That was a perfectly reasonable question. And Orc knew what the answer was.

I was drunk.

But there was a level of shame that made his stomach twist and flip before sinking to his knees.

"He was...bugging me. Wouldn't leave me alone." And so he had with a very heavy stone covered hand backhanded Howard forgetting his own strength. Things had changed between them after that.

Each step Orc took felt heavier, but he began to fear if he stopped walking he might sink to the ground and just lay there forever.