Page 27 of Valka

Valka shook his head almost violently. “Valka no lead!”

Patricia peeked out from behind the tall Orcs she and Louise had been waiting behind, to face Valka herself. Though she was brave enough to meet Valka’s gaze, she was still cowering in the presence of the skaevin.

Valka’s face skewed up and he turned around wearing an extremely irritated expression to glare at Elkva. “Female cry!” he half-whined himself as he pointed his axe at Patricia.

“She’s mine. No more crying.”

“She cry!” Valka insisted.

“No, she is worried for Delia. And she’s more worried than she is afraid. She won’t cry,” Elkva said.

“I won’t cry. I promise. I was afraid, but I’m better now. Well, except for that,” she said, pointing at the skaevin.

“Her cry!” Valka said again, louder.

“I won’t. I have Elkva now. I’m not afraid anymore,” Patricia said.

Valka looked at Elkva doubtfully, he was not their strongest so it made no sense to him.

Elkva smiled at Valka and shrugged.

“The old lady said to brew this in a tea and it will help Delia,” the other female said.

Valka turned around to look at the other female.

“I’m Louise. I will not cry, either. I’m here to help.”

“No! Mine! Only Valka help!” he insisted angrily.

The males inclined their heads, understanding completely. “We guard you and your female until she is better,” Katva said, ignoring Valka shaking his head again. The males simply turned away from him to face out over the edge of his cliff, with their weapons in hand taking up defensive positions to defend him and his cave and female if necessary. If he chose to care for his female, he would be free to do so without worry.

“This is ridiculous! I wonder if the other females have to deal with this much trouble just to help one of their own?” Louise said.

“What other females?” Katva asked.

“There were others. They escaped before we did, but they never made it back here. I wonder if they survived and are happily living their lives with males that don’t act like that!” Louise snapped.

“Take female away!” Valka growled.

“Wait, she just said there are other females,” Katva said.

“That is not why we’re here,” Elkva said. “We are here to help, Valka. Valka, allow us to help you. You are always alone. But no more, now you have friends.”

Valka turned his back on them and started back for his cave entrance.

He heard one of the females sniffle.

“Skaevin eat cry female!” Valka grumbled. “Skaevin eat all!”

Toska shook his head doubtfully at Louise, when she looked at the bird sitting halfway blocking the entrance to the cave, then at Toska with worry clearly etched into her features.

“We’re not leaving. We’re here to stand with you. But we need to keep our females safe while we help you fight,” Toska said.

“Go home!” Valka shouted, stomping away from the group of them as they stubbornly declared their loyalty.

“Wait! Valka!” Louise called.

Valka stopped in his tracks and turned to glare at the female who dared to call him by name as he stalked back to her. Females didn’t have the right to demand anything of any male that wasn’t hers, and he was already angry that this one thought she could speak to him disrespectfully.