Chapter 13: Trust, but Verify
“…Queen Tiffin Wrynn stepped forward after King Varian Wrynn’s authority and threats failed to quell the crowd. Beloved by the people, even the greatest firebrand paused to hear her words.
She implored the rioters to return to their homes. That she understood their plight. That the vindictive hand of the nobles would be stayed. That the Stonemasons would be paid for their work, vowing to sell her jewels and live as they did to raise the funds.
No grand cheers were given, but no shouts of death and destruction followed her decrees. The people seemed to cling to her words as an escape from the past week. The violence and fires of the riots had hurt more than just the noble district. As she continued her speech, portions of the crowd started to lower their weapons and depart from the mob. It seemed that after all the days of street fighting and unchecked flames, the Stonemason riots would end without any further violence.
Then a stone was cast from the dark, and the blood of royalty ran between Stormwind’s cobbles.”
* Historian Llore, New Stormwind: From Ruination to Reconstruction
~ Gllrm
There was a sense of unease as I joined the circle on the floor of Mrgglr’s hut. A silence had settled over me and the two others waiting for Mrgglr and Brgllrm to finish treating Lrsh.
Even if I knew the reason for Mrgglr’s emergency meeting, I wouldn’t share it before he had a chance to say his piece. I was still unsure of how he was going to portray the decision made at the council. It would look bad if Mrgglr started criticizing Old Murk-Eye for calling a muster after I tried to get them to support it.
I could see Glrmgrlr look toward me for an explanation. He was not the type of person to accept unnecessary delays.
“Lrsh, the poor girl, had some kind of night terror and thrashed enough to tear open her wounds,” Brgllrm had been a bit more graphic with her account, telling me how Lrsh had been screaming about unblinking eyes before they managed to calm her down. She must have been terrified because I could still see parts of the bed stained by mucus. “They’re just redoing her wrappings.”
He nodded his head and went back to checking his spear for cracks or loose splinters. The old tidehunter could be ornery sometimes, but he had seen the outcome of leaving open wounds untreated. Without Mrgglr half of the hunters wouldn’t be alive today, including himself.
“How long is this going to take?” Splyshy said as she carved a wave pattern on a small piece of dried wood. “I was about to start carving that skull you brought in last week.” She waved her gouge lazily at Glrmgrlr, small bits of wood drifting off it.
Glrmgrlr shot back with an intense stare. “It has been two weeks, master carver, and you still haven’t started on my trophy?”
Splyshy scoffed and returned to working on the piece of wood in her hands. “I’m sorry, I assumed you wished for your grand achievement to receive the proper planning it deserves. If I had realized all you wanted was something flattering you could hang above your entrance, I would have had it done last week.”
Glrmgrlr didn’t seem happy, but he shook his head. “Just make sure to have it done by the next spawning season.”
“Yes, yes. You’ll have your trophy in time for when your cousin visits. You just make sure to have enough shells ready.”
She stopped carving, apparently bored with the endless waves that circled the wood block, and spent some time looking around the room. Not many people spent extended periods in Mrgglr’s hut. It was the source of more than a few rumors in the village, mostly about spirits and all manner of magic rituals Mrgglr apparently got up to. The fact that the most common reason to enter was when you were injured, and often less than lucid, spawned some of the wildest stories.
“I like what he’s done with the place. All he had on the walls the last time I was here were those old tapestries. Where do you even get half a dozen seaweed tapestries of the sky anyways?”
“He made those during his apprenticeship.”
She looked surprised at my answer. “They must have been twenty years old when he got here! I’m surprised the seaweed lasted that long.”
“They would have stayed up till he croaked if Mrgglr got his way. But he threw them into the ocean last year. Something about a ritual.”
“Where’d he get that octopus?” She asked, pointing to the faux-coral idol resting next to his herb collection. “The material is beautiful.”
“It was a gift from Old Murk-Eye,” I said. While speaking I noticed an odd look in her eyes and added. “Don’t get too excited, it's not real coral. See how heavy it is?”
The look of what I now realized was concern shifted into curiosity. “Oh good. I was worried someone figured it out before me.”
“You’re working on carving coral?”
“I’m trying to. It’s hard to find a chunk of coral large enough to carve out here.” Splyshy said as she stood up and made her way over to the statuette. Picking it up, she ran an experienced eye over its fine details. “How did they…”
Glrmgrlr looked up from his spear and spoke in a curious tone. “What’s got you so confused? You’ve seen an octopus before.”
She was poking at the octopus’s eyes as she answered. “It’s these eyes, I can’t figure out how they got the black pearls stuck into the idol. It’s like they just grew out of the things face.”
Glrmgrlr got up and joined Splyshy in inspecting the octopus. “Maybe they were grown inside the stuff they used to carve it, like a pearl. Or does that only happen with clams?”
“I guess that makes sense. I’ve never heard of pearls growing in things other than clams, but who knows what exists. I never knew gnolls were real before I moved up here.” She said while running her fingers along its tentacles. “It would be great to study. Even if it isn’t coral its maker still used a different technique. Could be a fun challenge to recreate.”
“If you think it’ll help your carving just ask Mrgglr if you can have it. He never cared much for decorations, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”
With a slight frown on her face, she returned the idol to its spot next to one of the herb shells, one of her carvings of a flower on its top. “I don’t know, the scene is intense. My sister wouldn’t like anything in the hut that might scare her tadpole.”
“Just ask. If your sister doesn’t like it you can bring it back. The worst that can happen is Mrgglr says no.”
Before Splyshy could respond, Mrgglr spoke from beside Lrsh. “What am I saying no to?” I turned my head to see him making his way over to our little circle. Brgllrm stuck next to Lrsh mashing a bunch of herbs together.
I nodded my head to Splyshy after a few seconds of silence passed. She pointed to the idol and spoke in an apprehensive voice. “Hey, uh, Mrgglr. Think I could have this thing?”
“Absolutely. It's the least I can do considering everything you have helped me with.” Mrgglr said with a nod.
“Thank you Mrgglr,” Splyshy said as she picked up the idol. “But those carvings were gifts. I like trying new things in my free time. I’ll repay you later.”
“You don’t have to do that. I only accepted the idol to avoid insulting Old Murk-Eye.”
A gruff cough came from Glrmgrlr as he sat back down next to his spear. “Come on, we’ve been waiting long enough. Let's hear what’s so important Mrgglr called me off the first hunt of the day.”
With that Mrgglr and Splyshy joined Glrmgrlr and me in the circle like we were supposed to ten minutes ago. Once they were seated, Mrgglr started to speak. “I would like to start this meeting by clarifying the severity of our situation. Decisions were made at the council that are largely out of our control.”
“You’re making this sound kind of grim, Mrgglr,” Splyshy said with a frown.
“Perhaps you are correct. I may be exaggerating the danger we are facing. But when it comes to the formation of a coastwide warband, I believe an extreme reaction is understandable.”
“Really?” Glrmgrlr said, leaning forward with his spear for support. “That old cavefish called a muster?”
“He most certainly did, although I would request you not refer to Old Murk-Eye in such terms when his tribesmen arrive. They might interpret your affectionate attributions as insults.”
“Wait, you said his tribesmen are coming to us,” Glrmgrlr said. “When are they getting here?”
“They will arrive in about a week. Two if they are delayed.”
“That doesn’t give us much time to prepare.”
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I spoke up. “We just have to do the best we can.”
Glrmgrlr shook his head and let loose a small sigh before speaking. “What’s the plan then?”
“Hold on, are we just going to accept this?” Splyshy said, interrupting my answer to Glrmgrlr’s question. “Murk-Eye tells us to fight for him while he sits in his tower and we just do it? He was supposed to protect us from this type of thing!”
“The gnolls are a threat beyond any one tribe, Splyshy. They might even be too much for the combined might of his vassal tribes. A majority of the villages along the coast were attacked. Think of how many warriors that would require. There could very well be hundreds of gnolls stalking the forests.”
“Then he should have done something before they got so big.” Splyshy’s tone took on an annoyed quality. “Look, I didn’t come all the way out here just to listen to some idiot that’s friends with Murk-Eye. If I wanted that I would have stayed down north.”
Mrgglr responded with a sense of hesitation in his voice. “I may… disagree with some of his actions, but Old Murk-Eye is still technically our Grand Chief, even if he is often disengaged with the daily goings on of individual villages.”
“Everyone’s just scared of his thugs and those shiny spears of theirs.”
“I think we’re getting a bit distracted here,” I said, cutting off any escalating response Mrgglr or Glrmgrlr might have. “Everyone banding together is the best way to deal with the gnolls. If we refuse to help, that might split the coast in two. That is the last thing we need right now.”
That seemed to placate Splyshy, who leaned back in acceptance. “Fine, but don’t expect my family to provide for these tribesmen Murk-Eye is sending.”
Mrgglr nodded. “Of course. They will be my guests during their brief stay.”
She then turned her attention to me. “And you better have a good plan. I don’t want my son dying out there because he wasn’t given proper training.”
“That brings us back to the main point. As Glrmgrlr pointed out, we only have a week to prepare. The whole village is going to be busy.”
I turned to Glrmgrlr first. “Glrmgrlr, I need you to organize about a dozen hunters for when the Coastrunners arrive. Make sure they’re fit to fight and have all their equipment in order.”
“I’ll hold some competitions on the beach.” He said with a slightly frightening grin on his face. “We haven’t had any good fights like that in ages. It’ll be fun for the whole village.”
“And Splyshy?” I said. “You won’t have to worry about your son going off to fight. We are only sending our best. Tidehunters, no foragers or carvers.”
She responded in a clipped tone. “Good.”
Turning my attention back to Mrgglr, I said. “I checked with the village last night while you were helping Lrsh. There isn’t much food left since, and I quote, that festival with the man in the funny hat, whoever that is.”
Glrmgrlr looked at me with surprise. “Brgllrm didn’t tell you what happened? Some apprentice she is.”
Brgllrm chose that moment to join the conversation, sitting down next to Mrgglr. “I was a bit distracted Glrmgrlr, what with Lrsh being dragged to me trailing blood.”
“I’m sure you would have told me what happened when the situation was calm. But if you have information to share, please do.”
“It’s not too useful. A human was fishing on the beach near the village and I invited him in. We had a big party. It was kind of a disaster. Most of the elders got drunk and Cass tried to eat him.”
I shot Brgllrm a quizical look. “Cass? That is a unique name. Was there another human with him?”
Brgllrm shook her head and spoke in a hesitant voice. “Ah, no. Cass is, uh, a turtle I helped out. She likes to hang out on the beach near the spawning pools, so I bring her some food every day.”
Splyshy interjected when Brgllrm faltered. “The tadpoles love her. She’s like a gentle rock you can sleep on.”
Another part of the story felt a bit odd to me. “Wait, how do you know about getting drunk? I thought the Icefins were the only ones crazy enough to let fruit get old on purpose.”
“Oh, Nat, the human, told me what it was.”
“Ah, that makes sense,” I said. “From what I was told it sounded like a wonderful time, but it leaves us in a tricky situation. With our best hunters leaving the village is going to be lacking in food and protection. We’re going to need to spend the week gathering as much as we can. Treat it like an early winter.”
Glrmgrlr cut in. “If you want the tidehunters to be in their best shape, they’re going to need some extra food. Even I’m weaker on winter meals.”
Right, I had just asked him to prepare the tidehunters for fighting. That meant extra exercise and less hunting, which meant less food and hungrier hunters. “Maybe you can only train them during less-than-ideal hunting times? Call them up during midday and after meal time.”
“Yeah, that might help lighten the load. But it’s not just about the quantity. Joining a muster is a stressful thing to do. Do we have any special treats lying around? Y’know, crabs, eels, the nice stuff.”
Instead of a response, I looked towards Mrgglr. He caught my gaze and nodded, then spoke. “I have been cultivating a small colony of mealworms for the past month. With how hectic our return has been I have not had the chance to inspect it, but when we left they were thriving.”
“Huh, I haven’t had a good mealworm in years,” Glrmgrlr said while running his tongue along his teeth. “A nice long eel would have been better, but it’ll do.”
Mrgglr continued. “Splyshy, I have a request for you.”
There was a short pause where we waited for him to continue until Splyshy moved her arms in a circular motion and said “And? What is the request?”
“I hoped you would be able to carve charms for everyone leaving for the muster. There are some bones I have been saving for just such an occasion.”
“I would be happy to help, but I was never stellar at pleasing the spirits. Mother always said my carving style was too unfamiliar.”
“I’m sure whatever you create will be wonderful. If the spirits cannot see that, then I will make sure they appreciate the effort you expended.”
I clapped my hands together, attracting the attention of everyone in the circle, and spoke. “Perfect. We all have things to do, but first things first, half the village is waiting outside for our big announcement. Do we all know what to do?”
A silent chorus of nods came from the people in the circle. It’s times like this when I’m glad I didn’t join my brother as his sub-chief. “Then Mrgglr, let's break the news.”
Standing up, I waited at the entrance for the rest to join me. Mrgglr had a bit of trouble getting up but Brgllrm helped him quickly enough. Glrgrlr took on a fierce stance, his spear held at the ready and an expression of grim determination on his face. He looked like the equal of any tidehunter I had seen at the council, even though some of them were half a head taller than him.
Mrgglr stepped in front of me and paused briefly, taking a few slow breaths. Then he stepped out through the entrance, and I followed. With our appearance the scattered conversations that came from the people waiting on the sand stopped. They turned their attention to us, waiting for what we had to say.
Looking down at the crowd was a sight to behold. During my first year as chieftain, there were only seven full households in the village, perhaps no more than 60 people. But that had been a long time ago, and peace had brought with it many happy tadpoles. Now there were hundreds of faces staring up at us, most of them younger than me.
Mrgglr raised his staff and knocked it twice on the wooden platform, its totems and talismans of bone and wood rattled against each other. He raised his hand in the general direction of Old Murk-Eye’s lighthouse and spoke in a powerful voice. “My friends, we face a grave threat. The insidious gnolls are many, they have made war on every village along the shores. The council has declared this cannot stand! The Grand Chieftain Old Murk-Eye has called a muster, for our enemies cannot hope to stand against our united strength! In a week, we depart to secure our safety and security once and for all!”
It was a pleasant speech. Made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. But I could see not everyone was happy with its contents. There were cheers from the crowd, but many faces displayed looks of concern, apprehension, or especially anger when Mrgglr mentioned Old Murk-Eye.
People were afraid, and as their chief, I would be the one they ran to. This is going to be hectic. I thought as I climbed down the ladder to start preparing.
~ Brgllrm
My voice filled the quiet room as I stepped back inside the hut with Mrgglr. “That went… better than I expected.”
Mrgglr turned his head to look at me, then shook his head and sighed. “The absence of extreme failure does not preclude minor failure.”
Picking up the grinding stone, I started on another dose of medicine for Lrsh. “They weren’t hurling rotten fruit at us. I’d call that a win.”
“How do you conjure those images, apprentice?” Mrgglr said as he inspected Lrsh’s new wrappings. “I fear inexperience has blinded you to the larger perspective. A single dissenting voice may reveal a hundred more lurking in the crowd. Negative emotions are more powerful than apathy.
“I get that, but I saw a bunch of people cheering when you finished your speech. That’s gotta count for something, right?”
“And how many of those cheering faces were older than twice your age?” He moved around Lrsh and inspected my concoction, nodding in approval. “There is a rift between the generations. Those who are old enough to remember Murk-Eye’s rise to power are not so quick to trust him or his associates.”
“Then don’t trust him.”
That drew a raised eyebrow from Mrgglr. “Excuse me?”
I stopped applying the paste and locked eyes with him. “Just because you’re following his orders doesn’t mean you have to trust him. Work with his people, fight the gnolls, but don’t let them control you, and always watch your back.”
Mrgglr’s neutral expression slowly morphed into a smile. He gave me a pat on the shoulder and spoke. “You are quite the apprentice, Brgllrm. Perhaps the Deep Mother has not abandoned me yet.”
~ ???
Within the noble district of Stormwind, in a mansion whose bricks were younger than its inhabitants, on a balcony scarred by hurled cobblestones, stood a woman. She was dressed in a long scarlet robe, sleeveless and trimmed in silver. The fine cloth was fashioned into a pattern, seeming to be overlapping gems, or perhaps the scales of some massive beast.
She towered over the cowering servant even as he raised his head. If he had the courage to meet her gaze their orange hue, like the flame of a candle, would have brought him back to his knees.
After an agonizing period of silence, the woman nodded. The man stepped forward and handed her a letter, freshly delivered by a pigeon that morning. Her nails bite into his hand as she snatched the letter from his grasp.
Slicing it open with her index nail, she unfolded the small message and started reading. With each passing sentence, her mood seemed to drop. The servant stood silent and still, wishing with all his being to not be on the balcony.
She dismissed the servant with a wave, her sight fixed on the ocean and the southern horizon. In the port, a small canoe pushes off into the waters. Sitting inside was a fisherman with a stunning raven’s feather in his hat.
As the woman watched, the man started to sing. The rhythms and rhymes are lost to the winds and waves, but his jovial attitude was evident from even her lofty position.
The woman let loose a hearty laugh, her smile growing sharper throughout. “Yes… why should I worry? Because of a few unruly murlocs? Worst comes to worst, they further my agenda for me.”
She turned to the small writing table the servant had brought onto the balcony. Sitting in the accompanying chair, she selected an appropriately innocuous style of parchment and started drafting a letter, her handwriting containing none of the sophistication and elegance a woman of her station usually possessed.
To Edwin VanCleef…