Page 5 of My Orc Has Big Tusks
“It’s not as bad as it sounds.”
“You’re saying I’m about to get attacked by a living wind chime.”
His mouth twitched, but his hand moved to the door handle. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t hit you.”
“You can do that?”
“Probably.”
“Probably?”
“I’m very good at what I do,” he said with a touch of dignity, and opened the door.
Something shrieked inside.
CHAPTER TWO
LAINA
Iwanted to stay in the hallway forever, standing with Sofia’s warmth against my neck and Brovish watching me like I’d done something miraculous instead of just existing. But the clatterwing was hurt, and I had a job to do even if it had just startled me with a squawk.
I stepped inside.
The medical bay was clean and organized in an orc-scaled way, with counters higher than I was used to and upper cabinets built at levels I’d need a stepping stool to reach. The equipment was half-familiar, half-not.
The injured creature had been placed inside a crate sitting on an examination table in the center. I dimmed the lights and slowly stepped closer, leaning down to the bird’s level to peer into the crate.
Its coppery feathers gleamed in the low light, and sadly, its left wing hung loose. The bird was the size of a large hawk and when it shifted inside the crate, its feathers made a sound like wind chimes.
Clatterwings were gift-givers, according to my field guide. They collected shiny objects and dropped them on people’s heads. Tin foil if you were lucky. Dumbbells if you weren’t.
I set my bag down on the counter and stroked Sofia’s spine.
“She should probably go back to you,” I said, even though I didn’t want to give her up yet. “I don’t want her frightened by the clatterwing.”
“She won’t be, but I’ll take her if you insist. She’ll fight me, though.” His voice had gone gruff. “Sofia will come back only if and when she’s ready.”
Sofia peeped and burrowed deeper against my neck.
“You can stay, little one,” I said, “but be ready to leave if things get messy.”
The clinical part of my brain kicked in, the world narrowing in on the problem in front of me.
“How long has the wing been like that?” I asked.
“Since this evening. I found him near the eastern fence about an hour ago and brought him here right away.”
“Is he eating?”
“Not since I brought him in. I put the bowl of water in the crate, though.”
I’d seen it. “Has he tried to fly?”
“Before I could catch him. He didn’t get far.”
Sofia leaped from my shoulder to Brovish’s arm, latching onto his shirt and scrambling up to settle on his shoulder.
I moved closer to the bird.
