Free Twisted Fate (Orc Destiny Volume I) (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga) by Jeremy Laszlo Page A

substance the
humans seemed to like, two long brown things that the humans cooked, and a
large skin of water, he made his way back outside, slinging the bag over his
shoulder. He had no idea how much the little female required, but assumed he
had taken plenty.
    Walking back around and behind the buildings, he entered a
small storage room where he snatched up the spear he had eyeballed nightly, and
two short lengths of rope. The human spear was shorter than one made by his
race but would suffice. Walking to the southern end of the camp, he shoved the
spear down into the soil and hung the pack upon it. Then he prepared the short
lengths of rope into loops he could easily tighten, but that the small girl
could not escape. Prepared, he went to collect his prize.
    Back into the camp he crept silently, and as he had done on
each night he rounded the corner of the building warily, peering around that
last bit to be sure no light shone in the wall holes. Deeming it safe, he
walked right up to the hole and looked inside. There she was, sleeping as if
the world owed it to her. Carefully, gingerly, he slipped his hands beneath
her, lifting her slowly. She stirred a little, but remained asleep. Once she
was off of the bed roll, he pulled her up and out through the hole and
simultaneously tucked her under one arm as he stuffed the scrap of leather he had
collected in her mouth. That certainly woke her up!
    Kicking and thrashing with muffled screams of fear and
panic, the girl’s eyes popped open as silent screams caught in her throat. Wrapping
the first rope about her head he cinched it tight, securing the leather in her
mouth. Readjusting his kicking cargo, he grasped her tiny arms in one large
hand, wrapping the second coil of rope around them and securing it in place as
well. Then he tossed her up over one shoulder and strode to the edge of the
camp where he collected his new spear and pack. It was time to go home.
    Setting a nice brisk pace, he strode across the grass
covered hills back to the south, all the while his prized bundle kicked and
thrashed and tried to scream. Over. And over. And over. She was relentless. Even
tied and gagged she fought on, trying to free herself from her captor. It was
annoying beyond a doubt, but so too was it admirable. She was a stronger child
than she appeared. She had heart. She would make a proud sacrifice.
     
    It was several hours later when her thrashing began to
lessen, and thinking she had finally given up he was quickly proven wrong. The
girl said something quite calmly through her gag, and then was silent for
several long minutes. Then without warning he felt the wet warmth flowing down
his shoulder, back, and chest. She had pissed on him. Disgusted, he yanked her
from his shoulder and deposited her on the ground roughly. She crumpled into a
pile and Gnak could swear she was giggling.
    With the urge to smash her little skull he paced back and
forth, waiting for the urge to pass. It refused… at least for a quarter of an
hour or more. Then he had an idea. If the humans spoke basically the same
tongue as him, then perhaps he could convince her to not make him kill her prematurely.
    Stalking to the girl, he stood towering above her and jutted
one massive finger in her face.
    “Next time you piss me … I piss you .” he
grunted at her, and watched as her eyes grew wide and mouth began moving a mile
a minute.
    “No talk!” he told her in no uncertain terms, and with her
shoulders sagging she complied.
    Snatching her back up off the ground, he shook her slightly
at arm’s length to be sure she was not still dripping before once again
slinging her upon his now wet shoulder. Disgusting humans.
    It was an hour before dawn when he found a seemingly safe
location to rest for the day. The humans might come looking while it was light,
and if they did, he did not want to be moving about. Setting her down again,
feeling dizzy as he bent, he lowered himself down upon the ground where he
could easily