Free [Queen of Orcs 01] - King's Property by Morgan Howell Page B

his arm and began to inch his fingers toward Dar’s breast. When they reached it, Dar suddenly said, “I’d like a sip after all.”
    “That’s more like it,” said Teeg.
    He passed Dar the bottle, and she tossed it into the weeds.
    “Ye crazy bitch!” Teeg pushed Dar aside to grope for his brandy, allowing her to move into the shadows. Unable to run, Dar hid nearby and listened to Teeg curse and thrash in the dark. After a minute, he grew quiet. Dar remained still and waited. The ground was wet with dew before the murdant finally stumbled toward his tent. Only then did Dar creep away to join the sleeping women.
     
    When the army was on the march, breakfast consisted of leftover porridge. The five women’s morning duties were to serve the men, clean the kettle, and pack the wagons. Dar had managed to avoid Murdant Teeg at breakfast, but he found her as she was loading a wagon. He grabbed her arm and said, “Ye walk today.” Then he went to hitch the oxen.
    Taren overheard Teeg’s statement. “Can you keep up?”
    “I’ll have to,” said Dar.
    “Don’t lag behind,” said Taren. “Not every head brought in for bounty comes from a runaway.”
    It was still early morning when the officers led their troops onto the road. The soldiers walked as a mob at the rear of the wagons. The women kept out of their way by tagging behind. The orcs followed at a distance, marching in orderly ranks. Only they and the two mounted officers gave the column a military appearance; the men looked more like brigands than soldiers.
    From the outset, Dar had difficulty keeping pace. A shooting pain in her thigh caused her to walk with a stiff-legged gait that was both tiring and awkward. Despite determined effort, Dar soon lagged behind the women. Next, the orcs overtook her, parting their ranks so she walked among them—enveloped, yet apart. Gritting her teeth, Dar tried to walk faster, but her injured leg was incapable of the effort. The orcs passed her. The distance between Dar and the column increased until she could no longer see it.
    As Dar trudged alone, she was alert to every sound. She had taken Taren’s warning to heart, knowing her head would bring a windfall to anyone who took it. Peasants had cause to hate the army, and she expected no mercy. Thus, when Dar heard footsteps in the woods, she looked about for a means of defense. Spotting a large, pointed rock by the roadside, she grabbed it. It would be a clumsy weapon against a sword or knife, but it was better than nothing.
    Thick, high greenery flanked the road, screening her view. Whoever was approaching took no effort to move quietly. When the noise sounded close, Dar used both hands to lift the rock above her head. She assumed an aggressive pose and expression. Then the shrubs parted, and Kovok-mah stepped onto the road.
    Dar regarded him warily, uncertain of his intentions. Then Kovok-mah’s lips curled back in what Dar realized was an orcish smile. “Dargu is very fierce.”
    Dar let the rock drop. She began to laugh, partly from relief and partly from awareness of how ridiculous she looked. When it became obvious that Kovok-mah didn’t understand her laughter, she laughed even harder. She was gasping for breath by the time she stopped.
    “Why were you barking?” asked Kovok-mah.
    “I wasn’t barking. I was laughing.” Dar hissed in imitation of orcish laughter.
    Kovok-mah smiled. “You are…” He paused. “I do not know washavoki word. Ga nat gusha.”
    “I’m gusha? What does that mean?”
    “You do strange things, things that make me hissav.” Kovok-mah hissed with pretend laughter.
    “So I’m funny?”
    “Perhaps that is word.”
    “I’m glad you’re amused.”
    If Kovok-mah caught Dar’s sarcasm, he showed no sign of it. “It is not wise to walk alone.”
    “I walk alone because I can’t keep up. Zna-yat nearly tore off my leg.”
    “Lie down,” said Kovok-mah.
    “Why?”
    “Nat thwa gusha.”
    Be not funny? thought Dar. It