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oubliette-odette · 1 year ago

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The Reluctance of Love Pt. 21

Orc Male x Half-Elf Male, Fated Mates, Forbidden Love, Slow Burn Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 Content Warnings: mention of mating, homophobia, fantasy racism. All orcish is from orcishdictionary.com, created by Matt Vancil.

This was my fault. I had let my guard down.

My heart was pounding fast inside me, but it was no longer for the rush I felt being near Altan. No, I was feeling the thumping of my body fearing for my life, for Altan’s life.

I pulled Altan in front of me and put myself between him and the men “Run!” I pushed him ahead of me and he began to scramble forward.

I snapped the longest piece of the arrow that extended out the side of my leg and grunted at the jolt of pain, but I’d have to deal with the rest later. I kept running, forcing my body to suppress the pain. I glanced back and saw two of the three men were racing down the hill towards us, the third let loose another arrow. I heard its whistle and felt a sting as it sliced the side of my arm, barely missing me. I hissed, but I didn’t slow. I didn’t have time to linger on the pain. I was the son of Uluraat orcs, and we did not let pain stop us from protecting each other.

There was a roar in my ears as I kept just behind Altan. I glanced back and saw that all three were now in pursuit. They each had hoods concealing their faces as they sprinted towards us. We had an advantage, but if we slowed at all, they would gain on us.

“Altan,” I called, “Hold tight.”

He looked back at me, his eyes wide as I suddenly swept him up and into my arms. His arms found my neck and he held on tight to me. We both knew I was faster than him, I could carry him as long as I needed to. To keep him safe.

“What are you doing?” he yelled, “You’re injured!”

My expression was grim as I met his eyes for only a flash, “I’ll live.”

He frowned, but said nothing. He looked back, “They’re not slowing down.”

“Neither will I.”

“How long can you keep this up?” His voice was shaking.

“As long as I have to.” I said. My words came out more like grunts as I tried to keep my breathing level. My body was pounding to a rhythm that I had long since forgotten.

“Drun, your skin is burning.” Altan said.

“It’s good.” I grunted. Orcs' bodies were built for war, for hunting and survival and when our bodies were pushed to the extreme, there was a sudden rush that made our blood burn and our bodies be able to push through extreme injuries or exhaustion. It worked and felt similarly to lordhovid. I had not felt such sensations since I was much younger, and there was a part of me that missed the feeling of pushing my body to its limit. There was a roar in my ears that dimmed all sound except for the sound and feeling of my feet pounding into the earth, I could feel the soil break beneath me. My leg had an ever present throb that I couldn’t quite shake, but I was determined. I couldn’t slow down. I couldn’t.

Altan clung to me, saying nothing, I could feel his own heart pounding against my chest. He watched with wide eyes ahead of us and then looked back and said, “We’re losing them I think.”

I didn’t respond and still I didn’t slow. My breath was coming out of my mouth in short, loud puffs and I clung to Altan, making sure he would never fall from my grip. I was fueling every part of me into running. Faster if I could. It didn’t matter how long it would take, but I would get Altan free. My arms were beginning to tire and my leg was starting to scream at me. I didn’t dare look down to see how much blood I was losing. I couldn’t care about that, not yet. At the speed I was running I was praying that I would ourselves reaching my father’s camp soon. I may have an advantage on our pursuers, but I also knew that my body wouldn’t keep this up forever. Eventually I would collapse.

“Drun.” Altan pulled himself up. I could sense fear in his voice and I looked back. I saw nobody there and even though I kept running, I began to slowly pull back.

“Your leg.” He said, looking down. “Let me dress it.”

I shook my head, “No, it will be fine once we get to camp.”

“Drunrag.” Altan pushed. “I won’t accept you losing so much blood that you faint.”

I shook my head. “Not possible.” Orcs don’t faint, we die before that could ever happen.

He frowned and his face became grim. “Drunrag Uluraat, we are doing this together. Let. Me. Help. You.”

I read the determination in his expression. He would not accept no for an answer.

I slowed to a stop and I suddenly grimaced as the pain overwhelmed my senses. He kept his arms around my neck as he swung his legs free and hopped down to his feet. He reached for the bottom of my tunic, not even asking before ripping off the bottom portion.

“There’s a lot of blood, the arrow has moved a lot.” he looked up after assessing what was left of the arrow sticking from my thigh. “I’ll do my best to control the bleeding, but I don’t think I can remove the arrow just yet” He started to wrap the cloth around my leg, keeping it tight just above the wound.

“Thank you,” I said, then looked behind us, assessing our surroundings. “We probably don’t have much time.”

His eyes were narrowed and concentrated on the wound, he didn’t give any sign that he had heard me as he tightly knotted the bandage.

“Tighter.” I said roughly, I wiped sweat from my brows and looked over my shoulder, my heart skipped a beat as I saw the distant shadowy shapes of our pursuers that hadn’t been there before.

“We have to get moving.”

“If you keep running, it could injure you more.” He protested.

“We can deal with that later.” I looked back again and then back to Altan. “Are you ready?”

He looked at my leg nervously before nodding and letting me lift him back into my arms.

I started to run, but immediately I realized our error for stopping. My body protested with every step and I felt as if the exhaustion from the last three days had caught up with me. I groaned as I felt the intense searing pain as I moved my leg again and again. The motion was suddenly near unbearable and I began to limp.

“Drun.” Altan’s voice was distant in my head, I could only hear a shrill ringing. “Drun!”

I continued to run, to struggle onwards. Every orc warrior kept standing until their last breath, and I would do the same to make sure that Altan was safe. I met his eyes and we both knew I wasn’t as fast before, and that I was fading, but I had to keep going. It was our only chance. Stopping now would mean death.

“Drun,” Altan’s voice cut through again, he gripped my neck tighter. “They’re gaining on us.”

I turned around and realized that they were on horses now, with two additional riders with them. I felt the weight of what that meant.

There would be no escaping them.

I slowed down, holding Altan close to me. “Altan, promise me that whatever happens, you’ll keep running towards those hills until you find my father. Do you understand?”

He jerked in my arms and looked at me with a grim expression. “Drunrag. What are you saying?”

“Promise me.”

He shook his head. “No, we’re doing this together.”

“Altan.” I said, his name hurt on my lips, and I ached to swallow the emotion away from my voice. I set him down and grabbed his shoulders. “We are always together, but we also need to prepare for if something gets worse. I need to buy you some time.”

“But you’re injured.”

“They slowed us down on purpose, this is what they wanted. But I’m also the son of the greatest warrior I know.” I said. “I will fight, whatever it takes. For you. For us. If you can keep running and get to my father’s camp, they will bring reinforcements to help. We’re not far, but I have to make sure one of us gets a chance to get there.”

He shook his head. ‘I don’t like this. Drun, I don’t want to leave you.”

I lifted the vial from his neck and then placed my hand on his chest, above his heart. “We can find each other again. Do you trust me?”

His eyes softened and turned sad. “Drun, you’re saying this like something will go wrong.”

“It may,” My voice was sober as I set him down on the ground. “Do you trust me?”

He nodded, “I trust you. Always.”

I gave him a grim smile, “Then go. To the hills, follow the smell of the smoke and don’t look back.”

Altan’s eyes hardened to steel and he nodded. “I love you, I’ll come back for you.”

I nodded. “Nod merad,” I cupped his face and leaned in, letting us both savor one last final kiss before I let him go. I felt that feeling of completion, of unification before I pushed him away and my voice cracked, “Go.”

There wasn’t time to say or do anything more. His eyes were on me a few moments longer, we both seemed to be trying to memorize all of our features in a matter of seconds, before he turned from me and began to run.

I looked back to the shadows of the riders ahead of us and I felt the cold reality of what I was doing. Orcs fought in packs, while I stood alone. These riders outnumbered me. They had arrows, weapons, horses - means to not only defend themselves, but also the means to kill me if they so chose. I was not loved by the Duke or his council, very likely they would not hesitate to kill me. I had nothing to defend myself. All that Commander Gideon had given me was a small dagger. It would be enough to throw at one target, but there would still be four more, and they likely wouldn’t hesitate to retaliate.

Perhaps the blood soaked soil of the Fields of the Dead would promise me victory. I breathed in deep and prayed to the orc-god for his blessing. His lust for blood was what kept the land fertile and safe for my people, he was always near to them when they stayed so near where war had been. I hoped I was still given the grace to be acknowledged by him.

I looked back over my shoulder one last time and I saw my beloved’s back becoming smaller and smaller as he ran towards the hills where my father would be. Please be good to him, I prayed. Please let him live.

I wondered if I would see him again. Or if I had already said goodbye to him. I remembered how it had only been a few hours ago today. I remembered what had told me, “If I am lucky, I would have all of you.” Was today all I could ever give him? I wanted to give him so much more. I would give him everything I had if I had the chance then.

I heard the pounding of the hooves and turned back, I slipped the dagger free from its sheath on my belt and I held my stance.

My eyes focused on the riders and as they came closer, I began to catch details of them that I had not been able to see before. One of them had their hood flown back, revealing their shaved head and glowing red eyes. My heart faltered as I recognized what this meant with their bright red garb.

I was familiar with this guild of hunters, though I had never encountered them before. The Red Hunters: a shadowy group of mercenaries that lurked in shadows all across Faerun, that could be convinced to hunt down anyone or anything for a bit of coin. Their methods were uncommonly violent and their work was renowned for their special brand of cruelty. They were trained killers, but they were also trained in other arts: tracking what is supposed to be untraceable, killing what is unkillable, torturing what should be unbreakable. They all shared the common features of the red of their eyes - a malformation from a drug they consumed to heighten their senses - and shaved heads.

I didn’t know how the Duke was able to pay such a high fee when I knew of his debts. And I also didn’t know what that meant for my fate. Was I to die by their hand? Or be taken somewhere much worse?

Gruumsh, hear me, I am unworthy of your blessing, but I ask it all the same.

Let me live so that I may see him again.

Let me live.

The party of riders slowed and approached me. They each pulled back their heads and I saw that they all also wore masks that concealed all but their red, burning eyes.

“Orc.” One of them called, their voice biting.

I did not answer, only returning with a glowering stare.

“Where is the young lord?” The same one asked.

I did not answer again.

The one who spoke turned to the one to their left and in a different language made some sharp command. The one who received the orders began to urge their horse forward, and it was then that I loosened my grip on the knife and let the weight of its hilt swing until my fingers caught hold of it by the blade. My eyes locked on the rider’s neck that was moving towards me and I let the knife fly, watching the blade sink right where I aimed. The rider gurgled before they slid off the saddle and fell to the ground, either dead or dying.

“You will go no further.” I shouted, my voice came out as more a roar than a yell. I did not care that I might have appeared more beast than man at that moment. I wanted them to know I would die before they got their hands on my mate.

“Orc.” The first speaker called. “You will not repeat such an act of violence. You have made your talent apparent, now listen carefully. You will not live if you act out again, and then who will protect your lover then?”

“What are your demands?” I seethed where I stood. They would use Altan against me, they knew it would work. I had never possessed such a weakness as strong and obvious as him before and I was too desperate to sacrifice him.

“You will come with us. There is a Duke who would like to see you. Alive, unfortunately. But I’m not afraid to kill you all the same if you do not obey me.” The leader urged his steed forward and they approached me until they were stopped only a few feet from me.

As I stood, my eyes just above their horses' glassy eyes and I only had to look up a bit to meet the eyes of the leader.

“You will not hurt him?” I asked.

They shrugged, “We’ll see. Will you go willingly?”

I tried to read their eyes, but those red, hollow eyes expressed nothing but contempt and apathy. There would be no gambling with these people. I bowed my head.

The leader turned back and called out to the other three riders. I watched in mute horror as two of them burst into a gallop towards the hills, pulling the crossbows from their hips.

“No!” I yelled. I somehow knew they would not respect my desire and lunged out to stop them, but I felt something lodge into my thigh - my good one - and I faltered and landed on my knees.

The two riders who were left circled me and the leader scoffed at me. “Pathetic. I thought orcs were a little more impressive than…this. You’re a bit of a disappointment, aren’t you?”

I felt another painful sharpness in my leg and I looked down to see that two crossbow bolts were now lodged just above my knee on my right knee. It took everything in me to hold back the groans of pain, I clenched my jaw and I sat up, my knees were shaking beneath me.

“What made you think we would actually honor any request you made?” They asked.

“Idiot” The other chuckled.

I glared at each of them, my hands were fists at my side. I had nothing to fight back. I was grounded by two wounds that kept me from running. What was next?

“Cuff him.” The leader said darkly.

The other retrieved chains from their pack and my eyes flashed with horror as I recognized cuffs for my feet, my hands, and a collar for my neck.

They were going to chain me like an animal.

I started to flail as the rider dismounted and approached me with the chains. I wouldn’t be treated so disrespectfully. I may not be the perfect orc I was supposed to be, but I understood my honor, my pride. I would not accept this. The last thing I remembered was the shrill scream of their mount as it rose to its hind legs and then feeling a hard, painful collision to the back of my head.

Altan. I thought as darkness claimed me. I’m so sorry.

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