Part Forty-seven
The nearest town was called Ebbettsfield and, as Lords of this country were not accustomed to keeping dungeons within their personal residences, the jail was housed within the only other large stone structure, which was an ancient barn, now used mainly for storage of grain, produce, and fodder. The cells were stone walled and gated with iron bars. There were no windows within the cells and the only light came from the chamber beyond the cells.
The prospect of allowing themselves to be locked in these cells was depressing at the least, especially so for the Elves, who longed for fresh air and starlight.
"How should we split them up?" one of the guards asked the warden.
"What do you mean?"
"Do we put all the Elves together and Men in another cell, or females together and males in another cell?"
"You cannot put all the Elves together. We would have three Elves..." said another guard.
"Four. We have one in there already," the warden.
"Four Elves, that is what I say, Sir, we would have need of reinforcements just to open the cell."
"If that is so, put all the males together."
"Were we not supposed to separate those two?"
"Look, we only have three cells. Who is in the first?"
"That madman we arrested for denouncing the Marshal."
"Right. Let Barabas go. Put these two male prisoners in that cell. Move the Man from the last cell to make room for the three females there, and put the Man in with the other Elf."
A guard went to the first cell and opened the gate. He called and the Man inside came out smiling. Gwindor and Fei were pushed toward the gate and locked in the recently vacated cell. The third cell was opened then and the guard called for Tsuki to come out. He walked out of the cell, at which point two guards pointed swords toward him, and looked to Lenaduiniel, Laurel, and Galadhiel to see that they were unharmed.
When the three ladies had been locked in their cell, Tsuki was taken to the middle cell, where Dale was already imprisoned. The gate was opened briefly, and Tsuki prodded through the gateway. The iron bars were shut securely behind him.
"Guess they got all seven of us," Dale said, still refusing to speak anything but Elven. He had the guards half-convinced he did not understand Common Speech. He picked at the loose stone in the wall with the tool he had hidden in his hair and the stone slipped out into his hand, leaving a hole that led into the cell where the females had been placed. Dale had not made the hole, but found the stone loosely placed after examining his confines. "Are the three of you unharmed?"
"We went fairly peacefully," Lenaduiniel whispered. "I believe the two that came with us are unharmed."
"Then none of us died?"
"No. So far as I know."
Dale sighed. He had wondered what had happened to Kato when he saw the others come in. He still had no idea what had happened with Duma, but, from Tsuki's translations of the guards' conversations, they supposed the Men had been on their way to attack the Orcs when coming across them and that some skirmish or battle must have taken place, or still be underway.
Dale was worried. They were all worried. They had not wanted to kill Men who, in name at least, followed a king who had been kind to them, and who were within their rights to protect their lands from outsiders, but now the seven of them were captive, Kato and Duma were out there alone.
It was doubtful whether Beryl would come across the town. Kato had a message to carry, but no one really believed it was in Duma's best interests to become his sole escort. No one really thought Duma would hurt Kato, if he did happen across him, but they were not sure he would be able to help Kato either.
It did not seem the two of them, even together, could expedite the freeing of those in jail.
Their most obvious hope was in giving their stories to the magistrate and being believed and sent upon their way.
"Did they mention your crimes?" Dale asked.
"Something about their rights to detain foreigners in time of war and suspicion of espionage and maybe even horse thievery."
"Horse thievery is punishable by death, perhaps spying is not so severely punished," Tsuki reminded them. This country did not take well to theft of their horses.
"I might mention," Dale said, "it might be best not to claim to know us. They've invented a whole other set of offenses to charge Tsuki and I with."
"Were you doing something indecent when they came upon you?" Lenaduiniel whispered.
"From what Tsuki can understand of their speech, they say he speaks their language with an accent from the west and that they believe he was a former servant of the Wizard that oppressed them during the war."
"But, he is."
"I do not think they recognize him, it's just their worst extrapolation of the facts. It just happens to be true, which means, Tsuki may not be able to prove that he is not a threat."
"And you?"
"So far as these Men are concerned, I am some sort of Orcish, Black-Speech-using, blood-drinking, Wizard-spawned minion."
"And it would be difficult for you to prove that untrue?"
Dale sighed. He looked for Tsuki. He was standing near the gate, watching and listening to the guards.
"I want to sleep," Dale said.
"It will be safe. I will watch."
"Just come a little closer, until I fall asleep," Dale whispered.
"You may close this hole if you like," Lenaduiniel offered, "but, are they saying anything interesting?"
"They are wondering if you are an Elven sorceress," Tsuki said as he came toward Dale.
"I suppose I should be quite flattered, but I am not so fair as she."
"I have only heard rumors," Tsuki said, then sat on the stone floor beside Dale.
"I have one knife they did not take," Lenaduiniel whispered. "If you can think of a means to escape, let me know."
"We will," Tsuki promised. He took the stone from Dale and carefully closed the hole. "This is the test, Dale," he said then.
"Not the only test, I am afraid," Dale whispered, his eyes shut and his head leaning back against the wall.
"It is not just sorcery they accuse us of, as if that were not bad enough."
"I know. It did not really help us that I was found drinking your blood. I am sorry."
"It is already forgiven. I do not care if you drink blood, or know what color brains are, or ate Man flesh. I do not care."
"I am not sorry I kissed you, though it likely just as foul to them."
"It was a most fair kiss, Dale."
"They really do not understand? Men I mean?"
"Well, not as a whole. Our problem is, they did not just come upon two Men with their pants down, as it were. There were spell-casting items about, and there was blood and so many things that seemed wrong to them. That you are an Elf and I am not. That I look like a foreigner. So many things that seem wrong to them, that it seems to them these things must go together. I do not know how to defend myself, Dale, except to tell them everything I did and to insist it was goodness."
"Could you lie?"
"I could, if I knew a lie that would help, but, perhaps...no, I suppose I could."
"If you lie now, even though it saves you, later you will feel bad, as if you betrayed yourself. As if you admitted that everything you did was bad and therefore had to be hidden?"
"Yes."
"I do not want to lie. My preference is for escape. If we cannot escape, I want you to lie. Just tell them they did not see what they thought they saw. Use compulsion if you have to. Do what it takes to save us. Then later, when you feel bad, I'll take you to some tavern where everyone lays his sword on the table, and get you drunk and kiss you all you want, and you will not have to lie to anyone there. They might not even care that you are with an Elf."
Miles from the town, across the river, the battle continued between the Orcs and Men. Marduk fought the leader of the Men, Odel, the Third Marshal of the country of the Horse-Lords. Marduk thought Odel large for his race and skilled with a sword. Odel was finding Marduk a fierce opponent. They had each suffered some injuries, but their duel had not ended.
Though Marduk could see in darkness, he could not long turn away from his opponent, or see through the confused figures of the battlefield enough to find all his Orcs. Sarpanit was still at his back, fighting with her own sword and now risking that she was hidden from the Men only by darkness. Marduk did not know where the other females were, or if they lived. Tashmetum's cries had stopped some time ago. Dog was no longer near to Marduk. Ugarit had also been close, but now was separated from Marduk by battle.
Duma had fought with them. This had surprised Marduk. He thought the Elven one useful for his effort, even if he did not kill. Depriving the Men of light gave all the Orcs, and particularly the females that much more protection and time to act. Now, Marduk could not even catch a glimpse of Duma's Elven skin and its moonlit glow.
Marduk swung his sword at Odel. His opponent dodged, and Odel was joyed to see Marduk's sword stick in the tree beside him. He thought to strike the large Orc while his sword was useless, and defeat him. Marduk did not give the matter more than a split-second thought; he loosed his sword, rather than try to wrench it from the tree, and drew his second sword from his back, just as Odel was raising his arm to strike.
Marduk's sword came down and took the head from the Man, just as an Orc arrow struck Odel's sword hand and forced the dying hand to loose the sword mid-swing.
"Brother!" Odin called over the din. He saw that the Leader Orc had slain his brother and Marshal.
"Master!" Dog scampered across the bodies and lifted the sword that his arrow had caused to fall from the Marshal's hand. He presented the sword to Marduk, who took it in time to fend off an attack from Odin.
"I shall not be slain by my brother's sword!" Odin shouted.
Marduk thought the Man a fool for putting effort into speeches during battle. He smacked Odin with his second sword, as it could not yet cut through his armor.
"We must make a break from here before the Men from the south arrive!" Sarpanit called.
Marduk knew this was correct. Their Band was becoming dispersed and though they did well against these Men, the arrival of fresh Men and horses might be their doom. They had to run, because even if they were not outnumbered now, they soon would be.
Marduk barked out his orders, using Goblin words so the Men would not understand. "Forget your loot and any Orcs who cannot run! Leave the battle in any direction you can! Regroup to the east!"
"Let me go!" Ugarit insisted, but Duma held her tightly and did not let her go.
"I do not think the leg is broken, but it will make you limp, and the Men would find you. You would move slowly and lead them toward Marduk."
"I would hide."
"We are hiding. Trust me," Duma said, "Men do not look for Orcs in trees."
There was reason for that, Ugarit thought. She would rather have a hole or cave to hide in.
"The Orcs are fleeing!" Odin called out, "light more torches! Pursue them! Hunt them down and kill them!"
From the south, dogs could be heard baying.
Ugarit wriggled.
"Stop struggling!" Duma hissed.
"Dogs," she whispered.
"They will not find us. There is Orc scent throughout the camp. They will use the dogs to follow the scent away from here. This is the safest place for you now. I will not let them find you."
"Quicken your pace!" Reif called to his Men as they rode, "We have ranchers hunting on our lands again, but if their hunt is for Orcs, we have a common enemy."
When Reif and his Riders arrived, they found a gruesome scene, and only a few Men standing. Odin was among them, and he and Reif recognized each other for their armor, though they would have known each other face-to-face.
"Where is your Marshal?" Reif called out to them, as his Men circled around the area, watching for enemies.
"Here," said one of the Men, with his arm extended in gesture to indicate Odin.
"Then your brother has fallen?"
"Slain in his duel with the Leader of the Orcs. My Men hunt them in their retreat now," Odin said rather softly. Minutes ago his anger and grief had made him strong and set on pressing the battle, but now he felt weary and had injuries of his own to tend.
"I am grieved to hear of it," Reif said, "We were allies in matters concerning Orcs. My Men will deal with the Orcs if they should remain south of the river. We have been tracking them for some days, since we slew half their number on the road before the capitol, and thought to take them quickly and by day. We have dogs for the hunt. Allow me to send Riders to recall your Men. You have dead and wounded to care for. Do so now, or speak if you are in need of a town with skilled healers, by day we will plow and burn this place. I recommend you do the same with all Orc camps you come upon, as we now do."
In the trees, Ugarit put her hands to her mouth to keep from screaming. All the breeding pits Marduk had instructed their Clan to make in the way taught to them by the cave paintings...they may have all been destroyed by these Men.
Duma trusted Ugarit not to cry out and held her only so firmly as he had need, as he nuzzled her hair. He was certain that if these Men heard an Orc announce that they would beat the bellies of those women who were with child and rape the rest, without any euphemism, that the Men would be horrified. Duma was horrified now.
He had suspected Marduk would be ordering new breeding pits, but he had not known it for certain until he felt Ugarit's reaction. There may be some pits they had missed, Duma thought. They need not be located in an obvious camp. It may yet be that within the next year male and female Orcs would rise from the country of the Horse-Lords, wanting blood and driven to seek their fellow Orcs.
Whether there would be Orcs for them to find allies of shelter with was presently at doubt. The Wizards might make all Orcs sick within a year. And there was always the chance that newly-spawned Orcs would be discovered and killed by Men before they found their clan or brood mates.
Odin allowed him Men to be recalled, and when his messengers returned, Reif ordered all of his Men, except for a small party of scouts, trackers and hound handlers that were to continue after the Orcs, to Aid their countrymen in transporting the dead and wounded across the river to Ebbettsfield. "Dispatch what injured Orcs you find, but leave the bodies to the carrion feeders. We will return in the morning to cleans the land," Reif called out to the Men.
"Your Men will surrender their weapons upon entering our town," Odin told Reif.
"I assumed our previous agreement not to lead armed parties into each other's lands would be honored," Reif said, meaning to remind Odin that his party was at fault. "But I do not wish to speak ill of the dead. Did he die well?"
"Another Orc interfered and shot him with an arrow as he dueled their Leader."
"Only a fool expects an Orc to show honor in battle."
It was not very long before dawn all the Men were accounted for and the last body carried across the river. As soon as Duma was certain their work was finished he instructed Ugarit to hold onto his back, and climbed down from the tree. She was able to put slight weight on her leg, but it was swollen, and moving pained her.
They knew the Men would return soon after dawn to begin their work, and so Duma and Ugarit both spoke in whispers. They meant to leave the area, but before they moved from the camp, they wanted to be certain to search the Orc bodies for the females and hide any they found, as well, they wanted to search for any tools or supplies that would aid them, while they traveled on their own.
They worked quickly, Ugarit close by Duma, where he might help support her weight, or riding on his back when they had distance to cover. Ugarit had already been carrying all her personal gear when the attack came and the things Duma wanted, he would not be able to recover in this camp, so they took only as many arrows and containers of liquor they could find.
They saw many Orcs they had known in the middle part of the camp, but no females. Ugarit estimated that Marduk had only a small Band remaining in his command. It was decided they would go toward the river. Duma wanted Ugarit to show him the place Dale had been taken, so he might see if there were any signs there to show what had become of Dale and Tsuki.
When they came to the edge of the water, they found another Orc, dead with a spear in its back. "Damkina," Ugarit whispered.
"We should dispose of her body," Duma said, "The river is not very deep, but it is wide and moves fairly quickly. If I drag the body into the middle, where it is deep, it should be washed downriver. It would likely not be recognized by the time it was found. Or we might bind rocks to her so that her body rots in the deeper channel. If the water becomes tainted and sickens Men, it will be her vengeance."
Ugarit turned over the body and began to howl softly and shed tears.
"Stop that!" Duma hissed. "Orcs do not cry! What is the matter that you are weeping like an Elf?"
"Tashmetum! Where is Tashmetum? She is not here with Damkina! We did not find her!"
The baby, Duma thought. "Perhaps the other Orcs carried her off," he suggested, but he did not believe this was true. The others had run quickly and pursued by Men. Marduk had said to leave those who could not run.
"Damkina, what did you do?" Ugarit asked and beat the dead Orc female. "Did you drown her to save yourself? Did you think it better to give her to the river than to have Men find her? Curse you for dying! Where is she?"
Duma took the flail from his belt and smacked the tails against Ugarit's back, where the skin was bare between shirt and kilt. Ugarit inhaled deeply and was then silent. She bowed her head.
"It is not the time to cry. Wherever the baby is, we cannot help her now. Secure your gear to cross the water. You will show me where you saw Death-shadow, now!"
Ugarit wiped her face with the back of her hand. "I will strip the body of gear and clothing. You drag it out into the water when we cross. I will not be able to swim so well until I am healed."
Duma agreed with a grunt and Ugarit quickly added Damkina's gear to her own and then tore the garments she had worn and threw them into the water. She took the two spears, one from Damkina's back, and the other she had carried as weapons and trophy from their last battle. Ugarit believed her skills were better suited to bow and knives, but the spears might help her support her weight as she walked and make her less dependant on Duma.
Duma dragged the dead, naked Orc into the water. The river ran wide, but for a great part of the distance, Duma could walk across the bottom with his head clear of the water. Only in the middle did he have to kick his way through the water.
Duma released Damkina's corpse in the deep water and then continued across. Ugarit came slowly, but she kept her head above water and did not ask for help, so Duma did not help her.
Ugarit showed Duma the place she had seen Death-shadow and the Wizard. Ugarit was better at tracking than Duma, but she could not tell much from the site, except that many horses had been through since Dale's arrest.
"There is nothing here," Duma said. "If it is true that were arrested, then their belongings were taken to use against them."
"I did not wait to see," Ugarit admitted. She remained crouched near the river's edge, prepared to escape into the water at the first sound of dogs or horses.
"There may be just enough time to find their camp," Duma said, maybe there is some sign there, to show if the others were captured. Maybe some gear has been left."
"Is it far from the river? It is nearly dawn now."
Duma pointed the direction. "Not far. As soon as it is light, we should cross the river again."
"They are hunting the Orcs with dogs there."
"Yes, but if we keep to the water, they will not easily track us, and you may be able to find their trail yourself. You will be able to follow then, when you are able. And, I think one of the reasons we crossed to the north was that some in our party had a difference with the Man that is Marshal there, but at least he did not arrest anyone, and he would know me if we met again."
"And would he not hurt me?"
"I would have to hide you, but if we met Men on this side of the river, I do not think there is any chance I might gain information from their Lord. Better to have that small chance. The land there is not so flat, and so there would be hiding places for you."
"That is mainly why we had not yet crossed."
Duma looked to see if Ugarit needed to be carried, but she put a spear either side of her and walked slowly after him.
"There was a skirmish here perhaps," Ugarit said, when she came upon the signs on the ground. "Horses rode in, then some back to the north, and some toward the river. And a man and woman on foot were here." Ugarit pointed out the place.
"No Elves or Halfling?"
Ugarit studied the ground some more. "If the Halfling was here, he was carried. Elves leave few signs. Elves are difficult to track, not only for me."
"This place was not the site of the camp," Duma said, looking at the few landmarks he could find. "It was further on."
"That way. A Man and woman ran from that direction," Ugarit said. "They ran quickly."
Duma jogged toward the campsite. Some clothes that had been laundered were now on the ground. Some cook pots and parts of the Wizard stove were toppled.
"Here. This looks like one of your camps. Some horses moved through at a run, your horses. These prints belong to Death-shadow's horse, large and unshod. They were unburdened, likely without packs or riders. I can see many footprints. The Halfling was here, so were you, the Wizard, the Witch and the easterling."
"Laurel and Fei are their names."
"The are the two that ran from the camp to that other site. Perhaps the Elves were with them, but they run lightly."
"No other Men?"
"Not that I can see."
"Then where are the packs, if they were not on the horses and are not here? Did Men come and search the camp?"
"Wind or horses could have upset these other items." Ugarit moved slowly, leaning on her spears. "Something was dragged from here."
Duma moved toward the place Ugarit stood and looked at the ground. With his more limited tracking skills, Duma could still tell that something, or some group of objects, had been dragged toward the river. "We should follow this track," Duma said.
He first gathered up the fallen cooking gear and clothing. His coat was among the items, so Duma put it on. The rest of the things he tied into a bundle so that he might carry them more easily.
The tracks led to the water and there, if the packs, as the objects most likely had been, were sunken or downriver or transported by someone to the opposite bank, there was no longer any sign.
The sun was rising and Ugarit was anxious to be hidden. The Westerner breed did not fear the sunlight or have need to fear, but an Orc was much more easy to distinguish by day than by night. They made the river crossing again; this time Ugarit held onto Duma, as he was taller and able to walk further into the water without having to swim.
The sun rose over the water, and silhouetted anything upon it to observers upstream, so Duma suggested they walk along the trees that grew here where water was plentiful. They sat for a while, feeling reasonably safe in the shadow of an old tree. They were both tired, hungry and wet.
Ugarit wrung out the ends of her skirt and checked her gear. Duma removed his coat and shook water from it such as he could. He pulled the damp scarf from its pocket, pushed his wet hair from his face, and tied the scarf about his head to hide his ears. Ugarit had some gear, if she would let him use it, but Duma had lost everything with his pack. He did have some coins and a few polished gems in a small purse on his belt, and he had all his weapons and a large flask filled with liquor, but he had no comb, or tools or his collection of raw gemstones.
He mourned the loss of the stones. Also, this meant he was not carrying any flint. He had a stove, should he want to try cooking upon it, but he would have to find some means of lighting it. That would wait. The gear needed to be dried first.
Duma felt safe in small spaces, like tunnels, but since leaving the mines he had remembered his newly-spawned days in the wild and learned to enjoy being outside. He wished he might just hang the things to dry and go to sleep, but there were still Men with dogs in the area.
"If you can walk," Duma said, "we ought to move further east. You have a chance of catching the other Orcs sooner, and we will put some distance between us and that battle site."
"You want to go back and find Death-shadow."
"I do," Duma admitted, "but alone…I will need to think a bit before I make an attempt. We need to rest and eat. Sometimes ground like this has flint in it." Duma sighed. He supposed he could try to grow his hair in clumps again and make some use of the laundry, even f the clothing had not previously been his, but without his treasure, he could not even ransom his companions. Without that advantage, Duma was not certain how he might approach a town or city of Men and fine or free their prisoners. "I will look for some flint If you can spear some fish. It seems the most obvious source of food." Duma had gone after Dale before supper was prepared, and Marduk had not given him any of the deer.
"Give me some of that cloth you have to hold fish. I will not need a spear."
Duma untied the bundle and retrieved a garment. It was one of Kato's shirts. Kato was not with them, so Duma passed it to Ugarit.
They walked along, Duma seeking flint, and other interesting rocks polished by the river, while Ugarit looked for food. Mostly she waded into the water after fish, but sometimes she darted toward the tree line and found some edible greens or berries. She held both spears in her left hand, near her injured leg, and when she did move quickly, it was obvious to Duma that she pushed herself too hard, and that she was in a lot of pain.
They could hear hounds baying, but never so close that they hid, only close enough that they froze still and listened to see if they came toward them. Occasionally, they heard the shouts of Men, but these were distant and often from the west, where the fallen Orcs and their camp were being prepared for burning.
Even with the trackers being in the area, Duma thought they must stop to rest soon. Ugarit needed to be off her leg, and he did not feel strong enough to carry her very far.
"Did you hear something?" Ugarit asked weakly.
Duma had. And then he heard it again. Someone was calling his name. He scanned the area and saw nothing. The voice spoke again. "Here, Duma."
Duma looked in the direction of the voice and saw only a tree with roots reaching down the riverbank and into the water, and then, he saw something there moved. There was someone there, a figure half the size of a Man, in a hooded, green cloak sitting calmly between the tree roots and cradling a baby in his arms.
"Tashmetum," Ugarit whispered and then collapsed into the water.