Necun stumbled into the courtyard with a grimace on her face. Bycia had held her up for longer than she had wished, and had poured far too much wine. Necun could already feel the headache coming on, and was dreading the march ahead.
Worse, Nickolas had left immediately, and Necun had realized why far to late.
Women discussing his future, barely acknowledging his presence. she thought bitterly. Papa would have given me an earful.
By the time she had realized it was too late to excuse herself from Bycia's hospitality. So Necun had stayed and traded pleasantries with the older woman until the wine stopped flowing. When the third jar had mercifully run out Necun had nearly bolted for the door, held back only by the sudden unsteadiness of her feet.
Now she was navigating the slick stone as carts were hitched and wagons covered. They were set to leave in less than a bell, and she had no idea where Nickolas had stashed himself in this mess. An exhausted fortress laborer had at least spotted him with the caravan, and had informed Necun when she stopped the woman in a panic. That soothed the worst of her worries. Even if the deepest fears wouldn't be so easily quelled.
Don't be a fool Necun. she chided herself. He wouldn't go back on an oath, besides he's too proud to-Was that his voice?
She stilled, letting the myriad sounds of the creaking carts and lowing rooks fall away one by one as she listened for her lover's voice. Below the bustling, and grunts, and shouts she heard a laugh like a chime, and turned on her heel to follow it.
"Necun!" a voice called, causing Necun to stumble.
"There you are!" Kella called, mouth half full of roasted meat. "Finally dragged yourself out of bed? Was your Prince keeping you busy?"
Necun rolled her eyes at the lame attempt at a joke and kept walking towards her bond.
"Necun?" Kella's voice grew concerned as she grabbed Necun's shoulder.
"Woof." the hand withdrew as Kella covered her nose. "You reek like a wine barrel Cuncun. Did you spend all morning drinking?"
Kella's frown suddenly deepened.
"Did last night turn out alright?" she asked seriously as Necun turned to face her. "I thought golden boy was...well. Receptive to you."
"Last night was wonderful." Necun replied. "Best night of my-urk."
Necun doubled over, her hand rushing to cover her mouth. Seeing her friend's distress Kella stepped to the side and placed a hand on Necun's heaving back.
"Woah there." Kella chuckled. "Just let it out, you know it's bad to hold it in like that Cuncun. They'll have to clean up after the rooks anyway, no harm in adding a little regret soup."
Necun's teeth ground together in protest as she cursed her stomach. Cursing the spackle berry wine Bycia always preferred.
Suddenly she straightened, before leaning back to gulp in some air.
"Fine. I'm fine. I'm not going to vomit." Necun gasped. "Just need a moment to catch my breath."
"You got twisted woman." Kella said with mild glee. "I haven't seen you this bad all cycle. What did you even drink?"
"Spackle berry." Necun replied, rubbing her temples. "Bycia needed to talk to me."
"That'll do it." Kella said with a wince. "I can't believe she stomach's that poison. Always makes me want to curl up in a dark hole afterwards."
While her friend droned on Necun had leaned against a rook. The gentle beast began nuzzling her side looking for a treat, before giving up and angling for a petting hand instead. After a moment of resistance Necun started scratching the soft neck of the animal, enjoying the soothing feeling of it's fur between her fingers. The rook snorted happily as it returned it's attention to the bag of dried leaves it was munching on.
Necun's breathing slowed as her fingers searched for that perfect spot under the rook's chin. When the beast's leg started quivering she knew she was close, and with a bit more prodding she found it. The flank she was leaning against stilled, then joined the leg in quivering as Necun rubbed and scratched the cluster of nerves under the rook's jaw.
It was a calming moment for her, as she made the animal's morning.
"Hey." Kella interrupted, jostling Necun's arm. "We still have some time. Let's find a bunk for you to crash in. Somewhere quiet. Then get some bread in you. We need you ready for the march, and you're not any use to us drunk."
Withdrawing her fingers from the stunned rook Necun shook her head.
"Need to find Nickolas." she replied. "I think he's angry with me and I need to fix it."
"What happened to 'last night was wonderful'?" Kella mocked cheerfully.
"Last night was." Necun muttered. "I rotted things up just now. Bycia said some things that..."
Necun trailed off.
Not my story to tell. she thought to herself. Need to find him before I make things worse.
"And your plan is to fix this rotten mistake while tipping drunk?" Kella asked while quirking a brow. "As your sworn companion, cherished friend, and only source of reason I veto this plan."
"Silence." Necun said before swallowing. "This isn't a joke Kel. I don't want to leave him mad. Not right before we return to the Green."
"As a freshly bonded woman myself I advise you not leave your man angry at any time." Kella responded. "Bad for the heart. And the groin."
Necun grunted, too distracted for a proper groan at the tired Hunter joke.
Then her eyes snapped open.
"You're bonded?" Necun asked in wonder. "From last night? Who?"
"Stole a march." Kella said, her grin sharp. "Butcher's son. Lovely boy with the cutest cheeks and arms to die for."
She released a long sigh.
"Didn't have a chance to bed him." she admitted. "His mother stole him away as soon as my claim was recognized. And I'm going to be too tired on the march to do a proper job. So I'll have to wait until we're back home for my own 'wonderful night'."
She spit to the side.
"Going to be all pent up and grumpy the whole way." She continued. "So be ready for that."
"You won't be as grumpy as the girls who missed their chance." Necun countered. "They'll be the real pain. Wouldn't recommend acting all rotten over waiting a bit to get yourself some alone time."
"Sure sure. I won't bring it up around Kitcha." Kella shrugged.
Necun's eyes widened.
"She didn't make it in time?" she asked.
"Not even close." Kella grimaced. "She was still prowling when the last boy was snatched. Had to listen to her growl all morning about how golden boy's tricks slowed her down too much. I suspect she took a leg wound and ran off before she could get it looked at. Stupid mistake, but she was desperate."
"I had wondered." Necun replied. "This was her third trip? Fourth? No guarantee she'll be back."
"Third. And she'll be fighting for another chance." Kella explained. "Her prospects are...dry back home."
"Should I even ask how you know so much about a random pod leader?" Necun asked.
She steadied herself as she spoke, resuming the search for her bond.
"Lived next to each other for seasons and seasons." Kella chuckled. "I was too young to spend much time around her of course. She was prepping for the Hunter trials at that point, but I was smitten with one of her house-brothers."
Kella stared off into the distance for a moment as she matched pace with Necun. Both orc's had to stop to allow a rook to pull a cart past, a tired caravan hand guiding the beast by it's horns.
"Aaahhh Lan." she mused. "I had absolutely no idea how to handle a crush. By the end I was ambushing him every chance I got, poking fun and trying to get a reaction by kicking dirt at his boots. Anything to justify being around him for an extended length of time."
"You ever do that Cuncun? Annoy a boy because you didn't know what else to do with the emotions?" Kella asked playfully. "Or was that too unrefined for the house-daughter of a Chief?"
Necun's face flushed, and Kella caught the embarrassed glint in her friend's eye. She leaned in throwing her arm around Necun's shoulder, partially holding up her sloshed companion.
"Is that a yes?" she teased. "Some cute boy from the lower levels set little Necun off? Make her act out?"
"Mother didn't let me play with boys." Necun murmured. "She thought it would distract me too much from training."
Kella paused, her mind whirling with possibilities, most of them new and horrible ways to tease and pester Necun for being a sheltered brat. However, while she was pondering a proper verbal dissection they rounded the corner of a particularly tall wagon, and the pealing bells of Nickolas's laughter hit them.
Necun's bond was chatting with his fellow tithe men, in particular one bashful looking boy who was stroking the wide snout of a rook. Both men had the blush of laughter on their cheeks as they talked, and as Necun watched Nickolas reached forward to rub the animal's ear.
The sight, Nickolas laughing, talking, the too bright sun glinting off his long golden hair, was enough to halt Necun in her tracks. Her heart sped up, her hands fidgeted, a thousand beautiful terrible ideas bloomed, watered by the wine in her belly. To reach out and grasp him, pull him into her arms and claim a kiss. To throw him over her shoulder and carry him squealing to a quiet corner for another moment of passion. To drop to her knees and beg forgiveness for her mistake.
All foolish, she knew immediately despite the wine.
Necun knew she needed to first judge how angry Nickolas was with her, determine the precise cause of this anger. Then she must apologize for it tactfully in a way that made it clear his concerns were important.
Her father had ensured she was prepared for this long before she had even reached courting age. All as part of his wider lessons on winning and cherishing her future bond's heart.
There was only one problem.
Necun had absolutely no idea what to say.
Climb a tower while being pelted with magic to win herself a bond? No problem. Belt out the first twenty-five stanza's of 'Love is for growing', and muddle through the next hundred? Slightly embarrassing but she would manage.
Explain to her bond that she was sorry her chaperone casually dismissed his opinion on their bond right in front of them while she did nothing? Necun had no clue how to start that conversation. Nor did she particularly want to risk trying in front of Nickolas's people. They, along with the other human's living back in her homeland, would be her bond's only tether to his homeland. Embarrassing him in front of these men could prove far worse than her previous mistake.
Her heart weighted heavy, and she considered turning to leave. The journey would be long, and there would be plenty of time to pull her bond to the side for a few moments to apologize on the way.
Nickolas suddenly looked in her direction, their eyes meeting.
His face lit up as he recognized her, a smile breaking. The light framed him perfectly, he looked so different compared to the chuckling playful trickster of the previous night, yet no less beautiful for it. In the blazing sunlight he seemed softer, gentler. She was shocked that was possible.
His hand beckoned, his smile turning playful. The other men turned to see the orcish women, one in particular gasping at the sight of Kella, but Necun didn't notice as she strode forward to join her bond. She focused on keeping her stride steady, internally scrambling to come up with a plan. Any plan.
As her face split into a matching smile her mind was screaming at itself for not thinking of a plan earlier.
She stepped within arms reach. Nickolas's nose wrinkled, and Necun realized for the first time that she must smell like a barn flooded with wine. Her mouth opened to apologize, one of several she would need to blurt out before this was over, only to be interrupted by her bond reaching up to coil his arms around her neck.
As she was suddenly pulled forward she quickly shifted her footing to keep from tipping over. Her hands reached out for support, eventually grasping onto Nickolas himself, gripping his sides. Any further actions were halted as Nickolas's lips touched hers, his kiss passionate and hot. Necun focused on keeping her teeth from slicing her bond's lips.
An eternal moment later he pulled back, kissed her on the cheek, and rocked back on his heels. Necun briefly registered that he had gone up on his toes in order to get the height he needed for the kiss.
"Speak her name and she shall appear." Nickolas laughed. "I was just telling the others about you darling. They were very impressed by your show of strength during my challenge."
He pulled at her arm, lacing his own into it as he pressed himself to her side. Necun's eyes never left his face, as she processed his words as quickly as she could parse them.
Down girl. she chided herself. A cheerful expression means nothing. Especially not in public. Father was always close with mother in public, no matter the situation at home.
Even so her heart was soaring. The possibility that she had read far too much into the situation too sweet to resist. At the very least it appeared Nickolas was not nearly as angry as she had feared. She would still apologize of course, but that could wait for a private moment.
---------------------------------
Nickolas's was furious.
I leave this woman alone for one bell and she turns up sloshed. he seethed. Did she down an entire bottle of wine the instant I closed the door? It's not even noon and the caravan is preparing to set off, and here she is smelling like the floor of a tavern. These boys are nervous enough about being dragged off by their wives to the Green and my wife is going to be stumbling along drunk when she's supposed to be keeping monsters from eating us whole. I'll be lucky if I don't get tipsy from that kiss. What is wrong with her?
Outwardly he smiled and began his retelling of fighting off the orcs as they tried to claim him in the tower. This version was largely sanitized of the more embarrassing moments, as well as any details regarding who had lost that night. It would have been unfortunate if one of the other tithe husbands recognized their own wives in a story about trying to claim him.
Still the mental image of the fearsome orc Hunters waiting in line to try and climb his tower was amusing enough to bring a smile to the other men's faces. Except for Peter who was moping by a crate of dried beans. That seemed to be his normal state of mind though, and so went without comment.
The point of the story served it's purpose, distracting the men from thoughts of the daunting journey before them. All had bulging packs, which seemed so large, yet too small to contain every piece of home they would need in the strange land they would spend the rest of their lives in.
Most had said their goodbyes in whatever village or outpost they called home before now. Their parents and friends hosting feasts akin to mourning ceremonies as they sent away the young men with the Warden's soldiers. Their tears were shed, either in the arms of their loved ones or on the road.
No, now all that was left was the fear.
The Deep Green was the nightmare of any fortress dweller. It's monsters present in every threat to disobedient children. The hard border to the human lands.
Not to say it was impossible for humans to enter the Green. Every few cycles a party of brave fools passed through the fortress with confident claims of their martial prowess. These adventuring women always promised to bring back wonders of the Green treasures, materials, or simple maps. It would indeed make them rich, perhaps enough to buy a title if they came back with a rare enough prize.
Few returned.
None attempted a second journey.
Even those unwary fools made no attempt to establish a actual home for humanity in the monster infested Deep.
The only humans who ever entered the Green with serious intent on living there were the tithe husbands, accompanied at all times by orcs.
It was a one way trip, the orcs emissaries had explained that the journey would be dangerous from the tithe's inception. They were happy to send the extra Hunters to keep everyone safe when the caravan was bringing men back of course. The carts would need the extra protection as they trundled along the weaving paths back to the orc's city regardless. Bringing the men out of the Green was a different story. Even the tithe caravan's refused to take the risk of losing a human during the first half of the trip.
Nickolas suspected it was a part of the orc's culture at play, along with the natural desire to keep their men close to home.
If even the orc's were wary of this journey then Nickolas could hardly imagine the horrors that would assail them before it was through. The rejects and runts that fled the Deep into the waiting spears of the Knights each migration season were nightmare fuel already.
And it was Nickolas's duty to keep these men calm the whole way.
I might be being unfair. he admitted to himself. No one has shown any serious signs of breaking down. We're fortress men not whimpering heartland flowers. We'll adjust, and by the next season of rain we'll be as brave as any Deep born orc.
Back in the moment Nickolas leaned his head against Necun's shoulder and sighed. It was important for him to show comfort around his new wife. Hopefully it would calm the other husbands.
Judging by Necun it's not like orc's are terrible wives anyway. he thought. Last night she was actually rather sweet at moments. Even if she's just as 'hungry' as any Knight.
Nickolas's hips were still sore, and he was fairly sure he had bruises on his chest.
The constant ache in his bones from mage burn was worse, but Nickolas hoped no one had noticed yet. It had crept in a short time ago, his body starting to recover from the surge of magic used last night. His always hit worse at noon, and he was grateful to his body for that most days.
He knew some Mages who's mage burn triggered in the dead of night. They tended to sleep alone to avoid waking their wives with the sudden thrashing.
Leaning against Necun to avoid a sudden shoot of pain running up his leg Nickolas stole a glance at his wife's companion. He didn't remember her name, nor the moment when he tossed her off the tower the previous night, though he was sure it had occurred.
The tall woman was passive, looking at her boots. Meanwhile Peter, a butcher's son Nickolas recalled, was alternating between shy glances at the woman and what must have been a very interesting rock. Nickolas smiled slightly.
"Pardon me Hunter." Nickolas said, turning to his wife's friend. "I don't think we've been introduced. Are you acquainted with my Necun?"
The woman was startled, her hand even flying to an axe for a brief moment. Then she set her feet and smiled brightly, displaying her sharp tusks in the shining sun.
"Cuncun didn't tell you about her comrades?" she asked, with a silky voice. "Ah, well, I suppose she must have been busy with other matters last night."
Nickolas felt the muscles in Necun's arm tighten at the insinuation. He had to hold back a chuckle.
"We're stalking sisters." Kella continued smoothly. "That's when Night Hunter's who join around the same time get paired together. We learned to together, hunted together, and we always join the same pod when we can. I've saved her life a few times. She's saved mine once or twice. She's my sister by oath if not by blood."
"A few times?" Necun asked, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Do you want a count, Kel? I'm sure we could compare tallys. That time with the river for example."
"A deep bond indeed." Nickolas interrupted. "Did you participate in the tithe last night? I'm afraid I don't remember who all participated."
"Er." Kella paused as she ran her tongue over her fangs. "Yes. Um. I was bonded with Peter."
The young man twitched at the sound of his name. His raised his head to meet Kella's eyes and let out a long breath before smiling.
"It's, um, true." he confirmed. "Kicked her way through my window shutter. It was, erm, impressive?"
"She managed to fit through the window?" Nickolas asked, raising an eyebrow.
"There was wiggling involved." Kella admitted. "And I had to take off most of my armor. But it was worth it in the end."
She turned her gaze back to her bond, who blushed fiercely and dropped his eyes back to his hands.
A silence hung over the group after that, and island of quiet in the din of final caravan preparations. To Nickolas it seemed far less somber than a moment ago. The new woman, Kel apparently, had displayed a rather sweet sentiment that would hopefully dispel the worst fears of the gathered men. At least the ones concerning their new wives.
The silence was broken when a large bag slammed into the dirt at Nickolas's feet, jangling with tools.
"Is there anywhere to stash our luggage?" Marious puffed. "Or are we hauling it all the way ourselves?"
"Marious." Nickolas's gaped. "You're not coming with us. Why would you come with us? What are you doing?"
"Of course I'm coming with you." Marious replied, slightly confused. "I'm hardly going to miss this chance. Do you have any idea how good the healers are in the Deep? Give me a cycle with their ingredients and I'll be the best human Medicine Man ever born. Give me a decade and I'll be the best Medicine Man, full stop."
Everyone blinked at the diminutive healer.
Then Kella broke into a cackling laugh.
Necun soon joined her, and even Nickolas devolved into chuckling behind his hand.
Leave it to Marious to jump feet first into the Deep on his own. Nickolas thought, pride in his peer rising. Makes my plan look sane by comparison.
"How long have you been plotting this?" Nickolas blurted out once his regained control of his laugh.
"Longer than I should admit." Marious admitted. "Started packing when it became clear to the rest of Blightstone that you were serious about being tithed. Thank you for that by the way. Wonderful distraction. Father didn't even notice me finishing up my experiments."
The healer hefted the overstuffed pack on his shoulder, then dropped another heavy bag to flex his no doubt cramped hand.
"But that can be discussed later." he continued. "Does anyone know where we put our bags? My shoulders itch and if I have to haul all this I might as well take most of the leather back home."
"How much did you steal Mar?" Nickolas asked, stepping away from Necun. "Is that your entire kit? How did your mother not notice that?"
"I was hardly going to leave it behind." Marious said. "It's mostly mine. Had to order most of the glasswork custom from that place in Lagan. I worked off the rest a long time ago. The old woman drank away more than I'm taking so she can bite my ass before I hear a complaint."
Marious took a moment to pull a wineskin to his lips and take a long drink.
"Still it would be better if we're out of the fortress before she wakes up." Marious admitted. "Cleaner than an argument."
Nickolas studied his friend.
Mar's sense of humor is not this advanced. he thought. And even if it was this is a bit far for a joke. His mother, well, I don't want to be around for that explosion either. It's not like I'm going to stop him anyway. It will be nice to have a friendly face besides Molly for the trip in any case.
Nickolas turned his head.
"Peter?" he asked the blushing man. "Is there a place for the personal luggage?"
Peter nodded shyly, and like that, the healer was aboard.