Absolutely no AI is used in ANY of my work. Please do not EVER feed my work into that shit EVER!!
2,008 words, no warnings, hardly edited (doing this for fun!) orc blacksmith doesn't arrive until chapter two!
Humans have been at war with each other for so long that Calanthe's village decides to turn to the orcs. They'd managed to keep their clans virtually untouched by mankind. They were built like barbarians, had warrior spirits, and were much more advanced and peaceful then human civilizations. When Calanthe finds herself with a new life amongst the orc clan the last thing on her mind is love... until she meets Ulric, the town blacksmith. As tensions grow with the humans outside of her village could love be in bloom between Calanthe and the blacksmith?
For as long as Iāve had memories humans have been at war with each other.Ā
My village, poor and small has managed to remain out of the way, but not untouched by the ravages of war. Weāve been the victim of kings, knights, mercenaries, and bandits. Men with too much power.Ā
I never expected to find myself anything but miserable, married off to the highest bidder, saddled with children who would grow to resent me. This was the future laid out for someone like me. I was a penniless orphan raised to muck stalls and serve in a tavern. I had managed to stay under the radar, remain alone, scape up enough to get by. I never expected life could be different.Ā
The village was in proximity to a large orc clan, it wasnāt unusual to see them pass by, or come across a stray orc in a tavern. This I assume was another reason we had remained out of the war for so long. The men were scared of what they couldnāt conquer, and we reaped the benefits.Ā
I had never seen where the orcs lived, only heard tales from hushed voices in the little cabin I shared with the other unmarried and unwanted women and children. As the stories went, while we lived in shacks made of sticks and mud, the orcs lived in homes made from stone and iron. They lived at the base of the grand and seemingly endless mountain, the trees seemed to grow bigger, the land greener, magic thrummed from the earth and whistled through the trees. It was about a days journey on foot and even less by carriage, but it was apparently something to see if you could make the journey.
When the orc men arrived in my village they came on wolves, what kind of wolf could hold a man built like a barbarian, larger then any human man iād ever seen, I couldnāt say. But the beasts themselves made normal wolves look like stray dogs. The meanest looking orc was covered in furs and jewelry, piercings lined his green pointed ears and gold bands even wrapped his large frightening tusks, this would be the clan leader. He was older for sure, but from the distance I sat hidden away, the only way IĀ could tell was from his long fully grey hair. The clan leader seemed to talk to our councilman for hours, the four men he brought stood statue still outside the councilmenās door. Then as if they never came at all they mounted the wolves and left.Ā
Weād find out later about the deal. Our councilman had given up our land and any merger resources to the orcs, in exchange weād receive their protection, better lives he spun it. As the hostility of the human world got closer and closer weād run out of options. I had wondered what was in it for the orcs. Magic people didnāt tend to mix with us primitive humans, they advanced and created their own civilization while we were still trying to rip each others heads off.Ā
I was told later that since this clan is so far off from the others it wanted to ensure its growth. While still a large community orcs were big on passing down history and knowledge to their children. The chief wanted to start small, bring in the few hundreds of us and hope to see some new matches, see if we could bring in a new era.Ā
I didnāt plan to find anyone to settle down with, but I was the first one on the wagon when the orcs came for us. I had one extra gown, one extra slip, and no other earthy possessions. I sought to the children, dressing and cleaning them. I had myself and my fellow orphans sitting at the front of the wagon. I wasnāt leaving any of them behind if there was a chance they could escape the life of squaller iād lived so far. I worked too much and slept when I wasnāt, I maybe kept food on the table of our group home but I was too absent to have left them with lasting and meaningful memories of me, they huddled around me anyway as I was what was familiar.Ā
āWho do all of these children belong to?ā A rough voice said, I jumped a little. My first real orc interaction would apparently be with the chief himself, I didnāt know how to talk to anyone let alone a chief.Ā
āOrphans.ā I said quickly. He looked at all there nervous faces,Ā
āAnd you are?ā Up close I could see his age, I wouldnāt have thought you could see empathy on such a rugged otherworldly face but it was there.
āCalanthe, also an orphan.ā He nodded sagely.Ā
āChief Morg of the foothills clan, worry not, my mate and I will see to the children.ā he gave a toothy very tusk forward smile that seemed to ease the littlest of the bunch, the older ones still discreetly held onto my skirts.Ā
As some of the orcs packed the wagons with my villages people, another group of orcs took their bags and materials and set off into the village. This was apart of it. Orcs from the clan would come, build, and repair the village. Start new business, create new homes amongst the elderly and families that wanted to stay behind. A path was to be placed that would connect both communities effectively merging us into one.Ā
The fellow ladies of the shelter pilled into the wagon, there was hesitance in them all, but a part of me could tell they were following my lead. Maybe in our new lives Iād actually get to speak freely and bond with a few of them. Maybe I wouldnāt be so bitter and broken down as we all were made to be.Ā
The wagons set off into what I would consider the unknown.Ā
The ride wasnāt long at all, at most an hour. But the change, the change was drastic. Everything I had heard from stories were true. There was life here.Ā
We reached a large stone archway covered in ivy, a metal sign hung from the top readingāThe Foothill Clanā.
There was a set of orcs on each side of the archway, Iād seen a few scattered throughout the woods, those would likely be the clan warriors. It was hard to see through the thick line of trees that seemed to perimeter the town, just little twinkles of light here and there.Ā
The chief lead the way into our new lives. It was still early enough in the day that the orcs were in full swing. Market stalls were open, food wafting through the air, swashes of patterned fabric hung and swayed in the breeze. Some stalls were filled with jams, fresh fruit, rows of trinkets. This was a place of character and fun. If I hadnāt been already this sight alone would have been enough to make me a believer in magic. Little green children, with tusks they had yet to grow into played in the streets, stopping only to look at us in wonder. We were staring back with the same awestruck expression I imagine. We were lead between homes and shops, more people came out to look and take us in. We would all be one group after today.Ā
The orc town ran deeper then I thought, filled with buildings of stone and iron, and the largest trees iād ever laid eyes on canopied us from the sunlight.Ā
We were brought to what I assume is the back of the town. Where mountain ended into plush grass stood rows of decent sized tents.Ā
āWelcome to your new homes!ā Chief Morg smiled, for a man of frightening size and strength he sure did smile a lot. He dismounted his wolf and to my surprise he hauled a waiting older orc woman up to his body and gave her a very passionate dipping kiss,Ā
āMy mate! Olg.ā he called proudly announcing the woman.Ā
He leaned in whispering something to the smiling Olg, pointing her in the direction of my wagon. She immediately set off towards us. She greeted me kindly then put all her focus on the children. Speaking softly and kindly with them. Olg waved over some other orcs standing near by and began helping the orphans down.
āThank you, for bringing them. Please stop by and see them as often as youād like.ā She spoke these words to me, giving me the strongest sense of responsibility for the children.Ā
āId like to stay up to date on them all if thatās okay.ā I replied to my own shock. Olg seemed to expect this, she smiled gently, her smile was smaller as were her tusks compared to her husbands, but no less warm.Ā
āOf course.ā With that, the six children iād came with were lead to the first large tent. At least I knew they would be okay. They were already getting more care and attention then theyād probably had in their lives.Ā
Feeling a little lost I tried to pay attention to chief Morgs words. He was going over our stay in the tents. Apparently tent living was temporary and the orcs were already freeing up space to build new homes. He told us his plan to get the children of my village into the classrooms and free up time for the able bodied adults to find there place in this clan. The orcs live in a collaborative way, everyone pitches in.Ā
I felt the cool breeze at my back. I could hear far off laughter. I could see the orphaned babes I had come with being shown around the large open tent theyād been given. I witnessed first hand as the girls iād lived with started losing fear. I would have to find my place here just as everyone else.Ā
After more explaining we all dismount the wagons. I walk slowly down the rows, my humble little pouch in hand. One of the orcs push bread and a small wedge of cheese into my palms then moves on to another human, the same thing happens with a pouch of water.
Everyone is so happy as they rush into there new tents. I keep walking. I had know one to room with, the woman I knew had found there way into tents already. They werenāt to blame, they didnāt know me and I didnāt know them, a good morning and a goodnight and the occasional gossip didnāt equal to knowing someone.Ā
I wandered even farther down. I left the large tents with multiple beddings to the groups and families. When I made it to the end of the line I entered the last. The tent with the mountain at its back and the forest at its side.Ā
The outside had been deceiving, it wasnāt as small as it looked. It would have been large enough to fit at least a chest, if I had had one to bring. On one side a pallet or furs and soft quilts made up a bed, on the other a basin of clean water and a small dish of soaps laid beside it. There was even a lantern with extra candles and matches, and an empty basket which I used to hold my bread, cheese, and water pouch. I set the bag with my spare clothes down in a corner.Ā
Not fully sure what to do with myself I laid straight down on the thin covering that separated my back and the forest floor. This was the first day I hadnāt had to work, hadnāt had to do anything for anybody. As I laid there, I felt the urge to cry. From happiness or sadness I wasnāt sure. I could still hear the other humans making plans, settling in, preparing for a new life. All while I laid lonely now more than ever on the floor of my new tent, that I suppose I would now call home.Ā
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