The Employed Hero

New chapter! New chapter! New-

*explodes*

Thanks to those that take the time to review my work. I am very grateful for your kind words :)

Onward!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Nightfall came uneventful. The remainder of the day previous was primarily filled with silence, save for a question or two from Claire.

“What was your father like?” she would ask him.

He would answer, but it felt strange doing so. Why had this being taken such an intimate interest in his personal affairs? The question asked hours before still lingered within his mind. As if it refused to leave him.

“Have you had any women in your life?” the inquiry played forward and backward within his mind many times over the hours.

Every time the question had, somehow, trickled back into his head, he would look to Claire. She almost always had gazed back, curiously. It seemed a part of him turned in his chest every time those phosphorescent irises stared back at him.



His heart? What was coming over him? He had fiercely attempted to shove away these odd feelings, ever since he had felt that hand within his own earlier in the day. An unfamiliar, almost strange warmth would creep deep within his chest whenever he lied eyes on her. It was as if her hand had planted some strange seed within him that began growing immediately.

No, he thought. This being was not capable of any sort of magic. She could not cast some kind of spell upon him that would render his senses mute and logical thinking null.



These thoughts, and many others, entertained and occupied his clouded mind for the remainder of the previous day. The moon had now begun rising.

“We had better find a dry area to set our camp,” Sloane announced, “lest we have a soggy blanket as cover.”

He heard Claire giggle. He had not meant it to be a joke.



Claire had pointed out a small incline that was free of moisture. They scaled the small hill and Sloane quickly spread that large blanket once again and began removing his armor. The air was stale, but quite a deal warmer then last night within The Barrens. He wordlessly plopped himself down upon the covering and placed his head in his hands. He stared upward at the night sky, as he had always done when attempting sleep.

“Sloane?” Claire's voice softly entered his ear.

He sat up and looked to her. She looked embarrassed; the moonlight casting a brilliant white glow upon her body.

“Could I lay with you like I did last night?” she finally asked, after seeming to ponder the question for multiple moments.

“It is not cold here like last night,” he replied to her.

She shook her head.

“I know, but-”

Although he could only see her silhouette, he somehow knew she was blushing deeply.

“I feel safe,” she shuddered, “with you.”

That thing did another turn in his chest. His heart, he thought he remembered calling it.

“Alright,” he replied warmly as he unfurled his arm to her.

He saw the moon shimmer off her white teeth; a smile.



Her warm and soft body pressed into his gently as she laid beside him. His muscles tightened a bit as he felt her arm slide over his stomach, drawing them closer together.

“Please tell me if I am intruding in any way,” her voice sounded.

He responded with a soft hand stroking at her head.

“I will,” was his response.

His body appeared to act on it's own. He breathed in a melange of aroma; the sweet lavender of her hair, the gentle scent of her skin, a mix of fabric; all swirling about his nostrils into one, calming fragrance. He saw that she was staring back at him contently. He made no move to halt her action, even as her lips began drawing closer to his own...



He grunted and turned his head away from her. He almost cursed at himself while taking his hand away from her. What in the gods had come over him? Was he ill? Delusional? Not only had he forsaken himself from The Horde by taking this Human away from the Slave Cargo, now he had the gall to do such things? An Orc and a Human, how preposterous indeed!

“Sloane?” a voice barely above a whisper inquired.

He turned back, all thought swiftly purged from his head.

“Are you sure this is alright?” she asked once more.

Her hand retracted at the question, as if anticipating the answer.

“Yes,” he snorted, “let's get some rest.”

He closed his eyes, from the woman lying beside him. The beautiful, lovely woman beside him.



Sloane normally did not dream; sleep for him was comfortable when little distraction interrupted his rest. He did, however, dream this night.

He woke to find himself in a bed. Thick and warm furs surrounded him. Somehow, he was compelled to turn his head to the left. A smiling face greeted him upon the action.

“Hello love,” the being beside him said.

She leaned in, locking her velvety lips with his own. Sloane leaned forward to kiss her deeper, her smaller tongue curling around his larger one.

“You want more already?” she asked him with a sultry smile, “but we did it five times last night.”

He responded by lightly sucking at her neck. She let out a low groan, her vocal chords tickling his lips.

“You Orcs are truly insatiable,” she said as he continued slowly working down.

He bit down gently. She squealed in response.

“Alright, alright,” she said in retaliation.

She pushed on his shoulders, he looking into her eyes again.

“You had better be good though,” she replied with a grin, “and don't hurt me with that Mr. Happy of yours.”

He laughed lightly.

“I love you,” he heard himself say, “Claire.”



The scene seemed to shatter just as the name left his lips, as if it were waiting for that exact cue. Hie eyes shot open, back to reality. Again, he found that he had to navigate himself from Claire's entangling hold. Was not the first time, his mind prodded at him. In fact, his mind was a swarm of questions, hypotheses and predictions. They all flew and buzzed about him like an angry hive.

He needed a walk.



He was sure to cover Claire well with the blanket before he set off, into the early morning. He did not carry his weapon, nor his armor; he knew the creatures in Dustwallow Marsh to be nocturnal attackers. Most were likely sleeping or digesting a kill, he thought.



As he slowly traversed the soggy road, the dream refused to leave his mind. He did not feel himself; the stoic and emotionless Orc that did nothing more but earn money with his skills of being a mighty Warrior. Something was different indeed, he thought. He refused the feelings that churned and brooded both in irritation and of the most soothing of comforts. His mind involuntarily conjured the image of Claire; her smiling face, the long, flowing hair that reflected the sun's bright rays. The way she was so easily able to break down those walls of unfeeling he had built up around himself.



No! It was impossible! He could not, would never admit to such feelings. He was going to take her to Theramore Isle, drop her there and forever out of his life.

A fierce squeeze suddenly wrenched at his chest. His heart. Sadness that he was telling himself such a thing? Could he be denying the one thing that could give him the ultimate happiness? He shook his head. She was Human, he was Orc. Of course she didn't feel the same way about the matter, he thought. He wasn't even sure how he felt about it.



He decided to walk back to the camp. Back to Claire, his mind added with a small, hidden smile.