270. FREEBOURNE: WIREMU

With war on the horizon, Ruku has got serious with our training. We thought he was serious before, but now this is a whole different level. We have lost Kelda, Runa and Rodion but gained Umreti. Kelda was the only other ranged attacker, so that role is almost totally on me now. I say almost because Umreti is a Weapons Master. This gives him bonuses in learning any weapon, and he is Apprentice level in just about any weapon I could name and several I had never heard of. He is Apprentice in the bow, but also Journeyman Level in Slingshot.

Umreti can basically fill any role we need to a moderate level. He is a master of the sword and spear, so those are his best roles, but Ruku is shifting him around in the formations to give him a taste of different roles. This would not have worked nearly so well if he had still been a slave. However, Umreti seemed quite comfortable switching between roles. It might even be possible to do mid-fight. This is going to give us a lot of flexibility. Umreti found the mental training difficult, which might be made harder by the damage to his mind. His seizures are becoming further apart, which is good. He went a whole day without one.

The Famous Five were keen to take part in the training. Moja, Mbili and Tatu were regulars and Nne and Tano alternated on which day they joined. They got word that Ruku was an Army-qualified Trainer and didn’t want to pass on that. Tabitha didn’t even charge them. I think it was in compensation for the risks to date. It was probably Ruku’s idea.

I decided that I needed to get to know Umreti better. We had not met in the best of circumstances, and he was now clan, according to Modrica. I don’t really understand Orc Clan stuff yet. We are now a Clan of five: Modrica, Tabitha, me, Ruku and Umreti. Astrid and Mayakku are sort of an outer layer of members, not that anyone is describing it like that or describing it at all. Somehow, it just is.

Obviously, the best way to get to know someone is to take them out hunting. Umreti was a Jungle Warrior. It turned out he was from one of the southern orc clans. He didn’t elaborate on his clan or why he is not with them. He is a warrior, not a hunter. He was part of a larger Mercenary Group and had seen action in a number of skirmishes between different city-states. He was used to a Jungle environment, whereas we were moving into a grass and woodland area. I grew up in forests like these and felt more and more like I was coming home.

Hunting was becoming more and more important as we had a wagon of live animals to feed, most of them at least omnivores. Umreti had Journeyman-level Stealth and Camouflage so he could get around quietly. His nose was almost as good as Tāoke’s, but he only had apprentice-level tracking.

I pointed to the marks in the ground, “Those are Western Timber Wolves. They might be on the hunt, so the game around here will be scarce.”

“I have a request.” Umreti was coming out of his shell. He was very reluctant to ask anything at the start, I think he was weighted down by the perceived debt he owed me for saving him. I didn’t just save him, but it cost me pain and torture. This has eased as he settled into the clan. Clan members just do things for each other, and there are no debts.

The second thing that got him thawing was when I made two leather slings and asked him to teach me the Slingshot. Then he showed me how a sling should really work, and I had to remake them, but that was fine. Me throwing rocks with the sling's power sounded really good. Now, I have to find a material to throw lava in the sling. Or Puia.

I nodded for Umreti to proceed.

“Ruku mentioned that the right bond can sometimes help heal someone's mental state. He said you were the one to talk to about bonds.”

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“That is true, and in some way, that is how Wai helps Ruku, but a bond is about sharing, which goes both ways. Bonding with something just for your benefit is not healthy. Both bond partners need to be compatible Mentally, Spiritually and Physically. Bonding with a quiet, placid animal when you are active is a recipe for disaster. The animal also has a say in the bond, and I know somebody who was rejected by several bonds because she was too aggressive. She eventually found and bonded with a Yak bull, which suited her perfectly.”

“Can you help me?”

“Yes, but it may take some time. I have been helping Tatu and Nne look for bonds since leaving Almaeadin, and they still haven’t found suitable bonds. What you need to do to start are these Mental Exercises.” I went on to show him what to do.

We found a small group of wild Hogs and brought a medium-sized male back for dinner. It would have lasted several days if Težka and Cōmpēṟi hadn’t been there. Usually, I make them hunt for themselves, but the hogs are good. I think Težka might sneak out to find himself some seconds later.

The roasting pig and the forest that made me feel like home made me think back to the day I got the Hunter Class and the feast we had as a village. Back then, we put down a hangi rather than roasting it. The food cooked in a hangi tastes different when you cook it in the ground with heated stones. It takes a while to cook, but the taste is fantastic. I am looking forward to having a Hangi again. Kelda had never had a Hangi. If only she could have been here with me.

Three days later, we entered Freebourne. I didn’t really recognise the place as I didn’t come here much as a kid. I preferred the forest. The people, culture, and language were all familiar. We rented a short-term yard for the wagons and could let some of the animals out. We would sell some here and, maybe, buy a few for the trip into the Empire.

We booked into a nearby Inn, and Tabitha went to make business contacts. I think she is also looking to get us some new Identity documents for entering the Empire. Modrica and Umreti are a problem. Orcs have a known Blood feud against the Empire, and the Empire responds with discrimination at best and torture and murder at worst. Nowadays, the worst is probably enslavement and forced to fight their kin.

When Tabitha and I first escaped the Empire almost 7 years ago, we joined Branik and the Mother’s Tusks. They hid from the common people under full-faced helmets and only dealt with guards at the gates. It helped they were working with a smuggler who definitely had some misdirection and bribery skills. I was young back then and couldn’t sense things I can now. There were definitely things going on I missed.

Nowadays, with tensions high, a full-faced helmet is not going to be enough. Even then, when I first met Branik, they were almost killed on the road by a patrol. Modrica and Umreti can easily play the silent guards in full armour, but that won’t fool anyone with decent senses. Orcs smell different, their heartbeat is different, and they are at a different body temperature. Hearing Aid, Olfactory and Thermal Sensing are three easy ways to detect an orc, even if they are in full plate armour. There are also many other types of senses that are less common, like Tabitha’s Spatial Awareness and Kelda’s Eyes of Fire.

I don’t want to pretend they are slaves. That is asking for trouble, and we will probably be forced to sell them to the empire, as they are short on slaves. If they are building a slave army, there is even more demand. We can’t transfer a slave bond that does not exist. Modrica and Umreti would never stand for it either. I will forge some purchase documentation for them as slaves as misdirection, but we don’t expect ever to use them.

Tabitha and Nyx have illusion abilities in their Body Image and Mimic Skills. The original plan was for Nyx to stay with Modrica and use those skills as needed. Now, there is Umreti as well. One of them having to stay close to Tabitha all the time is risky.

We are going to be in Freebourne for a while. Getting a new set of identities for everybody in a new town takes work. My Forgery is far from the level required for Identity Documents. When Tabitha left to start making contacts, she gave me a dirty look when I asked her to “please don't take over the entire criminal underworld. We only need some documents.”

She will probably do it to spite me now.