Rise of the Warrior of Everfen

Chapter 81: Borbol, Brother

"Lohke is here."

Erinne looked up to see Wren in the doorway of her room. There were several guards with him. She took a deep breath and stood up. She'd yet to speak to him in the days since he'd banned her from ever leaving. She only spoke to him when necessary but she kept her words short and clipped. Whatever friendship had remained between them no longer existed.

"Leave the child." He said as she stood. She frowned. "I don't want you trying to leave with him."

"I'm not going-"

"Leave her." His voice grew harsher.

Erinne scowled at him and passed Anyse to Myre. "Lohke should be able to see his niece, you know."

Wren didn't answer, just turned and waited and she made a rude gesture at him behind his back as she went to her wardrobe, slipping on shoes and pulling on an overcoat. It was rainy outside today. Not a total downpour, but just enough to ensure she came back a little wet if she didn't cover up more. Then she wrapped her hands around the war hammer. It was large in her small hands, and heavier than it'd ever been before.

She gave Myre a short dip of her head before she joined Wren. She didn't say a word to him, she didn't even question him when they moved outside the castle or down to the main path through the city. At this point it was safe to assume they had stopped Lohke before entering the city, to prevent another mob from attacking.

She kept her head high face stoic as she walked beside Wren, but she was in turmoil. She didn't know what to do, she didn't know how to be ready for this. She had not been in contact with Lohke since she left orc territory behind, and with the orcs invading human lands, she imagined that he suspected something was wrong here by now. He should've received contact from her and Cold Hammer.

He didn't even know he was dead and Andol, too. Her whole body shook at the very thought of telling him. How did she tell someone that two of the most precious people in their life were dead? How did she tell the orc that had been a brother to her and Cold Hammer alike that they were dead and she had to stay here?

The hammer felt heavier in her hand.

As they reached the lower end of the city, she could see, just past the rooftops, a massive group of orcs and part of her soul cringed. They sat upon the backs of massive dire wolves, their eyes turned towards the city. There were a few human soldiers around them, but a gap rested between the human soldiers and the orc warriors. It hurt her heart further to realize that the two peoples who came to accept each other at Weeping Woman's Rock now kept space between them and didn't speak to each other.

"I'll speak to him first." Wren told her. "Then I will let you speak to him. You can tell him what has happened and say goodbye."

She glanced at him but said nothing. He must have thought it a great kindness to let her say goodbye. She faced forward and felt her breath jump out her lungs as she finally got a full view of the orcs without the crowd of the city in her way. They were lingering in a tight formation outside the city. Several onlookers were lining the edge of the city, but no one moved. As they passed by, she heard some people muttering her name in the crowd and pointing towards Lohke. She wondered if they blamed her and Cold Hammer, somehow, for the war.

"Fucking orc whore."

"There's that orc lover."

"Send her back to the orcs."

She heard the mutters all around her, she knew Wren could hear them, too. She wondered if they cursed Cold Hammer's name as much as they cursed hers. Would they say the same things to her daughter? She looked up at Wren again, "How can you listen to them and think it's safe here for me?"