Korik does not fit in. With the recent alliance between elves and orcs, he is the only healer in his town. Shy and withdrawn, he focuses on doing a good job and helping the town’s residents. He is tall and gangly, and is more fit to work one-on-one as a healer than as a soldier or tradesman. After successfully delivering the elf prince’s child, Korik gains the trust of the local nobility. They ask him to accompany two elves south, captain Varen and his pregnant sister Enriel, before the birth of her child. Korik’s job is to provide support to Enriel and any healing needed along the way
Korik does not want to go, but he knows better than to reject the prince’s request. Enriel is warm and friendly, but her brother is sarcastic and smug. Korik assumes Varen doesn’t like him and keeps his distance.
After traveling on horseback for a week, they are attacked by a group of rogue orc raiders and Enriel is kidnapped. Varen and Korik spend a week tracking the raiding party and eventually rescue Enriel as well as other kidnapped elves. To find the raiders, Korik reluctantly reveals to Varen that he is a druid and can use his limited powers to track the kidnappers. The elf and orc alliance is new, and Korik fears that Varen will disclose his secret, but Varen keeps his word.
After delivering Enriel safely to the elflands, the king there tasks Korik and Varen to seek out the other, larger band of raiders and report their position. Korik is torn because he is working against his own kind. He does not believe in their uprising and subsequent killings, but he feels as if he’s a traitor to his own people.
Varen is attracted to Korik and admires him more by the day, but he always says the wrong thing or something that makes Korik withdraw. Eventually, he proposes a friends-with-benefits type situation to Korik. To his surprise, Korik goes along with it.
This is a perfectly fine slow burn romance. Korik and Varen are both flawed in their own ways. The story is told from Korik’s perspective with a scattering of Varen POV chapters in between. If you want a low-angst magical, opposites attract romance, this is an easy, escapist story.
Content warning for unexpected brutal death of a pony.
