Aknon's POV

I really didn't want to stay at the orc's camp that night. I was full of questions and emotions which I had to figure out and address. But Mesh had smartly pointed out that it was far too late for me to go anywhere, Grolen and some of the other orcs would be sad or insulted, and my bed had already been decided as the one next to Mesh.

I was out like a light. Despite everything crowding my head and causing quite a painful headache, I was far too exhausted to keep my eyes open for another second after my head touched the uncomfortable pillow. I had a thin sheet to cover me, and the bed dug horridly into my side, since it was impossible for me to sleep on my back due to my tail.

I kept my sword beside me as I slept, just in case anything dared attack during the night. I might've been insulting to the rocs if they knew this, as they were very prideful on the safety of their strongholds and fighting ability. I just didn't feel safe in the slightest.

So, when I woke up to light pouring in through the small slits in the tent, I was extremely surprised. It felt like the whole night had gone by in a blink, but I felt the littlest bit refreshed.

"Good morning," Mesh greeted me cheerfully. He was dressed in new clothes, just a plain white shirt and brown trousers, and had a smile on his face. He seemed far too cheerful for someone who had just woken up, so I assumed he'd been up for quite a while. "You slept like a dog."

I rubbed the bridge of my nose. "Good morning," I replied with an attempt at politeness. "A dog? Isn't the saying 'like a log'?" I moved so that I was sitting on the edge of the bed, even though it felt like I was going to go straight through the wooden poles which made it.

"I don't know." Mesh shook his head. "You look more like a dog, tail wagging and mouth open."

I tried to hide my horrendous blush by taking a sip of water, noting that I probably did have my mouth open all night, judging by how dry it felt. "I'm electing to ignore that." I stretched my arms, hearing my spine crack. "I've got to start heading back."

"Now?" Mesh's voice was a stammer as he stared at me. "No no, not now. You need food, supplies, armour, help." He stood from the side of his bed and towered over me. He could be extremely intimidating when he wanted to be. "You wouldn't survive that trip alone without help."

I closed my eyes for a moment. "You sound awfully like me," I murmured. I began to put my coat on, which I had thrown to the bottom of the bed before I slept. "Which means you're not wrong."

A smug expression crossed Mesh's face. "Right." He nodded and waited until I had my shoes on before picking me up by the arm. "Time for food."

"I can get up by myself," I said in a bit of a perplexed voice. "Did you wait for me to wake up before getting food yourself?"

Mesh looked guilty, but he kept his head pointing forward, so I really couldn't see much of the emotion in his eyes. "I waited patiently for you to wake." I figured that answered my question.

I smiled a little and patted his shoulder. "Thank you." I looked down at my boots as they kicked rocks and dirt across the floor. I was fascinated by the orc camp, but I wasn't sure how welcome I'd be on the second day.

I knew that Mesh was probably starving, the guy didn't eat as much as I thought that he would, but he certainly ate more than I did. So, I decided that we should go and get him some food first, before I got washed and ready to go. I ran a hand through my hair and tried to make sure it wasn't a rat's nest before allowing him to lead the way.

The sun was bright outside of the tent, which was rather annoying. It seemed that the stronghold wasn't a fan of shade, which was a shame given the fact there were so many trees around. The air was filled with the sounds of grunts and laughter, something unusual but not unpleasant.

When we arrived at the same tent where we had our food last night, there was hardly anyone there. I didn't recognise any of the orcs as those who I'd talked to, and as a result, I simply got some food and sat with Mesh. I still didn't know what the meat was, but I found it rather nice and tender, and it worked well with the cheese on offer. I didn't ask if they had some kind of farm or a particular supplier, not wanting to know if any of their doings were illegal. I just enjoyed the food and glanced around, commenting to Mesh if anything crossed my mind.

The children of the orc camp were rather attached to me. Or so it seemed when I stood with a full bag and a sword, ready to head back out. They were acting like anchors on a ship to my ankles, stating that I could go if I was strong enough to walk with them weighing me down.

"Alright, that's enough," Grolen said as she clapped her hands loudly. "Aknon needs as much sunlight as he can handle. He can't exactly go to the nearest city now, can he?" She had a gleam of authority and mischief in her eyes.

The children giggled at the reminder of what happened, and I could only pray that the city forgets as quickly as I wanted to forget myself. It was successful enough in getting the children to let go of my legs and to scurry off.

"Thank you." I nodded at Grolen, lifting one leg at a time and trying to bend my knee. "Got some strong ones there."

"Of course we do." Her being glowed with pride as she looked back at where the children had run off to. "But you did quite well, they were trying to pull you down."

I shrugged my shoulders and waved off the compliment. "Thanks." I figured that I shouldn't insult her by not recognising her intention. "Thank you for letting me stay the night." I didn't want to mention the meeting with Buruh, since that didn't really work in my favour. "I really do appreciate all the help you've been I'm glad that Mesh has you lot now."

Grolen nodded. "As am I. We even found his horse last night. Or rather, his horse found us." I had almost forgotten about the darned horse. "Mesh had you for some time though, didn't he?"

I didn't know what to say. I stammered and shook my head. "He's an amazing friend," I said after a while. "But we've only known each other for a few days." I hadn't really kept up with what date it was, but it felt like an eternity, so I knew it must've been a few days. "We weren't really that close, but I think he was probably one of my best friends."

"He still is," Grolen said with a laugh and a shake of her head, her hair flying behind her. She moved towards me and began leading me towards the entrance of the stronghold. "You can come here whenever you like, whenever you need shelter or food, or maybe even a friend." She placed something cold in my hand. "Now, off you go. I wasn't kidding when I said you needed all the sunlight you could get."

I nodded and turned around to see her and the camp. I spotted Mesh hiding behind one of the tents, but I didn't call out to him. "Thank you." I put all the sincerity I had into my words as I began walking backwards. "May we meet again under better circumstances." I began waving, making sure Mesh had seen.

With one final nod, Grolen began to wave back. "Safe travels, Aknon."

"Take care," I said in a rather loud tone, giving a small chuckle as I looked down at the path under my feet. This was madness. This was a suicide mission. This was probably the only time I'd try and listen to a deity. Well, they hadn't exactly threatened to cause me mortal harm, which is unlike what I had previously thought of them. Maybe the deities aren't that bad.

I got around an hour or so down the road and I was exhausted. It was difficult to keep my morale up, given I was now travelling alone. The noise of nature was deafening instead of peaceful. Every single voice I heard made me want to go invisible, which didn't seem like a bad idea. Being invisible often is more suspicious then being seen though, so I avoided it for the most part. I wanted to get as far away from the city as quickly as possible. I still felt like I was in their territory. I was surprised that they didn't have land markers to say when exactly people were allowed to be themselves.

I felt alone for probably the first time in my life. When I didn't have my siblings, I had Mesh with me. I didn't realise how much I actually needed Mesh when we were travelling. It had been nice to just have someone to walk beside you, a presence to find comfort in.

I felt like the scorching sun was noticing every flaw and vulnerability I had. I felt exposed to the world and every creature around me. I kept my hand on my sword and tried to stay vigilant, even though I hadn't crossed paths with anyone yet.

I didn't know if I was happy or annoyed when I heard the clopping of hooves. I felt hope surging within me, along with the slightest bit of fear, as I turned. There stood Mesh's horse, but with no Mesh in sight. There was a saddle on its back and a bag attached to that.

I dropped my head, cursing myself for having any kind of hope. "Hi, boy," I greeted it and patted its side. "Mesh ask you to join me, huh? That's nice of him."

The horse didn't acknowledge me.

"Come on then." I began walking once more, the horse following me. "We have a long way, I think."