The fire pit
They sat in silence for what felt like an eternity. The subtle sway of the flames in the pit cast the Orc into shadow, the most that Maeve could see of him was the glint of the gold bands that wrapped around his tusks. They were not the largest she had seen, from her time spent hunting orcs, Maeve had a feeling a deep insecurity was rooted in their size. They came up just under his strikingly broad nose.
His eyes never left her and took to casual observation. Her skin prickled under his gaze. He chuckled when her attention focused on his mouth. To other orcs, his tusks were not as impressive as some. But to a human, they could be mistaken for fear-some. The Orc smiled at her, flashing his gold, and putting his tusks on display. Maeve rolled her eyes and adjusted herself in the hopes of finding a more comfortable position despite the ropes. His smile faltered. Heaving a sigh, he took the rabbit off the fire and tore a hunk out of the meat. The grease coated his lips, and he groaned his satisfaction.
Maeve’s nose twitched at the smell of the meat; she had not eaten since this morning. Her stomach tossed and turned with the temptation of food. When it could bear it no longer, a loud grumble broke the silence. Thorn paused mid bite, staring at Maeve as she feigned disinterest in the food. When he caught her eyes, he noted how her pupils flared at the sight of the rabbit. He smirked and got up, walking over to her, he waved the meat under her nose. Her eyes fluttered for the briefest of seconds before she regained control and the mask of indifference returned. Aw, but he knew better.
Leaning forward, he tore off a hunk of meat and brought it to her lips. Her eyes flashed with rage, and she turned away to face the fire. Maeve would not be reduced to begging. She had gone without food longer than this. Yet, when that was the case there had been no food to tempt her. The smell of the charred rabbit was strong, and her mouth watered. Thorn laughed and brought the hunk of rabbit to her nose, Maeve’s nostrils flared involuntarily, and the scent was enough to pull a desperate moan from her. When her lips parted, he seized the opportunity and shoved the meat into her mouth. The grease dripped down her chin as she chewed. Without thinking, he swiped his thumb over her lower lip. Bringing it to his mouth, he licked it clean. She glared at him as she slowly ate, her eyes like steel in the firelight. Finally, she swallowed and looked back to the pit, her ink black hair falling over her left eye. Leaning in, Thorn pushed her hair away. His attention stalled on the prominent burn that marred the left side of the female’s face. He had noticed it before, but had not thought much of it. Now, in the light of the fire he realized how extensive the damage was. How the scarred flesh creeped up into her scalp, how the female styled her hair in attempts to it. Shaking his head, he tucked the wild curls behind her ear. “Now, was that so difficult, little She-Wolf?”
A derisive snort was her only response, but it did not disguise her stomach roaring for more food. Thorn smiled; he could use this to his advantage. “I imagine you are still hungry little female. So, I propose a trade. You tell me who of my kin burned you, and in exchange you can have the rest of your rabbit.”
Maeve sneered into the fire. Of course the orc would bring up that the rabbit was hers and of course he would want to know who managed to mangle the face of the dreaded She-Wolf.
