For the past month, packages have mysteriously arrived outside my cottage door. At first I was elated. Full of fresh meat, vegetables and foraged items. On the brink of starvation, those packages saved my life. Who were they from? Things didn't just appear in the woods, did they?
Shortly after I begun to feel eyes on me, that itchy feeling between your shoulder blades when someone looks at you for to long. It was heavy and consistent, yet there was no one around. Curiosity burning, I attempted to catch the kind trespasser. I woke early in the morning and propped myself on a chair in the front window that over looked the walkway. No one came by, no delivery was made.
Saddened at the prospect of no fresh food I continued on with my chores outside the cottage. I later returned only to find a package sitting on the table.
The idea of a stranger in my home horrified me, I no longer attempted to catch my gift giver. One shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth after all. Lessening the burden, but weighing heavily on my mind.
Through experience, gifts were never given unless one wanted something in return. How am I to know who does such a thing? The measure of the person, kind or malicious? Manipulative or empathetic? Shaking away worries I went about the day.
Today I had plans. I needed to find the source of the river, maybe there was some sort of pool one could take advantage of for trapping trout. I had been content to fish from the nearby stream however, daily fishing was unnecessary if one could create a way to catch them en masse. Winter would be approaching soon, food needed to be preserved.
Trekking along side the river for a quarter of an hour she found a deep pool, not right for catching fish but just right for a quick dip. It had been nearly a month since her last full bath, relying on sponge baths was horrible. Quickly shedding her gown, she undid her braid of waist length hair and walked into the river. Gasping, she urged away the pins and needles feeling of the ice cold water.
The stream was knee deep near home, here it was chest deep. Sinking under she floated, buoyed by the water, she was weightless and careless for an infinitesimal moment. All worries and struggles melted away. All cares. No one wanted her dead, no law after her, no strange person watching her. Just a woman in the water and she doubted she was even that. Sinking to the rock bed and quickly pushing herself up exploding out of the water. She felt so like a child she giggled.
Pulling herself out of the stream to her bag she grabbed her soap, it had also arrived in a package. How did they get soap? Much less lavender scented. Regardless, she was happy at the prospect of being fully clean again. Rushing through her bath, worried she hadn't gotten clean enough she did it a second time. Shivering with teeth chattering, struggling to walk she made her way to shore.
Crouching down she pulled her cloak out from the pile of clothes she so carelessly tossed aside earlier in her excitement. Distracted she didn't see the thick column of legs in front of her. Until they stepped closer, freezing it was like her life stopped and everything came into focus.
Those feet were big, hairy and dark green. Slowly, raising her eyes encountering thighs thick like tree trunks as they slowly flexed, a tented loin cloth and a wide chest. Unable to tilt her head back any further she slowly raised up, she was middling in stature and this being towered over her. Lifting her chin she met the most interesting face she had ever seen.
It wasn't as if she had not seen an orc before but this orc, this one was striking. Not that orcs were ugly, just different facial structure. She then realized he must be half human. His eyes were not dark like all orcs they were green like his skin.