No matter what the adults thought, Kara understood their situation well. Of course the south would see herself and her aunt as enemies. They were heirs of Ara’Gash the mountain and even though her aunt was rather thin, to her she was still a danger they should fear. After all, didn’t she collapse the mines? Even if her body lacked the muscle an adult orc should have, she was a shaman. And surely powerful. Kara was sure about that.
If there was anything to doubt, it was herself, she thought. Yet again she had smashed a Wyvern's head. How could a Greenskins skull even stand a chance against her.
So she tried to tell herself, but had to course her wits, for she knew it was far from the truth. As they heard the crow above them her eyes followed it until it was landing close to where the pines seemed to stop and the sun was coming through. She saw the silhouette of the orc standing there on a small hill. First relaxed leaning on its spear and letting the crow land on its arm. A moment further it looked as if the beast was whispering to the orc's ear before it flew off again and the silhouette readied its spear.
Kazok sighed “now the entire rot is onto us..”
Once they came closer the silhouette became a green Orc adorned in black feathers. A chain of beaks hung from his chest and his spear carried but one big rune, that looked far more northern than anything the two darklings had seen thus far down here.
“That’s quite more prey than we were expecting!” he yelled over, making Kazok stop with the rest of their group.
He let his voice bellow back up to the orc on a hillt. “Isn’t that a strange thing to complain about, blood beak?!” Kazok smiled after his own words but was quickly cut by Blood-Beak again.
“Why are they alive, Grunt-Heart?!” He roared back without a pause. It was the first time the two darklings heard that name, yet both could see how a man like Kazok would have gotten it.
After Blood-Beaks roar the crow returned and landed on his arm. Quickly after it the tribe rushed out and gathered around him, weapons ready. All adorned in parts of an animal. Some in pelts of bear, boar or wolf, carrying their heads as cowls, others adorned by bones or horns of deer and doe. Very few like Blood-Beak carried the feathers of birds and only one carried an even bigger prey.
Before Kazok could answer, he came through. A greenskin who carried the leather of a red Wyvern. The biggest scales rested on his shoulders and the last remains of leathery wings made a cape behind him. Half his face was burned and both an eye as well as one of his tusks was missing on the burned side. His voice did not sound like it was yelling yet was dark and loud enough to reach them. “I hope you bring them as gifts, Druid”
Rika now sighed while scarred Kara could feel her aunt's fear. “Let them try!” she thought, but yet was not dumb enough to speak or even believe those words. She saw the horde that was standing there and knew it would mean certain death if they were to attack.
“No chieftain…” Kazok answered and took a moment before he answered further, looking around the whole gathered tribe up on the hill. “There is a lot we need to talk about. And I need them unharmed and with me.”
“You dare to~” Blood-Beak started to yell before his chieftain in wyvern leather held an arm before him and shook his head. “Times change…” he sighed darkly before he continued far louder again “Give us a reason why we shouldn’t kill them. And maybe we can talk.”
The entire tribe looked down to Kazok. He nodded, gathering his words while Rika next to him nodded at him granting a reassuring look that even Kara understood. The hint of a smile was seen on his face and he spoke back, loud enough to echo over to the tribe. “The scroll..chieftain.” Whispers and looks were exchanged in the tribe while Mara made a big question on her face looking over to Kazok, surprised herself. She had not shared anything about it with him, yet here he declared its existence. Even Kara had heard the whispers back in the Valley. About the scroll the Khan was seeking so desperately.
The chieftain slowly had to gather his own words before he answered “They have it?..”
“No.” Kazok immediately replied “But I can feel its Echo in the north. All those things Rakkan felt during his last year became strong enough that even I can’t deny them.”
He pointed at the two darklings behind him as he spoke further “They are exiles from there and if what she told is true then far more will follow her in time.” Before he continued he snorted deeply and looked around the tribe. Still their anger was obvious in their faces while some few feared the scrolls echo. “You know I would be the first to shed northern blood, but…” he shook his head and looked at the chieftain's remaining eye again “Times change…”
Slowly the chieftain nodded “Keep an eye on them..” he turned to the tribe “I mean everyone.” he then looked back to Kazok and from him over to Kara and her aunt. “Bring them to my tent then. And we may talk.”
“Better than I expected..” Rika whispered, making Kazok snort again before all of them slowly walked towards the tribe to follow the chieftain. The Greenskins made room for them yet all held their weapons ready. Unlike the weapons of the north they were not made of metal, but bone and wood. Few of sharp stones. Even their swords and axes, where not of metal, but like those of Kazok and Rika, of hardened bone. Before them a wall of spikes surrounded the Village. Even though they were made of trees and reached quite high, they wouldn’t be enough to fend of the Riders. “Even less so my Father.” Kara thought as she started to hear the drums in her chest again. A mixture of fear and excitement was pumping through her veins. Her fear wasn’t about the tribe around them, and their hunters eyes on them. But because she slowly realised that her father was an enemy to them. And because she knew he would slaughter them all just to get her back home. She tried to cast aside the dark thoughts by looking at the village they entered. She tried to enjoy the moment as that was where the excitement in her heart was born. All she ever saw before were the Valley and the mountain. Now she was about to see different tribes and their people, and the fact that they had such fear for them only added to the goblin fever's fun.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
The big glade they were walked into was right at the shore where a lonely tree stood watch. It was on a small hill right at the cliff that went down to the waves. Its roots were sprawling down and throughout the village, where the pointy leather tents were placed around those roots. From the tents few golden veins were sprawlinig into the roots. Often only one or two and Kara wondered what was feeding it. On the tents themselves, trophies of their hunts were proudly shown, while runes of the oldest tongue were drawn in the most different colours on its leather.
The tree was surrounded by four stones, each with but one big rune inscribed on them. Right before the tree would make the last stand against the edge that would fall down to the sea, an altar made of those stones was resting. On it, wrapped in leather was a body. It seemed like it was far more than withered but more like it had been drained dry. Instead of being bloated like a rotting body should, it had fallen into itself. The few parts of its arms that were visible didn’t even carry much of its green skin anymore for it looked more like colourless sand by now.
While Kara’s eyes wandered through the village, all eyes of the tribe rested on her group and not a single word nor whisper was spoken. A few nodded to Rika and Kazok but most had their angry eyes purely on the two darklings. While almost every Orc was adorned in animal parts like Rika and Kazok, only the youngest, younger even than Kara, were adorned in nothing but simple leather, and sometimes a few pelts against the cold. Those of her age had their eyes on her completely. They carried weapons and pelts like the adults and Kara couldn’t help herself but feel jealous about them. One them, a boy with a young bear cowl, tried to stare her down. She answered by showing her teeth and for a moment it seemed like the boy was about to launch himself at her, but the woman next to hold her hand before him and shook her head. Kara grinned wickedly as they walked on to a tent where many of those veins were sprawling into the root from the inside.
As they reached the Chieftains tent, Kara could feel her aunt's heart drop and she soon saw why. For his tent was like his adornments, made of wyvern scales. And not the ones they could usually hunt down here in the pines but those of the riders that tried to raid the village before. It was bigger and round, almost like the tents they used in the valley, yet it seemed less sturdy, and supported by the great root it was built against. The amount of golden veins sprawling from it made it seem like there was a campfire inside, yet the fireplace was cold.
In front of its entry orcish skulls were spiked on sticks and even though their skin was long gone, both the Darklings knew, they carried the mountains grey when they were alive.
Rika glanced back at the two before she nudged Kazok. “I need to unpack Branak, but I will follow wh~”
The Chieftain turned and interrupted her “Branak knows the tribe. He knows the rites and his place. He will not bite.” He waved his hand to which a few warriors of the clan came towards them. “Aid the boy and ready the prey.” Their gaze, one of them Blood Beaks, turned to the darklings before the chieftain continued “Not them.” He turned and walked into his red scaled tent “Yet…”
Rika ruffled Branaks fur and nodded first to him then Blood Beak. The great brown wolf understood. He stood there looking after Rika for a moment close to a whimper, yet he started to follow the warriors to the tree, while the Darklings and their two hosts went into the chieftains tent.
Despite its outer exterior, inside it was full of pelts and bags. A small fireplace was placed in its centre, just below where its smoke could escape through a small hole. Yet no fire was needed. At the back end of the tent the tree's big root made a wall. On it the many still glowing wyvern horns were rammed into it. Instead of making it burn, it seemed like the wyverns glow was set into the root’s veins, leading it to the tree outside. Their golden glow granting a warm fiery glow, despite their dark meaning.
The Chieftain sat himself down right in front of the root on a big black pelt, gesturing his guests to do the same. Slowly they surrounded the cold fireplace.
“Now then Grunt-Heart, explain why they aren’t to be our bloodprice.”
Kazok looked over to the two darklings then shared another small glance with Rika before he answered “Just after we left for his hunt. We encountered a shore wyvern.” “A big one.” Rika added.
“Ha! You would have loved it, Scale-Eye!”
Kara grinned while there was no Emotion on the chieftain's face. Kazok quickly continued “As we followed it over the day, that little Goblin ran into our camp at night.” He pointed to Kara who looked up, her glowing eyes now widened. Kazok now used his hands to explain along with his words forming a hint of a smile on Rikas face. “All in a glade, protected by the Egg. A night where its shine was full, no less.”
“The egg watches every hunt.” Chieftain Scale-Eye interrupted, “I care for stories when the village is at ease, Grunt-Heart. Now I ask for reasons.”
Kazok grunted and looked down at the two darklings for a moment. “Their tale will be followed by many of their kind.” He continued, his amber eyes now back at the chieftain, their glow not unlike the veins of the tree. “More like them will come, will flee the north. Be it now because of their chieftain or the cold that even our own Pines start to feel.”
“And you want to bring them too? What are you thinking, druid?!” Scale-Eyes voice had a hint of anger in it now.
It was Rika this time who answered first “Once they all come, we must decide if they are our axe or our enemies.” “I am no axe.” Mara interrupted now, granting her the gaze of everyone in the tent. “But I am a shaman. A healer and I~”
Scale-Eye held up his hand and glared at her. “You speak, when I ask, darkling.” His words to her aunt made Kara angry as a small growl escaped her. The Chieftains eye now rested on her before he raised a brow towards Kazok. “You know how weak your words are. Druid.” He then pointed at the darklings “You see how weak they are.” finally he leaned forward to him “I don’t see why their blood shouldn’t be part of the price.” “They aided us.” He returned deeply, holding the chieftains gaze as he pointed at Kara “She was our aid as we killed the Wyvern.” His finger now wandered to point at Mara “And she inscribed the holy words on its leather with me.”
The Chieftains face darkened “You bought them time…” he looked at the two darkling girls with pure disgust “After the rite, their part is done, and the tribe has to decide.”
He shook his head and glanced back at Kazok “Is this really how you want to start your age as a druid?” “I am.” he replied without hesitation, forming a smile on Rika, a grin on Kara and granting hope to Mara.
“Your words are weak, yet your heart stays true.” Chieftain Scale-Eye nodded “I think this is a big mistake old friend, but it’ll be the Tribes choice.”
He stood up again, forcing the rest to do the same. “Ready the rite, druid.” He simply said and walked outside. Just before they followed, Kazok stopped holding a hand at his chest and breathing heavily. Rika rushed for him “What is it?” she asked her worry more present in her eyes than in her voice.
“The Oak…” he slowly replied “I can feel it…” he slowly nodded and glanced back at her “Someone is there…”. “Is it him?..” she asked but he shook his head.
His only answer was a glance back at the two darklings.