Private Tales What Does Not Kill Us

[Pern]

Pern waited with bated breath and a look of deepening concern as the Chieftain considered her and her purpose here. It was entirely possible that the offer to help could be taken as an insult, but Pern recalled with great clarity how Hath had awed at the weapons in her Smithy shop. He still used the daggers purchased there, though she suspected he'd used up the arrowheads - it had been some time between visits.

"My shamans tell me that it will be dry tomorrow. We have some ore. Tomorrow you will appraise how they create and work iron. I will observe."

A blink, Pern passed a look around at the faces present. It seemed oddly quiet, calm. Apparently not many here understood common - something that might prove to be a greater challenge than she thought. Absently she loosened her grip on the axe, a modicum of tension leaving her at the unexpected acceptance.

"She is welcome here."

Pern released the breath in her lungs she'd not noticed she'd been holding and uttered a quiet thank you to the Chieftain as she stalked by. The comment on the mission, however, grew a frown. She couldn't be sure if she was excited or terrified. Probably both.

Hath did not even need to beckon for her to move and follow, "Hath-" another glance around. Plenty of orcs were watching, obviously curious, so she kept her voice low, "wait, what do I tell her? About the mission?" It was really up to Hath to speak on his present affliction, Pern had no idea how his mother would take such news.

 

[Hath Charosh]

"That I have a magical curse we need to break. If they exile me then they do. More likely they will have the shamans look at it. If they heal it, then that is also good."

Hath did not suppose that they would be able to deal with such magic. His tribe used a subtle kind of magic. They read runes and entrails, predicted the weather. Once he had seen one call down thunder, but it might have been coincidence.

Hath led them to a fire pit that had been covered by a canvas. It was on slightly higher ground so hadn't been flooded. There were several orcs checking their firewood to see if there was enough dry to light it. There were several carcasses being skinned. It was a small tribe but every member played their part.

Despite being the chieftains eldest son, he wasn't afforded much respect as he led her along. In some ways he was barely a part of the tribe.

 

[Pern]

Hath was very good at throwing words at her without a care. Did he...really just say he could get exiled? From his own tribe and family? How awful. Pern couldn't even being to fathom the idea of being exiled from Elbion for something she had no control over. Never see her father again? The very idea made her sick. She suddenly didn't feel very hungry.

At the very least there was a ray of hope that they might opt to treat it, or at least understand it.

She was fairly quiet for the remainder of the evening, sticking near Hath and eating little. Her stomach was in knots from all the uncertainties. Despite having come to terms with sleeping out in the open wilds after their second week abroad, she did not sleep well that night.

The next day was, indeed, dry, and Pern left Hath at the summons of the Chieftain to follow her to where their Smiths worked. It was a crude sort of area and Pern could see that they made do with what little they had. The ore wasn't prime, but it wasn't poor of quality either. Iron would always pale in comparison to steel, it simply wasn't as strong, but she did immediately see several ways they could improve their overall product no matter what it was they made. After spending the morning observing the Smiths at their work, Pern found a seat under a nearby tree and pulled out her journal to work out her plans. The afternoon was spent finding the necessary supplies: stone, clay, water, wood, leather, bone. She was used to working with a great deal more, but she couldn't expect the tribe to provide what she had in Elbion.

The forges they used were often open-flame, and the enclosed forges were crafted crudely. Pern spent several hours with a translator showing the Smiths' how to construct a forge of the gathered supplies. It would never be as capable as a permanent forge built of brick and mortar, but the tribe moved often and needed a way to construct something quickly and easily. By the time the sun had set, she had lead the group in creating a medium sized forge of clay and stone. With rains expected again in the coming days, a makeshift overhang was created to protect their work. The next day it would be ready for use and for the first lesson of the gathered Smiths.

She slept well that night if for no other reason than mental and physical exhaustion.

The following day she awoke to light rains and made quick to check their forge. It was well set and ready. Pern spent the wee hours of the morning crafting a handheld bellows from leather and wood. By the time the others had arrived she was ready to begin. First: the fire and the fuel. They knew to keep their fuel ready and dry, but they didn't know how to stoke the greatest, most concentrated heat. Next: the bellows and stoking the flames. Following: purifying their ore.

Hours crept by. Pern demonstrated the improved process for working their ore into a sturdy iron that would prove to be stronger and hold an edge longer as well. Each smith had a chance to craft a blade under her watch, to learn the tricks of the trade to increasing their output with greater concerted effort. By the late afternoon each Smith had the beginnings of a blade. Tomorrow she would show them better ways to set and temper the metal.

She was covered in soot and sweat when they turned in for the day and joined her translator, an orcess named Jirra, down at the river to wash up. The rains were not nearly so heavy as they were the day she had arrived with Hath, but they soaked through her clothes all the same. After spending the day in the heat of the forge it was a welcome relief.

 

[Hath Charosh]

It was a strange feeling to be back with the tribe. He had parted on a strange note before. Kardidua had expressed some regret that she might lose Hath. At the same time he had sensed that she would rather see him happy and far from the tribe than kept close when there was no real place for him here.

He had thought to return here after his time with the Ashlanders. He had a mind to spending a full season or two back with his people. Now he was here it did not feel the same.

The demon kept trying to works its way into his thoughts. He knew the strategy it was playing. Clearly it had a limited guile. It promised him power if he took control of the tribe. It tried to whisper visions of him leading all the orcs of the savanna against the human settlements.

As if they could hear those voices themselves Bathyr and Dathimm treated him with outright disdain instead of the usual indifference. Hath started to suspect that it was not the tribe that had changed. They saw him in a different way and it made them uncomfortable. He had felled giants and fought demons. He held himself like a warrior now. He matched the tales of his father.

On the second day his uncle Ghavek returned from ranging the savanna. There was finally a few hours of joy. They drank and sang songs and he was sad when his uncle had left. No one had been closer to Hath as a boy. He hadn't even the time to introduce him to Pern. When he returned, Hath decided.

The land was turning green now. Coming alive. An endless cycle that the orcs felt in their bones.

Hath strode bareful across the soft, fledgling grass to intercept Pern on her way back from the river.

He slowed to a stop and nodded his head in greeting.

"How is the forge? Not what you are used to?" he asked.

 

[Pern]

She'd not even seen Hath for the past two days. Not since Kardidua had taken her over to the forging area, away from the main hub of the tribe. The placing was prudent, as she knew - one didn't play with heat of this caliber without taking care. It had to be clear of brush and plants, so as not to ignite a wild fire from the sparks. There had to be space to work without interference. It had to be close to a source of fresh water.

So she had been with the tribe without... really being with the tribe.

Pern offered an earnest smile as Hath appeared, "It'sh..." she glance to Jirra who had folded her arms at her front with a wry smile, "great. I have shet up shimilar forgesh when traveling between townsh. Shometimesh I go to the farmshteadsh outshide Elbion to provide for the farmersh who cannot make the journey through the wallsh."

Jirra chuckled, shaking her head and motioning to Pern, "She talk funny."

Pern gave an embarrassed smile, "Everyone ish learning quickly. They sheem eager to make better weaponsh. I hope it helpsh."

 

[Hath Charosh]

Hath canted his head to one side. There was a curious expression on his face and then he started to smile softly. For all that he respected her master, some part of him felt that orcs belonged with other orcs. He had seen the way that the people of Elbion treated orcs.

At least she would leave with some good memories of this place. If everything went well then he would return her safely to her real forge back in Elbion. There would be something bittersweet about that.

Better that she stayed slightly removed from the centre of the group. Just as he had for most of his life. He was used to ranging far from the tribe and returning. Apart from the social circles of the tribe, whilst still a functional part. There was real distance between her and the jostling of orcs for position. Let alone the nights. The females that would make noise and eye contact with another woman in the moonlight, just to make a point that they had claimed a particular male of standing.

"They were always going to be eager to learn," Hath agreed. "And have you learned any of our words?" he asked curiously.

 

[Pern]

It was nice to see Hath smile. She didn't really understand it, but she thought perhaps he was glad that she had made good on her promise. Pern wasn't going to let Hath or the Chieftain down - the tribe would be making armor and weapons and tools twice, if not thrice as good as they were before.

"Shome," she nodded, "Jirra ish teaching me while we work. I know the wordsh for the toolsh now, and shuppliesh. A few phrashes..." she offered a phrase that meant stoke the fire.

Jirra smirked, ["That accent is strange,"] in orcish and then dismissed herself with an evening farewell, one to which Pern replied in orcish.

"I want to-" Pern cast a glance around before stepping closer to Hath, "I want to make shomething for your mother. I brought a few shteel ingotsh ... what should I make her?"

 

[Hath Charosh]

"Cheiftain," he corrected. "She is a Cheiftain before she is my mother. Always has been." He moved on from the correction quickly. For him it was another simple fact.

"If it is steel then a weapon. It does not mind what kind. She can use any of them."

Hath frowned. A thought struck him and it was not one that had geststed within the demonic presence clinging to his soul.

"Was it unfair...to take you from your forge?"

 

[Pern]

A blink, Pern's smile smoothed into a line, "...Chieftain, right."

Chieftain before mother. That felt backwards to her. Ignatius had always been a Maester before he'd found Pern, but when it came to matters of family he had always been her father first and a Maester second. There were many times she knew, and likely many she did not, when the man had put his good name and lofty title on the line for her. Would Kardidua do the same for Hath?

She nodded, "A dagger then." Quite possibly an orc's most useful tool. She could craft something that would provide the Chieftain many uses.

"What?" she felt her brow pinch, "You did not take me from my forge. I ... I know it may not have sheemed sho, but I came out here becaushe I wanted to help you." Her father's needs of supplies from the Healer had been secondary, this was something she had understood after some time to walk through Ignatius' thought process. The man could have ordered them from anywhere else, she was certain, but he could not help his daughter in this way without sending her off. What better impetus for her to go than to help a friend in need?

 

[Hath Charosh]

"I did not mean that. I suppose," he replied. Hath was frowning. He took his time to speak, but being around his people meant that it took longer to work everything back into the common tongue.

"I have seen you struggle with being out here," he said, holding out his hands to encompass the endless plains. "You seem happy to be at a forge.

"She likes daggers. She does like earrings and hair ties too."

Those of stature decorated themselves, make and female orcs. Piercing and tattoos, bones and trophies.

"I am glad you came, but I have told you that already."

 

[Pern]

She felt the weight of her surroundings settle back on her shoulders for the first time in nearly two days. It had been easy to get caught in the vacuum of the forge work and teaching what amounted to her pupils. Pern had almost forgotten she was out in the middle of the wild. The orcess nodded.

"I do not know what to do out here. But," a glance back in the direction of the smithing area, "I know what I am doing there. It ish like a home away from home."

Daggers. Earrings. Hair ties. She felt some ideas budding in her mind. A dagger would use most of her steel but she could certainly fashion some small beads for the Chieftain's braids and hair from the tailings.

"I am glad you came, but I have told you that already."

Her smile returned, warm behind her tusks, "It ish good to hear it again."

Golden eyes flickered from Hath to movement behind him and noted the approach of the orcess in question. She immediately dropped her gaze, gesturing with a nod of her head for Hath to look behind him.

 

[Hath Charosh]

Hath ducked his head respectfully and turned a shoulder back towards Kardidua. He recalled what she was going to be coming to talk to them about. There were thoughts of his own on tha subject. They were interrupted by the indomitable will of Kardidua before they could form words.

The path ahead would be dangerous. The tribe would have looked after Pern if he chose to walk it alone. It was her choice, that had been firmly established enough times.

The demonic presence, beyond those walls, coiled in disgustbat the wretch it had been saddled with.

"You have done good work. They are very happy," Kardidua said, offering Pern a nod of respect.

Barely a heartbeat and then: "Now what was this mission exactly?"

 

[Pern]

Pern's excitement at the confirmation of her efforts was as short lived as a blink of an eye. She didn't even get a chance to say thank you, though her mouth did hang open slightly as she mentally stumbled over how to approach an answer.

"Oh - ah..." she looked to Hath and inhaled deeply.

"Hath ish afflicted with dark magic corrupshun from a wound in hish shoulder," it was the simplest place to start, and though she hadn't all the details of how he'd gotten into such a state, it hardly mattered now. What mattered was getting him healed. "My father ish a very old and powerful Mage of the College. He shaysh the corrupshun can only be cleanshed by Divine magic. He hash shent ush to a Divine Healer in the Shire of Oak Valley, easht of Fallwood. He shent me along to help Hath on hish journey."

 

[Hath Charosh]

"Hath knows these lands. You do not carry a weapon. Why would he send you?" Kardidua asked curtly.

She was accustomed to making snap decisions that led to the survival or loss of a hundred lives. Out here those challenges were faced year on year. Kardidua did not have the luxury of wasting words to beat around a subject. Nor had she ever had the time to try and be close to her eldest son. The one that reminded her of the man she had loved the very most.

"You know magic?"

 

[Pern]

"...no..." not in the sense of a mage or a sorceress. Not really. Well, who was Pern kidding, she didn't know magic at all. She knew theory of rune magic but beyond the stone amulet she'd made for Hath had never put it to any practical use.

"My father alsho needsh shuppliesh, poshunsh, from the Healer. Thingsh that can only be made by Divine magic. He shaysh they are very rare."

 

[Hath Charosh]

Kardidua narrowed her eyes, trying to work out if she was being made fun of. Her gaze turned to Hath, given that he was so easy to read.

"I will have my shamans look at this wound."

Kardidua stepped before Hath. She reached towards the dark wound gingerly, instinct drawing her to it. Hath recoiled and placed a hand over his shoulder. He gave her an apologetic look but shook his head.

" You should be leaving soon?" She asked Pern.

 

[Pern]

Frowning, Pern's gaze cast in a strange light of shame at the ground. Was she putting Hath in danger by being here with him? Would he have been better off going alone? Her father had not thought so and, so far as Pern was concerned, her father had never been wrong.

She looked up, very shortly, at the Chieftain's question and nodded, "The corrupshun continuesh to shpread. I will make good on my word and enshure your tribe is fully trained with the new forging techniquesh, then we take leave."

 

[Hath Charosh]

"Do that. I will have two scouts lead you east. They know where the trolls have set themselves. Safer that way than heading south and risk a meeting with humans. They are probing the elven woods. How many days do you need?"

Kardidua looked back t the wound more closely. Death was a part of life here. She had buried two children before Hath. There was every chance she would bury more. It still hurt to see this slow poison in his veins, to know he was being pulled away.

She let almost none of the emotions she felt show. Kardidua rarely had that luxury either.

 

[Pern]

Another frown, brows furrowing in thought, golden eyes taking in Hath and his mother and the way she stared at the wound. There was a void of emotion there, as if Kardidua had been carved from the stone of the mountains. Was this truly the relationship between mother and son? Had there ever been warmth?

"Two...weeksh," she replied slowly, then nodded, "to learn to build and ushe forgesh for greater weaponsh will take time."

She hoped it wasn't too much time, but she didn't want to cut corners. This tribe would learn things properly, no short-cuts.

 

[Hath Charosh]

"I will be fine," Hath stated.

"Then two weeks it is," Kardidua declared. It was a cold decision, but the knowledge Pern had already imparted was too valuable to them.

An advantage over their neighbours in iron and steel was vital when the food was scarce. That was when orcs turned on one another, or risked attacking the human settlement that Vel Anir kept pushing further east.



Hath felt it was safe to leave Pern alone with the tribe. Several days in their moved their main camp to stay closer to prey and the forge had to be remade. He took the time to hunt once more. Several orcs tried to goad him into testing his strength against them. He ignored them.

There was almost a normality to life once again and he was reminded of what it was to live with the tribe. It could not last. He could feel the thing burrowing into his flesh.



Hath was skinning game near the fire and listening to conversation from around the fire. Even though Pern had been living on the periphery of the tribe, she would have noticed that he was rarely the centre of any social groups. Hath had seen fewer orcs loyal to his uncle.

He looked up from his bag to see Pern approaching from the site of their forge. He offered a fist to his chest in greeting.

 

[Pern]

The necessity of the move and rebuilding the forge area had actually come at a perfect time. This allowed Pern to chart out the new layout and plan a setup that would work for all the craftsmen in the Forge Circle (this is what she had come to refer to them as, translated in orcish with the help of Jirra). The new setup would have multiple medium forges to allow each Smith their opportunity to build their own, as well it would incorporate a large forge for the creation of longswords and larger weapons. The setup took nearly two days to complete, but when they were finished each smith had their own working area and set to work they did.

They practiced the new techniques for their iron weapons under her close eye and towards the end of the week she instructed them on the use of the large forge. It took multiple orcs to run it and keep the heat high enough, noting that if they were to maintain efficient output the Circle would need new apprentices to help. She would make the suggestion to Kardidua when she presented the dagger to her.

Several days sweating in the sun with intermittent downpours and Jirra, sick of watching Pern dither with her city clothing, insisted on something a bit more tribally appropriate. The initial outfit was not to Pern's approval and, with some stubborn back and forth from both, a more suitable amount of skin cover was in order. Compared to the rest of the tribe she was practically overdressed - especially the females who seemed to revel in their physical confidence and had no qualms with walking around practically naked. Pern took to wearing her leather forging smock to cover her midriff, though she had to admit it, her new attire was far more comfortable in the heat and dried far more quickly after a rain shower.

On a dry evening she left the Forge Circle with a bundle of newly finished tools and weapons made by the smiths to present to Kardidua, along with a steel dagger she'd made herself specially for the Chieftain. On her way she found herself crossing paths with Hath, of whom she'd yet again not seen much of since the tribe had moved. He'd busied himself with hunting, she surmised, and eyed his current project curiously.
Another prey beast she'd not seen before, but the pelt was a lovely shade of amber and criss-crossed by black and white striping. At his silent greeting she offered a toothless smile and mirrored the gesture back to him. These small things were becoming more and more part of her day. Less a practice of habit and more a natural thing.

The same hand lifted to pushed loose and unruly brown curls from her face before securing its hold around the bundle in her arms again, "You look well," she noted with a nod to the various pelts piled nearby, "I could use some of those for the shmithsh if they've not got a purposhe yet."

 

[Hath Charosh]

"If they are needed," he replied with a nod. That was their way. If there was a greater need for something, than that was where it was used. And also, if a bigger orc insisted otherwise then that also would be the priority.

Large orcs that threw their weight around to the detriment of the tribe would draw Kardidua's eye. Power came with privelege, but not to the detriment I'd the tribe.

It was far easier to organise a hundred that a city the size of Elbion.

"You look well indeed." Hath felt a confusing amount of guilt for the amount of thigh Pern had on display. She had seemed so shocked by the clothing of the tribe.

A few swipes of the knife, a hard tug and another skin was drying. Hath would butcher the kill later.

"You have more tools?" he asked, eyeing the bundle. There was a lot if talk about Pern's work around the tribe. Bathyr had boasted that he would have a sword. That was why Pern had been forced to tolerate the oaf sniffing around Jirra for the last few days.

 

[Pern]

"I ..." Pern followed Hath's gaze to her lower half, feeling her cheeks redden. When she was working and tutoring the Smiths she did not think of these things, but now that it was being pointed out she suddenly felt very self conscious again.

"Well I wanted pantsh but Jirra did not sheem to undershtand the word." She was grateful that Jirra wanted to help at all beyond her need for translation. The orcess had been kind enough, warmer to converse with than the Chieftain for certain, though she seemed to hold some modicum of impatience for Pern's stubborn human mannerisms and cultural quirks.

She gently cleared her throat and looked down to the bundle, "Yesh, would you like to shee?" Pern stooped to the ground to partially unroll the leather, pulling out several pieces to show him, "Thish wash made by Akkat, and thish by Oerkr ..." a proud look filled her expression, "they are doing very well."

 

[Hath Charosh]

Hath laughed at her explanation. It wasn't a cruel laugh at her expense, but he assumed - perhaps incorrectly - that her explanation had been a joke.

Hath dropped to his haunches on the other side of the display. With hands that needed washing he did not touch anything. Instead he merely watching in genuine interest. The difference in the quality of the raw materials was apparent, let alone the workmanship.

"Have you had to teach before?" he asked. "You seem good at it."

 

[Pern]

She kept the roll only partially unwrapped, leaving the majority of the finished pieces out of sight. Pern felt it best that Kardidua saw them first, but a quick peek from Hath to show him the result of her hard work seemed in order. After all, she had made the deal with him, it only seemed fair for him to know she was holding up her end.

A nod as she carefully placed the pieces back into their respectful pouches, "We have an Apprentish back at the Shmithy, Shamwen. Gibbshon, my Mashter, hash too much work to teach, sho it ish up to me." For all intents and purposes, Pern was well into her own Mastership of forging, it merely boiled down to the fact that Gibbson had yet to retire. She wondered if that would even happen now. What if Gibbson wouldn't take her back? What if she was never Mastered?

Her gaze moved from his face to his shoulder, "Did you shee the Shamansh? What did they shay?"