Whispers and rumors had started sooner than Grimal could have predicted. Even if people were accepting of their new Elf companion, the fact that little Olk was talking so much with her was concerning to many, especially his parents. The chief tried her best to ease their fears and tell them Olk was simply being polite, but not even she could really believe that. With a sigh, she ended up ordering that none spoke too much of it, and finally spilled the beans about the youngling’s magical gift.
This was enough to make most goblins quiet down, suddenly afraid of the tiny kit… of course, there were those already feeling like this had to be an omen of some kind by the Gods, but Grimal forebode further discussion of the matter. They were to treat little Olk as usual, or else they would have to deal with the grandma’s wrath.
The next night, as the caravan resumed its advance, the Gods blessed them with rain. Halueve grumbled softly, shaking her head and fixing her clothes to better cover herself from it, but the goblins, who for two generations had not experienced such a thing, were beyond delighted. They even gathered to ask Mama Grimal for a little time out, a moment of reflection to properly enjoy this gift. Of course, the Elder said no. They didn’t have time to play when they were running for their lives! Besides, if this Land of Mu was really as wonderful as Anansi had promised, it would certainly rain once in a while.
The goblin grandma wasn’t entirely unsympathetic to their wants though, she too had missed rain during her time in hiding. Feeling the raindrops falling on her hair and sliding down her face was delightful and nostalgic to her, a reminder of better times…
“I don’t understand why you are all so excited about this.” The elf said with a little shrug. “Have you really been away from the surface for so long that rain is a novelty?”
“Yes.” Grimal answered shortly. “Not everyone had entire cities to run to for shelter.”
Halueve was a relatively liberal elf, the kind that didn’t necessarily look down on other races, but even to her this was news. Just because she wasn’t racist, it didn’t mean she was specially interested in learning of the plight of others. She lived her life focused on her own issues, after all! She couldn’t help but feel a little guilty…
Elfkind had been one of the fortunate ones during this Age of Silence, hadn’t it?
While Halueve thought of this, Grimaline was also deep in thought. She may be guiding the Clan through the forest, but her mind was far away, in the Old Lands where the Goblins used to roam wild and free. It was a harsh life, food wasn’t always on the table, but the sense of adventure was simply priceless. She missed that, just going around, living off the land, stealing from the uptight ‘civilized races’ and then rejoicing!
Would those days really return once they arrived at Mu?
The idea brought a little smile to Grimal’s face, until suddenly something forced her to focus back in reality: Steps, heavy steps, approaching from the side. The elder raised a hand and indicated to everyone to stop right on their tracks, waiting… those steps, they were too heavy to be from humans. In fact, they felt terribly familiar…
When the first orc peeked from the forest around them, Grimaline felt panic clawing up her back. Elves were one thing, but they tended to simply ignore goblins like any other critter of the forest. Orcs, on the other hand, were far less forgiving. The conflict among ‘greenskins’ was old and violent: Orcs enslaved goblins, and goblins stole from orcs. That was just how things were.
And yet, the damn upstart youngling suddenly popped from among the group to wave at them.
“Greetings!” He said with a smile. “Are you orcs?”
Grimaline felt the need to smack herself in the face out of embarrassment. What kind of question was that!?
The orc was absolutely baffled as well, looking at himself, and then turning around in the absolute dark to call forth three others. The orcs, each dressed in pelts and carrying heavy axes, looked at each other with entertained grins, talking to each other with heavy, deep voices.
“This one wants to know if we’re orcs!” Said one.
“Well he’s polite, I’ll give ‘im that!” Said the other.
“Look at ‘em! So many of ‘em! Is this goblin territory, lil one?” The third one smirked so widely, showing off huge and sharp tusks.
“Oh no, none of that.” Pramok said. “We are on a trip to the lands of Mu! Are you traveling as well?”
Grimal, unable to take this much longer, quickly went and covered the idiotic one’s mouth, while the orcs looked at each other with surprise. They whispered in the gargling language of the orcs, one that the elder goblin happened to understand quite well! They were mumbling something about ‘calling the boss’. She gulped.
“You fool, what have you done!?” She snarled at Pramok. “Be ready to run, as soon as I tell you to–”
“You won’t be movin’ an inch, you hear?”
A new voice commanded from the depths of the dark forest. The rain seemed to suddenly come to a stop in the presence of a huge, powerful looking orc lady: a rare elder, walking slowly towards them with the help of a long staff. Orcs usually formed their societies around young and powerful ‘bosses’, warlords and chieftains. To see an orc reaching old age was extremely strange, and to see said elder actually commanding the respect of other orcs was especially strange.
Her tusks were huge, poking out from her mouth and making talk a little difficult, but the woman managed to make herself understood with sheer determination.
“You got the dream as well, I assume? The Dragon dream.” The elder orc glared down at Pramok, who immediately nodded.
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“Yes ma’am!” The upstart freed himself from Grimal’s grab. “We are following their instructions to reach Mu.”
“So the rumors are true, everyone has been called after all…” The woman caressed her own, huge chin as she thought.
Halueve leaned close to whisper to Grimal.
“That’s a huge orc, she can probably kill us all by herself! What do we do!?”
“Keep calm, I’ll think of something.” Grimaline tried to stay calm, but clearly she was running out of ideas here.
“You’re travelling with a knife-ear too?” The old orc smirked widely. “Well isn’t this lovely…?”
“The situation forced our hands.” Grimal stated, to Halueve’s grumbling.
“Would you join us as well?” Pramok asked with hope in his eyes, to which Grimal smacked him right on the back of his head. “Owch!”
“Do you really want to get us into deeper waters, boy!? Shut your mouth!” The goblin grandma growled.
The orc grandma smirked for a moment, rubbing her chin a little more, before nodding.
“Yes. Yes we will.”
Now this elicited a sudden gasp not only from Grimal, but from the other orcs as well.
“Come.” The orc said. “If you stay under this rain for longer you will fall sick and weak, that won’t do for a trip this long. You shall stay with us this day. Who is your leader?”
Everyone, even Halueve, immediately pointed at Grimal.
“...That is me.” She said herself. “I am Grimaline.”
“Yes. I do know you.” The orc said with a bitter grin. “The called you the Voracious, back in the day, didn’t they? You led a raid on my camp, long ago.”
Now, Mama Grimal knew this wasn’t exactly meant as a compliment, but a part of her certainly took it as one. She even smiled a little bit, at least for a moment, before bowing her head.
“I am sorry.”
“No you are not.” The elder orc grumbled. “My name is Murdagrok. I broke several arms during that raid, so I guess we are even… Now come. Follow us.”
The Clan had no other choice, it was either this or waste time running away once more. Grimaline acquiesced and nodded, letting the others know that they were following the orcs for now. The shot a glare Pramok’s way, but the upstart seemed pretty happy with himself, having forged this uneasy alliance.
As they walked, little Olk came to Grimal and held her hand, squeezing tightly.
“I am scared…” He mumbled softly.
“We will be fine.” Grimal lied, irresponsibly making promises. “Just stay with me and your parents, alright? Everyone has to stay together.”
The Clan was taken to a corner of the forest, where the stars were starting to shine bright, and several tents were being unmade and neatly put on huge wagons. Differently to goblins, the orcs never really abandoned the nomad lifestyle, so they were far better prepared to take on this last trip.
Orcs and goblins looked at each other; the young goblins who had never seen an orc before were full of curiosity, while the young orcs seemed a little unnerved by the presence of these little raiders.
“They come with us.” Murdagrok said. “They will help us get to the Sea.”
“Alright everyone, make yourselves useful. Help in what you can.” Grimal barked the order, stretching slightly.
“You don’t have to.” The orc grandma said with surprise in her eyes.
“If we are working together after all, I want to show good faith. You are welcoming us here, after all.” Grimaline sighed. She had learn a thing or two about social costumes in her time. “Elf.”
“Halueve.” The elf corrected.
“Whatever.” Grimal really didn’t care. “You take a break. We will take care of this.”
The goblins spread through the camp. It was quite bigger than their settlement at the Boiling Mud pools, but there weren’t as many orcs as there were goblins around, so the help was more than welcome. While everyone worked, Murdagrok came to the center of the camp and started a huge pyre, inviting those who finished their work to come and dry themselves up by the flames.
Eventually, all greenskins (and Halueve) were gathered around the fire, and in a show of goodwill, Murdagrok shared their last keg of stolen beer among everyone. It was barely enough!
What started as a complicated and nervous alliance turned into an all out party, with everyone forgetting for an instant that they were running for their lives, and just enjoying themselves with a good drink. Pramok and Ilma sang old folk songs while goblins and orcs danced together around the flames…
Grimaline, a little drunk and consumed by curiosity, sat beside Murdagrok while Halueve took little Olk aside to keep teaching him, and shield his little eyes from all this debauchery.
“Chief Murdagrok…” The goblin chief said, trying not to stammer too much when speaking. “I… I need to know. Why did you accept us so quickly and readily? You don’t plan to kill us all, do you?”
“I don’t.” The elder orc took a long sip from her own mug of ale. “It just felt like the right thing to do.”
“Buuuuuullshit.” The drunken goblin grumbled. “What’s the real reason, huh? You said you remembered me, you remember how things have been among us for so long…!”
Murdagrok sighed deeply.
“... I do remember how things were. How we used to chase each other around in the darkness, how we fought and pulled each other’s hair so many times. It was fun, it was nice.” The orc grandma sighed. “But if we spend all of our time remembering, we lose track of how things are now.”
“What do you mean?” Grimal tilted her head.
“I will be blunt: Shit’s gone bad.” Murdagrok said. “Humans fucked us, they fucked us bad. We can’t fight back this many and they still hold magic with them…our last shaman died decades ago. This land is no longer good for us. We need to get out.”
“We were fine underground…” The elder goblin complained. “Until some idiot led the humans in…”
“It was bound to happen… and now, we really don’t have time to keep fighting and playing like before.” The elder orc finished her mug of ale. “If we are to survive, we have to do it together. That’s what we failed to see before and what got us into this whole deal.”
“I guess you’re right…” Grimal admitted with a grumble.
“We all live under the same stars. We gotta help each other. That’s what my old husband used to say…” Murdagrok looked down. “Before they got him, too…”
Grimaline felt a hole grow in her stomach, and she tried to fill it with whatever beer she had left.
“My condolences.”
“It’s fine. Or it will be, when we are all in Mu.” The orc looked up to the skies. “... Grimaline. You are still living in the past.”
“What do you expect!? It was much better than whatever this is.” The goblin complained. “I would rather live in the past than here.”
“You’re missing out on chances like these…” Murdagrok looked Grimaline in the eye. “If it had been in your hands, we wouldn’t have joined forces. You’ve continued alone, and who knows, maybe you’d have died alone.”
“Hmph.” The old goblin lifted her nose.
“All I am saying is that you shouldn’t squander your present just because you want to cling to the past…”
Now that got her to think. Squander her present, huh? Wasting opportunities like these… Hells, if it weren’t for the Huntress she wouldn’t had taken this trip at all! She would have convinced the others to just stay put, and who knows what would have happened then.
For the first time in a while, Grimaline felt like she needed to learn. And as much as is pained her drunken, old mind, she knew exactly where to start.
“... I need to talk to someone.” She said, standing up again and wobbling away.
Grimal moved away from the party, looking around in the dark… until finding the glimmer of a tiny flame. She saw Olk and Halueve working together, keeping a flame afloat between their hands. With a little grumble, the chief cleared her throat. Both magicians looked at her, and Olk smiled brightly.
“Mama Grimal!”
“Hey…” She said, looking down with embarrassment. “... I am not sure if I have the gift like you do, Olk dear… but…”
“But?” Halueve smirked widely, already seeing where the goblin was trying to go but not making it any easier to her. “But what, Grimaline?”
“That’s Chief Grimaline to you!” The goblin pointed a finger at the elf before sighing. “... Is there room for one more?”
“I thought goblins simply didn’t do magic.” The elf teased.
“Shut up.” Grimal walked over to sit beside them. “Don’t treat me like an idiot, I want to at least try…”
Olk smiled even brighter, extinguishing the flame between his hands and going to hug her grandma tightly, while Halueve nodded softly. This too, had probably been foretold.
“Alright then. We shall start the first lesson again. It will be a good chance to help you strengthen your basics, Olk.” The elf grandma smiled calmly.
Grimal sighed heavily, but nodded. A part of her still felt quite uneasy doing this… but she had to at least try.