GYDA

Dusk had fallen rapidly, and it was quite dark when I spotted Fiona waiting by the fence. She hadn't seen me yet. I knew she was standing there, waiting for my return, probably worried sick and freezing cold because she had been standing there for hours already.

I felt a pang of guilt in my chest.

"Gyda!" she cried out when she finally saw me. "Thank you, Mother Moon!"

"Sorry I'm late," I answered when Fiona opened the fence for me. I stepped inside.

She closed the fence, then grabbed me in her arms. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm okay. I'm really okay," I reassured her.

Fiona took a step back and looked me in the eyes. Hers were all puffy. "Thank goodness, I was so—" She gasped, holding her hand in front of her mouth. "Y-your- your hair!"

"Yeah..." I'd tried to wear it up so it wouldn't be such a shock, but I guess that didn't work out.

Her eyes started spilling tears. "What- what happened?" she asked. "What did they do to you?"

They?

"Let me get inside first?" I asked. "Please?"

"Of course! Are you cold? Here, I took this with me for when you'd come back." She draped a blanket over my shoulders and my thoughts immediately went back to Asclan Peaks. To Orvar. He'd wrapped me up in a blanket too. He'd been worried about me too.

"Thank you, sister. Yes, I'm a little cold."

"Mother put the fire on for you. She's worried sick as well. We all were! Thank goodness you're here now," Fiona said, wrapping her arm around me to guide me inside like I was some crippled woman.

The truth was that my body felt great. My mind, however, was exhausted.

"The kids are asleep, so the chaos is gone," Fiona said when we reached the door. "You can rest."

"I'm happy about that," I answered in all honesty. I loved my nieces, but they could be so hectic.

We stepped inside where Fiona announced I was home.

As soon as Mother saw me, she jumped out of her chair and rushed over to me. She hugged me and it took her almost a solid minute before she let go.

"Gyda. My Gyda—" Her eyes went wider than they already were. The change in my appearance had caught her eyes too. "W-what happened to your hair?" she asked, calmer than I expected. "Did one of them do this to you? Did they hurt you?" Her bottom lip trembled.

I shook my head. "None of the orcs did this. They haven't hurt me at all."

"Then what happened? Who did this?"

I didn't want to cause drama in town, which might happen if my family learned Olivia had betrayed me. Then again, even if I didn't say anything myself, there was always a chance one of the other women wouldn't stick to the code of 'not telling what happened in Asclan peaks'.

But one thing I knew for sure: I wasn't going to let the orcs take the blame.

"Well... Uh—"

"Speak up, child!" Mom pressed.

"Can we let her calm down first? I'm sure Gyda will tell us everything in a bit, but she needs to rest first. Please, Mother?"

I sure as hell would not tell them everything...

"Fine..." Mom replied. "You must be tired."

"Yes," I answered. "I- I slept little last night..."

Mother held up her hand. "We do not need details of that, child. Just about what happened to your hair." She sighed dramatically. "Oh, such beautiful hair, gone, just like that!"

Fiona grabbed my arm to guide me to the big chair in front of the fireplace. "Sit here." She shoved the footstool in front of me and grabbed my legs, lifting them one by one to place them gently on the cushion.

Fiona was always like this. Always taking care of everybody. And she loved doing it, too. She lived for it. Seven out of my thirteen nieces were her children, so I guess she was used to taking care of people.

I hoped I could become as good of a mother as she was.

"I can do this myself, Fiona," I said, chuckling, while taking off my shoulder bag, which I put beside me on the ground. "I'm only tired, not sick or incapable of helping myself."

Actually, I wasn't only tired; I was hungry as well. I hadn't eaten anything during the entire journey. My stomach protested and the grumbling sound didn't go unnoticed by the others.

"I'll get you some food and warm milk," Anandi announced.

"Thank you," I answered, watching my second oldest sister walk out of the room.

They must've truly been worried, because Anandi was the laziest of us all, and I don't think she'd ever gotten me something from the kitchen before. It was always me doing that for her.

Mother and Emmy came to sit beside me, and I could just feel their dark brown eyes locking on me in a piercing stare. I looked up and weakly smiled at them, not knowing what to expect.

Emmy, my youngest sister, was only two years older than I was and an exact copy of Mother. Where Fiona was my favorite sister, Emmy was my least favorite. I still loved her—she was my sister—but she could be so wicked if she wanted to be. She had always been like that, ever since we were children.

"Give me your bag, Gyda," Emmy said, already bending over and grabbing the thing from the floor.

"No!" I yanked it out of her hands. "This is mine."

"Huh?" Her eyebrows raised. "Why so secretive? What is in there I can't see? "

"It's just that... It's my bag."

"Mother?" Emmy said.

"Gyda, give the bag to your sister."

I swallowed and reluctantly handed Emmy my bag. She immediately opened it and searched and searched, but to my relief, found nothing but dirty clothes and some other stuff I'd packed.

She hadn't found what I wanted to hide from them. And I was glad for it. It was mine, and mine alone. I hadn't even told Amira about it. I had even tried to not think about it all day long so I wouldn't get distracted.

It was my secret...

"You- you kissed me," Orvar whispered, a little surprised.

I clutched at his broad chest, my knees trembling and my head dizzy. I was breathless. The touch of his lips left me breathless.

During the comfortable silence, I took a moment to catch my breath before I reached into my bag. I offered Orvar my hair, just like he'd asked a few moments ago. "H-here, at your request," I said. "But...I want something in return."

"What is it you want from me, Gyda?" he asked, his voice low and hoarse.

"I want a lock from your hair as well. To take home with me."

Orvar's laugh bounced off the walls. "Is that so? Hm," he then growled. "I haven't cut my hair since I was a little orc, but for you, I will."

After he'd accepted my hair and, with the gentlest care, laid it on his table, Orvar walked back to me, handing me a knife.

"You may cut one of my braids," he said, turning around. "But take the one that's hidden the most."

He had four braids; all beautiful, pitch-black, shiny, woven strands.

"Ah? Just one?" I asked. "That's not a fair trade..."

"That's all you are getting, woman. I cannot be a commander without my hair. I'll look like a joke to my men. Only an enemy will cut it off, after victory. It is a belittling act because an orc will never voluntarily allow it. So, if it's cut, it means he has been defeated."

"Oh...I did not know that," I answered.

It only made it more special that he let me cut it, and it suddenly felt like such an intimate thing between us.

"Another thing learned," Orvar replied and he glanced at me over his shoulder.

"But... I don't think I should take it now that I know this."

"You can. I want you to. So cut it. Do it now," he urged.

I cut off the smallest braid of all. It was perfectly braided, as thick as a finger, and at least as long as my leg. After letting it slide through my fingers and admiring it, I carefully packaged it in the little pocket of my shoulder bag, hoping my family would not discover it.

"Why did you ask for my hair?" I asked, looking up at him.

"To remember you by," he softly replied, grabbing my waist and pulling me close until we stood in the same position as a minute ago. "Why did you ask for mine?"

"I- I guess the same reason," I answered.

"Was my seed not enough to remember me by?"

I smiled shyly. "Uh... Amira is still waiting for me..."

Fuck. I did not want to go.

"She can wait for a few more minutes... Do you want to know what I will do with it?" Orvar asked while his hands stroked over my back. "With your hair, I mean."

After I nodded, he leaned in, his lips and tusks brushing against my neck.

"I want to smell your scent while I finish myself after a busy day, lying in bed, fucking into my hand, pretending you are there with me again, pretending it's your wetness wrapped around my cock..."

"O-oh..." I gasped, my loins burning at the sound of his voice whispering into my ear. I wasn't completely sure what "finishing himself" meant, but I had a good hunch.

"And I want you to do the same..." Orvar's hand slid under my skirt and found its way to the place that was throbbing at his words. "Will you do that for me, Gyda?"

"I—hahh..." I almost lost it when his hand pressed against me, fingers running slick. "I don't know how."

Orvar's low, guttural chuckle filled the room. "Such an honest and innocent woman... Pretend your hands are mine. And while you touch yourself, imagine I am there with you, in your bed, my fingers caressing you like they are doing now..." he whispered, his hot breath blowing against my neck.

"Yes- yes," I panted, laying my face against his chest.

"Hold up your skirt," he then ordered, which I did without thinking.

As I held the fabric of my dress in my trembling hands, Orvar's fingers touched me like they had done last night, while his other hand was wrapped around his standing rigid flesh, stroking it, drawing that sheath of skin back, fully exposing the smooth, round leaking head.

The sight of it only made my heart pound faster and I was breathlessly panting against his chest.

"And you will explore your depths, imagining they are my fingers." Orvar pressed his finger into me while the palm of his hand pressed and stroked.

His breathing sped up, just as his finger did. "And you will think of my tongue tasting you and my cock plowing you, and stuffing you full with my orc seed, all while your mother is in the other room."

"Orvar...!" I felt my whole body shuddering and swelling out of almost unbearable pleasure, my body clenching around his finger.

"Gyda!" he cried out, his cock erupting like a volcano, twitching and spilling his hot white liquid.

"Gyda?"

"Hm?" I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up, finding my mother's and sisters' eyes on me. "I'm sorry. I-I must have been dozing off," I lied.

"You're red. Your face and neck are flushed," Fiona said, placing her hand on my forehead. "You don't have a fever, though."

"Are you sure you are okay?" Anandi asked, offering me a plate of food.

"I am," I answered, not sure if that was the truth...

It's my B-day so early update, Yayyyy.