When Mara left the tiny wooden cave she was greeted by a warm summer breeze. Her eyes had to blink a few times as she saw the rising sun over the forest. The tree they were on was thrice as high as the rest below them and granted a look far over the horizons. She squinted her eyes and could see the distant savannah behind the trees of the west while south to them the great mists of the sea were hiding the hidden lands beyond.
Only after a few moments did she realise the height and danger, for even up here there were no things built or carved in. All just as it was grown naturally. So no protection but the quite big circling branch she stood on was given.
Kazzok laughed as she stumbled backwards at her realisation but soon showed her the way down the circling roots and branches towards the ground. Some of them were like bridges between other parts of the tree, others were circling it like a path down. The only things that were made by orc and not the tree, were all the trinkets and trophies that were hung around it and the runes that were carved inside its bark. Many trophies of hunt and battles. Heads of great beasts, many of them wyverns. Sometimes an entire old leathery wing was hung in a web of vines. Mara wondered if they were war or hunting trophies but there was no point to ask and stir something inside the druid's head. She knew as much as him that she only lived through luck and his aid. A thought that made her heart sting with shame. Not because she could have died down here. There were times when she thought she deserved exactly that, but because her death could mean Kara’s demise as well. Of all the things she regretted, that she had taken her niece down south with her stung the most. Then again, who would have protected her if she had stayed at the mountain.
Her worries were crushed once they reached the forest floor. Her niece sat next to a woman adorned with wolf parts and was carving the shore wyvern with her.
A relieved smile was their greeting. Soon her small warrior rushed to her and finally they could hold each other again. Quickly a frown followed Mara’s excitement as she saw the cuts and wounds on the girl that saved her life. “Did you fight?...” she asked and checked her for greater wounds. A wicked grin was her first answer as she nodded back at the remains of the wyvern “Can’t you see it? We avenged you!”
“Hahaha, one fight and they start to act like warriors…” Kazzoks voice bellowed from behind Mara “it's always the same, but she did good for her age..”.
Mara smiled now as well, proud of her niece “Did you shop its head off?” “No, but I smashed it!” Her smile was one of pumping fury, one all orcs carried after their first fight for death. Mara had known that the day would come during their venture south. Even though she wasn’t there for it, it made her proud.
“Tell me everything” she said, answering the grin with her own.
While Kara shared the story with her aunt, Kazok walked over to the big blue wyvern carcass. They did skin it quite a lot already, enough that half its body was nothing but light red flesh. He got his knife and kneeled next to the wolf woman to take the Wyverns scales with her. Next to her was the pile of light blue leather and dark blue scales. She looked at him waiting for words. “And?..” she asked after a while. He nodded and spoke far more silently as he usually did “Exiles..” he struggled for words as he placed his knife behind a big blue scale “If what she spoke is true, I need to call the chieftains…”. The wolf woman made a face and just assumed she heard wrong “You need to talk to him anyway if you want them to stay…” “No Rika..” he said and removed the scale before he looked at her with quite serious piercing eyes “not just him…all of them…”. She frowned and looked back at where Kara told her aunt the story of their fight with big gestures, then back to noseless Kazok “What could she tell that scares you this much?..” He shook his head and started with the next scale. “Scare is a harsh word…” “Stop pretending Kazok, it's me.” she interrupted him before he nodded and sighed “Do you remember the scroll your brother and the striders were meant to retrieve?...” her eyes widened “She knows of it?...” he shook his head “no..but their chieftain seeks war.” “So did all before hi~” now he interrupted her “no raids or battles Rika, war…” he looked back at the two darklings and removed the next scale “If her story rings true…there will be more like them..and it will be for the chieftains to decide if they are our or the enemies axes..” Rika thought for a while before her words returned “I do not see how the scrolls plays into it all…” He stopped at her words and struggled for some of his own “I just hope your brother returns soon..” he said with a hint of fear in his voice before he concentrated on another big scale while Rika looked back at the two darklings. Shortly after that she continued as well.
They remained silent until their two guests returned and aided them. Even if they didn’t know the forest well, they both knew how to take the remains of a wyvern, even if for different reasons.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
It took them most of the day, as they piled its flesh, bones, scales and leather. They then carried the flesh inside a lower cave of the tree where Kazok smeared salt from the shores over it all as he sang words in the ancient tongue. They came from deep in his throat and echoed through the tree, to its roots into the land. Both of the Darklings were surprised that the druids of the south sang the same as the shamans of the north and for both it was a harsh reminder that they might never see their valley again.
No one but Mara understood the words that were sung. It was a song in gratitude to its flesh and bones, and even the new orcs that it brought to them. She smiled at the line as for but a small moment she felt hope.
Once the sun started to go down again they aimed for another cave inside the oak. It was quite warm even if the night brought a cold wind from the north. It was lit by wyvern horns that still glowed with the fire of Karn’Arak. Both the darklings knew it was their ancestor’s beasts, slain in battle, that now hung around the cave in a web of vines. Mara wondered if it was a threat to them or if Kazok simply did not think about it.
Rika however knew really well and shared but a small glance with him before they all sat down around a pile of those horns that warmed them like a grim campfire. They did bring pelts with them and now laid it around, ready to sleep, but all knew there were more words before the day could end.
It was Kazok who spoke first just as big wolf Branak was laying down next to Rika. “There will be greater threats than wyvern on your way…” “Let them come!” Kara screamed making everyone smile, for they all remembered the fire of a young orc after battle. “Hehe…I wish it would be that easy little one..” he turned his gaze to Rika for a small moment before his eyes sought Mara’s. “You aided us this day, do it for a week and I say your debt is repaid.” He chugged from his waterskin and gave it over to Rika, who gave it along until it was with him again. “But what do you plan to do after that?”.
Kara was looking up to her aunt who had to think for a moment before she admitted “I don’t know.” She shook her head “We simply had to run or cause far more blood among our own clan…our own family, than I want to think about. Bad blood at that.”
Every hint of a smile her niece still had vanished at Mara’s words, for she knew who would spill that blood inside their family. She shrunk into herself at the thought.
Kazok however nodded “Times change…” he said before he repeated himself “Times change…” he pointed at Rika “Her father…my teacher and the last great Druid that cared for the Pines said that he felt a change in the north…a cold that touched land and orc alike he said..”. Rika nodded before she spoke herself “The clans will not accept you as easily as we do…” “I did accept nothing yet” Kazok interrupted her “They are welcome in my forest, nothing more.” He sighed “Nothing less.”
Mara nodded before she returned her eyes to his “Is there a place in your forests where we can live? Hidden somewhere from both your and our people?”
Kazoks face made a question as he eagerly shook his head “Pfff what kind of life would that be? You want the little one to grow up without butting heads with others of her age?”
Mara sighed “Well what else is there other than to survive?” “Living, you coward!” he bellowed back before he sighed. He tapped his fingers on his thick green scarred belly as he thought.
Rika took word as she looked at Mara “If what you told him is true…and your clan is turmoil…” she then looked back to Kazok “and even more if what my father felt is true…then over long you won’t be the only ones seeking shelter in our pines…”
Kazok grunted as he nodded, now stroking his beard instead of his belly. “Your chieftain seeks war…”
Kara shook her head now and spoke before her aunt could “Not our chieftain..our Khan.” “The chieftain of chieftains…” Mara continued so the two greenskins would understand the difference. A moment of silence filled the room as Rika and Kazok now truly started to understand.
“Whatever you plan to do…” Kazok started again “We need to talk to the clans. Many will not listen to you..” “Not to you either..” Rika interrupted him which was answered with an annoyed deep snort from his missing nostrils. “They will listen to strength if that is needed..but no matter what the clans decide, you must make your choice until tomorrow.” His amber glowing eyes were quite serious as they glanced into Mara’s “Either you let me show you a place where you can hide and survive. You can make your roots and be passive but living like a tree…” he felt the wood under his hand as he said those words “Or you come with us to the clan, you aim not to survive but strife. Not like a tree, but like an orc!” Kara answered by showing her teeth with a wicked smile, meanwhile her aunt nodded. “The night will bring wisdom..” she said and was answered with silence for a while.
Few more words were spoken, for after a night of fighting and healing, and a day of work, they all soon slept. Some of them easier than others for they all knew the following day would bring answers they might not wish to hear.
Yet the egg watched over them inside the great oak. For now they were save in the pines.
But they knew it would change, once the beast would regain his name.