Friday, January 29, 2016

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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