“She is a great mage,” Beth mumbled under her breath. One of these days, she was going to take the bracelet and the necklace Uthar had given her and make Kinna enchant them. Just to piss her off.
She grabbed Abby’s suitcase and walked out of the house. Her sister followed her, and as they started down the street, Beth couldn’t help but smile at the look of awe on Abby’s face. They passed two krags that were grazing on a lawn, not a care in the world, and they mooed at them, a lot like a cow would do. The only difference was that they sounded louder and a bit dangerous.
“You’re going to like krag milk,” Beth said. “It’s like cow’s milk, but heavier and creamier.”
“Eww...”
They walked by the diner, and the few orcs that were hanging around waved at them. They knew who Abby was. Beth noticed that they tried not to stare. Her sister must’ve looked odd to them. For sure, they couldn’t even believe they were sisters. She wanted Abby to get well, gain some pounds, and look like her old self again. But more radiant. She wanted the horde to see how beautiful and precious she was. Right now, she was a shadow. But with Kinna’s help, hopefully, she would burst with life once more. Soon.
Beth took her to one of the apartment buildings that she personally loved.
“Never take the elevator. It hasn’t been used since the town was abandoned, and the orcs are afraid of it. Or superstitious, or something.”
“Got it.”
The apartment was on the second floor and the balcony faced the street. It wasn’t big, but it was enough for Abby. Two bedrooms, a large open-space kitchen that she was only going to use to make tea, and a bathroom with a beautiful, large tub that only needed a good scrub to look like new.
“There’s a bit of dust. I’ll help you sort it out.”
“Thanks. You don’t have to. I can manage. It will keep my mind off things.”
“Yes, exactly. That’s why I’m going to help you. I need it to keep my mind off things, too. Do you think I’m not worried?”
Abby smiled. She went to open the curtains and look outside.
“This is pretty.”
“It’s also quiet. You’d be surprised, but the orcs don’t make a lot of noise.
“Is that a goat?”
Beth went to stand next to Abby. “Yeah, there are a few goats around here.”
“I love goats.”
“A rooster or two might wake you up in the morning. Otherwise, it’s peaceful.” She left Abby to stare out the window and took her suitcase into one of the bedrooms. “I’m gonna start, okay? Feel free to join me whenever you feel like.”
She would have to bring the bed sheets she’d prepared for Abby, and also the towels and a few other things. The apartment needed a good dusting and vacuuming, which was going to take a couple of hours. But it was okay. As Abby had said, and Beth had agreed, they needed the distraction.
Later that evening, when they were exhausted and Beth noticed the orcs were gathering at the diner, they went to join them, feeling starved. Abby was shy and said she would’ve preferred to eat alone. But then she saw that everyone smiled at her and welcomed her, and then Uthar sat her next to him and Beth. Kinna asked her how she was feeling and promised to give her something so she would rest well. And Abby relaxed.
Beth noticed a new face at the table. Sonya. Dressed in black, still mourning her mate. But at least she was here, and Beth waved at her and invited her to sit closer to them. This was the first time since Goran had passed away that Sonya joined the horde for dinner. It was a monumental thing in some way, and Beth chose to see it as a good omen. Things were starting to look up.
Chapter Nineteen
One day, Abby made the mistake of telling Beth that she was starting to show.
“Thank you for reminding me I’ve doubled in size,” Beth said, her tone unhappy.
“You haven’t.” Abby grinned. “Not yet. And anyway, it looks good on you. You know... happiness.”
Beth shot her a look.
They were at Beth’s house, getting ready for the fair. Beth had begged Uthar to go. He usually didn’t go himself, letting Lonar take care of the business. But Beth needed to go out, change the scenery, move. Lately, she’d been feeling restless. Abby was looking and feeling better, so that was good, but they both missed having a social life. Plus, the baby was coming, and she wanted to see if there was anything she could buy for the little one. She’d found plenty of baby clothes and toys in the abandoned buildings, and even a stroller that was in good shape. Uthar had insisted to build a crib with his own hands, and it was already installed in the room that Abby had refused, and Beth had turned into a nursery.
Uthar stopped the orc car in front of the house, and Beth and Abby rushed to get in. Then they stopped to get Kinna, who insisted that if Abby went to the fair, then she needed to go, too. The rituals she did for her every day were working. But Kinna also gave her various potions to drink, and she changed those a lot as she experimented. She was, practically, trying to cure an illness she’d never encountered before and didn’t quite understand. She wanted to keep an eye on Abby at all times, so she wasn’t going to let her go to the fair unsupervised.
Lonar the Beast had already left with a few orc cars filled with furniture they’d built in the past few weeks. They didn’t attend the fair every time. Since Uthar the Hunter had become captain, he’d made it clear that acquiring wealth wasn’t a priority. Goran had been obsessed with trading and selling for money, so now the horde had a generous pot they sat on. They didn’t need to buy a lot of things, since they were mostly self-sufficient. What was important for Uthar was to keep his horde safe. And with Morok the Unhinged in the area, he didn’t feel comfortable leaving their town.