Private Tales What Does Not Kill Us

[Pern]

She'd barely had time to register his musings, the color of beet rising into her cheeks so quickly she might've been mistaken for wearing too much rouge, when his warning about more orcs nearly gave her brain whiplash.

"Ah-" Pern began, thoughts colliding somewhere between her lungs and her tongue in a massive pileup that would not soon remedy itself. Having a moral panic attack about what he'd said would have to wait - remembering the cultural nuances for interacting with other orcs had to take precedence. She'd learned social etiquette well enough while living with Hath's clan. Even if Pern had never felt completely comfortable among them, a large enough number had come to find her awkwardness endearing in some strange way and taken her under their wing, so to say.

That wasn't likely to happen in shorter instances like now. There wouldn't be enough time for Pern to discern the differences between clan culture - she'd have to rely entirely on Hath to know it instinctively or from experience. Perhaps he might know this clan. Perhaps they might be allies? Was that too wishful of thinking?

Would that be bad? What if they were allies and knew of what happened? What if there was a bounty out for him? Did orc clans post bounties on exiles? Would it be better if they were enemies on neutral ground with no reason to be a threat other than status quo? This was very complicated and it was making her extremely nervous. She moved just a bit closer to Hath's side without even realizing it.

Rooted to the spot where he stood before her, Pern cast a wary gaze just past his shoulder to look at those on approach. That it was two females and not two males did not make her feel any different. The females of Hath's clan had been just as intimidating, if not moreso, than many of the males.

<<Do you know them?>> she quietly asked before they got too much closer, <<Their mark?>>

 

[Hath Charosh]

<<No.>>

Hath lets his arms hang down, but turned his hands around. They rested on his thighs, palms facing forwards. There were many dialects and nuances of orcish language, but some elements of body language were common across all orcs he had met.

They did not, however, reciprocate in showing that their hands were empty and that they were not a threat. With a soft grunt he crossed his arms over his chest and turned to face them. It was still not a threatening posture, but there was a subtle difference between tucking his hands away and making a show that he held no weapon.

<<You are not from the Jerredith tribe under Gathid>> It was the older of the two females that spoke as they slowed down. Two faced them head on, the male staying a step back. The younger female took a slow walk around Pern and Hath and sniffed the air.

They had an accent that Pern might struggle to follow with her grasp of the language.

<<I have been told that today already>> Hath replied. He looked slowly between the gazes of the two orcs in front of him and pointedly ignored the one behind. Dry humour was not a typical opening to an exchange and the orcs paused.

Hath looked different to five years ago. He was broader and carried fresh scars. Each scar was a battle that had been survived. Orc clans were held together by a hierarchy, even one that moved dynamically. If positions were not known, then chaos ensued.

<<You do not offer a name,>> she said.

<<Orcs of Kirner's tribe. I greet you, but you came to us. I am Hath of the Charosh, this is Pern. We are travelling north and have no quarrel.>>

<<He knows of us>> the male grunted, as if it was a sign that they were here to attack the tribe.

<<Of course>> the older female scoffed. <<They have been around the town and spoken to others.>>

Her gaze slid to Pern.

<<You do not speak for yourself?>> the voice came from directly behind Pern, the third orc finally talking.

Hath wished he could telepathically talk to Pern. She had learned from the tribe but this was a little different. It was just a bit of light posturing because there were new orcs on territory the two incumbent tribes still saw as being part of their domain. Even if Wikkerton was a peaceful place of many species, the behaviour didn't surprise Hath.

 

[Pern]

Pern went rigid as the unknown female began to circle, doing her best to mind her body language but finding it extremely hard not to appear as though she were caught doing something or being somewhere she shouldn't be. Eyes wide and jaw taught with concern, she strained to listen to the exchange but caught only a few words from the strangers. She was so invested in trying (and failing) to keep up with the conversation that when the younger female spoke up behind her Pern nearly leapt out of her skin.

She startled, controlling herself at least so it wasn't a dramatic thing but it wouldn't go unnoticed either. Couldn't see Hath's face or know his expression. He'd probably want her to say something, but in this scenario she wasn't certain of how best to speak ... or if she could fully communicate what she wanted to say. Her orcish was still basic conversational at best.

<<I am Pern,>> she said, though she was pretty sure Hath had already introduced her, <<I do not have a clan. I am a blacksmith honored by Chief Kardidua.>>

 

[Hath Charosh]

The two orcs ahead of Pern recoiled just a fraction when she jumped. A subtle shift in the tension of their forms showed they remained on edge. They looked to Hath and back before obviously settling down.

<A what?> the younger female said. She walked around to join the other two.

<Black smith. A metal worker> the other female replied.

<Honoured?> A little note of respect came with that question as the three talked amongst themselves.

<She seems tense.> the male muttered.

<Perhaps,> Hath interrupted <She simply does not like you.>

It was a calculated level of provocation. The male orc took a step closer and bared more of his tusks. Hath did not advance, but he leaned forwards just a fraction. He left his arms crossed.

It did not matter if Pern fully followed the conversation. The exchange was between the lines.

I am not afraid of you, was the message Hath conveyed.

<Barrath> the older female warned.

And we are not afraid of you, but there is no need for violence.

<I am Kee-at, this is Frueh. I do not know of Kardidua or Charosh or you. You are far from home.>

<Farreek keeps charging more> when Barrath.

<And the advances...> said Frueh.

The older female rolled her eyes. She had clearly wanted to play her cards closer to her chest. Pern was valuable.

 

[Pern]

Pern did not move - if anything she was lingering ever nearer to Hath after the female retreated back to her companions. Something about this exchange felt unnerving on a level she hadn't picked up since Hath's brother had come to claim her for the clan after they left. She could not understand what they were saying, nor read the unspoken language between the two parties, but it didn't feel good.

A hand quietly moved to Hath's side, just beyond what the other three could see, where her knuckles pressed against him to garner just a small amount of his attention and perhaps a little bit of his confidence.

"Hath..." she said to him, hushed, "did I shay shomething wrong?"

 

[Hath Charosh]

The brief use of trade tongue caused a ripple of consternation through the orcs. It could not be helped.

"You did not," Hath replied.

He was surprised that the orcs passed no comment on this.

<You are going north. Most of our tribes is already travelling north West. Wild troll country dangerous. If you leave soon, there may be a place to travel with us.>

Hath could not know if this was because Pern knew how to smith. When his father had died, Kardidua had been forced to find a new mate and supporters. A tribe that suffered a loss would look to recruit.

<Thank you. We will consider the offer of travelling with them> Hath replied. Slowly, to ensure Pern could follow his words.

They took another few moments sizing them up to ensure that Hath knew they were not retreating, before they walked away.

 

[Pern]

Well if he said she hadn't, Pern would take that small morsel of assurance and hold it tight. She remained silent, golden eyes flickering upward at Hath as he spoke his last words slowly and clearly, but wasn't certain that it provided any relief to her. Waiting until the other orcs were definitively out of earshot, Pern finally released the breath she'd held in her lungs and clapped a palm to her forehead as she leaned away from Hath.

She felt like she was going to be sick for how strongly her stomach had pulled into knots.

"Ish it going to be like that... every time we meet other orcsh?"

 

[Hath Charosh]

"Depends on the orcs," Hath said.

"Those three aren't with the main tribe so they thought they had something to prove. Perhaps. It is fine. They meant nothing by any of it. Except to try and get us to join them. Their tribe may need to grow."

Hath lifted a hand to place on her shoulder. Despite an awkward reminder of the day before, he continued to place it upon her. He left it there only a moment before drawing it back.

"In the wild, orcs from other tribes will not often get close unless they need to fight or barter. It will be fine."

 

[Pern]

In this moment she rather appreciated the gesture of his hand. It was a gesture her father had made to comfort her in times of duress or uncertainty and she almost wished he hadn't pulled away so quickly.

"Maybe I should not have shaid anything about being a shmith..." she wondered regretfully aloud, "I wonder if I have nailed my foot to my own pyre." Hath probably would not get the reference, it being human in origins.

A few steadying breaths helped, but Pern couldn't tell if she was now restless to move or wanted to lie down. Her whole body suddenly felt very tired.

"Do you... think it would be whyshe to travel with them?"

 

[Hath Charosh]

Nailed my own foot to the pyre

A quick cant of his head followed as Hath appreciated the expression. He had heard a couple of the curious things before, if not this one. The humans did have a strange way of saying things.

"It does not matter that you said that," Hath said, trying to offer some reassurance. "If they heard of new orcs in town they wanted to see if we are a danger. If not, a tribe that has need often adds lone orcs or small groups."

"I do not know enough about them to know," Hath said. "We can ask others. I am sorry. This had been a strange day."

The orcs were just a topping off the weird conversations, questions and accusations of the morning.

"Food. We can get food and sit."

 

[Pern]

That ... was somewhat more assuring. If this sort of exchange seemed so normal to Hath that he spoke of it so casually, almost boredly, then perhaps she was making a mountain out of a mole hill. Twisting gears that need not be involved, as her father would say. Pern deferred to Hath's opinion of the event and thoughts on the matter. If he felt no need for alarm then she would do her best to quell her worries.

She nodded, uncertain of if food would sit well in her stomach but neither of them had eaten since the evening prior.

"Hopefully food mershantsh take coin..." she added.

 

[Hath Charosh]

He didn't know where to head next, but deeper towards the center of the town seemed to be the obvious choice.

Hath looked over at Pern. He let out an audible breath through his nose. He regretted not feeling like he could leave his hand on her shoulder. She would dictate what came next between them and at what pace, he only hoped that if she didn't feel the same as him that things would eventually settle back down to how they had been just a few weeks ago.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

 

[Pern]

"Mm," Pern frowned, pressing a hand at her head as she took a moment to let her reeling mind slow down.

"I jusht ... washn't expecting ...ahm," she gestured in the direction that the other orcs had arrived and departed, "that."

She felt ashamed that she couldn't hold herself together around other orcs, but she just couldn't help it. They made her so nervous! Remembering all the body language and words - made her feel like a failure of her own kind.

"Uhm... food shoundsh good. Letsh do that." With a glance around and a quick sniff of the air, Pern picked a direction that smelled appealing and began to walk.

 

[Hath Charosh]

Hath realised that they did not know if they were heading towards people who sold food, or just a communal cooking space. There was one way, he thought, to find out.

"I had been thinking. Would Wikkerton have so many types, but would they be more Wikkerton. Would a Wikkerton Orc be like a Wikkerton type of person who was also an orc. Or an orc orc that lived here. Those orcs seemed like orc orcs to me."

Hath frowned.

"That sounded stupid out loud."

 

[Pern]

The crowds were quite a bit more heavy than expected. Though, Pern thought to herself as she cast a glance to the sky and noted the sun's position, it was getting closer to midday. Perhaps everyone was seeking their own meals? She turned a curious glance to Hath as he spoke, unsure if she had misheard him or been too distracted.

Was he saying there were more orcs coming? She didn't see any - but maybe his height was giving him a better vantage point.

"I-" Pern looked around, confused, then back to Hath again, "what?"

 

[Hath Charosh]

"Hmm."

It had sounded stupid out loud to him. Apparently to Pern it had sounded like nothing at all.

"I mean that the orcs we met... They were... Like many orcs. I was thinking that they might be different. Because they live here."

Hath had to move aside as another minotaur walked from the other direction. Hath was not accustomed to moving out of the way so often.

 

[Pern]

"You mean..." Pern wide-eyed at the approach of the minotaur and halplessly gawked as it passed by, catching herself only when it raised a brow at her in passing.

"Ahm - like me? How I am different becaushe I live in Elbion?" that seemed to make the most sense. It had become abudantly clear just how different she was from wild orcs, even in just that one last interaction.

"Perhapsh they do not live here," she offered, "but only come for trade when their clan pashesh through." That made the most logical sense to her. Hath would know best if they were or were not ... odd.

"Oh!" her brows shot up as she stretched up upon her bare toes to look over the crowds, "I think I shee food shtandsh!"

 

[Hath Charosh]

"Oh yeah, like you," Hath said. That hadn't been the angle he had been coming from but it worked.

"You have learned more of our ways, but it is still... Strange to you. And I have probably changed since I left the tribe."

His tone changed. Part of his upbringing meant that he was accustomed to telling stories to boat of feats and warn of dangers, but he didn't always spend time reflecting introspectively. He had been a very different orc when he left the tribe.

"I've seen a lot more of the world."

He accelerated when she said she could see food stalls. The scent of cooking grew. An odd mix, it's source revealed as a variety of stands. From goblins selling spiced and fried lizards and skewers, to the kobolds stewing something in but pot with herbs. The goblins kept making jokes about their skewers being relatives of the kobolds.

Hath was hungry. Potions had aided his healing, but his body wanted to recharged. He clenched his right fist, feeling the tug of healing skin. He could still feel the wound across the front of his shoulder from the demon. It seemed it would never heal completely.

"They are taking coin," he observed with relief.

 

[Pern]

Pern smiled pleasantly at the idea of Hath having changed over his years away from the tribe. Part of her wished to have known the old Hath, the one that Scy had traveled with, but another opposing part of her told her she likely would have been quite a bit more uncomfortable around him. And the reminder of his travels with Scy stung at her in a way she was not expecting.

She decided to focus on food.

"Oh good," she replied brightly. Some good news indeed. She had plenty of coin to use - in fact she was fairly certain she'd be considered wealthy with what she had. Pern had always been rather a spendthrift, saving her coin for the inevitability that she'd one day have to make her own way. Ignatius was, of course, a wealthy man and had never left her wanting for anything he could not buy.

Sadly he could not buy her way in to the College, one of the only things she had ever truly wanted for.

"I think..." Pern paused, peering through the crowd, "I think I know that mershant."

Another moment and her smile broadened, completely forgetting the social etiquette of orcs and showing bright white teeth and tusks, as she would back in Elbion, "I do! Come thish way-" and without another thought Pern took hold of Hath's nearest hand to haul him off with her.

They arrived at the back of a line to a merchant stand serving large rotisserie field rats the size of a melon. Behind the stand a rare sight: a corvian. When it came their turn, Pern waved and began speaking in fluent trade-tongue.

<<Opoe, I did not know you sold in Wikkerton.>>
<<Ahhhhh - Miss Pern! I am here now, yes! Merchant lot taxes in Elbion are too rich for my purse. What are you doing so far from home?>>

 

[Hath Charosh]

"I think..." Pern paused, peering through the crowd, "I think I know that mershant."

"That does not seem..."

"I do! Come thish way-"

Hath knew that merchants could travel, but he had no appreciation for how they used the portal stones to maximise their profits. Apparently, despite the distance, Pern really had seen someone she knew. He was perfectly content to be pulled along after her, enjoying the moment of her enthusiasm.

He was glad of two things. Firstly, that they were in the line to buy some cooked food. He hadn't walked through a row of stalls with such a variety of scents before and it had him salivating. More importantly, Pern saw a familiar face.

The journey had been long, he thought to himself. She had been put through a great deal to help him and taken far, far from her comfort zone. A little familiarity on the way back could go a long way.

<<Hello>> said Hath. He knew a little but the corvian had spoken very quickly. He would let Pern continue the conversation before speaking on behalf of his stomach.

 

[Pern]

<<I have been traveling to help my friend,>> Pern replied brightly and looked to Hath as he stepped forward next to her with his own greeting, <<this is Hath.>>

<<Quite a friend!>> Opoe squawked, the feathers of his crown flaring at the sight of Hath, <<Hello indeed, friend of Pern. I see your wardrobe has caught on her.>>

Pern flushed, her cheeks darkening to a rosy sand hue, <<We lived among his clan for a time. My human clothes did not fit well there.>>

<<Not to worry, you look well! What are you having, hm? Honey Glazed, Kalit Scorcher, and Beer Drenched. Two for one special, just for Miss Pern and friend Hath,>> Opoe cawed a cackle.

 

[Hath Charosh]

<<Hello indeed, friend of Pern. I see your wardrobe has caught on her.>>

Hath frowned for a moment. He missed the meaning of the corvian's observation. His what had caught on her.

<<We lived among his clan for a time. My human clothes did not fit well there.>>

"Ah," went Hath. He could stop rolling those trade words around in his head when Pern gave him the gist of the conversation.

<<She looks good like this>> Hath said, without the slightest pause. It was only after he said it that he turned to see the colour of her cheeks. He wouldn't apologise for something that was true.

He looked at the food, then back at Pern. There was nothing in his eyes this time except hunger. Hath gave a sharp little nod. All of those sounded good.

 

[Pern]

She smiled through her blushing, lips curving up around her tusks, <<Two of each.>> Hath could easily put away three or more. Pern had seen the way he feasted - she had no doubt he'd finish off whatever she could not herself.

<<Right away!>> Opoe cawed happily as he busied himself with prepping the order, <<Will you be in Wikkerton long? We will be observing the Dakka Nuv festival starting tomorrow, aha! But I think the festivities may even begin tonight.>>

<<Dakka Nuv?>> Pern asked curiously as she took the first set of skewered rats, Honey Glazed, and passed one to Hath.

<<It is a kobold holiday. Nnn-I do not know the specifics, but there is a lot of music, fire, and merriment to look forward to! Wikkerton is never short on celebrations what with all the cultures that come through here. Just last week the orcs held ceremony for one of their Gods. No idea who, but the bonfire was huge!>>

Orc Gods. Huh. Pern cast a curious glance to Hath with a raised brow as two more skewers were offered, these ones smelled like the beer drenched.

 

[Hath Charosh]

"Hmmph," Hath went, his eyes following the skewer from Opoe to Pern to his own hand. He had to swallow before running the tip of his tongue over one tusk.

He was going to bite clean through half of a rat and tear it from the skewer, but a question was thrown his way with just a look.

His eyes fell to the glazed skewer just inches from his lips, rose to Pern, went back down to the skewer and settled back on her gaze.

It could wait a few moments.

Hath thought about the timing. The stars were slightly different here and the rituals were not universal across tribes. However there were options.

"Baaral or Rites of passage for Gyweven," Hath said.

<<Either might have been...too much>> Hath continued. Pern would not have been comfortable with the amount of fighting and mating going on.

<<Dakka Nuv. All take part?>> Hath asked. He gave Pern a look that suggested it might be worth staying for. As long as it wasnt just horrible little kobolds.

 

[Pern]

Opoe nodded as he passed the last of the skewers over, <<Oh yes! All of Wikkerton will celebrate with them. There will be feasting and bonfires and games.>>

Pern juggled food and coin, paying the merchant with her customary smile, <<Well... what's an extra day? We have barely seen any of the town.>>

<<Wonderful! Come find me later tonight at the main square and I will introduce you to some nice folks!>> Opoe cawed happily, winked a round, beady eye and looked to the next set of customers waiting behind them.

Ducking out of the way, Pern looked to her three skewers, "We may need more time to bargain for shuppliesh anyway-" and looked to Hath who had already devoured his first rat and was working on the second.

She laughed at the sight of him.