The smell of smoke and the crackling of burning wood drew Mina from her sleep. She attempted to sit up, but winced as pain shot down her arm. Thousands of stars flickered above her, the moon half past its zenith. The scraping of metal against dirt drew her attention to a large figure sitting across from the fire.

She shot up, ignoring her arm as it screamed at her. She stared at the figure, barely able to make it out past the flames. Whoever it was, they wore a full set of plate, not a piece of skin showing through, and they were large.

The armored being glanced up at her and held his hands up. A large hammer sat to his side, within easy reach. Her gaze flicked over to it and back to him.

He slowly stood and Mina blinked, butterflies reflexively forming around her. He was as tall and wide as an orc.

Orcs didn’t wear armor though, especially not plate. There was no feasible way for them to get ahold of it, and the metal was well taken care of. It wasn’t shiny and there were dents and scratches in it, but there weren’t any cracks and it had the soft sheen of having been wiped down.

“My name is William,” the being said. His voice was deep and sent shivers down her spine. He had a bit of a lisp, but not one that was bad enough to detract to the fact that he’d spoken quite clearly.

Her mind flashed back to the last thing she remembered. That huge orc slamming her face into the ground. This…being…wasn’t quite as large as it had been, but they both spoke clearly.

Mina narrowed her eyes and took several steps back when he stepped around the fire. Her gaze landed on the symbol emblazoned on the chest of his armor. One she hadn’t seen before in the flickering firelight. Two swords crossed over pierced through the middle with a halberd and a laurel of leaves surrounding them.

She sagged to the ground, her entire body relaxed.

“You’re a Steel Warden.” It wasn’t a question.

William nodded. “Yes, miss…”

“Mina.”

“Miss Mina, yes. I’m a Warden. You should try not to move too much, you are still quite injured.” William didn’t move any closer to her and knelt. “You have a broken shoulder, nose, collarbone, and several ribs have been cracked.”

Well, that definitely explained why she was having some difficulty breathing and that even the smallest movements sent spears of pain through her. The next couple of months were going to suck.

“What happened?” She asked.

William lowered himself the rest of the way to the ground until he was seated. He turned his head towards her and then looked up to the sky.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“I was sent here to investigate and, if possible, exterminate the orcs that had been terrorizing the area. We’d received several pleas for aid from the villages around here. I found the encampment just as the war chief knocked you out,” William explained.

Mina started to nod but stopped when the movement caused her collarbone to scream in pain. She took a deep breath in through her nose and released it through her mouth slowly.

The campfire flared as William placed more fuel in it, illuminating the blue grass on the edge of the road.

She blinked. Blue grass.

“Amidst Vicar’s plains, where cerulean blades gleam,” William said, watching her.

“Stray not, or vanish, a lost traveler’s dream,” Mina continued. “Horselords rule this path, their secrets untold.”

“Wander astray, your fate’s story is foretold,” William finished. “It was always a nice little nursery rhyme.”

Mina chewed on her bottom lip. “I suppose. I wonder what caused the grass to turn blue. I don’t think I’ve ever actually heard the story.”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure if anyone actually knows.” the huge man shrugged. “I do know that the nursery is an actual warning. People who wander into the plains without a guide, they’re never seen again.”

“I’ve heard that, I’ve also heard people say that it’s the Horselords that cause them to go missing.” Mina slowly turned her head, trying to avoid the pain from the movement.

“No.” William’s answer was immediate and fierce. “They are not the cause.”

She arched a brow at the ferocity of his answer. “What makes you so sure?”

“They are not the cause. They are as upset about the missing people as everyone else.” He stoked the fire with a stick.

“Are you hungry?” William asked.

Right, change of subject noted. “I would not say no to food.”

The man stood and walked to where he had been on the other side of the fire initially and picked up a large, hare that had been skinned and skewered. The metallic scent of blood was still fresh. That mush have been what he was doing right before she’d awoken.

It didn’t take long for the rabbit to cook. William handed Mina the rabbit and she took it with a smile.

“Wait, are you not eating?” She asked.

“I already ate.” He sat back down and stared up at the sky.

“It seems that Solarys is returning home,” he said.

Mina paused, the rabbit half-way to her mouth and sent her eyes up. A path of colors arched through the night sky, cutting a swathe through the stars.

“So it would seem. Achlys must be thrilled to see his wife again,” she said dryly.

“You don’t like the gods?” William asked.

“Why would I?” Mina scoffed. “They’ve never done a fucking thing for me, why should I give them a single damned moment of my time? The bastards only care about themselves.”

“That’s not true.” William looked down at her. “If they didn’t care, we wouldn’t be here. People wouldn’t get better after being sick, have good luck, or even fall in love.”

“If they actually cared then people wouldn’t be killed, raped, drugged, and forced to have the spawn of disgusting, filthy beasts like orcs. If they cared, then they’re fickle with who they choose, and it was never me. They’ve never bothered with me so why should I bother with them?” She shook her head and then gasped in pain. “I’m…I’m done with this conversation.”

She finished the rabbit, ignoring the uncomfortable silence that pervaded the space now. “I’m going to sleep.”