Half the Journey pg 2

The next two days of rain and storm's passed quicker than I would have liked. My Birth-Mother and Heart-Mother both coming to visit. As Wise-Woman my Heart-Mother traveled a little meeting other Wise-Women and searching out herbs and other potion ingredients. She had much news and confirmed what I had just supposed,

She had just visited another Strong-hold and they told her of a caravan that was heading in our direction, but when she caught up to it, it had been attacked and looted. She had hurried on her way home, as she did not know that it wasn't bandits and though she had small magic's and some skill with a blade, she was also the oldest of my Fathers wives. She had beaten my Brothers in by a few minutes only and was as surprised as the rest that they had been attacked by bandits. She was a smart female and it didn't take her long to know that what they had brought in were all trade goods, with little in the way of arm's or the types of armor that bandit's would have.

So my heart was heavy with the burden of dis-honor to our tribe, but I also knew I would not defeat all three of my Brothers in one day and that is what it would take. I thought about it long and hard, but if I challenged my Chief, then my 2nd Brother would issue challenge and if I defeated him, then my 3rd Brother would issue challenge. My Brothers were Orc warriors, as am I, the fights would not be short or bloodless.

Even with that, the thought of dying did not disturb me, as long as I took all three of them with me. That would leave my youngest Brother as chief and with our Mother's to guide him, he could bring honor back to our tribe. But this this would also leave the tribe very vulnerable to real bandit's attacking, not to mention some other male Orc that might decide to challenge him.

No leaving to bring honor to my name, gain enough recognition from other Tribes to start my own Strong-hold and bring in good wives, that is what I needed to do. Then my Mother's and brother could come to my Strong-hold, as long has he was under-age, he would come with his Mother.  So three years at most, then he would be of an age to start hunting and my older brothers would think he meant to challenge.

The next morning dawned with cool drizzle  the Wise-woman had said that it would stop mid-morning, so I readied to leave. I had gotten up well before dawn to pack up Shyla and have everything ready to go. I ate my breakfast and then cleaned the cabin so that it was neat and clean. I neared the door and then turned around and looked around the place one more time.

My Birth-Mother was standing next to Shyla when I got outside, "Hearth-Mother, Mother of my Heart, please keep my house in my absence. Here is some gold and gem's that I collected, please use it to keep up the place and as you see fit." I said this loud enough that the guards would hear, their was no way my brothers could take the cabin over, with out being completely un-honorable in the tribes eyes.

"Be honorable in all your dealings, fair in all things and humble before the gods. May Malacath lend you the strength to protect yourself." With that she laid her hand on my cheek and her head on my chest. she stayed like that for a brief minute and then walked  quickly away into the Stronghold. I took one last look around and swung up on Shyla. I did not rush but set her to a quick walk, when we were far enough away, I changed direction slightly and headed to a pass a traveler had told me about, it wasn't the  one most travelers used.

Once I found the clear trail I set Shyla to a ground eating lope, after a time I would slow her to a fast walk then get off and trot along side her.  Late evening I found a small stream and a likely place for a good camp, I could see anything coming and I built a small fire to cook my dinner and then put it out, scattering the ashes around. I placed my bedroll on that spot after checking for embers and fell into a restless sleep.

The next morning I ate a cold breakfast of apple-tart's and a small flagon of berry juice. I fed Shyla an apple with a large bruise on it and the end of the bread loaf.  That day was pretty much a copy of the day before, except I killed a mud-crab  at a small pond and lit a very small fire to cook the legs, I ate one and put the rest in a storage bag tied to the saddle. I pulled out the map that I had made from copying the travelers, with some landmarks to look for written on the side.

I found the landmarks that he had said to look for and then thought a minute, nodding to myself I knew if I pushed some we would make it to the small hunters shack he said was at the base of the trail. I patted Shyla on the neck and told her that we would be running hard , but it would only be for a day or two. We kept up a ground eating pace all day and managed to get to the hunters shack a full hour before dark.

The hunter was more than happy to trade a few items with me. I gave him some salt and sugar and he traded my fresh meat and hides for some smoked venison, potatoes, carrots and snowberries. He gave Shyla some apples that were starting to turn and some hay. It was a pleasant night, the hunter giving me better directions and as it happened let me copy a map he had of Skyrim onto a piece of waxed paper.

" Are you heading into Skyrim to make a name for yourself young-one?" I laughed and said.

"Yes Grandfather, I had planned on doing just that". He chuckled as he wasn't all that much older than what my father would have been.

"Can I give you a small piece of advice?" I nodded so he continued, " The Orc's in Skyrim will consider you an outsider, as if you are not an Orc at all. So do not go strait to a Stronghold to seek acceptance or advice, for they will turn you away, until such a time as another Stronghold Orc of Skyrim makes you bloodkin..Or you make a name for yourself, then go and seek the Stronghold." With that the old Orc blew out the candle and rolled into bed, I to laid down on my bed-roll, but sleep did not come immediately.

I laid there staring at the ceiling, not really seeing anything. So, I would need to somehow make a name for myself before going to the Strongholds. As I thought of various different things I could do to make a name for myself, I drifted into sleep. The old hunter woke me before the sun had crested the mountains.

"Boy, if you need coin, hunt or do some bounty jobs" I started shaking my head, being a mercenary it was not always easy to pick the right side to be honorable, "No, Kurdan Gro-Olar listen, do bounty job's for the various Jarls. Most of them are honorable men and the job's they send you on would be to help their people, thus you can gain a name that is honorable among them by doing those types of jobs".

I looked at the old Orc and thanked him for his advice and hospitality. He walked away and I said loud enough to be hear, " Thank you Father for the advice, may Malacath lend you the strength to hunt well".

I mounted Shyla and hurried her up the path, we would sleep in Skyrim this night.

Hard Choices ( pg 1)

   I walked a weary horse into the Strong-hold, she was not the only one burdened with meat for the hearth though. The wise woman noticed my entry and walked to me, " I will go get the Hearth-wife, your mother, and let her know of your return", with that she hurried off. I put my pack on the ground and started unloading the horse, with each carcass she heaved a sigh of relief. I rolled my shoulders with the relief of my burden and rubbed Shyla down with a cloth when I had the saddle off.

  By that time the Hearth-wife, my mother, was walking across the yard, but she was not alone as two of my brothers were with her. "So the hunt was good?" she was looking at the carcasses with a frown.

" No Hearth-wife, the hunt was not good, the near game is scarce and young. I had to travel far to find even a few Elk and Deer with enough meat on their bones to make skinning them worthwhile." She started moving the wolf hides off the top of the pile.

"I see the wolves are out, is this why the game is scarce near the Stronghold?" I was shaking my head when one of my brothers started jeering at the lean deer I had caught two days' ride out. I held my tongue as I had no wish to fight this day. He quit his heckling as the Hearth-wife uncovered the Large bull, Elk. " This one is a fine animal, can it be that the game is returning to the area?" I started shaking my head again but said,

" No Hearth-wife, this bull I caught a good 4 days ride from the Stronghold." The wise woman started to speak but was cut off by my eldest brother, our clan Chief.

"If you were a better hunter, you would not have to travel so far and that horse would be in our pot, instead of the children going hungry of a night". He hated my horse, but she had no love of him either.

"Perhaps this is so My Chieftain, but do not others hunt? Where are the spoils of their hunt if the children have gone hungry in my absence?" I could see my other two brothers stiffen and knew I might have to fight one or the other of them this night.

" Your brothers ran into some bandits and brought back some goods that we can trade for coin". His tone said that he was happier with the prospect of the coin than that of what the coin might buy.

"Good, then it looks like Malacath has smiled on us all. The meat I brought should last a week, as long as one isn't feasting every night. I will head out again the day after tomorrow," I paused and looked at my brother, " On my horse." This was a challenge, but I knew as long as I was in the right, he would not issue that challenge. He had to worry that I might just tire him or wound him enough that one of our other brothers would issue a challenge to become Chieftain, which he knew I would not.

I walked Shyla over to the cabin I had built up against the stockade and put her in the small pasture of hand-seeded grasses, where instead of eating herself silly, she laid down and rolled on her back, kicking he feet straight into the air. I laughed at her and started hanging the wolf pelts I pulled out of my pack, I would tan them tomorrow. I grabbed the packet of rabbit meat and another of berries and was about to head inside.

"My son?", I turned and looked at my Mother and the wise woman, "My son, I think it is time that you left the Stronghold and went out to make a name for yourself. I know that you have been planning on doing so. Your Eldest brother, our Chieftain is a jealous man. It is time you go before you have to kill one of your brothers."

"Mother of my Birth and Mother of my Heart, I had planned on leaving with the spring rains, when the game would be more plentiful, not now in the Fall with a harsh winter ahead." My Mother shook her head, but it was the Wise-women that spoke up.

" Son, of my heart, I have no wish to watch you kill my Birth son and it would come to that before the end of the winter. Tomorrow will dawn bright and clear, but in the next two days, a storm will roll in. This will give you and your horse enough time to rest and recuperate before you leave. I have placed some travel rations in your cabin, use them and leave." With that, she walked over to me and placed her hand on my cheek, then turned and left.

"Kurdan, Son, make a name for yourself, build you a stronghold, that I may come and be your Hearth-Mother and  then assist your Hearth-wife when you find her." With that, she walked over and put her hand on my cheek, but also laid her head on my chest for a brief moment.

I went inside to fix the rabbit into a stew, I would eat in my own cabin as was my habit. I sat in my chair in front of my fire and mended my armor, thinking about how I could go about making a name for myself.  I could join the Legion, they were fighting in Skyrim and would need help and they were always happy to see an Orc.  I would travel to Skyrim and look at the war and see if it was an honorable thing for me to fight in, perhaps visit the Orc Strongholds there and see what they thought.

I spent the next morning picking grasses and doing some small repairs to the cabin. By Mid-afternoon the horizon was black with storm clouds, so I hurried over and grabbed some potatoes and carrots to place in a stew pot. My Mother gave me a small packet and said that it was some apple tarts, they were dry but still good.

I hurried back to my cabin as the wind's increased and thunder shook the ground,  lightning racing from peak to peak around us. I barred the door as the rain came down in sheets heavy enough to blind a man. I placed the packet of tarts on a protruding stone over the fireplace with a damp cloth on top. I scooped out a bowl of stew and then cut up more potatoes and carrots, put in a couple of snowberries, added some water, and put it back over the fire, but further away than before.  A mug of ale and some bread and I had a fine meal. Once the cloth started steaming, I picked up the tart, juggling it around til it cooled enough to eat.

As I lay in bed that night, listening to the thunder and rain, I made my plans. I would visit all the Strongholds in Skyrim and see what all the Chieftains thought of the War, see if there was anything I could do for them, and build up enough of a reputation with them that they might not mind a daughter or two being married to an outland Orc. I would decide from what they said, what I should do and even get a reading on starting another stronghold in the area.

That presented me with another problem to tackle. Did I really want a traditional Orc Stronghold, mining, and hunting were all good and well, but if the mine petered out and the game was scarce the Stronghold was weak. My brothers had said that they were attacked by bandits, I knew of no bandits in this area, but traders and other caravans passed by on the road not a day's walk away.

I frowned at the ceiling in thought, could my brothers have lost enough honor to attack innocent passers-by? Is that why my Birth Mother and the Wise Woman were pressing me to go. They could not do this without our Chieftain's knowledge, so he knew. Hmmp, my youngest brother was not yet of an age to go out hunting and not warrior enough to fight bandits, this must be why they were pressing as hard as they were.

 I had two days to pack and plan, two days to figure out the course of not only my life but that of my most loved ones.





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