Mako

"We must go offer them!" I roar as my hand slams the table of war room. "We must get her back!"

The clan leaders look from me to my parents who sit opposite me. My father looks at me with pity while my mothers face is hard, "we cannot," she tells me again. "The girl is his by law. Taking her from him will start a war."

"Then we go to war!"

"No," my mother argues firmly.

"Yes!"

"No!" She yells, her stony facade breaking as her anger finally shows. "Your mate- the girl," she corrects. "Lied to us. She brought danger and death literally to our doors. Those guards had families! Mates and little ones!"

"My mate did not kill them!" I argue loudly. "That man did!" I spit that word out of my mouth like a rotting piece of meat. "He took my mate and you let him! And now you say that I cannot go get her. Why? Because it will start a war that we will win?"

"Maki," she says slowly, her anger disappearing and being replaced with a tiredness is never seen in my mother. "We would win the war but at what cost? We would lose hundreds if not thousands of warriors. Our trade routes would be cut off and those of us that did not die in battle would starve. It has taken years for us to even begin to recover from the last war and we are nowhere near to being able to survive a blockade. Our clan and theirs," she says as she gestures to the clan leaders, "would die. I will not sacrifice another orc life for a human."

I look to the clan leaders who avoid my eyes, "then I will go alone."

"No!" This time it's my father's voice that splits the air. "You will not. You are the last heir of the Icebear Clan. If you die then our hope is lost." He shakes his head, "we cannot risk you."

I stand up slowly and take a deep breath, "you cannot stop me. You would do the same thing if it was your mate and child that was taken. I will go alone, that way if I fail you can say that it was the line act of a heartbroken mate. The clans will have had no part of it and there will be no war."

"You won't be alone." We all turn to the elf who had spoken as she stands up, "you won't be alone. You'll have me and my mate," she puts a hand on the shoulder of the large male next to her. "And you'll have the army of the Swamplands and the elves."

"And who are you to offer this?" My mother asks as she stares at the she elf.

The she elf answers calmly and proudly, "I am Calla Stardew, mate of Brunk, Lord of the Swamplands."

"And does your mate always let you offer up his people?" A general asks haughtily. "Not to mention the elves who haven't been seen in decades. Why would they come out of hiding just because you asked them to?"

Calla grins at the general almost dangerously, "you didn't let me finish. I am Calla Stardew, mate of Brunk, general of the Swampland army, mother of the elf queen." There's an audible gasp in the room as she continues, "my daughter will come to our aid if I ask."

"I can't let you do that," I tell her. "I am grateful for the offer, but I can't let you sacrifice your people for me."

She grins wider, "the only ones who would be sacrificed would be the humans. But," she shrugs. "If you'd prefer not to have a bloodbath then just Brunk and I will go with you." She nudges her mate, "it's been a while since we've had a good hunt."

I nod, "I will accept that offer, thank you."

"There truly is no stopping you then?" My mother asks softly. "You are determined to die in the futile pursuit of the girl."

"My mate," I correct. "And yes, but I will not die. Only Khol and his followers will."

My mother sighs heavily, "I will not stop you, but I cannot bless you. If you do this, you will not be doing it as the princess but as a rogue orc with no clan. Do you understand?"

The realization of her words settle on me like a heavy blanket. "I do," I tell her. "I am grateful for the life you have given me. I am grateful that you are my parents." I put a fist over my chest and now my head to them, "I renounce my claim to the throne and to the Drushkin name." Raising my head I'm surprised to see tears in both my parent's eyes, "I will leave immediately."

I turn quickly and leave the war room, heading towards my room for my armor and weapons. I walk quickly, not noticing that Calla and Brunk have followed me until Calla says, "slow down! My legs aren't as long as yours."

I glance back at them, "I do not expect you to make good on your offer."

"Why not?"

"That offer was made to a princess," I remind her. "I am not one anymore."

"Even more reason to help you," she laughs. "A lone orc is no match for an army of humans."

"You have not seen me fight," I tell her as we get to my cave. Pushing aside the flap, I'm surprised to see River sitting on the trunk that has my armor in it.

"Mako," she says as she stands up. "We need to talk."

"There is no time River," I tell her as I open my trunk.

"I'm not River," she says quickly. My body freezes as she continues, "I'm Raine."