Part One-Hundred
The large group of Orcs, Elves and Rómendar reached the place the Elves said was suitable for crossing and the grounded boats on the bank within a month. It was winter still and traveling north, where winters were harsher by custom, it had only grown colder. The Great River moved too swiftly to freeze, but its waters were frigid and one risked death to swim in them. Those that would continue into the Green Wood, the southernmost portion of which lay now to their east, were less than 30 in number and so the boats would have to be employed to ferry all the rest across the river.
These boats were narrow and long and made from wood of fallen trees in one solid piece employing skill with carving and controlled burning. Each was equipped with long wooden paddles for steering and propelling the craft across river. Rúmil, one of those Elven Swords who had lived in the Golden Wood before going into the Silver Wood to aid restoration, explained the use of the light boats. "My people leave these boats here for crossings between the Golden Wood and our hold in the southern part of the Green Wood, which we now term East Golden Wood," Rúmil said and Loriol then translated parts of his speech to make them understandable to Orcs, as Rúmil spoke only enough Common Speech to deal with Rangers who usually had some understanding of Elven, and so he named certain things and places only in Elven.
Rúmil climbed into one of the boats they had uncovered from hiding and knelt at the midpoint of its length, sitting back between his feet, to keep himself seated low within the carven hull. He lifted one of the paddles and began to demonstrate the manner of paddling, as he explained further.
Loriol translated some of the terms again so that the Orcs were to understand the design of the Elven boats, the importance of maintaining balance and not overloading, the angle the paddles should touch the water, methods of paddling for one to cross alone in a boat or several to cross in the boat together, and the logistics of using a small number of boats to ferry many.
They would have to take the boats across once filled to capacity and then send every boat back with only one paddler, to fill again for the second trip across. They would continue in this manner until a small number remained. It was important that as many boats be returned to the side of the river where they had been found, and so in the last trips, boats would return with one paddler, and all those paddlers would then go back across in a smaller number of boats. If they found boats on the opposite shore, they might use these for crossing after the first pass.
The Orcs assured the Elves they understood. They had not ridden in these Elven boats before, but they had their own means for transporting Orcs across rivers and the smarter ones easily understood the problem in transporting many with small number of small boats and that the solution was to have boats return with pilots.
A they were preparing with the crossing by assuring that all baggage would be free removed from backs and made into small bundles for transport, calling out those with the most upper body strength to be return paddlers, and counting off crews by combined size and weight, some Elves came to them from within the Wood to the east, as they had spied the large number of travelers and had messengers before hand to warn them of events in the Silver Wood and that such a party might travel close to their homes.
Haldir was in command of this small greeting party and saw that some who were Elves left the larger group to approach. The Swords were easily recognizable to other Elves as an Elven military force, as it was their custom to be attired in matched colors and to show discipline in their uniform posture. There was a wizard with them also in grey robes and leaning on a staff.
Gwindor, Lenaduiniel and Galadhiel went first to the greeting party, followed closely by The Grey and then by Dale, Setsugekka and Tigh. Haldir called a greeting to them in the Sylvan dialect. Those raised in the Green Wood had a somewhat different accent from those of the Golden Wood, but the language they spoke was close enough to be considered one and was understandable to those who spoke with the accent from the opposite side of the River. It was clear to Haldir that Gwindor and Lenaduiniel were nobles and he had met Lenaduiniel in the past on her travels. He had met their younger brother as well, and so Gwindor was by logic the Elder son of the Elf-King, as he shared so much resemblance with his siblings and father.
"Lady Lenaduiniel, Lord Gwindor," Haldir said, "I am Haldir of Golden Wood, currently a border warden of East Golden Wood. We had news of your journey. May we be of service to you?"
"Well met, Haldir," Gwindor said.
"We have had the service of your brother in explaining use of the boats. You can be assured we will leave as many as we found on this side of the river," Lenaduiniel said.
"You are not all crossing and going on this trek into the Mines?" Haldir's gaze strayed to Dale and to Tigh.
"My brother and I escort seven guests plus these Eastern Elves of the lost host to our father's woodland realm. All the rest will cross and go into the mines."
"Do I see Vale Elves among you? We had a Vale Elf pass through our camp not two months ago. He gave his name as Lir Birdcatcher."
"Male," Tigh said. "I do not remember the name, but it is possible he was one I was not familiar with."
Dale shrugged.
"Allow me to make introductions," Gwindor said, "This is Dale, a friend of my family who fought for my father during the war and a Vale Elf by birth. Here is Tigh Galadhspin of the Vale. Galadhiel, my bride. The Grey Wizard. Setsugekka, a priestess of Tilion from the East."
"Priestess of Tilion?"
"My God is the god Elves call Tilion and I am his devotee and instrument," Setsugekka explained in her peculiar Elven. I serve Dale until the God's Son returns."
"What is this 'God's Son'?" Haldir asked.
"A belief of hers," Gwindor explained, "One known to us as Tsuki Eru, a Ranger I trained with, and who saved us all from the Wizard device the Blue Wizards planned to use to exterminate all Orcs and in doing so, risk the lives and health of many other races, is claimed by some to be the son of Tilion and a mortal woman of the east. He died, but Setsugekka, and some others, believe he may return, as we have known some Wizards to do, in some reborn, adult form."
"It is strange to hear a tale of Tilion having a wife," Haldir said.
Gwindor sighed.
"The Priestess of Tilion may carry the title God's Wife, but where a wife is concerned, my God is a wanderer. He is faithful to his Lord. The Wife is for the ritual union to produce a child, when one is needed."
"That is not the belief of Elves," Haldir said quietly. He looked and saw he was among Elves only, but for a Wizard and this Priestess and so he continued. "Tilion and Oromë walked among the Elves of East Golden Wood not two months before, and the Vale Elf was their companion."
"What did he look like?" Dale asked.
"Radiant as one would expect, clothed in grey hunting attire and carrying a silver bow."
"The Elf. What did this Lir Birdcatcher seem like?" Dale pressed.
"Well, he looked as if he could be a close cousin to one of you, and had brown hair that was somewhat short by Elven standards and eyes like blue glass. He carried a plain wooden staff and two rather common Elven swords and said that he had been companion to the gods since he was injured in a fall."
"It was my Lord walking in disguise!" Setsugekka said happily.
"Why has he not returned to me?" Dale asked, "Is it the body he means to return in, or some guise the gods have put on him until he is able to come back to us?"
"Can you really believe this Elf was Tsuki in disguise?" Lenaduiniel asked.
"Yes, the gods may take many forms, even animals. When My Lord returns, he will not wear such a disguise but have a new, whole, body and reveal himself as My Lord, and not by a false name."
"Whether this is true, I do not know," Haldir said, "but allow me to provide you shelter in our settlement for the night and escort as far as the blight's border. That would put them within the Green Wood and perhaps a week or two from the Elf-King's hall.
"I thank you," Gwindor said, "your offer is welcome and accepted. We will stay near the Great River until we see these others across."
"Well enough. We will stand with you. Perhaps, depending on their number, we may help by riding over in the later boats to paddle them back. Has Rúmil warned you of the effect of the current?"
"Yes," Gwindor said, "it may sometimes be necessary to drag a boat upstream for the next trip across if arms cannot paddle with sufficient strength to compensate for the current."
"This group is many. The trips across will take them the entire day with the number of boats we have available. We shall bring dead wood to make fires here to provide warmth and a light to sight when crossing the river."
"That seems an excellent idea," Gwindor agreed.
Dale returned to the banks with Setsugekka and found Duma, Ugarit and Jareth near Tigh's household working to split up there gear between what would go into the mines with them and what would go with Dale or Gwende. It seemed worthy of notice that Ugarit had changed from her various layered winter traveling outfits into garments like those she had worn to go into battle, including snug leather pants. She, Duma and Jareth wore none of their armor, but it was clearly unpacked from its previous bundles and tied together for transport in the boats.
Water itself was not harmful to Orcs, but all creatures had to respect the power of a wide fast moving river, and especially in winter when the temperature of the water dropped. Nothing heavy was to be worn while in the boats, in the case that one fell in, they wanted to have little weighing them down and be able to get out of the water quickly and have something warm and dry to pull over them. For this same reason, cloaks were also to be bundled and not worn.
The active work of paddling should keep the bodies warm, and there were already small fires on the bank for heating beverages, so that everyone could begin the trip across the river with some warmth in them.
Little was left with the horses except that which they carried for the animals' benefit, such as horse shoes or feed bags or feed. Dale had absolutely no objection to taking the two extra horses with him. Snaga would probably allow Setsugekka to ride and they could use Ugarit's horse, which Lady Royalhill had named Lyftfel, in her tongue, but which Ugarit simply called Blue, for carrying luggage. This would spare Moon-shadow who was with foal from doing any labor.
Gwende was worried that Lain, Alqua and Arë would be going into the Mines, but she had given up arguing the matter in recent weeks. They were leaving large equipment such as the tent with her and Tigh, but would continue to carry their belongings on their backs.
Duma had been lent all the lanterns the parties had carried, being they would be going into a dark place. They had included candles, wicking, wax and lamp oil in their gear when departing the silver Wood, knowing they would eventually enter the darkness of the Mines. They had also lengths of rope in case they had to cross broken bridges or chasms or scale up and down rock faces.
The Mine-dwellers had superior vision to other Orc breeds and in darkness saw far better than Elves. Within the Mines they might even distinguish some color and were quite able to track movement and make out shapes. Duma understood this well and told the Elves to wear their most drab garments of muted colors and when they could to wear clothing that had some pattern or decoration that broke up the visual form of their body, in the way that Orc skin was mottled, marbled or dappled like that of beasts that could blend with their environment for stealth or protection from predators. Ugarit advised also that Alqua and Arë keep their light hair covered. Jareth demonstrated for the Elves how some Orcs, particularly westerns who grey thicker hair, used a triangle or square of cloth to cover the hair and keep it away from the face. Jareth himself was only half westerner and his hair grew fine, like a northerner, and had grown into a thick tangle about his head with loose ends sticking out in disarray.
There had been much discussion in the last week over the particulars of entering the Mines. Most of the Orcs assumed that the Orcs within the Mines would have scouts near the entrance and would know of their coming before they could reach the entrance, which was on the highground. There was some speculation as to whether they would even be allowed in the Mines, but the majority was of the opinion that Mine-dweller tactics were like that of spiders. They laid traps. They would likely allow the group to enter the Mines and wait for a time when they could surround them in great numbers and declare superiority.
For this reason, several groups of Orcs had been selected to lead teams to sneak away from the main party and take positions where they might proved cover fire with bows or snipe at Chieftains who attempted to declare themselves superior.
Duma was not particularly interested in sniping, but he did wish for his small party of six to break away from the main force if it seemed likely there would be a large scale assault upon them. It was still their plan to get a messenger through the mines to alert Beryl that they had arrived. Duma had volunteered to make the attempt to sneak his party through the mines to deliver the message. They were then to return to give aid to Marduk's cause. Duma did intend to return, but he meant to give the three Elves the option of remaining with Beryl.
"Is the sorting nearly finished?" Dale asked.
"Ours is. It is now a matter of making the bundles secure for crossing."
"I have something for you," Dale said.
"You made something." Duma knew because Dale had taken to riding apart from him and tucking things into his coat when other's approached.
"You may want to argue again when I explain." Dale took a whip from his belt and it was then Duma noticed one still remained hanging. He presented the one in his hand to Duma. "A Chieftain has to earn a whip, but a Leader can be given a whip if a Chieftain wishes. I wish to give you this. I do not think you really want it. I hope you do not use it often. Still, I greatly want you to have it. You deserve it and as a symbol of status it will be useful to you."
"Why should I argue?" Duma took the coiled whip.
"Because you were the one who cut Jareth's whip and dissolved that Clan and his Chieftainship and broke the line of succession through all who took up that whip down to Jareth."
"I cut that whip."
"Yeah, and I took the handle and remade this whip from the same core. It is a Chieftain's whip."
"But…I cut that whip."
"And this is not the same. It is re-made. For some time, there has been a way for you to be Chieftain without challenging me. You can be my Leader, Duma, and I would be as proud to call you such among Orcs, but if you want it, you can claim yourself Chieftain. I had no followers for a time and my claim as heir to Dumuzi and wielder of his whip was recognized. You have two."
"Dale…I do not even know if I want this."
Dale nodded. "That is why I said 'if you want it'." Dale reached into his coat and brought out a flail, quite similar to the one he had given Duma. "This is entirely new and made by me. You can give it to someone."
Duma understood. "Jareth."
Jareth grunted acknowledgement and turned to approach them. Duma offered the new flail. "It is for you, for one who is not a Leader, but is no lowly Orc or pet."
Jareth spied the flail and the whip Duma held and Dale's peculiar Elven expression that might have been amusement. "I understand, Duma-Leader. I will follow without needing lashes." He took the flail then.
"Ugarit?"
"Yes, Duma?"
Duma smiled as Ugarit stepped up to him. He leaned close and kissed her, and as he did, Duma loosed the toggle on his belt that held his flail. He pressed the flail into Ugarit's hand as she kissed him. That she nipped his lip with her fangs mean that she was pleased.
"I wanted this one," Ugarit whispered.
Alqua and Arë were laughing. They found it quite funny that Duma and Ugarit ever expressed affection publicly.
"It is yours," Duma said.
"I will follow without lashes, you know."
"Ugarit, your skin was nearly flawless when you came to me, I should give you a few scars to prove you can take it."
"You gave me a few. Do you know how to use it?"
Duma cackled.
"You do not. Practice on targets and then I will allow you to put a few more scars on me."
"When we have time, I will let you carve a picture in my flesh."
"Keep me around and I will provide you with many fine symbols of status, Leader."
Duma laughed. "I will be sure to make use of you."
"Some Elves are coming this way," Lain said, mainly as warning to Duma.
Lenaduiniel, Gwindor, Galadhiel, and Tigh came approached. Tigh asked if Gwende had finished helping the other pack.
"We have just finished," Gwende said. "Lathe and I have the things we will take here."
"You should take your things to the bank and get boat assignments," Gwindor said, "the first crews have reached the other side and the boats are being paddled back."
Duma looked at Lenaduiniel and found she was looking back at him. He was likely not going to see her again, not for a long time if he did. Gwindor was to cross the mountains with Dale, because they were Rangers, but Lenaduiniel would remain within the Green Wood. Duma opened his mouth, but he knew no words to say. Lenaduiniel stepped close, enough that Ugarit glared sidewise at her. "The tools I lent you are yours to keep. There is no one else who can better use or claim them. I hope you continue to use them well, and your bow. You are as skilled an archer as most Wood Elves."
"Northerner Orcs were known for some skill in archery, and I am certain I owe much to your teaching. You were so hard on me."
"Well, I am one it is advantageous to please, even if I hold no whip in my hand. Should I congratulate you on receiving one? Is that what Orcs do?"
"They have no such manners. They only promise to follow when they see one has acquired a whip."
Lenaduiniel laughed gaily. "I thank you for everything you have taught me, and for these." She touched the leaf-form earrings hanging from her pierced earlobes. Duma had made them. "I hope you have forgiven all the pain I caused you." She did not mean the difficult training, but the one kiss between them.
"Forgiven," Duma said quickly.
Lenaduiniel lifted her left hand toward Duma. "I will not forget you soon, Master Mapleseed. If you wish to practice your Elvish you might write letters to me and send them by wing or with couriers along the trade road, but one must always be cautious of couriers."
Duma took Lenaduiniel's hand. "I shall make a signet ring and invest in sealing wax, My Lady." He kissed Lenaduiniel's fingers and then loosed her hand.
Ugarit did not have time to be jealous, as Duma quickly took up her left hand and kissed her fingers.
"I was not his only tutor," Lenaduiniel said, "Duma is the most well-mannered and charming of Orcs, much thanks to Beryl."
"Lord Momiji also worked very hard to teach Duma," Setsugekka whispered.
Dale gave a nod.
Tigh embraced his younger brother and whispered words of warning and encouragement to him. As he did, Gwende began weeping and pulled Alqua and Arë both into her arms and cried that they were like sisters to her and that he would pray for them and miss them.
"We love you also," Alqua said.
"We will see you on the other side of the mountains!" Arë promised.
"Duma, Ugarit, please take care," Gwende said, "You are those who taught us what Orcs suffer and how they have been encouraged to do evil and that they can be good. Please…if you find those Orcs who cannot become good and would continue to do evil, get away from them and return to us. We will not forget you or the lessons we have learned in knowing you!"
"We are going to do out best to survive!" Ugarit promised to Gwende. "No race can be said to be fully good or evil. Please watch over your little one!"
"I will. We will all see each other on the other side of the mountains."
"We should get to the boats," Jareth suggested.
Duma nodded. "It seems safe to say each of us will miss some that we are parting from and that we all plan on coming out of the Mines alive and well. We should take our things and get to the boats now."
"We should catch fish!" Ugarit said urgently. The water is too disturbed here, but if we cross soon and walk upstream we may be able to catch some before any are prepared to march toward the Mines entrance. We should have food, for us to eat inside, and to give to Orcs we meet to allow us to pass."
"It should remain fresh packed in snow and it seems there is a cover across the river," Arë said.
"But you just gave me the net, let me give it to you," Gwende said.
"I have something that may be of use," The Grey said as he approached.
The others, but for Gwende who went still where she stooped to the baggage, all looked to the approaching Wizard. Their kind seemed to have this effect on others, when they wished. He held an unlit lantern surrounded by a red glass globe. "I used to use this when studying animals at night. It's light is enough to see by, but does not disturb nocturnal creatures so much as white or yellow lights of fine Elven or Wizard lamps." The Grey then quickly pointed out the places that wicking and lamp oil might be added and suggested, since they planned to pass through quickly and as secretly as possible, they use this lantern unless they came into a situation where greater light seemed advantageous. "Note also it will seem to shift the color of objects lit by the light, do not let the effect disorient you, you should become accustomed to it."
Jareth took the lantern from the Wizard.
Lain embraced Dale once before leaving, and then Duma and the five going with him moved toward the boats. Nergal had for whatever reason become the one in charge of crews, and when Ugarit asked that they be given a boat because they had already worked out their crews for getting across in two trips, as three of their party had experience in handling such river craft, Nergal shouted at her and said she was a poor Orc for thinking only of her own Clan and why had she not considered that others might need to have experienced paddlers on their boat to help them get across. "Get in line!" Nergal said, "go in the boat you are told! Those who are strong or know about boats go there and others can go in that line!"
Ugarit hissed at Nergal.
He sneered back, but then looked at Duma. Duma was glaring at him with fangs bared. "Since when do you hold a whip?"
"The core of it is the whip Jareth surrendered to me. Dale-Chieftain happens to also be a skilled whip-maker and he remade it for me."
"Then you are not Dale's Orc?"
"Is it possible for Marduk to be a Chieftain above Chieftains?"
The answer was yes, which meant Dale could claim he was such a Chieftain as well. "You want a boat?"
"What do you want to get us a boat?" Duma asked.
"What do you have?"
"Tell him about the fish," Ugarit suggested.
"If you get us a boat soon, we will cross and then go upstream to catch fish. Ugarit is very good with her claws and the Elves have a net. We will give you some fish."
"Half."
"A quarter!" Ugarit snapped.
"A third," Duma said, "Let us be fair to Nergal. He does not have a mate of his own and females need to eat to be strong enough for breeding."
Nergal growled, but he then went to the Orcs in line nearby and told them others would go before them because they had important things to do to benefit Orcs on the other side of the River.
Ugarit, Arë, Lain and Duma went over first. Ugarit was the heaviest one, and she was not so large as most male Orcs of Westerner or Easterner breeds. The boat skimmed the water without being loaded to the point of risking water spilling over the sides. Ugarit paddled back across the river to pick up Alqua and Jareth and the remaining luggage, while Arë and Lain went to begin fishing. Nergal had them take Bau in their boat as well, but her weight did not make a very large difference and she was strong enough to help paddle.
As they were crossing the river, they heard argument behind. Turning their heads, they could see Nergal and Ningishzidda were arguing over something and Ningishzidda's two females were gesturing wildly and screaming.
They reached the other side, not too far down river from where they meant to be and dragged the boat upstream through the shallows before deciding who would paddle back across to collect others.
They met other Orcs who had left the east bank after them and North and Dog were among the crew. Bau asked if they knew what had happened with the two arguing chieftains.
"Nergal seemed to go mad with breed instinct and challenged Ningizidda for hoarding females," Dog said, "we left before it was clear if one was winner."
"It was an act," North said, "Ereshkigal has been flaunting herself before Nergal every chance she got for weeks. I think she told Nergal that if he acted mad Gish might be convinced not to kill him out of some understanding for breed instinct and perhaps let Ereshkigal go to Nergal."
"They are Nergal-Chieftain and Ningishzidda-Chieftain to you, My Pet," Dog said.
"Yes, Master," North said quickly.
Duma looked across the river and laughed. He looked down at dog then. "Dog, may Bau take this boat back across?"
"Yes, yes. Some other Orc will take this one," Dog said as packs were being tossed from both boats.
"Ugarit, Lain and Arë walked upriver. You can go help them. Jareth and Alqua will be with me."
Ugarit detangled a sack from the baggage and then went upstream.
Dog stepped very close to Duma and sniffed at the whip hanging from his belt. "You smell like new leather."
Duma unsheathed the knife on his belt and pressed the edge of the blade to Dog's face. "Back off. The leather is new, but the core of it is the whip handle Jareth surrendered to me. Dale remade the whip for me."
"Then are you Chieftain or not a Chieftain?" Dog asked slyly.
Duma felt as if everyone was looking at him. "Chieftain, but Dale's Orc, as he is Chieftain above Chieftain."
"I suppose it makes us equal."
"Yes. You are still Marduk's Orc. The Other three are his Orcs, even if they do not say it."
"Death-shadow Clan is very small. Maybe too small to protect Elves inside the Mines," Dog said. "We think it good Lady Swan is with us. She likes to study Orcs. She will have her chance."
"We will do well enough. You should know size is not the most important thing, Dog."
North chortled.
"Do not worry, if you get yourself killed, we will protect the Elves. The Ladies and young Lain. Safe and unspoiled they will be."
"The three with me are able to protect themselves. I am certain Lain's bow can pierce Mine-dweller armor. Anyway, Loriol will have both your heads if you touch him."
"We are good Orcs, Duma. Much better than the ones in the Mines, maybe."
"May be," Duma said.