Orc Boyfriend: Silvestrov (special preview)

In the Polar, there is always a chill in the air. Even during the summer months the cold blow from the mountains doesn’t cease. Despite the waters being thawed and green foliage reappearing, it is always cold. You’ve never gotten over this, having moved from the Southern Coast with your husband, a native of the Polar, you were used to never feeling a draft. You were always cold, and relied heavily on your husbands sisters, grandmothers, and elders to make you warm clothing and blankets to feel somewhat normal. In the beginning, you were sick often, but thanks in part to your husband’s property, you were able to combat the prolonged illnesses.

The hot springs around the property came from an underground spring that went around the dormant volcanoes of the Krymova mountain range, named so after the ancient Pale Goddess. Thanks to this, the waters were rich with minerals and natural healing properties. People came from all over to soak in the hot springs, earning you and your husband a healthy income.

Unfortunately, your husband’s illness could not be healed by the spring waters. He passed away, leaving you alone with the hot springs and home. He had never given you children, despite your strong desire for one. You put yourself into your work, making the hot springs and idyllic resort that not only healed, but helped to relax those who came. You’d been visited several times by the Czarina herself, Katrina, which drew even more people to the hot springs.

You can convinced yourself this was enough and you were happy. Your husband’s family still considered you part of their lives, so you were never far from loving arms. But sometimes, at night, you ached for someone in bed beside you and a child snoring from their crib.

In the midst of a particularly harsh winter, you were tossing salt along the path to ensure a safe passage for yourself come morning. It was bitter cold and you were cursing the mountain peaks for sending such harsh weather to you. At first, the sounds you hear are nothing new. Whistling winds and creaking trees had become part of your daily choir. Breaking through it though, was a sharp pained cry. You stopped to listen, unsure if you’re ears were playing a trick on you or not. The more you listened, the more it seemed to fade. You wished the winds would stop, and suddenly, the world went quiet. As if granting your wishes, the goddess Krymova halted the winds. And in the silence you heard the crying of a baby.

You had never run so fast in your life as you did then. Rushing through snow and ice, you followed the sounds of the baby. Soon, you came upon a tree where the roots were arched up and pulling the earth with them. The baby was hidden down in the earth below the roots where it was protected from the wind and cold.

The baby was pale pink with thick white curls on their head. It was an Orc child. Clutching the poor baby to you, you looked around for any signs of life. The Orcs in this area had a tentative peace with the village you lived in. For years they had feuded over land, only coming to terms recently. If you were caught stealing a baby, it could mean war. But there was no one around, nothing at all. This baby looked abandoned.

You took the child home, gathering hot water from the springs to warm them and bathe them. You find it is a little girl and she cannot be more than a year old. She clings to you, sucking your fingers and whimpering still. Amongst the thick furs wrapped around her you found a necklace that had an iron charm upon it shaped into a thick ring. Thick wooden beads decorated the string, it looked like an engagement necklace. There was also a bone tucked beside her that had something burnt onto it in Orc script, you would find out what it said later. For that night, you played mother to the little girl. You fed her goat’s milk and let her gum on some pear slices. Despite your best efforts, you fell in love with her instantly.

To be safe, you went into town the next day and to the Orc market where they sold their wares to the villagers. You had done business with some there and you went around asking about the little girl. None knew of her, since she was all white, they said she was from a tribe further north who were nomadic in nature. The bone they said bore her name, Severova. They told you to be careful, because if the nomadic tribe came looking for the baby, you could be in danger.

It could have been stupid, but you didn’t worry. Right now, Severnova was all that mattered. You already had lots of things for a baby you never got to use. You had clothes for her, a crib, and a little high chair so you could feed her at the table. For those first few days, you expected someone to come through the door and take her, but the more time that passed the less you feared such a thing.

Winter made its journey, the world thawed, and Spring awakened renewed. Summer followed closely behind, but it was all too short as fall came nipping bitterly at her heels. With fall came the cold again, and you began preparing for winter right away.

Severnova was doing very well, she was growing far too fast for our taste, and she was already speaking quite well. She toddled around, following you all over the house. She spent lots of time with your sister-in-laws, who loved to make her clothes and stuffed toys. You also took her to the Orcs and had her spend time with them and be amongst her own kind, learning the language, their culture, so that she could understand herself better.

One chilly afternoon, you’re making hot chocolate, preparing for a guest to the hot springs while also rewarding Severnova for cleaning her room, all by herself.

“Be careful now, my love, this cup is very hot.”