| GB | Legs Hurt | 34
Yu Bai hadn't slept so soundly in a long time.
Without being disturbed by pain, the wind and snow were kept outside the house, with the walls tightly sealed with tree bark. Though the house was simple, it was kept clean.
The stone basin beside the bed still retained the warmth of burning firewood, creating a small, warm, and secure space.
He was feeling lazy and slowly sat up from the animal hide blanket. His drowsy gaze swept around the room and suddenly focused on the square animal hide hanging on the wooden rack.
Suddenly, his face flushed with awkwardness and embarrassment.
The scene from last night replayed in his mind.
He had witnessed Huo Duo'er’s actions, and originally intended to tell him to tone it down. However, Huo Duo'er not only didn’t restrain himself, but instead sat with his legs apart and stared directly at him, his intentions unmistakably clear.
Yu Bai’s eyes darted around, and eventually, he crouched in the corner of the wall, his legs numb from sitting so long, until Huo Duo'er finally stopped what he was doing.
There were only a few animal hides that could be used for covering, and one corner of them had gotten dirty. Huo Duo'er simply used a stone knife to cut off that piece, didn’t throw it away, but washed it clean and hung it inside the house.
Yu Bai stared at that piece of animal hide for a while before quietly shifting his gaze away.
That morning, Yu Bai stayed curled up in bed, weaving hemp cloth, not trying to go outside to help Huo Duo'er, fearing that he might feel awkward seeing him again.
Orcs were all unrestrained like this, Yu Bai understood that in his heart, so after two or three days, things wouldn’t feel so awkward anymore.
Just then, Huo Duo'er, who had been digging an earth kiln outside, suddenly came in and said, “Bai, A’Xin is looking for you.”
Yu Bai let out an “uh” and lowered his head uncomfortably, replying in a soft voice, “Got it.”
Huo Duo'er hesitated as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he stayed silent and went back outside to continue digging the kiln.
—
Outside the door, A’Xin called out, “Bai—”
The hunting horse orc came over carrying a basket of beans. “This is for you.”
Yu Bai responded shyly, “You didn’t have to bring anything.”
“You helped me again, it’s only right to give you something.”
A’Xin added, “My leg still hasn’t fully healed this year, so I couldn’t go into the mountains to hunt. I didn’t prepare any meat for you.”
“I asked A’Li and heard that Bai eats beans every day. At home, it’s just A’Yi and me left, we can’t finish that many beans, so I thought I’d bring some over for you. Please accept them.”
Since A’Xin had already said so much, Yu Bai accepted the basket of beans.
“Bai, that day after your mate cut the horse’s hooves, why was it suddenly able to stand again?”
Yu Bai remembered Huo Duo’er’s instructions from the day before and hesitated a bit.
A’Xin quickly added, “If it’s not convenient to tell me, then forget it, after all, it’s your skill. I can’t just learn it for free.”
Yu Bai called him back, “A’ Xin, I can tell you but for now, only you can know about this. Is that okay?”
“You’ve penned those wild horses in, limiting their movement. Over time, the nails on their hooves naturally grow long. Just like how we need to trim our fingernails regularly, horses need their hooves trimmed too. If not, when their hooves grow too long, it affects their mobility. In severe cases, they can’t even stand.”
A’Xin suddenly understood. “So that’s how it is…”
Why hadn’t he thought of that before?
Yu Bai said, “These horses are moving around less, so over time, their hooves will just keep growing longer. You can trim their hooves every two or three months.”
A’Xin quickly nodded. “Bai, thank you for teaching me. I’ve kept these horses penned for years and never realized they could be raised this way. If it weren’t for my injured leg making it hard to lift heavy things, I wouldn’t have even thought about training them to carry loads.”
Yu Bai hesitated. “About yesterday…”
A’Xin’s expression turned troubled. “I once refused to go up the fire altar with the priest to heal my leg. That angered him, so these past few days, I’ve been doing chores for him to make amends, hoping that when he prays to the gods next year, he won’t drive A’Yi and me out.”
Within the city, orcs had clearly defined roles, working together to maintain the stability and development of the main city. Since the priest couldn’t use people under his own authority, much of the labor was assigned to orcs from outside the city.
Yu Bai parted his lips. “But your leg is still injured, not fully healed, and he’s making you carry so many things…”
Isn't the priest just making things difficult?
A’Xin sighed, his voice filled with guilt. “This is partly my fault too. A’Luo and the others recovered quickly from their injuries, but my leg’s been healing slowly on and off. I haven’t been able to take good care of A’Yi, and I even dragged you into this…”
As he spoke, the horse-taming orc looked genuinely worried. “Bai, yesterday when I led the horses to deliver things to the priest, he heard that you were the one who got the horses standing again. His face didn’t look too pleased. If that ends up causing trouble for you during next year’s sacrificial rites… it’s all my fault…”
Orcs worshipped nature gods. Every year after spring, they would kneel devoutly below the altar to offer their prayers, it is an extremely important event.
If someone offended the high priest, they could very well be banished from the sacrificial altar.
A’Xin, full of remorse, said, “I’ll go find the high priest right now and explain everything.”
Yu Bai stopped him. After a moment’s thought, he actually came up with something that sounded surprisingly convincing to orcs.
“A’Xin, don’t be afraid. Whether our lives are good or bad depends on our own two hands creating opportunity. As long as we hold the gods in our hearts, then the gods are everywhere. No matter where we pray, it’s the same. As long as the heart is sincere, the gods will hear us.”
A’Xin stared at him in stunned silence, taking a while to process it.
Finally, his eyes lit up with awe, and he stammered, “Bai, how did you know to say something like that? It really makes sense…”
In a hushed voice, A’Xin added, “It… it sounds even better than what the high priest says…”
Yu Bai gave a faint smile. “Anyway, don’t worry too much. Go on back now. It’s not good to leave A’Yi, such a young cub, alone for too long.”
A’Xin nodded earnestly, then quickly limped off through the wind and snow, dragging his slightly lame leg behind him.
Watching A’Xin leave, Yu Bai walked over to the dug-out earth kiln and peeked through the opening, his small face stretching forward for a better look.
After talking with A’Xin, that awkwardness he’d felt toward Huo Duo’er suddenly faded.
There was nothing wrong with orcs being loyal to their instincts. On the contrary, his coldness toward Huo Duo’er might have hurt his feelings.
Just as he poked his head out, Huo Duo’er walked over holding a wooden hoe, stopping right beneath the kiln’s entrance.
“Bai.”
Yu Bai responded with a soft “Mm,” his eyes crinkling as he smiled. “I came to see how you were doing. If you need water or something to eat, just let me know. The pot is still warm, I’ll bring it right over.”
Huo Duo’er’s gaze was burning, and he gave a slight nod.
Yu Bai felt his cheeks heat up under that intense look. Smiling, he cleared his throat and said, “Then I’ll go back inside to weave hemp cloth. I’ll start sewing the shorts this afternoon.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he darted off like a rabbit. Without even thinking, Huo Duo’er climbed out of the dirt and followed him inside.
—
Inside the house, Yu Bai shook the snowflakes from his hair. When he turned around, he saw a large figure blocking the doorway, so tall it made his heart skip a beat.
“Y-you’re back already…”
Huo Duo’er stood just outside, his lips parting slightly as if to explain, but before he could say a word, the sub-beastman inside the house spoke up again.
“Come in and have some hot ginger soup first. Just because you’re strong doesn’t mean you can treat getting sick like it’s nothing.”
Huo Duo’er stepped inside, legs spread wide as he reached out to take the ginger soup Yu Bai was handing him, but just then, the bowl was pulled away.
Yu Bai, looking apologetic, said, “Your hands are covered in mud. I’ll hold it, just drink it like this.”
Huo Duo’er stared at him, then lowered his head and drank the soup straight from the bowl, gulping it down in big swallows. The heat and spice burned down his throat, and when he met Yu Bai’s concerned and guilty gaze, the heat inside him flared so hot it felt like he could catch fire.
He wanted to speak, to hug Yu Bai, maybe that would ease this tight, burning feeling inside him.
So, with that thought in mind, he asked directly.
“Bai, can I hug you?”
Yu Bai hesitated shyly. “…Why are you suddenly saying that?”
When he glanced away, avoiding eye contact, Huo Duo’er’s gaze dimmed. His light gray beast eyes grew even darker.
Yu Bai: “…”
Awkwardly, he agreed, “O-okay.”
He shifted a bit, then stepped forward into the space between Huo Duo’er’s spread legs, standing close to his chest.
“Is this okay…”
Yu Bai tried his best to relax. He thought back to times when he was sick, how he had longed for a comforting hug from a loved one, to draw strength from it.
“We’re brothers, not mates. Even as brothers, hugging each other is normal.”
Huo Duo’er wrapped his arms around Yu Bai with the one that wasn’t muddy, holding the body in his arms. But he didn’t quite understand the meaning behind Yu Bai’s words.
“Why can’t mates hug?” Huo Duo’er asked.
Yu Bai replied, “You and I formed a contract for cooperation, we’re brothers, not mates.”
“Bai,” Huo Duo’er said calmly, “in many orc tribes, brothers can form a mating bond.”
Yu Bai’s eyes flew wide open. “Ah…!”
“You mean… forming a bond under the Sacred Tree, witnessed by the gods, that kind of bond?”
Huo Duo’er nodded. “Mm.”
So to Huo Duo’er, it made no sense why Yu Bai thought being ‘brothers’ meant they couldn’t be mates. From his understanding, brothers could absolutely become bonded partners.
He still didn’t quite get it, but since he wanted to form a bond with Bai, he had agreed without hesitation.
Yu Bai was stunned.
“S-So all this time, you thought of me as… your mate?”
Huo Duo’er nodded.
Yu Bai stammered, “But…”
Huo Duo’er gently nuzzled the top of Yu Bai’s soft hair. “Bai, we’re bonded now… but I’ve noticed that you seem a little unwilling.”
Yu Bai: “…”
At that moment, his head spun, and his heart pounded in panic.
He realized Huo Duo’er truly regarded him as a mate. But… he had never been honest about his feelings. He didn’t dare just accept it so easily.
He thought about the illness in his body, he still didn’t know if it had fully cleared up. If some hidden danger remained, or if he didn’t have long to live, wouldn’t that only end up hurting Huo Duo’er?
Yu Bai blinked his tear-brimmed eyes, he was suddenly overwhelmed and unsure what to do.
—
With such heavy thoughts weighing on him, it didn’t take more than a couple days before Yu Bai couldn’t even get out of bed.
His head felt unbearably heavy, and his legs had begun to ache faintly again. Even in his dreams, he wept from the fear that the sickness was returning.
In the middle of the night, Yu Bai sat up clutching his faintly cramping leg. The giant beside him woke up at the same time.
“Bai?!”
Huo Duo’er pulled Yu Bai’s trembling body into his embrace, his palm wiping the wetness from his face.
Yu Bai tightly pressed his lips together, his eyelashes still shut, and the corners of his eyes glistening with tears.
He stammered, fear overwhelming him: “Huo Duo’er, my leg… my leg hurts…”
Huo Duo’er’s hand slid under the fur blanket, gently massaging his two small legs.
“Where does it hurt, Bai?”
Yu Bai shook his head, his eyes still streaming with tears.
Huo Duo’er extended his tongue, slowly licking away the tears. Since Yu Bai couldn’t tell him exactly where it hurt, his hand continued to press and rub every inch of his skin.
After a long while, Yu Bai finally fluttered his trembling eyelashes open, his nose red from the tears.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore…”
His voice was hoarse and uncomfortable. Huo Duo’er went to pour him some water.
Even during this, he didn’t want to let go of Yu Bai. He directly scooped up the water and brought it to him, sitting down with him on his lap, gently feeding him water.
“Are you feeling better, Bai?”
Yu Bai gently nodded. His eyes were still red, making him look pitiful.
Huo Duo’er’s heart clenched tightly. “If the tribe’s priest can’t heal you, I’ll take you to another tribe.”
Yu Bai tiredly lifted his eyelids. “Where? To your tribe…?”
Huo Duo’er shook his head. “No.”
Then he added, “The place where the giants live is far away, and… it’s not a place where orcs can live.”
A hint of sorrow crossed Huo Duo’er’s expression.
“The air there is thick with more and more miasma, and many of my people have died in the mist. Over the years, my people have gradually left. They don’t want to go back. They say the Mountain God has abandoned the giants.”
It seemed like he had touched on something that shouldn’t have been spoken about. Yu Bai was at a loss for words.
He wanted to apologize, but before he could, Huo Duo’er changed his hand’s position and gently rubbed his ankle. “Does it still hurt?”
Yu Bai shook his head, feeling embarrassed about how uncontrollably he had cried earlier. He buried his damp face against Huo Duo’er's warm, broad chest.
After a while, he tugged at his little leg, saying, “You can let go now…”
Huo Duo’er continued to gently rub his leg, feeling comfortable but also a bit shy. When his hand pulled away, his expression became downcast.
Yu Bai's legs were smaller and more delicate than most orc’s, and once Huo Duo’er held them, he didn’t want to let go.
As they lay back down, Yu Bai noticed Huo Duo’er still watching his leg and quickly tucked it under the animal hide. Huo Duo’er, now lying on his back with his chest bare, tightly pulled Yu Bai closer.
The snow fell softly outside, and the two, each carrying their own worries, held each other even closer, as if the world had narrowed down to just the two of them.
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