Part Forty-eight
"I never saw an Orc faint before," Kato said.
"How many Orcs have you been company to?"
Kato shrugged. "Do you know what is going on? Have you seen Tsuki or Dale?"
Duma lifted Ugarit from the water and shook his head. "I was about to ask you the same sort of question. How did you come here? And do you know if the others were taken prisoner?"
Kato sighed. "So, is that the one Dale, Marduk and yourself have passed around? Have you made her yours, then?"
Duma scowled. "What manner of question is that for a time such as this?"
Kato gave a sharp nod. "Perhaps we should get inside. I apologize for my poor hospitality! You look like you have seen battle and treacherous river crossings and not had a wink of sleep or a decent meal, I wager. I have not had my first breakfast yet, as minding this little one is rather time consuming, but I did get supper and a midnight snack."
"What can you mean? Have you found some old hut or shed to shelter in out here?"
"Nothing such as that," Kato admitted, "but the place I found might be preferable by Orc thinking. If you can carry that one, I will show you. I am afraid I only caught one tiny fish, but there are still some stores that survived all our recent river crossing."
"You have the baggage."
"Most of it." Kato stood and watched as Duma struggled. All the gear hanging from Ugarit and Duma was cumbersome, being that he was also carrying Ugarit. "Can you manage?"
"I do not see that you can help, being so little and carrying the baby," Duma said as he staggered up the bank.
Kato followed, holding the baby in one arm and lifting the fisherman's basket, which now held one fish, in his free hand. It was a little understood fact about his people that their newborns were not very much smaller than those of Men or Elves and the females of his race were naturally able to bear such children, and Halfling arms were quite able to carry them. They were sturdy and enduring folk, though little when compared to most other races. Dwarves were not so much taller, but a lot broader.
Kato moved past Duma and walked toward his shelter. "Here," he said, admiring the well-rounded hole he had dug.
"I think your new home will be small for us." Duma did not think even one of a race sometimes called Hole-Dwellers could dig a home in one night.
"Only the entrance is little, so as to not be very noticeable or accessible to Big People. If you are to do much coming and going, I will widen the doorway, but you are thin, so I think you can squeeze through this once."
Duma laid Ugarit on the ground, at which she woke. Kato glanced warily at her then ducked inside the hole. Duma unloaded his gear and pushed it through the entrance before him. "He is the Halfling I know. You can call him Kato. He will let us take shelter here," he said to Ugarit.
Kato put the baby in her bed and lit his lantern. Duma could see the interior then, through the doorway. Kato had not made the shelter, but the entrance to it. The cave Kato stood in was natural.
"You will have to push your bow and quiver through to fit," Duma said. "I will go first."
Ugarit gave a weary nod and watched Duma crawl into the hole in the sloping land. There was an outcropping of rock higher up the slope. "He has found a cave?"
"You brought fish?" Kato called from within.
"Ugarit caught them."
"Oh, will she share?"
"It seems fair, but you will have to ask her."
Ugarit crawled through the hole. Her leg hurt. The dirt floor sloped slightly downward into another chamber, but the roof was stone that had grown from dripping water. No Orc could stand in the entrance, but Duma was already in the next chamber and managed a stoop.
Duma found the cave quite interesting and had half a mind to explore it, but the other half said food and rest were more important. Kato had made a rather comfortable living space for himself, if cluttered. Damp bags, garments and bedding were hanging from pointed rocks. Spare weapons were neatly lined along one rocky wall. The boxes and bags of food had been opened and neatly arranged for inspection. In another area various tools and supplies had been similarly lain out. Everything was ordered for drying, inventory and repacking.
"The stove as well. Excellent," Kato said as he looked through the pile made of Duma and Ugarit's gear. "Would you mind sharing your catch, Miss Ugarit, as I am sharing my shelter with you?" He pronounced her name as if it were not Goblin, though Duma was certain he had spoken it to Kato correctly. "Miss Oogareet," he said.
She sat on the rippled floor, weight supported by her right arm, knife in her left hand, and looking at Tashmetum. Kato had made a sort of bed for her out of one of the saddles. He sat upon one himself, the curve of it such that the saddle supported the lower portion of his back.
"She is unharmed, and healthy, so far as I can determine. She was very wet and unhappy when I found her. I did not know what to feed her, so I managed a small fire to cook some of the rice and mashed it up a bit. I am afraid the grain has become infested with some manner of weevils, though I did not realize when I prepared her meals. I was quite tired and had not finished unpacking. She ran right into my raft, such as it was, gave me a real fright, I will tell you. Someone had rigged the basket between lengths of wood such that it floated...somewhat."
The Halfling was strange. He spoke so quickly and with a strange accent. Ugarit had killed Men, but never had a conversation with one for any length of time, and never on nearly friendly terms. She had never seen a Halfling at such close distance before, though she had glimpsed Kato before and heard stories of his race. Sometimes they carried horrible Elven daggers, it was said.
"She, she, she," Ugarit hissed.
Kato looked sternly at Ugarit. He refused to be threatened by her. "You cannot think me so foul as that. She needed cleaning and dressing. Of course I recognize her gender. I already knew there were females of your race from Dale and we have still not told others outside our company. Dale does not think it necessary for them to know."
"It is true," Duma agreed.
Ugarit could not take the cave from the Halfling, because Duma would stop her and then refuse to aid her. He was useful enough, and smart. It was better for Orcs not to be alone. She spoke to Duma then, using as many Goblin terms as possible, so that Kato would not understand. "What do I do to make the Halfling share the cave while I rest and heal? You make him understand, I will not be his Orc, I will just join his camp, if it seems advantageous to him."
Duma smiled uneasily at Kato and then answered Ugarit. "He has already cared for Tashmetum with nothing in return. He would probably do the same for you, if he were convinced you were not a danger to him and those he considers friends, but Kato knows you are one of Marduk's Orcs, he is too smart to trust you entirely. You will have to offer him something, even if it seems a poor offering. Something to allow him to pretend he has not been used and for you to pretend you do not really need our help right now. Halflings enjoy food and drink."
Ugarit growled. Sometimes, the male Orcs seemed to roar, as Kato would describe it, but to him Ugarit's sounds seemed like those of a housecat, though perhaps a slightly large one. She did not seem so fearsome as the males, to him. She separated the bundle of fish and several skins and flasks from the gear and pushed them toward Kato. "I will share the cave with you, Halfling, accept this food and drink, and allow me to remove some of your burden. I will care for Tashmetum now and take her with me when I leave."
"Tashmetum, that is her name then? I was calling her Violet."
Duma laughed.
"Tashmetum," Ugarit repeated. "She is of my Clan. I will care for her."
"But, you seem so young to care for a baby, not that I am any more experienced, but we can all share in the responsibility."
Ugarit hissed.
Duma sighed. "Kato, but is it not good of Ugarit to remove the burden from you? Is it not worth something to you, such as the trouble of sharing the cave?"
Kato laughed. He looked right at Ugarit and said, "Now I think of it, it is such a novel thing, I think I might just hold onto her. Adopt her maybe. Yes. It is no trouble. She may be very useful to me just in remaining in my care."
"He cannot keep her!" Ugarit complained to Duma.
"He does not really want her...do you, Kato? He was only calling your bluff. Did I not mention that Kato is a merchant? He makes his living by trade, and I suppose he is good at it, because he does have a lot of money." This reminded Duma of something. "Kato, was my bag among the things you brought across the river?"
"Yes. The contents are likely now separated in various piles, but what I found of your things is now here."
Duma sighed, very much relieved.
"Duma, make the Halfling agree, or I will hurt him!"
Duma clacked the bar in his tongue against his teeth. "Kato, you must agree to let her take Tashmetum when she leaves us. It is better for Orcs to be with other Orcs. Just let Ugarit stay and share the camp for a while, for my sake, and I will settle with you later."
"Very well, I will accept later payment from you, on Ugarit's behalf...and she may take Violet with her at such time she leaves our company."
"Enough?" Duma asked Ugarit.
She scowled. The Halfling had now made her indebted to Duma, and Duma had already saved her from injury twice, and one of those instances could possibly be counted as saving her life. She did not like this, and Marduk would not like it. If she did not do something for Duma, then she would not be Marduk's Orc to give to Duma later, she would just be Duma's Orc. Ugarit snorted. Duma was smart and strong and useful, but she still did not very much desire becoming on of Death-shadow's Clan. She was not certain she desired to be Duma's female, either.
Duma smiled at Kato, baring fangs. He had a fair idea why Ugarit was upset, but as it involved his having power over her, he did not care enough to be sad. Duma thought the power more satisfying than any sort of breeding activity that might be expected in the future, not that he wished to use the power to harm her.
"Well, that is settled. You two can hang your clothes to dry and organize your gear. Please, make beds anywhere you find comfortable. You can use some of the saddles if that will help, though I have claimed these." Kato gestured to the area he sat in. "I will see if I cannot get the stove operating and make us some breakfast. I suppose then it should seem natural to you to sleep in the day, but we have business, at least there are some things I would discuss with you, Duma."
"Yes. I am interested to know what you know and to learn your plans. If you mean to find and arrange or force the release of our companions, I will help you with that. Ugarit says Dale and Tsuki were arrested."
"The Men took them north," Ugarit said. She lifted those things that were hers and limped into another chamber.
"She is wounded?" Kato whispered.
"Kicked by a horse. Swollen and bruised, but the bone does not seem to be broken."
"She limps badly. It might not be fully broken, but cracked. That can happen."
"Really?"
"I will have this part of the cave. Duma can come in, but he cannot share. No Halfling!"
"She does not trust you," Duma said quietly.
"Does she need a light?"
"No. She can see perfectly in there, by the lantern in this room, even color. In total darkness she would have trouble, but a Mine-dweller would still be able to track motion then."
"She is very...female."
Duma laughed. "She is the most sensible one of them."
"Really? Perhaps the pain has her aggravated." Kato grinned and then spoke up loudly, "They would both make good hostages to use against Marduk, but I am an honorable sort, so I will allow them both to go free when Ugarit wishes to leave us."
Ugarit cursed Duma and the Halfling as she took a swig from her remaining flask.
Duma finished hanging his clothes to dry and stripped down to his underclothes, began arranging his weapons along the wall.
"Much of the gear is still damp," Kato confessed, "I did not think a larger fire wise. It should all dry out in time."
"I am not cold."
Kato shrugged and returned to the stove. He had been in the same camp as Duma long enough that he knew what he looked like naked and the sight had ceased to interest him greatly. Duma being scantly clad was truly no concern to him.
It seemed very strange to Ugarit. She had seen very scantly clad Orcs, but Duma had always worn clothing that covered his skin, even when in the mines. Other Orcs were not his color. He looked like a naked Elf. The most naked Elf Ugarit had ever seen was Death-shadow, and only once at close distance.
The near-nakedness in Duma seemed curious, because it was unusual. Ugarit stood and watched him speaking to Kato a long while, before she walked into that chamber to say that Tashmetum would sleep in her section of the cave.
"Reif is likely still in the area," Duma said, as Kato was serving the fish. They had each nearly finished telling the other what they had witnessed through the night.
Kato gave a nod. "Breakfast, Miss Ugarit," Kato called, misnaming her apurpose. "I do not know that I wish to trust him."
"I know I do not wish to trust him, but even seeming at odds with those other Men, we do know that he would recognize us and as one of their countrymen, would have some chance of finding what has become of the others. Tsuki is his friend, after a fashion."
Reif woke in his room within Odin's residence, which had been Odel's until recently. Reif had spent a night transporting injured Men, collecting those who had fallen, or in some cases only parts of their bodies, and wading through gore to do it. Perhaps wading was exaggeration, but the field always seemed more gruesome after the fighting was done, Reif thought. A day he had spent plowing up lands along the river, where once tenant fishermen had lived and worked, felling trees to make fire breaks and sweating near the flames as the scent of burning wood and Orc flesh filled the air. The last night he had spent siting in vigil with Odel's kin, as they had not yet been able to arrange the Lord's burial.
Reif had washed himself the night before, but he still felt as if the smell of death clung to him. Now it was decay and flowers, rather than blood and smoke, but it still smelled of death.
Reif rose, washed his hands and face, and then dressed in borrowed mourning attire. He belted his sword about his hips and then left the room. The servants he passed looked more somber than usual.
In the Marshal's small audience chamber, which was still larger than any room in a house belonging to common people, Odel's widow sat near the large casket. It was the usual custom for bodies to be shrouded and lain out before burial, but in this case, the decapitation necessitated some form of container, and this was what had been found.
The Lady Cirsten looked up as Reif entered the room. He had been near covered in blood and soot last she had seen him. Now he looked in keeping with his reputation, which was to say Reif seemed handsome and perhaps rakish. Ladies often said that the young Marshal to the south was handsome to look at. Men often spoke of his skill at riding, hunting or war. Odel had been the one to call him rakish. This Lord had not gotten on well with Cirsten's late husband.
Odel had prayed the King would soon gain an heir, so that Lord Marshal Reif Kurt never gained the throne. Such an heir would also have meant Odel was farther from the throne, but such was the dislike between the Lords. Cirsten tried to keep apprised of gossip if not news, and she knew those in the south viewed had viewed her husband as a less cultured country Lord. Her father had governed for his liege lord, Odel and Odin's father, lands even farther north and Cirsten had found her husband cultured and educated compared to her own kin.
Reif stopped just inside an impolite distance and bowed deeply to Cirsten. "My Dear Lady," he said, "If there is anything I may do for your people, do not hesitate to speak."
Somehow, when he spoke, Cirsten was certain he truly meant, "If I can ease your grieving by taking Odel's place in your bed, give me a sign." Cirsten blushed hotly to think it.
Reif kept his expression blank, but that his eyes seemed too merry when he looked at Cirsten. She was more beautiful than noble. Her family's lands were so far north that it was said the beauty came from the Elf in her, as if Elves had no greater sport than dalliance with wives of Mannish country lords.
Odin came into the room then, and had a sense that something had, or was about to pass between Reif and his brother's widow. Reif grinned too jolly a greeting for such an occasion. When shall we depart to the burial site?" he asked.
"An hour hence," Odin replied flatly.
"I will go to my Men in the meanwhile and rejoin you then." Reif walked past Odin on his way to the door. He whispered to the younger Marshal, "Take Cirsten into your bed now, until she conceives, and claim the child ass your brother's."
Odin scowled. "Get out of my house." It was a barbaric custom, in his mind, this begetting of heirs upon the Lord's widow. When Men had constantly been at war it had at times seemed a necessity, and they had lost many heirs in recent history, yet Odin did not dream of doing such a thing. Cirsten was his brother's wife. He would care for her as one of his household of course, if she did not express a wish to travel back to her family's lands, but he would not wed her, or do something improper outside of marriage.
Reif shrugged as he strode to the door. Was it better to make of Cirsten a hanger on in Odin's house, never to remarry? Better, he thought, for her to carry on so, if she was also mother to the heir.
Two of Reif's Men were outside with Odin's guards; they rushed to present themselves to himas Reif appeared on the steps. "Lord Marshal, Tsuki is in jail here."
"What's that? A prisoner? The Wanderer?"
"And most of his traveling companions. We heard rumor of a group of strange prisoners, Elves among them, and were allowed to look on them. It is Tsuki, My Lord, who fought with us during the war and lately returned to our capitol."
"They are wanted, I think, for espionage," added the other.
"And whom would they be spies for?" Reif asked, sneering.
"Sir?"
Reif had not expected an answer to that query. He had visited this town befor and knew the location of the jail, as he had ransomed Men from it in the past. He walked there swiftly, his Men a step behind. They found guards outside the old building, but only the Warden was near the cells. There were workers about, as the storage house was in operation, but these were not concerned with prisoners.
The Warden accepted Reif's identity as a Marshal of his country and allowed him to go to the cells, though he would not open them. Reif looked inside the three cells, through the gates, and then returned again to the middle cell, where Tsuki was confined along with Dale. All the prisoners seemed to be resting, but when Reif stood at the bars, Tsuki raised his head and looked at him.
Reif gave a nod to him and then turned to speak to the warden. "Did these prisoners not explain they are known to Our King and have his leave to travel through our lands?"
"They explained nothing, Lord Marshal, and as we found no written decree among their possessions, we would have need of sending a messenger to the capitol and awaiting reply."
"I am telling you now, these prisoners you keep are allies to us. Why do you keep them here?"
"They are accused of various crimes..." The Warden went on to recite the local laws concerning levels of threat and rights of foreigners in times of war and civil strife and how these Elves, Easterlings and Witch out of the west had been secretive in their travels and did not visit towns as normal folk and had been close to the Orc encampment and that this was all very suspicious and clearly his people had the right to detain them as spies and that they may be released if found goodly, but they refused to speak except to demand to see a magistrate or some local equivalent student of law or public negotiator.
Reif sighed hearing this rambling speech. The laws here were not the laws of his lands, but he knew in all lands of their country foreigners were generally treated with some suspicion; Elves and Wizards did seem to appear in kingdoms of Men when trouble was on the way, and were not welcome sights for it, whether or not they brought the trouble a purpose. He had no authority here, and was himself subject to the local laws, in crossing the river. The King could superceded these laws, but much could go on without his knowing, or rather, without his knowing until it might be too late to act.
"And did they see a magistrate?" Reif asked. Kings and Lords had much to do and among his people, it was common that public magistrates were appointed to settle disputes. They also had various students of law to assist citizens in their disputes.
"No."
"And why is this, Sir?" Reif asked, his voice grating.
"My Lord, This town's magistrate is away settling a rural dispute over ownership of a calf and our only student of law was slain the day before last while battling Orcs."
"And you sought not to worry the Marshal in his time of grief?" Reif asked wearily.
"True."
"Have they had food and water at least?"
"Yes, though, the Elves will not eat. And that one there does not even seem to understand the Common Speech. I never heard of such an uneducated Elf."
Reif looked at Dale, pretending to sleep and laughed. Reif's people had schools, some commoners could even read, and they knew much of lore that other Men had forgotten over their generations, but this did not mean they were not still fearful or suspicious when those of other races came into their lands. Those living in towns and cities along the trade roads were somewhat more tolerant, but overall, the Warden would be considered quite sensible and Reif a bit strange, for he did know a few things about Elves, perhaps more than he let on in most circumstances.
"Elves will generally not eat meat that has been butchered and prepared by Men. Bring them fresh clean fruits or vegetables if your have any we have traded you in this storehouse, and water from a spring or fast flowing river. It would also be advisable to let them see the sky once every day and every night, if they have no windows. Our country is not at war with any Elves that I know of, and your wish should be for things to remain so. Do you know two of these Elves are nobles?"
"Nobles My Lord?" The Warden whispered. "Not from the..." the Warden lowered his voice even further, "Golden Wood?"
"The Green, if I am not mistaken, but they would make just as fierce foes." Reif thought that in the Wood, Elves might not treat their Mannish prisoners so kindly as this warden, but it would not help Tsuki for the Warden to understand that. It was better to encourage kind treatment. Lenaduiniel had promised her people would reconsider their past treatment of foreigners in their lands, and Reif did not think it wise to give her cause to change her mind. "Go now and tell your Men to bring suitable food. These Elves and Easterlings should leave with tales of fair treatment."
The warden turned as if to leave, and then turned back again. "I do not know that all will leave. The two in that cell are accused of buggery and Dart Art." He turned once more and ran to his guards.
Reif watched to see the warden go and then spoke to Tsuki, "Rather careless, being caught with your pants down. Such things are not understood outside of close barracks in time of war or the last bath in a public washhouse."
Tsuki rolled his eyes. "We were wearing pants," he said coldly.
Reif laughed. Tsuki sounded just like his old self in tone, but the Wandering mercenary had not been one to accept or share comfort of any kind. Men had marveled at and mocked his focus and lack of frustration on long rides away from towns and cities.
Reif's face became gravely serious; the change seemed sudden to Tsuki, who still watched him. "Where are Beryl, the Little One and Duma?"
"I do not know where Beryl has gone, but I suspect it was into the Old Forest. We do not know what has become of the other two. Duma was with the Orcs, taking a message to them, when the Men here crossed the river."
Reif nodded his understanding. At least Beryl was safe. He was too lucky to come to ill fortune in that forest, though it was said many did. Reif worried for Kato. He found the Halfling arrogant and irksome, but he did not wish him harmed.
"I did not see Duma among the dead," Reif told them. He supposed he would have recognized his strange features if he had been among the fallen.
Dale wondered if any females had been found among the dead, but he did not dare ask Reif and admit the secret; Dale only continued to pretend sleep.
"I will do what I can for you, but I have no authority in these lands," Reif said. "I am certain the King would wish you on your way, but it will take time to send a messenger or convince Odin of this. He is Marshal now, though you were likely arrested under his brother's orders. With the barrister dead and Magistrate away, I am afraid your only hope for a speedy release is an appeal to the Marshal, but he may not feel kindly, after his brother's death."
Reif felt that Beryl, Tsuki and all their companions had been guarded concerning their knowledge and experience with the Orcs. Reif was now certain the Orcs were in his country because this strange company had led them through it; if Odin realized this, he would find an excuse to hold them all and hold them accountable for his brother's death. Never mind that Odel had crossed into Reif's lands to seek his doom, Odin was not his brother, but he had loved his brother and would not consider the facts so coolly, if he suspected the Orcs sought more than horseflesh and maidens to spoil.
"Say as little about the Orcs as possible," Reif warned. He saw that the warden was returning then.
"Do you think Elves enjoy squash?" he asked.
"I am certain they do," Reif said. "Are you married?"
"Yes...what...?"
"Have you children?"
"Why yes..."
"Even served your Lord in war? Long campaigns?"
"I served as a defender of the town," the warden replied honestly.
Reif frowned. "Is the magistrate married?"
"Widower, I believe...My Lord?"
"Pay it no mind. I am only curious. Carry on with your duty."
"Do you trust him to free us?" Dale whispered when Reif had gone.
"I trust his motives in this; he desires us to be on our way. I
do not trust he has the ability to gain our release. We will need to make
a plan. We can clearly not count on the aid of a magistrate to hear our
case."