Chapter 1

Jorgen

I look over the small crowd of fifty humans as they shuffle in through the north gate. They look scared. I can't blame them. I'm sure this just looks like they're trading hands after conquest.

These were the remaining humans we liberated after we destroyed the Sword Hammer clan. With the help of Hera, we were able to find where they were hiding. 

My lips curl reflexively as I think of the Sword Hammer clan. They'd finally gone too far with their schemes, and Loki, even as patient and slow to beat the drums of war as he is, said that it was time to wipe them off the map.

While I like to think that the Burning Sun clan has perhaps taken some of the boldest steps towards integrating humans and orcs into a functioning society, it's not like we are the only ones. But there are many clans who still want to make war with the humans, to take them as food or breeding stock. Even among those, the Sword Hammer clan has been exceptionally cruel.

I can't imagine the things these people have seen and endured.

"Keep to the right of the street and follow the person in front of you and you will get to the resettlement center in no time," I say. Directing the people as they come through. 

A nearly emaciated woman stumbles, and I manage to catch her before she falls face-first into the hard-packed earth. But even as I help her to her feet, I can feel her pulling away from me. She's expecting something more violent. 

There's no one among them that could be considered elderly. While we orcs venerate honored elders, it certainly wasn't a courtesy that the Sword Hammer clan extended to elder humans. I imagine that any human who managed to survive their torment long enough to approach old age was either worked to death or simply slain.

The thought causes a shudder to run down my spine, making every hair on my body stand up on end. But the skin on the top of my head just turns to goose flesh. 

I can't tell what happened first, my nervous habit of rubbing the top of my head or the bald spot. Sometimes, I wonder if I just rubbed all the hair away.

There are still plenty of young in the group; some are definitely half-orc children. The Burning Sun clan celebrated the birth of Forrest as the first half-orc child born to our clan, but that was a love match. These children are more than likely the result of a far more sinister coupling.

I see the way they are shunned by some of the others as if they're to bear the judgment for the actions of their fathers. It turns my stomach. These kids did nothing to deserve this, though I can't expect a mother to be able to disconnect what happened to her from her child.

It's a messy situation that, if I had my way, we'd avoid by gelding any man who would attempt to take a woman against her will.

I can't stand to see people getting hurt. It's why I became a town guard in the first place. The guard, on occasion, gets looked on disparagingly by some. They see it as a place where the warriors who can't survive on the front lines go. It's simply wrong.

I can handle myself in a fight. I wouldn't have climbed the ranks to be the captain of the guard if I couldn't. But I prefer defending people from harm to actively seeking out those to harm. I wish there was something I could have done for these women and children before everything that happened to them.

Failing that, I can at least attempt to keep them safe now that they're under my protection. But that comes with its own set of difficulties. I don't want to be suspicious of every new arrival, but it's part of my job to assess possible threats to the safety of the clan.

New arrivals count as a possible threat.

When I herd the last of them into the resettlement center, I go to Loki to discuss that exact problem.

By the time I enter his office, it seems his meeting is already well underway. Mary is there, taking notes. She and the chieftain do make a cute couple, and I'm happy for them, but I still get slightly flustered around her even though we are just friends.

There was a brief moment where I thought we had the opportunity to be more. But then Loki pulled his head out of his ass, and things worked out between them.

To be fair to myself, beautiful women, in general, tend to make me feel slightly flustered. Talking about security concerns or some other topic I have a solid grasp on, I'm fine. Professionally, I'm fine.

It's all the other stuff where I get easily tongue-tied.

Luckily for me, I won't be asked to carry on a real conversation. I sit back and listen as someone gives their report on the casualty numbers from our conflict with the Sword Hammer.

We won, but it was costly.

Then, it comes to be my turn to speak.

"Sir, the last of the humans from the Sword Hammer base are being processed and put up in temporary housing."

"Good."

"I do have some concerns, though. We don't have the time to properly screen them before housing them with this sudden influx. We've already got them stacked several to a room in the relocation center. They also aren't particularly trusting."

"I think that's understandable," says Loki.

"I'm not saying it doesn't make sense why they might not trust orcs right away," I clarify. "I'm just saying it means that if they expect we're going to do bad things to them, they might decide to beat us to the punch. And it's going to be hard to find them jobs. It's mostly women and children, and most of them have been severely underfed. We need people who can do hard labor, and I don't think many in that group qualify, and they won't for a while."

"But we still need to help them," Bonnie, one of the base's leading doctors, says.

"I'm not denying that," I add. "I just think we are going to need to allocate additional resources to this if we are serious about bringing them into the fold. I don't want to spook them by surrounding them with guards, but I wouldn't mind having a few more people to assign to where we settle them."

"I'll see if we can move some duties around to accommodate that," Loki says.

"And what are we going to do about all the pregnant women?" Bonnie asks, her voice tinged with anger and sadness. "We have at least ten that I know of who are currently with child. I believe they are all part of the Sword Hammer's attempt to breed half-orc warriors. They are going to need a lot of support considering what they've been through."

Bonnie lets out a deep beleaguered sigh, "And we are going to have to figure out how we will care for these women's medical needs. We still lack a lot of medical equipment necessary if any of them don't want to keep the pregnancy or if a child is born premature. Or at least nothing to help if everything doesn't go perfectly."

Loki looks pensive.

"I thought our most recent forays into the cities have been fruitful," Loki says.

"Yes, they have. But there are still things we need."

"Draw me up a list, and we'll need names and descriptions of everything. I can't make you any promises, but we can try."

"I'll have it to you by the end of the day, but first, I need to meet with the newcomers for medical exams. I'll start with the pregnant ones first and see if I can gather any information that would help me get you a more precise list of needs."

"Okay, so a shopping list of medical supplies and equipment and more manpower for guards. Anything else I need to make happen?" Loki asks.

I just stay silent and then head out. I've got to figure out a new duty roster to keep the newcomer's secure.