To Clear the Air

By Malcolm Schmitz

Karvek, a cowardly orc lacemaker, must travel into the desert to get to a silkworm oasis.

But the last caravan saw an undying, flesh-eating firebird. With a beast like that roaming the desert, there's safety in numbers. And his only traveling companion is a former friend, Alkett. She betrayed his tribe; Karvek still bears an ugly grudge.

If they're going to survive the journey through the desert, Karvek must face that grudge- and the two of them must clear the air.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Malcolm Schmitz
• Release date: Oct 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005500382

Malcolm Schmitz

Author, autistic, apostate. I write SFF about disabled people, trans people, eldritch angels, disappointing unicorns, and lace-making orcs.

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To Clear The Air

By Malcolm Schmitz

Copyright 2022 Malcolm Schmitz

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Table of Contents

To Clear The Air

Author's Note

About Malcolm Schmitz

Other Titles by Malcolm Schmitz

Credits

To Clear The Air

You're a lacemaker, Karvek told himself. You should be braver than this.

He dug through his pack one more time. His needle and thread were stuck in his breast pocket, just as they should be. His greataxe was on his back. His lantern had a good stock of oil, and his coalpot was filled with boiling water.

Taking stock of what he had was wise. But doing it again and again was an excuse to delay, and he knew it. His supplies were well in order; they had been since mid-morning.

He needed to set out before nightfall, or he wouldn't reach the oasis before the hottest part of the day. But this morning a