Smitten Ch. 07

Ogash was positively preening. She strode up to the base of the Shattered Tree, and struck a pose, hand on hip.

- "See what I have brought!" she cried out.

The two males were young men - certainly no older than me. One was tall, and fair-complexioned; the other was shorter and stockier, with darker hair. Their hands were bound. The dark one had his head down, but the fairer fellow was looking about, wide-eyed.

I'd been carried into the Red Knees' camp unconscious. I could only imagine how I might have reacted, that very first day, if I'd been awake, and dragged into the midst of a crowd of orcs - probably exactly the way it had been for Coopah and his friends.

Most of the band were gathered around the Shattered Tree. They were curious, of course. This was the most exciting thing to happen since Kurbag's uprising.

Ditgurat was not at all curious, though: she was positively steaming. I'd never seen her looking so angry.

- "Ogash!" she snapped. "Lambug!" That said, she turned about and stamped back to her cave.

Lagakh, though, stayed behind. She pointed at Coopah and me, and then beckoned us to come over with a curled finger.

- "Uh-oh." said Coopah.

Lagakh also called on Shaghar, Ghorza, Umog, Urzoth, and Shelur. The whole bunch of us followed the chieftain. The moment we reached the mouth of her cave, we could clearly hear her raised voice.

- "What were you t'inking? Lambug - I t'ought you had more sense!"

Lambug did not respond. Ogash might have retorted angrily, but she seemed startled to see eight more people enter the cave.

- "What? What is this?" she got out.

- "We've called a council." said her older sister. "We have to find a way to undo the damage you've done - or, at least, to minimize it."

- "Damage?" said Ogash, with her usual pout. "What are you talking about?"

Lagakh spoke slowly, and remarkably calmly. "Where did you find these men?" she asked. "Were they alone?"

Lambug kept her mouth shut, and left it to Ogash.

- "A league or two past the Hollow." I had no idea where that was, but evidently Lagakh and Shelur did. I learned later that it was just about on the very edge of the territory patrolled by the Red Knees.

- "Why would you do this?" asked Lagakh.

Ogash sneered. "I see. You get Smit, and grandmother had Coopah, but I am not allowed to find a human male of my own. I got one for Lambug, too!"

Lagakh slowly shook her head. "You saw them, and you wanted them. Did it never occur to you, Ogash, that there might be other humans about? Smit and Coopah came from the sea. Coopah's ship left him behind. Everyone on Smit's ships drowned, or died. No one else knows what happened to them, or where they are."

I will readily admit that I'm nowhere near as intelligent as Lagakh, or even Ditgurat. They both realized, the moment they saw Ogash's captives, just what it might mean. I had only figured it out a moment before Lagakh said it.

"What if they were not alone, sister? What if these two men had companions? Are they scouts? Warriors? Husbands or fathers?"

- "I ... I don't know."

- "You didn't stop to think." said Lagakh. "You saw something, and you wanted it. A male of your own. You couldn't wait to share Smit."

- "I waited!" shouted Ogash. "He wouldn't fuck me!"

- "He would have. But you had no patience, as ever. Now we are all in danger."

Ditgurat had not spoken since we came in. She let Lagakh's words sink in. Then she looked at me.

- "Go speak to them. You an' Coopah. Find out where they came from."

I nodded, and left the cave. Coopah stood beside me, and let out a long, deep sigh.

- "It's bad, isn't it?" I said.

- "Very bad. You know that the Red Knees have sent out three raiding parties that never came back. Not a one of them. Ditgurat has always worried about what happened. She's always been afraid that whoever killed them would eventually find us."

I knew those stories. I'd just pushed them to the back of my mind, because they seemed to have little to do with my own personal drama - my lovers, the forge, and then Kurbag ...

- "What do we say to them?"

- "The truth, mostly." said Coopah.

The two prisoners were huddled under the Great Tree. None of the orcs were standing directly over them, but they were still surrounded by a number of curious onlookers.

Coopah approached them first. "Hello." he said. "Are you thirsty? Hungry?"

The two men looked up at him. The darker one seemed stunned to see us. The fairer man was shocked, too. His lips moved, but no sound came out.

- "You're safe, now. No one is going to kill you."

The two men heard him. It might even have registered with them that our mere presence indicated that their lives were not in danger. But they didn't answer; they just sat there, stunned.

- "They might be more comfortable in my cave." I suggested.

- "Good idea." said Coopah.

We helped the two men to stand. Their legs were a little weak.

I saw a friendly face, and called out to her.

- "Snak! Could you get a bucket of fresh water - please?"

- "Zug!" she called back, and then immediately sprinted to my cave to fetch my bucket.

Coopah and I got the two prisoners to their feet, and then led them to the forge. I hoped that it would feel quieter - and safer - for them. They moved slowly, slightly unsteady on their legs.

The darker, stockier fellow was still completely uncommunicative, but the other man found his voice.

- "Where are we?"

- "This is my forge." I answered. "You were just under the Blasted Tree, which is the home of the Red Knee orcs."

Snak didn't go all the way to the stream. She'd taken my bucket to the rain barrel, and filled it there. Now she came into the cave.

- "Water, Smit!" she called out, announcing her entry.

The fairer man actually turned his head to look at her. I smiled, remembering my own first exposure to the delightful little imp. Big teeth, big eyes, and that tiny frame.

I spoke to her again, briefly, asking her to fetch us something else.

- "Zug!" she said, and skipped off, happy to carry out another task for us.

- "Your daughter?" asked the fair-haired prisoner.

I was too surprised to answer. Coopah spoke up. "My grand-daughter. Great-grand-daughter, actually. My name is Coopah. I was Vagnali, a long time ago. But I was shipwrecked on this coast, and the orcs found me. I was a cooper by trade - so, Coopah. My friend here is Myrthis - he was shipwrecked just this year. He was a blacksmith's apprentice, so now he's known as 'Smit'."

- "Hello." I said.

We waited. The man remembered his manners fairly quickly.

- "Alatey. Sorry. And this is Gintar."

- "Where are you from?" asked Coopah.

- "We're Varnan." said Alatey.

Coopah drew the young fellow out slowly, careful not to push for too much information too soon. As I watched and listened to him work, I wondered if he had not done precisely the same thing to me when we first met. He was a clever, subtle man, and much deeper than I had ever suspected.

Snak returned, as I had asked her to, bearing a flask. I thanked her, and sent her on her way again. Then I offered the two men a drink.

- "What is it?" asked Alatey.

- "They call it raki. It's brandy. Plum brandy, in this case." I took a swig, to show them that it wasn't poisoned.

Alatey accepted the flask from me, and took a healthy swallow. His companion, Gintar, shook his head at first, but finally relented and tried it. He coughed as the fiery liquid burned its way down his throat.

- "How are you still alive?" asked Alatey. "I thought - that orcs killed their prisoners."

- "I make buckets and barrels, and wooden tools." said Coopah. "This is Smit's forge. We are both very useful to the band. Plus ... you may have noticed that there aren't many males here. Most of the orcs you've seen are actually half-orcs. Children and grandchildren of mine, and of my former companions - who passed away of natural causes."

He went on to tell them of his comrades, Rogek and Gint. Gintar frowned, perhaps because the name was so close to his, but he didn't say anything. Or perhaps he was shocked (as I myself had been, at first), to learn that humans mated with orcs.

- "What about him?" asked Alatey, indicating me.

- "Smit only arrived this year - another shipwreck. But the band values him highly, for his smithing skills, and his many other talents."

- "Other talents?"

- "I can swim." I said.

Coopah smiled. "Smit is too modest. He has five female partners - " He turned to me. "Or is it six? And two of them are pregnant."

Three, I thought. Only Ushug was gone.

Coopah returned to asking seemingly innocuous questions. Gintar rarely replied, but Alatey was more willing to answer. I wasn't quite sure if it was because Gintar was less intelligent, or simply more frightened. Alatey took a second swig of the brandy, and became even more communicative.

We learned a great deal.

Shaghar and Ghorza arrived a while later, with food. Shaghar spoke kindly to the two men, telling them that they could sleep in my cave - and that no one would disturb them. The chieftain had them both under her protection.

- "There are guards at the cave entrance." she said. "They will make certain that no one comes in." The message was clear, though: those guards would also make sure that no one left.

Coopah and I returned to Ditgurat's cave, where the council were still gathered.

- "What did you learn?" she asked.

- "They're from the Duchy of Varna." said Coopah. "From a place called Calep. I don't know where that is. They were deliberately vague about its location."

- "Go on."

- "They claim to be woodcutters." said Coopah. "They are not."

I couldn't help it - I turned to look at him. "How do you know that?"

- "Gintar wears a pledge ring. He is either married, or promised. But neither man had corns or calluses on his hands - which woodcutters cannot avoid. I do not say that their hands were smooth - only that they are not woodcutters."

- "So they lied?" said Lagakh.

- "Even the lie is revealing." said Shelur. "Why would humans be cutting wood so close to our territory. They are moving into the area. Or ..."

- "Or?" said Ditgurat.

- "Or they are looking for us."

That news struck us all silent.

- "Anyt'ing more?" said Ditgurat, to Coopah.

- "Gintar was mostly silent. Alatey was the more practiced liar. But I have to ask: which one of you took Alatey?" He addressed his question to Ogash and Lambug.

They didn't seem to understand the question.

"Which one of you fucked the fair-haired one?" said Coopah.

- "I did." said Lambug.

- "Did you rip his shirt, when you did? Or when you captured him?"

Lambug shook her head. "No. I don't think so. No - I didn't tear his shirt." She frowned. "I didn't have to. He was more ... accepting. Ogash had more trouble with the dark one."

- "Urrgh!" grumbled Ogash.

- "Is this important?" asked Lagakh.

- "It may be." said Coopah. "Alatey had not a single button on his shirt. He may have torn them off himself, and then dropped them in conspicuous locations."

Shelur gasped. "They are looking for us."

***

Ditgurat was not pleased. This was one of her worst nightmares coming true. She issued several commands.

Ogash and Lambug, as punishment for their rash behaviour and their foolishness, were sent to retrace their steps, to look for Alatey's buttons.

The chieftain also declared that in the meantime, the new humans were under her protection. They were not to be assaulted, or compelled to do anything by force. She also assigned half a dozen half-orcs to watch them at all times - and Ghorza was included among that group.

I left that council in a mild state of shock. I'd known him for months, but I'd never realized how subtle Coopah could be. He was incredibly observant, patient, and ... underhanded. Clever at ferreting out secrets.

I stood outside Ditgurat's cave, with a stunned, bemused expression on my face.

Of all people, it was Coopah and Shaghar who stopped to see how I was.

- "You alright?" he said.

- "You played me." I said. "The same way you did these two. I thought that we were just two men stuck in the same situation, years apart. But you were reading me - trying to decide if I was a threat."

Coopah looked sad.

- "It was to protect the safety of the band. We had no way of knowing if you were part of a pirate fleet, or an expedition come to search for us."

- "You picked my brains!" I snapped.

- "I didn't lie to you, Smit." he said.

- "He didn't, Smit." said Shaghar. "And Ditgurat tried to protect you."

- "Really? Letting Umog have me first, to soften me up? And then anyone else could come by and use persuasion or seduction on me, so that they would seem loving and kind, by comparison? Is that how it was?"

- "No, Smit." said Shaghar. Her eyes pleaded with me.

- "You're a good man." said Coopah. "I'm very glad that you're here. But when you first arrived, we had no way of knowing that. I sounded you out, to make sure that you weren't a danger to us. And it was you, if I remember correctly, who listed sex among your top three skills."

I was annoyed; I felt that I'd been deceived. But even so, I could hear the truth of what Coopah was saying. His first loyalty was to his daughter - daughters. And granddaughters.

Shaghar wasn't lying, either. She'd never used me. She was willing to share me with her friends, but she came straight out and asked me, first.

They were both wise enough to stop talking; they'd said all they could - and just about all I was prepared to listen to. When I walked away, they let me go. I went down to the stream, but that reminded me instantly of bathing and sex - normally, those were wonderful memories, but I was in no mood to think of them at the moment.

I crossed the stream moved a little further under the trees.

I was annoyed; I felt that I'd been deceived. But even so, I could hear the truth of what Coopah was saying. His first loyalty was to his daughter - daughters. And granddaughters.

Shaghar wasn't lying, either. She'd never used me. She was willing to share me with her friends, but she came straight out and asked me, first.

My anger - if that's what it was - slowly leaked away. They weren't my enemies; they were my friends. Coopah had given me good advice, and had helped, every step of the way, to get my forge up and running. Yes, it was something that would benefit the band, but it also assured me a place among them.

Shaghar had shown her love for me many times - including twice using her magic to save my life. I couldn't be angry at her.

Where could I go, if I didn't belong here? My family wouldn't miss me much. It struck me then that there no one who cared about me more than Shaghar, and Ghorza. And Snak. Perhaps even Umog, in her own way. And then Ditgurat and Lagakh, who clearly respected me - and that was entirely separate from wanting me to father a child with them.

Somehow, I felt that I belonged with these people - and that they wanted me to be here with him.

When I re-crossed the stream, Shaghar was waiting for me, holding a sleeping fur.

- "I thought you might be cold." she said.

- "Thank you."

- "Are you still angry?"

I put my arm around her shoulder, to let her know that I was alright. "I'll get over it." I said.

***

The next few days were odd for me. I had to spend time with the two captives, to reassure them, and to make them feel safe. Coopah did the same, even while he probed and carefully asked questions to learn more about them, and the place they claimed to come from.

As before, Gintar remained silent, while Alatey answered Coopah, and then asked questions of his own. He seemed much more confident, much more at ease.

I left them my cave in the evening. Partly, it was to give them a little privacy, so that they didn't feel as if we were spying on them all day long. But I needed some privacy, too.

I spent the night down by the stream, in the spot where Shaghar and I had first made love. I was over my little tantrum; it hadn't taken me long to remember how fortunate I was. I'd survived a shipwreck, and found a good place with people I liked.

- "May I join you?" asked Shaghar, in a soft voice. I hadn't even heard her approach.

- "Of course you can."

She'd brought two sleeping furs, which she spread over us as she cuddled up close to me and shared the warmth of her body. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight. Shaghar stroked my face, and looked into my eyes. There was just enough moonlight for that.

- "I do love you." she said softly.

- "I know. I feel the same."

We kissed, and held each other. Then we made love, quietly, under the trees, and re-sealed our pact.

***

Ditgurat was obviously preoccupied; she didn't call upon me for sex, or to ask me if I had any fresh insights about the new humans. Coopah was keeping an eye on them, as was Ghorza - and several others.

By day, I could work in the forge, with Snak and Shelur. Alatey watched for a while, until he grew bored, but Gintar spent most of the daylight hours with us. He still didn't say much.

The next night, I made a change to my usual routine. If Ditgurat was too busy to ask for me, I would move on. Hopefully she wouldn't be offended.

Umog was quite surprised when I asked her to go for a walk with me.

- "A walk? In the dark?"

- "We don't have to go very far." I said. "And I brought a fur, in case we get cold."

Umog caught on to what I was suggesting.

- "What of Ditgurat?"

- "She seems to have forgotten about me. If she remembers, and calls for me, I'll go to her. But in the meantime ..."

Umog quite liked that I had chosen to ask her first. She knew very well that my free nights usually belonged to Shaghar.

We took shelter under the trees by the stream, and Umog sat astride my thighs, kissing me (carefully) and using her hands (gently) to arouse me.

We both heard rustling not too far away. A moment later, there was a gasp, and then the rhythmic slapping of flesh against flesh.

Umog stopped her movements. Then she tapped my shoulder, and pointed. I turned my head in the direction she'd indicated.

It was Bula. A mostly naked Bula, riding a male while he mauled her breasts with both hands. Pale, fair-skinned hands. Alatey.

I looked to Umog, who shrugged.

We returned to our own (much quieter) business.

***

The next day, there was a bit of a commotion outside my forge in the late morning.

Lagakh herself entered, with Urzoth and Ghorza. The chieftain's daughter wasted no time on pleasantries.

- "Take what you can carry. Food, clothing, and furs. We leave at once."

- "What?"

- "Gintar, you must go with Urzoth and Ghorza."

She was deadly serious. Lagakh answered my question before I could ask it.

"The humans are coming."

***

It was Lambug and Ogash who brought the news. While searching for Alatey's buttons, they'd been fortunate to spot a large group of humans before being seen themselves. They came back to warn the rest of us as quickly as they could.

Ghorza led us north and east, towards the beach. If we were pursued, we could retreat even farther to the east - but most of the Red Knees were loath to do that: it would mean leaving behind their fields and their orchards, their caves, and the Blasted Tree, which they still saw as a source of good luck.

I was abandoning the bloomery and my forge. They were just things, of course. A forge could be rebuilt. Lives were far more important.

Ditgurat let the entire tribe know what was happening. Fear is a powerful emotion, but fear of the unknown may be the worst of all. There was, remarkably, no panic. Lagakh seemed to have an extra sense; whenever someone appeared to be even a little bit apprehensive, the chieftain's daughter was there, by their side. Her presence alone was reassuring.