Valencia watched as her fearless leader rode out of the temple courtyard. She turned to the other members of the new order she became a part of. She ran her calloused fingers over the glittery mark on her forearm. There were now only six left from the original group from that area in Zrud just half a year ago.
“Val, did you know?” Tegan, a balding dwarf, scratched his head.
“Not until this morning,” She shook her wrist and focused, “She left a map for us to find some supplies. That’s our first mission.”
Tegan was the oldest of the group and most critiquing of anything. His son, Grandy, was a pushover compared to his father but generally followed in his footsteps. The two dwarfs had black bushy beards compared to the typical long, braided hairs. It may have been due to Tegan’s odd desire to light anything on fire he could, but Val tried hard not to think about it.
“Grandy – you, Tegan, and Yetta will be one team,” Val pointed to the elven archer to see her reaction, “That good with you, Yet?”
The elven woman shrugged her shoulders and moved to braid her hair, “Do we at least get horses?”
“I don’t know yet,” Val shook her head, “That means Ref, Poppy, Terra, and I will be on the other team. Let’s get our maps ready and leave as quickly as we can. Mira will probably take them on a lengthier ride to Berkshire, but we want –we need to get as much loot as we can before meeting up with them again.”
Poppy, the less than intelligent orc, raised his hand, “What happens when we get to Berkshire?”
“That is up to our leader,” Val smiled, “Poppy, are you ready to have fun? I know you hated all the unfun chores here.”
The blue orc grinned, “Fun!”
Val’s experience of the leaders' lover for the past five years came in handy. She knew each of the people in front of her and what made them tick. She never thought she would be where she was, but she owed it all to the fiery redhead.
“Let’s get our maps updated.”
Val walked with the group into the temple’s kitchen. The yellow orc, Sunodagh, peered at them as they entered.
“I don’t got more food,” He looked between them.
“We are taking notes from the map,” Val smiled casually, “Then we are out of your hair. I promise.”
He grunted and rubbed his shaved head. He nodded once before he continued butchering the skinless animal in front of him. Val studied the map and marked her own.
“I think my team will take the six closer to Berkshire,” She tapped the larger map to denote which ones, “Grandy, do you think you can get these four closer to the mountains?”
“Aye,” He grunted, “Maybe a fifth on our way back.”
“We should plan to meet at Rockman’s Gruff before we travel to Berkshire together,” Val scratched her head, “That may take a day or two away. Does that work for everyone? We wouldn’t be able to rest as much.”
The group didn’t respond against it. Val sketched the notes from Mira on what to look for on each buried treasure.
“Alright. Let’s map out our paths then. If something happens, I want to make sure we can get to each other.”
Grandy shakily pulled the quill to roughly sketch his intended path. Val paused him with an extended hand and looked to him.
“Grandy, do you know your way around the mountain base well enough to take this path?” She traced the line he drew.
“Of course,” He scoffed.
The lie caused Val’s ears to tingle unpleasantly. She narrowed her eyes and looked to Terra.
“Terra, you have experience in this area, right?”
“Yessim,” The blue orc woman grunted.
“Go with their team, then,” Val nodded and looked to Grandy, “Just in case you guys get lost. There’s a few orc tribes around there. Terra may be needed so you aren’t captured.”
Grandy nodded to accept the order.
“My team will take this route,” Val sketched out her intended path.
As she pulled the quill back to reach another point, the dwarven woman Ref interjected.
“Why are we heading backwards there?”
“The pond in that area floods this time of year. If it hasn’t flooded over the bridges, we can take it, but I don’t think it will be dry enough,” Val shrugged, “Always prepare for the worst.”
Ref scratched her salt and pepper beard, “What if we walk around the pond’s base?”
“That will add another day at least.”
“Aye, but it’s better than backtracking.”
“There’s a town on the edge here,” Val tapped the map, “That we can rest at before we continue.”
“That tiny shack town with the shitty bar?” Poppy grinned.
“Language!” Sunodagh grunted, “You’re in a temple.”
Poppy grumbled an apology under his breath in response.
“Yes, that one,” Val nodded, “We may be able to recruit a few more people to our cause if there’s been an uprising in the other eastern bandits clans.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea!” Ref smiled, “You’re smarter than you look, Valley.”
“Just Val,” She folded the map and handed it to Grandy, “Only Rak called me Valley, and he’s dead.”
The small group of bandits turned knights paused for a moment before Val dusted her hands off.
“Well… Once we get to Rockman’s Gruff, we can go over anything else we need. Yetta, if you find any archer pals, please recruit them. Or kidnap them until we can convince them to join us,” Val smiled to the elf, “I heard that is a specialty of yours.”
A malicious grinned spread across the woman’s face, “I’ll see what I can hunt.”
“Poppy, Ref,” Val looked to her traveling companions, “Grab your things and get ready to leave.”
“I’ll need an hour, tops,” Ref nodded.
“Can we wait until after the next meal?” Poppy stretched, “I’m hungry.”
“If it gets you out of Vimgraunt faster,” Sunodagh chuckled, “I’ll pack you meals to go.”
“Yay!” Poppy clapped his hands on the man’s shoulders, “Then I just need to get my bag.”
“Let’s plan to get to Berkshire in nine days,” Val looked to Grandy, “If you run into any trouble, there is no shame in retreating, okay?”
He frowned, “Why are you telling me that?”
“Because she knows you’re a hothead, just like your father,” Yetta smacked a hand against his back, “And that’s why she put me on your team.”
Val laughed, “Yetta, should I just put you in charge?”
“No thanks,” The elf held her hands up defensively, “I’m in no mood to do anything other than hunt and drink. Planning is always better if someone else takes over.”
“Also, if you are to recruit anyone,” Val nodded, “Make sure they know our leader is the wraith. That will boost our reputation.”
“Nine days,” Grandy grabbed Val’s forearm and shook it, “Should we have some sort of saying like we did before?”
Val thought a moment. If the Wilted Rose was to be feared across Zrud like the Razorclaw hoped to be, then they will have to come up with something good. Val’s memory flickered to the wraith, a shadowy monster with glowing eyes that terrified anyone that saw it.
She gripped his forearm back, “By her shadow.”
“Oh, I like that,” Grandy squeezed her arm, “By her shadow.”
His team walked through the backdoor of the kitchen. Val’s team followed her to their camping area as she packed up her things. She pulled her leather jacket over her sweat stained tunic and threw her bag over her shoulder. Poppy clasped his weapon on his shoulder and Ref lazily held her large hammer.
“Anything else before we leave?”
“After you,” Ref nodded.
The three traveled to the first location before the first nightfall. After finding the first landmark, Val tapped her chin as she tried to decipher Mira’s notes. Without asking her any questions, it was difficult to see.
“Booooored,” Poppy groaned, “Can I smash something?”
“Go for it, Poppy,” Val waved him away as she looked at her copy of Mira’s sketch, “Ref, tell me… what could these dots mean?”
“Maybe steps until you get to the dig site?” Ref pointed north, “Or until the next landmark? What are we looking for?”
“It looks like a gnarled tree,” Val hummed as she thought, “Maybe if we –”
A large crack nearby caught her attention. Poppy held a large rock and dropped it onto a smaller rock. He giggled as it cracked the smaller rock open. Val shook her head and went back to the crude drawing. As her and Ref tried to decipher what to do, the rock happy orc continued his destructive game.
As the sunset, the orc’s game paused.
“Val!” Poppy called, “Val!”
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“What is it?” She looked up from her paper.
“I found a weird tree. Can I break it?”
“No!” Ref shouted and ran towards Poppy’s voice.
Val followed after her. As they approached the orc, he moved large stone boulders out of the way to show the broken stump of a tree with twisted roots. Val looked at her sketch and back at the roots.
“That… might be it?” Val looked at Poppy, “You want to dig up the stump, Poppy?”
Without acknowledging the question, he pulled the large sword from the holster at his back and used it to pry the stump up. He grunted as he wedged it further down and peeled the roots from the ground. A small leather pouch rested in a hole dug under the stump.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Ref laughed, “Good job, Poppy. You found the first one.”
“I did?” He grinned, “What’s in the bag?”
Val pulled the pouch from the ground. As she picked it up, the light object inside the bag was solid, but smaller than she thought it would be. She dusted the pouch off and tossed it to Poppy.
“You found it. You do the honors.”
He caught the bag in his off hand and pulled his sword from under the stump. He opened the bag and pulled out a necklace with a large red gemstone. Val gasped at the size of the ruby.
“Goddess! Where in Zrud did she find that?” Ref reached for it, “Is there anything on it?”
“I can’t read,” Poppy tossed it back to Val, “Where did it come from?”
She rubbed the dirt off of the large gemstone and looked over the necklace. The intricate gold swirls around the ruby showed no familiar families she knew. She turned it over and saw a small name engraved on the back: S. Hangral.
“Is this…” Val’s eyes grew wide, “S. Hangral. As in Sterling Hangral? As in Duke Sterling Hangral?”
The necklace slipped from her fingers. Ref caught it and put it in her pocket.
“That is the most expensive thing I’ve ever touched,” Val squeaked, “A late Duke’s necklace? Did you see the –”
“Val,” Ref held a handout to calm her, “You’re picking up things for our leader, remember? Besides, Sterling’s been dead nearly a year. Pawning his stuff will surely be safe.”
“Our normal fences will not take that!” She scoffed, “That might as well have a giant flag with ‘I was there’ written all over it!”
“You do know that the wraith killed Sterling, right?” She laughed, “Or did you forget that?”
“Goddess, I completely forgot,” Val put her hands over her face, “Still, Mira said that the items were expensive. I didn’t know she meant this expensive.”
“And to think it was buried under a stump in the middle of nowhere,” The dwarf chuckled, “Where any dunderheaded orc could smash a few rocks and find it.”
“Can I wear the big stone?” Poppy smiled.
“Poppy, I don’t think that’s a good idea right now,” She tossed the leather bag to Ref, “At least make sure it’s in this bag in someone’s pack.”
“Do you want to rest for the night, or head to the next treasure?”
“We should keep moving,” Val looked up to the darkening sky, “The next one is on this road. We shouldn’t get too lost.”
“Poppy! Don’t smash anymore rocks, okay? We’re moving on,” Ref whistled.
The blue orc dropped the rock and jogged to meet up with them as they walked down the path. Val yawned as her eyes blurred too much to read the map. The horizon nearly swallowed the sun but its light cast enough to show the sketches in her hands.
“We may need to rest,” Val rubbed her eyes, “I’m exhausted from working in Vimgraunt.”
“Where’s the next stop?” Ref peeked over the map to see, “It looks like another few miles?”
“Yeah, at least.”
“Poppy, can you carry Val so she can sleep?”
The orc grinned and held his arms out. Val eyed him suspiciously. Ref patted her back and snagged the map from her hands.
“Poppy is awake, I’ll be good for a few more hours. Just take a ride, Val,” The dwarf chuckled, “Besides, if its on this road, we can’t get lost.”
The small woman crawled into the orc’s arms. He held her close to his bare chest as if he was a mother holding a child. Val yawned again and Poppy began rocking his arms back and forth as he hummed a lullaby to her. She chuckled and rested against him.
Val was safe. Her friends took the same oath she did. She was safe. She didn’t have to use her body for her safety any longer. She was safe She didn’t have to look over her shoulders for an unseen attack. She was safe. She never had to worry about her safety again. As long as Val followed Mira, she would be safe.
As she drifted into sleep, memories of her life danced in front of her. Born as a thrall to an orc tribe in Agrowl, she knew all too well what enthrallment meant. Once her meager powers started at puberty, she and her family were sold to the highest bidder. The disgusting older human man promised to release her family from enthrallment if she worked with him. Eventually, it became married him. After she agreed, her family was released. Her new husband took them to Zrud for business. She spent most of her teen years as a young, dainty wife to a decrepit old man. When she met Rak, that all changed.
The elven boy promised her freedom if she worked with him. Rak didn’t desire her nor knew of her power. The last person that did died when Rak’s clan entered her manor late at night and killed her husband. At that moment, she became a bandit with them. She didn’t know much, but she was sneaky and could blend in very well.
Val spent her twenties bouncing between lovers and clans with Rak. Looking back, she knew he used her feminine wiles to gain favor with bandit leaders. When she married the leader of the Razorclaws, he became one of higher ups in the clan. Then, when her husband beat her, Rak was there to help heal her. She later realized that a real friend would have helped her leave. Rak told her to stay and offered yet another man to be her lover. When that man planned a mutiny, Val knew her fate was sealed. She was whored out to the highest bidder to get access to leaders and information. Just like her family and her masters before, her only friend used her.
Then, she met the wraith. The beastly shadow scared her to her core but wouldn’t kill her. It showed her a path forward. It deemed her worthy to lead in its place. It also showed her that she couldn’t trust anyone. Not even Rak. Rak was the first person and only person Val ever killed, personally. Once her dagger sunk into his chest, she knew that she would move on as something more than herself. She trusted the wraith.
And her trust paid off.
Now, Val’s mission was to serve a higher purpose and join whatever war Mira wanted. Her new leader would not use her for her body. Mira only wanted her to confirm truths and follow orders. She trusted her, as much as the woman could trust. And Val knew why – Mira knew she wouldn’t betray her. She knew that the Vessel was a brash, powerful mage that did not deal with wants. The fiery redhead only said when she needed something. Once Val completed that mission, Val was free until the next order was given.
Under Mira’s leadership, Valencia no longer felt like a prisoner. Her new leader would protect her with all the power she had. She was her own woman and didn’t need to worry about her next meal, where she would sleep, or if she was safe. Even if she was branded under the new clan name, she had never felt freer. The Wilted Rose wasn’t a curse to her but a blessing from the Goddess herself.
As she drifted off into sleep, she knew she was safe. That’s all Val ever wanted – to feel safe and be free.
After seven days of grueling travel and figuring out where to find buried treasure, Val’s team arrived to Rockman’s Gruff two days earlier than planned. As the sun peaked over the horizon, the three pulled up to the tavern in the tiny town.
“We could have rested so much more,” Ref grumbled under her breath.
“Better to be early than late,” Val yawned, “Besides, we can relax the next few days until Grandy’s team comes in.”
“What are we going to do with all the loot?” Poppy handed the backpack to Val.
Besides the ruby necklace, Mira had stowed a few books, sacks of gold coin, and bags of precious gems for them to find. Val didn’t want to think what would happen if any guards looked through their things. The items in their possession would get them arrested and hanged for treason at a minimum.
“We are going to keep it on us at all times,” Val nodded sternly, “And kill anyone that tries to take it away from us.”
“Should we put it in something less… conspicuous?” Ref raised an eyebrow.
“Definitely. Let’s find something while we are out today. First, let’s get a room.”
The three walked into the full tavern at the center of town. The entire place was known to all the bandits in Zrud as somewhere to recruit or share information. It was one of a few neutral zones Val knew of. Most would not dare to try any clan disputes unless they wanted to be banned from the zone.
Val yawned again as Poppy threw the door to the tavern open. A rowdy group of orcs clanked steins of dark ale together and shouted at each other. Ref walked up to the older dwarven barkeep and nodded politely to him.
“Any vacancies upstairs?”
“We got one room. The pirates over there took up most of my boarding,” He shook his head.
“Pirates? This far inland?” She asked.
“That’s what I said,” He shrugged, “They paid good coin and drink me dry nearly every night. I’ll knock a few years off my working years because of them.”
“We’ll take the last room,” Val smiled.
He nodded and motioned for them to follow him. As they got up to the room, an orc pirate held a woman against a wall as his hand traveled her body. Her leather bodice was already mostly undone as he fondled her. She giggled and kissed him.
“Get your hands off my daughter!” The dwarf grabbed a broom nearby and swatted at the pair, “I ought to—”
“Dad!” The woman frowned, “You’re embarrassing me!”
“Go back to your room!” The man yelled.
Val shook her head as she entered their room. There was only one small bed for the three of them. Poppy threw his bags on the ground and Ref claimed a nearby sofa to relax on. The three of them ignored the family dispute on the other side of the thin wall. Poppy then shifted on his feet as he looked at the ground.
“Yes, Poppy?”
“Can I have some coin to join my brothers downstairs?”
“Of course,” She chuckled and tossed him a few, “Maybe see if any are interested in joining us, yeah?”
The blue orc grinned proudly and pounded a hand against his chest, “I think I can.”
Ref threw herself on the bed and stretched, “I’m going to sleep until afternoon. Then, I’m going to drink and shop. Do you need me for anything else?”
“I’m leaving the bag up here with you, okay?” Val placed the backpack on the bed, “Besides that, I’ll sleep when you wake up.”
“Deal,” She fluffed a pillow before planting her face firmly in it, “Keep an eye on Poppy and make sure he doesn’t get into too much trouble.”
“That’s the plan,” She shook her head, “Goddess knows what he’ll get into if we leave him with strangers.”
“The boy will probably set fire to another building,” The dwarf snorted, “Or nearly drown in a whiskey barrel.”
“I’ll try to go with the cheaper option if I can.”
Val changed into a more relaxed wardrobe and prepared herself for an interesting morning. Her new outfit lifted her breasts and put her cleavage on display. The corset she wore thinned her at the waist. She wasn’t exactly looking for a short-term lover but wasn’t against the idea if someone interested her enough to accompany her for the next couple of days. Besides, her own room would be nice if there was a handsome stranger to share the bed.
As she stepped down the stairs into the bar again, Poppy waved eagerly at her. She giggled and waved back. The orcs at the table he joined started drunkenly singing sea shanties. She sat at the bar top and leaned over to see what drinks she could have.
“That daughter of mine, I swear,” The dwarf grumbled.
“Oh, I’m sure she is just going through a phase,” Val grinned and pointed to her orc companion, “I’ve got to watch my brother or he gets into worse trouble than wrestling.”
“I’d still rather not—” He grunted and shook his head, “Anything catch your eye?”
He pointed his thumb behind him to a wall of bottles. Most were empty or unlabeled. She narrowed her eyes but couldn’t see the bottles she regularly chose.
“Do you have anything stronger than ale?”
“Nothing right now,” He shook his head, “I’m not going to have anything for a while either. Not unless someone finds a cart and brings it into town.”
“A shame,” Val sighed, “Then, I’ll have some wine. Anything red and dry is fine.”
He wiped out a glass and poured some red wine. As he sat it in front of her, he pointed to her mark.
“That’s a new one.”
“Wilted Rose,” She rubbed her forearm with a smile and winked, “Remember that.”
“Maybe I will if you can help me out,” He grabbed a paper from under the bar, “Know any of these?”
Val skimmed the names on the list, “No. Afraid not. What’s on them?”
“Missing persons. Keep the list. If you find any of them, send them back home, alright?” He smiled sadly, “Parents around here are used to not seeing their kids again, but its nice to know if they’re alive.”
Val folded the paper and tucked it between her breasts, “I’ll ask around for you.”
“Thanks…” He paused.
“Val, of the Wilted Rose,” She held her hand out.
“Val,” He shook it, “Yerk.”
“Val!” Poppy called, “Come join us!”
“I’ll be here if you need anything,” Yerk nodded, “Bar doesn’t close if people are still paying.”
Val rolled her eyes at the whistles from the tables she passed as she joined Poppy. He pointed to a dark-green skinned orc with an outrageously feathered hat. She slid into her friends lap and placed her arms on the table.
“I can’t believe I met him!” Poppy smiled and grabbed her waist, “It’s Captain Bo!”
“Captain Bo?” Val looked to the man.
He removed his hat and bowed his head, “At your service.”
The orc was tall with broad shoulders. He had sharp features, even for an orc, with dark stubble across his chin and jaw. His long, dark hair was braided towards his back. His sleeveless shirt showed off more well-toned, large muscles. His light green eyes sparkled as she examined his physique. She blushed and looked away.
“I’m Val,” She held a hand to him.
He grasped it and pressed it against his lips, “A beauty such as yourself could have no other name.”
He flashed a grin as she giggled. His tusks were sharpened and engraved with tribal patterns, unlike his crew.
“What brings you so far inland, Captain Bo?”
“I’m searching for something. Poppilan here says you may know where to find it,” He grinned again.
“And what might that be?” She raised an eyebrow.
“The wraith.”
She narrowed her eyes at Poppy and examined Bo a bit harsher. Her blushing smile faded to an expressionless stare. Poppy turned his head as if he was in trouble.
“And why might you want to meet the wraith?”
“Ah, I see you didn’t disagree with our brother,” He chuckled and leaned back in his seat, “The wraith knows where to find an elf I’m looking for. And I want to kill that elf.”
Val waited for anything to tell her that he was lying. He simply smirked at her cautiousness and didn’t elaborate. If he didn’t speak, she couldn’t see if he was lying.
“And why would the wraith know where an elf is?”
Bo picked up his stein and downed the rest of the drink, “Because I know who Mira is.”