Herbs and Alchemy Ch. 09

Jayla woke, bound at the wrists and ankles with the worst headache she'd ever had. She still had her arm band but was otherwise naked and damp. She remembered she'd been naked when she'd run out of the tent to defend Neela. Her eyes gradually came into focus, she saw a shape prone in the darkness, chained. "Zahnlug?" She whispered.

"Oag. I am whole." The gravelly rumble of Tharo's voice brought both relief and pain.

"That cudgel was magic."

"Yah."

"I hope Neela got away."

"I'm here." A quiet, sullen voice in the darkness.

Jayla's heart sank. "I'm so sorry. How are you? Did they...?"

"They just tied me up and took me with you, almost drowned me when I struggled, they just swam us into the river, a boat picked us up partway in. They didn't do anything to me, yet."

"They won't. If I can help it. You have ropes or shackles?"

"Ropes and leather cuffs."

"Can you swim?"

"I know how."

"You have a better chance of getting free. If you can get out of here, go. They won't damage us too badly. Otherwise they might use you to get us to comply. If you can get your hands wet you can probably squeeze out of those. You just need to get your legs free and run, you hear me? You're not supposed to be here."

"Ok." She whispered.

"Who else is here? Gillard?"

"Just us three." Said Neela.

"How far are we from the river?"

"Maybe a quarter mile. Not far."

"You're fantastic. Anything else we should know?"

"The orc is still alive, I think. You killed that one guy and the one that grabbed me. There were four others, part of a team, the noise down the river was a distraction, they came looking for the magic users. Gillard was well guarded though, they couldn't get to him. They said they wanted to share me with the soldiers."

"Goddess, Neela, hurry and get out of here. Tell Weston what's happened."

"I'll try."

They sat for a moment. Jayla started to shiver.

"Who's guarding outside?" Tharo asked.

"I don't know." Whispered Neela.

Tharo hollered in the darkness, "Gaij Gour Aga Zaggaan! Blankets! Luthia dies from cold!"

Heavily accented Orcish was spoken, They heard people walking around.

Jayla tested her bonds, finding herself strapped by the wrists to a well-sunk tent post with perhaps two feet of slack.

Two blankets were tossed into the tent. Jayla reached one with her foot, managing to get it over herself.

She heard Tharo clinking. She had leather straps, they'd obviously chained her partner. "Keep moving Oag. That Blanket isn't enough."

Jayla turned to the strap around the tent post, it was loose so she could stand up, but sewn to an iron loop and locked. She scrabbled in the dirt, looking for a sharp rock, finding nothing. She began to dig with her hands.

"You trying to bring the whole tent down on us?" Tharo hissed.

"Maybe. I'm looking for a rock."

Tharo spoke an incantation. Nothing happened. He swore. "They did something to me, or magic doesn't work here."

"I saw your earring flash when we were attacked."

"That only blocks one spell until I recharge it." She heard him clinking around. "Shit! They took it. Oh no. Jayla you have to get out of here."

"More than I did a minute ago?"

"My belly ring is gone."

"Fuck." Jayla checked herself and breathed a sigh of relief. "I still have mine. What do you think will happen?"

"I'll go savage, I don't know."

"All respect, my dear beast, I don't think you're more of a threat to us than the buttercups outside."

"Buttercups?" Tharo inquired.

"Poisonous, take over everything, not good for food or medicine." Neela volunteered.

Tharo's chains clinked, "No, really this is bad." He sounded on the verge of panic.

"Priorities. Neela being shared with the soldiers is worse." Jayla stood, working the leather up the post as far as she could reach, she looped her wrists around it and used her bound feet to push herself up. After a few minutes' hard work, she found herself at the top of the post. She tried to push the leather up and over it, but the canvas was heavy enough she couldn't get the leverage to get it between the canvas and the post. It tapered at the top, she managed to hook the bindings on her feet on a spur of wood, giving herself a rest.

At that moment a guard peeked in, Jayla froze at the top of the pole. "The healer escaped!" He yelled, "Find her!"

Movement outside. Tharo began to shake with silent laughter, Neela covered her mouth and snorted. Jayla refocused on what she was doing; with a great tug and pushing off, got the strap over the tent pole, it stuck for a moment and she hung there, feet against the pole, the rest of her yanking on the strap, it came loose and she fell ten feet onto her back with a loud thud. Dazed, she scrambled over to Neela and started to work on her ropes.

"It's loose enough. They're coming, go back to the post." The girl hissed.

Jayla scrambled back to her spot, putting her arms behind her and sitting on the straps. The tent flap opened. "The dark haired one? She's right here, you dungheap. She can't put the blanket on because she's tied up." The guard walked in, grabbed the blanket and threw it over Jayla.

"Thank you." She said meekly.

"Idiots." The guard said darkly and went back outside. "I want Orc guards here, humans can't see in the dark and I don't want torches, move it."

They waited in silence. Then, Orcish conversation outside. The tent flap opened, "Goodnok Oag, Laiga Aki?"

"Kurdoz?!"

"Shh. Oak Odakaar ." I guard.

"Neela, are you free?" Jayla hissed.

"Almost... Yes."

"The big orc is Kurdoz, he's a friend, go with him."

"Kurdoz, Jeg Orgad Zi! Gaz Naog Taag Luthia Kuuz!" Jayla translated for Neela "Take the blonde girl, the enemy won't kill Luthia's chosen."

Kurdoz came into the tent and picked up Neela. "Dag Gaj." He whispered.

"Play dead, Neela."

The girl went limp in Kurdoz' arms, he left with her.

Jayla breathed a sigh of relief. "Just you and me again big guy."

"I mean, we COULD, but REALLY? Here?"

"I don't want them to get ideas. Any chance I can get you free?"

"You'll need a key for me. If you can find a small piece of metal you might be able to pick it."

"I just have my ring."

"That won't work. It needs to be straight and narrower."

"Maybe a flake off your chains."

"Stay away from me."

"Tharo... How do you feel?"

"Pretty normal right NOW, but if something sets me off..."

"I'm not scared of you."

"You should be."

"You promised I would be safe with you."

"I'm sorry."

Jayla sat, thinking.

Someone came in the tent, it lit up with the familiar blue light of a water lamp. An orc, thin and well-adorned with bones, teeth, crystals and feathers. "Luthia Zutag Ig. Narg Tuztor."

"A shaman." Jayla whispered. "Yes, it's true. Give him back his rings!" She snapped.

The shaman shrugged, "Here. Lower one, no magic." She tossed two gold rings at Tharo's feet.

Jayla laughed.

"NOT funny. It must have been nullified when I got hit."

"No." Said the Shaman. "Only makes sleep."

"Why can't I cast here?" Tharo demanded.

"And how does the lamp work?" Jayla asked.

"No cast here. Lamp already lit." The shaman was unreadable.

They spent awhile staring at each other in silence. Jayla finally got tired of it. "Well, you got us. You going to bring us patients?"

The shaman addressed Tharo, "Why human?"

He shrugged, chains clinking, "Luthia gave her the power, I was just trying to heal a small wound on her side."

The shaman's eyes narrowed, "You did not have to move magic through her to heal."

"I'm not very good. Wasn't."

"A Stonehammer bad at magic. No. Bad at lying though. Why did you use her?"

"I needed healing too."

Jayla glared at her partner, there was no reason she saw for him to be telling the Shaman any of this. The fact they were speaking common and not orc told her the Shaman was trying to manipulate her. "What do you want?" The Herbalist snapped.

The Shaman turned toward her with exaggerated calm, "What do I want, or what does..." They made a circle in the air with their hand, indicating the camp "...want?"

"It looks like you've got time."

The Shaman sat on the floor and put the lamp on their feet. Jayla couldn't tell their gender under all the jewelry and the somewhat slight build for an orc, though still taller than Tharo, just skinny. "I want prosperity, food, health and good land for my orc tribe. This army wants supplies, food, seeds and good land. Your land used to belong to this kingdom."

Tharo snorted, "Three hundred years ago. Why do they want it back now?"

The Shaman shook their head, "Bad year for crops, plague in spring took many farmers, food not planted. Lord said land not good."

"Is that true?"

"No. Lord bad to farmers. Take too much. New Lord, killed that one, said time to take land back from your tribe."

Jayla snorted. "There is no tribe, people, all different, from many places. Come to East Town to learn." She tried to keep her words simple, it was an effort not to speak orc as she didn't want to let on she understood the language.

The Shaman nodded, "Land is tired but good, needs ... " The shaman made a hand sign, outer fingers up, middle two touching their thumb, it looked like a deer, "Meat, make land better."

"Torzoad" Tharo interjected. "Grazers."

The Shaman nodded. "One year Torzoad, one year food, one year other food, then Zika, Torzoad again. Land good forever."

"Zika, grass." Corrected Tharo, looking at Jayla.

The Shaman nodded again, "Good. Humans no do. Same food all years."

"That's a basic thing, surely the farmers know to rotate crops." Scolded Jayla.

"Lord said plant Klag Goiga and ... Bread? Only." They looked at Tharo.

"Potatoes, wheat." The Alchemist shifted, his chains clanking.

"Potatoes on the same land every year? They'll rot!" Jayla snapped.

"Lords are stupid." The Shaman whispered. Both prisoners laughed.

Tharo busied himself putting his jewelry back on. Jayla squirmed, her arms were burning from being in the same position, but she didn't want to give away that she was free. The Shaman was looking at her a little too closely. "So what do you want with US?"

"Healer team sacred. Orc spirits good."

Tharo's earring clicked loudly as he snapped it in, followed by the clinking of the chains as he lowered his hands. He leveled his gaze at the Shaman, his tusks flashed in the blue light, "You know the stories. No one is going to get what they want."

The Shaman spoke. "Yes. You, me, we make plan."

"Eat shit. I'm naked, I'm thirsty, I'm tired, I'm cold. No plan until you treat us right."

"Sit with ZahnLug then, have sleep. You bad fake slave."

Tharo chuckled, "Shaman knows you're free, Jayla." He addressed the Shaman, "She should stay away if my ring doesn't work, I go savage."

"Luthia's chosen not hurt. She safe. Truth." The Shaman held up their hand as promise.

Tharo reached a manacled hand toward Jayla in invitation.

"Well shit." She stood up, dragging the blanket, and went and sat between Tharo's legs. He moved the chains behind him, adjusted the blanket over her and rested his arms across her midriff.

"Back morning. Sleep." Shaman stood and tossed a waterskin next to Tharo's knee, leaving them in the dark.

Tharo rested his mouth on top of Jayla's head. "Rest, love. I'll keep you warm."

She was already asleep.

________________________

"Up! We need you to clean up the mess you made last night!" A human pushed open the tent flap and approached Tharo with a key. Jayla peeked from under the blanket and the man froze. "You DID get out. No funny business, the orcs might think you're sacred but we're not afraid to run you through if you're too much trouble."

Tharo grinned, "You might outnumber them, but I think you know better than to turn two mercenary armies against you."

The soldier unlocked Tharo from the post, but left him chained. "I'm told we're to take you to the river. You're going to heal the one you stabbed last night."

"Surprised he survived. She'll stick close to me, no need to tie her up." Tharo nodded at Jayla, who was using the leather straps she'd been bound with to fashion a belt and rudimentary toga from the blanket. "We'll need drinking water, a lot of it."

"Best we got is ale and tea."

"Tea now, ale later." Tharo instructed. He tapped Jayla, "Stay close to me, head up, pay attention to everything you see."

They exited the tent to find it was barely dawn, there was quite a crowd, a mix of orcs and humans. Tharo raised his manacled hands, "Zi Goig Kor Okak! Der Ish!" She drank from me, stay back.

"I did not!" Jayla hissed.

"Play along, no one will try to grab you." He whispered. "Act like her." Tharo nodded to a human woman standing by an orc, she was wild-eyed, her hair stood out in all directions, she bared her teeth and growled at anyone who got too close like an overprotective dog.

"That's what it does to humans?" Jayla asked, glaring at everyone as they marched toward the river.

"They'll instinctively try to protect who they drink from, they'll try to kill anyone who comes close." Tharo whispered.

"What if more than one...?"

"They fight."

"Does it wear off?"

"After about four days."

"Does it work on men?"

"Yes." Tharo said darkly.

"Orcs?"

"No."

They were led the quarter mile to the river, with probably a hundred Westerners following them. A pit had been dug next to the bank, making a still pool away from the current. The Orc that Tharo had stabbed the night before lay on a board next to the water. The Shaman was kneeling by the pool, hands in the water. They spoke: "Should be warmer." They pointed to the spot in to water right in front of the injured orc, "Oag" then pointed to just behind that spot, "Laiga Aki".

Jayla shrugged off the blanket and stepped into the cool water, it came to just below her breasts. She spoke the summoning words and felt the power blossom into her as Tharo stepped into the water. The orc took his place behind her, his arms reaching around her and touching Zald's body. Jayla closed her eyes and did the same.

Seeing Zald's aura through the orange haze of the Goddess' power, it looked like the cut on his side would have eventually been fatal if left untended, but was easy enough for her to heal. It didn't feel like Tharo was being any help, then she realized he was discreetly taking things from the Orc's body, including the cudgel he'd hit them with, which had its own dark brown aura.

Zald's head turned toward them, his eyes opened, orange, glowing, his hand captured Jayla's and he spoke in a gravelly whisper, "Luthia. Oak Naog Zutag nug" I'm sorry I hurt you.

Jayla tried to ignore him, she was almost done, the dark wound disappeared. She removed her hands and said tersely "Get up. You're done."

Zald rolled to his side and stood up, nodding to them, "Tas Ghanti." He walked away into the crowd.

Jayla nervously watched him go through the orange haze, crossing her fingers under the water that the orc thought someone else had taken what Tharo had stolen.

"Next!" hollered the nearest soldier. Another patient, a human, was laid down in front of them, this one nearly bled out with a cut to the neck that had been bandaged.

"Damn bleeders are hard." Jayla started in on him, closing and healing veins and the artery, but not able to replace the blood. "Lots of water and broth, this one won't be up for a few days."

She started to shiver with the chill. Tharo pulled her against his warm torso, putting his open mouth on top of her head and breathing a lungful of hot air into the top of her head.

Another patient, this one a minor arrow wound, the orc stared wide-eyed at her hands. "Luthia, Tas Ghanti." He whispered.

The Shaman, who'd been crouched next to them the entire time, stood and spoke "Luthia's Chosen! Truth!" The Shaman raised their hand in promise. They strode toward the crowd and gave a command in orcish to the nearest soldiers, glanced back and beckoned them out of the pool.

Tharo help up his index finger and spoke the banishing words. "Let's go under." He put his arm around Jayla and dropped them both into the swirling water.

She took a deep breath as she was dragged under and forced herself to relax in Tharo's embrace. She didn't want to drink the river water, but it felt safe somehow. She did, it tasted a little muddy, the familiar crackling blazed through her. She drank until it subsided, then waited, her lungs pleading, she counted, letting out little bubbles out until Tharo pulled them both up.

Half the army surrounded the pool. The Shaman was laughing, "They thought you swam away." They offered a hand to Jayla and she climbed out, they offered her her blanket. "Clothing for woman!" The Shaman demanded.

They were escorted back to the tent, where they were brought food, hot tea, a lamp, and a pile of clothing and blankets.

"At least they're treating us more like guests now." Tharo groused, tearing into a leg of mutton.

Jayla pawed through the clothing, finding a pair of trousers that were too big and a tunic that reached to her knees. She grabbed a piece of rope that had bound Neela and used it as a belt to keep the trousers on, then sat and began tearing into the food like a street urchin. "I hope Neela is OK. I can't believe we left her with Kurdoz."

"I think she is well, Kurdoz will be careful with her. You sure you want to get dressed?" Tharo grinned, gesturing to the tent that had formed under his loincloth.

"What's to keep half the army from coming in and watching?" She said around a mouthful of bird.

Tharo shrugged, "Who cares?"

Jayla looked aghast, "I D..." His smoldering gaze stopped her, her core clenched and she could hear her heartbeat in her ears. She tried to play it off, "That bad, huh?"

She stood, untied the belt and her trousers fell to the floor. She got on her knees and slid the tunic off over her head. On all fours, tunic pooled around her hands, she looked back at her partner as he stood and whipped off his loincloth, positioning himself behind her, one hand on his cock, pointing it at her like a weapon. She swallowed and looked at the dirt. His knees corralled her calves, his tip sliding up and down her cleft, dipping in just a little, wetting the head and bumping at her entrance ever so gently, teasing.

His breath was heavy, she knew he wanted to spear her more than anything. She rocked back against him, his head breaching her core. She gasped, "Oh so good." She whimpered.

One hand rested on her backside, spanning most of her lower back and putting an almost painful amount of weight on her hip, she felt him ease up, shifting some onto his knees, then rock into her in short, controlled thrusts.

Jayla's vision went orange as though she'd summoned the power again, tense, crackling magic seared her nerves where they joined, she tried to back farther onto him, but his hand stopped her. She whined, biting her lip and clawing up handfuls of dirt. She willed her muscles to clench around him, panting.

"Ask for it." He ordered.

"Fuck you! GIVE" She rebelled against his hand pushing back, trying to use her muscles to pull him in, "IT!" Her foot snaked around the back of his knee and she tried to pull him closer "TO" She rocked her hips up, her entrance perfectly aligned with his staff "ME! NOW THARO!" She froze, knowing he couldn't resist.

"Goddess help me." And he was hilted. Her hot core grabbing at him greedily, Sensation blazed through her in an expanding ring of fire and he began to thrust.