Rise of the Warrior of Everfen

Chapter 47: Duty Calls

Erinne and Cold Hammer were called yet again to assist in establishing trade between orcs and humans. Each time they were called, they went, for several months until she was too pregnant to risk the travel. It wasn't easy carrying a child, especially traveling while pregnant. Wren kept them updated with letters to Lohke and sometimes separate letters to her in which they discussed aspects of human life. She read the letters out loud to Cold Hammer and attempted to teach him more of the human tongue, which he claimed to dislike but still tried, surprisingly successfully.

"What do you think?" He called across their small home and she looked up from the letter she was reading to him now.

"I think it's been awhile since he wrote. He was sending letters weekly but now it falls to every few weeks or so."

"Not about that, about this."

She focused on him harder and then laughed, "It's lovely!"

He gave a soft shrug and rocked the cradle back and forth before he leaned back and dusted off his hands. He'd spent the last few weeks carving and shaping it, building it into perfection. "Lovely is not the word I would use for our son's crib."

"He's a baby, it doesn't have to be tough."

"He will be a strong warrior."

"But a baby first."

He scoffed at her and lifted the cradle, carrying it towards the house while she remained in the grass. The door had just closed behind him when Bukoo lifted his head and looked towards the direction of the village. She followed his gaze and spotted another wolf, a rider on it's back.

"Good morning, Kitchka, Cold Hammer and I were about to take our morning ride, would you like to join us?" They'd come home but they hadn't stopped watching the sun rise together. Each morning they rose and they watched the night turn to day, riding Lothar and Bukoo out to a spot on a hill not far away. Today she'd been too sleep deprived and had risen too late, but they'd still take their ride. Bukoo and Lothar both seemed to enjoy it, though she had to admit it was getting increasingly harder to get on her horse.

"I'm afraid we must skip the pleasantries today. Lohke has need of you."

She frowned at Kitchka and turned back as Cold Hammer stepped out of the hut. "We'll take Bukoo." He called immediately.

"Lothar needs the exercise."

"You shouldn't be getting on your horse anymore."

She scoffed, even though she knew he was right. "I'm fine."

He snorted in return and called Bukoo's name, laying a blanket across his back before he walked to her. She was still sitting in the grass, but she accepted his proffered hand and climbed to her feet painstakingly slow. Their son's time was drawing close.

"Did Lohke say what he needs?" She asked Kitchka and she shook her head.

"Come on," Cold Hammer lifted her easily onto Bukoo's back and then climbed on behind her before they followed Kitchka back into the village. The moment the wolf started moving, she could feel the strain and pressure riding put on her back and abdomen. She was uncomfortable the entirety of the ride and pain threatened to stay longer than the ride.

Their village was a short distance through the woods, on a worn dirt path. They followed it directly there and then right through the center to Lohke's home. It was swift and efficient, but it wasn't quite fast enough for her. Even as Kitchka talked to them about the pleasantness of the day, the perfect weather they had, she couldn't move past the sharp pains shooting through her back.

When they reached Lohke's, she eagerly grabbed onto Cold Hammer, "Help me down?"

"I thought you were fine?"