by Justin Wayne
***
Ulgvhen paced back and forth, arms crossed behind his back. His jaw jutted forward and revealed his large tusk-like teeth beneath his crooked nose and black eyes that scanned the horizon every few seconds. The others watched him as he went about with a wide berth given until the snow was replaced with his tracks. Testament to his stress, his wounds had been slow to heal and the thick scab upon his elbow; shattered from that accursed bounty hunter’s blade, had cracked and bled in the night, leaving his arm nearly useless and sore.
He absentmindedly scratched at it with his nails as he walked in an elongated circle. The firelight was gone now, replaced by the sun, meaning another night had passed without incident. Another night for his brother to grow increasingly impatient. Already two orcs had lost their heads for questioning the choices of their irritable leader.
What was he to do? Ulgvhen knew he couldn’t keep the others in line indefinitely and soon they would rebel against him and Cleave Rend. Being a Beta he was the second in command and would therefore be a high priority target. But the fact that he didn’t know to whom his loyalty lie with just raised even more questions.
In such a turn of events, would he follow his brother, or more accurately, the demon now possessing his brother’s corpse? Or would he side with those he had trained and grown up with for most of his relatively long life?
In his heart he knew the answer but couldn’t bring himself to face it.
“Ulgvhen?” a voice called. It was Ulvet again, one of the older and more prominent in their community. Ulgvhen knew the others looked up to him and he shared their sentiment. Ulvet was a good warrior and trusted in the old ways and traditions.
However he could show no overt signs of any emotion right now. He had taken it upon himself to remain completely emotionless and neutral until the battle was over and their tribe could be settled.
“What?” Ulgvhen asked impassively, continuing to pace back and forth and not look at him.
Ulvet looked about and threw caution to the wind. “We’re tired of waiting around, Beta.” he said with mention of his honored rank. “We’re hungry and food’s short. This time would be better spent hunting and stocking up for the cold months.”
Ulgvhen secretly agreed, but he wouldn’t openly defy his brother. At least not yet. That and the seeds of revenge that had been planted in his brain had sewn many pleasant thoughts about ripping that bounty hunter apart limb from limb then dragging his torso behind a horse. He wanted to get him.
“I would keep ideas like that quiet, Ulvet. Less you want to get your head chopped off?”
The orc warrior shifted uncomfortably and rubbed his neck. “I know, but it’s not just me. It’s all of us.”
That caught his attention. Ulgvhen stopped pacing and stared into Ulvet’s beady eyes. “All of you?”
He nodded. “Everyone’s agreed. Killing two people aint worth losing this much time.” His courage began to grow at catching the Beta’s notice. “In a day’s time, if they aren’t found and killed, we’re leaving to hunt and return home.”
Ulgvhen cursed and spun around as if struck. Things were going worse than he had anticipated. Or at least getting there faster. He realized he was out of time and would soon be called upon to make a choice.
“Listen.” He leaned in close to Ulvet. “Keep your plans but make no word of them.” Then he motioned for him to go. Ulgvhen plunged back into his thoughts, pacing back and forth, back and forth, just like his mind’s indecision.
