Chương 22: Interlude: Efree

"I don't understand why the chief thinks she's so great, and father forced me of all people to help her as well." Somie's complaints echoed that of everyone else's. The village was being raided and everyone needed to work together, yet somehow, only one person seemed to be the chief's, their father's, and even Thetras' focus.

"She talked to the merchant girl this morning as well, I think they're good friends now." Seter didn't look all too happy with what he said.

"Her family were the ones responsible for bringing the Goblins here in the first place, and they gave the greenskins two women on top of it."

"Merchants are supposed to be smart, but somehow, the ones we are all dealing with are stupid. How nice." The complaint came from Somie, who had yet to spit on the water like Efree asked her to.

"We shouldn't be here to begin with! We need to run away!"

"The chief wouldn't allow that, and the men of the village follow him like he's the smartest of us all." Ralow, Somie's husband and the father of their two kids, once showed interest in Efree. Though she denied him because she believed that Thetras would choose her.

"Why are we listening to someone old and senile? He doesn't know anything! And what has he done for this village? Nothing!"

"Shut your mouth." Dorsh shoved Ralow aside as he took a seat next to Efree. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and glared in a certain direction.

"Dad is training Sobelle how to use the spear, like he expected her to somehow fight against the Goblins when they attack us. Her! A woman! What is she gonna do? Distract them?"

"What do you think about her 5 kills?" Seter asked out of amusement. He wanted to know what Dorsh felt about it.

"5. And she was ambushed according to everyone, Thetras especially said that they attacked her in a forest first."

"Thetras' words could barely be considered credible, I don't see why you believe him." Efree had her eyes on the ground as she denied the claims of her most loved person. How can he say that about Sobelle and not her?

"Lies. All of it." Dorsh punched the ground, his expression grim. He really didn't like it when Sobelle beat him at something huh? And here they were, sharing the same mother.

"How could a girl kill 5 goblins? Does that make sense to you?"

"No, not at all." The way Seter was being glared at left him with no choice but to agree with Dorsh. He chuckled, "but that's still pretty impressive right? Bringing in 5 dead goblins that is."

"Do you like her or something?" Efree shot her friend an accusing glare and he raised his hands as if to say he surrendered and did not wish to argue. She pushed her point anyway, "her? Sobelle? The woman who isn't a woman at all? She has muscles Seter! Are you blind?!"

"My sister speaks the truth, Seter. Why marry a woman like that? She does physical labor, do you really want her?" Somie's face was full of disgust as she described her own blood sister.

"No man would want her. Neither should you."

"I bet she isn't submissive and would argue and fight with you every day too." Ralow smirked as if to say that he would hit Sobelle if she did that.

"Such an angry woman who doesn't know her place. I don't see why her father likes her so much."

"Because she looks like our mother."

"Apparently it's because she takes after our mother." Both Efree and Somie said this at the same time. Their feelings of being constantly compared to Sobelle when it came to appearances surfaced for just a moment before the two of them controlled themselves and stopped talking about this particular topic. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"That's as good a reason as any." Ralow snickered.

"Well, I personally think that— Efree, your in-laws are walking towards us."

"It's probably Okkor again." She had chosen the wrong man to be wed with, but she had already given him her maidenhead so there wasn't a point of running now.

"I really don't like him anymore. It was just a fling! I don't see why I needed to be attached to him."

"Stop holding the torch for Thetras, he would never like you. It's better to choose your husband now before father decides you're better off being sold as a slave." Somie's warning made sense, and Efree was not going to say no to her elder sister.

"I know that already." This did not mean that Efree liked being with her chosen husband. The worm could barely do anything nowadays, and he's already lost his shoulder alongside his right arm. What was the point of being married to a cripple? Efree worked with her new family regardless. She had chosen Okkor and as a woman, that meant she would be her partner for the rest of her life. She'd be there to support him and slowly build a family with him, that was her duty as a wife.

"He's been feverish as of late." Okkor's father was a kind man, with a growing beard and crow's feet in the corner of his wizened eyes.

"He's been calling your name and is worried about you."

"I know that already." Efree was getting tired of saying those same words over and over again. Doesn't anyone get tired of hearing it?

"Give me his food and the bandages, I'll fix him up."

"Thank you, Efree. I can rest easy knowing you'll take care of my son when I finally pass. He can be a bit of a handful, but he's a good person deep down."

"I know." Efree did not want to get stuck with an actual crippled for the rest of her life. She had so much to live for and somehow, this man's son would be the one to take that away from her? Even if it was her duties, did she have no other choice? She opened the door to the emptied house the chief intended would house anyone who got sick from fighting goblins.

This place used to belong to an old couple but they had passed away and the building was left alone for fear of the new owners getting haunted by those who died here. However, if it was used as a place of healing, then maybe the original owners would not mind. In the back of the house, nestled on top of several layers of used clothing, was Okkor. Efree's supposed husband and friend of several years.

He had gotten his shoulder and arm amputated but that did not stop the effects of the goblin bite, he had still gotten sick and now? He was bedridden to the point of immobility.

"Efree? Is that you?"

"Yes. Okkor." How pathetic must it be for her own man to end up as the only one who got sick while everyone else still stood? Okkor should be better than this.

"It's me, how are you?"

"I'm scared—" something that no man should feel in the first place! Why was he scared?! Shouldn't he be fighting to stay alive for their future?! Efree's jaw clenched when he suddenly started crying.

"I'm sorry, I should have done things differently."

"There's no point in worrying about it now." Efree scoffed internally. Did things differently? Like what? He should have ran better?

"I'm here to take care of you so show me your arm."

"O-okay." He exposed his rotting flesh to her and Efree gently wiped it. The cloth she used was a spare from his father so it was used by the old man to wipe his sweat earlier this morning, this naturally made Okkor flinch.

"Just calm down, I'm here." Efree found him pathetic and she worked as quickly as she could so that she finished sooner. She felt nothing but disgust whenever she looked at him, really, why did she fall for his charms? He took advantage of her, that's what. She wouldn't feel anything for him otherwise. Efree made sure to calm her expression as she left the house. She inhaled, glad that her nose picked up the scent of fresh air rather than rotting flesh. Hopefully Okkor dies soon so that she may remarry.

She did not mind being with an older man if it meant she could be supported.

"How about we send her then? She's strong and she already killed 5 goblins? She'd agree to this." Efree overheard the conversation between the village chief and the merchant's daughter.

"We just need to get Saltor to say yes."

"Sending a woman to dwindle the numbers of the greenskins is a bit..."

"I know that already!" The chief stressfully replied.

"I know the risk that I'm taking. If she gets captured, then they get another sow. But the men in our village aren't as good as Sobelle, I know it. She needs to be the one we send out." Efree decided that this was none of her business. If her dear sister died—or preferably, captured—from greenskins then she'd be happy. The thought alone lessened some weight in her shoulders.