Part Seventy-two
All that the Elves of the Silver Wood now knew of the Wizard's plots and all that Dale's company knew had been revealed to the Dwarves and Orcs, except for the existence of the two seeing stones in their possession and the actual contents of the coded message. And though there had been no other omissions or lies, it was also true there had been one matter carefully phrased so as to make the Orcs believe that Kato was not so much a friend who was taken to find a healer but a prisoner transported to a more secure location. The Men and Elves involved were united in believing that accomplishing their goals required show of trust but they were also slow to trust the Orcs completely, based on past relationships. Ugarit knew of the ancient seeing stones, but she served the Elves interest so long as Alqua served the Orcs and would not tell what she knew. Alqua had not attended the previous counsel and though she was well informed about recent events within the wood, she did not know all, and so the Elves assured they kept some advantage of knowledge over the Orcs, to reveal or continue to keep as they found advantageous.
Now that Marduk had heard, a reply was expected of him. The others wished to know all that the Orcs knew. Even Duma, being lowly ranked and formerly a pet had heard of the Northern Orcs becoming sick and the summons of Wizards and so it was suspected that some Orcs must know more than had been told.
Marduk looked to his supporters, Alqua, Gorghash and Aladima, and Dog also. The Elf had served him well so far. He had tested her a few times by asking the meanings of words he already knew or question to which he knew the answer, and she had given the expected answers. Sometimes, when she had spoken to clarify what Lenaduiniel or some other said, Marduk had seen Duma or Ugarit give him some very slight signal that he would be stupid to doubt what had just been revealed.
"A gift in advance asks for betrayal," Marduk growled quietly.
"They may know more than they let on," Alqua whispered. "Elves are clever."
"Coy manipulative creatures. They talk so much," Gorghash said, "maybe they lie, or hide further truth from us."
Marduk thought that the Elves must need or greatly want what was known to Orcs to allow them to enter their wood and to give them such information, if it was true. He thought he should test them by asking a high price for his information and see how they responded. They offered proof that Death-shadow was not the enemy, or not in the way he had been suspected, and that there were indeed others that struck at Elves and Orcs alike, but this was only reinforcement of what Marduk knew. He was not stupid. He knew some enemy dwelled east of the river and attacked in stealth. He had known for a long time that there was a plot involving some Wizards and Elven creatures and that it perhaps also involved a device or process which sickened Orcs. It seemed these Men and Elves needed him and the strength of Orcs more than he had need of their assistance. But, perhaps if they had need, they would be willing to give Marduk something he wished.
He could not ask his supporters their advice here, where cursed Dale-Chieftain, Duma and Ugarit might listen.
"I make no answer now" Marduk announced. He rose quickly from the stool at the table where he had been seated. "I must think about your claims in a secure and private place. I doubt that we can work together, as you will not show this code-message you claim to have."
"If you like, send Orcs into this house to view the message in the presence of our own scholars," Lenaduiniel said, as Galen whispered at her ear. "but in exchange for that allowance, we insist they surrender and knowledge that will break the code, if they know it, and we shall not allow them to make a copy."
"Maybe I will do this, but I command that we Orcs be given three days to remain in your wood untouched to decide our reply."
"One day. Until the next nightfall, or until this Wood is invaded," Lenaduiniel said, "we shall not tolerate your presence here without a treaty longer than that. We are not fools!"
Marduk thought this female-Chieftain of the Elves bargained well. She made demands like an Orc. No Orcs before had gone into an Elven wood and come out again such that Marduk knew, and so if they wished ever to leave, they must take the Elves' threats seriously. Whatever their number, which was hard to tell the way they all blended with the colors and shapes of trees, they had the advantage of knowing the terrain and having many defensible shelters in the trees.
"Until the dawn after this, it is nearly dawn now."
"We could be attacked before then, or allow Wizards to continue their plots. Until full darkness next comes over the Wood. No longer."
"Full darkness was perhaps a little later than 'nightfall', and so Marduk decided he must accept the terms. He turned to his supporters. "There is no covering of the Yellow-Face to come in the next day?"
They Orcs did not know of such a thing to come.
"Tsuki says there will be no eclipse of the Sun," Dale offered. "The offer was not deceitful."
"Until full darkness," Marduk agreed. He called to his supporters and told them they would go to the other Orcs.
When they had gone, Lenaduiniel rose and went to the rail and called to Galadhiel, who was guarding the entrance while seeming only to rest and perform simple tasks. "We will keep watch. Take a message to Caratathren personally. Tell her I want the Orcs fed. I know it will mean a lot of work, but give her authority to dispatch hunters. The meat should be the same that would be served to Elves, with clean kills and thorough cooking."
"I should not want Elves to labor to feed Orcs, but I see your thinking. It would be better they were fed and did not hunt in this Wood."
"I thank you for going."
"Marduk will not like that Elves bring gifts of meat to his Orcs. It is for a Master or Chieftain to give out meet. He may be insulted or think it poisoned," Ugarit said as Lenaduiniel walked toward the table.
"Is there no way to make him accept the food?"
Ugarit thought for a moment and glanced to Duma and then to the table. "I think if you have the Elves who deliver the meat bring it before Marduk only, and name it tribute in thanks for so tolerantly staying to the road and not killing Elves lately he will accept."
"He will want the meat," Dale said, "you only need to give him some little excuse to accept it without sacrificing his pride in front of his followers."
"Ah, I understand. I do possess some skill with diplomacy, it is only knowledge of Orc culture, such that it is, that I lack."
Galadhiel returned and climbed up to the railed platform. "Caratathren reports that it must be a stew or nothing as there is no possibility the wildlife of the wood can sustain so many Orcs if they each wish to eat meat. She says meat within a broth will stretch further to feed them."
"They would like it better if much of the blood was in the soup along with the meat," Dale said.
"It would be repugnant to Elves," Denelas insisted.
"Ugarit?"
"They would like it better and it would stretch further. Orc armies are accustomed to such food. They skin and tear the game and stew it as such and for large numbers, add more water."
"My Lady!" Denelas cried.
"The hunters will make the kills cleanly and quickly skin the carcasses, and I shall prepare the soup myself and not ask other Elves to undergo the chore."
"I will do it. I will never be clean again. It should be me," Dale said.
Lenaduiniel looked directly at Dale and seemed to look on him harshly. Dale did not know what he had said wrong, but he remembered then that he had witnessed Sarpanit's treatment of Lenaduiniel and understood that Lenaduiniel might yet believe herself unclean and perhaps, believe like Dale that she could never be clean again. These other Elves did not really know. They had seen the earrings and might suspect, but they did not really know. Yet, they would follow her. They did not consider the shame hers, but the Orc's. That did not mean that Lenaduiniel could not feel that she was at fault for being captured or not resisting enough or surviving.
"You and I shall do this chore together, then, clean or not, but these others can help us. It is no consequence to Men if they use the 'juices' as they call them for flavoring and Fei has experience with cooking for a group. I will not tell Duma to be more or less Elvish or Orcish, but he can at least tend the cookfires for us."
"Blood is good, I would only rather not kill solely to get it."
"Anymore," Dale said.
"Ugarit, our agreement does not include my assigning you domestic chores, but I ask that you come also and advise me on Orcish tastes."
Ugarit stood, lifting Tashmetum with her. "If even Dale-Chieftain is to be a soup maker, then I will help with this chore also."
"Chieftains do not usually make soup, Dale," Duma whispered, meaning he disapproved of what Dale did for their small Clan's reputation.
"If an Elven Lady and a Wizard work alongside us, it cannot be such a lowly chore. This is high diplomacy we are involved in!"
While the soup was being prepared, Marduk met with the other Orc Chieftains and the Leaders of their bands. When he had sent the summons by runner and drum many had responded, some had been rogues or newly spawned and looking for a Clan, some had been his own Orcs that he had previously left behind for their own safety and some others were bands or Clans that had not previously been allied with him but which had come from the mines or the areas new them, interested in his claims or having become familiar with his reputation. These other Clans had chieftains of their own and were not Marduk's to order, but they were in alliance with his clan, for the time being. There were eight other Chieftains apart from Marduk and each had several Leaders with whips of their own to keep their Orcs in line.
Already they had been told much of Death-shadow, of Marduk's progress in learning the plot of the Wizards, and of Marduk's knowledge of the Precious Things and successful breeding methods. A few, like Marduk, among the Chieftains, were survivors of the war, who had served either Wizard in the west or the Dark Lord in the east and had training for war. Others were of the Clans that roamed the territories less guarded by Elves or Men, spawn of armies that had been created, defeated and dispersed to the wild in times past. Others still were of the Mine-Dwellers who had taken the Dwarven settlement in war and in rapid Orc-generations acquired physical adaptations to living in dark tunnels. No Orc that was Chieftain was a halfbreed, though many of the Leaders of their bands were.
Many that had been spawned in recent years half Westerner and half of some other breed. Though those who had become Chieftains still were of one breed or another, whether they were male or not, the majority of the Orcs with them, whether they had been spawned one gender or another or remained androgynous, were mixed-breed. Some now were of more than two breeds. Marduk could see that he needed the support of these Orcs.
The male and female Orcs that had been spawned in pits since the time the Wizard's breeding pits had been submerged came out half grown. These were Orcs of an age alike to Ugarit or Sarpanit, who were not very distant in years. Marduk did not know if the Wizard had sped growth or slowed the rising from the pit or if the younger generation had naturally adapted to this rate of growth; he only knew that it was so. They came up half grown and reached maturity quickly, within a few years. Now, that generation who had come from pits near battlefields half grown was old enough to breed in the new way and their live-born offspring were small and grew slowly, but compared to Men, it seemed they would reach maturity in fewer years.
Marduk understood that being male, these younger Orcs could accept him, because they were gendered as he was. He understood that these Orcs needed time and safe places to grow strong, but if they were given this, they would be very useful, smart and strong, better than the old Orcs.
He thought much of what the Elves said was true, because he knew much of it for himself. The only parts that had been useful or new to him were the physical appearance of the enemy, which seemed like feral Elves, and the proofs they showed and described that showed Dale-Chieftain to have aided the Wizards unknowingly. To unknowingly aid the Wizards was stupid and unfortunate, but it was the same thing the northerner Orcs had done when they became sick, and if Marduk blamed the Wizards in controlling and manipulating them and not so much the Orcs, then he had to blame the Wizards again and not so much Dale.
Marduk told the eight Chieftains what had happened at the meeting with the Elves. He told them that the Wizard and some Dwarves had been present and the one they had called Death-shadow and his half-elf spawn who was known to them also. Some listened carefully, wanting to learn, to know things, but some others did not understand why they should make investigations and interrogations and stay to the road. Some of these Chieftains had still not given up their females, but used them all themselves and did not give them to strong Orcs who could keep, protect and breed with them. When Marduk saw one of the Chieftains was stupid, he began to plot in his mind how he might arrange for that one to do some dangerous task so that a Leader might take his whip and become a new Chieftain that was more likely to support Marduk.
Marduk was not very old, and he had not long been a Chieftain, but he had survived the war that had taken many Orc lives and he had brought his Clan through Horse-boy territory and even into an Elven Wood and they yet lived. He had lost Orcs, but he always had more willing to join him, because those who had long followed him seemed impressive to other Orcs. They had scars from battle, of course, but they also had grown better equipped each time another Orc had fallen and had also taken many fine and interesting Mannish things that had interested them. Marduk's Clan had the most females with child and the most young ones. When females saw how the females in Marduk's clan were treated as Orcs of another gender and not like pets or prizes only, and that they walked without leashes and argued with males and older ones freely and carried weapons, they resisted their keepers.
Marduk was already a legend, but he understood that among Orcs, this was a most dangerous position. Another Chieftain might plot to challenge him, might find some means to kill him or cast him in disrepute. It would be very tempting, the idea of slaying Marduk and taking his whip.
He had to have supporters. He had to have strong, smart supporters and keep the younger ones who would grow to be powerful appeased. He had to find a way to leave the Wood alive without seeming a pet to the Elves and without loosing a battle to them. This meant he had to either fight the Elves and win, or he had to make some bargain with them that seemed advantageous to all Orcs.
"The Elves want something from us, which is why they had allowed us to enter so far into their territory without their Wood-Elf knives and arrows on our flesh," Marduk said, "It would be stupid to just give them what they want, we would be like pets to the Elves, but maybe they can do something, or give us something that would be advantageous to all Orcs. If they could do such a thing, I would bargain with Elves."
This claim, the very idea of willingly bargaining with Elves was shocking to the Orcs and many of the Chieftains and Leaders began to argue. He took his Mannish sword, the one he had taken from a Marshal of the Horse-boys and put the point to the ground between his feet and rested his hands on the pommel as he sat on a rock. He did not brandish the blade as if afraid of attack or implying threat, but he made sure that other Orcs saw the fancy blade he had captured and saw that it was at hand, should they be thinking to attack him.
"We are under threat," Marduk said. "We know that there is something that can even sicken Orcs. Even if it is something that was not made to be a weapon, there are others who know something made us sick, and this knowledge means that this thing, this weapon or secret Wizard process or part of the process can be used against us at any time if we give enemies reason or cause."
The Chieftains and Leaders argued some more. Some suggested that it was time they attacked and killed all enemies before they could use such a thing.
"I would like to think we could do that, but as strong as Orcs are, as smart as we are, there is something that the other races have that we do not have, except among Orc kind. I mean," Marduk continued before they could ask how they could have and not have at the same time, "the ability to make alliances."
Now, Marduk smiled just a little. He could hear the arguments and some Orcs were now arguing for him, whether they knew it or not. They spoke of the battle in the north in which Elves, Men, and Dwarves had all united against them. And another pointed out that usually Elves and Dwarves disliked each other. Another Orc, a Leader then said that Orcs could form alliances with Wolves or Trolls, which was a fair argument, Marduk thought.
"We tame Wolves and Trolls as if pets," Lucky said, supporting Marduk, "They are no large power without us, merely our tools in those occasions."
The arguing went on, some Orc said that even Halflings, Eagles and Berserker Men had united with Elves, Men and Dwarves in the past. Some other said that it was a great disadvantage that when given the choice, Elves and Dwarves who had distaste for each other's culture united to fight Orcs together. Marduk thought that one smart, for understanding distaste for culture.
"Each of the other races is bad enough on their own, especially Dwarves," little Muzbug-Chieftain said.
"Exactly," Marduk said. "Muzbug is smart for his breed." Muzbug snarled at the insult to Mine-Dwellers. Marduk pet Dog's head. "Each other the other races is bad enough. It only seems smart to say we should kill all enemies before they can attack us, but each of them alone would be difficult to defeat, perhaps we could do it, but not easily and not without loosing many Orcs. We have stolen Dwarven cities before, but those wars were long and difficult and Chieftains died. The Elven Woods are well protected. Now they hold arrows on us from the trees and we do not see them, only smell them there and feel the gaze. Men also have protection, fortresses and walled cities. We have only the Mines for a stronghold, and it is a trap, with only two main entrances or exits and some narrow escape tunnels. If some sickening agent were introduced there, many would succumb before they escaped. This is the other thing we lack, a safe place to claim and defend as our own where our young ones can grown strong."
"The young ones are weak! The females are a curse from the Wizard! Temptations to make us weak and forget how to fight! The old ways are best! We should slay them all now!"
Marduk would have slain that one himself, but he saw one of the Eastern Chieftain's own leashed females loop her chain leash about his throat from behind and put him in a stranglehold.
Some other Orcs moved toward them, but Marduk took a hand from his sword and snapped his whip. "His words were threat to all her kind, she has the right to attack and to be left to succeed or fail." The Chieftain was dying, struggling for breath. His female was full Westerner, which was rare, but they had been found before and were the oldest of females. "What do they call her?" Marduk asked the other females the Chieftain had kept.
"Honey," they said.
"What is her real name?" Marduk asked.
"Bau," she said, voice ragged with strain of holding the Orc in her chain.
"There has never been a female Leader or Chieftain. Bau, if you kill this one, I will recognize that you are a Chieftain. I will recognize you as Chieftain first and Precious second. Any Orc who disagrees with you keeping your position will have the right to challenge you and I will give them no special punishment if they take your life. Kill him, or let another come to your aid."
It was not usually thought honorable for an Orc to need another to come to their aid, but Orcs were able to make alliances with other Orcs and could see the advantage in sparing or rescuing one who was useful, especially as it meant earning a debt from that one.
She was not ready to lead, and so Bau loosed the chain and stepped as far from her Master as she could.
There was a moment in which no Orc acted. Those who would have in other circumstance wished to have a female were wary of one who would attack her master or perhaps afraid to assume the position of Chieftain, when they all knew it meant defending oneself against assassination quite often. The weakened Easterner was not quite dead and drew up his ax, but as soon as he did, an arrow landed between his knees.
"Do not let them return fire! It was a warning!" Alqua shouted.
"The Elves are calling you fools for not protecting a Precious Thing!" Marduk barked to those in the same Clan as Bau, but even as he said it, another attacked the Chieftain to spare Bau punishment or death. It was Dog.
It seemed every Orc was shocked. Marduk froze still, not knowing what order to give.
Sometimes it did happen that a pet attacked the Master. They had the right, alike to females, to reject any Master who was not strong enough to kill them, but it seemed rare that the pet of another would attack a Chieftain of a separate Clan.
"I have slain this fool for threatening our Precious things twice over!" Dog called to the gathered Orcs. "I was content to be Marduk's pet, because Marduk is a smart and powerful Orc and it is smart to follow and support him, but I could not let the Elves shame Orcs by doing what it is our duty to do! For all Orcs I acted!" Dog then lifted the whip from the dead Orc's belt. "I claim myself Chieftain of this Clan and say I am called Dog-Master. I say I am eight years old and survived battles in the Mines and while following Marduk! See that I have battle scars!"
Dog cut open his tunic with his knife and showed the still healing wounds, which seemed horrible to the Orcs, like wounds that one should not have easily survived.
"I was attacked by the stealthy ones the Elves would fight and survived."
"You only survived because that Wizard aided you!" one of his new Clan accused.
Dog growled and snapped his whip. "How many Orcs here served a Wizard and took meet, bread and broth from him? Are they not now strong and free. No Wizard commands me! No Elves will control or shame me! No Orcs will command or shame me, but I will ally myself to Marduk and support his Clan!"
Another Chieftain, Muzbug, moved toward Dog.
Dog hissed and pointed his knife at the Orc. "You stay back. If anyone is to challenge me, it should be from this Clan here, and I will face them. You want to fight Chieftain against Chieftain and weaken our force while the Elves are close and watchful? Maggot!"
"You were my Orc before I gave you to Marduk, and if you are not with Marduk, I can do as I like to you!" Muzbug said.
"Can't you do something?" Alqua asked Marduk.
"No. I would not. Dog-Master-Chieftain must prove himself without aid."
"I do not see a whip in your hand," Dog said, and then with apparent calm, cut at the Easterner's chest to remove his heart.
Muzbug's whip was gone from his belt. His pet, a Northerner who had been rogue and jumped in to Muzbug's clan, had slipped the whip from his Master's belt.
Marduk laughed. Dog-Master was an appropriate name. His former pet likely had secret allies in every clan, as he had been going to many other pets and telling them stories of Mannish breeding rituals and giving and receiving of pleasure.
Muzbug's Clan was laughing at him, as were the other Cheiftains, as his own pet stood whipping him. Finally, some Leader of Muzbug's Clan, one who was half Mine-Dweller but also Westerner, walked up and took Muzbug's head with his sword.
"You females and pets," Dog said to those in his new Clan, come eat of your Master with me and be my Orcs. Each of you females will have a strong male to play with, and you pets, plenty of whippings and tasks to do. And you Leaders, you shall have these females, if you can keep them and do better to protect them than you or this maggot food protected Bau. Bau, you proved that you were strong and a useful Orc, but I do not wish a female to breed with and you should have a strong male, so I will let you chose one for yourself. Choose, even if he is of another Clan and I will send you to him if he will have you."
"My Chieftain, if you wish me to accept another Orc's seed, I will do so at your command, but I will not be kept by another when only you and the Elves moved to aid me. I am strong, but you seem smart. I will serve you," said Bau.
Muzbug's pet was sent into Dog's Clan by the one who had claimed the title of Chieftain. The new Chieftain wanted no pet in his service that was a spy for another, and so he sent the pet, only called 'Northerner Bitch', and the whip he had stolen to Dog.
Dog and North were pleased to be together and Dog took the whip North offered to him as a tribute in exchange for being taken into a new Clan without violence and gave it to Bau. "North will tend my fire, if you will by Leader and my supporter," Dog said to Bau.
Bau thought her new Chieftain and Clan arrangement to be somewhat strange, but if it meant she became the first female Leader and had her strange Chieftain's protection and was free of her former Master's use, she was content.
"That pet that your master kept, he is actually a male that was dominated as punishment. He can be your male and serve you, if you can keep him," Dog said to Bau. Marduk ruled his Clan wisely, by giving rewards and privileges to the strongest and smartest, but some other Orc Chieftains had ruled with much domination, punishment and taking of pets.
Dog was satisfied then that he was safe for the moment. His Leaders and females would be happy with each other and he was certain Bau and North would warn him of threats.
Marduk was pleased. Two of the more disagreeable Chieftains had been replaced with Orcs more likely to support him, and even his pet could better a Chieftain, it only made him seem strong for having managed to keep Dog. Marduk thought Dog had actually liked the use Marduk put him too. It was rather queer that he had North as his fire tender and made the female a leader.
Queer like Dale who was always with Tsuki.
"Swan, how should the Elves accept us disposing of the bodies."
"They believe Orcs unclean creatures, My Chieftain, they would have them burned."
"You new Chieftains will see that those sad sacks of flesh burn," Marduk said. "Do you understand my point now? It is advantageous when two plan to work together to defeat another. It is time, I think, that Orcs learn to make alliances with other races. It does not mean being like pets to them or doing what they demand. We will give them what they wish and in return, we will receive what we wish. I know what the Elves want. I think we have what they want, but I will need to be very certain and know how much we have and if it will seem good to the Elves. If we should give the Elves what they wish, I say we ask a price of them. I have some ideas, but let us all announce the demands we would give, as it does not hurt to ask for more, it can only be stupid to ask for too little."
The Orcs laughed.