Desperate Measures Chapter 4: Many Miles to Go (Patreon)

With spirits lifted we make it a few miles further than we would have without the songs.  We pass deserted elven towns and villages along the way that had already been looted from when the horde moved South toward Isthalas.  It hurt to see my homeland at the mercy of these monsters.  Evening fades into night and still we march.  Among the orcs there are gripes and complaints spoken more openly and more frequently with each passing step.  Now I knew this was not business as usual.  The General was pushing hard for the North as if we had the infernal legion nipping at our heels.  As the Orcs kicked up dust and whined and got shouted at by the Valkyries to keep moving my people marched on with a stoic grace.  The army may have been slowing but not because of us, not that I wanted to aid the Scourge but I knew that the life of any captive to slow the line would be forfeit.  Watching them walk, watching them endure as a unified group, I had never been so proud in my life.  Between songs I tell them as much and they express their gratitude for my voice.  Hope was a luxury we could not dare to aspire to but simple kindness and camaraderie was something we could still share.

With increasing frequency Drunda moves back and forward along the column of troops barking orders and I notice her gaze always searching behind us.  More and more the elite Valkyries act more as shepherd dogs corralling a rambunctious flock.  As the full dark of night sets in the soldiers had hit their limit.  That day they had marched to the city, fought for hours, looted, and then beat a hasty withdrawal all with hardly a pause.  They were exhausted.  It was heartening to know that these seemingly indestructible brutes had their limits too.

One of them calls out.  “If it is the humans let us turn and fight!  The dark will be our ally.”  For this he receives a lash from Drunda’s whip and told to shut his ignorant mouth.

We break the thick forest into orchard lands and, as the morale of the troops edge toward open revolt, the force is lead off of the road to weave through the wide spaces between the fruit trees.  As the top of the cage brushes against the branches Silima reaches through the bars to nip what fruit she could from them.  Each one she passes back to the captive nearest the cage who, in turn, passes it behind them and so down the line.  I join in.  Plucking a fruit then passing it along, each juicy plum and succulent apricot giving a member of our unlucky company a life giving bit of nourishment.  Had the orcs not been so tired it would have surely been put to a stop.

Not long after this we move out into an small open plain framed by orchards and forest on all sides.  Here the splendor of the night sky opens up above us.  The moons and other celestial bodies shining in the clear black sky in all of their majesty.  The Evenstar, now high in the West, seemed to gleam with a special brilliance.  How could such a wondrous night accompany such a terrible time?  The gods truly did not care.  The multiverse really was indifferent to our struggles just like the philosophers said.

While we could not truly see in the dark like our captors the wan light of the stars and moons was more than enough for us to make out our surroundings clearly.  Ahead there is a flat topped rise in the otherwise level field and in a flash I realize where we were.  This was the site of Eoryndyl, an ancient hillfort whose only remains was a circular ditch surrounding earthwork ramparts.  I had been here in my youth during one of my educational tours of the kingdom.  We had traveled much further than I realized!

The army begins to slow as it approaches the oddly shaped hill.  At the head of the group the Scourge dismounts her beast and walks up the rise before turning back and raising her hand.  A hush falls over the orcs as the shuffle to a stop and look up at their leader.

“We rest here.”  She bellows in a powerful voice and a ripple of relief runs through the weary soldiers.  “Clan Durg, we’ll need a Southern perimeter.”  There is a groan from a group of orcs off to my right.  “The faster you do it the sooner you sleep!”  She snaps.  “The rest of you, double watches tonight!  We are still in enemy lands.”  Another mutter of protest rumbles through the soldiers.  “Listen you dogs!”  She shouts to grab their attention once more.  She looks over them with a grim expression.  “Zourash has taken Gharolg.”  A stunned hush falls over the orcs and they look to each other with a palpable fear.  I hadn’t even realized they were capable of such an emotion.  I knew Gharolg to be their home city, the name Zourash was new to me however.  Just the name brought out a reaction among these soldiers strikingly similar to what ‘The Scourge’ had done among my people just days ago.  Her eyes narrow as she scans the crowd then finds and focuses in on me.  “The timing of the attack is…suspicious.  I would not put it past that slithering eel of a king to be in league with the deep necromancer.”  Her hand turns to a fist.  Taking in a big breath she stands tall and her muscles flex.  “Be strong my warriors!  This changes nothing!  We knew this day would come.  It only hastens our plans.”  She points to me and all eyes follow.  Her somber tone lifts to one more inspirational.   “In her I have secured a land for ourselves.  Rich hunting, good timber, clear clean waters, a land of plenty!  This will not defeat us!”  She then points out along her ranks.  “Because of your bravery and power this is a day of VICTORY!”

With that final word shouted out the soldiers raise their fists and let out a great roar. The mighty Scourge smiles and roars with them.  The sound of thousands of voices made one is deafening.  The chained elves huddle around the cart in fear and confusion as to what was happening.  Horns blow and the thrum of fists hitting shields joins the overwhelming din.  Looking out over her cheering followers I see a pride beam from her that only this morning I would not have recognized.  Her strength gave her people strength and theirs in return bolstered hers.  By the gods she cut a magnificent figure!  Larger than life.  The type of woman myths were born from.

When the cheers had quieted she speaks again.  “I have sent word.  Our kin that survived are already making their way to meet us.  Beyond the safety of her tunnels that worm Zourash will not follow.”   Her eyes scan across her army.  “But we cannot linger.  We have many miles to go.  Our sprogs and gray-hairs have few to defend them and out in the wide world danger can come from any direction.  By first light we march again.  Those who cannot keep up will be left behind.”  Gone was the griping from early, now all nodded their agreement.  She pounds her heaving chest with a fist repeatedly as she calls out in a booming voice.  “Courage in spirit! Endurance in flesh!  Purpose in loyalty! Victory in life!”

Her followers repeat the mantra then let out one final hurrah.  With that the Scourge turns and climbs the hill as her troops hastily set to work in making a quick camp for the night.

We captives are taken to the lowest of the three plateaus on the far side of the hill.  The beast of burden is unhitched from the wagon and allowed to graze.  A handful of guards are left to watch over us.  Thankfully the orcs preoccupied minds and weary bodies meant that the elves are mostly ignored.  Still shackled together my people gather around the cage to cling to each other for warmth and comfort.  Reaching through the bars I stroke their cold hands.

“You are so brave.”  I say.  “You are all so brave.  I am so proud of you.”

“I love you Princess.”  One of them whispers with tears flowing down his cheeks.

“Shhh.”  I pet the young man’s hair.  “I love you too.”

“Our Evenstar.”  Another says.  

“Our Evenstar!”  Repeats another.

“No.”  I shake my head.  “I am just another captive I’m afraid.  How I wish I could guide you to safety and rest my friends.  I wish I could help you all.”

“You are not at all like they say.”  Says a slight woman stretching out to reach me.  “Bless you Evenstar.”

I sigh and touch her arm.  If only they knew the princess they adored so dearly actually lay dead back in the city.

“I saved you a plum Princess.”  Still another says as she offers me the fruit.  “I saw that you did not eat.  Please take it.”

“No, save it for yourself.”  I say.  These noble people had marched for miles as I sat in a cart and they were making offerings to me!?  I could not accept that.  “Please, eat it before the guards notice or share it with one of the others.”

The girl is adamant and assures me she had enough.  None of the others try for it either, all of them wanting me to take it.  Silima then reaches through the bars to take the food.  She places it in my hands.  It was warm from being held tight in the woman’s hands.  She looks me in the eyes.  “Eat.”

“But…”

“Not for you.”  She whispers low.  “For her.  For them.”

I look down at the expectant face of the fair woman.  I bow my head slightly.  “Thank you.”  A slight smile brightens her face as I bite into the sweet fruit.  A strange calm settles through the gathering as they watch me eat.

“My name is Daeliah.”

“Thank you Daeliah.”  I grip her hand as she kisses mine.

Just then there is the approaching sounds of voices.  Looking up I see the General herself making her way toward us, Drunda walking at her side as usual with her right hand already resting on her whip.  Dread fills my heart.  The other captives begin to stir at the legendary warrior’s approach.

“Be still.”  I whisper to them.

The Scourge points to me.  “Get her out!”

Two orcs hurry forward to unlock my cage.  I am grabbed by the arm and hauled from my confines, Silima stumbling along with me as we were still bound to each other.  The other elves beseech the orcs for mercy but are quickly silenced by a crack of Drunda’s whip.  I am brought to the General who immediately grips me around my slender neck with long powerful fingers.  I gurgle and wince as the vice like hand tightens.

“Back away!”  She orders the others and they do so without hesitation.  They keep well back as she glowers at me.  Her glower soon softens however as she starts to look at me in an entirely different way.  She licks her top lip with transparent desire and draws in a long sniff of my fading perfume.  Letting the breath out slowly she savors the sight and smell of her virgin prize just a little longer.  Then, recalling what she was here for, her expression hardens again.  Speaking under her breath in a low voice meant for only my ears she pulls me close and says.  “I ought to kill you.  I ought to kill all of you for those songs.  Do you undermine me elf?”

“No!”  I gulp for air.  “They…were struggling.”  I try to swallow and the grip tightens more, I could feel blood rushing to my face as my vision began to dim.  “I…just…wanted…to help…”  Effortlessly she lifts me clear off of my feet!  I kick and writhe a foot off the ground as the world goes dark.  The next thing I know I am on the ground in a heap.  I had passed out and she dropped me at her feet.  There are fearful cries from the elves.  I look up at her towering figure still gasping for air.

“Kiss my feet.”  She growls.  “Let them see you grovel.  Let them know who you belong to.  Show them that you are conquered.”

I hesitate a moment and consider rising to spit in her savagely beautiful face.  The city was now hours behind us and I knew she could not turn back even if she wanted to.  My ruse had served its purpose.  Yet I knew the price for direct disobedience would be one I wasn’t willing to pay just now.  With Silima within reach of the General’s wrath and the other captives close by I wouldn’t risk her rage here and now.  On my hands and knees I kiss the supple leather of the Scourge’s boot.  At least one of the elves begins to weep.  I stay low, my head bowed in submission.  I hear mocking orcish laughter and abject elvish whispers.

In a voice smoldering with contained anger she says.  “I will tell you when to sing princess.  You are my songbird now.”

I kiss her boot again to signal my reply.  I turn my head to peer up to see if my compliance was shifting her mood and as I do so inadvertently get a peek up her kilt.   She wore no underwear, there between her legs I glimpse a great one eyed serpent lurking within the shadows.  She smirks and places her hands on her hips as she watches my reaction with a hint of amusement.  Lifting her foot she plants it down on the back of my neck and crushes my face into the dirt.  I am able to crank my face to the left before she breaks my nose or worse.  She calls out to the guards.  “These two will bring water for the others in the morning.  Do not let them sleep tonight.”  She turns her amber gaze their way.  “They are not to be touched otherwise.”

“Yes General.”  The guards snap to.

With a snap of her fingers she summons her translator, an older orc man with a long thin mustache.  “Tell them if they try to escape their princess will suffer for it.”

“Yes my Chief.”  He says in Orc before switching to his broken guttural Elvish.  “You leave, princess pay!  Paiiin!”  He then bears his cracked yellowing teeth and growls to emphasize the point.  Blunt, but the message gets across.  The elves whimper and huddle closer together and call out prayers on my behalf.

I grunt as the Scourge lets some of her weight press down on my head before turning to attend to her next task.  Drunda and the rest of her retinue follow in her wake.  Silima holds my arm to help me get to me knees and I watch the orc leader who had just humiliated me go as I spit grass and dirt from my mouth.  The guards approach and drag us back to our cage.

Chapter 5