Inferno

by Paul J Bennett

  His face darkened. "Indeed I do, but it is a place that is best avoided."

  "Why is that?"

  "They seek to destroy us."

  * * *

  They emerged from the forest to see the village laid out before them. It was surrounded by a small fence, little more than waist high, designed to keep animals penned in more than for protection. The houses were all constructed from wooden planks, much different from the wattle and daub Athelwald had used, and yet the thatched roofs were the same, giving the place an eerie familiarity.

  Pigs rolled around in the mud while a couple of scraggly-looking sheep bleated. Athgar was reminded of home, and yet the general mood here was unsettling. In his own home, the villagers would have welcomed strangers, but here there were looks of contempt thrown towards Natalia, doubtlessly due to her pale skin and lack of grey eyes.

  "Athgar? Is that you?" The voice was unmistakable. He turned to see Melwyn, his betrothed, rushing across the ground. She ran up to him, wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

  "By the Gods," she said, "it's good to see you."

  He took her arms from around him and held her at a distance, sadness on his features. "It's good to see you too, Melwyn."

  "What is it?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

  He glanced over at Natalia, but she was staring at the ground.

  "I have bad news," he said. "It's about Caladin. I'm afraid he's dead."

  The words stunned her. After Athgar's failure in the hunt, Melwyn's father had broken off their engagement, settling on the much more successful Caladin as a match for his daughter, but then the slavers had come. Athgar had found him chained to a sinking ship as a galley slave, and it was his Fire Magic that had ended the young man's life. He would have perished alongside his old rival had it not been for Natalia.

  Melwyn straightened. "I feared as much. Still, it is good to see you, Athgar. Fate has brought you to me once more."

  "No," he said. "I am bonded now."

  "Bonded?"

  "Yes, married, to Natalia." He took the Water Mage's hand in his. "I met her in Draybourne."

  "She is a skrolling," said Melwyn, her look of distaste easy to read. "And in any event, Athelwald was destroyed. Who conducted the ceremony?"

  "The Orcs of Ord-Kurgad."

  A look of relief washed over her face. "Then it is of no consequence. We are building a new life here, Athgar. You and I can be a part of that. It is a new beginning for our people."

  "Natalia is my future," he insisted, gripping the mage's hand tighter still, "and I will not have you speak ill of her."

  "This is not over, Athgar," the woman swore. She moved closer to Natalia until they were face to face. "You have not heard the last of this, skrolling!" Melwyn turned, storming off.

  "Well," said Raleth, "it appears she still holds a torch for you."

  "That ship has long ago sailed," said Athgar. He saw the look of confusion. "Sorry, it's an expression I picked up in Corassus."

  "Never heard of the place."

  "Nor should you have."

  "Let me take you to my home," said Raleth. "You must be hungry."

  "Indeed," said Athgar. "Lead on."

  * * *

  The house of Raleth was a single-room dwelling, with a central fire over which a pig was roasting, tended to by a grey-haired woman with long braids hanging down her back.

  "My mother, Anweld."

  "Greetings," said Athgar.

  "You did not tell me we would have guests, Raleth."

  "I did not know we would find them in the woods," he replied.

  "Come," the woman said. "Sit and make yourselves comfortable. Shall I fetch you some mead?"

  "If you would be so kind," said Athgar. He sat before the fire, waiting as Natalia took her place beside him. She looked pale, and he wondered again what ailed her.

  "This is Athgar," said Raleth, "and his wife, Natalia."

  The woman examined their faces, but if she was surprised by the presence of an outsider, she hid it well. "You are guests of my son and shall always have a place in this house."

  "Are you always so welcoming of outsiders?" asked Natalia.

  "Not generally, no, but then again, we encounter them so infrequently."

  She turned her attention to Athgar. "You, on the other hand, are one of us. From what village do you hail?"

  "Athelwald."

  Anweld's eyes lit up. "The same as Skora," she said.

  "You know her? Is she here?"

  "I know her well, but she now serves the king, for no one else would have her. She spends her days in manual labour."

  "She is a skilled cook," said Athgar.

  "Maybe she once was, but now she is feeble and weak. Her trials have not been kind to her. Shall I send for her?"

  "If it wouldn't be an inconvenience?"

  "Not at all." She turned to her youngest son. "Harwath, stop staring at that pig and go and fetch the old woman."

  "What old woman?"

  She cuffed his ear, eliciting a shout. "Skora, the one we were just talking about. Have you no ears?"

  He rose, his irritation quite evident. "I don't see why Raleth can't fetch her."

  "Because he is their host. Now be about your business; we haven't got all day." Anweld turned to Athgar and Natalia as her son left the hut. "You must excuse him. He can sometimes be a bit thick."

  "Sometimes?" said Raleth.

  "Hush, now," she warned. "He's still your brother."

  She passed out cups filled with mead, the aroma of honey held within its warmth.

  Athgar took a sip, then downed the contents, pleased with the taste. Natalia sniffed hers but merely placed it on the floor, untasted.

  "Are you not thirsty?" he asked.

  She shook her head. "No, you can have it if you wish."

  He took the proffered cup, lifting it to his lips.

  "What has brought you here?" asked Anweld.

  "We are searching for a place called Ebenstadt, but Raleth tells us it is to be avoided?"

  "It is indeed. Might I ask the reason for your visit?"

  Athgar was caught. Should he reveal he was sent by the Ancestors of the Orcs?

  "I saw it in a dream," he lied.

  "More of a nightmare, I should think. Still, it is a curious thing. Perhaps it is the will of the Gods. You should meet King Eadred. I'm sure he could help."

  "What is King Eadred like?" asked Athgar.

  Anweld paused before answering. "Like many kings, he is a busy man, but he's always eager for outside news. I'm sure he would agree to see you if you wish. In fact, I daresay he would insist on it."

  "I should very much like to do so."

  The door opened, revealing Harwath once more. "I found her." He stood aside, permitting Skora to enter.

  The old woman walked with a stoop, looking quite frail, but there was no mistaking the light in her eyes. "Athgar, is that you?"

  Athgar rose, going to her and throwing his arms around her. "Skora, it's so good to see you alive and well."

  "Alive? Most certainly, but well? Not so much."

  "Come, sit," he begged. "Let me introduce you to Natalia."

  He led her across the room to where the mage had just risen. She held out her hand, but Skora moved closer, hugging her as well.

  Natalia returned the gesture, then the old woman held her at arm's length, looking into her eyes.

  "This is Natalia Stormwind," said Athgar. "She's my wife."

  "She is more than that," said Skora. "She's carrying your child."

  The Passes

  Summer 1104 SR

  * * *

  (In the tongue of the Orcs)

  * * *

  Kargen stood to the side as his tribe walked by. For days they had travelled with little respite until their feet were blistered and sore. Now he gazed south to where the last few hunters brought up the rear. He spotted Laruhk and waved him over. The hunter broke into a jog, soon closing the distance.

  "Where are the Humans?
" asked Kargen.

  "It is the strangest thing," replied his comrade. "They were hot on our trail only to turn aside for no apparent reason. The last we saw of them, they were heading southwest."

  Kargen's face darkened.

  "What is it?" asked Laruhk.

  "I suspect the Duke of Krieghoff has attacked Ord-Kurgad. The Duke of Holstead is likely reacting to the invasion."

  "Then we are safe!"

  "Yes, but I fear our fellow villagers may have been lost to us. I must have Shaluhk consult the Ancestors."

  Laruhk stared to the southwest as if he could actually see the distant village that had been their home. "There shall never be another place like it."

  "Nonsense," said Kargen. "Ord-Kurgad is not a place. It is an idea that lives within the beating heart of this tribe. We shall rebuild, my friend, and the Orcs of the Red Hand will again prosper."

  "How can you be so sure?"

  "Can you not see? Fate has guided us here. We set out to head east and instead find ourselves fleeing north. It can be no coincidence that we are heading in the same direction as Athgar and Nat-Alia. Our destinies are intertwined. The Ancestors have suggested as much."

  "Then we shall see them again?"

  "Undoubtedly, providing we can make it through the mountain passes."

  Laruhk turned his attention south once more. "At least the Humans are no longer following us."

  "It is true that there is no longer danger behind us," said Kargen, "but it is what is before us that worries me. We have many elders and younglings. They represent our tribe's wisdom and our future. Neither can be risked."

  "Spoken like a true leader."

  Kargen bowed his head. "You honour me, but the truth is, this is a tribal effort. Each one of us plays their part, you included. It is only by working together that we will get through this."

  "What do you think we will find north of the mountains?"

  "There are fellow Orc tribes north of the range, but it is a wild land. Precisely where they can be found is anyone's guess."

  "We will find them," Laruhk assured his chieftain. "And when we do, they will welcome us with open arms."

  "I would not be so quick to jump to that conclusion. A tribe must look after its own first, and we may place a strain on the area with our need for food. It may well be that we will not be welcome, or worse, that we shall have to submit to absorption."

  "Surely not? The Orcs of the Red Hand have a proud and storied history. We can not give that up to live amongst another tribe!"

  "There are some who would gladly give up that honour to live in peace with their fellow Orcs. In any event, it will not be up to you and me to decide. Only the tribe itself can make a decision of that magnitude."

  Laruhk gazed north at the distant peaks. "But we must get through the mountains first."

  "True," said Kargen, "and then navigate our way out of them into an unknown land."

  "If Athgar and Nat-Alia can do it, so can we."

  "We have no way of knowing if they made it or not," said Kargen, "though I hope they have been successful."

  "Could my sister not contact the Ancestors? Would they not know something?"

  "Only if they have passed from this life."

  "And yet they offer advice?" said Laruhk. "Was it not the Ancestors who sent our friends north in the first place?"

  "It was," said Kargen, unconsciously stroking his chin, a mannerism he had adopted from the Therengian after being told it made him look more distinguished. At first, it had been a mere mockery of his friend, but the act had grown on him, and now it reminded him of his close relationship with the Human.

  "It will be dark soon," said Laruhk. "We must call a halt."

  "So be it. Send word for the advance scouts to return, and bring the hunters in from the rear. We will rest the night and make for the mountains early tomorrow morning."

  Kargen turned, making his way northward. He soon found Shaluhk sitting on a tree stump, watching as hunters cut wood for the fires.

  "There you are," she said. "Your son wants you."

  Kargen moved closer, kissing his bondmate, then lifting Agar to his shoulders. "Has he been trouble?"

  "No more so than usual. He has your sense of adventure."

  "Adventure? Me? Why would you say that?"

  "You were the one who started trading with Athgar's village all those years ago."

  "Not just me," he defended, "Laruhk was there as well."

  "We both know it was not my brother's idea. He is a follower, not a leader."

  "Do not forget Durgash," Kargen added.

  "Yes, the trinity of terror. That is what your mother used to call you three, was it not?"

  He grinned. "My mother thought the world of them both."

  "That did not stop her from complaining about all of you if I recall."

  "You should be glad I spent time with your brother," he said. "It gave me time to be near you."

  She smiled. "Ah, now I see. It was all a grand plan to win me over. Well, you succeeded. You, alone, have my heart."

  "As you have mine."

  Agar roared, swinging his wooden axe. Kargen laughed.

  "He's been doing that all day," said Shaluhk. "He thinks we are on a hunt."

  "We are, in a sense. A hunt for a new home."

  "And where will this hunt take us, do you think?"

  "You would know better than I," said Kargen. "You are the one who can talk to the Ancestors."

  "I have told you before, my love. The Ancestors only advise. It is up to us to make the decisions, you most of all. You are, after all, our chieftain."

  "And you, our shaman," he added. "You know as well as I that we must act as one."

  Agar yawned, his last act of defiance for the day.

  "Finally," Shaluhk said, lifting him down from her bondmate's shoulders.

  Kargen looked down on his son, who was struggling to keep his eyes open. "How is the food situation?"

  "There is sufficient for the near term," she replied, "but we shall be hungry by the time we clear the mountains."

  Kargen sat beside his bondmate, bearing the weight of the tribe on his shoulders. Shaluhk placed Agar on the ground, covering him with a blanket, then moved behind Kargen, wrapping her hands around his neck and hugging him tightly.

  "We shall get through this, bondmate."

  "So we shall," he agreed.

  * * *

  Laruhk shivered, feeling the bite of the cold mountain air. He was high up in the foothills, winding his way towards the distant peaks. Turning to Durgash, he raised his voice to be heard over the roar of the wind. "It is no good; the path here ends at a cliff. We must make our way back and find another passage."

  "That will be the third time we have done so," said his companion.

  "What else can we do, fly?"

  Durgash shrugged his shoulders, another Human mannerism the tribe had adopted. Was there no end to Athgar's influence? Laruhk chuckled at the thought.

  "If Athgar and Nat-Alia can make it," said Laruhk, "then so can we. There must be a trail here somewhere."

  "What makes you so sure they made it?" asked Durgash. He pointed northward, towards the peaks. "They could be up there somewhere, nothing but frozen corpses."

  "You really think the Ancestors would guide them to us to allow them to die so easily? Remember, Athgar is a master of flame, and Nat-Alia can control water. What is a mere mountain range to such power?"

  "I admire your convictions," said Durgash, "but I still wish we knew the path they took."

  "As do I. Perhaps the others have been more successful?" offered Laruhk. "Let us return to our camp and find out."

  Back down the mountainside they went, treading carefully lest the rock beneath them give way and send them tumbling to their doom. Three times they had set forth, and every time found naught but a dead end. It was beginning to feel like the very mountains were alive, thwarting their every move.

  * * *

  Shaluhk stared into t
he flames, deep in concentration. Her arms lay on her legs while she sat cross-legged, chanting the words of power that would call forth the spirits of the Ancestors.

  As if in answer the fire crackled, sending sparks high into the cold night air. Agar sat by Kargen, watching her with an intense concentration rare for one so young.

  "I call upon the Ancestors," she called out. "Show yourselves that we might seek your wisdom."

  Kargen watched her work, knowing full well that only she could hear their answers. When her head tilted, he wondered what voices she heard.

  "No!" she cried out. "It can not be." A shadow fell across her face. From across the fire, Kargen sensed her sorrow, a palpable feeling that washed over them both. Even little Agar shuddered as a wave of emotion engulfed them all.

  Shaluhk's head fell, tears running down her cheeks. Crossing her hands, she dispelled the magic and then let loose with gut-wrenching sobs.

  "What is it, Shaluhk? What has happened?" asked Kargen.

  "Ord-Kurgad is no more," she announced, her tear-filled eyes rising to meet his. "They are dead. Every single one of them. An all-out war has come to the Human lands."

  Kargen bowed his head. "So it is as we feared. Artoch and the others have met their end. It is indeed a sad day for our people."

  "There is more," said Shaluhk, "but I fear such news may break you."

  "Speak, my love. As chieftain of this tribe, I must know."

  "Their deaths were not quick, my bondmate. They suffered at the hands of the Humans."

  A rage began burning inside Kargen.

  Shaluhk watched, fearing nothing would dampen that hatred. "I have it from Artoch himself. He walks amongst the Ancestors now." She rose, coming to sit beside him, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. "There is nothing you could have done to prevent it."

  Kargen stood quite unexpectedly, taking her by surprise. Looking skyward, he roared out a challenge, his voice echoing off the distant peaks.

  She waited until he stopped trembling, then stood beside him, looking into his face. "You honour them," she said, "but we must look to our future now, not our past."