[Queen of Orcs 01] - King's Property (34 page)

The grim walk up the valley told a tale in piecemeal fashion, and the two men had to travel the battleground twice before they learned the gist of it. The orcs had carried the brunt of the fighting, and almost all of them had lost their lives. Most died in the ambush, but one shieldron counterattacked and apparently fought its way into the hills. Sevren thought they must have rejoined the surviving orcs when they retreated down the valley. The retreat was orderly, for all of the dead orcs appeared to have died while fighting, not fleeing, the enemy.

Only a few of Kregant’s human soldiers were found among the slaughtered women at the baggage train. Sevren searched there for a long time, but found no trace of Twea or Dar. Most of Kregant’s men had died in the hills or at the valley’s entrance, where they made a stand against the troops that had surprised them. The orcs that survived the ambush helped Kregant’s men fight that battle to a bloody draw. When dawn came, both armies were too exhausted and mangled to fight further. Kregant had lost half of his foot soldiers, a quarter of his cavalry, and almost all of his orcs. Judging from the battlefield, Kregant’s foes also had paid a heavy price, for the orcs had fought valiantly for the king who had betrayed them.

With the fighting over, King Kregant’s army was in retreat, and Valamar was anxious to rejoin them. With that in mind, he and Sevren separated to speed their search. As Valamar climbed a hillside, he had conflicting hopes. Part of him wished to find Dar’s and Twea’s bodies so they could leave. Yet another part worried what Sevren would do when he discovered Dar was dead. If Sevren chose to avenge Dar’s death, even Kregant had cause to fear. Valamar wondered what course he should take if Sevren turned against the king. Would he honor his oath as a guardsman or side with his friend?

Valamar was still pondering this question when he discovered Twea’s body beneath a tall dead spruce. He called to Sevren, who rushed over to find his friend standing outside a circle marked by twigs pushed into the ground. The girl lay in its center with a bunch of wilted flowers upon her thin chest. “Someone placed her here,” said Valamar, “and marked the spot.”

“Aye,” said Sevren, wiping his eyes. “Someone who cared for her.”

“Dar?”

“That circle’s an orcish sign,” said Sevren, “and they like to place their dead beneath trees.”

“Orcs leave their dead unclothed and unadorned,” said Valamar. “This girl’s dressed, and there are flowers.”

Sevren’s face lit up. “Dar lives! She’s with the orcs!”

“We looked among the orcs before we left,” said Valamar. “She wasn’t with them.”

“What if the orcs that fought into the hills did na join the retreat? Mayhap they joined with Dar instead. Twea’s resting place shows both human and orcish ways.”

“If that’s true, where are they now?”

“Far from here, most like,” said Sevren, the gladness leaving his face as he realized he would never see Dar again.

“May Karm watch over her,” said Valamar. “Should we bury Twea?”

“Nay,” said Sevren. “She was left this way by those who cared for her most.”

“An orc caring for a human child? I find that hard to believe.”

“So do I,” replied Sevren, “but Dar had a strange way with them.”

“She had a strange way with a certain guardsman, too,” said Valamar. “But since she’s gone, we should head back.”

Sevren sighed as he scanned the deserted countryside. “Aye, we might as well. She’ll na be found.”

“For her sake,” said Valamar, “I hope she’s not.”

END OF BOOK ONE

The story continues in Book Two,
Clan Daughter
.

A Glossary of Orcish Terms

Adjectives:
In Orcish, adjectives follow the noun they modify. Nouns and verbs often become adjectives by the addition of an “i” at the end. Example: snoof (to reek) becomes snoofi(stinky).

ala
preposition—For.

armor:
Warfare was unknown to the orcs before they encountered humans, and their armor is based on human designs. It is strictly functional, being devoid of ornamentation, and more massive than its human counterpart. Orcs call armor loukap, which translates as “hard clothes.” The basic item consists of a long, sleeveless tunic made from heavy cloth reinforced with leather and covered with overlapping steel plates. The plates are small and rounded at the lower end to permit ease of movement. The effect is that of fish scales. This tunic is worn most of the time in the orc regiments. Its protection is supplemented by additional armor strapped to the arms and legs. These pieces tend to be worn only while marching or in combat. A rounded helmet completes an orc’s armor. Simple in design, it encloses much of the head. There are small holes opposite the ears, and the area about the face is open to permit good vision and communication. Some helmets have nose guards.

Orcs regard their armor as a tool necessary for distasteful work. They take no pride in its appearance, allowing it to rust.

Articles:
Orcs do not use articles. The equivalents of “a” and “the” do not exist. When a sense of specificity is required—
the
girl as opposed to
a
girl—the noun is followed by
la
. The expression for the Divine Mother always includes la—
Muth la, Muthz la
, and
Muthi la
.

asa
interrogative pronoun—Who.

atham
interrogative pronoun—What

avok
noun—Dog.

bah
noun—Eye.

bathing
As opposed to humans, orcs bathe frequently. If given the opportunity, they will do so daily. This fondness for cleanliness is probably related to their keen sense of smell.

blath
noun—Cloak.

Blath Urkmuthi
proper noun—Orcish name for Urkheit Mountains.
(cloak [of] mothers)

cape,
as a sign of leadership. See “Military ranks and units—orc leaders.”

d
verb root and noun—To touch, touch.

dargu
noun—Weasel.

Dark Path
proper noun—The human term for the afterlife. Also known as the “Sunless Way,” it was conceived as a plane of existence that paralleled the living world. Spirits of the dead would travel the path on a westward journey to the goddess Karm, leaving their memories behind in the process.

death song
The human term for the
thathyatai
, a song sung by orc males prior to going to war. Though mournful, it is not principally about death. Its purpose is to cleanse the spirit and beseech Muth la’s comfort. The origins of the song are lost, though it undoubtedly dates from the beginning of the human invasions.

deception
Orcs do not have words for any form of deception, such as “trickery,” “lying,” “betrayal,” etc. Sometimes, lying is called “speaking words without meaning,” but the understanding of this expression comes closer to “speaking nonsense” than to “lying.”

di
adjective—Two, second.

falf
noun—Water.

falfi
adjective—Wet.

fas
verb root—May.

Fath
noun—Spirit or soul.

flis
verb root and noun—To leap or jump, a leap.

Flis Muthi
proper noun—Orcish name for the bridge over the Turgen River.
(leap [of] mother)

funeral practices
Orcs send the bodies of their dead to Muth la in the same state in which they entered the world—naked. Corpses are cremated or left upon the ground (
Te far Muthz la
—On Muth la’s breast). In the latter case, the body is placed within Muth la’s Embrace (see separate entry), preferably under a tree.

fwil
verb root—To please.

fwili
adjective—Pleasing.

g
verb root—To stop.

gat
verb root—To bring.

gatash
adjective—Worthy.

gav
verb root—To seem, to have the appearance of.

gaz
adjective—Fierce.

geem
verb root—To wait.

git
verb root and noun—To find, a discovery.

grun
verb root and noun—To fight, a fight or battle.

grut
adjective—Good, pleasing.

gusha
adjective—Silly.

ha
noun—Sky.

hafalf
noun—Rain.
(sky water)

hai
adverb—Yes.

high murdant
See “Military ranks and units.”

high tolum
See “Military ranks and units.”

hiss
verb root and noun—To laugh, laughter.

human
noun—Human word for
washavoki
.

kala
demonstrative pronoun—This or that.

kalaz
demonstrative pronoun—These or those.

kam
adverb—Why.

Karm
proper noun—Goddess worshipped by humans. Called the “Goddess of the Balance,” Karm was supposed to weigh one’s deeds after death.

kaz
verb root and noun—To hate, enmity.

ke
relative pronoun—Who.

ki
adjective—Little.

kram
verb root and noun—To fear, fright.

kusk
noun—Filth.

l
verb root—To live.

luth
verb root and noun—To protect, protection.

man
noun (human word)—There is no specific term in Orcish for human males, although they are sometimes called “hairy-faced washavokis.”

Military ranks and units:
Orcs did not develop a highly organized military, and all the following terms are of human origin. In the orc regiments, all the officers are human.

general
—The highest-ranking officer. The general for the orc regiments was called the
“Queen’s Man”
because the orcs believed he derived his authority from their queen.

high murdant
—The highest-ranking noncommissioned officer. A high murdant reports directly to a general.

high tolum
—Usually commands a regiment.

human ranks:
Ranks in ancient armies were less specific than in contemporary ones, and the modern equivalents are only approximate.

murdant
—A noncommissioned officer, the equivalent of a sergeant.

orc leaders:
Orcs had no officers or murdants, but did recognize leaders among their own kind. Such leaders lacked the authority of human officers and led by their example and through the use of persuasion. They wore capes as a sign of wisdom. These capes were bestowed by the consensus of their comrades and could be taken away in the same manner. The authority of Wise Sons derived from the Clan Mothers who appointed them to act in their absence. They guided the orc males in nonmilitary matters. Outside the orc regiments, they had no more authority than ordinary orc males.

sustolum
—The lowest-ranking officer, the equivalent of a lieutenant.

tolum
—The equivalent of a captain. Usually commands a shieldron (see below).

Military units:
An orc regiment was composed of orc fighters commanded by human officers. Human soldiers served support roles, and women served both the orcs and men. A
shieldron
was the basic orc fighting unit. It consisted of thirty-six orcs. The term was also applied to a shieldron of orcs and the humans that commanded and supported them. An orc
regiment
had six shieldrons of orc fighters, accompanied by a human contingent of officers, support troops, and serving women.

min
noun—A male orc, regardless of age. Usually translated as “son.”

minvashi
noun—Husband.
(blessed son)

moon
noun—Human word for
bahthithi
, which translates as “silver eye.” The eye referred to is Muth la’s.

mother
noun—The human translation for the Orcish word
muth
, although the two terms are not completely equivalent.

murdant
See “Military ranks and units.”

muth
noun—Often translated as “mother,” it is the word for any orc female, regardless of age or whether she has borne children. Orcs occasionally use this word to describe human females. Mothers wield the real authority within orc society because Muth la’s guidance always comes through them.

muth
verb root—To give birth, to nurture.

Muth la
proper noun—Orcish word for the Divine Mother who created the world and all living things. Muth la sends guidance to mothers through visions.

Muth la’s Embrace
proper noun—Human translation for
Zum Muthz la
. This sacred circle symbolizes the Divine Mother’s presence. It may be temporary or permanent. Orcs always sleep and eat within its confines. Walls, upright sticks, stones, or even a line drawn in the dirt can mark the circle. Orc dwellings always incorporate Muth la’s Embrace, and tend to be circular for this reason. The Embrace is hallowed ground; the dead are placed within it and worship takes place there. It is said that mothers are most likely to receive visions within Muth la’s Embrace.