Roderick and Gorlana Pt. 02

"Or, you haven't found the right woman yet," she suggested.

He said nothing.

"You should meet some of the young noble-women. They're not all as difficult and stuck up as I."

"You're not-..." Roderick stopped himself and noticed her stifle a sudden smile.

She straightened her face and replied, "With any luck this war will be ending, and then your job may become quite boring. You perhaps should aspire for a role a bit more... stable."

"Is THIS why you've been schooling me while we ride together?"

She scoffed, "It's knowledge you should have either way, but if you are interested in discussing it... The Duke of Fringeland is restless in his post, even to the point of disillusionment."

"The man is a figurehead at best, he leaves the job to his steward while he gulps his wine."

"Exactly. He is not completely incompetent when he can be bothered to put in the effort, and he longs to move to Andrapolis to rub elbows with those he considers more his equals. We would need a replacement though."

Roderick looked over and stared at her directly for the first time in several minutes making himself look past her luscious red hair frizzed and tousled by the breeze, to try to read her face. "You don't mean..."

"Why not? You're beloved as a hero in your home province. You would fit the role well I think."

"It's not something I had considered,"

"Well consider it. I think it could suit you well,"

"I thought you'd want me around Andrapolis as an agreeable ally," he said, unsure why.

"Well I want you as an agreeable ally, but that's just the thing. In a province as removed from the capital as Fringeland is, I need someone I can trust, since my opportunities to visit are few."

"You know you could change that, maybe spend more time visiting places like that,"

She looked at him sideways, "Oh we could try to change lots of things, but reality is what it is. If I didn't trust you I'd want you close by to the palace. Since I do, I'd be more comfortable with you nobly protecting your princess from afar."

Roderick wasn't sure exactly why it bothered him, but he simply nodded. "For now I think the title First General is enough for me to handle."

"For now," she mused, "Though I've found it never hurts to plan ahead and consider one's options.

She looked off again, completely beyond Roderick's ability to read.

...

"Don't even try," Todrin said, shaking his head with a knowing laugh as they rode side by side the next morning.

Roderick replied quickly in annoyance, "I don't mean to read her mind or completely predict her behaviour, I know that's a fool's endeavour for any woman. But, most women can at least be understood, to some degree. You know her better than I."

"I suppose I do, but she's not like most women, or any woman you've likely met," Todrin said. "Look, I suspect you're like any warm-blooded man and have fallen madly in love with her since the first day you laid eyes on her, but be reassured that will eventually fade and you'll be able to start to resist and see through her manipulations at least a little bit, though never entirely."

"Is she really that deceitful?"

"I never said that. She's never overt or cruel about it, but she knows what influence she has and simply won't stifle it when she needs to get things done."

"Well I've had a sense of that already, I just thought you might have some advice?"

"My advice is to let me deal with Valessa, as someone who's older and more bitter about these things. Let yourself off the hook, for the sake of your own frustration. You just worry about getting us through this gods-forsaken wilderness, and, I AM starting to trust you with that task, General," he said, with what was a surprising, but begrudging respect.

The ice has slowly started to warm between them but it was certainly not yet melted. Roderick was at least grateful for the man's candour, even if he didn't particularly respect his opinions.

"Fair enough I suppose," Roderick nodded. "Though it's been smooth-going enough so far,"

"Smooth?! You call a broken wheel from plowing through these horrible 'roads', a wolf attack, and these demon-spawned biting flies to be smooth going?"

"Well, yes, Lieutenant. That's all in a days journey through this place. It's keeping the orcs from questioning their queens judgment in letting us outsiders through their lands that'll be the tricky part.

"Well I will admit that I am out of my element there. I apologize for my words at that first encounter, it's difficult to get used to dealing with these green brutes as anything other than dangerous foes to be fought off."

"Difficult yes, but you need to try if we've any chance. Again, you need to rethink the instinct for defence. To them it's all offence. They won't be intimidated away, and raising your weapons when you encounter them is more dangerous than sheathing them. Trust that they hold to their honour and will not fight a man with empty hands unless some crime has already been committed."

Todrin's mouth was twisted sourly but he nodded nonetheless, "So be it. I hope my men can follow suit is all."

"So do I," Roderick said, while silently hoping all he said about orcish honour would hold true and that Queen Malgora had at least as much control over her subjects as Valessa did.

...

Gorlana breathed in the cool stale air and even the sound of her breath echoed between the old thick stones of Orthanhall. The hall itself, from which the surrounding castle and the surrounding city received their names, was becoming much less mythical to her these days. As a child it would twist her chest in awe whenever she was lucky enough to step inside the chamber and see her aunt mete out justice and proclamations, who seemed as a goddess with supernatural powers when she did. Now, her chest twisted in an altogether different way, seeing Malgora sitting before her now, older, weaker and very much mortal. It might have hurt less had she not taken Gorlana under her wing to become more of a mentor and friend. Knowing her simply as a woman who did the best she could for her country.

At one time, Gorlana had thought her aunt had simply taken pity on her with her attentions, knowing the taint of her human blood made her less of an Orthalian in others' eyes. Now Gorlana was less sure. She had risen to equal or even surpass her cousins - Malgora's own daughters, in rank and honour, staying with the army longer than her traditional time of service required, and winning glory through the years. Yet, Malgora still confided in her and spoke with her in private more than any of her other female kin, trusting her council; almost to the point of resentment from her other cousins.

One of them would inherit the throne. One of the females of her kin of the first degree, which included Gorlana. She hated that they acted like Malgora was dead already, and postured and petitioned for rank. Her aunt was strong though, and Gorlana desperately wanted to believe she had at least a few more years left in her. If nothing else, to be able to see through this plan to finally bring about an end to this war. As long as she didn't sacrifice too much to achieve it and cow to these Andralians coming to negotiate.

"You trust the Rechlingers too much Gorlana," Malgora rasped from her throne.

"I trust no one," Gorlana reassured her bitterly.

"Then why let them expand through our lands?"

"Why let the HUMANS through our lands?"

"As it stands, the humans are less of a threat than the Rechlingers, Gorlana. They actually WANT peace. Rechlingers only want to kill and dominate. And you're letting them finally get the power to do it."

"They want power and glory for Orthalia. I have them under control,"

"They want it for themselves. My girl, you are the best of us in the high clan but many from our past have learned the hard way how impossible it is to join forces peacefully with those honourless brutes."

"Not join them. Use them. They are ruled by a male. Hot headed and short sighted who thinks only slicing his sword is necessary to solve a problem. He will not outwit our ruling women who are used to the tact and cunning needed to succeed."

"What will you offer him?"

Gorlana was silent.

"What will it cost us. ...what will it cost you?" Malgora asked.

"I will do as I always have. I will do whatever needs to be done to let us succeed."

"Do you want him then?"

Gorlana shrugged "I have smelled his desire for me when we meet. He did not deny it, but sees me as an interesting oddity or a potential amusing trophy. So be it, if I can use him."

"That's not what I asked."

"I would not suffer. If it comes to that. I've mated with lesser orcs."

"Do not forfeit your honour. I would not wish to see peace at ANY cost. "

"What does it matter, any honour I had as a mate was stripped long ago."

"No! How many times must I reassure you girl, you alone think this. Even your most competitive cousins would no longer stoop to such insults. In the years since Durrog was taken from you, you have more than regained whatever honour might have been lost."

"My point is that if I will never Rutt again anyway then I might as well put Rechlinger hubris to good use."

"You don't know that. There are tales enough of orcs that have recovered from an abandoned Rutt, and gone on to find other mates. If you inherit my throne I believe you can and will continue our line."

"Why do you continue to insist on that possibility?"

"Because it is your right! Just as much as any of them. You are the blood of our clan and your sword will be put forward as legitimately as any of theirs when I die. And, I believe you will find more support than you expect."

Gorlana scoffed.

"You always plan ahead Gorlana, you're too intelligent not to do so now. I take no offence at it. You are beloved as a hero all over these lands, and have fought hard and well to win over each heart and mind. When they speak of you they DO speak of your mix blood, but not as a dishonour. They think it grants you more cunning; lets you think like a human when you need to, while keeping the honour and strength of an Orc. Who better to lead us into a time of cooperation with their throne?"

Gorlana looked away and stifled the pang of pride her aunts words brought her.

Then Malgora continued, "Before you recklessly bargained with the Rechlingers I would have guessed you were the most likely to win the throne. Though perhaps now, if you are the only one who can control them, you've found a conniving way to coerce your detractors into supporting you anyway..."

The pride was snuffed out, "I HAD to!" Gorlana spat defensively. "They were poised to invade! To take advantage of our preoccupied and weakened forces. They would not have taken your throne but they would have taken much of the north. We would be losing territory from both sides, and fighting both them and Andralia would have been impossible! Yes, I've bolstered their clan by allying with them, but now at least they fight with us, even if it is ultimately for selfish reasons."

"I know you will always have good intentions Gorlana," Malgora reassured her, "but I simply wonder how it will end? In my old age I grow restless to know what your final vision looks like?"

Gorlana wasn't sure why Roderick's face suddenly flashed before her eyes at that moment, and was unable to keep doubt and shame from her face,

"The more involved you become, the harder it is to be truly rid of them," Malgora cautioned.

Gorlana nodded, "I know," she said, looking away. "I know it's true of anyone."

...

"Don't think you can be rid of me that easily," Valessa teased, trotting her mount up beside Roderick's. "It's not my first time fording a river on a horse, you'll have to work harder than that to outpace me."

"I wasn't trying to be rid of you. I'm not fool enough to think that's possible on this journey," Roderick replied.

"So you haven't been avoiding me?" Valessa asked.

"Not intentionally," Roderick lied. "Though I'm not eager to memorize more lists of nobles and their favourite tarts."

Valessa giggled cutely, "Oh don't worry, I'll spare you of that today. I was hoping you might exchange the favour and I'd learn a little more from you, and perhaps from Korboq here as well."

Roderick was impressed she had remembered Korb's name. "Of Orthalia?," he confirmed, "I've honestly been impressed with how much you know of already."

"Oh I've been well schooled in all there is to know of what Orthalia is, and who is who, but I can only ever learn the 'what' and I it's much more difficult to discern the 'why'," she said.

"I've found that's a bit more difficult than it should be," Roderick replied, "Sometimes I almost think there's isn't any good reason for half of what they do and they just won't admit it," he said, smirking at Korboq beside him.

Korboq let out a wet scoff and pulled ahead to address the Princess directly, "What is it you would like to know, your highness?"

"Well I must say I've always been impressed at your matriarchal structure, at least in the higher political posts. For a while I thought that meant all the chieftains would be female as well but I understand now that is not the case, in fact less than half are such. I was curious as to the reason, and how that works?"

Korboq looked like his head was spinning trying to discern her wording, "You... ask why a woman orc is always queen yet, man-orcs often lead the clans?" he asked doubtfully.

Roderick gave him a reassuring nod and a thumbs up.

"Men are more built for battle, and have hotter heads," Korboq replied obviously. "They have been in charge of higher posts, but most do not see it as an honour to look after the holds and watch from their walls, when they could be at the front of the battle charge."

"Do your men not desire power?" she asked.

"We desire the power we can feel in our hands," Korb said proudly. "To have others cut your meat for you is not a power to us."

Roderick was worried how she might take it and gave him a warning glance.

"I mean no disrespect of course," Korboq said quickly and shrugged innocently as if in a silent argument with Roderick, "and I do not say that our women cannot or will not fight with valour, or that our men are only ever solving our problems with violence. It's just..."

"Tendencies, yes I understand," Valessa reassured him with an amused smile.

"In the end, it is our tradition, and that should be enough, as my father would say, but that is my understanding of the 'why' as you put it," Korboq said.

"And is it a male or female that heads the clan of the territory we just crossed into?" Valessa asked.

"Actually this area is somewhat contested unless you can tell me otherwise Korb?" Roderick said.

"Contested?" Valessa was suddenly concerned.

"Uncomfortably shared, is my best description you highness," Korb said. "Graldians used to hold it, but since they moved south the neighbouring Balorid and Corforid clans have slowly moved in, neither wishing to shake swords over it if there is no need."

Valessa raised her eyebrows, "I suppose I'm impressed. I worry we could disrupt a tenuous situation though..."

"I chose the route because the area's not important enough to fight over and each clan may think we've been given passage by the other until we're forced to pass by the next hold in a couple days," Roderick explained.

"Does that mean we can join our two groups again?" Valessa asked hopefully.

Korboq gave Roderick a doubtful look but he was way ahead of him.

"No. Maybe bring them closer together but not joined. The last clan was not any kind of exception when it comes to that."

Valessa sighed. "So be it. Will you be joining the 'scouting party' again then?"

Roderick almost scoffed again at the term but let it be and replied, "When we get closer to their hold yes, so I can meet them to explain our passage when the time comes, but I'll stay with you a while longer."

"Good. Believe it or not, you're much less of a bore to converse with than my body guards."

Roderick found his lips curling into a smile and almost repaid the compliment, but stopped himself and replied, "However I may serve, your highness."

...

Traulch swung his sword in a blur, growling viciously. Although his eventual slice was knocked to the side, he continued to pivot and brought his shoulder forward to knock the other orc back. The Rechlinger chieftain continued to spin confidently, turning his back to his opponent, but instead of swinging his sword around, stabbed backwards past his hip to puncture the other orc's side. Traulch continued to spin and parried away the counter attack, swinging in a figure eight to slice the other orcs shoulder. Blood dripping from two wounds now, his opponent staggered but met Traulch's next two attacks with a desperate strength, winning a shallow slice into his leg. However, he took a feint and was thrown off balance, slowed and pale from the blood he had already lost, he was too late to meet Traulch's side-leaping attack and was caught on the top of his other shoulder, then knocked to the ground with a hard kick. He still held his sword to meet Traulch's downward slice at his face, but the chief grabbed his wrist and overpowered him from above, slowly and gruesomely lowering the blade into the defeated orc's throat until his tortured growls turned from wet to silence and his head was severed from his body.

It had been his own warrior. Traulch lifted the other Rechlinger's head up and threw it lazily to the side, before pounding his chest and lifting his bloody sword.

His clansmen cheered.

Gorlana watched the ordeal with a sour curiosity. This had been the third such challenge since they joined forces. She had worried that the first would bring chaos and dissonance among his clan, but each killing seemed to do the opposite. This Rechlinger had not been hated by his clansmen, yet all seemed to celebrate his death, lifting their swords with Traulch.

Other Orthalian tribes had similar challenges on occasion, but it was done with grim seriousness and for any clan to have as many as these would certainly mean instability and poor rule.

She shook her head, resigning herself to accept that they simply had different ways, and began to walk back to her command tent.

The sun was high, the hunting had been good and so were everyone's spirits, including the Rechlingers, despite the Queens peace. She knew she should be grateful that, given their restless war-mongering ways, but she had continued to be convincing enough for them, or for Traulch at least, but for how much longer?

When she finally arrived at the tent, Carthala was waiting for her.

"There is a scroll for you Springsnake, newly arrived," her second-hand said.

"Telling us anything new for a change?" Gorlana said wryly.

Carthala paused for a long moment, "We didn't open it. The seal..."

Gorlana frowned at her serious tone, then looked at the table and recognized it. She stepped forward more cautiously now and broke it open. The words, on Orthanhall parchment, moved past her eyes several times, taking too long to read despite it's brevity. The scroll said so little. ...and yet so much.

She dropped it and stepped back. Spinning clouds seemed to surround her mind and vision and she suddenly felt like she needed to move, to escape, to do something, anything.

She left the tent, not caring what her face looked like. Her thoughts were muddy and instinctual, but she felt almost oddly certain, finally, of what she had to do.

By the time she found the Rechlinger chief, things had settled down to an almost normal mood, as though nothing had happened twenty minutes before. He was sitting casually by the cook fire, warriors milling about.

"Traulch. Come with me," she said sternly.

The orc shrugged and stood up casually, the others around him looking nervous enough for him at Gorlana's angry cold face.