Smoked Meat

Through the shift in light and shadow, Tiffany knew it was already dark.

After all, Mr. Malone was a human; it was best he did not wander through the Orc camp at night.

Tiffany thought this to herself; for various reasons, she was very worried about something happening to Malone.

"I'll be going now..."

Tiffany's words naturally would not sway Malone, and he prepared to leave the wooden shed.

However, as Malone walked to the entrance, he discovered an uninvited guest.

"What are you two doing in the dark?"

A familiar voice, one that Malone loathed, drifted over.

Kaldara, that Blademaster, pulled back the canvas covering the entrance and peered into the shed.

It had been nearly a day since they last met, but Malone did not miss this guy in the slightest.

"What are you here for?"

Malone took a half-step back, fists clenched tight, assuming a defensive stance as he shouted.

By the faint moonlight, Malone observed the expression on Kaldara's face.

If Malone caught even a hint of malice on the guy's face, he would not hesitate to throw down with Kaldara.

After a day of training, Malone felt that he could at least hold out against Kaldara until Teron Gorefiend arrived to help.

"To thank you, of course!"

Kaldara seemed completely oblivious to the expression on Malone's face; he lowered the canvas used as a door curtain, walked inside, and Teron Gorefiend followed behind him with a gloomy look on his face.

"What's with that expression... I already told you, I'm not here to fight."

Kaldara seemed to be carrying something in his hand; he gently placed the object on the ground by his feet and then spoke to Malone.

"Hmph... not long ago you said you wouldn't lay a hand on Tiffany, yet you turned right around and started using her safety to threaten me. If I believed you again, I'd be a fool."

Malone said dismissively.

Some Blademaster he was—just a guy without a shred of honor. Bullying a woman; didn't he feel any shame in his heart?

Of course, Malone had failed to consider one issue.

It was because he had received a modern education and moral upbringing on Earth that he held the idea of respecting ladies.

But Kaldara was a native Orc of Draenor, and the most fierce and combative kind of Blademaster at that.

Perhaps he had many similarities to humans, but expecting him to respect a female with little productive capacity or combat power was simply a joke.

"Alright, alright... don't be so stingy..."

Kaldara waved his hands to soothe Malone while looking around for something.

"What are you looking for?"

Teron Gorefiend spoke up.

"Forget it, I'll go out and get some things to start a fire. I can't see a thing in here; it's making me miserable."

Without waiting for Malone or Teron Gorefiend to react, Kaldara turned and left the wooden shed.

"Mr. Malone, what happened?"

Tiffany asked with concern.

"It's nothing."

Malone could only use those words to fob Tiffany off.

Fortunately, the moonlight filtering into the shed was not bright, and Tiffany had not seen Kaldara's face, otherwise, she surely would have been frightened again.

"What did he come here for?"

Malone asked Teron Gorefiend.

"Don't know."

Teron Gorefiend answered bluntly.

Hearing Teron Gorefiend's reply, Malone had no other options.

Because it was inconvenient to carry, his greatsword had been left outside the shed and was not brought in.

For a moment just now, Malone had even thought about retrieving the greatsword; without a weapon by his side, facing a Blademaster always made him feel a bit uneasy.

But after thinking it over, Malone decided against it; it was impossible for a fight to break out here anyway, and in the pitch black, it would be bad if Tiffany got hurt.

Just as Malone was mulling over what exactly Kaldara was here for, the guy had already come back in.

Just like before, he seemed to be cradling something.

"What is that?"

Malone asked vigilantly.

"Firewood."

Kaldara's answer left Malone stunned for a moment, and during that brief interval, the Blademaster had already dumped the items he was carrying onto the ground with a clatter.

In the darkness, Malone vaguely saw Kaldara squatting on the floor, fumbling for something on his person.

The next second, a spark of fiery red light flared up inside the wooden shed.

By the light of that spark, Malone saw Kaldara blow on a pile of sticks on the ground before touching the glowing ember to the center of the wood.

"Are you... starting a fire?"

Malone asked hesitantly.

"Nonsense! This is a fire starter, these are logs; if this isn't starting a fire, what is?"

Kaldara replied irritably.

Soon, the ember in Kaldara's hand ignited the sticks, and he grabbed a few handfuls of dry grass from a pile in the corner, placing them onto the flames.

The effect of the dry grass was immediate; a bonfire quickly began to burn within the small wooden shed, bringing light—and with it, panic.

"Ah! Mr. Malone!"

Tiffany began to scream.

The moment the firelight flared up, Tiffany first saw Mr. Malone, whom she hadn't seen all day, but that joy was quickly replaced by the terror brought on by the sight of Kaldara's face, which she loathed and feared.

"It's okay, it's okay, Tiffany, don't be afraid..."

Malone comforted Tiffany, though he knew his words were pale and powerless.

"What's with all the screeching..."

Kaldara glanced at Tiffany, seemingly annoyed by the wailing human woman.

"Alright, tell me, what exactly are you here for? It can't be just to start a fire, can it?"

Malone asked.

"I came to bring you something good."

Kaldara replied, pointing to the large object he had just brought over.

"What is this? Charcoal?"

Malone looked at Kaldara's feet by the firelight, where a large, pitch-black mass sat, though he couldn't tell what it was.

"What? Charcoal? Do you not recognize smoked meat?"

Kaldara was already sitting by the fire, and upon hearing Malone's question, he couldn't help but exclaim.

"Smoked meat?"

Malone was even more surprised than Kaldara; he had no idea what Kaldara was trying to do.

"That's right, smoked meat."

Kaldara waited with a smug expression for Malone to thank him, but unexpectedly...

"Why did you bring smoked meat here?"

Malone still didn't understand Kaldara's intentions.

The Blademaster seemed a bit deflated, answering in a dejected tone: "To eat, of course. What else would smoked meat be for?"

"You? Bringing us smoked meat to eat? Are you really that kind?"

Malone felt that Kaldara was simply talking nonsense.

"There isn't any poison in this, is there?"

Malone instinctively moved closer to Kaldara, squatted down, and poked the lump of "smoked meat" with his finger.

The exterior was as hard as a rock; Malone couldn't even make a dent in it with his finger.

This stuff was edible? It was nothing but a stone!

Malone's face twisted into an expression of utter disdain.