Abby laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t know much about orcs, but I do know that if they don’t obey their captain, their heads roll. Or something like that.”
“Maybe metaphorically speaking. They’re not actually cruel. Not from what I’ve seen.”
“Have you ever seen someone in the horde disobey Uthar?”
“Yes. Kinna has done it a few times. But he doesn’t know about it.”
“And you’re covering for her?”
Beth shrugged, thinking about the gold bracelet that was still hidden in her drawer. “I’m not going to tell on her. I need her on my side.”
Abby was silent for a moment. Beth took advantage of that to finally ask what she really wanted to know.
“Are you okay? How are you feeling?”
Her sister sighed.
Beth knew that when she didn’t respond right away, it meant things weren’t great. Abby just didn’t want to complain. She hated to be seen as a weak, helpless victim of cancer.
“Abby, just tell me. I need to know. I’ve been gone a while, and... Just tell me the truth.”
“I haven’t been feeling well lately. I mostly stay in bed. It’s hard to get up in the morning... Takes too much energy. But Missy is keeping me entertained. After work, she comes over and we watch old movies.”
Beth sensed the smile in her voice.
“I wish you were here, you know?” Abby went on. “I miss you.”
“I miss you, too. I wishyouwere here. This place is amazing! Everyone is nice, the food is great, it’s a bit hot, but it’s clean, and there are krags and cows everywhere, grazing. They roam free. Chickens, too, and a few goats. It’s quite idyllic.”
“Yeah, it sounds great.”
Beth bit the inside of her lip, then said in a quiet voice, “I want to bring you here.”
“I know...”
“Would you come? If I found a way...”
“Well, wasn’t that the plan all along?”
“I don’t know what the plan was anymore. I mean, yes, to convince the mage to help you. But I never stopped to think beyond that. Like, if she really heals you...”
“If.”
“What will happen after? Will you want to go back home? Will you want to stay?”
Abby let out a long breath. “Let’s not talk about that. It’s too far into the future, and I don’t know how much... future I’ll see, anyway.”
“Don’t say that...”
“It’s true, though.”
Beth nodded to herself. She wasn’t listening to Abby, really, she was listening to her own thoughts.
“I’ll talk to Uthar. It’s time. And then I’ll talk to Kinna. Maybe I’ll talk to Sonya, first.”
“Why Sonya?”
“She knows them. She’ll tell me how I should talk to them, what to expect... I need her advice. Because I don’t want to mess this up, Abby. It’s the one chance we have...”