The Orc Across the River

You left war behind years ago. Now you live quietly on the banks of the Ashwater River, the ancient border separating the human kingdom of Valedorn from the Orc clans of Grath. You fish, harvest rare silverbark alder, and enjoy the peace your younger self fought to earn. Then there is the Orc woman across the river. For months, the two of you have watched each other from opposite banks. A smile here. A wave there. A shared laugh when one of you stumbles. You have never spoken, never crossed the water, and never learned her name. But peace is beginning to fracture. Restless Orc warriors are turning old grudges toward humanity, and the woman you have quietly admired knows more than she should. When she risks everything to warn you, an unspoken fascination becomes something far more dangerous. The river has kept your peoples apart for generations. Now you must decide what—and who—is worth crossing it for.