Chapter 29: Chieftain's Child

They came from the depths, a terror undefinable. Shadow and flame, the magic of the old world resting at their fingertips. Our armies fell, like branches in a storm. We called for help, but it was too late. The Elves fought in their forests, and the dwarves hid inside their strongholds. Our people died.

The Ice Giants left their cities of frost, and the angels descended from the clouds. They fought beside us, in an endless battle against the monsters of the depths.

And monsters they were. Some hid their features behind cloth, while others lived wreathed in fire. The orcs of the surface fought beside them, furthering the rot that they brought.

We fought tooth and nail, and we lost, until she came.

-Saint Alexander, Son of Shyanne. On the War of the Second Age and the rise of Grand Mother Shyanne,

Klaz’zks dropped down from the trees, landing softly next to Risha. Diel and Leaf-Watcher made their way over to her as well, the rest of their people forming behind them.

Risha kept walking, her gaze on the mountains they had just passed through “We’ll make base closer to the pass. Klaz’zks,” The spider tilted her head, “have the spiders work on defenses and keep a perimeter with our scouts.” The spider took to the trees, sprinting ahead of the rest of the army. “Diel, send a couple orcs you trust to the local tribes. I want to know what’s happening.”

Diel bowed his head, then stepped away to fulfill his task.

“Leaf-Watcher. Have someone keep an eye on the humans. I want to know if and when they leave.” The kobold bowed her head low and sent a couple of signals to the two goblin scouts they’d originally sent to scout the camp, Dilo and Kyra.

Risha felt as Kliks moved to her shoulder and placed one of her legs on Risha’s cheek. Risha let out a breath, then leaned into the comforting fur of her spiderling.

Camp was quickly made at the base to the pass, and defenses were created. They could retreat into the mountain if needed, but Risha didn’t like the idea.

Risha found the largest tree in camp, and climbed up it until she found a branch where she could see the rest of the forest.

She settled in there, her gaze landing on the smoke still visible on the horizon. The people below her ate without fire, knowing better than to give away their position.

A wind blew through the treetops, bending them lightly. All the spiders on her silk cloak chittered as her cloak fluttered with the wind.

Risha looked down at her troops, they moved with efficiency. Glo should be joining them in a week or two’s time with reinforcements, but until then they were on their own

Risha looked back up, and watched as a great bird flew through the sky, its wings catching the last rays of the setting sun.

The trees themselves made Risha miss her home.

Ovin looked over another burned village, the huts collapsing where they once stood. Orcs, spiders, goblins, too many bodies covered the street. Ovin’s eyes caught on the rounded ears of a fallen attacker, their armor the same as the men that Risha had spoken with.

He didn’t dare approach the destruction too close, in case the humans and elves had lain some kind of trap.

A sharp whistle drew his attention to his younger brother, Avin.

Ovin hurried over to the other orc, and followed him silently as he was led over the top of a hill.

Tracks led through the forest away from the destruction, too muddled to tell for sure who they belonged to. He shared a glance with his younger brother.

There aren’t any women or children in the dead, which means there’s the possibility of survivors.

Or slave caravans.

Ovin knew that any of the clans here would happily take slaves from their enemies, but would humans do the same?

Either way, he must continue on. Risha would want to know, and so does Ovin. Finally there exists a leader who protects all under her rule, and Ovin would rather die to human slavers than leave a single one of his brothers or sisters in their fate.

If they are survivors, there’s only one place they would go.

Ovin signals silently to his brother to gather the other two orcs that had gone with them. The battle was recent, which means they’ll have to be quick if they hope to overtake the survivors before the humans do.

The four orcs sacrificed sleep as they ran through the night, following half remembered trails and paths. They climbed cliffs in the night, forded a river, then waited near the caves of the mountain.

In the early morning light, a bloodied and exhausted party of orcs crested the hill, and Ovin ran forward to talk to their leader.

They only had so much time before their enemies caught them.

***

Risha rested against her spiderling’s fur, watching the skyline. The smoke of the humans long gone and the scouts reported that the humans had retreated from the settlement.

A commotion went through her camp as one of the orcs she’d sent to find the clans hurried towards her. Behind him followed an unfamiliar orc, bleeding from many cuts across his body.

“Grand Mother!” The orc scout kneeled before her his head low, while the unfamiliar orc stood back.

Risha stood up, her gaze on the orc scout.

Klaz’zks and Diel made their way over to her. Diel watched the bloodied new orc with wariness, his hand resting near the blade at his waist.

“Ovin” Diel said to the young orc who had guided them across the mountains.

“Grand Mother, please, listen to him. There are women, and children, please you must-”

“Ovin!” Diel’s voice echoed with a depth to it that quieted the younger orc. “Who have you brought to speak with the Grand Mother?”

Ovin gulped, then motioned for the injured orc to step forward.

The injured orc stepped forward, blood dripping down his arms and hitting the ground. The orc kneeled on the floor, and lowered his head.

Risha watched the unfamiliar orc for a long moment, the blood continuing to drip. The orc waited patiently, recognizing Risha’s authority.

“What have you come to say?” Risha asked.

“We do not have much time, Chief Risha. My people are being slaughtered as we speak.” The orc said, his voice weary, “Our warriors lie dead, and our shaman’s staves shattered. We run with the last of the goblins and warbeasts, but we cannot run forever. I offer all I can as payment to Chief Risha. Please, save us.”

Risha looked to Diel, then to Klaz’zks. The Spider Queen was in her humanoid form, but many long spider legs extended from her back, a comfortable medium for the spider. The Spider Queen met Risha’s gaze with a thoughtful one, she knew the decision that Risha had already made, but she recognized the respect that the goblin gave her by seeking her agreement.

“I will follow you, Grand Mother.” Diel said, his head lowered.

“I am yours, Grand Mother.” Klaz’zks said.

Risha showed her teeth to the bloody orc in front of her. “Are you asking for my protection, orc?”

“I am Kolo, the third son of the second chieftain of the Kol clan. If you save us, my life is yours, Chieftain Risha.”

“And the lives of your people?”

The orc hesitated for only a moment, “Your slaves to treat as you will.”

Risha stepped forward, then crouched in front of the orc.

He raised his head to meet her eyes, and froze as he met her gaze.

“I do not take slaves, Kolo, of the Kol clan. And you should not so easily give your people to such a fate.”

The orc lowered his eyes, fear entering his heart.

“But,” Risha’s words made the orc look back to her, “I will save your people, and your life will be mine.”

With her words, [Mother’s Care] activated, her healing aura flowing over the injured orc. The bloody wounds began to heal.

She turned away from him, to Diel and Klaz’zks, “Diel, fetch Leaf-Watcher, and prepare to hunt.”

The Death Bringer bowed his head, then hurried away shouting orders. He was a harsher leader than Glo, his men fearing him as much as they respected him, but Risha had found him to have his own uses.

“I will prepare camp for your party’s return.” Klaz’zks said, “If you are followed, they will be caught in our webs.”

Risha nodded, then motioned for her spiderlings to prepare to be mounted by the goblins and orcs in their party. The kobolds would be able to match speed on their own. Most of the spiderlings crawled off of her cloak, leaving only three to rest with her.

Risha grabbed her arrows, and a goblin ran to fetch her armor. Although it had not been said, Risha knew who hunted the orcs. It might be time to shed human and elf blood, however much she wished to avoid it.

She held her arms out and one of the high goblin hunters attached the reformed pieces of her chitinous armor.

Leaf-Watcher ran up to her, the wolf’s white fur shining bright in the evening light. “We are ready, Grand Mother.”

Risha motioned for one of her spiderlings to come over, then swung up on top of the warbeast.

All around her, high-goblins and orcs mounted her spiderlings while the kobolds stood ready with their armor and weapons. On the other side of the camp, Klaz’zks and her spiders worked with those staying behind to increase the traps and provide a path for retreat if needed.

There was a breath of silence as everyone looked to the Grand Mother.

She turned her gaze to Kolo, “Lead us to your people.”

He nodded, and turned around, breaking into a run.

Her people moved, following the orc through the trees. Leaf-Watcher led the Grey Lupus Kobolds, scouting ahead of the main party, while Kolo directed her people mounted on spiders.

They ran parallel to the mountains, and despite his injuries, the orc ran without hesitation through the underbrush. It was hours of movement, and Risha saw the orc beginning to flag. He did not complain, his determination pressing him onward as his legs failed him.

Risha motioned for one of her spiderlings to pick up the orc.

He struggled for a moment as the spider picked him up, then realized what was happening, and relaxed on the spider’s back as he pointed them in the right direction.

They forded a river, and came across the first signs of a battle, arrows punctured orcs, humans, and tiny goblins on the bank of the other side. There were too many children among the dead.

Risha growled, but calmed her anger to look at Diel, who rode on top of one of her spiderlings, “Look for survivors, if there are none, catch up with us.”

Diel nodded and jumped off of the back of her spiderling. Risha motioned for the spiderling to stay with the searchers, then they continued forward.

An hour into their march, Leaf-Watcher bounded back to her, a small cut of red marring her white fur. “We found them.” She stood up to her full height, nearly as tall as Risha on the back of her spiderling. “The orcs have too many wounded, and are slow. The humans and elves will catch them soon. My scouts are harrying them and slowing their advance.”

“How many humans?” Risha asked.

“A hundred riding cattle, according to my count, but one of my scouts saw a much larger group, several hundred strong, following them.”

“Riding cattle?” Risha looked to their own spiders which they rode.

Leaf-Watcher nodded. “They’ve tamed horses as their warbeasts.”

“How long until they catch the injured orcs?”

Leaf-Watcher didn’t answer, but Risha knew the answer already. She looked at Kolo.

Forty odd warriors and thirty three of her spiderlings against a hundred humans and elves. More than that if their reinforcements arrived.

This was Risha’s last chance. She could abandon them, leave the humans to their killing. She did not wish for war with the Empress or the Elf Grand Mother, and she did not wish to see the deaths of her own warriors.

She closed her eyes.

No.

Risha had already promised.

She opened her eyes, and stood on top of the back of her spiderling to get the attention of all her warriors. The few spiderlings that rested in her cloak bristled with the adrenaline that flowed through her. “We strike fast and we aim for their warbeasts! Then we retreat and lead them to the traps of Klaz’zks. Are you with me?”

The spiders chittered, and her monsters howled, goblin, kobold, and orc alike.

She strung her bow and drew an arrow from the quiver on her back. Then she sat back down on her spiderling.

They skittered through the forest, chasing the humans who chased her own people.

Injured Grey Lupus Kobolds fell into pace with her spiders, their quivers empty.

Then they found the humans, and they were too late.

Women and children stood tall with their remaining war beasts, fighting a losing battle.

Risha pulled her arrow back, and let it fly.