Zna-yat spoke next. “I am Zna-yat, her brother.” He gestured toward his companions. “These sons are Dargu-yat’s clan kin.”
Whether it was Dar’s bearing, the tattoo on her chin, her fluent Orcish, the presence of her kin, or a combination of all these things, the strangers treated her with deference. They bowed and returned the greetings. These formalities were interrupted when Zna-yat, who had been keeping watch, warned that washavokis were approaching. Dar hid just before the hide flap on the doorway moved aside and two women entered the barracks to serve porridge to the new arrivals. After the women left, Dar emerged from hiding to explain her actions. “I hid because washavokis lack sense,” she said. “They wouldn’t understand I’m urkzimmuthi. They would try to prevent me from seeing my aunt, though it’s Muth la’s will that we speak together.”
An orc bowed low to Dar. “Pardon me, Dargu-yat, but our queen will only speak to sons.”
“Her sisters think evil magic forces her to say that. I was sent to discover if that is so.”
“How will you do that?” asked another orc.
“I don’t know yet.”
“We know one thing,” said Zna-yat. “No washavoki should see Dargu-yat.”
“But they’re everywhere,” said an orc.
“Do they come inside this room?” asked Dar.
“Only woe mans. They bring food and firewood.”
“Set guard,” said Dar. “Warn me whenever they approach.”
An orc wearing a leader’s cape bowed to Dar, then posted a sentry by the doorway.
I should be safe within here, thought Dar as she gazed about. The building’s single room was just large enough to accommodate three dozen orcs and their equipment. Though built by men, it resembled a hanmuthi. Circular walls marked the Embrace of Muth la, and a hearth was in its center. Because orcs slept sitting upright, the barracks was only twelve paces in diameter, and its occupants’ massive bodies filled most of it. It would be a small refuge.
Outside were numerous other barracks, enough to accommodate many hundreds of orcs. Surrounding the barracks were high walls with a stout gate and washavoki soldiers. Dar’s impression that the camp was a prison returned, and she regretted coming. Her task seemed overwhelming. I was such a fool. How will I ever see the queen? Even finding Kovok-mah seemed daunting. For all Dar knew, soldiers would capture her the instant she left the barracks. She felt trapped and teetered on the brink of panic.
Zna-yat must have smelled her fear, for he moved close to her. “Dargu, all sons here will help you.”
Zna-yat’s words reminded Dar that she need not do everything herself. I’m a mother. I can lead, and I’m surrounded by strength and loyalty. Bearing that in mind made her prospects seem less bleak. “Tomorrow, spread word among urkzimmuthi that I am here,” she told Zna-yat. “Also find Kovok-mah.”
“I’ll do these things,” said Zna-yat. “Now are you glad I came?”
Dar smiled slightly, exposing teeth that had begun to fade to white. “I was wise to bite your neck.”
The following morning, Dar spoke with Magtha-jan. He wore a leader’s cape because he had fought before. “Did you fight this summer?” asked Dar. “Were you at battle in valley of pines?”
Magtha-jan grimaced. “Hai, I was there.”
“I was also.”
Magtha-jan stared at Dar with the amazement of sudden recognition. “You were Muth Velavash! You blessed sons before battles.”
“I did.”
“Did you bless sons before battle in valley of pines?”
“Hai. Afterward, I led them home.”
Magtha-jan made the sign of the Tree. “Mother, I’m glad Muth la sent you. I want to return home and kill no more.”
“Magtha-jan, I don’t know where my path will lead. Yet I hope your wish can be fulfilled.”
Through her conversation Dar learned what happened after she deserted. Magtha-jan described how he survived the ambush and fought his way to the valley’s entrance. There, he helped King Kregant’s men repulse a series of attacks that left both sides mauled. Eventually, the enemy withdrew, and Kregant’s remaining forces retreated. Magtha-jan had believed they were marching home until the army changed course and the orcs were ordered to attack a “washavoki holy place.” Despite their small numbers, they took it easily. After soldiers “filled many wagons,” the army headed homeward.
When Magtha-jan arrived at Taiben, he wasn’t sent home. Instead, the queen ordered all orcs to remain at the garrison. It was nearly empty at first, because so few had survived the campaign. Since then, the garrison had been filling up as the clans sent sons to replenish the empty ranks. New regiments were forming, and some shieldrons had already seen action. Magtha-jan knew that they had killed some washavokis, but nothing else.
Dar learned little about the doings of the king’s human soldiers, because Magtha-jan avoided washavokis whenever possible. Within the garrison, his sole contact was with the branded women who served food and brought fuel. Magtha-jan said orcs occasionally entered the palace to receive orders from their queen, but he had never done so. Few made those visits, which were both rare and brief. Otherwise, no orc set foot inside Taiben. Neither did they leave the garrison except to fight.
After speaking with Magtha-jan, Dar worried the orcs would be less useful than she had hoped. King Kregant seemed careful to isolate them from their queen and also from himself. He was aided by the orcs’ disdain for washavokis. Once again, her task seemed impossible.
“I’ve found Kovok-mah,” said Zna-yat when he returned.
Dar’s heart leaped at the news. “Where? Did you speak with him?”
“Only briefly. I told him you were here. He asks if you will see him.”
“Hai! Hai! Hai! I’ll go right now.”
“That would be unsafe. There are washavokis everywhere.”
“Then how can we meet?”
“He said wait until night. After washavokis lock woe mans in hall, most of them leave. There is empty barracks nearby. He’ll be there.”
After Zna-yat pointed out the barracks, there was nothing for Dar to do but wait. She was alone all afternoon while the orcs had weapon practice. Most of the newcomers had never wielded a sword or battle-ax and had to learn the skill. Dar hid among the piled shelters while they were gone and watched from the same place as terrified women served the evening porridge. They all appeared recently branded, and Dar recognized none of them. Dar ate after they left, then continued to wait for dark.
When twilight left the sky, Dar crept from the barracks. The moon had yet to rise. Dar had changed into her washavoki shift, hidden her dagger under it, and reluctantly abandoned her warm orcish boots. As the cold ground chilled Dar’s bare feet, she peered about to get her bearings. The barracks were rows of black shapes, barely distinguishable in the darkness. Dar cautiously made her way toward the one where Kovok-mah waited. The silent garrison seemed deserted until Dar spied movement on the surrounding wall. A guard, she thought, wondering why one was needed. What’s he guarding against? Attack? Escape? Both? Whatever his purpose, he was alone and didn’t seem a threat.
Dar reached the empty barracks. Its doorless opening was a patch of black. She stepped into the dark room and saw the pale light of two green eyes. She moved toward them. “Kovok?” she whispered.
“Hai.”
Dar reached out and touched iron. Kovok-mah was in armor. She groped for his hand and grabbed it to pull it toward her breast. His arm wouldn’t budge. “Kovok?”
“You shouldn’t be here”
The coldness in his voice surprised Dar. “You asked me to come.”
“You shouldn’t be in Taiben. You must leave.”
“Since when do sons tell mothers what to do?” asked Dar, trying to sound playful.
“That’s my muthuri’s wisdom.”
“Do you mean same muthuri who will bless us?”
“Why do you speak foolishly?” said Kovok-mah. “She will never bless us.”
“
That’s not what I heard.”
“Did my muthuri speak to you?”
“Thwa, but…”
“Well, she spoke to me. She said giving love clouds judgment. That’s why only muthuris decide who shall be blessed.”
Dar pulled again at Kovok-mah’s hand. It remained rigid. “Touch me.”
“It’s forbidden.”
“Why?”
“Muthuri said so.”
It irritated Dar that she couldn’t see Kovok-mah, while he could see her. She felt he was hiding. “I’m here because of you!”
“I didn’t ask you to come. Leave and forget me.”
“It’s not that simple. I can’t forget you.”
“Muthuri says you will.”
“She’s wrong.”
“Dargu-yat, you’re urkzimmuthi mother now. How can you doubt Muthuri’s wisdom?”
Dar felt betrayed. One word from his muthuri, and he forsakes me. How could he change so quickly? Then a terrible insight came. “You expected this! You knew we’d never be blessed!”
“Dargu-yat, please forget me.”
“You knew! You knew!” Dar struck at the green eyes and hit the jaw below them. Kovok-mah remained still. She hit him again.
Dar was torn between rage and heartbreak. “Kusk washavoki!” she screamed. It was the foulest name she could think of. Then she rushed into the night, her vision blurred by tears. She ran heedlessly until someone stepped from the shadows and blocked her path. Before Dar could dart in another direction, a sword point pressed against her throat.
“Well, what do we have here?” said the soldier. “A birdie tryin’ ta fly away?”
Twenty-nine
Fear flushed Dar’s mind of anger and sorrow. She knew what happened to women who deserted.
“Ye were daft ta think ye’d make it,” said the soldier.
“I wasn’t running away,” said Dar. “He said if I met him, he’d give me shoes.”
The soldier glanced down at Dar’s bare feet. “Who?”
“I don’t know his name. I just arrived.”
Without lowering his sword, Dar’s captor stepped closer to peer at her forehead. “That brand’s not new.”
“The orcs brought me. I’ve been their captive ever since the ambush. Look at my chin. That’s how they mark women.”
“Ye been with orcs?”
“Yes, and believe me, it’s better here.”
“Where ye must tup fer shoes?”
“He didn’t mention tupping.”
The soldier laughed. “Then ye’re a greater fool than I thought.”
Dar expected the man would try to rape her. Her mind raced, thinking what she might do. Having lost her bearings, she didn’t know where to run, and trying to reach her dagger would be suicide. Only when he pulled up her shift could she attempt to stab him. If I called for help, would the orcs reach me in time? Unsure, Dar waited for the man to make the first move. Then he surprised her by sheathing his sword. “I’ll take ye back ta yer barracks. If no one sees us, I’ll not turn ye in.”
“Thank you,” muttered Dar.
“Don’t do this again. More like that man had a prick waitin’ than a pair o’ slippers. And there’s a murdant here who looks fer reasons ta flog women. Come on. Walk in front o’ me.”
“I don’t know which way to go.”
“Fer Karm’s sake!” said the soldier, wrenching Dar’s shoulder so she pointed toward the gate. “Move!”
As Dar began to walk, the soldier asked “What’s yer name, birdie?”
“Leela.”
“Well, Leela, I’m Five Fingers.” The soldier poked Dar’s back with the stump of his right wrist. “That’s all I got. That’s why I’m stuck here.”
Dar halted before a rectangular stone building with high, narrow slits for windows and a heavy door that was barred on the outside. Five Fingers peered about before lifting the iron bar with his good hand. He pulled the door slightly open, then whispered to Dar. “Get inside, Leela. Hurry!”
Dar slipped past the door, and it shut behind her. As she gazed about, she heard the bar fall into place. Except for the embers of a dying fire, the room was pitch black. The air smelled of smoke, a latrine, and washavokis. Someone was weeping softly. The only other sounds were snoring and sleepers stirring in the straw, which lay thick around Dar’s feet. It felt gritty and trampled. Beneath the straw was stone. Dar lowered herself to the floor and began to grope about. She moved only slightly before encountering a body. She drew back from it and encountered another.
Dar lay down. By then she had begun to shake. Her world had changed in an instant, stripping her of everything she had gained. It took awhile before the waves of fear and despair receded, and Dar felt calm enough to assess her predicament. Having grown accustomed to orcish honesty, what surprised her most was that either Zor-yat or Kath-mah had lied. Dar found it easier to believe Kovok-mah’s muthuri was the culprit. Dar had never liked her. She lied to Muthuri to avoid a scene, then used what she learned against me. If Zor-yat had lied, the implications were far more upsetting. Dar didn’t dwell on them, for she had a more immediate problem: Soldiers would arrive at dawn. The orcs don’t know I’m here. If Teeg or Kol finds me, I’ll never leave this place alive.
Dar took her dagger from its hiding place and tied its cord around her waist. It was her only preparation for the morning, and a desperate one. She couldn’t survive a confrontation, only sell her life as dearly as possible. Dar regretted not practicing with the weapon, but she regretted other things more. Sons will die because I failed. I let down Muth-yat, Muthuri, and all the urkzimmuthi. As upset as she was with Kovok-mah, she couldn’t bear the thought of him in battle. Yet there was nothing Dar could do except wait and hope for a miracle.
The moon rose. Light filtered through slits that served as both windows and chimneys. Dar saw the floor was covered with sleeping women, enough to serve several regiments. Embers smoked upon a hearth at the far wall. There the bodies were thickest. Only the floor about the open latrine was completely bare. The weeping had ceased, and the silent room resembled the aftermath of a massacre. Recalling Twea and her other slain comrades, Dar thought the women were as good as dead. Just like me.
Dar was still awake when someone pounded on the door at first light. A burly woman rose. “Kitchen duty!” she shouted, then called out names. Women groaned and rose. “Fire duty!” More names were rattled off. “The rest of ye, off yer arses.”
“But, Marta, there’s naught to do,” said someone.
“Move the wood pile to the other end of the camp.”
“But, we just finished moving it yesterday.”
“Then move it again,” said Marta. “Idle girls get flogged.”
All the women rose. Dar mingled among them, trying to be inconspicuous. The door opened and some soldiers entered the building. Dar moved away from them. She noticed a woman who was throwing up, her face hidden as she knelt over the latrine. Dar rushed beside her and pretended to be sick also. The soldiers passed close by, selecting women for some work detail. Dar continued to make retching sounds until they left. Then she raised her head from the malodorous hole.
The woman next to her finished being sick and sat upright. “Dar?” she said in an incredulous voice.
Dar turned and her heart sank. “Hello, Neena.”
Neena seemed about to say something, but started retching again. When the fit passed, she moaned. “I’ve been this way for two moons. Karm help me.”
Dar regarded her former nemesis, trying to gauge her intentions. She saw no enmity; Neena only looked sick and forlorn.
“Dar, what happened to you? I thought you were dead. Who did that to your face?”
“Orcs.”
“How cruel!”
“At least I’m alive,” said Dar.
“We’re the only ones who are.”
Dar felt a surge of hope. “All the soldiers were killed?”
Neena’s expression turned bitter. “Oh they did fine! We’re the
only women left.” She sighed heavily. “I guess you did whatever was necessary. I did too. Can you forgive me?”
“Sure.”
“At least you’re not pregnant.”
“Kol’s child?”
Neena made a face. “Teeg’s. Kol tossed me to him like a bone to a dog.”
“How are that pair?” asked Dar, trying to keep her voice neutral.
“Kol’s still riding high, but Teeg…” Neena smiled grimly. “He’s dead.”
“How?”
“He’d drink anything, even if it tasted off.” Neena gave Dar a meaningful look. “Taren showed me a few tricks. There’s a leaf…”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“We’re going to be friends,” said Neena. “I’m sharing my secret so you’ll know you can trust me. Now, why did you come back?”
Dar doubted Neena’s motives, but took care not to show it. “The orcs brought me.”
“Your piss eye lover tire of you?”
“Yeah, and I don’t want another.”
“What’s it like to tup one?”
“Not what you’d think. He was gentle and…”
“And what?” asked Neena, watching Dar with an intrigued expression.
“It doesn’t matter now. When’s your baby due?”
“Not soon enough to escape Frey’s fate.”
“She ended up in a loving home,” said Dar.
“No, she didn’t. Kol drowned her. He laughed when he told me.”
“Kusk washavoki! Fas Muth la tak mat fath!” Washavoki filth! May Muth la kill his soul!
Neena stared at Dar with astonishment. “What did you just say?”
“May Karm slay his filthy soul!”
“He doesn’t have one,” said Neena. “I learned that the hard way. Come on, we have to leave. The barracks is nearly empty.”
Dar followed Neena as she hurried outside. There Neena spied Dar’s dagger. “Get rid of that right now! If a soldier sees it, you’ll be flogged for sure!”
[Queen of Orcs 02] - Clan Daughter Page 18