Orcs First Blood - Legion Of Thunder Part 5

They are said to have in-spired the making of Azazrels' mighty golden bow, the sublime poetry of Elphame, the fabled Book of Shadows, Kimmen-Ber's celestial harp and much more. You've heard ofthose, no doubt?'

'Yes, even we've heard of those,' Stryke came back gruffly. 'Though in truth we're not much given to poetry, books and fancy music. Ours is more of a ... practical profession.'

'Howdid the stars bring about these things?' Alfray persisted.

'Revelations, visions, prophetic dreams,' Tannar returned. 'The yielding of a small part of their mystery to those with the knowledge to extract it.'

While Stryke and Alfray were mulling that over, Jup had his own question. 'No one's been able to tell us what the stars are; what they do, what they're for. Can you?'

'They're a pathway to the G.o.ds.'

'A fine phrase. What does it mean?'

'The schemes of the deities are beyond the grasp of us mortals.'

'Another way of saying you don't know.'

'How did your star come to Scratch?' Stryke wondered.

'A legacy from one of my predecessors, Rasatenan, who gained it for my race long ago.'

'Never heard of him,' Jup commented dismissively.

Tannar scowled. 'He was a mighty hero of trollkind. His exploits are still celebrated by the songsmiths. They tell of how he once caught an arrow in flight, of how he downed fifty enemy single-handed and-'

'You'd do well in an orcs' boasting tourney,' Jup ribbed.

'. . . and of how he took the star from a tribe of dwarfs after de-feating them in combat,' Tannar finished deliberately.

Jup coloured. 'I find that hard to believe,' he countered with wounded dignity.

'However you got it,' Stryke intervened, 'what are you trying to say about the stars, Tannar?'

'That they have only ever brought death and destruction unless properly handled.'

'By which you mean fed the blood of sacrifices.'

'You kill too!'

'In warfare. And we lift our swords against other warriors, not the innocent.'

'Sacrifice brings my race prosperity. The G.o.ds favour it and pro-tect us.'

'Until now,' Alfray reminded him.

The king didn't try to conceal his displeasure at the gibe. 'And your hands are unsullied by the blood of sacrifice, are they?'

'Never higher lifeforms, Tannar. And mostly we sacrifice to our G.o.ds by going into battle. The spirits of those we slay are our offerings.'

'Maybe the fact that you've found more than one star in a short time means the G.o.ds favour you too. Or perhaps they're just making you the b.u.t.t of a jest.'

'Perhaps,' Stryke conceded. 'But why are you telling us all this?'

'So that you'll see how important this artifact is to my race. Return it and release me.'

'Why should we abet you in more slaughter? Forget it, Tannar.'

'I demand that you return it!'

'Demand be d.a.m.ned. We didn't gamble our lives in that hole you call a homeland just to hand the star back. We need it.'

The troll adopted a conspiratorial manner. 'Then consider a trade.'

'What have you got to bargain with that we could possibly want?''Another star?'

Stryke, Jup and Alfray traded sceptical glances.

'You expect us to believe you have such a thing?' Stryke said.

'I didn't say I had it. But I might know where one could be found.'

'Where?'

'There's a price.'

'Your freedom and the star back.'

'Of course.'

'How would you expect such a trade to be carried out?'

'I reveal the location and you let me go.'

Stryke pondered that for a moment. 'All right.'

Jup and Alfray made to object. He silenced them with a slash of his hand.

'I have heard that a centaur armourer called Keppatawn possessesa star,' Tannar explained, 'and that it's guarded by his clan in Drogan Forest.'

'Why haven't you trolls tried for it yourselves?'

'We have no insane ambitions to collect them like you. We are content with one.'

'How did this Keppatawn get a star?'

'I don't know. What does it matter?'

'Drogan's a centaur stronghold,' Jup put in, 'and they can be mean about their territory.'

'That isn't my problem,' the king announced loftily. 'Now give me the star and set me free.'

Stryke shook his head. 'We keep the star. And we won't be letting you go just yet.'

The king was infuriated. 'What? I kept my half of the bargain! You agreed!'

'No. You just thought I did. You're coming with us, at least until we know you're telling the truth.'

'Youdoubt my word? You stinking overlanders, you mercenaries, you . . .sc.u.m! You questionmy word?'

'Yeah, life's unfair, isn't it?'

Tannar began raging incoherently.

'You've had your say,' Stryke told him. He beckoned a grunt. 'Nep. Secure him to that tree again.'

The trooper grabbed the king's arm and started to guide him away. Tannar complained loudly of betrayal, of the indignity of being held captive, of having an inferior lay hands on him. He cast vivid aspersions on the entire band's parentage. Stryke turned his back on the scene to speak further with his officers.

A chorus of yells and expletives burst from the grunts. Tannar bel-lowed, 'No!'

Stryke spun around.

Tannar and Nep were facing him, a couple of yards away. The troll had the orc in a neck-lock. He held a knife to the grunt's throat.

's.h.i.+t!' Jup exclaimed. 'n.o.body searched him!'

'No!' the troll repeated. 'I'll not submit to this violation! I am aking! '

Nep stood stiffly, ashen-faced, eyes wide. 'Sorry, Captain,' hemouthed.

'Easy,' Stryke called. 'Be calm, Tannar, and n.o.body gets hurt.'

The troll tightened his grip and pressed the knife closer to thetrooper's jugular. 'To h.e.l.l with calm! I'm taking the star and my freedom.'

'Let him go. This serves no sane purpose.'

'Do as I say or he dies!'

Nep flinched.

Jup slowly drew his sword. Alfray took up a bow and shaft. All around, the band armed themselves.

'Drop your weapons!' Tannar demanded.

'No way,' Stryke replied. 'Kill our comrade and what do you think happens next?'

'Don't try bluffing, Stryke. You'll not throw away this one's life.'

'We look out for each other, you're right. But that's just part of the orcs' creed. The rest of it is one on one, all on one. If we can't protect, we avenge.'

Alfray notched an arrow and levelled his bow. Several grunts did the same. Nep contorted, trying to make himself less of a target. Tannar grimly hung on to him.

'You can come out of this alive,' Stryke said, 'and see Scratch again. Just throw down the knife.'

'And the star?'

'You've had my answer on that.'

'Then d.a.m.n your eyes, all of you!'

He made to drag the knife's edge across the grunt's neck. Nep twisted violently, his head instinctively moving forward and down. Al-fray loosed his shaft. The arrow skimmed the troll's cheek, gouging flesh, and soared onward. Tannar roared and let go of Nep. The grunt dropped and half ran, half scrambled away, hand to streaming neck.

Two more arrows slammed into Tannar's chest. He staggered under the impact but didn't go. down. Slas.h.i.+ng the air with his knife and yelling incomprehensibly, he managed to take a few steps in the band's direction.

Tearing his sword from his scabbard, Stryke rushed in and finished the job with a heavy backhand swipe to the king's vitals. Open-mouthed, the troll monarch collapsed.

Stryke nudged him with a boot. There was no doubt.

Alfray was examining Nep's wound. 'You were lucky," he pro-nounced, applying a cloth to sop the blood, 'it'ssuperficial. Keep this tight against it.'

He and Jup went over to Stryke. They regarded the body.

'How could he be sostupid as to think you'd go for a deal like that?' Jup wondered.

'I don't know. Arrogance? He was used to absolute rule, having everything he said taken as perfect truth. That's bad for any elder racer. Softens the brain.'

'You mean he's talked s.h.i.+t all his life with n.o.body to gainsay him. Maybe he just couldn't get out of the habit with us.'

'Total power seems to be a kind of insanity in itself.'

'The more I see of rulers, the more I agree with you. Aren't there anybenevolent dictators left?'

'So now we've added regicide to the list,' Alfray said.

Stryke glanced at him. 'What?'

'Murder of a monarch.'

'It's hardly murder,' Jup suggested. 'More tyranacide, I'd say. That means-'

'I figured what it means,' Stryke informed him.

'Now we've made another set of enemies in the trolls,' the dwarf added.

Stryke sheathed his blade. 'We've made so many another bunch won't make much difference. Get a hole dug for him, will you?'

Jup nodded. 'Then north?'

'North.'