Page 14 of Orc's Pride
“Put me down!” I demand in a shriek loud enough to probably be heard by Malik himself. Wherever he is.
Because right now, the only thing that’s going to save me is him coming to my rescue.
7
Pitha
How did this human ever get recruited as a spy? Do the dark elves have no standards? Have they lost their minds as well as their magic since they came to Earth?
She’s so light in my arms, I might as well be holding an actual baby. Why would the dark elves send someone like this? What good could they possibly expect her to do?
Obviously, being a spy would normally be punishable by death. But it’s so hard for me to wrap my head around the idea that she poses any sort of threat. I’m so completely baffled by the entire situation that I’m still not sure what to do about it.
Maybe Gor is wrong in his accusation. I like Gor well enough, and he has his uses. But I don’t think his judgment is unflappable. When I look at this tiny, feeble woman, it’s easy to believe that he must have made a mistake.
And yet, there’s no way for her to come here unless she passed through dark elf territory. We’re too far from where the humans live. No one could reach us without going through the dark elves first. And they would kill her on sight. How did she get by them alive unless she is one of them?
Her presence is a fascinating puzzle. I’m eager to solve it, and if I’m being honest, only partly because it’s my job. I’m intrigued by her. No matter which angle that I examine, I can’t get everything to add up, and I want to know why.
Since she won’t give me a straight answer, I’ll just have to pull it out of her myself. Still cradling her in my arms, I ignore her protests and carry her to my bed.
Her eyes get wide when she realizes where I am taking her. She puts her hand on my chest, trying to push me away. I clamp my lips together, trying to hold in a chuckle.
I can’t decide which is funnier – the fact that she thinks I’m trying to sleep with her, or the fact that she thinks she could stop me. Both are so absurd that it’s hard not to tell her so.
The comment, however, will not help me in my investigation. Right now, that’s my priority. If her behavior so far has been any indication, I’ll have plenty of opportunities to laugh at her later.
I drop her on the bed, noting how quickly her reaction changes. Her protests have failed, and all that is left for her is to stare at me with big, frightened eyes. She trembles when I sit beside her on the edge of bed, recoiling into the mattress.
“What are you going to do to me?” Her voice is shaky, like the rest of her. Despite this, she holds up her hands as if prepared to attack, her fingers curled like claws.
In a way, I can’t help but admire her spirit. Misguided thought it may be. Still, if this is what the dark elves are working with, our success is as good as guaranteed.
Something inside of me twinges with guilt, feeling bad for scaring such a tiny little thing. It’s so easy that I can take no satisfaction in it. Instead, there’s a certain shame, like I am no better than a childhood bully.
But she might be a spy,I remind myself. I have a job to do, and can’t let myself be swayed by big, imploring eyes.
She’s such a bizarre mess of contradictions, which only adds to the sense of mystery. Humans are so weak, and yet the way she kicked Gor earlier would imply she’s anything but. Her physical body doesn’t have much strength, but she carries herself as though she is the fiercest warrior. Perhaps in her own mind, she is.
How can this woman be both a tiny cute harmless rabbit, and a ferocious lioness, all at once? It’s confusing and captivating, perplexing and fascinating.
I could just hand her back to Gor, let her be dealt with in the typical way. But then I’d lose the mystery she provides, and I’m not quite sure I want to do that. If nothing else, it’s entertaining. I’ll find out her secret myself.
I stroke her leg, letting her overactive imagination fill in the rest. I am, of course, not actually going to take this woman against her will. But I’m not above letting her squirm in fear for a bit, and this is the one thing that she seems to respond to.
I could threaten her life, but she doesn’t even blink at that. Hell, she moved past me throwing a machete at her in about four seconds.
Doing my best acting, I give her an intimidating leer, curling my lip back. “Tell me everything. Don’t make me do something I’ll regret,” I threaten, working my hardest to make it sound convincing.
The fear in her eyes is palpable, so I’m caught completely by surprise when she pulls her knee clear into her chest and then kicks out as hard as she can. I don’t budge, but I’m impressed by the effort. Even though she’s scared to death, she managed to gather her wits enough to at least fight back. A useless gesture, but admirable.
As far as I’ve ever seen, there are two kinds of human women. The kind who screams and cries at the first sight of me, and thekind who can’t spread their legs wide enough at the sight of any big, strong orc. I don’t care for either kind.
This third kind is brand new. I need a bit more time to decide what to do with this type.
Putting my arms on either side of her, I lean closer to whisper in her ear. “Why don’t you let me handle the foreplay?” I tease threateningly. “Save your strength for later. You’re going to need it when I’m done with you.”
Her eyes nearly double in size, making me feel as if I have managed to call her bluff. I’m not actually going to do any of the things I’m suggesting, but fear can be a very motivating factor. If it gets the result I want, I don’t have time to quibble about the morality of it all.