Part Forty-one
Two mornings came before the ten companions were resupplied, rested and prepared to depart the city. They gathered in the yard near the stables, collecting their mounts from the grooms and fitting gear and baggage onto the animals. Beryl had not recolored his hair, but stood with his hood drawn, observing the others at their work. Kato came to him, carrying some of his own luggage. "Will you help me load the horse?" he asked. "I miss my pony sometimes."
"You will see your pony again, Little One. We will wait a few more minutes."
"Wait for what?"
Beryl only nodded.
Less than a minute later Reif came with some of his Men, carrying baskets and bags. "The Ladies bid me deliver this to you," Reif said to Tsuki. "Food stores and sundries for your journey. Take what you can carry."
"You must thank the Ladies for us. The city has been most generous to us."
"My cousin-in-law and myself are agreed that you took little pay for yourself though you gave extraordinary service. For that alone I would have suggested the King resupply your party, but the Ladies came upon the idea themselves it seems."
"Please send my thanks to them," Tsuki said and then bowed slightly. Beside them, the others in Tsuki's company had already begun opening the containers and claiming goods for themselves, though Beryl stood aside.
At this point in their journey, it was understood who might best use which items and what horse currently had the least weight to carry, so the goods were divided quickly.
As they were packing still, the locals around them began a loud murmur. The King was coming into the yard; bows, curtsies or salutes were variously given. Behind the King a grey horse walked, perhaps not one reserved for the local royal family, but that in any other kingdom it would be considered so fine.
"Beryl's reward," Tsuki surmised.
"I am told they agreed upon it yesterday," Reif said, "It is one that you rescued."
"Yes," Tsuki agreed. A brand had been added above the royal one to mark the animal as given from the herd as a gift and not stolen.
Beryl supposed that the King and his Men knew that the horses belonging to his party were sired or foaled by those they bred, if not stolen or found as strays; most fine horses of the world were bred by the Horse-Lords. Beryl took the lead from the King. He supposed also that the King of these people was as knowledgeable regarding horseflesh or more so than Beryl and that he knew he was giving up a pregnant mare. This gift was in thanks for more than the rescue of some horses.
"There are horses with your brand in my stables in Newhaven. I shelter them and do not sell or trade them, though I will their offspring."
The King nodded once. "Our people were forced to turn many loose during the attacks from the west, as Riders were not always with the villages and the Orcs would take them if left in the corrals. Many of our people were carried to safety by our horses, and yet we lost many horses and people. The roads to the forts and cities were made perilous."
"When I left your people, I found many horses west of the fords. I believe they were ridden as far as the river and fled across when their riders were lost."
"They are cared for now? Your companions tell me there are many Orcs abroad in the west."
"My daughter is minding my estate there until my return. If you send Riders there, she will give over any horses with your brand to them. Her name is Finloriel and you may ask for her on Bloom Street or at the Ranger's post."
"I did not realize that you had children, but then..."
"Your Highness realizes now. I have yet two that survive and have not departed."
"Then I shall trust you to take care with this one." The King patted the horse's neck.
"I thank you. You and your kin have been generous."
The King laughed and shifted his gaze to Lenaduiniel. "We know Beryl and Tsuki as our friends and have heard only good of feeding Halflings, and we trust that the Elves of the Wood will repay us in kind, should we travel through their domain."
"You and yours will be treated with like generosity should I be in my homeland," Lenaduiniel promised, "And I shall post a message home, guaranteeing such treatment even if I should be away, as soon as I am again in Elven territory, for messengers from your lands would not be welcomed until I have sent word."
"A fair treaty," the King said.
Beryl turned to speak to Kato. "We will load this horse."
"Very well. You mean together? What shall you do with your other horse, then, if it is not even to carry luggage?"
"Sell it," Beryl said. He looked then at Duma, who was looking rather strange and Orcish, despite having an Elven scarf over his ears, a Wood Elven bow over his shoulder, a Highlander wool coat, and boots and belt buckle made by the Horse-Lords.
Duma realized Beryl and Kato were staring toward him. "You want the green Elfstone."
"Do you wish the horse? I refuse to give you one, but if you buy it, then it is not my loss if you decide to eat it," Beryl grinned.
Kato thought Beryl was feeling better.
Duma never wanted to taste horse again. He remembered the smell of it roasting and all the labor and the stench of its innards when he carried them away from camp for wolves to find. "It is not polished," Duma said, hoping perhaps Beryl would not ask for the stone again.
"If you polish it for me, I will let you have the saddle and the rest of the gear as well." The King had seen that Beryl's reward included equipage as fine as the horse that wore it.
Duma clacked his barbell against his teeth. "Not the largest one. I am not stupid. A horse is valuable, but the stone is valuable and more rare and difficult to obtain than a horse."
"Large enough to make a pin to close my cloak, and you make the setting as well."
"You will be sure to say I made it, if people should ask where you came by the pin?"
"Of course."
It must certainly be a lie that Elves did not bargain well, Duma thought.
"Agreed?"
"Agreed."
"Here is your horse, then. She is strong and perhaps young enough to bear another foal. I cannot guarantee she will let you ride her, but I can say she will carry your things. If you learn to whistle and keep her groomed, fed and watered she will serve you quite well, I think."
"'Perhaps'? You 'think'?"
"I will expect prompt delivery of my payment."
"Duma, as you have a horse now, perhaps you could carry this mail tunic I got from the King. You can make something more befitting out of it, can't you?"
Duma staggered as he caught the steel mail Dale tossed at him.
"Oh, if it is not too much trouble, could you carry these blacksmith tools the Ladies sent to us?" Lenaduiniel asked, "It is only a basic traveling set."
Made of steel, Duma thought as Lena put the roll of tool in his hand.
"Ah, then you can carry the horseshoes," Kato said. "Our horse should not have too heavy a load right now."
"And this hammer to pound stakes for tents and shelters I have been carrying," Laurel suggested.
"A share of food stores you should carry."
"And this bag of flint and hammer stones," Dale added.
"Would you like help in loading your horse?" Tsuki asked.
"If you please," Duma growled, struggling to hold all the metal and stone that was being given him.
When finally the horses were loaded, the ten companions set out for the city's east gate, with the locals coming from their homes and shops to see those who had become the focus of their rumors and thus source of much recent entertainment. As they passed through their gate, they took up their usual order, with Kato navigating from a forward position and Dale and Tsuki at the rear of the line. This day, Beryl and Duma both walked beside their horses, as the others rode.
When the gates closed, Reif called out to those in the streets. "Riders of the East Country, to your horses. We ride out today to patrol for Orcs! Those who rode with us from the West Country, you are dismissed. May you and yours stay safe."
Several miles east of the city, Dog watched through his goggles. He was beginning to tire, after being on watch for several days, but now he did not dare nod or close his eyes, as Marduk had come. Marduk had sent the greater part of their Clan back to the hollows beneath the Wizard's Vale, with instructions for his Band Leaders to move the Clan somewhere farther north if the Rangers posed trouble, but to avoid returning to the Mines without him.
They were two large Bands strong now, with a little more than half the Orcs loyal to Marduk alone, and a lesser number lead by Razh-Razh, a Leader among Mine-Dwellers who had been a Leader under Nimrod and who was now loyal enough to Marduk.
There were five females among them, including one who was newly born to Marduk's second female, Damkina. Her little one, Tashmetum, was not Marduk's offspring, and Damkina should have been given to another Orc in his Clan now she was no longer with child, but Death-shadow had not given them time to have contests to decide who should keep Damkina. Marduk had suggested that he would continue to keep Damkina and her newborn female in his protection at least until the little one could feed itself, and no Orc had objected. Four females were too many for one Orc, Marduk thought, and he was determined to do something with Ugarit before she grew so peculiar as the others.
Sarpanit was strong and offered herself with pretended struggle and gave Marduk pleasure, but she did not act as other Orcs who had served Marduk in such manner, or any Orcs that were loyal to him. He saw that she went to his Orcs and gave them commands as if they belonged also to her. He saw how she whispered with the other females. Every time he thought to punish her, Sarpanit would remove the armor she wore and spread her legs wide, and then Marduk would forget whatever had angered him.
Sarpanit was angered that Damkina was staying with Marduk and made Marduk fight to prove he could have her. Damkina offered herself now very willingly, but Marduk had seen the birthing of Tashmetum and even though he had no difficulty penetrating similar passage on Sarpanit's body, to think of doing so with Damkina made him think of all the dark blood and birth-water.
The little one cried. Marduk almost regretted bringing his females with him, but he knew that if he left them with another Orc he would not seem a good Chieftain, and some other Orc might take all of them and leave Marduk without any Precious Thing.
For now, Marduk trusted he could rely on Ugarit. She was, like all spawned females, half Westerner and smart. She knew this land instinctively. She was not yet old enough to be so unsettling as the fully-grown females. Though, Marduk knew some Orcs would be glad to have her for themselves. Some had even come and dared ask for her. Not all those with Marduk knew of his arrangement with Duma. They did not need to know. Yet, if Duma did not hurry in proving his loyalty, Ugarit would be grown and Marduk would have to fight for her, or leave Ugarit to fend Orcs off. As Chieftain, Marduk would say they should not attack Ugarit more than one at a time, but he did not really have time to watch her so carefully.
Marduk was not the most knowledgeable Orc when it came to Man cities, but he had an Easterner with him that knew the lands east, and his Orc had informed Marduk that they were close to a powerful Man city and that more Elves and Men lived across the River and were the sort who might plot against Orcs.
"You see them, Dog, do you?" Ugarit asked, from the grassy ground near the charred remains of a Man hut they occupied.
Dog hissed. "I see riders. I was only waiting to see if it was Death-Shadow before telling Marduk."
"It must be Duma and the others. The ones who put heads on pikes wear mail that makes a painful glare in sunlight. Lower ranked Men would have less horses, more wheel-things."
Dog lifted his head. "It is Death-shadow. They have left the city. I found them!" he told Marduk.
Ugarit snarled as she continued to track the moving horses. They were not riding very fast, she decided.
"Shall we attack, My Cheiftain?" Razh-Razh asked, crouched in his spiked armor near Marduk's right leg.
"No one move!" Marduk growled. "If you are still, the Elves will see only the dark shape of this ruin."
"Not attacking?" Razh-Razh asked.
Marduk was annoyed with his Band Leader. He thought he would soon have to do something to make this Orc more loyal or submissive, or else kill him. That would seem a waste, as Razh-Razh was an exceptionally good fighter with bow and short sword for one of the little Mine-Dwellers. "Fool," Marduk growled, "Do you know how many Men are inside a city that big?"
Razh-Razh did not seem to know, he only squinted his yellow eyes up at Marduk and remained otherwise motionless.
Marduk did not know how many Men there were. "More than two Bands!" Marduk said firmly. "We cannot attack within sight of the city. They will ride out after us. We must wait for Death-shadow to pass and then follow him."
"Dog, do they sleep in beds?" Ugarit asked.
Dog had only twice been in a Man city, but he had heard from other Orcs what they had seen of Men and had seen the inside of a Man house to steal from them. "Sometimes a kind of mat on the floor, but other times a constructed thing, like Elves use. They use beds to rest, I think. They are too fragile to sleep on the ground."
"How many beds are in one house?"
"That is nonsense. What do you need to know that for?"
"If you know how many sleep in one house and you add that number again for every house you see, then you would know how many Men live in a city and if an army of Orcs is more or less."
"We are not inside the walls to count the houses."
"We saw how large the buildings were and how wide the streets. We know the distance we walked along the outside of the walls. We could guess the number of houses closely."
Marduk already knows there are many."
"They have a new horse," Ugarit said. "Look."
"Nine?" Dog asked. He did know how to count, but adding again and again as Ugarit suggested seemed complex to him.
"They had nine, then Duma killed one, so they had eight, now they have nine again, but look, Duma has a horse. Green-cloak used to ride it with that Halfling. Now, the Halfling is on that new horse. See, it is colored like shiny bark...like the moon...or dirty clouds. They did not have one that color before."
"Like an Elf cloak." Dog spoke more loudly, for Marduk to hear, "They gained a horse."
"And they move slowly," Ugarit whispered.
"And move slowly," Dog repeated. He could see for himself that they did not ride hard, but thought it better to take credit while he was able, than to argue with Ugarit with Marduk so close. Marduk granted Dog and Ugarit both a great amount of freedom, considering their ranks, and demanded few tasks of them now that he had the other females to occupy himself with. He only asked that they scout, tell him what they found, and share meat when they had it.
Dog was asked less to pleasure Marduk and more to gather or hunt food for him. It was not an unusual task for a pet. They were within a Clan to serve their master, if they wanted pleasure, food, a guardian, a scout, a forager, or one to tend a fire.
Ugarit was not a pet, but she was not anything else that Orcs were accustomed to having among them. She did not mind that Marduk gave her tasks to accomplish, though she was sorry she could not use the bow she had won very well. She had only hit one thing that was even half alive, and that had been a bird Dog had already felled with his bow.
Sarpanit and Damkina did not hunt. They tended fire, cooked for the Chieftain, ate as much as they served him while other Orcs had less, and pulled at Ugarit's ears and demanded she report anything she learned to them. Aladima, Razh-Razh's female, was more agreeable, but her companionship did not always seem advantageous, as she often was preoccupied with whether she had become pregnant or whether it was safe to carry the offspring of one that was not male.
Whatever Aladima decided, Sarpanit would always come and knead her belly until she bled and say that she should offer herself to one of the strong males, if he would challenge and defeat Razh-Razh, or that she should allow Sarpanit to bring some of Marduk's seed to her. Marduk and Sarpanit both agreed that the Clan should have more strong Orcs or more females to bear strong, smart Orcs; and those who were neithermale or female had become less advantageous to them.
Sarpanit sometimes said that even Dwarves did not truly spring from the earth as Orcs did and that their previous method of breeding was something forced upon them by Wizards to make them as slaves, and now clearly a trait which could be bred from their race.
It seemed to be a fashion with Orcs now to speak of breeding desirable traits into their Clans. It was not an entirely new thing, as for ages Orcs had overheard their masters speaking of working their Art and Sorcery to create Orcs that were stronger, smarter, more camouflaged, or better warriors. Now it was work Orcs took onto themselves.
The females found it especially important to their own survival in the Clans to convince many Orcs that the old ways of breeding were flawed, as they would only remain valued if it was believed they would bear better Orcs than could come of breeding pits.
Marduk's Clan understood this more than others, the four older females with Marduk and the ones left behind with his loyal Leaders all understood they should make their opinions on breeding known and that they should bear the strongest, smartest Orcs they were able.
Ugarit understood, though lately she thought that perhaps the females might prove valuable to the Clan simply for being smart and strong and not only because they had different bodies that could carry growing offspring. If she learned to hunt or work some craft the Clan depended on, then it would always be advantageous to keep her and disadvantageous to challenge her. Even thinking as she did, Ugarit was lately just as curious about the workings of breeding and whether it would be painful or pleasurable. Sometimes Sarpanit had pulled at her ears and said she should only submit to an Orc who was large and small-eared, as Ugarit yet seemed lithe and not all Orcs found Northern ears desirable; the females did notice that the born offspring resembled somewhat both the male and female that had made them.
Sarpanit was also half Northerner, and only slightly older than Ugarit, but she had grown small ears. Damkina was half Easterner and though having Westerner features and coloring, her legs seemed disproportionately short compared to her torso and she stood barely taller than a Mine-Dweller. Ugarit did not dislike her ears. They could hold more trophies. As soon as she killed prey with her bow she was going to carve the bone into pins for her ears and make several holes in each. Northern ears were good for hearing in misty lands where keen eyesight was not enough to find prey, and they served as well when there was no fog.
"They make their pace faster now, and ride on a road," Ugarit said, an ear close to the ground.
"I see them," Dog said, every one mounted. They do not yet force their horses to run their fastest."
"We move now," Marduk barked, "Stay low. Dog, keep them at the limit of your sight."
Marduk snapped his whip once and the Orcs moved. They moved in loose formation, jogging and then pausing to scan for enemies and prey before moving again.
The gates of the city opened and the Marshal and Lord of the East Country rode forth with his Men well prepared for an Orc-hunt. They were armored in mail, spears were sharp, shields strong, ropes were ready to throw, provisions for a week afield were carried, and a pack of hounds was running with them.
Reif checked the position of the sun. There had been time now for Beryl, Tsuki and their companions to ride just out of sight of the city, it was just the time when any Orcs in the area would choose to begin a pursuit in earnest, if they had any Mannish level of wit. Reif made hand signals to his Men and the riders took up the arranged formation, riding in a wide line with the dogs before them, to sweep the plains for Orcs.
Dale looked up from Nightmare's back and Tsuki called to him. "How many?"
"Too many." There was a great number of blackbirds circling overhead.
"Then the Orcs are certainly following again."
Dale gave a nod and looked back over his shoulder as he rode. To the west, a cloud of dust had been churned up from the ground and so he knew the Riders had come from the city. He could not yet make out the position of the Orcs. The plains here were sparsely treed, but quite overgrown with grasses. Good for grazing, but Orcs would be suitably camouflaged if they kept low and did not move too quickly. "I cannot see them, but the Riders have come from the city."
"A good time for Orcs to attack the city, if we were not their quarry," Tsuki commented.
"You're a little morbid sometimes, ya know?"
"Am I?"
Gwindor reigned in his horse to drop back to speak to Dale. "Do you see them?"
"No, but the birds say there will be a battle. A big one."
"Have they brought their full number into this country?" Gwindor asked. "It would seem madness to me."
"They are at least dangerously fixated," Tsuki said.
"How fast do we ride, Gwindor?" Dale asked. "Just slow enough so that as we are overtaken, the Riders overtake the Orcs, or so fast as to draw the Orcs away from those who have already been so generous to us?"
"I would say, if that Orc-King or whatever he fancies himself has brought all his army, either choice is bad, as we may suffer heavy losses even in surrounding the Orcs. And if they number is small, it does not matter what we do. The Orcs will be outmatched."
"There is a third consideration," Tsuki pointed out, "They have just enough Orcs to make the battle difficult."
"A prolonged and pointless battle it is, or there would not be such a cloud overhead."
Gwindor looked t the sky. "They follow where death goes."
"Dogs," Duma said softly. Laurel and Lenaduiniel were within hearing. Duma pulled the scarf from his head and turned his head. "I hear dogs."
"It seems those ears are more than just decorative," Laurel laughed.
"It is a horrible sound," Duma said, "like something that has found prey."
Lenaduiniel reigned in her horse, noticing that Duma nearly swayed from his again; he was no so experienced a rider that he could make broad movements on horseback and maintain his balance. Lena brought her horse around and listened. Gwindor's horse moved aside instinctively to avoid hers, though Gwindor questioned her position with his gaze. "That is the sound of a hunt," Leanduiniel told the others.
"Shoot the birds!" Marduk ordered. He had seen these black birds several times while on Death-shadow's trail and he did not think it was only the anticipation of corpses that drew them. The Wizard of the Vale had employed such creatures as his spies; they had been on the same side as the Orcs then.
"Marshal, there! They give away their position in shooting down the carrion birds."
"Ride!" Reif called.
"Run. Run now!" Marduk ordered.
"You gave away our position in having the archers shoot the birds," Razh-Razh hissed as he loped alongside Marduk.
"The birds serve Death-shadow and his Wizard," Marduk growled, "They would have learned our position anyway, fool."
"The Riders..." Razh-Razh insisted.
"Have dogs!"
Ugarit ran toward Marduk and stopped short, knives drawn. "Dogs are on our scent," she panted, "I can hear them baying."
"We did not come into this country unprepared for horse-boys," Marduk growled. The Orcs closest to him cheered him on and grunted agreement. They had left the Mines hastily, some in the Clan more armed and armored than others, but since splitting their force at the hollows, the Bands with Marduk had taken on all the weaponry and armor that others could spare or that could be scavenged from the debris beneath the Vale. They had taken supplies from a party of Highlanders since.
Marduk hung his whip at his belt and drew his second large squared-off Orcish sword from his back and around him, other Orcs made weapons ready as they moved, or variously made final adjustments to armor or lowered visors.
Marduk then tossed both swords into one hand to grasp Ugarit's arm. She trembled, as her Chieftain was so much larger and stronger than she. "Sarpanit!" Marduk growled.
The female came to Marduk's side, wielding a Mannish sword herself.
"You gather the females. This one will be your guide. She knows the land."
"We can stay and fight with you!" Ugarit said boldly.
Sarpanit snarled, but Marduk stooped and put his face before Ugarit's and growled at her. She was frightened, but not so completely undone as when she had realized that Duma had taken a wound to protect her. Even so, Ugarit flinched from Marduk.
"You lead the females, Ugarit. If you track Death-shadow, the Clan will find you later. These horse-boys must not see you!" Marduk straightened and spoke to Sarpanit. "They must not see you and live!"
"Then, they will die," Sarpanit promised.
"Go now," Marduk said, loosing Ugarit. "I will deal with these horse-boys and then come for you."
"Razh-Razh, you must send your female with us," Sarpanit told the Leader.
Razh-Razh grunted and Aladima came from behind, carrying no weapons. Ugarit snarled and turned one of her knives to pass it to Aladima, but Razh-Razh growled and took a short, scavenged Dwarven axe from his belt. "I can supply my own Orcs."
Sarpanit turned and called to Damkina, who was nearby and clearly awaiting an order, while she spoke to the little one in a bundle slung across her chest. Around them, the other Orcs were calling orders and observations to each other as they gathered into some semblance of battle formation. In the War, the Orcs belonging to the Dark Lord and the Wizard had received training in waging battle and in field strategy, but most of these Orcs were spawned within the last several years or had dwelled farther north or within the mines and had answered to no master that offered training.
"We must run fast now," Ugarit told the other females. "The Men have dull senses, but if their dogs or horses find us, these Men will show no mercy and take all our heads if they do not have play with us first. Look for anything that might disguise our scent, and I will watch where we are going."
Sarpanit tugged at one of Ugarit's ears. "I did not see the Chieftain hand you a whip. He ordered you to guide, not give orders."
"I cannot guide the dead. You listen if you want to get away alive!"
"I am strong enough to guard my own life."
"Let her guide," Damkina hissed. "Tashmetum is so little. I cannot run or fight so well carrying her."
"The male I will bear should have a female. I will carry her if you are too weak."
"I can carry what I bore!"
"East!" Ugarit yelled, "Wait for the dogs if you are bitches!"
"Ride to their rear!" Reif ordered, ride around to the northeast and rope them in!"
"Charge South!" Marduk barked. "Do not let them circle and cut off our path to Death-shadow!"
"What do you see?" Tsuki asked Dale.
"What?"
"Who will be overtaken first?"
Dale shifted his gaze from the north back toward the converging Orcs and Riders. "The Riders are performing a circling maneuver I think."
"They typically will try to surround an enemy force by circling on horseback," Tsuki said.
"Like roping cattle," Beryl said, "These Orcs may be familiar with the formation. That Leader of theirs must be snapping the whip quite hard. I do not think the Marshal will catch them all with this maneuver, but only those at the rear."
Tsuki looked through his glass. "Some riders have broken from the group."
"Some Orcs broke from the group," Dale said
"What do you think, Brother, do our allies need us?"
"I can see them more clearly now," Galadhiel said, "These Orcs are well armed. I think their forces are evenly matched."
"Surely the Riders are accustomed to fighting Orcs, and if we ride back and even lose one, their effort and ours may be in vain."
"Kato should decide," Dale said.