Strapped Pt. 01

"No, sir," replied Ur-Zal, relieved.

"And if this is about your little pet-project in the bordellos, then ... well ..." The captain shifted uncomfortably and averted his gaze once again. "I suppose that stands as a testament to your ethic," he said with a wave of his hand.

"Thank you," Ur-Zal muttered, smiling privately.

The old man in him grunted once again.

"Oh, speaking of which: the real reason I needed to speak to you," he declared, perking up. "The king has caught wind of your recent efforts to become crowned 'patron saint of prostitutes' and is suitably impressed by what you've accomplished. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that violent crime is down significantly in those areas and falling, and the girls— ah, women there have reportedly never felt safer."

Ur-Zal stifled a laugh,

"I'm glad the king approves, sir."

"Well, that's not all," the Captain continued, choosing to ignore the almost-outburst. "He's arranging a tour of the kingdom for his youngest—the girl, I forget her name—he wants her to take in the sights, sounds and smells of her father's fine country. Heaven only knows why, the brat has never seemed like the ruling type, but that aside, he has requested that you act as personal bodyguard on this little jaunt and lead a small protection detail for the rest of the caravan." The room seemed to fill with a stunned silence. "I can assure you, dear girl, that this is quite the acclamation."

"Y-yes, of course. Sorry, sir. I'm just not quite sure what to say."

"Evidently. In any case, it's a simple enough posting, and one that I am sure will be well within your capacity: scare off a few bandits, make sure the stinking provincials don't muss up the princess' gown, that sort of thing. And when you return, it will hold you in good standing with the king, which I don't need to tell you is not something to be sniffed at."

"Certainly, not ... No ... Yes ..." the orc mouthed absently.

The captain regarded the orc from beneath arched brows, and smiled,

"Clearly, this all needs to settle in a bit, so that'll be all for now. Here's your list for today."

"Yes, thank you, sir," Ur-Zal said rising, the life beginning to return to her voice.

"Not at all."

She turned to leave and made it as far as the door before the captain spoke again.

"Oh, and parade dress tomorrow, please," he said, already seeing to his next order of business. "We've an audience with the king, and I'm not sure he much cares for all the leather."

And if orcs were capable of such sounds, Ur-Zal seemed to squeak:

"Of course, sir."

Finally on the other side of the door, Ur-Zal breathed deeply as she made for the exit and her duties. Drifting through the sunlit morning, she felt the wind of change sweeping her up and carrying her forward. It had been so many years since she had begun living and working among the humans and in the space of one day, so much had changed. What remained to be seen however, was if this change was for the better and what else there was to come.

***

[Thanks for reading part one of 'Strapped'! The intention is to turn this into a short series, with updates as and when I have the time. If you enjoyed this so far, be sure to let me know in the comments! Thanks again and see you in the next instalment.]