The Orc's Consort: Book One

Chapter 12 - The Shade of Gold

Sten Ironwarg

I traced my fingertips along the dark line down the center of her pregnant belly. I never knew I could love someone as much as I loved this woman and our unborn baby. Only three more months and my beautiful wife would give birth to our son. I felt her belly move under my hand as he kicked around. He would be a strong one, I thought with a smile.

I pulled her closer and buried my face in her golden hair. I knew she was not awake to hear it, but I meant it just the same. I whispered in her ear, "I love you, Aurelia." Her gentle voice hummed as she turned over and snuggled against my chest. I held her tight and recalled the first time I had met her.

It was two years ago, during the winter. I would have been twenty-one at the time. It had been snowing heavily, but we needed men to do rounds on our borders, and I volunteered to go. I had been on duty for a week and a half and had set up camp near our southeast border, near Thera. It was early in the morning. The light had barely peaked through the trees.

Angus and I sat beside the campfire as I roasted fish over the flames.

I went into my tent to get a little salt for it, and when I came back, it was gone, and Angus was licking his thieving chops. That's when I heard her screams coming from the direction of the Svikaria River that separates the Orruk border from Thera. I jumped onto Angus' back with my axe and trudged through the snow, trying to find the source of the screams.

I went as fast as I could until I could go no further due to the frozen river that blocked my path. That's when I first saw Aurelia. She had tried to cross the river by walking on the ice but fell through. She tried to pull herself up from the hole, but each attempt caused more ice to break away. Her strength was fading quickly as the frigid water began to affect her. Our eyes locked just before her golden head bobbed below the surface.

Son of a bitch, I thought to myself. I couldn't leave her there to die like that. I kicked off my boots and threw my jacket and tunic to the ground. I bolted to the river's edge and began to chip away at the ice with my axe. I waded into the icy water, chopping to create a path to her. I knew I was too heavy to try and walk across it myself, so this was the only logical way.

My body became tense as the freezing water soaked into my bones. I kept going until the water was up to my chest. I struggled to keep swinging the axe. I'm nearly there, I thought to myself. I have to keep going. I still had not seen her resurface. Would she still be in the same spot? The fucking current could have swept her under the ice. I hacked and hacked as time passed by. I began shivering as I tried to stay afloat. My body began to cramp. I didn't know if I could keep this up.

This poor girl would likely die, and I had endangered myself by going in after her. I shook the doubt from my head. It was too late to question my decision now. I continue to hack away, breaking up the ice before finally reaching the hole where she fell through. I did not feel her below me. My heart pounded in my ears, and my body burned in excruciating pain. I let go of the axe before plunging my head below the water to feel around for her.

Nothing. I came up for air and tried again. I sunk below the surface once more and felt around. My lungs begged for air, but I resisted the urge to surface for air. I had nearly given up hope until I felt something. It was her. With all my force, I grabbed onto her and pulled above water. I held her head above the surface with one arm and used the other and my legs to swim back to the riverbed.

I flopped her limp body onto the snow-covered ground. She was not breathing, and her lips were blue. I pressed my ear to her chest and thought I heard a faint heartbeat, but I was not sure. I pinched her nose and made a seal over her cold lips with mine. I tried to breathe into her lungs. She did not react, so I did it again, but still nothing. Fuck, the poor thing must have drowned before I get to her. I heard Angus whine from beside me.