Part Twenty-six
"We should move away slowly," Beryl suggested in a low voice.
Tsuki and Laurel did not respond by words or actions but continued an incantation about the midday sun.
Dale stood, he tucked his whip handle into his pants to free a hand and removed his cloak. The cloak lay across Nightmare's back and Dale unfastened the small toggles of his jacket. "Ready bows and arrows," he whispered, "but do not draw until it is necessary to shot. Watch for archers taking aim at me."
Tsuki whispered to Laurel and then took his bow from Moon-halo; the quiver on Dale's hip was accessible to him. One of the Orcs approached, tall, but unlike the Westerners. He was Nimrod, a lanky northern Orc and the Chieftain of this mixed group of Orcs. He was quite sober, as he had not been involved in the attempt to make bread, but only ordered the activity.
Laurel took one step forward and called out in the Common Speech, "I am the Red Witch! By the Sacred Fire, you shall not hinder us!"
"Stage magic will help us naught," Beryl whispered in Elven as he stood at Dale's left.
"It is not illusion if she has the power," Tsuki said; he was not opposed to adding illusion to their power, however, and tilted the looking glass he had slipped into his hand to reflect the Sun's rays into the Chieftain's eyes.
"Stop," Dale hissed, "Let me deal with him. If I fall, then you can do as you like." He tossed his sword between his hands as he removed his jacket and then his shirt. Dale was not clothed above the waist then, and Tsuki, Laurel and Beryl would all be able to see the scars, but he did not care at the moment.
"Who are you?" Dale called to Nimrod, "I want the Chieftain of this rabble! You listen to me! I am Death-Shadow and I will face your Chieftain in combat!"
"I, Nimrod am Chieftain! You have no right to challenge me. I will cut you to pieces and eat your flesh, Elf!"
Dale paced, holding his sword low in his left hand and sending the tail of his whip snaking across the ground. "I would expect a Northerner piece of offal like yourself to know Death-Shadow when you see him. You see the scars. The other names are covered over with newer scars, but you can see one. Dumuzi. This was his whip!" Dale lifted his arm and with a flick of his wrist lashed Nimrod's face.
The Orc charged with his sword, but Dale pivoted away from the blade and the one who wielded it, then smacked Nimrod across the rear with the broad side of his sword.
"Tsuki, give me your shaving blade." Dale saw Tsuki protest silently. "Now!"
Tsuki retrieved the thin sharp blade and offered it to Dale by the handle. Dale drove his sword into the ground and took the small blade. "Do you cursed spirit-walking Orcs hear me? Dumuzi was Chieftain in the north and he carved his name on me! He was quite the artist you can see! I was strong enough to survive all these scars. I am very strong!" Dale put the shaving blade to his stomach, where the name Dumuzi had years ago been carved in old style runes. He made a shallow cut across the old rune-scars, and then another cut and another until blood was seeping down into his pants and the Orc name carved on him was as obscured as the rest.
Nimrod was glaring and snorting and many other Orcs were stalking closer, watching Dale. "We could sneak away now," Beryl said.
"Not yet," Tsuki whispered.
Dale lifted the blade and licked his blood from the blade. "Elf blood. That gets your attention," he said to the Orcs in their language. "Dumuzi was Chieftain and I was his. I killed him in combat and took his whip and no one has won it from me. That makes me an Orc Chieftain. Death-Shadow has a right to kill Orcs when they bother him because he is Chieftain! You will give my clan the right of way on the road or I start knocking off heads and begin with this dung-eater!" He meant Nimrod of course.
"Kill them!" Nimrod ordered.
"My archers will take aim at your females!" Dale shouted. He saw the Orcs did not move. "Leave this a matter between Chieftains, you maggots, and get back!" He snapped his whip at them and they retreated. He turned to nimrod. "What damage has your mind that you are trekking so far south with so many Orcs? Did you think to take on all the Horse Lords yourself? Or are you foolish enough to believe any Wizard still lives in the Vale that would support you?"
"Little Demon Elf! The city you left has already been attacked and I will stop you from running messages to your king."
"Think you so?" Dale laughed, "I am sure the attack was repelled, and you would not bring the females and children you have obviously been hiding in the mines if you knew you were to face me. You are the one running. Don't look for a burrow in this direction." Dale grinned. "You know I have to kill you now!"
Nimrod was afraid. He was trying to keep up a strong appearance for the others Orcs, but he had heard many stories of Death-Shadow and knew this mad Elf could defeat him. "I submit!" Nimrod said quickly. "I will give you a prize. An offering to appease you. And you will let me live and be on your way."
"Don't bargain like an Elf," Dale said, "You will give chase as soon as I turn my back...and you have nothing I want."
Nimrod called to some of the Orcs. Dale did not recognize all of his words, as he used several proper names, but Dale knew something was to be brought to him. He saw then, the small half-clothed figure walking toward them. She was an Orc female, but young, only a child.
"You think I want this?"
Nimrod bared his fangs in a twisted grin. "She is unspoiled. If you are an Orc, then you will accept the offering."
Dale felt Nimrod was trying to trick him. Perhaps he would tell the Orcs Who still hallucinated that Dale had stolen their child. Perhaps the girl herself was meant to kill him. But rejecting the offer needed a good reason, and devaluing this offering would only anger the Orcs.
"What do they call you?" Dale asked the girl.
"Ugarit."
"Who do you belong to?"
"The one who is strong enough to win me."
"Then I have just won you." Dale put his hand on the Orc-girl's shoulder. "Ugarit will be precious to me and I will keep her and protect her," he said loudly.
Nimrod was pleased. He would get rid of Death-Shadow, he thought, and then chase after him later when the Orcs were not out of their minds. With all his Orcs well, the Elf would have no chance.
Nimrod did not anticipate that other Orcs would not understand or approve of his plan. Even as he was smiling his twisted smile another Orcs came from behind and put their sword through his back. This was Marduk.
"It's you!" Dale said.
Marduk eyed Dale and then looked away long enough to take nimrod's whip. "I have killed Nimrod for betraying Orcs by giving our precious Thing to Death-Shadow! I Marduk am Chieftain now!" He held the new whip overhead for the others to see. "Lucky, bring Nimrod's pet and take the whip that was mine as Leader."
The other Westerner lifted a slight robed figure by their arm and dragged them toward Marduk. Lucky received the whip Marduk had promised and pushed the other Orc down at Marduk's feet.
"I will trade you," Marduk said to Dale.
"Now who bargains like an Elf."
"I understand. I now understand why Death-Shadow kills Orcs. Some Northerners took you, when you were young. They played with you and were fools enough to let you live among them. You betrayed them."
"It is not betrayal if an Orc grows strong and smart and kills those who are weak and incompetent."
"You are a fool then. You killed nearly your entire clan."
"Oh, were there some who escaped? I am also an Elf. It was fair payback for the Vale Elves they spoiled and slaughtered. I gave them death by combat and only ate their hearts afterward."
"Stand straight!" Marduk barked to the Orc at his feet. He lifted his head and spoke to Dale. "You forgot to destroy the breeding pits when you killed your clan. Here, accept this one in trade for Ugarit. I know this one belongs to you!" Marduk pulled open the filthy scavenged Elven robes the other Orc was wearing and revealed the slender body, white skin, nearly straight teeth, dark brown hair and dark eyes.
Dale could not make a sound, but stared and trembled. It was not an Orc, not a normal Orc, it was more like an unattractive Elf. The eyes were the most remarkable thing. All Orcs had amber eyes, yet these were dark.
"By all the gods," Beryl swore, "It is half Elf."
"You will trade then," Marduk said. "Nimrod called his pet Elf-scream, but I think Elf's-cream is a better name for this one."
Elf-scream thought this very funny, but he made no sound as he laughed.
"Does he speak?" Dale rasped.
"I think he is able, but Nimrod did not like the noises he made and punished him often. I found him and I killed his Master. I rescued him for you, the spawn of your clan."
Dale looked at it...at him, the Orc that was half Elf and as it laughed and blinked in the sunlight, he saw the eyes were not only dark, but purple. "We trade," he said, but he lifted the shaving blade and made a cut across Ugarit's upper arm. "For the cut you made on Willow. Now I have been the first to make your precious one bleed."
Marduk growled. "Send her to me and go! When my Orcs have returned from their mind-travels, I will send a party after you, Death-Shadow!"
Dale pushed Ugarit toward Marduk and grabbed the half-Orc's arm. "Send your parties!" Dale shoved the poorly named one toward the horses, coiled his whip on his belt and lifted his sword. "Start moving," he told the others on the road, but Dale went to Nimrod's body, turned it, stabbed through his chest several times and then with more determination than strength, reached up into the dead Orc's chest cavity and ripped out his heart.
Dale licked the bloody organ as he looked at Marduk then turned his back and walked along the road.
"Lucky, take some scouts who still have their wits and follow them at a distance," Marduk ordered.
Beryl mounted his horse, and once seated, readied his bow again. "Keep going; I will cover your retreat."
"No," Dale said, "Do not even look back."
"You may trust the Orcs, but I do not."
"I do not trust them, but I have no wish to honor them by showing any concern or fear. That one...Marduk...he is not going to attack now. He will just have scouts track us. We need to find water soon and find a path off the road."
"You need to tend those cuts," Laurel told Dale.
"Not now," Dale whispered. He shoved pieces of Orc heart into his mouth and then, having one small piece left, offered it to the Orc. He needed a better name than Elf-scream, Dale thought, but he could not think clearly now. He desperately needed to find water and climb into a tree and rest. "Why can't there be trees and water?"
"Laurel, you should ride as well. You and Beryl can ride ahead and find the others. I expect they have not gone far."
As Laurel put her foot in the stirrup to mount, Dale spoke softly to Tsuki. "You should ride. Nightmare will carry you."
"Moon-shadow can carry two, as well as Nightmare," Laurel said.
"Yes," Tsuki agreed, "For a short while, it would seem best. Moon-halo will not fall too far behind, it is just he feels some pain and should not carry weight." Tsuki climbed onto Moon-shadow in front of Laurel. Laurel took a length of rope from the pack behind her and reached out for Moon-halo's halter to tie a lead to the ring there.
Dale took his cloak from Nightmare and put it over his shoulders. The jacket and shirt Tsuki had also put there for him, Dale shoved into his pack with the shaving blade.
"Get on the horse," Dale told his Orc. The Orc seemed hesitant and Dale pushed him toward Nightmare. The horse whinnied and the Orc flailed his arms. "Now, or I will not be gentle when I wash you later. Understand. I am Chieftain and you are spawned to my clan. You do as I say."
The Orc leaned toward Nightmare and sniffed at the horse. Dale prodded and the Orc leapt up with rather un-Orc-like grace and agility and seated himself on Nightmare's back, though he sat with his shoulder's slumped.
Dale groaned. "Make your back straight. That is no good, even for Orcs." Dale reached under his cloak to strap his sword in place then vaulted up onto Nightmare, behind the Orc.
"They are sending Orcs across the road, possibly to flank us or track us," Tsuki said, gazing at the looking glass in his hand.
"Will you be well if I ride ahead?" Beryl asked.
Dale shrugged. His Orc desperately needed a bath, he thought.
Beryl rode hard, thinking that if they could find a place to hide a while, if they could find trees grass and water, the horses would have a deserved rest as well as the people.
The road ran near exactly north-south in this segment and Gwindor had led those with him east of the road and lay upon the top of an outcropping of grey stone, camouflaged in his cloak. He searched the road and soon recognized Beryl riding toward them. Gwindor called to Lenaduiniel and the others hiding behind the rock to say whom he had spotted. Lenaduiniel readied her bow.
Beryl whistled and as Gwindor heard it, he thought he recognized the call of a bird from his home, but it was not the right region or season for such a call. He realized then, the sound had come from Beryl. Gwindor returned a similar call and Beryl, who could not see him on account of the grey cloak blending with the stone, homed on the sound.
Beryl looked back, saw the others coming behind him, and knew Gwindor had chosen a location just out of range of vision to Elves and probably out of sight of Orcs by day as well. Beryl found the hiding place as he passed it and turned his horse around to conceal it with the others. Galadhiel, Fei and Kato were still with Lenaduiniel and their horses, resting against the rock as the two Wood Elves watched.
Upon seeing Beryl alone, Kato asked if the others were well. Beryl silenced his questions with a gesture of his hand. "Listen, the other three are mostly well and coming toward us. The Orcs, such as I understood the conversation conducted in Common Speech, have agreed to let us pass for now, though I highly suspect they will sent scouts to track us and plan some attack later."
Lenaduiniel began to ask some question about Tsuki's horse, as last she had seen, the horse seemed to be the reason they had stopped. Gwindor had called then and Lenaduiniel had not seen what happened.
"Listen," Beryl said again, calmly, "Later for those details. The other three are bringing a new companion with them, he is in most respects an Orc, but when you see him, perhaps some will understand why he comes, but whatever the case, we must remain wary of him, without being visibly hostile."
Galadhiel next seemed to want to ask some question and Beryl nearly lost patience, but remained collected. "Dale is not well, I think. He took it upon himself to negotiate on our behalf in Orc fashion and we should be grateful for any time he has bought us, though I suspect we will not have saved much time for getting a start on the Orcs. Dale desperately needs water and trees; I do not know if we shall find any or if it will be soon or in a defensible location."
"We may speak now?" Lenaduiniel whispered. Beryl laughed and encouraged her to continue with a flourish of his hand. "I think it hurts Dale to be around Orcs, even if he is the one killing them. I saw him once, after he slew an entire band of Orcs to protect Tsuki and me; he appeared haunted. I will do whatever I can to help him."
"I also," Fei said, "Thou knowst of streams in these mountains?"
Beryl smiled, he enjoyed Fei's peculiar speech, it was sometimes against western conventions of grammar but his vocabulary was at times from proper and ancient that many others of the west.
Kato reached up to his horse to get his maps, but it was difficult being so little, compared to all these Elves and big people. He missed his pony. Fei came to Kato's aid and brought down the maps from the luggage tied to the horse. Kato and Fei consulted the maps together as Gwindor called quietly to say he could recognize their companions coming along the road.
"Shall we be leaving the road?" Lenaduiniel asked.
"We would be found too easily on the road and following the mountains will still lead us back to the road eventually."
"I will go scout ahead," Galadhiel offered.
"I will go as well," Beryl said, "Gwindor, you should get the others to move as soon as possible."
Gwindor acknowledged softly as he continued to watch the others on the road. He could see Dale was riding with a hooded figure before him.
"We could name you after Dumuzi," Dale continued to the Orc-Elf, "The Elves would not like that name, and you do seem to be Elf as well as Orc." There was no reply and Dale sighed. "Dûm? Too Dwarvish. Tum...Tumbo...Udûn...? The Orcs would not like such names. Perhaps Duma. It sounds reasonably Goblin and yet is related to words that in finer-crafted languages mean 'valley.'" Dale laughed wearily, "My name is Dale; only the Orcs name me Death-Shadow. The Elves call me Mapulinanlóme. The Orcs would likely make that 'Valley-Shadow'."
Still no response.
"Well, I shall call you Duma if you have no objection. You understand that you may speak?" Dale sighed again. "You can do some Orcish things, but you will travel with my band, so no hurting or killing of our band or any we meet that are not foes. You will wash and cook meat if you wish to eat it. Bathing and cooking are agreeable with Orcs, and quite necessary for Elves."
Silence.
Gwindor called, "Here!" and slipped from the rock so that Dale could see him. Kato and Lenaduiniel were still with him, though the others were all out scouting. These two tried not to stare at Duma, but they could see from his face that he was not an Orc, or at least no manner of Orc they had seen before. Orc skin tended to be darker or more sallow, where Duma was pale as cave flora, and Orcs had yellowish eyes and very prominent fangs, while Duma had nearly straight teeth and small fangs and dark eyes. His nose seemed quite undistinguishable from that of an Elf, with the exception of the metal ring piercing the left nostril.
"This is Duma," Dale said as they dismounted. "He is going to be staying with us. I don't..." Dale did not know how to explain everything or warn his companions.
"Dale," Gwindor said with all the fondness he felt for the young Elf, "Why do you not sit and tend that wound before we move on? The others are scouting toward the mountains in hopes of finding trees or water."
Dale knew he needed to clean the wound. He got waterskin, washcloth and some bandages from his pack. Laurel came to him and offered to put a salve on his wound. Dale drew his cloak closed.
"I have already seen, and I knew from the Lady that you carried them. I can help, if you will let me."
Dale gave a nod and leaned against the rock to wash away the blood. Laurel followed and Tsuki also.
Meanwhile, Lenaduiniel and Kato were more interested in watching Duma. Lenaduiniel made a small curtsey, after she saw Duma make no gesture of greeting. "Hello, Master Duma, I am Lenaduiniel of the Wood Elves. A Pleasure to meet you."
Duma blinked slowly and then looked for Dale. He was pouring clean water over the cuts he had made, as Laurel was pouring some other liquid from a jar onto a cloth. "Not her Master, just 'Young Sir'," Dale told Duma firmly. Laurel pressed the cloth to Dale's stomach and he hissed. "It stings."
"It will prevent the flesh from becoming putrid."
"It is an antiseptic," Tsuki said.
Dale shook his head at the Wizard Speech.
Kato made a small bow to Duma. "Hello, Duma, I am Caerig Winnan of the Halflings, but you may call me Kato."
"Perhaps he does not understand our speech?" Lenaduiniel suggested.
"The big Orc called Marduk said he thought that Duma could speak but did not because others had punished him for doing so," Tsuki told them.
"I believe he understands," Kato said, looking closely at Duma. His robe was badly stained. "Our companions are searching for a suitable location to wash, eat and rest, perhaps if you are without luggage, you can borrow some clothing. My offer is quite customary; I do not mean to insult your attire."
Duma did have a cloth pouch slung from a strap, but the others had no idea what might be in it.
"No," Dale called. "It is filthy and obviously scavenged from a murdered Elf. It is not acceptable. Duma will wear some of my clothing out of courtesy for our companions, and burn that garment."
"Do you have a weapon with you?" Lenaduiniel asked, "We all have various weapons. I have an excellent Elven bow and I know well how to defend myself with my dagger."
"Oh yes, but not that we use them other than in defense and occasionally to kill animals that threaten us or wish to die," Kato said, laughing cheerily.
"We are all companions and certainly companions would not use weapons against each other," Lenaduiniel added.
Dale laughed humorlessly as Laurel was wrapping the gauze. It was good Beryl had suggested they pack bandaging material. Dale was less pleased with the veiled threats Kato and Lenaduiniel were making, but then an Orc probably would appreciate that they asserted themselves to establish rank.
"You need to wash your hands and face as well," Tsuki said.
Dale looked at his hands. The left was not free of blood, but the right was stained with dark Orc blood even beyond his wrist. Dale had not considered there might be blood on his face, but knew that he had eaten Nimrod's heart. Dale's face twisted as he lurched forward, turned quickly to one side and vomited beside the rock.
Tsuki crouched casually at his side and lifted stray wisps of hair away from Dale's face. "Why let them see the scars and not let me?"
Dale thought to ask Tsuki how he could possibly think the time right for such questions, but perhaps Tsuki chose a time when he could not make Dale feel worse. Dale closed his eyes a moment until the sickness fully passed. He spat and then answered with bile-burned rasp, "If an Orc returns from battle without wounds and collects no scars, other Orcs do not believe him skilled in deflecting or avoiding blows or putting his opponent on the defensive. They believe he is a coward who does not throw himself into combat. Even if the scars are from torture or self mutilation, they still represent bravery and strength. It was appropriate. I do not believe Men or Elves view scars in this same manner. They are ugly. I did not wish to be seen as ugly if I could avoid it."
Tsuki nodded and passed a waterskin from Laurel to Dale so that he could drink.
To distract Duma from the others' activity, Lenaduiniel and Kato introduced Gwindor and inquired if Duma had been introduced earlier to Beryl, Tsuki or Laurel. Duma did not speak, but sometimes seemed to express acknowledgment or confusion in facial expression and posture. He crouched often and hunched his shoulders forward.
"Can you tell us if you have skills?" Kato asked. "I read maps and navigate. None of our company is more important than another. I mean that there is no one person we are protecting and we make decisions together. The Lady Lenaduiniel is most skilled with bow and an excellent scout and something of a diplomat. Gwindor is...a warrior...I do not know him well. Does he have hobbies, Lena?"
Lenaduiniel smiled at Kato's shortening of her name. "My brother knows much of hair care and wood lore. He is a fair archer, but likely forth best in our family; he is more skilled with a sword."
Duma clutched the pouch he carried but did not speak or reveal its contents.
"If you are all rested from your ordeal enough to move on, we should lead the horses and walk toward the mountains," Gwindor said.
The seven led the nine horses into somewhat higher elevations, where highlands bordered mountains. They soon came upon Galadhiel, who informed them that Beryl and Fei had agreed to meet her and that she had returned from her search without finding a suitable site. She noticed Duma, but made no attempt at eye contact.
Kato saw Duma looking toward Galadhiel and sniffing the air. "Galadhiel, a female Elf, of those they sometimes call Grey or Twilight, I believe. It is scandalous the way those trousers reveal the very shape of her legs."
Beryl and Fei soon returned and consulted with Galadhiel, Gwindor, and with Tsuki and Lenaduiniel who stood nearby. They decided to head toward the south, to a site Fei had scouted.
Laurel was walking beside Dale then and they held the leads of three horses between them. Dale asked Laurel if she knew to make potions that would cause a person to need to pass waste. Laurel knew. She knew basic use of plants and parts of animals and of some minerals, because her people had no large farms or ranches but lived off the land, but also she had been trained for a year and a day by The Lady and learned many useful potions, spells and methods of healing.
"For Duma?"
"Yes. I do not wish to turn him into an Elf, but he has been eating like an Orc and was not highly ranked. I would feel better if...if he could make a new start. If I could know what is in him?"
"I can make potions for you, to purify the blood also. I can make gentle doses. I may have to consult with Beryl and Tsuki, as they also carry some of the supplies I would use."
"Well you do. I should appreciate it."
"When we saw female Orcs, Dale, was that very unusual? I do not know the manner in which Orcs breed, but I supposed it to be something unnatural or derived from sorcery."
"It was unusual...very significant! They had a manner of breeding that was unlike that of your race, or of Elves for that matter."
"Are Elves not like women or men?"
"Ah...the physical part is very similar to your race so far as I know, but conceiving children for Elves has additional consequences relating to our spiritual beliefs and immortal nature. I...would rather not discuss that now."
"Then...Orcs were different, but only now they have females among them?"
"Yes. I am quite sure they did not have females before. They may look like males, but inside, Orcs are neither like male or female...but if there are females...something has changed. Perhaps some among them are only male. I suspect this is true. I suspect that in their effort to make more skilled minions the Dark Lord or some Wizard made some alteration, the additional effect of which was the ability to conceive females. They all had male appearance before."
"Then, their females should all be young..."
"They have a different rate at which they age. They are spawned nearly full-grown and quickly fill out and gain strength. They had young ones with them...so that means there was time for females to be spawned and discovered and then impregnated. The females must give birth to baby Orcs, though I suspect they would also grow quickly once delivered."
"Is Duma...?"
"Orcs are not considered to have parents but to be spawned by the clan or band as a whole, but he looks too much like me to not be mine. Marduk recognized that. He planned to use him to get to me or manipulate me in some way. Yes...he was conceived in that old way of the Orcs. I took part in their breeding activity...with Orcs. Mine...Half Elven...and mortal."
"How do you know he is mortal?"
"Because. That is the matter I did not wish to discuss. I did not
perform the spiritual part of conception that an Elf would with their
rightful spouse. Duma has a spirit as all things do, but not the gift
or curse of Elves. The creator's hand has been lifted and now only Elves
can make other Elves. Nothing that is made through forced union or Dark
Art, even if Elves be those that suffer and are sacrificed, will share
our fate. This is why Orcs are mortal."