Page 50 of My Orc Has Big Tusks
I shook my head. “Pregnant animals often seek isolation before birth. It’s instinct.”
“Snugglethorns only leave if they feel unsafe.” Guilt came through in his voice. “She didn’t trust us enough to stay.”
“Then we’ll find her and prove she can.”
We stopped by the medical bay, where I added more supplies, including some for us if we were gone for long. As I sorted everything, he told me about the routes he’d already searched.
His eyes followed my movements, studying what I took, and I could see him making mental notes, learning. We workedin tandem without discussing it, me handling medical supplies while he adjusted the flashlights and checked the batteries.
The rain had settled into a steady downpour by the time we reached Abagail’s empty pen. Brovish showed me the tufts of blue wool caught on the fence line. We’d broaden our search in this area.
“When a snugglethorn isn’t secure with a host family, they’ll create birth dens,” he said as we found another bit of wool snagged on a bush, then another, following a bit of a trail, our flashlights catching on wet underbrush. “They seek places with stone walls, low ceilings, and soft ground underfoot. High families build special birthing chambers for their snugglethorns. Stone rooms carved into mountain sides, lined with soft moss from the deep forest. The elders say if a snugglethorn births in your home, your family will know prosperity for seven generations.”
“How many young do they typically have?” I asked, ducking under a low branch he held for me. “I haven’t had the chance to look online.”
“One, usually. Twins happen but rarely. When they come, they’re very small.” He pointed to another clump of blue wool caught on a thorny bush. “Their horns don’t start growing in until the third month. They nurse for about twelve weeks, then start transitioning to soft plants.”
Sofia flew ahead of us, her orange glow dancing between the raindrops. She would circle back, peep urgently, then zoom forward again. We were following her as much as the thin trail.
“You know so much about them,” I said.
“My family kept snugglethorns. I helped with birthing season.” Pride shone in his voice, though I could tell he tried to mask it. “They’re wise creatures and picky about who they’ll trust.”
The forest floor grew treacherous as we moved deeper, following small pieces of wool caught on bushes. Mud slicked underfoot, and hidden roots waited to trip us. Pine needles clung to my boots, and the smell of wet earth rose with every step. The rain had changed the forest into a secretive world, water dripping from leaves like tiny footsteps all around us.
Brovish strode through it like he belonged here, while I felt like an intruder barely tolerated. His night vision clearly outpaced mine. He navigated easily while I stumbled, my flashlight beam bouncing.
“The ground drops here,” he said, reaching back to take my arm.
Too late. My foot slipped on a rain-slick stone, and I pitched forward with a startled cry.
His arm shot out, catching me before I fell. My momentum sent me into him, and his arm went around my waist. I looked up, rain streaming down my face, to find his eyes on mine.
We stayed like that, pressed together in the rain, his warmth seeping through his clothes.
“Thank you,” I said.
His hand found mine, his fingers wrapping around my smaller ones.
“I can see better than you can in the dark,” he said. “For safety, we should stay connected.”
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
Holding hands, we moved forward carefully. Sofia swooped back, circling overhead before leading on.
“I’ve been thinking about our kiss,” he said, so quietly I almost lost it beneath the rain. “Since it happened.”
I swallowed hard, wondering where he’d take this. “So have I.”
“I worried that you might regret it.”
“I was worried you did.” The confession tumbled out of me, easier in the dark with only the rain and Sofia to witness. “You didn’t mention it after.”
“I didn’t know what to say. In the kingdom, intentions are clearer.” He helped me over a fallen log. “Here, I am never certain if I’ve understood social cues correctly.”
Before I could respond, Sofia let out a high-pitched trill. She shot forward, her glow brightening.
“She’s found something,” Brovish said, pulling me forward.
