Chapter 28

Killikand Ulfarr's son was here. Here, in Louisa's kitchen.

Itwas taking Louisa's stuttering brain far too long to follow it, especially with the way he kept looking at her, with that open defiance still flashing in his dark eyes. And for an instant, Louisa was starkly reminded of Killik, strong enough that her mouth twitched — but damn it, Killik and Ulfarr's son was here, he was injured, he was bleeding all over her kitchen. And she needed to think, needed to focus, to help.

"CanI — can I look at your leg, then, sweetheart?" she said, still a little shaky. "Perhaps we can try to stop the bleeding?"

Theorc — Sune — twitched a nod, and with a grimace and a shove of his hands, he hopped up backwards to sit on Louisa's counter. And once Louisa had fetched a clean cloth and a bowl of water, she knelt to inspect his wounded leg, still dripping blood onto her floor.

Gods, it was ghastly. Those thick wire-cuts had gone viciously deep, to the point where she could even catch a glimpse of white bone beneath — and Louisa's first, tentative touch of the wet cloth at one of the smaller scratches sent a sharp, visceral shudder through Sune's leg, his breaths panting, his eyes bright with unshed tears. And when Louisa gritted her teeth, tried again, he choked a thin yelping sound, and leapt off the counter, staggering toward the door.

"Wait!" Louisa gasped, throwing the cloth aside, and raising both hands. "Wait, don't go. You can't walk like this, what if — what if you —"

What if you collapse and die, she wanted to say, what if Rikard finds you again — but she bit her lip just in time, and shook her head. "It's not safe for you to go out alone and wounded like this," she said, as firmly as she could. "Your fathers would have my head, all right?"

Sune'seyes snapped up at that mention of his fathers, something twisting on his mouth. And for the first time in this mess, Louisa's jolting brain wondered — where the hell wereKillik and Ulfarr, anyway? They couldn't know Sune was here, right? Especially since Ulfarr had made it clear he hadn't wanted Sune to meet Louisa yet?

Butmaybe — maybe they might follow him here, somehow, and a sudden hopefulness lurched in Louisa's chest. "Is there any chance Killik and Ulfarr might be following you, or searching for you? Or that they might be — nearby? Maybe still at the camp?"

Sune'smouth twisted again, his eyes now fixed blankly beyond Louisa's head, and he jerked a firm shake of his head. Because no, wait, of course, Killik had said last night that they were returning to OrcMountain today, right? And that they would be away working for the next week?

"Is there any chance Killik and Ulfarr might still be at your mountain, then?" Louisa ventured. "Perhaps we could — send for them?"

ButSune twitched another shake of his head, and then made a walking motion with his fingers that first went south, and then east. Clearly suggesting the direction Killik and Ulfarr had gone, and damn it, if Sune knew that, why was he here? Had he waited for them to be away, on purpose? Had he come here to spy on her? To speak to her?

Buthe still wasn't meeting her eyes, and Louisa's gaze darted again to his wounded leg, to where the blood was pooling dark and unnerving over his boot. "Then would you be willing to allow me to call a physician?" she asked, tentative. "Confidentially, of course?"

Sunewildly shook his head, his eyes again flashing with panic, and he again lurched toward the door. And curse it, he'd already escaped three full-grown men, he was nearly as tall as Louisa was, and she would be no match for him, would she? There was no chance of forcing him to stay, but he still needed help, she needed to think, think…

"Is there anyone else you know who could help you?" she asked. "Anyone at — at the camp? Or at your mountain, even?"

Sune'sthroat bobbed, his eyes darting back to Louisa's face — but then, thank the gods, he nodded. Nodded, and very clearly waved his hand up and south to indicate the mountain, even as he edged toward the door again. Trying to leave again, to go home again. To where he knew he could find help.

But— no. No. He couldn't travel all that way alone. Not like this. Louisa couldn't dare risk it. And she lurched back toward the door, holding his eyes, drawing herself as tall as she could.

"Right, then, sweetheart," she said, as firmly as she could. "I'm taking you home. Now."

Shedidn't miss the unmistakable relief in Sune's eyes, even as he shot a wary glance toward the cellar door — toward where Elise and Gladys were now walking in, gods damn it. And upon catching sight of Sune, Elise gasped, her hands clasping over her mouth, while Gladys put her hands to her hips, and looked Sune up and down with incredulous disbelief.

"What now, missus?" she demanded. "Where'd this one come from? And why's he bleeding on the floor?"

SoLouisa made a quick round of introductions, and then explained the situation as succinctly as she could, as well as her plans to take Sune to OrcMountain. Which, predictably, led to an impassioned round of protests and arguments, but Louisa stood firm throughout it all, truthfully informing them that there was nothing else to be done, and she would return home as soon as she could.

"It's perfectly safe," she told them, while desperately hoping that was true. "I already know a few women living there, and the orcs wouldn't hurt me, or trap me there. They'll just be glad to have Sune back again."

Sunehad stood through all this in blank silence, his face looking more drawn with every passing moment — but at that, he jerked a nod, and made a sharp motion with his hand. Speaking in similar-looking signs to what Ulfarr and the other orcs had used at the camp, and Louisa silently cursed herself for not having attempted to learn even a little of it. But she gave a grateful smile toward Sune anyway, and a decisive nod toward her staff.

"See?" she said, as lightly as she could. "Now let's hurry this along, so we can get there before nightfall."

Thankfully, they gave up arguing after that, and Elise even packed a lunch for them, while Joan helped Louisa get the horses ready, and then guided a shaky-looking Sune up onto May's back. And though it was clear Sune had never ridden a horse before, he also looked reluctantly intrigued, and didn't protest as May jolted into motion beneath him.

"SoI've never been to OrcMountain before," Louisa told him, once they'd ridden out of the paddock. "I'm hoping you can help direct our route? Something as easy as possible for the horses would be ideal."

Toher vague surprise, Sune nodded, and pointed purposefully off to the southeast. Even as May kept plodding on down the lane, so Louisa showed him how to use the reins, and explained how to be clear but gentle with May's mouth. A lesson he seemed to follow easily enough, carefully guiding May toward where he'd pointed, and then looking both surprised and pleased when she obliged.

Itwas without question the most promising expression Louisa had seen on him yet, so she drew in breath, and just kept on talking. Explaining how best to hold his seat, how to use his thighs and his heels to communicate with May, how to walk and trot and canter. All of which Sune again seemed to follow with impressive ease, and when Louisa finally showed him how to gallop, across a large patch of open clearing, he even smiled as he crouched lower over May, his black hair streaming out of its topknot, whipping around his still-pale face.

Itwas something, at least, and it meant they could travel faster than Louisa had expected — especially when it turned out that Sune's directions led to first a wide path, and then, further along, to an honest-to-gods road. A road Louisa certainly couldn't recall being there before — but then again, she hadn't travelled in this direction in years, either. And when she said this aloud to Sune — perhaps just in hopes of distracting him from his still-bloody leg — he signed something back toward her, something again utterly incomprehensible to her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, but I don't know any of your sign language at all," she told him, with a grimace. "But if you'd be willing to teach me a few words, I'd love to try to learn."

Suneshot her a wary, narrow-eyed look, as if he didn't at all believe her — but then he exhaled, and gave a very Killik-like whirl of his fingers. One that clearly said, Go on, then.

SoLouisa drew in breath, and glanced forward at the still-distant bulk of OrcMountain, looming over the trees up ahead. "How about — the sign for your home, then," she said. "OrcMountain."

Sune'sresponse was immediate, a swift upwards slice of his flat hand. But when Louisa attempted to repeat it, he shook his head, and did it again. And again, and again, until Louisa seemed to catch the way of it, speeding up the motion a little toward the top, and holding there for an instant, before dropping again.

"How about… your name, then?" Louisa asked next. "Sune?"

Henodded, and this time there were two parts to the sign, one for each syllable of his name, which he mouthed along as he signed. Soo was a brush of his fist to his navel, and neh was a tap of his fingers to his mouth.

"Soo-neh," Louisa repeated, mimicking the sign until he seemed satisfied. "It's a lovely name."

Sune'sglance toward her was suddenly narrow, suspicious, so Louisa drew in breath, searched for something else. "How about Killik and Ulfarr's names, then?"

Thatearned her another narrow look, but then he pursed his lips, and again obliged. Killik, aptly enough, was a sideways punch of Sune's fist that looked much like a dagger-strike, while Ulfarr was an odd rising flare of his hand from his mouth. OneLouisa had to attempt a few times, before realizing it was mimicking a howl. Like… a wolf.

Thethought fluttered low and strange in her belly, and it occurred to her that Sune was looking wistful too, or maybe even sad. His eyes now fixed on May's head, his swallow visibly bobbing in his throat.

"So — what's it like, having Killik and Ulfarr as fathers?" Louisa asked, too quickly, into the silence. "I hope Killik is more careful with his daggers around you than he is with me? ThoughI'm sure Ulfarr would keep him in check, at least."

Shehalf-regretted it even as she spoke — gods, what if Sune thought she was criticizing them — but his expression softened again, and he nodded. And his fist slowly rose to his heart, thumping twice against it, before again making that howl sign, that wolf. Ulfarr.Wolf.

Andthough Louisa hadn't known what the heart-fist sign meant, its meaning was still far too clear, skipping her own heartbeat in her chest. Sune — loved Ulfarr. Very much.

"I can understand that," Louisa said now, and gods, maybe that wasn't appropriate, either. "Ulfarr is lovely, isn't he? So kind, and patient, and — and safe."

Suneshot her another narrow sidelong look, but then sighed, and nodded. And then, after an instant's stillness, he squared his shoulders, and rapidly gestured something else. Something that looked like — him mimicking putting a ring on his finger, and then… then rocking a baby. And then, oh gods, he jabbed his slim clawed finger at Louisa, and made the Ulfarr sign again. As if Sune meant — he thought — he thought Louisa and Ulfarr were going to… get married? Have a baby?!

"Oh, gods, no!" Louisa exclaimed, too shrill, rapidly shaking her head. "No, nothing like that! Ulfarr and I are only friends, only for a short period of time, nothing more, and…"

Hervoice trailed off into silence, because Sune was viciously glaring toward her, and shaking his head. And then, very slowly and deliberately, he pointed toward her, rapped his nose, and made the Ulfarr sign again. She — nose — Ulfarr —

Louisacouldn't bite back her groan, and squeezed her eyes shut. Damn it. Shesmelled like Ulfarr, he meant. And orcs could smell such things, yes, and even Sune could smell such things? AndLouisa was not thinking about this, she was not, what the hell was she supposed to say, what if she lied and he could smell that, too…

"Look, it really isn't — serious," she finally said, with a grimace. "I have my own home, with people I'm responsible for, and Ulfarr has a home with you and Killik, with his own people to care for, too. So marriage is truly out of the question, for both of us. And — and children, too."

Suneshot her another narrow, skeptical look, but his shoulders sagged a little, and that might have been relief, exhaling from his mouth. As if… as if he didn't wantUlfarr to marry Louisa, or have children with her.

Andmaybe Louisa should have felt insulted by that, but as she studied Sune's face, there was only sympathy, or maybe even sadness. And maybe she should just tell him the truth, that it wasn't something he would ever need to worry about — but it felt too tight, suddenly, too shaky in her throat. She needed to forget LordScall, LordScall was dead…

"And besides, Ulfarr already has a son," she said instead, attempting a smile toward Sune. "AndI know he cares for you very much. And so does Killik."

Sune'smouth spasmed at Killik's name, and his glance toward her looked searching this time, uncertain. And then he jerked a shrug, one that might have meant something like, Maybe. I'm not sure.

Andblinking at him, at that uncertainty on this wounded boy's face, Louisa suddenly wanted to curse Killik, to grab his own damned daggers, and start waving them in his eyes. Because she knew, with a deep, unshakeable certainty, that Killik loved Sune — but it would be just like him to not even say it, or make sure Sune knew it, right? Just like him to take a woman to bed, and then tell her maybe he'd come back in a week.

"Killik loves you, Sune," Louisa said, sharper now. "He would do anything to help you, and keep you safe. And if he hasn't made that excessively clear to you, you can be sure it's no fault whatsoever of your own, and is only due to Killik having the emotional sensitivity of a slug!"

Suneblinked at her, looking genuinely taken aback — but then a brief smile twitched across his mouth. Looking almost grateful, for an instant, and Louisa couldn't help her own quick grin back, or the roll of her eyes. "An ancient, crispy, dried-out husk of a slug," she continued flatly. "Like the kind I often find mouldering in my compost pile."

Sune'smouth twitched again — and then he broke into silent laughter, his slim shoulders shaking, his mouth pulled into a broad, adorable grin. AndLouisa laughed too, suddenly feeling light, easy, almost hopeful. Sune was alive, and she was going to get him safely home. And she was damn well going to have a word with Killik about this, too.

Therest of the trip passed with surprising speed, between their ongoing sign language practice, and then a brief break to eat and rest the horses. And while getting Sune off May's back still presented a challenge, his wounds' bleeding had noticeably lessened, and he seemed in less pain than before. And when he saw the lunch Elise had packed for them, his eyes lit up, and he gobbled it down as though he hadn't eaten in a week. And afterwards, he waved for Louisa to guide May under a tree-branch, so he could climb the tree with his hands and his one good leg, and then drop down onto May's back.

Louisawhistled as she watched, genuinely impressed, and earned a shy but pleased little grin in return. And as they headed back down the road, Sune's expression looked almost eager, his eyes bright and intent on the sight of the mountain up ahead.

Louisahad been trying to ignore that slowly rising spectre of OrcMountain, looming ever closer and larger before them, but her heart was now racing in her chest, her breaths short and shallow. She was going to OrcMountain, willingly, now. And she couldn't just turn around and leave again, either, because it was already late afternoon — and even if there'd been enough time to get home again before nightfall, Max and May still needed to rest. AndLouisa still needed to make sure Sune was taken care of, and safe.

"Do you know when Killik and Ulfarr will be back here?" she tentatively asked Sune. "Soon, maybe?"

Sunebit his lip with a sharp tooth, and shook his head. No, he signed. Killik and Ulfarr —— nightfall.

Nightfallwas one of the many signs Louisa had learned that afternoon, mimicking the sun setting over the horizon. And though she nodded back, her heart thudded louder in her chest, her hands tight and clammy on Max's reins. So she would need to try to sort this out herself, then, and find a place to camp for the night. And maybe she could try asking at the mountain for Jule or Rosa, hope they remembered her, hope they were even still here…

Butthen the horses rounded a bend in the road, and suddenly — there it was. OrcMountain.

Andoh, good gods, it was huge. Soaring grey and craggy above them, its white peak nudging into the clouds above, its multiple smoke-streams wafting gently toward the west. And around it was a large rocky clearing, a smattering of wooden outbuildings, and a lane that went straight toward what appeared to be its front gate.

Louisaswallowed, her eyes darting uneasily up and around — was she just supposed to walk in? — when suddenly, sprinting out of the mountain, there were — people. Two people, two young people, both around Sune's age. One was another orc, with neatly braided black hair and greenish skin, while the other person was — a girl. A slim, blonde human girl, dressed in a frothy white dress, and a pair of sturdy-looking black boots.

"Sune!" the girl yelped, her hand clapping over her mouth, her eyes gaping at the sight of his mangled leg. "What in the gods' names did you do?!"

Thegreen orc looked deeply alarmed too, his nostrils flaring, his clawed hand gripping the girl's arm, holding her still. While beside Louisa, Sune rolled his eyes, and began rapidly signing back toward them, so swift Louisa couldn't follow.

"It doesn't look like nothing, Sune!" the girl retorted, wringing her hands. "It looks like your leg is about to fall off! And what will Killik say, what if he makes you stay here for another whole fortnight again? Oh, Itold you not to go, and now —"

Shebroke off there, her eyes darting warily toward Louisa — while the green orc rushed forward, his eyes fixed on Sune's bloody leg. "Ach, Sune," he croaked. "This looks and scents — dreadful. Ach, what did this to you, you must be in such pain, you must come to the sickroom at once."

Hewas speaking very quickly, his voice cracking, and he snatched for Sune's hand, dragging him toward the mountain — a futile effort, since Sune was still on an immobile May's back. But with a lurch, Sune awkwardly dismounted, sliding down into his friend's waiting grip, and he only slightly grimaced as he balanced on his good leg, and signed back something that might have meant, I'm fine.

Butthe green orc shook his head, and circled his arm around Sune's back, holding him upright. "You are not fine," he countered. "I can scent you, you stubborn Skai fool, you have never scented thus before, we must send for your fathers at once."

Suneheavily sighed, but he didn't argue this time, and gave a reassuring pat to his friend's shoulder. But his friend didn't look at all comforted, giving him another anguished, wet-eyed look, while the girl let out an irritated huff, and rushed over to grip at Sune's other arm. "Oh, he'll be all right, Timo," she said firmly, though she shot a worried look down at Sune's leg, too. "You should be telling him he deserves it for running off alone like that, and doing something so stupid, and making you worry all day like this!"

Butthe green orc — Timo, apparently — only shook his head, guiding Sune along faster. LeavingLouisa alone with the horses, outside OrcMountain, and she blinked helplessly up at its smoking bulk, and then back to Max and May. What the hell was she supposed to do? Should she follow Sune, leave the horses out here, go ask for help, or…?

Butthen Sune twisted around to look at her, and rapidly waved for his friends to stop. Followed by more signs, his hands flying fluid and purposeful, still too fast to follow — until Sune elbowed Timo, and then nodded purposefully back toward Louisa. As if saying, Tell her.

Timojerked a nod, and then shot a distracted glance toward Louisa. "Sune says to put the horses in the stable for the night," he said hoarsely, as he pointed toward one of the nearest outbuildings. "They shall be safe there. And whilst you do this, we shall send someone to meet you, and welcome you for your stay."

Herstay? Louisa blinked at him, at Sune, and then grimaced, shook her head. "Look, I don't want to — impose, or stay any longer than necessary," she replied. "ButI need to make sure you're safe, Sune, and that you get proper care, and —"

ButSune gave a rather Killik-like roll of his eyes, and again waved toward his friend, who drew in a breath, met Louisa's eyes. "Ach, Sune is safe now," he told her. "Our healer is the best in the realm, and shall do all he can for him. We shall take good care of him, also."

Louisa'sheart was still thumping, her eyes darting warily between them — but Sune again caught her eyes, and gave an irritated wave toward the stable. And then signed something else, sharp and decisive, while Timo winced, and drew in a breath.

"Sune says you shall stay," he said. "You shall settle yourself, and wait for Killik and Ulfarr to come for you. You shall" — he twitched a faint smile toward her — "make our mountain your home."