Page 21 of Orc's Pride
I look over to see Pitha coming up the path, a bundle tucked under his arm. From here, the sunlight washes over him, making him look so much bigger and imposing than I remember him being last night.
Had he moved me from the tent? And if so, why?
Had I been in danger?
As he comes up the short steps leading up to the porch, I crane my head back.
“Where am I?”
“A border base. It defends against the dark elves trying to gain footing heading into the northern territories.”
Interesting. I’d heard Malik talk about the border plenty of times, but being here is much different than I’d imagined it to be. I knew I’d traveled far to get to the dark elf encampment, but I hadn’t considered I’d gonethisfar.
It’s amazing what running off of pure hatred for the dark elves will do for my stamina.
At least now I know where I am. It’ll make traveling back to Malik’s clan much easier.
“I need to go. Are you going to escort me out?”
Pitha scoffs at me. “No. You’re not going anywhere.”
A pit settles in my stomach. “Why not?”
“Because you are being investigated. I’m not letting you leave the base in order to go back to some dark elves and rat us out.”
My mouth drops open. He… seriously still thinks I’m working for the dark elves? I thought for sure that last night had changed his mind, or at least casted a small inkling of doubt. But here he is, standing on the porch and telling me otherwise.
What the fuck?
“You’re kidding…”
He flattens his gaze at me. “No. I’m not. Where are you even trying to go, anyways?”
There’s a part of me that wants to answer him, mostly to get him to let me go. But there’s an even bigger part of me that worries about the repercussions. If this clan is somehow related to the traitors on the list, then telling them about Malik and the clan would be setting them all up for destruction.
“None of your business.”
He snorts at me. “Then consider yourself confined to this house.”
“You can’t be serious!”
“Deadly.” He shoves past me and heads into the house.
I’m blown away. If I’m to be held captive here, then how long is it until they find something to pin on me? It’s no secret that no one here trusts me, and I’m already running on thin ice. So what’s to say that I’m not falsely accused of something and sent to hang in the square?
My body shivers at the thought.
Despite the misconception that orcs are nothing but mindlessly battle-hunger creatures, they can be quite conniving when given the conviction.
If Pitha, or any of the orcs in his close-knit group, were able to convince enough people, I’d most certainly be dragged down the streets by my hair by a mob and strung up to make an example out of me.
Shit, I need to get out of here.
Following after him, I quickly swing the door shut, cutting off the rest of the orcs from wandering over out of curiosity.
“You can’t hold me here. That’s unethical.”
Pitha laughs. “And? You haven’t given me a reason to trust you in the slightest. All you’ve told me is to take what you say at face value. That gives me nothing to work with.”