Chapter 1
Meeting Her Prince
AN 1213 (AZ 1450) - Midwinter
Near Iakobin, Notos
Urgill had never been out on the sea before she was sent from Drakhgar. She was thankful for warriors like Orgnud who had made the journey before and knew how to survive the long journey of three moons' time. Even so, five Orghim and seven thrall-beasts perished along the way. Urgill herself was so ill most of the time that she thought she too would die, but the gods delivered her to the western shores after all.
It felt strange to set foot on land after so long. Of course, it was a strange land with its clear skies and green grass. There was something unnatural to it, so unlike her home. The light of day was baleful and the air made her chest burn. It was fortunate they arrived at night. Perhaps they could find the cover of a forest before the terrible Yellow Face rose again.
"Ukhromgin," Orgnud said, "there is a forest due west of here. Large. Larger than even our Shildur. Many miles, though. Even if we run, we will not reach it before dawn."
"We go now," Urgill said, "and perhaps we reach it while the Yellow Face is still low in the east."
"Remember, Ukhromgin," Orgnud added, "the water here is thin and sickly. Do not drink of it. We catch game and drink the blood instead."
"I know it," Urgill said. It was not the first time he had told her.
The Silver Face was high in the night sky. They could not afford to waste any more time.
Raising up her ax, she shouted to her war-band, "Westward with haste! There is a forest that will be our refuge from the Yellow Face!"
Urgill mounted her war-dog and gave its sides a kick. This forest Orgnud spoke of was farther out than the eye could see. They had much ground to cover. True, Urgill saw the lights to the north, but she knew to be wary of the humans and approach them cautiously in order to forge their alliance. First she needed to find refuge for her war-band, then she could think about finding humans she could negotiate with.
They continued westward for a couple hours, crossing a path of dirt and stone Orgnud said was death to remain upon. Urgill did not know why this path was so dangerous, but she would ask him to explain later. Not far from the path, they came across a peculiar sight, a great herd of beasts with shaggy white hair and horns. They appeared to be prey-beasts. They would make an easy meal for her war-band and it would do them good to recover their strength before continuing on to the forest.
She raised the cry to attack and her war-band set upon the prey-beasts. They tried to run, but their short legs could not carry them fast enough. Unexpectedly, a couple humans came at them with barking dogs. Upon seeing the war-band, though, the humans fled, but the dogs did not and quickly fell prey to the war-band's ravening thrall-beasts. Could it be that the humans owned the prey-beasts? The Orghim did not raise prey-beasts for the most part, but there were a few who tried. It rarely lasted long because other Orghim would simply hunt the captive prey-beasts, much as Urgill's war-band was doing. It was by the hunt that the Orghim lived. It was foolish to defy the order of nature decreed by the gods.
Urgill dismounted to let her war-dog join the others of its pack tearing at the carcasses, One of her warriors presented her with a skinned leg of a prey-beast. Remembering Orgnud's warning about drinking blood instead of water in this land, she ate the flesh raw. Many Orghim ate their meat raw, but among the families of chieftains and kings, it was more common to boil the meat first or roast it over the fire. This was not the King's Grove, though, so she would eat as the rest of her war-band ate.
She did not much like the taste of the meat, but she had to keep up her strength. It was a great gift from the gods to have such a feast so soon after setting foot in this strange land. It was a good a sign that her mission would find success.
Just as Urgill was thinking of telling her warriors to look for prey-beasts to offer up as a burnt sacrifice to thank the gods, a wall of fire burst forth from the ground. It quickly spread to encircle the entire war-band. The thrall-beasts were thrown into a panic and many of the Orghim cried out in terror.
"We have taken forbidden meat!"
"We have despoiled sacred beasts!"
"The gods are angered at us!"
"Forgive us, O gods of this land! We did not know!"
Amidst these and many more cries, the Trolwif Marah Sidhe approached Urgill and said, "This is not the work of the gods, Ukhromgin, but that of the humans. Be on your guard."
Truly the humans could work such godlike wonders? Her father was right to seek them out to contend with the Death-speaker, but what if the humans meant to destroy her and her war-band before they could even propose their alliance?
Two figures stepped through the flames into the ring. One was human, a male, tall and strong-looking with a big sword on his back. He looked like he could fight a Trolwer and win. The other was an Aldur female. Urgill had never seen one before, but she had heard the stories from the days of the ancestors, when the Aldurim ruled over the land. They were hated, almost as much as the Death-speaker was hated, perhaps more because they had already led her people to ruin once.
The two approached heedless of the danger the war-band posed. In fact, because they were so fearless while the flames terrified every Org and thrall-beast, none dared to threaten them.
The human said something. Urgill thought she knew the human tongue well enough, but she did not understand a word of what he said. However, the Aldur then spoke in the tongue of the Orghim.
"Who leads this war-band? Step forth!"
Who was this Aldur to speak so? Did she think she could lord over them as her kind did in the days of the ancestors? Gripping her ax, Urgill stepped forward. Marah Sidhe followed a few steps behind. Urgill was thankful to have her. A lone Urg seemed terribly small compared to the human and his Aldur companion.
The Aldur looked at Urgill and sneer, "You little green grub-worms have fallen far if mere girl-children now lead war-bands."
"I am an Urg grown!" Urgill snapped back. "Warrior maiden! Consecrated to the gods, I am!"
"Worm gods for a worm people."
To insult not only Urgill and her people but even her gods, the Aldur was every bit the proud and blasphemous fiend that the legends spoke of. Urgill could not allow the insults to go unanswered. The gods would deliver victory into her hands for their honor's sake.
Just as she was about to give the order to attack, the human said something harsh-sounding to the Aldur. A rebuke, perhaps? The Aldur did not appear happy with what was said, but it seemed that she served the human. Urgill's wonder increased. What were the humans that even the ancients tyrants would be silenced?
Somewhat chastened, the Aldur then said, "So you are a warrior maiden. Then you are the one who was spoken of. Your war-band is to join ours."
Urgill did not know that her coming was heralded. So her father had already made preparations for her. Or was this too the work of the gods?
The Aldur gestured to the human and said, "This is Rowland, son of Carolus, a great war-chieftain of the Firebringer Tribe. You are to fight with us against the West Wind Tribe and help drive them from this land. When this is accomplished, you will have your reward."
So this human was a war-chieftain. Truly his tribe must be a mighty one, but this West Wind Tribe must be fearsome too if such a man as he would ally with her.
The war-chieftain Rowland said something else and the Aldur then said, "We will guide you to the forest. There you may take refuge. Anything within the forest is yours but neither you nor your beasts will touch a thing without except by Rowland's command. Will you and your war-band abide by these terms?"
"We will," Urgill replied.
"How are you called?" the Aldur asked.
"I am Urgill, daughter of Orgun, son of Orguz."
The two of them stepped closer and Rowland went down on one knee, that he might be closer to Urgill's height and extended his right hand.
"Clasp wrists, Urgill, daughter of Orgun," the Aldur said. "It is the custom of these lands. Be bound to Rowland and the Firebringer Tribe."
Urgill felt her heart beat faster as Rowland's large hand wrapped around her wrist. Her own tiny hand could barely reach across. Seeing Rowland so close, there was a strange beauty to him, not as Orghim reckon beauty but perhaps that was why it stirred her heart all the more. Could this be the one promised to her by the gods? When her work was accomplished, would this great war-chieftain be her prince? She prayed it were so and that the gods would give her the strength to fight well and be worthy of such an honor.