Chapter 2

It's been a few days since you moved into the den. Days of relative calmness and peace, if you don't count the fights between Maggie and Kara, though you can easily make them stop by grabbing one of them and fucking the anger out of her system.

With no way to comfortably shave, your beard has started to grow out, giving you a good-looking five o'clock shadow. When your dark hair started to get a bit shaggy, you decided to go ask Mathilda if she could do something about it. Your sis had a lot of fun thinking about hairstyles for you, and finally decided to tie your hair in a comfortable loose knot. It feels nice not having to brush hair out of your eyes and the girls seem to like your new look... though they would probably still like you even if you had a bowl-cut and grew a neckbeard...

You look down at your father's ring wrapped around your finger. What would he say if he saw you now? Would he be proud? ...You have to defeat those fucking orcs, question is... how...?

"Theo? Are ya ok, laddy?" Rhea says, gazing down at you with a cocked eyebrow.

The strong girl's voice makes you exit your lost-in-thought trance. You are currently outside the den, the minotaur and you decided to go hunt something before meat starts to run low... you aren't really excited about the idea of killing some deer or rabbit, but you know that there are hungry mouths to feed. "Y-yeah, just thinking about stuff. Don't worry about me." You sigh, following Rhea through the swarm of tall, dark-green trees, firmly holding an improvised bow that Kara made for you, keeping an eye out for any weird movements.

A comfortable silence forms between you two as you stroll through the woods. "Ever did this before?" Rhea softly asks, her bell ringing with her steps, she really loves that cowbell, you can't recall seeing her without it since she put it on...

"Yeah." You smile. "My dad was a hunter, he tried to teach me once... but I started crying when I had to shoot a deer..."

Rhea giggles and lets out a long 'aww', looking back at you with a warm smile. "And I thought you couldn't be cuter..."

You can't avoid laughing with her. "Well, I- ...wait, did you hear that?" You interrupt yourself, hearing a bunch of branches and leaves being stepped on in the close distance.

Rhea silently nods, muffling the bell on her neck with her hand, crouching and gesturing you to follow her. "Nice 'n easy, lad... let's go..." She whispers, starting to move towards the source of the sounds.

You ready the bow in your hands as you walk, placing an arrow on it and holding the string back. Rhea and you sneak behind a pair of big, mossy rocks. "It has to be right ahead... Just peek out and shoot that thing, alrite'?" She whispers, you nod your head, slowly standing up and pointing your bow at the target. You repress a gasp as you notice that it's not exactly an animal what you are aiming at...

"STOP FUCKING FOLLOWING ME!" A young-looking female she-orc angrily yells at a shorter male orc behind her. She is the same girl you saw at Forius' side when he took control of the village, his daughter, you think...

"My lady, I'm your bodyguard. I have to be by your side a-" The orc begins saying, his voice and way of speaking sounding more.... civilized than the other orcs you heard.

"Oh, cut that crap, I just wanted some fresh air! Go and tell daddy that I can take care of myself!" The girl keeps screaming... ugh, she does have an irritating voice.

"My lady... I..." The orc bodyguard tries to speak, but the orc princess continues her tantrum, screeching like the bratty, spoiled bitch she probably is.

You lower the bow, crouching back behind the rocks and looking at Rhea, she seems as surprised as you. "She is that green arsehole's brat, right?!" She excitedly exclaims in a whisper, fire in her eyes, you simply nod your head. "Well, what are we waitin' for? Let's kidnap 'er!"

"Kidnap her?!" You exclaim, a shocked expression on your face.

"Duh! We 'ave a chance to end this shit here and now; we steal his fecking daughter, he will have to surrender, for sure!"

...That's... actually a good plan! She is right! You might be able to put an end to this.

"Alright, good plan... Let's-" You begin saying, but the minotaur cuts you off with a grin.

"I'll go take care of that ugly basterd; wait here, honey~." She smugly says, planting a kiss on your forehead before starting to walk out of the hiding place.

"Wait! Rhea!" You rustle, but it's too late, the minotaur is already sprinting towards the orc guardian, her humongous war-hammer in her hands.

You stop hiding too, looking at the scene in front of you. The orc-girl gasps as she notices the seven feet, muscly minotaur running towards her position. "Behind you!" She warns her bodyguard, who skillfully avoids the hammer being swept in his direction, moving to the side and strongly kicking one of Rhea's hooves, making the girl stumble and fall over her back on the ground.

Damn, he is fast! He swiftly pulls his short sword out of the sheat on his hip and slowly points the tip at the stunned minotaur's neck. "Good try." He grunts, you have to do something!

"Hey! Get the fuck away from her!" You loudly yell, walking closer and pointing your bow at him. He calmly looks up at you, the orc teen behind him shivering in fear.

"...And if I don't?" He softly asks, almost in an amused way.

"I'll shoot you. Right between the eyes." You determinedly shout, trying to sound intimidating.

The bodyguard chuckles and spends a long minute looking down at Rhea and then at you. He doesn't really seem like a normal orc besides from the green color, stocky and short build, and monstrous face with prominent tusks. While the rest of his kind doesn't seem to bother with fancy clothing or hairstyles, this one is wearing a pair of clean black pants, leather boots, and a dark-blue satin shirt; his hair grizzled and slicked back, a well-maintained goatee around his mouth.

"What's your name, kiddo?" He suddenly asks, looking up at your eyes with his dark-red ones, he has the look of a man that has seen a lot of things, wise but also tired...

"Theo." You say after a small moment of hesitation. He makes a pause, a faint smile forming on his face.

"Theo..." He repeats under his breath, finally withdrawing his blade from your lover's neck. "My name is Samuel... I picked it myself, orcs don't get named at birth." He relaxedly says, taking a step back.

Rhea hurriedly gets up on her hooves and walks back towards your side. "Sorry..." She embarrassedly whispers.

"W-what the fuck are you doing?!" The orc girl dumbfoundedly squeals at her bodyguard, a furious expression on her pretty face.

"What I should have done a long time ago, my lady. I'm sorry." Samuel simply says.