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side story [The Tale of the Soup-maker]
appendix [a]
gallery [duma] [dale] [dale 2] [beryl] [ugarit] [ugarit 2] [ugarit 3]

Part Eighty-Five

It was still as Royalhill's Men approached the settlement within the Silver Wood, with its Lord Greenleaf riding with his Dwarven friend beside Royalhill's steed. The Men behind them were cautious, not only because they suspected a battle with rumored invaders but because the Wood was populated by Elves. They might have been more hesitant or outright superstitious enough to turn back except that many were those who had served Royalhill during the war, when they had patrolled these then contested lands. Even presence of Elven enchantment could not make the place entirely strange to their senses.

Snow fell again now, without a sound, and there was smoke and fog in the air through the Wood. It made it difficult to see more than a few paces in any direction. Soon corpses began to appear out of the mist, hanging slumped over tree branches or propped against trunks, as if waiting for one to return with aid. They were as dead as those unnaturally sprawled upon the cold ground.

The mix of races was soon apparent, Orcs of several breeds, Sylvan Elves and those of more noble lines who had dwelled among them, and strange foreign Elves with features unlike those in the west.

"All Dead?" the Dwarf among them asked.

The Elf, Greenleaf, was grieved to see the bodies. Yes, he had known battle and he knew of the removal of the dead after battle. Was there no one left to lament or tend the dead?

This place had been his work, his means of finding peace after war. He had labored among fellow Elves, with aid of a few Dwarves, to make a haven of what had been abused and contested lands.

It did not feel like an Elven Wood. It felt foul.

He was angry with Lenaduiniel. The Men had said she was in command. Not Denelas whom he had left in charge of the Elves and their safety. Not Caratathren who had been charged with keeping the land and trees and who was wise, if queer in old age. He was angry, and then the emotion faded. He knew he had a short temper, though it usually took an Elf to notice. Greenleaf was capable of falling into despair or becoming enraged and then regretting it minutes later. There were few among those who were not Elves who knew this, but they were friends and forgave him his emotional outbursts. It likely amused them after the fact to recall such fits, as they claimed he was too calm the rest of the time and seemed forever in contemplation and sensing things. That was simply being Elven.

Perhaps he enjoyed time with his Dwarven friend because the Dwarf did not find him young, rash and temperamental. Father was always voicing hope that his younger son would grow out of his youthful angst, as if Gwindor was not a habitual brooder.

The whistle came, almost frightfully late. Yet, Greenleaf was thankful there were Elves alive to watch and give signals. The whistles said they had been seen and identified as friends and that they should continue on their way into the heart of the settlement.

"These Men make so much noise, you can nay blame my breathing too loudly for bringing Elves upon us," came the familiar grumble at his back.

Greenleaf laughed and it caused Royalhill to turn his head and regard him strangely. He had not heard the joke, and if he had, he would not have understood it. The two friends shared many jokes that only they understood, because they had been through something together.

"We are being watched now," he explained to the Man.

Greenleaf rode ahead and found his house. It seemed mainly untouched, but it and the pavilions were at the heart of the settlement and would have been well guarded. He saw some familiar faces here, but he also saw many Orcs.

Lenaduiniel looked down from the railing. She had a child in her arms, though he did not think she had married. He swung his friend down first, then dismounted and rushed to the ladder.

"Another Dwarf," one of the Orcs said.

"Is it a guest of Wood-Elves?"

"I am!" He answered.

"Under protection then. Stow your axe, the Elves here will have you hew Orcs as soon as trees."

He put his axe to his back and went to the ladder.

Lenaduiniel almost wept when she saw her brother. She extended one arm to draw him into her embrace. She held Tashmetum in the other. He held her for a moment and then made a small step backward. "Not…an Orc child?"

"I am keeping her for Ugarit who went to confront the Wizard. I pray we have news of that party soon."

"Duma was among this party?"

"Duma!"

"I met him."

"Oh, tell me you did not harm them in misunderstanding! Brother!"

He crossed his arms and looked sidewise to the table, where Marduk sat with those that remained of the elders of the Wood and a few Men and Dwarves.

"Lord Kurama, Marduk-Chieftain, I must ask that you and your escorts excuse us. My brother is returned and this is his house. We will continue our discussions soon."

The Men and Orcs rose from their seats and walked to the ladder. "The Dwarves?" Marduk asked.

"Will be wanted by my brother's companion," Lenaduiniel explained as the Dwarf reached the top of the ladder.

"We will hold Elves to your promise no matter who is Lord of the house."

"Yes. Marduk…we have not even had time yet to tend the dead. We will speak again. Tell your Orcs these Men in the Wood are allies and kin to the Men's King. They would be smart not to challenge them."

"My Lady," Marduk said, just short of being mocking.

Lenaduiniel watched until Marduk was below and then drew her brother away from the railing. She offered a seat in gesture and sat upon the next chair, facing her younger brother. "I have much to tell, but first, tell me, how did you meet Duma? Were others with him?"

"There were seven we found come down from the mountain. The Orc spoke of you rather familiarly."

"Because we are familiar. He is a child. If he were full Elf he would not be grown yet and would not have been allowed beyond the Wood. I have been one of his teachers. Do you know his father is the one they called Orc-killer? But you left the Wood before he came to us there."

"Denelas told me of him. The red-hair. There was a red-haired Elf in that party, but he was injured they said. He was not conscious."

Lenaduiniel took her brother's hands in hers. "We lost many good Elves."

"Who?"

"Denelas."

He could not even say the name. They had been close friends. They had grown together in the Green Wood. Dead now.

"I am sorry. What you must think of me. In hindsight so many decisions seem obviously flawed, but it is always in light of knowledge we did not possess at the time that it is so. But I do not regret the treaty. It was necessary then, but also now, it is a way to encourage behavior we desire from the Orcs. They might become a great threat to all the west if we kept them enemies."

"They are a great threat to the west."

"No. The way they think is not as Elves think. They wish land. A homeland awarded them in exchange for allegiance."
"Is the allegiance permanent? You are serious? You promised a sovereign Goblin Kingdom? What is to stop them from…?"

"Brother, listen. What stops any race or people from conquering another? Contentedness within their own realm. The Orcs are changing. They are becoming…people. Some few that cling to their old ways may persist for a while, but they will perish. You know that Men are the future. All races shall become more like Men. Who are we to halt the Orcs on that path? They already are upon it. They fought for us."

"They fought for themselves, for a reward! You do not have the power to keep this promise!"

"But I have influence and I know people who have greater influence. The Orcs have been told I will require time to negotiate on their behalf. I need your help in this."

"Look what has happened here!"

"This horror, Greenleaf, Brother, it was not made by Orcs. It was the Rómendar. They are the Lost Host and the Wizards brought them out of the east and now we are all kin slayers."

"Lost Host?"

"I believe it. They are Elves. Elves that never marched west until this year. Some few of them surrendered to us and are kept nearby, but the main of those that survived retreated to the northeast. I dispatched a few scouts, to learn their route, but that was all we could afford. Victory is bitter. We sent them into retreat, but it cost us much. We have not yet recovered strength enough to collect all the dead."

"I need to understand…"

Lenaduiniel sighed. "I will begin at the beginning. When the war ended, I received messages that you were Lord here and that Gwindor had gone to the Rangers. I left the Green Wood and traveled through the mountains to after Gwindor…"

Lenaduiniel told the whole tale, of how she had met Dale and Tsuki who were training to be Rangers and about the Orc attacks in the north. She told him of the two sets of messengers and about Gib and how Beryl had rescued them and they had been rejoined with Tsuki and Dale who had found their own new companions along their route. She told him of Marduk and how he had become Chieftain and of trading Ugarit for Duma. She described the changes in the Wizard's Vale and how they had made a pact with Horse-Lords only to be prisoners of their people days later. They had nearly lost their lives in crossing the river and been separated. Lenaduiniel even told the truth of her treatment when captured by the Orcs and how she had been cruel to kiss Duma. She told of the treaty and how they had figured the Wizard's plot and come upon several seeing stones. She informed her brother that Laurel had taken Kato to the Men for healing and hoped to make use of a seeing stone kept by the King.

"Eight went up into the mountains on all our behalf. Two Elves, three Men, one of which was trained in wizardry, two full-blood Orcs, and one who was both Orc and Elf."

"Child. And he is so frequently seduced by women of various classes and even Elven Ladies?"

"You should marry, Lenaduiniel. I think you miss my younger years so much you attempt to make a new brother for yourself in this Half-Orc so you might be substitute mother again."

"I shall never marry. I shall just grow old and be Lady of Father's house and fetch his wine."

"He has a butler."

Lenaduiniel shook her head. "Seven came from the mountain. Which were they?"

"Well, Duma, and Ugarit it must have been, but no other Orc. There were two Men only, but a young woman was among them also, of the east."

"Perhaps that was the girl the Wizard kept."

"Perhaps. One of the Men seemed he was of the east and the other of the south."

"And Dale was there, and perhaps Beryl was hidden."

"I think it was an Elf hiding injuries."

"The Eastman, how was he attired? In brown?"

"No. he wore common white and black garments and some eastern style of armor."

"Then Fei carried Dale from the mountain and Tsuki is missing."

"He was the one you knew longest. Your Friend."

"Yes. Tsuki was truly among Elf-friends."

"That must be so. I have known a Man who would bathe with Elves, but I am certain there were Elves among his ancestors and it is a most strange habit for a more common Man to develop. Strange he would find Elves interested."

"I understand there is a lot of this fraternization among the Rangers."

Greenleaf laughed. "The one I know was a Ranger as well. He is wed to an Elf now."

"Yes. Tell, me, what came of the party you found injured?"

"I was informed that the Lady and her guard were escorting them here after the Main of the army."

"Royalhill's wife is Lady of the Shield Arm. She is sensible and will have had their story from them already. I will speak with her as soon as they arrive. There should be some remaining house suitable to offer her."

"Have the guest houses burned then?"

"You are taking this too well."
"No."

"Holding your temper. Well, I shall find you as many arrows as I can. It was my most brilliant idea to send you out to practice whenever you had one of your fits. Your temperament improved as much as your archery."

"I admit, the more danger and distraction of battle, the more I find calm to hit my targets. They tease. They say I always have a look of deep concentration."

"Men and Dwarves cannot really read Elven expressions unless they have lived among many elves for a time. They say such things because you are the only Elf they know. You have accomplished much, Brother. We are proud. Rest assured that you are one of the silliest and rashest Elves I know."

"Were you really intending to marry the Dwarf?"

"I do not think so, but it felt rather satisfying to know he wished it, because Dwarves do not usually like our kind."

"I understand." He gave a glance to the four Dwarves who were loudly sharing tales of battles they had witnessed. "Let us go to Royalhill and ask that some part of his Men join with any Elves that remain able and determine that the Rómendar have retreated beyond our border. If they go far to the north, they will trouble Father."

"I have already dispatched messages. Friends from the west bank should arrive presently with Healers and able bodies among them."

The Young Elf-Lord stood and called to the Dwarves in the Common Speech. "Stay, Friends, we Elves must tend to our fallen privately." He said then to the Elves at the table only, "It must be our first task. I know the battle is recent and was difficult. I regret I was not among you. I had friends in need and returned as soon as I was able. Now I will go out to collect and name the dead and see that they are properly lamented and I expect any Elf with a whole body and breath left in them to do the same. There will be no talk of bargains with Orcs until every one of our dead has been buried and lamented."

The Elves rose from their seats and filed toward the ladder solemnly. This was their Lord. Young as he seemed to the elders, he had not only been awarded this land by Men, but had earned the right to be named its caretaker in Elven eyes, as they had witnessed his own labor in the restoration and his many clever plans to support the settlement with trade.

They had collected the injured, and though their Lord sometimes spoke rashly, it was true they had left the dead too long out of weariness and distaste. They were ashamed and went silently to the ground to begin their work.

Lenaduiniel watched as her brother vaulted over the rail to the ground, rather than go to the ladder. Caratathren paused at her side. "Maybe in another hundreds years of Men I will have him settled down with someone, if he does not begin speaking of gulls again."

"Sometimes no female's company can compare to the company of males who have shared the experience of war. I lost one of my fiancés that way. An Elf might go to taverns where maimed Mannish soldiers waste their last days when he has a beautiful wife at home, because they will understand something he experienced without needing to be told of it."

"Better he keeps the Dwarf at his side than depart, I suppose."

"If he sailed, I would take another ship. He might have us doing mad stunts at sea and never find the Blessed Isle."

Lenaduiniel laughed. She could just picture her younger brother on a ship.

The wagon entered the area of the settlement within the wood later in the day, with mounted soldiers bearing the sigil of the Shield Arm riding escort and a noblewoman and her personal bodyguard riding behind, along with a train of remounts. To the Elves watching in the trees, it seemed they had more concern for danger they might run into ahead then any danger overtaking them from behind. There were no obvious Elves among those they could see and the wagon was covered. Though they had been told by the Men a wagon might come with injured, and they did know the sigil was one of soldiers allied to their Lord and to Royalhill whose Men wore the sigil of the stag guarding the White Tree, the Elves were obligated to challenge the riders and wagon.

Most that were able bodied were either in pursuit of the Rómendar, healing and feeding the injured or tending the dead and it was Gwende who dropped to the road and whispered to the horses that they should halt. The horses reared instead and Gwende made a small jump backward and called her challenge in the Common Speech. "You travel a road maintained by Elves, which passes through our territory, announce your intent."

One of the Men at the front spoke as others still laughed that the Elf had thought to place enchantment on horses they had trained. They were not Men of the Royal Hills to the south, but Horse Lords chosen for service to the Lady of the Shield arm from her homeland. "We are the personal guard of the Lady of the Shield Arm, Lady Royalhill, Sister to the King of the Horse Lords and we bring our Lady and some injured companions who claim they are known to you Elves to the Silver Wood. Lady Lenaduiniel of the Green Wood, Daughter of the Elf-King has given oath that our people shall be given safe passage in Elven territories. Grant us passage and show us to one who can identify those who claim to have been dispatched from the Wood so that we may turn them over to your care."

Gwende made a signal with her hand to the watching Elves and spoke. "I will look at your wards, as I am one who knows their faces." Gwende shouldered her bow and walked quickly over the snow and pebbles to the rear of the wagon and lifted the flap cautiously. Beryl whispered to her in Elven.

"Gwende, listen to me, whatever the state of affairs within the Wood, we are in desperate need of aid. Dale must be transported to a safe resting place with a few Orcs seeing his condition as possible. I must be allowed to see your most skilled Healers privately and as soon as possible. Fei will give our full account to Lenaduiniel. These other four need shelter. Duma and Ugarit should be placed with Dale, secretly if possible."

"Lord Beryl. I understand, but our Lord has returned and he has forbidden any talk of Orc bargains and also of speculation on Wizard lots until all the dead are tended."

"Have things gone so badly here?"

"Can you not see the dead?"

"The scent of death is clear to me, but I cannot see at all."

"I will do as you ask." Gwende turned and spoke to the Lady behind her. "You will ride on with your escort, leaving the wagon and driver. You will find Men not far ahead. The wagon will be brought to you shortly."

The Lady said that she understood.

"Tell her I will send word to her soon. She is friend to me," Beryl whispered.

"Beryl will send word to you soon. Trust him to our care." Gwende made a signal and several of those who had been her rope-walkers dropped from the trees to join her. "Look," she said, speaking Elven again, "Tsuki and that big Orc are not among them, and there is a girl. We must not disobey our Lord, and so we will not speak of things we must not, but they need secrecy as much as healing for reasons I cannot mention. These three will go to that ground level guest house where the Orcs were kept before, but I need some to go ahead of us and see that no Orcs watch that house. This man should be escorted quickly to the other Southmen and treated as another of their injured. I will take Fei and the girl to my house, but put them in the upper chambers. I need one of you to seek the Healers that have come to use from across the river and explain that an elder Elf has great injuries and must be seen secretly and privately. They will tell us where Lord Beryl may join them. We will not tell others of this, except for a few that will help us. Perhaps those in my hearth-share and we must inform Caratathren. Eventually we will contact Lenaduiniel."

"Gwende," Beryl whispered, "will the Men not have told others we are expected?"

"The Men have had no friendly contact with the Orcs and our Lord spoke with his sister privately. She will know to expect you and we shall see that Fei may report to her and that you all receive care. Our guard shift is over shortly, and then I will arrange food and water for those in our keeping."

Gwende had planned to put Fei and Setsugekka in her house, but Fei woke as they were moved and hearing Gwende's explanation, made the point that he and Setsugekka would not be able to see Dale if they were in another house and also trying to keep their presence unknown. Gwende made a slight alteration to her plan and brought all the five, but Beryl and Aud, to the small guest house beside her own.

Arë and Alqua had come to help her. Alqua brought Tashmetum into the house and then helped Gwende in building the fire in the circular central hearth and doing some cleaning and cooking while their charges slept. Arë had a slight limp and her left arm in a sling, as she had been injured during the battle, but she was able enough to sit and tend the fire and tend the pots.

Gwende went out and spoke to the Men who, having expected to do battle, had been asked to instead put their strength to moving barrels of filtered water to the various houses and pavilions for use. There was a great need for clean water to restore Elven health and cleanliness. Gwende had ordered a barrel sent to the guest house; the Men did not know who it was for.

Fei had reminded Gwende that there was a small amount of their gear on their horses and that the horses would blend better with those of the Men removed of their equipage. All the luggage left behind in Gwende's heath-share by their party had been moved to the house for use by the survivors, or for safekeeping should their friends return alive. The Elves had retied the cloth partitions such that there were semi-private spaces for bathing, for Setsugekka alone, for Fei near the table where his scholarly scrolls and book had been brought from his former room and placed, and the three narrow beds taken by Dale and his two Orcs. There was a cradle at the edge of this space where Tashmetum was placed to sleep.

It seemed sleep was most necessary, and so as each woke on their own, Alqua led them to the tub to wash and then, when they had dressed at least partially, looked to any wounds they had to look for signs of sickness or rot and treated and dressed each appropriately. The house was well designed and the interior warmed quickly once the fire was going. They had a barrel of washwater outside the window which was refilled by snow and rain, and the barrel of drinking water was placed just inside the door.

Supply of game and meat was short, but Arë managed a vegetable soup and brought some flat bread which was had been the mainstay of all the Defenders' diets the last several days.

When Ugarit woke it was night and she recognized the interior of the house, though furnishings had been rearranged. Setsugekka and Fei were already washed and redressed then. Setsugekka was then washing Dale's body and for a moment Ugarit was taken by panic and thought their Chieftain had died and was no undergoing some Elvish preparation for the grave. Arë greeted the female Orc and promised that Dale was alive, though in a state of slumber close to death.

Fei was then spooning soup to his mouth with one hand and writing with ink and brush upon a scroll with the other.

Alqua returned from an errand and greeted Ugarit also.

"Has Duma been awake yet?" she asked. "Do we have all our things here? Even from the wagon?" She saw Tashmetum and looked at her, but did not lift her, for her hands were still stained with blood.

"All of your things that we know of are here," Alqua said. "Come and wash."

"Do you know what has become of Tsuki and the weapon?"

"We cannot speak of it," Arë said.

"You will not tell me?" Ugarit asked, but she did go across the interior to the tub and allow Alqua to help her out of her armor.

"Our Lord, the brother of Lenaduiniel, has returned and he has forbidden talk of any bargains or quests or weapons until such time as all our dead are properly buried and lamented. There are many dead and few able bodies, so it will be some days. It is his way of honoring the dead."

Ugarit stepped into the tub. "Has Duma seemed well? He was seriously injured."

"We checked for open wounds, but sleep seemed most important."

"His injuries are unnatural, made by a Wizard, and Dale's."

"Setsugekka and Fei tried to explain some of your experiences to us. We find her form of Elven difficult to understand and though we are certain he is learned, we find Fei difficult to understand also."

"Yes, but have Elven Healers seem Duma or Dale?"

"No. If their wounds are made by Wizardry, our Healers may not know how to heal them. They would try of course, but Beryl asked that you all be brought here in secret. Gwende said he was concerned that the other Orcs would see Dale's condition."

"Alqua, I know that you served Marduk, but…it is important for me to know what happened here. I am of Dale's Clan now. I must know what is happening with the other Orcs. Before he left us, Tsuki said Dale's injuries would heal, but that it might take a long time, maybe months. Dale is not under anyone's protection. He has only Duma and me to guard him."

Alqua then explained to Ugarit what she already knew of the Orcs, that many had died and that the Clans that had been made when Ugarit left were not the Clans that existed now. "Marduk was injured. It was Marduk who slew the Lord of the Rómendar, as they are called, and took his sword, but in doing so, Marduk lost his left eye and was scarred on his face. He has other lesser wounds, but that one is talked about, because the enemy Leader made it just before Marduk killed him."

"But that only gives Marduk more status, to take a very visible wound from the enemy leader, and to have taken his sword. Capturing weapons is important to Orcs. I have learned it is not always so important to other races."

"Tell me, is northerner and westerner a common mix of breeds among Orcs?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I will tell you. That is your breed. Is it common?"

"It is now, because, before the war, and after such time as the Legendary Clans of the North, such as that of Dumuzi, the Rangers drove many Orcs out of the north and breeds did not mix in those times, so the northerners passed by the Mines, where the little Mine-Dwellers Men know as Goblins lived, and they were the first taken in by The White. He used his pet Northerners to capture other Orcs for his work and he developed the Westerner breed from Orcs and also, it is said, from Men. The Westerners thought they were so much better than other Orcs they even called Northerners Goblins and themselves Orcs, or they would say 'Great Orcs' or 'The Orcs' when speaking of their selves. The Orcs loyal to the Dark Lord in the east named the newer breed 'Westerner.' Though the White worked to increase the Westerners there were also many Northerners and even a lesser number of Mine-Dwellers that bred in his pits and served him. That was when mixing between breeds became common. When the war was over, many that came up from the breeding pits were mixed and in the months since the war, there has been much more intermixing. Many went to the mines, but the Northerner-Westerner mix was already common then. I think it is still common, because Westerners still view themselves as dominant and seek to keep as a pet a strong Orc to increase their status, and Northerners are often slight enough that a westerner could overpower them, but larger and rather more impressive than Goblins. The Westerners are all gendered, and so they would not have luck breeding if they made a pet of another Westerner, unless they found a female, so they continue to take the Northerners, unless they have found a female."

"But sometimes, there are other mixes."

"Of course, but because the other breeds are not gendered unless they are already partly Westerner, that most often happens because the pit is used by many. When no breeds lived together, there were no half-breeds, but since the White employed various kinds of Orcs, half-breeds came from those pits. The White might have encouraged this mixing in order to see if an interesting variation appeared."

"Many of the new Chieftains are mixed. Bau says this was not so before, that even though there were very many Orcs such as yourself, that many Chieftains were still old ones of one breed or another."

"Yes. They dislike the half-breeds."

"It is different now. Many leaders and Chieftains are of this mix. One of them Jareth, was not even a Leader before the battle and is Chieftain of a Large Clan now. Marduk is still strongest and the shifts between failing Clans brought him many strong Leaders and also females, but this Jareth, who I did not know before, now leads a Clan nearly as Large as that of Marduk, and all the other Clans are smaller than those two. I wonder if this Jareth might not become a rival or perhaps, plot to take Marduk's whip once the…"

"Do not speak of things your Lord forbids. I will find a way to learn if this Jareth is a threat. Dale is my Chieftain now, but I believe Marduk should be supported if he is to continue peace with Elves."