Pervikar

by John Evans

  Hearing the orcs behind him, Per climbed back up the ridge and followed it to where it widened out. Here the right valley changed directions sharply away from the village. Per, unfamiliar with other routes to the village, hoped that the orcs would cross over to the left valley.

  Hidden behind a bush, he knew he had been lucky. He was staring so intently at the valleys that he almost missed the scouts coming towards him. The chieftain had placed the scouts on the ridgelines.

  “Probably with orders to rush my position the moment I shoot or am spotted,” thought Per.

  The main body of orcs had crossed over to the left valley and were following it cautiously. Per eased himself backwards and moved quickly up to higher ground. From there, he saw the orcs continue down the left valley and the orc scouts who had been screening the right valley running back to rejoin the main group.

  Per followed the orcs. Their pace had been reduced because of his ambushes and hehoped that this was enough to allow Alana to reach the villagers in time. As long as they kept their current pace, he was content to just follow them as he was afraid that another attack would make the orcs stop and hunt him or take another route.

  In fact, their pace was so slow that Per had to concentrate on not running into them or letting himself be seen. Despite trying to watch everyone, he missed one orc who had stepped behind a tall bush to piss. Both were surprised when the orc emerged from the bush and came face-to-face with Per.

  The orc yelled while grabbing for his spear, which was slung over his back. He didn't have time though, Per shot his crossbow from the hip. The bolt flashed across the intervening space and buried itself to the feathers in the orc’s chest. Per turned and ran as the other orcs crashed through the brush to their fallen comrade's aid. He just managed to hide himself behind a fallen tree as they burst into view.

  The chieftain looked angry enough to spit nails as he ripped the bolt out of the dead orc’s chest and broke it in two. Scanning the area, his eyes passed over Per’s hiding spot, but failed to spot him. The chieftain pulled several orcs close to him and talked to them in a low voice. He then assembled the troop together and they marched up the valley.

  Per breathed a sigh of relief and set off after the orcs. Surprisingly, he found that they had not gone far. They had set up camp in a jumble of rocks, which gave them a good defensive position. Per could see a couple of orcs on guard, but could not see the rest of them, even though he could hear them. Shortly before dusk, he saw four orcs leave the camp and head in the direction of the orc fort. Otherwise the night passed uneventfully.

  At dawn, the orcs prepared to move out. Per was surprised to see that they did not send out any scouts, but lined up in column and marched off towards the halfling village. He rose up from his hiding place and started to follow them. As Per approached the orc campsite, his eye caught a glimmer of movement in the rocks. He quickly changed directions and charged towards the rocks.

  The four orcs he had seen last night leapt up onto the rocks when they realized that they had been seen. With their ambush foiled, the orcs scrambled to try to kill him.

  Per met the first orc as the others climbed over the rocks to reach him. The orc thrust his spear at Per, but missed. Per did not as the axe blade of his halberd loped off the orc’s left arm at the elbow. As the orc stared stupidly at the spurting stump, Per jammed the spear point into his chest. Reaching down, Per quickly picked up the orc’s spear and chucked it at another orc who had just climbed up the rock he was on. The orc folded in half as the spear took him in the stomach.

  The last two orcs came at Per cautiously, their shields held high and their spears ready to thrust. Per managed to parry one spear, but got a slight cut on the leg from the other. He parried the second thrust, but was cut again by the other spear on the arm. Backing up rapidly, Per swung his halberd at the orc on his left. The orc lifted his shield to block the blow, but Per changed his aim in midswing and felt the axe blade cut deep through the leather leggings into the orc’s leg.

  Suddenly Per felt a sharp pain in his side as he wrenched his halberd free. The other orc had taken advantage of his attack to drive a spear into Per’s side. Fortunately, the spear failed to penetrate the chainmail, but the pain from the blow was intense. Per had to let go of his halberd as he retreated back, the last orc advancing slowly.

  Knowing his adversary to be injured, the last orc shouted and thrust his spear at Per. Overconfident, the orc missed and extended too far. Per’s hand clamped down on the orc’s wrist and, spinning him around, slammed the orc against a boulder. Stunned, the orc could only stand there dazed as Per’s hands gripped his throat and crushed his windpipe.

  Per ruthlessly finished off the two wounded orcs and then bandaged his cuts. Checking his ribs, he decided that they were not broken, but a large purple bruise was forming where the spear had hit him. Per cleaned his weapons, loaded his crossbow and took off after the other orcs.

  He caught with them about a mile up the valley. The chieftain had stopped and appeared to be waiting. He paced back and forth, looking down into the valley. Per crawled closer to get within range and then shot. The crossbow bolt took the orc archer, who had been standing next to the chieftain, full in the chest. Blood bubbled out of the his mouth as he fell to the ground. Cries of alarm and despair rang out as the orcs scrambled to their feet. The chieftain shouted out orders as he ran up the valley away from Per. Per reloaded his crossbow and fired, but missed the fleeing orcs.

  The orcs were moving fast now and Per had a hard time keeping up with them and staying out of sight. They seemed intent on putting as much distance between them and Per as possible. He chased after them most of the morning and, just before midday, their pace started to slacken. Per readied his crossbow and took aim at the troop. He overshot the archer he had been aiming at and his bolt skittered off the shield of another. The orcs took off up the valley again without a backward glance. The chieftain ran behind his soldiers, cursing and yelling. Per continued to chase after them.

  “Per!” hissed someone to his left. Per jumped and swung around to find his crossbow pointing at Fanko.

  “C’mere! C’mere!” hissed Fanko urgently, motioning Per to join him. Suddenly Per realized that they were at the trap he and Alana had planned. This meant he could at last rest and he wearily sank to the ground. A minute or two later, he heard shouts, screams and yells from the pass ahead. Before Per could do anything, the chieftain unexpectedly appeared in front of him and Fanko.

  Screaming incoherently, the chieftain rushed at Per, who was still struggling to his feet. Fanko ran at the chieftain, brandishing an orcish axe, but was smashed to the side when the chieftain’s morning star hit him in the shoulder.

  Per ripped his sword from the scabbard and parried a blow from the morning star that threatened to rip his head clean off. Blow, counterblow, parry and block, the two warriors circled around each other trying for an opening and finding none. Per had the greater strength, but had also fought four other orcs earlier.

  The chieftain’s rage was his undoing. Maddened by the attacks and the loss of his soldiers, he fought recklessly. His only thought was to kill Per. Sensing an opening, he swung full force at Per’s chest. Per snapped backwards, the morning star barely missing him. The chieftain caught his balance, but not before Per’s sword pierced into his side.

  The chieftain fell back away from Per, seriously wounded, but he still swung wildly at him. Per dodged and parried the blows and then swung his sword at the orc chieftain. His sword cleaved through the chieftain’s armor and cut deep into his unwounded side. The chieftain dropped to his knees, coughed up blood, and fell over.

  No other orc seemed to have survived the ambush so Per rushed over to help Fanko. The halfling lay on the ground, moaning. His left arm was twisted at an impossible angle, clearly broken. Per hoped that the shoulder joint was not smashed as well. Thankfully, though the spikes from the morning star had cut Franko's arm, the cuts was not too severe.

  “Hold on,”
Per told Fanko. “I’ll get help.”

  As Per stood, he saw Alana and three other halflings making their way through the brush towards him. Seeing Fanko’s plight, one of the halflings ran back to the village for a stretcher.

  “We killed all the others,” said Alana, while they were waiting for the stretcher. “We saw the chieftain escape and were worried when you didn’t appear. Poor Fanko. I hope he doesn’t lose the arm.”

  The halfling soon returned with the stretcher and extra help. Fanko screamed and passed out in pain when they moved him onto the stretcher. The bearers quickly carried him off to the village as Per and Alana helped clean up the ambush site.

  The orc bodies were stripped of all useful equipment and then burned. As the grisly work neared its end, Per and Alana went over and sat down with Harlo, who was sitting on a stump eating lunch.

  “Father!” admonished Alana, holding her nose. “How can you eat with this stench in the air?”

  Harlo took another bite of cheese and said softly, “The food tastes like ashes and I feel that I am going to vomit at any second. My people had to do bad work today, so I am trying to give them strength by sitting here eating lunch. We are a peaceful people, unused to this type of violence.”

  “We are going to have to finish this,” said Per. “If we leave them there, they will rebuild and come back.”

  “I know,” said Harlo, with a sigh. “Do what you must.”

  Chapter 7: Queen Of The Orcs

  Per, Alana and the five best slingers amongst the halflings left as soon as the sun rose. The next two days passed without incident and they soon found themselves back at the fort. Alana climbed up her spy tree to see what the orcs were doing.

  “There are about fifteen male orcs left. Three are guarding the slaves in the fields. Two are in the towers. It looks like a small patrol is getting ready to go out.”

  “Great,” said Per. “Follow me.”

  He led his band to the path that the orc patrols took through the woods. After placing the halflings at concealed points near the path, Per lay down next to a tree and waited for the patrol.

  Soon enough three orcs appeared, walking nonchalantly along the path. Routine had made them careless. The lead orc died without a sound with a crossbow bolt through his head. The other two died right after him from sling stones. Per and the halflings pulled the bodies off the path and hid them.

  “It will be about an hour before they are missed,” said Per. “Lets watch and see what they do. I want to cut the odds down some more.”

  “I’m beginning to hate that tree,” muttered Alana as they trudged back to it. Nonetheless, she climbed back up to her perch and stayed there for some time. It was well past the time for the patrol to have returned before she came back down.

  “They’re real worried,” she reported. “The female orc who was with the chieftain appears to be in charge. She was arguing with a couple of males. It looks like they are going to send four orcs after the patrol, but two others are preparing to leave. Maybe they are sending them after the main body.”

  “Alana, you take the other halflings and kill the second patrol,” ordered Per. “I’ll go and stop the two messengers.”

  The halflings took off one way as Per ran in the other direction. He raced through the woods, half-afraid of missing the two orcs and half-afraid for the halflings. He crashed through the brush separating him from the path leading to the village and ran right into the two orcs.

  Both orcs were shocked to see a huge warrior bearing down on them. Per did not even think as he surged forward, spearing one of the orcs in the side with his halberd. Letting go of the halberd, he barged full force into the other orc, knocking both of them to the ground. The orc tried to bash Per in the head with his shield, but the half-ogre was too close. Unhampered with a shield, Per grabbed the orc’s right hand with his left and the orc’s throat with his right. The orc struggled against Per’s strong grip, but was unable to do anything as Per tightened his right hand and, with a muffled crunch, crushed the orc’s windpipe.

  Climbing off the dead body. Per went over to the other orc, who was sitting on the ground trying to stem the flow of blood from the wound in his side. He quickly grabbed the orc’s head and twisted, snapping the orc’s neck with a loud crack. Then, he snatched up his halberd and run back to where the halflings. Halfway there, he spotted them walking towards him. One of the halflings had a bloody bandage on his arm.

  “Is everyone alright?” Per asked Alana.

  “Yes, although one orc threw his axe and caught Anson in the arm. Luckily, it was a glancing blow. What about you? You’re a mess with all those leaves and twigs all over you.”

  “Sorry. I was in a hurry and didn’t give my valet time to spruce me up. I got the two other orcs.”

  “And we killed the patrol. Now what?”

  “We'll rest while you climb that damn tree again.”

  The others made camp whilst Alana once again ascended. As darkness fell, she came down to make her report.

  “They’ve moved all the slaves inside and barred the gate,” she said as Per dished her out a plate of stew. “I think they will hole up until the main body returns. They don’t seem to know that everyone else has been killed. The good news is that there is only one orc up in the towers standing guard.”

  “Why is that good news?” asked Per. “He can still give the alarm.”

  “I think I can sneak up behind him.” Alana drew a map of the orc’s cave in the dirt. “Here, where the palisade meets the cliff wall. It’s not lit there. I can make my way along the cliff to this spot, climb the wall, and kill the guard. We’ll be inside before you know it.”

  “It beats trying to wait them out,” add one of the halflings.

  “Alright, then,” said Per, reaching a decision. “Alana will sneak in and kill the guard. The rest of us will get as close to the gate as possible. After the guard is eliminated, Alana will open the gate for us.”

  “It’ll be better if you climbed over the wall,” said Alana. “Opening the gate will be noisy.”

  “We’ll bring a rope. Let's get a couple hours of rest and then we’ll attack.”

  No one really rested or slept for the next several hours though. Eventually the time finally came to move out. Alana took off in a circular route to the cliff wall, while Per and the other five halflings crossed the fields towards the gate.

  They crept got as close as they dared. Torches flanked either side of the gate and, in their flickering light, Per could see the guard up in the tower. He knew the guard was in range of his crossbow, but it would be a shot at long range with almost zero visibility. Instead, he hunkered down to wait. He knew by now that waiting was hard and that things always seemed to take longer when he was waiting. Even so, after waiting what seemed to be an eternity, Per was fervently wishing that Alana would hurry the hell up.

  He was watching the tower so intently that he was completely surprised when Alana leaned out and waved at them. Per shook off his amazement and ran to the palisade with the other halflings. They tossed the rope up to Alana who secured to a wooden beam, allowing the others quickly climbed up to her. The first thing Per saw was the orc guard slumped over a rail with a dagger sticking out of his back.

  “Sorry I took so long,” whispered Alana. “The guard was a nervous Nellie, fidgeting one way, then the other. It took him forever to move to a position where I could kill him.”

  “Some people have no consideration,” whispered Per. “Where are the others?”

  “Three orcs are sleeping on the ground by the platform. The others must be inside the cave.”

  “Let's capture the three and then see about the others.”

  Alana pulled her dagger out if the orc’s back and then led the group down the steps to the ground. They moved quietly towards the platform. A quick rap on the skull rendered the three orcs unconscious. They were then tied up and gagged.

  Per motioned for Alana and the other halflings to remain outside the cave. He
exchanged his helmet and shield for orc counterparts then pulled out his dagger and entered the cave.

  It was a long domed cavern with several rooms leading off of the main cavern. The floor was hard-packed dirt covered with rushes. Per saw about thirty female orcs and the same number of children sleeping in the main chamber. He carefully picked his way among the sleeping orcs as he inspected the cave.

  Towards the back, Per found a room whose entrance had been sealed with criss-crossing bars and a lock on the door. Sleeping in front of the door was another male orc. Looking through the bars, Per could see bodies inside, but could not distinguish who they were.

  “They have to be the prisoners,” decided Per as he knelt down to clamp a hand over the orc’s mouth and slit his throat with the dagger.

  Searching the now-dead orc, he found a large key ring. Moving on, he found one final male orc in an opulent bed in a room off the main chamber. Tapestries hung on the wall and braziers warmed the room. The orc was sleeping on the bed with a female orc lying beside him.

  Per quickly slit the male orc’s throat, but his death gurgle and thrashing woke up the female. She sat up in the bed to scream out a warning, but the scream froze in her throat as Per’s bloody dagger pressed against her neck.

  (One sound and you’re dead!) hissed Per in orc. (We are going to walk out of here quietly or you die!)

  He pulled her out of the bed only to discover that she was naked. About six feet tall, she had green skin with a bluish sheen, and shoulder-length black hair. Her body was muscular, but obviously female; Per couldn't help noticing her very large breasts. Holding her arm with his dagger at her back, he forced her out of the room and through the cavern.

  Outside the cave, the female orc stopped and shuddered as her eyes caught sight of the three tied-up orcs and the dead orc slumped over the tower railing. Alana ran over to them.