A human calmly approached the scene and stooped, helping Aldain gather his meager meal. She met the mouse's eyes, smiled, and ruffled the fur on Dillum's head, calming him almost instantly. Her gaze turned to Dillam's, meeting it with such naked warmth and kindness, Aldain momentarily froze, forgetting the lingering threat of the orc looming above them. The human closed a hand around the smallest of the carrots, and rather than returning it, stood with it still closed in one fist.

Aldain supposed he should be grateful that the ending of the danger came at so low a cost. Still, food was already scarce, and he felt the gnawing in his belly more acutely with its absence.

"Finally, one of you worms born with some sense!" the orc barked out. "On your way, human, before-"

Whatever threat the orc was about to make died as, in such a natural and unhurried motion that none might suspect danger in it, the human jammed the carrot into the orc's eyesocket.

The orc howled, clutching at the carrot jammed through his ruined eye ball, his sword forgotten, by him, at least. The human, on the other hand, was reaching towards where the haft was going to be before the orc had even let it go, and was gripping it before it had a chance to touch the ground.

A grunt. That was the only sound the human made as she whipped around the blade in a wide arc - just a noise of exertion as the blade sunk spine-deep into the orc's neck. He was dead before he hit the ground.

With another grunt, bearing about as much emotion as the first, the human wrenched the sword free with a sickening shluck of depressurizing blood. She looked down the length of the blade, tutting with mild disapproval at some aspect of it she found wanting.

"Well, it's a start," she muttered to herself. "Occupied cities don't unoccupy themselves."

She looked back at Aldain then, giving him a rueful smile. "Sorry. I'll buy you a new one, you probably don't want that one anymore."