The night sky was clear with not a single cloud, just the inky darkness enveloping everything. I was sitting in front of my window, staring out at the almost full moon; tonight, she was stunning, shining so brightly that her light was enough for me to make out the mountains in the distance. But she also frightened me in a way because I knew that tomorrow night, she would be completely full.

It would be her twelfth full circle of the year.

And during that twelfth full moon, my mother would send me off to the same mountains I was looking at right now: Asclan Peaks. I was sure of it. This year would be different from all previous years. This year, she would send me there!

I’d never been there before, never even left my own town. But I knew about the place and it was surreal to think I’d be heading there soon. The mountains were orcs’ territory, and it had been that way for many, many centuries.

Only once a year were humans willing to cross Asclan Peaks’ borders. And only once a year were they welcomed.

And for sure, the twelfth moon was the cause of that.

The breeding moon.

This was when the fertile women—one from every family—would be sent out to walk the Trimar Pass, crossing borders to the mountain kingdom to meet and breed with Asclan Peaks’ notorious inhabitants.

These annual gatherings between the two species weren’t without good reason. Due to the severe lack of human males and the complete extinction of female orcs, there was no other choice but to crossbreed to produce offspring. It was not ideal, but things had evolved that way. The strange thing was that the babies born would be either orc sons or human daughters. Only very occasionally would a human son be born, and people considered this a wondrous miracle, a cause for tremendous celebration! The baby boy and his family would gain great fortune and lead a good life since everybody worshiped boys and having one in your family would be a ticket to the elite.

Why no orc daughters or mixed half-bloods were born, nobody knew. It just didn’t happen.

So now, I was sure that it had come to my time to travel during the breeding moon, something that had been long coming since at twenty-six years of age, everyone considered me an old maid. Most women my age were mothers already.

I was not, but I was secretly yearning for it if I was honest. My mother knew this, yet she had never let me go to visit Asclan Peaks. And she, as the head of our family, was the one to decide. 

Sometimes, it felt as if I missed out on all the things that motherhood had to offer. I could see the unconditional love between my sisters and nieces, and also longed to give such love to a child of my own. Of course, I loved all my nieces to death and had my hands full with them, being their favorite family member. But still… I wasn’t their mother.

And in quiet, in secret, I believed I would be a good mother too, that I deserved a chance.

So, yes, a part of me was excited about tomorrow, but the other part of me was hellishly scared and intimidated. So afraid of what had to happen to conceive that child of my own…

And the fear came because of the orcs. People always said that these orcs, members of the Azuk clan, were disgusting and aggressive barbarians by nature, that they were vile and mean, hostile to all but their own.

I had once seen them too, long ago, when I’d accidentally encountered a pair. I was playing too close to the borders and saw them from a distance. It was only a glimpse. Yet that glimpse was enough to terrify me to such a point I honestly didn’t wish to see any more of them. I had goosebumps just remembering!

Their rough, cracked skin was a sickly shade of grayish-green, adorned with bruises and scars. They had razor-sharp teeth with two lower tusks way too big to fit in their mouths, square jaws, and pointy ears. And tall as giants they were, almost seven-foot-tall, their massive bodies an immovable block of muscles, solid and bulky, a vast frame carrying enormous weight that caused tremors whenever they walked.

“Please, Luna…” I whispered at the gentle moon. “Please, bless me with a human son. It would bring great fortune to my family.” I held my palms together as I prayed. “And if you cannot bless me with a son, then please let me be blessed with a healthy baby girl. Anything but an orc son. And…please keep me safe too…”

And hanging over all of this was also the thing I hardly dared think about, which was that it was not only a physical thing. There was more to it than that. More reasons to fear… I'd heard that some women never returned from their journey. But where did they go? And what if I was next? What if I would never return home? 

The thoughts terrified me but had no other choice. If I did not go, I would face a lifetime of childlessness and isolation. It was the only way for me to conceive, coming as I had from a peasant family; I would never be able to marry a man, or even meet one. No, this was my only shot at getting a child. I needed to undergo this, not only for me but also for my family.

Luckily, things were so much better now than they had been centuries ago. Because before these annual meetings, the orcs had simply been taking our women and making them slaves. And how could anyone fight against that? They were strong and powerful, and we had almost no men to go into battle on our behalf. So why would the orcs wait for women to reach out to them and have those women for only one night? This was where Mother Moon and nature came in, because, for some reason, all the orc babies conceived in hostility would die. 

After that discovery, things had gotten a lot safer. If an orc wanted a son, he now accepted he had to wait for a woman to come to him, a woman who would lie with him willingly and without too much stress to her—though it probably was never a great experience for the woman despite all this.

“Please, protect me, Mother Moon,” I whispered again before I stood and crawled into bed. “And help me through this. Protect me against whatever may happen to me tomorrow.”

I knew that breeding was almost always successful, but was also still a subject that nobody wanted to talk about, and thus, nobody did. At least not in detail. 

But I hoped I would get at least some information tomorrow! My mother and sisters surely wouldn’t just send me off into the mountains without at least some knowledge of what was going to happen to me during the breeding moon! Right?

I tried to ignore the questions creeping into my mind, haunting me night and day, even as I tried to gain much-needed rest. I needed to sleep well tonight, craving the energy as I did not know what awaited me tomorrow. But sleep, as usual, was refusing to come, leaving me awake well into the night.

Mother was up early, as usual, sitting in her favorite place, the kitchen. “Good morning, my Gyda,” she said the moment I entered for breakfast.

“Morning…” I replied.

My Gyda. Mom only called me that when something was up.

Our small kitchen was always crowded with my nieces running all over the place, and spilled breakfast soiling the counter and floor. This was a day as usual, living with so many in one house.

“Sit down,” my mother ordered, looking at me.

Her order came as no surprise. But it was a bit of a surprise that she and my sisters had let me sleep in late today and prepared all my favorite food for breakfast. The table was full of it.

I felt my heart speeding up, growing anxious, even more than I’d already been. It had all become so real now. I truly was going to take this journey today, wasn’t I?

“And the rest of you leave us,” my mother said to the others as she joined me at the table.

My two older sisters, Anandi and Emmy, took the little ones with them, while I, my mother, and my eldest sister stayed behind.

“We need to talk,” Mom said. “But first, let’s eat. Fiona and I waited for you, so we could eat together.”

I nodded, watching how my mother placed all kinds of food on my plate. Boiled eggs, oatmeal pancakes, bread, fruit, dried meat, and a variety of nuts. Quite different from our usual breakfast, consisting of mostly old bread and maybe an egg or two if we were lucky. There was something major going on today. For sure, there was.

“Thank you,” I replied, almost too nervous to eat. Why did it somehow feel like my last meal? “But…can we maybe talk during breakfast? I already know what will happen today, anyway, and I can’t eat like this. I don’t like the silence. And I’m nervous, Mom.”

Mother pursed her lips.

Then I said, “Mom, you are making me nervous. And this…all this.” I waved my hand over the table filled with all manner of goodies. “This, Mom,” I repeated, as if it needed reinforcing. Of course, it didn’t.

She looked down, folding a napkin before she answered. “Very well. Of course, you already know what will happen today, so I don’t really understand why you’re making a big issue of it. You have been pestering me with questions about this day for years. Anyway, you eat, then I will talk.”

She waited for me to stuff a big bite into my mouth and then set off talking anyway, no doubt realizing that this was the one time I couldn’t speak a single word.

“Tonight, it is the twelfth full moon,” she started. “And during this year’s breeding moon, you shall cross the borders. Just as your sisters have done before you.”

She was visibly uncomfortable talking about it. It made me wonder if my sisters had never asked anything about it. Was I really that strange for wanting to know the details?

“To mate with an orc?” I asked.

“Well…yes. Though we don’t call it mating, you know that.”

“I’m sorry. I meant breeding with an orc,” I replied, even though I didn't know what the difference was. 

What I did know was that breeding with an orc was a shameful and disgusting act. And I did not quite understand everyone’s views of it.

Sure, it couldn’t possibly be a pleasure to be intimate with such an ugly creature, but why was it something to feel ashamed of? That confused me so much. Most of our new lives started this way. My life, my sisters’ and their daughters’ lives had all begun like this, without exception.

So, why was it still considered so taboo?

And why weren’t we virgin women properly informed and educated about it? I think it involved kissing the orc and being physically close to him, like cuddling, but that was all I knew. 

I looked at Fiona. All this while, she had stayed quiet and eyed me silently, obvious worry and sympathy readable in her big green eyes. Did she pity me?

“Yes. You will breed with one of the orcs and hopefully, Luna will bless our family with a son this time. A human son that is. Not one of those…those abominable creatures.”

She couldn’t even say the name. I could see her body trembling as if angry about the baby who did not even exist yet. The baby who might never exist. 

To begin with, Mother was disappointed every time a daughter had made her way into the world. But even worse was that time Fiona had given birth to an orc son.

It’d been Fiona’s first time and, even though I was still a little girl myself, I could still remember how sad my eldest sister had been, and how uncomfortable.

“Mom—” 

“I waited until you reached another stage in life,” Mom interrupted. “Maybe that will make a difference. Your sisters were all so young when they first crossed the borders and you know the outcome of that, looking at your thirteen nieces.

So that was the reason she’d never allowed me to go to Asclan Peaks before! I had to be older and try to conceive her desired human grandson!

“But Madame Hiley’s daughter was even older when she first crossed, because of her sick childhood, and they were blessed with a son on her very first try!”

“I will try to bless you with a grandson,” I answered with as much grace as I could muster before shoving half an egg into my mouth before I said more than I wanted to.

Wow. The pressure. Unbelievable.

“Good, my Gyda. And you should eat a lot of eggs.” Mother said, looking pleased. “Madame Hiley said that would help. Here, have another.”

She shoved a boiled egg in its shell across the table toward me. It rolled and almost dropped off the edge.

“Mother—” I objected. Then I saw her foul look. “O-okay.” I took another bite of egg but put the one in its shell into my pocket. I didn’t plan on eating it; I would throw it outside later, when she was no longer watching my every move.

There were only so many boring eggs a girl could eat, and I’d had my fill. Besides, how could eating boiled eggs possibly help me… breed?

“Here. This is for you, sister,” Fiona said, placing something on my plate. I just hoped it wouldn’t be another egg. It wasn’t, thankfully.

It was a little bundle of herbs tied together with a tiny blue ribbon.

“Take them with two glasses of water. Madame Hiley may well believe in eggs, but my friend told me this may help to conceive a boy too.”

Now, I was confused. Eggs or herbs? 

It was funny how everyone had their own weird ideas about how I was going to set about creating that special little human they wanted. As far as I knew, there was only one way, and that was to keep praying and hope to strike it lucky on the first try, just as Mom had mentioned earlier. To try and deliver the prize.

Fiona moved forward, touching my arm. She leaned in a little and whispered, “You’ll like the herbs. Jules said that for a boy, you have to—”

Despite her soft speech, Mom must have heard every word.

“Jules said so, hmm?” Mom asked, cutting her off. “Well, it didn’t help you, did it? Or her. How many girls does she have, again?”

“Oh, Mom. You know Jules conceived a son herself eventually. Surely, you of all people agree, Mom. If there’s even the slightest chance, we’ve got to try it.”

The way she said ‘we’. As far as I knew, I was the one who had to do this! 

“I think you’re forgetting, Jules’s one boy died before he was born,” Mom went on. “He was weak, a skinny thing! Her mother showed me the little one when he was out. Looked like a deformed baby bird. Made me wonder if it was human in the first place.”

I quickly stuffed the clump of dried herbs in my mouth and drank down two glasses of water, hoping Mom and Fiona wouldn’t argue again, especially not about me.

They often argued and Mom could be so mean.

The herbs were scratchy, almost choking me as they went down, but after yet more water—warm this time—and a lot of impolite coughing, they were gone at last. I was just left with the faintest taste of rosemary and fennel, and a few other things.

“Good girl,” Fiona said when I’d finally managed to get rid of the whole herb thing.

“That was disgusting,” I replied, gagging once. “Gosh. How revolting.”

“It doesn’t have to taste good. It just has to help.”

“So…” I began. I wanted to know this now for once and for all. “What exactly will happen tonight? What happens when breeding with an orc?”

Mother took a deep breath through her nose.

“Well, you… You… You just let the orc take the lead and do not fight him. If you oblige, it will be soon over, and you can return home again,” my mother answered, absolutely ignoring my question. That didn’t tell me a whole lot. Why did I even think I would get a better answer? I should have known she would say something like this. She always had.

Fiona, however, seemed to understand my fears. “The place from which we bleed—”

“Hush, Fiona!” Mom shrieked, flapping her arms about as if it served a purpose. “She'll find out for herself. We do not talk about these kinds of vulgar things, you know that! She will find out the same way we all do!”

“But Mother, she—”

“No.” Mother shook her head and then looked at me. “Gyda, you will walk the Trimar pass tonight, so put on several layers and pack warm clothes as it gets cold after sunset. Also, make sure you pack snacks and a flask of water, plus some clean clothes for the day after. It is a few hours’ walk. Oh, and let your hair down.”

“Yes, Mother,” I answered, wondering why my hair was so important.

“You will walk with Isolde’s daughter, Olivia. It’s her first time as well. That’s all you need to know. Now, let’s eat before it reaches lunchtime with breakfast still on the table.”

Mother’s words were the last ones spoken during breakfast.

The sun now stood high in the sky, a sign that it was time for me to leave and take to the road. My feet already felt strangely sore this morning, as though they instinctively knew what was to come in the form of that arduous journey. But my mind was quite set on getting there.

Carrying a fat shoulder bag stuffed with all the items Mom had ordered me to take along, I was ready to start my journey toward those mysterious mountains.

“Be careful, child,” Mom said, giving me a big hug. “And remember what I told you.”

“I will,” I answered, holding my mother tightly. It felt odd that she hugged me so. I was used to her harsh words and huge expectations, and less accustomed to physical affection.

“Good girl.” She patted my back.

My mother released me so I could say goodbye to my sisters and nieces.

After the rather emotional and unusual farewell, I took off. Now, I was headed to Isolde and Olivia’s house first, on the way to Asclan Peaks.

“Gyda! Wait!”

A voice came from behind me when I was five minutes away from our home.

I turned around. Fiona came barreling toward me, out of breath and clutching wildly at my arm when she caught up. She puffed and panted, trying to get enough oxygen to speak.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Mom is b-busy, so she didn’t see me leave. I know you’re worried, and I know that…” She took a big breath before proceeding. “Look, what I mean is I know you’re a curious person. Not knowing is worse for you than knowing the truth, even if it is a scary truth. So, I came here because I want to tell you something.”

“You will? Oh, thank you!” I answered, taking Fiona’s hand and squeezing it. She’d always been the kindest one and the sweet one, the sister I could turn to for most things.

“Like I was saying before our mother rudely interrupted me, it’s the place from where you bleed.” 

“Yes.” I nodded, wide-eyed.

“When you lie with the orc, he will…enter that p-place with his…uh—uh… manhood.”

“His what? Manhood? What’s one of those?”

“It’s… Well… something only men have.” She held her hands up and took one of her rings off. “If this is the place a woman bleeds from,” she said, circling the round golden ring with one of her fingertips. “Then, he will…enter, like that.” She pushed her finger through the ring, pulled it back, then popped it in again.

Now, she looked at me, even bigger-eyed than I was.

Was I supposed to understand this? What she was telling me was more like a sewing demonstration. In, out, in, out…

I grimaced. From that, she knew I was still clueless and confused.

“So, his manhood is his finger?” I asked. “And he will push his finger in—inside me…? And I can get a baby from that?”

It was perplexing. And the thought alone made my stomach turn. Didn’t orcs have thick claws? No wonder Mom hadn’t wanted to describe all this. It was not something to look forward to!

“No. His manhood is attached…” She looked down and touched the place between her legs. “Here.”

“Okay... so he has an extra finger, down there?”

Weirder and weirder, I thought, suddenly wondering if she even knew what she was talking about. Maybe she’d been so scared when she’d done it, she’d forgotten all the details.

“No, no, no. It’s sort of shaped like a finger, I suppose…” she continued. “But much, much bigger. And it holds the essence of a new life… Seeds that he will plant into your womb so a new life can grow and sprout out into a child of your own.”

“T-thank you,” I answered. This new information made me scared, nervous, but also fascinated at the same time. “I’m glad you told me, sister.”

And I really was super grateful that she had made the effort to come after me.

Fiona nodded. “You must go now. And I must go back before Mom realizes I’m gone, and all hell breaks loose!”

I hugged her one last time, and she leaned in to kiss my forehead. Then I watched her run off again and turned on my heels, proceeding with my journey.

***

A few hours had passed by. The mountain slowly grew bigger the closer Olivia and I came to it. It was standing proud with a sharp summit, shrouded in mist.

As we were on our way, hiking the mountainous Trimar Pass, we occasionally met other groups of women walking ahead and behind us, all heading to the same destination.

We’d crossed a few little towns where we had seen girls saying goodbye to their families, joining the rest of us on our journey. It was strange to think how we would all—hopefully—be walking around with enormous bellies in a few months.

Were they just as nervous as I was? Were they full of questions as well?

“Did you hear anything about what awaits us when we reach the Azuk clan?” I asked, wondering if Olivia’s mother had told her anything.

Olivia shrugged. “No. And what an odd question, Gyda. Why would I have heard anything? You know these aren’t the kind of things that are talked about.”

“But…aren’t you even a little curious?”

“No. Just nervous.”

Olivia was almost eight years younger than I was and apparently, also eight times less curious. Or perhaps she was just too young to give time to the literal ins and outs of it all.

Maybe she had declined the ‘sewing lesson’ my sister had given to me.

“Yeah… I’m nervous too,” I answered in all honesty. “But don’t you want to know what’ll happen to us?” If she said yes, I was going to tell her all about my newest discovery. “And don’t you think it’s weird there’s all this secrecy?”

“Yes. But no…”

She was very unsure and didn’t seem to want to discuss it with me.

“Yes, but no? What’s that supposed to mean?” I pressed her.

“It means I don’t think I want to know… I’d only be more afraid and nervous if the answer was something horrible,” she replied. “I’ll just surrender to whatever might happen.

“Our mothers and sisters have survived the breeding moons, so I’m sure we can too. But why are you even asking this? Has your mother told you anything?”

Technically, my mother hadn’t told me anything.

It was my sister who’d informed me.

“No,” I answered. “I did ask her about it, more than once. But her answer always was that I’d find out for myself.”

“Exactly,” Olivia replied before releasing a loud sigh. “Gosh! Carrying this stupid bag is killing me! My back hurts and my shoulder’s all sore. I just hope we’ll reach whatever we need to reach quickly.”

“I agree,” I said, wiping beads of sweat from my forehead.

Even though the sun was hidden behind white clouds, it was too hot and very humid.

But it would probably get cooler soon. Maybe even cold. I hoped we could reach our destination before that. To be safe, I’d packed some warm clothes, just as Mom instructed.

I supposed Olivia and I shouldn’t complain too much.

The Trimar Pass was one of the better walkable routes, long, but also quite safe in contrast to the Blood Passage, another path leading to the mountains.

That route was known to be much shorter, but no human in their right mind would choose that one since all kinds of dangerous obstacles and animals would be taking it.

The orcs, however, used it. But they had less to fear, being twice our size and three times as strong. They could probably crush our spines like a baby twig.

A shiver ran down my own spine right then, realizing I was going to meet at least one of them soon. And not just meet but—be vulnerable with one.

Oh God, I just won’t think about it.

Orcs were strong from working in the mines and hardened by dwelling in ice-cold caves and draughty tents. It was said that they stayed out of the sun on purpose, mostly venturing out when it was night. So, they were more or less nocturnal, hence their strange skin tone.

Our teachers also said that orcs spent their time drinking and picking fights with each other. They were brutal and barbaric by nature. Dumb and filthy.

We may have shared the same ancestors, but orcs and humans were as different as the moon and the sun.

“Stop for a second, please,” Olivia asked, halting her steps to tie her black hair back with a ribbon. “Oh, that’s better. Should I tie your hair up too?”

“Uh, sure,” I answered, knowing how much my neck was sweating underneath that curtain of thick hair. Olivia moved to stand behind me and lifted my hair, pushing it to the top of my head. “Your hair’s so long,” she said. “It reaches your behind.”

Obviously, I knew how long it was.

“Yeah,” I answered.

“I’m jealous. My hair won’t ever grow this long… It just breaks when it reaches a certain length. But yours is so pretty. And it’s the color of honey, like your eyes. They match perfectly!”

“Thanks…” I was bad with compliments. “Your hair’s just as pretty as mine, though.”

“Oh, it isn’t. But why aren’t you wearing it up already? It’s so freaking heavy and the weather’s so hot!”

“Oh, my mother likes it if I wear it down,” I answered. “Mom said, and I quote, You might not be as pretty as your sisters, but you have the loveliest hair in town. So, flaunt it!”

I tried to mimic my mother’s high-pitched voice as best as I could.

I didn’t get Mom’s point, though. Flaunt? There weren’t even men to flaunt to.

The prospect of marriage was out of the question anyway, so I didn’t need to make myself pretty for them. Men only married women coming from other powerful families.

I didn’t get why my mother and all those other old ladies found appearance so important. Why was there always this competition for who had the prettiest daughter? It was honestly so annoying and tiring.

“She’s right about that!” Olivia answered. “Uh—the hair part. I mean, your sisters are beautiful, of course, but you’re pretty too! You’re equally beautiful.”

There she went again, dishing out awkward compliments.

“Thanks.”

Olivia really was gorgeous, though, with her shiny, shoulder-length curly raven hair and light blue eyes that bore the color of the sky. I was sure her mother must have been proud as a peacock to have such a beautiful daughter. And I also bet mine was jealous because of that.

“You’re welcome. There, all done!” she said.

Then she let go of my hair after she’d bound all of it in a high bun.

It sure was a relief when a cool breeze blew against the back of my neck. “Thank you,” I replied.

“Let me just grab a sip of water and then we can carry on.”

I looked up at the mountains. “Yes. I think we’re more than halfway.”

“Lucky us. Oh, and remind me that we need to let your hair down before we arrive.”

“Huh? Why?” I asked.

“I don’t know much about orcs, but there’s just one rumor I've heard...”

My curiosity piqued straight away. “Oh? A rumor?”

“Yeah… That they have a thing for hair,” Olivia replied, stuffing her water flask back into her shoulder bag.

“The orcs do?” I asked. I'd never heard of that before.

“Of course, the orcs.”

“Huh… I’ve never heard that tale before.”

“It’s a sign of fertility to them and they think women with long, pretty hair will produce more orc sons or whatever. Of course, all the mothers know it’s a load of nonsense. I mean, look at all these girls with gorgeous hair who only have daughters. But it’s what these dumb creatures believe, and so, the women with the nicest hair are treated the best by them…”

“Hmm…” I thought about it.

Maybe there was a reason my mother had been so protective of my hair; she’d insisted I wore it down today, after all.

“Go wash yourself, you disgusting maggot. Tonight, you’re to breed with one of the fair, fragile creatures, so the least you can do is wash that caked layer of mud off your face!” I smacked the younger one against his head. “Because you stink, boy.”

“Fucking hell, Orvar!” Vildon said, rubbing the back of his head. “That hurt. You really don’t know your own strength sometimes!”

I massaged my ears. “And you don’t know the damage your screeching voice brings to my ears sometimes.”

“Fuck you,” he replied, standing up from my couch.

“Hey, don’t talk to your commander like that,” I answered before I planted my foot against his butt. It was going to be his first breeding moon tonight, so the boy should put some more effort into this meeting. “And give your dick a good scrub too!”

“Orvar!” he said, annoyed, hands now rubbing his ass.

I laughed. “What? They like your dick to be clean. If you don’t believe me, ask Betsy!”

One thing I’d learned from my annual meetings with these pale weaklings was that they were very keen on hygiene. Keeping clean, however, was a skill some of my brothers hadn’t mastered that well, especially not the younger ones.

“What does it matter what they want, anyway?” Vildon asked. “They already think we’re disgusting and hideous, whether my dick is washed or not.”

I couldn’t deny that what he just said was true. Over the past centuries, we’d done nothing but stick to the rules, making these humans feel at ease during that one night a year, but the disgust and shame were always readable in their eyes, even though their cunts wept at our touch and begged for our cocks—something they would never admit. 

There were a few exceptions, I had to admit that. Some of them were okay, I suppose. Like Ston’s shrew. Though you could hardly call her a woman. She was more foul-mouthed as he was, and bad-tempered too.

If you ask me, these humans should be worshiping us instead of shaming us. If they would only take a second to appreciate us. 

To appreciate the way we live: retreated in the mountains, never feeling any kind of warmth around us, only to slog in the mines day after day. Don’t get me wrong, I’m used to this way of living and cannot stand the light of the sun or the warmth of spring. But before this agreement with humans—many, many years ago—orcs lived in towns too. Lived as kings, even. We were powerful and dominant. And now? Now we were seen as grotesque, dumb, and filthy. 

The worst part of it all was that we were dependent on these fragile humans. We needed them. What other choice did we have? We wanted sons. We needed sons, or we would be erased off the earth, a fate that our orc women had undergone as well.

“It matters because…” I answered, standing and grabbing Vildon’s collar, pulling him closer. “These creatures need to produce our offspring and they need to feel at ease to do so. You know the stories about what happened in the past, hm? If their feeble bodies are too stressed while breeding, our sons die. They’re fragile, not strong like our orc women were. Sadly, this is what we have to deal with, so fucking wash your fucking prick if I fucking tell you to. Do I make myself clear, you little shit?” I growled, releasing him.

“Okay, okay. Jeez. I’ll do it right now,” Vildon muttered, as he walked to the door.

“That’s the spirit!” I replied.

He mumbled some other words, but I couldn’t hear what he said and didn’t care.

“Oi…Go easy on the little maggot, Orvar,” came a deep voice as Jarla entered my cave the moment Vildon left.

I sighed. “I’m just a little on edge.”

“I feel you, brother,” Jarla answered, throwing a dead goat onto my floor. “Walking around with a full sac for two weeks straight messes with your head.”

“Fuck, yes,” I answered, scratching my aching crotch.

I knew these two weeks of celibacy were for a good cause. We needed a good load of strong seed to fill those women to the brim. But it sure was hard…just like my cock was every morning, neglected and desperate.

Jarla threw the second goat he carried on top of the first. “Have five more of those beauties,” he announced, pointing towards the two ibex corpses.

“And why exactly are you throwing these dead animals onto my floor?” I asked.

“I wanted to show our commander my catch of the day. Is that so weird? I thought we could use them for tonight’s banquet. Make these lassies happy with a good meaty meal before they need to go to work and zealously take our cocks.”

“That’s good thinking,” I said, patting his shoulder. “But you should bring them to Ston before it’s too late. You know these women don’t eat raw meat as we do, so he needs time to prepare them.”

“Oh, fuck, I forgot,” Jarla replied, scratching the top of his head. “I’ll bring them to him right away.”

I grabbed the torch that hung on my wall. “I’ll walk with you.”

***

“Fuck, Orvar,” the cook said as he stirred in one of his big black metal pots. “Now, you want me to prepare a whole different meal for these bitches? Couldn’t you’ve notified me a little sooner?”

“Oh, come on, Ston,” I replied, folding my arm around his shoulder. I had to lean in to do so because the man was a head shorter than I was, and even two heads shorter than Jarla the giant. “I know you can do this. You’re the best cook I have!”

“I’m the only cook you have, you dumbass,” Ston growled, pushing me away. “But fine, I’ll have someone skin them and chop them up. They can be cooked in the outside cauldron. Have someone make a fire for me, will you?”

“Jarla,” I said, snapping my fingers.

“I’m on it, commander.” Jarla nodded before he headed outside.

“It smells good,” I said, inhaling above the stove. If those delicate fragile humans weren’t content with a meal like this, then I didn’t know what else they fucking desired.

It wasn’t often that Ston cooked us a special meal. We were mostly served with raw meat he’d chopped up and some fruit. Sometimes fish that we’d caught in the underground river.

“It’s soup,” Ston replied, circling his spoon in the gooey brown mush. “Betsy helped me prepare it. It’s mushrooms, moss, and marmots.”

I opened my mouth to reply but was interrupted. "It—"

“Commander, the first ones are arriving!” Vildon cut me off as he came running towards me, enthusiastically waving his torch through the air.

His face was clean, making me pleased. “Look at you being all handsome. You even braided your hair.”

“Did you not hear me, commander?” the boy asked.

“I heard. So the women have come early this year, hm?”

I headed outside and, indeed, in the distance, as I squinted my eyes in the harsh daylight, I saw a horde of women coming our way.

“Did you hear that, my brothers?” I shouted at the others, who also came to take a look at this year’s breeding mates. “They have come so early because they can’t wait to get stuffed with some good, heavy, seed-spurting cock!”

The men growled and groaned, the scent of their lust filling my nostrils. It was good they were in the mood. They would create good, strong sons when they were extra excited. I hoped they would also enjoy themselves tonight as they had suffered enough these past few months…

Sadly, we’d lost a large part of our last batch of sons after a harsh, late winter. Every loss caused me and my brothers grief, but the little bairns were just too weak to survive the cold temperature. Luckily it was warmer now, and the strong ones that had survived were three months old. I had high hopes they would grow into mighty orcs one day. My own son had passed away too, and there was a void he’d left behind. Being twenty-four and fatherless was pathetic as it was, but being a commander without a son was dangerous as well. Every year I was left fatherless, was a year someone could challenge me for the title of commander. Not to mention how weak it made me look with the other clans.

“Get inside and prepare everything before they’re here,” I ordered, my eyes set on two women walking behind most of the others. They still had a long walk and climb before they would reach us. 

“Yes, commander.”

“And see how the elders and little ones are doing,” I added. I would go check up on them later too, but right now I felt a desire to stay out for a few minutes more.

There was something about that one woman…

As my men retreated into the cave again, my attention was still on the two weaklings. One of them pulled at a ribbon, causing the other girl's hair to drop as a sudden waterfall, cascading over her back, the ends falling at the level of her hips. The wavy strands were not only long and thick but also shiny as gold.

My mouth watered when I pictured this human sitting on top of me, taking in my cock, while locks of her hair fell down her pale body and on top of me, cocooning the both of us.

What a creature she was…

And she had round, wide hips as well. A woman like that would surely be able to carry my son. Maybe even two of them.

I promised myself that she would be mine tonight.

Smirking, I stepped back, wanting to go back inside and help the others with preparations, until something unexpected caught my eyes. Something that was happening between the two humans. 

"What in the fiery hell?" I hissed, eyes growing wide. What the fuck was that one bitch doing?

“Oh, my god… Oh- Oh my God,” Olivia whispered. “That’s one of them, is he not? A-an orc.”

“M-hm,” I hummed while my eyes were wide open and pinned on the monstrous figure standing in the distance.

He looked a lot like the orcs I’d once seen in the past, but this orc seemed to be even more notable for his tall and broad physique.

“That creature is even more hideous than I thought orcs would be. And I haven’t even seen him close up! What- what must we do now, Gyda?” Olivia hissed, grabbing my arm, making us halt our steps. “We could still run home, hm? Or…no. Of course, we cannot do that! It would greatly displease our mothers. They both have high hopes we will bear them a grandson!”

“There’s nothing to do but follow the others,” I answered, looking at the women ahead of us. “The orc doesn’t seem to hurt them. He kept his hands on his back the whole time I’d observed him,” I whispered back.

By the looks of it, he gave directions on how to enter the mountain. Following the other women, I understood we were to walk up a steep path and enter one of the caves to go inside the mountain.

“Oh-okay,” Olivia agreed. “Yes. Yes.” She breathed in. “You’re right. I’m sorry, I panicked a little bit.” She sniffed.

I grabbed her hand. “We’re in this together. Side by side. Okay?” I touched her cheek and wiped some of her spilled tears away.

She smiled. “O-okay.”

Olivia then bit her lip and I could tell she was thinking about something. “What is it?” I asked.

“Uhm… Y-your hair. We need to let it down,” she then said.

“Oh, yes.” I turned around. “Could you please untie it for me?”

“Of course…”

My eyes were on the orc again. He wore a pair of brown leather pants but at the top he was naked. His muscles were huge. He could easily fight a bear and win. My heart started beating faster at the thought that I was to meet one up close. Even share my time with him. Let him touch me. Carry his child…

I thought about Fiona’s story and curiously looked at the place between his legs but there was nothing to be seen down there. Or maybe he just stood too far away?

“Uh- Olivia?” I asked as I waited.

“I’m so sorry for this, Gyda…” she replied, pulling at the ribbon in my hair.

“Sorry for what?” I asked.

I felt the familiar weight of my hair pulling at my scalp after she untied the ribbon. Shaking my head a bit, I waited for her answer.

“It’s just that…women with the prettiest hair get treated the best, you know?” she whispered.

“Huh? What do—”

I then heard the sound of something cutting. Something slicing through layers.

My head suddenly felt different, the scalp less heavy. It felt airy and light, as if a blanket had been pulled away from my head. And it suddenly hit me what had happened. What she’d done...

“What the—”

“I…I’m scared, Gyda! I want to be treated the b-best,” she said with a breathless voice.

“Did- did you just cut off my hair?” I asked in disbelief. 

No answer came. I turned around, finding an odd expression on Olivia’s face.

“Did you just cut my hair?” I asked again, looking down and finding a pile of long, light-brown strands of hair, decorating the ground.

My hair.

I picked up a few strands and that was the moment I felt panic start to rise inside of me. Not to mention anger.

Olivia still held the knife in her trembling hand. Has she gone mad?

“You—” I screamed, but I was unable to find words. My heart raced in my chest when I tried to process what just happened. I immediately thought about my mother. She would kill me if I returned home without my hair!

“Please don’t tell my mother I did this. Or your mother. Please! I… I don't know what came over me! I don’t know why I did it!” she said hysterically. “I just knew I wouldn’t stand a chance with you beside me!”

“You—” I hissed again, receiving the attention of a few of the other women. “You bitch!”

Without thinking, I struck my hand against Olivia’s face, slapping her cheek. She dropped the knife as a reaction. I picked it up, ready to give her a taste of her own medicine. Grabbing her dark curls into my fist, I tried to ignore her cries as I put the silver blade against her scalp.

I wanted to do it. But I couldn’t. Even though this she-devil had done me wrong in one of the worst possible ways, I just couldn’t do it. This wasn’t me. Maybe I was too weak.

Instead, I pushed her away from me. “Get out of my sight. I don’t want to continue walking with you. You treacherous bitch.”

Olivia broke out in tears and fled from my sight. The women who had stopped to watch the show didn’t say anything and continued their walk as well. They must’ve thought I was insane. To be honest, I felt a little insane after what had just happened.

My hair hadn’t been cut short for over twenty years, and now, it was gone… Just like that. Cut off in only a few seconds.

I felt…weird, almost naked without it.

My head felt strange as well. It felt a little sensitive, as Olivia had pulled at my hair quite harshly when she cut it off. But it also felt light, and even free. A literal weight had been taken from me.

I shook my head a few times, strangely fascinated with the feeling before I stuffed the knife into my bag, and squatted. I collected my hair and then stuffed the remains of my biggest physical asset into my bag as well. Maybe I could braid it and take it home with me. God only knows why.

I let out a few tears before I wiped them away and took a big breath. This wasn’t the end of the world.

“It's okay,” I told myself. “I’ll survive this. It’s only hair. It can grow back.”

It was hard to digest what Olivia had done. It’s an awful feeling when someone you trusted betrays you.

I stood up and rubbed my fingers over the blunt hair ends. My new hair wasn’t even reaching my shoulders. Or maybe one side did while the other side was shorter. I probably looked ridiculous right now. That bitch just had to cut it asymmetrically.

A tap on my shoulder snapped me out of my thoughts.

I looked up. 

“Are you okay?” a woman I’d never seen before asked. “I didn’t see what happened, but I did hear what you two were fighting about, and…wow. I have no words for it. Did she just cut your hair short, right here and now?”

“I can hardly believe it, but…yeah?”

“Why?” the stranger asked.

“Cause she believes orcs pick women for their beautiful hair and the one with the prettiest hair gets the best treatment,” I replied. “And in her mind, that was me.”

“If that’s true, that’s the dumbest shit I ever heard. Still, she was your friend, right? What the hell’s wrong with that cunt?”

I don’t know why, but I started laughing. Maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was this stranger’s tone of voice or the way she looked when she insulted Olivia. I didn’t know. I just knew I had to laugh because of her.

“I mean, if that’s true, then I’m fucking screwed! Have you seen my hair? It looks like hungry rats have been chewing on it every day,” she said, pointing at her head.

It only made me laugh harder and I almost felt guilty because her hair was honestly not pretty at all. Though, I suppose it was still better than my current haircut.

“I’m glad you can smile again.” The girl stuck out her hand when I was done giggling. “I’m Amira.”

Amira was short and chubby with frizzy brown hair and the prettiest green eyes I’d ever seen. Her big breasts bulged out of her dress, and her dress was so short I could see her ankles. Mother would have called her tasteless, but I called her a potential friend. At least for now. I figured it would take some time before I was able to trust a stranger after what had just happened. She looked kind, though. And she was funny.

“I’m Gyda,” I said, shaking her hand.

“Nice to meet you. First time too?” she asked.

I nodded.

“Wanna walk together? I promise I’m not packed with a knife. Or a pair of scissors. But you can walk behind me if you want.” She chuckled.

"Yeah... I'd like that," I answered. "Walking with you, I mean. You don't have to walk ahead of me."

“Great! I’ve been walking alone the entire road. These other gals are avoiding me as if I got the plague.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I replied.

She bent over to pick up the pink ribbon that still lay on the floor. “It’s okay, sugar. I’m used to it. I’m from the poor side of town, so nobody wants to have anything to do with me.” She stood up straight again. “Shall I try to fix this…uhm…disaster?” she asked, pointing at my hair.

“Do you think there is anything to fix?”

“Heh…” She pulled a face, making me smile again. “I can try. I mean, I can only improve it, as there’s no way to mess this up any further.”

“Well, then please do,” I replied, smiling.