Grim grabbed a hunk of meat from a platter that a mother was offering him. He turned back to his little friend Kruzz.
"Three days, huh? That's not a lot of time to prepare. Worg must really want to challenge you." He chuckled.
Kruzz looked solemn. "I don't know if he just wants to make my life miserable or if he actually hates me."
Another grunt stepped up to their fire and sat down next to them. It was Dax, bow slung over his shoulder. "Sorry for overhearing, but I have a different view on your situation."
"And what would that be?" Grim bared his tusks, raising an eyebrow. He didn't like they way this Orc spoke. It was unnatural. Kruzz seemed interested though, so he wouldn't tell him to sit somewhere else... yet.
"Well, I would consider your Elder's position and reputation. We have traditions and customs of old to follow. What would other Elders and Clans think if Worg were to just accept you as a full fledged grunt, just because you killed some humans in an attack on your settlement. Other broods killed humans too, didn't they? Why shouldn't they be allowed to carry weapons and go on the Hunt?"
"You sure know a lot about me." Kruzz looked at Dax questioningly. "I think I'm the only one who asked and I'm one of the oldest."
"Yes, you're one of the oldest, but not the oldest. And I don't think you're necessarily the only one who asked. I think you have the most potential and that is what your Elder saw in you. Now you have to be challenged and you have to prove your strength so that Worg's decision to let you carry a weapon, go on the Hunt and call yourself a grunt cannot be challenged by any other Elder. If you succeed you will be known by all as an exception to our customs, but you will have earned it."
"Are you saying Worg is making the brood into some kind of hero?" Grim was amazed and a little bit confused by Dax's words.
"A Hero?" Kruzz perked up.
"Not a hero, but an icon. A symbol of what can be achieved if you put your mind to it. You'd be the youngest brood to go on the Hunt for generations, maybe ever. More broods are bound to want to follow in your footsteps, but they will have to prove their strength just like you have. Worg has to make it difficult for you to make you special. Otherwise too many broodlings would demand to go on the Hunt when they are too young and they would die. We can't have that happen."
"So, either I fail and everything stays as it is or I succeed and become a symbol for the next generations. Great! I was feeling enough pressure just thinking about going on the Hunt in three days. Now I'm carrying the whole future of generations to come on my shoulders." Kruzz's face slumped as he looked down at his food. Grim felt bad for the brood. No one had ever put so much responsibility on his shoulders.
"At least you don't have to face Rag in a fight to the death tomorrow." Dax laughed.
"How can you laugh about that. I'd be worried if I had to face him."
"Hah!" Grim bit another big chunk off his meat. "Ragnur is all show. Sure he's strong, but he doesn't know anything about fighting properly. He's a blacksmith, that's all."
"I'm glad to hear nothing's changed. He used to bully me a lot when we were broods. He was a lot bigger and stronger back then, but I showed him. With this." Dax pointed at his head.
"Did you headbutt him? That's what I would have done!" Grim smiled broadly. Maybe this Dax was alright!
"No, nothing like that!" Dax shook his head. "I tricked him, that's all. I'm smarter than him and I used that to my advantage." That wasn't what Grim had expected. It sounded weak. "After I humiliated him he left our clan and joined yours."
Grim sighed. "I was hoping your fight tomorrow would be something to see. Now it sounds like your going to trip him and make him fall on his back."
"Hah! Don't worry. I'll show you something you've never seen before. It'll be a fight to remember!" Dax smiled and stood up. Leaving Grim and Kruzz wondering about his plans for fighting Ragnur.
"Three days, huh? That's not a lot of time to prepare. Worg must really want to challenge you." He chuckled.
Kruzz looked solemn. "I don't know if he just wants to make my life miserable or if he actually hates me."
Another grunt stepped up to their fire and sat down next to them. It was Dax, bow slung over his shoulder. "Sorry for overhearing, but I have a different view on your situation."
"And what would that be?" Grim bared his tusks, raising an eyebrow. He didn't like they way this Orc spoke. It was unnatural. Kruzz seemed interested though, so he wouldn't tell him to sit somewhere else... yet.
"Well, I would consider your Elder's position and reputation. We have traditions and customs of old to follow. What would other Elders and Clans think if Worg were to just accept you as a full fledged grunt, just because you killed some humans in an attack on your settlement. Other broods killed humans too, didn't they? Why shouldn't they be allowed to carry weapons and go on the Hunt?"
"You sure know a lot about me." Kruzz looked at Dax questioningly. "I think I'm the only one who asked and I'm one of the oldest."
"Yes, you're one of the oldest, but not the oldest. And I don't think you're necessarily the only one who asked. I think you have the most potential and that is what your Elder saw in you. Now you have to be challenged and you have to prove your strength so that Worg's decision to let you carry a weapon, go on the Hunt and call yourself a grunt cannot be challenged by any other Elder. If you succeed you will be known by all as an exception to our customs, but you will have earned it."
"Are you saying Worg is making the brood into some kind of hero?" Grim was amazed and a little bit confused by Dax's words.
"A Hero?" Kruzz perked up.
"Not a hero, but an icon. A symbol of what can be achieved if you put your mind to it. You'd be the youngest brood to go on the Hunt for generations, maybe ever. More broods are bound to want to follow in your footsteps, but they will have to prove their strength just like you have. Worg has to make it difficult for you to make you special. Otherwise too many broodlings would demand to go on the Hunt when they are too young and they would die. We can't have that happen."
"So, either I fail and everything stays as it is or I succeed and become a symbol for the next generations. Great! I was feeling enough pressure just thinking about going on the Hunt in three days. Now I'm carrying the whole future of generations to come on my shoulders." Kruzz's face slumped as he looked down at his food. Grim felt bad for the brood. No one had ever put so much responsibility on his shoulders.
"At least you don't have to face Rag in a fight to the death tomorrow." Dax laughed.
"How can you laugh about that. I'd be worried if I had to face him."
"Hah!" Grim bit another big chunk off his meat. "Ragnur is all show. Sure he's strong, but he doesn't know anything about fighting properly. He's a blacksmith, that's all."
"I'm glad to hear nothing's changed. He used to bully me a lot when we were broods. He was a lot bigger and stronger back then, but I showed him. With this." Dax pointed at his head.
"Did you headbutt him? That's what I would have done!" Grim smiled broadly. Maybe this Dax was alright!
"No, nothing like that!" Dax shook his head. "I tricked him, that's all. I'm smarter than him and I used that to my advantage." That wasn't what Grim had expected. It sounded weak. "After I humiliated him he left our clan and joined yours."
Grim sighed. "I was hoping your fight tomorrow would be something to see. Now it sounds like your going to trip him and make him fall on his back."
"Hah! Don't worry. I'll show you something you've never seen before. It'll be a fight to remember!" Dax smiled and stood up. Leaving Grim and Kruzz wondering about his plans for fighting Ragnur.
Well done.
ReplyDeleteFirst, you wrote:
Another grunt stepped up to their fire and sat down next to them. It was Dax, bow slung over his shoulder. "Sorry for overhearing, but I have a different view on your situation."
And I'm thinking "that Orc speaks weirdly..."
Then you go:
"And what would that be?" Grim bared his tusks, raising an eyebrow. He didn't like they way this Orc spoke. It was unnatural.
I felt immediately gratified. Not only did you open up the question of what, exactly, it is about this Orc that makes him different, but you also made me, the reader, ask a question and get an immediate answer - very satisfying. The little and the big thing, all wrapped into one.
Good entry in general, too, on Orc culture. I was a bit surprised that the regular Orc mothers have no "name" of their own (like Grunts, Broods, and Furies). But maybe that'll show up in due course.
Thanks! It's all because of you. You might remember my old Orc stories that also included Dax. I changed his character a bit from those stories, but what I'm getting at is that there was a scene in which the Orcs spoke to each other talking about ghosts. It was a little bit philosophical and you said that you thought it was weird to hear Orcs speak like that. Well, now I decided to not have them talk like that in general, but to have one that is special that way. I'm glad you like it. You'll find out more about him in due course.
ReplyDeleteAnd what exactly did you mean by the Orc mothers have no name of their own? Reeba is an Orc mother and has her own name. Or did you mean the term for the type of Orc? Is mother too humanized for you? :P
I do recall the name Dax, but I was not aware that he was an Orc. May also have simply forgotten? Dunno. But I'm glad my input seems to be working for you :)
ReplyDeleteI don't think "mother" is too humanized :D I was just surprised that there was a special word for a grown male (grunt), a child (brood) and a fighting female (fury), but not for a mother.
I was already curious to find out what had happened between Dax and Ragnar and now I'm even more curious to find out what the fight is going to be like.
ReplyDeletePoor little Kruzz. So much responsibility. I think "icon" might be a bit of an overstatement, but he is definitely an example.
I like that Kruzz thinks Dax is weak for using his mind grapes on Rag. ;)