming habit, Warrior," Sojek says, attempting to engage me in conversation one last time as he unhooks the work gorja from the cart he drives.

We did not speak during the ride from Mount Racha to Pen'Kesh. He usually asks me questions about warrior training, but today, I merely grunted, my thoughts elsewhere. I've pondered the question of how I might approach our grak and ask for permission to mate Lily. Normally, I would not need my grak's permission to take a mate, only witnesses at Risha. But she is human, and our people do not have an alliance with the humans.

Yet.

Atox has been meeting with them in secret. I cannot share what little I know or do anything that would risk his plans.

I tend to my own gorja today, removing the harness before leading him to a patch of grass for grazing. Lily does not get her break until mid-day and while it is the duty of Sojek and the other young males of our people to tend to our gorjas, I do not mind such mundane tasks as they calm me .

Being near Lily and keeping my distance, waiting for her to sneak off to meet me deep in the woods as she's done every day these past five weeks, unsettles me. I should be able to approach, touch, watch over my female publicly. But I can't, not without risking others learning our secret.

"What do you mean?" I ask the younger orc, refocusing my thoughts on his question. Sojek is both curious and eager to prove himself, especially to our grak.

"You've been accompanying me to Pen'Kesh for weeks now, more than any other warrior. Either you've pissed off our grak to deserve such a long punishment, or you travel to Pen'Kesh for another reason."

The youngling may be small, too small to be a warrior, but he's observant.

"It is not our place to question our grak's orders."

"Are you here to guard the supplies or me?" he asks directly. This male does not usually pry. When my brow ridges rise, he adds, "Our grak doesn't trust me."

"You would not drive the cart if he did not trust you."

"I would never steal from our people."

"You are the one who raised the question of trust."

He grinds his tusks against his lips. "Our grak rarely speaks to me. Not like he used to. He speaks to Duvik and Evve more than me."

This is not the discussion a male has with a warrior not of his line, but Sojek's father died on Orcos and he has no other males to speak with, aside from our grak. "Your siblings are younger. And without a father."

Sojek's ridges remain raised.

"It is not for us to question our grak. He's ordered that no one travel to Pen'Kesh alone. And you are not a warrior, Sojek. Learn your place."

Learn your place, Ryko.

I hear my grak's voice in my head, saying those same words to me the day I wanted to gut the vint who threatened my female. Instead, he held me back.

I have plans for the human females. You will keep your distance from them.

I worry that Atox's plans could endanger Lily.

Sojek ties off the work gorja against a tree, channeling his frustration into the knot. "He does not think I can handle myself."

"You can't," I say plainly. "But in time, you will. If you continue training with your knives."

"Why do you not complain as the other warriors do when they're assigned escort duty?"

"Complaining accomplishes nothing."

"Or is it because you wish to be here in Pen'Kesh?" he says, rekindling the earlier discussion I diverted. "I've seen you watching the humans. One female in particular."

I nearly stop removing the blankets from my gorja, but doing so would confirm his suspicions.

"I watch all the humans. And the moxxins and bantarans. And especially the vekking vints. Every being here who is not orc is the enemy and not to be trusted. Remember that."

"Even the females?"

Vekk, he's smart.

"Females are often the most dangerous of beings. I'm here to guard you, first and foremost, but as warriors—as orcs, Sojek—we cannot become complacent or trust those who would annihilate us. If you wish to be a warrior, then you must learn that."

"Our grak will never let me enter warrior training."

"Prove yourself to him," I say, while wondering who other than Sojek may have spotted me watching Lily.

"The humans will not survive on Kovos long," he adds.

"This is a fatal flaw, Sojek. Making assumptions can and will get you killed. Never underestimate the enemy."

"Are they our enemy? "

My female's sweet face flashes in my head. Her expressions, her trust, her kindness. She is no one's enemy. But I can say none of this.

"All who are not orc are the enemy. That does not mean we cannot live beside them in peace. But never trust them." The words which I've heard repeated to me dozens of times by my grak and neld taste bitter on my tongue as Lily is not our enemy. But still, my people will not accept her. Not unless our grak does.

And he barely accepts his own nephew.

"Why do you think the humans will survive?" Sojek asks. "Our grak says they are weak."

"None of the five species here will survive if we do not learn to get along. We all lack resources the others have." In our case, females.

The very reason my grak has been meeting with the humans. To trade for the females we need. If he could request Lily to be among those given to my people… Vekk, why didn't I think of that when my grak announced his plan to his top warriors?

Because he ordered us not to discuss it with anyone, including one another. He only informed us so we would be aware how crucial it is that we not start any fights in Pen'Kesh, no matter how justified or tempted we may be. If even a single human is killed, it could end the negotiations.

I toss the blanket from my gorja's back to Sojek. "Finish tending to my gorja," I order and start walking toward the markets before he can ask more questions. "And stay out of trouble."

Sojek has a few hours of deliveries to make before he'll be ready to leave Pen'Kesh. He does not need me to watch over him as if he's a three-year-old youngling. My time is better spent in the sectors, weaving between stalls, hiding in the shadows, and gleaning any intel I can before slipping away unnoticed to meet my Lily .

Tonight, when we return to Mount Racha, I will confront my grak and ask if I can take Lily as my mate. There is no more time to waste, as Atox will reach a deal with the humans soon. And he plans to assign me a human female… one that is not Lily.