The Weight of Blood (The Half-Orcs, #1)(39)

“She, not he. She saved my life, and she’s also been teaching me to read.”

“How did she save your life?” Qurrah asked.

“Remember a few months back when I came home beaten, bloody, and blue?” he asked. “Guards caught me trying to sneak inside Maggie’s Tavern. They attacked me, said they were going to arrest me as the Forest Butcher. Aurelia stopped them.”

Qurrah rubbed his chin, lost in thought. He glanced at Harruq, a tiny smile forming on his face.

“May I meet her?”

Harruq immediately began blubbering.

“No, but you see, I don’t know if she’s ready, and you might not…I need to let her know you’re coming first!”

Qurrah chuckled.

“Why do you worry?”

The big half-orc let his gaze drop to the floor. “She’s an elf. Is that alright?”

Qurrah walked over and put a hand on Harruq’s shoulder.

“You may be with whoever you wish, my dear brother. Just do not try to deceive me.”

Harruq nodded. “Alright, then you can come this morning. We’ve got to hurry though, or we’ll be late.”

“I am ready,” Qurrah said. “When you are ready, lead on.”

The big half-orc flew about their home, grabbing his old swords and donning his faded leather armor. When ready, he nodded to Qurrah, who let out a rare laugh.

“You are amusing, brother,” was all he said before following him out.



“This is it,” Harruq said as he gestured about the small clearing he and Aurelia sparred in.

“Where is she?” Qurrah asked. Harruq shrugged in response.

“She’s never here. She always shows up after I do.”

The smaller half-orc scanned the area, seeing no sign of the elf.

“Perhaps she is not coming,” Qurrah offered. “You are late, after all. On the other hand, perhaps I scared her off. I do have a creepy aura about me, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Suuuure, Qurrah,” Harruq said, crossing his arms as he waited. “You’re big and scary and send little kiddies running when they see you on the street.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” said a female voice behind the two brothers. “Any man who would hang out with a brute like Harruq must be a disturbed individual.”

Both turned to see Aurelia step out from behind a tree. She smiled at Harruq, and then nodded to his brother.

“Care to introduce me?”

“Oh yeah, this is--”

“Qurrah Tun, my lady,” Qurrah said with a bow that sent Harruq’s jaw dropping. “It is a pleasure to meet you. May I have the name of the one who has brought civility to my brother?”

Aurelia laughed at Harruq’s flabbergasted look.

“I am Aurelia Thyne,” she said, offering a quick curtsy. “And it will take years to civilize that big lug. I’m not sure I have the patience.”

“If your patience matches your beauty then my brother will soon be dressed in nobles’ finest, sipping wine and commenting on the taxing errors of our dear King of Neldar.”

Aurelia blushed. She smiled at Qurrah. “You surprise me. It truly is a pleasure to meet you.”

“And it is a pleasure to meet the elf that my brother is so smitten for.”

Aurelia giggled at Harruq’s squirming. “He’s a loveable puppy dog, but I do not think he is smitten. Are you, Harruq?”

“Um, course not,” the half-orc said. Aurelia and Qurrah shared a quick, knowing smile. The frail half-orc’s face lost much of its lifelessness, and a gentle caring filled his eyes. His seriousness quickly buried it, but Aurelia had seen enough.

“I shall leave you two to your studies and sparring,” Qurrah said after a long pause to torture Harruq. “Although I doubt the wisdom of leaving him alone with such a beautiful teacher.”

“Good thing you will not have to worry about that, considering I see no beautiful teachers around,” Aurelia replied.

Qurrah walked to Aurelia and bowed again, taking her hand in his and kissing it. As Aurelia smiled, he rose and whispered into her ear.

“He loves you, elf. I can feel it. Do you love him back?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered.

“Will you hurt him?”

“Never.”

“Then accept my blessing.”

Finished, Qurrah bowed once more, wished his brother good luck, and then trudged through the forest toward Woodhaven. When he was out of earshot, Aurelia walked over to Harruq and jabbed him in the side with a finger.

“Now why did you take so long to let me meet him?” she asked.

“I, but, he, but…”

“No buts. He was a perfect gentleman.”

The half-orc threw his arms up in surrender. He sat down beside her and did his best to focus on the letters. Aurelia seemed impressed enough with his progress, and they soon began working on simple words further into the book.

“Why does your brother speak so strangely,” she asked once they were done, trying to broach the subject casually. She sat stretched out on the grass, her legs crossed and her weight leaning back on her arms. The whole time they had taught she had found her mind wandering to the sick, spidery voice Qurrah spoke in, a voice that had nearly spoiled his otherwise surprising charm.