A sign left her lips before taking a sip of milk. Katerina’s eyed the board behind the bar. Orcs had been in the north-lands. A bounty set on their heads. Looking down at her noticeable pregnant belly, she looked back at the board. Feeling as if she was five months pregnant, it was harder for her to pick up jobs. She could only fight for a bit longer before she couldn’t any longer. After the baby was born, she wouldn’t have to double think.
Frowning to herself, she thought of the deal that she made with the Goddess of Luck. In a month, this baby would be hers. Bringing her hand to her belly, she ran her hand up and down. She felt guilty for having made the deal, but the baby was not really hers. Slamming the cup down on the bar, she tossed a few coins out onto the wooden top and ran up the stairs behind her. Entering her room, she smiled at her two daughters playing on the bed. Their giggles filled the room.
Upon seeing their mother, they smiled at her. “Hey mom!” They both said at the same time. Walking over to them, she sat on the end of the bed. “Hey girls. There is another job, its in the highlands near by…..” Before she could finish her sentence the two girls frowned. “But mom you’re pregnant. You can’t go.” Kiyomi whined as she crawled over the bed to her, and put her arms around her mother. “Sweetheart, yes I can. This will be the last one.” She said while kissing her child’s head. “I have to leave right away, Alexander will take care of you both.” With a hug and a kiss for her children, she turned to Alexander, the five foot tall tiger, that was laying on the floor beside the bed. With a scratch behind his ear, she smiled at him.
“Protect them.”
“I will, you know this.”
“I know, but-.”
“It makes you feel better to say it.”
“Yes…..”
“Alright.”
After the tiger nudged her hand, they all said their I love you's, and the wolf demon left her daughters in the care of a tiger.
After a day's ride, nightfall had soon took over the skies, and Katerina reached area the orcs were last seen. Jumping off her horse, her black boots hit the grassy ground. “Get out of here, Athena.” She patted the horse's neck, and started to walk off into the darkness. Soft growls erupted behind her. Not bothering to glance back, she knew who the growls came from. Her six wolves that have been with her for as long as they have been alive.
The smell of more wolves in the area hit her nose. That was why they were growling. Holding her hand out, she moved it downwards, motioning for them to quiet down. They were on the hunt. The orcs had to be out there somewhere. It had been a long time since she had faced an orc. Pirates had dominated her life for the past few years. “Skum… The lot of them..” She thought to herself as her eyes danced around the trees. Katerina always was more than happy to kill pirates when they did harm to people. Orcs on the other hand, always did. They didn't think they could do anything more than kill. She would slay them tonight…. As soon as she caught scent of where they were.
Moving farther into the forest like area, the cloaked figure’s feet stayed silent as she walked along the grass. Not even stepping on a twig of a leaf. Her wolf senses always helped her to be more quiet than a human. Stopping for a moment, she felt something around her. Someone? Something? She wasn’t sure on the smell that floated to her nose, but it was in front of her. Using her wolf eyes, she spotted the man in the tree. He wasn’t an orc, or anything that she had smelt before. Or have but not in a long time.
Walking silently up to his location by the lake, she could smell the smoke now as she drew closer. His hand was slowly moving toward his weapon. Holding back a sigh, she wasn’t in the mood to kill anyone but the orcs. He was only in a defensive position. She then decided to speak, “Hello.” Katerina’s voice was smooth against the coolness of the nice. Quiet, but loud enough for the man to hear it. Inhaling again, she smelt them. Orcs.. They were nearby. “Orcs.” She said as she shot out her hand to the side, her sword appearing in a puff of cold smoke.