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Home » Great Library at Hoeth » Book of Tales » Tales of Si'anelle » A Further Telling of the Tale: Sebekneru Prince of Battle, Chapter Ten: Onena Them
| A Further Telling of the Tale: Sebekneru Prince of Battle, Chapter Ten: Onena Them |
| - by Lady Si'anelle |
Ae'thenal and the huge Orc that did stand six paces from where she lay amidst the forest litter persisted in each holding the other's eye. He was thinking, which was not an act that he was well used to, his great and puckered ugly face pinched up with the burden of it. The act he would prefer would be to charge to the attack with the great notched sword he did hold in his fist; - except the thought that had been crawling slow within his brain, and known to her by the Banepearl's gift, was that she might well be of the Undead. And in seeing herself as if through the Orc's eyes Ae'thenal did have to agree. With the wasting of her flesh so that her bones did stand proud beneath her skin, and with the dirt that was upon her wargear might well she be a she-Elven corpse that had clawed its way from out its grave. And more, for her gifted mage wrought sword that was gripped in her hand was black like to the night and dark eldrich fire did trace its silver edge. To the Orc she must well seem fell and terrible, like to one of wraith-kind who did lie in wait for living flesh to kill.
Behind the huge Orc others of lesser kind did stand and fidget. And behind them several Goblins did peer at her from between their larger brethren's legs, fingering their weapons and elbowing one another. Ae'thenal could understand their nervous speech, for this was the Banepearl's gift to her its servant in its lust that she might kill them soon so that it might drink; - though the gift was not so great that she could frame an answer in the Goblin tongue.
"She's on her way to being a deader; - Wot's Trogdak messing about for?"
"Na she's not, - she's onena them."
"Then ya go find out if ya so smart."
"Look she ain't kicking off her clogs fart breath, - look at her all boney faced and glinty eyed wid that majic sword inna fist."
"Who ya calling fart breath...........!" And the offended Goblin did strike his fellow, who did punch him back. Whereupon the first did lay about him with his spear striking a third of his fellows with the shaft's butt in his enthusiasm; - which did serve to further enlarge the fight. Until a one of the Orcs did loose a grunt in his annoyance, then roar and turn to arbitrate the dispute among the Goblins with his ham-like fist. Lifting one squawking Goblin up clear from the ground and flinging him away so that he did fly limbs wildly flailing to soar above the Orc leader's head to fall in a heap upon the ground but a pace from where she did lie.
Of an instant the Banepearl did ignite her nerves in pain to goad her to slay the greenskinned creature. Save that the Goblin was the more the willing not to remain so close to her reach once he did hear her hiss past her bared teeth. With his eyes bugging from his head sufficient that they might come loose he sprang away and would have fled back to his fellows except he did hesitate. For he had seen the Banepearl where it did lie apart from her on the mossy ground, half hidden in the shadows hard by the roots of the great tree, sullen flame stirring in its dark core.
Crying out in glee, "I got it boys, it's mine," he darted in, leaping past the awkward made slash of her sword and snatched the Banepearl up in his hands.
There was a sudden blinding flash of flame that did full light up the forest and drive away all trace of shadow beneath the great trees' canopy. And then the brilliance did fall away while a small cloud of sooty ash did softly fall to settle upon the leaf littered ground.
"She ain't onena them," the Orc leader did bellow then, "She's who we're after; - git her boys." In the aftermath of their fellow's misfortune the Goblins had all fled, which did leave six Orcs for her to face and kill. Rising from the ground Ae'thenal did bare have time to brace her feet before they charged. Except that one did fall with a grunt an arrow jutting from his throat and then another pierced through the eye. Another she took with a jab beneath his clumbsy strike, his spiked mace falling from his hand as he also died.
With four dead the Banepearl gave shift to reward her in small measure, and Ae'thenal was glad of it for she was not strong with this wasting upon her flesh. If she did have an ally who was a fair shot with a bow this was not the time in which to question it, save to hope that their fingers would not tarry upon the bowstring. With more strength now in her arm she split her present adversay's shield in twain severing the Orc's forearm also with her blow. And ducked to the side as another Orc hove in with a blow that missed her as she dodged and did serve only to discomfort his wounded fellow the more instead. More arrows flew and did find their marks, which now did leave only the Orish leader for her to kill.
Shrieking Isha's name aloud she made her attack, her agony that was her punishment causing her to be strong and wild. Like to a goddess who did not care that this Orc was twice her size and supassing ugly as she laid in her blows with her sword of dark flame. Splinters flew from his shield, and also sparks as her sword rang on his as she drove him back. He rallied, by main strength and with his bulk forcing a retreat of her, for without a shield of her own she was vunerable before his great cleaver of a blade. Though he was overconfident and rash where she was the more quick and sure. He roared as she struck a wound, and then another to make him bleed away his strength.
In rushing her Ae'thenal did feel the wind of his missed strike, she sprang away to the side and stabbed him deep, his iron corset bursting at her mage sword's thrust. And when in rage and bellowing he did fall upon her she took off the hand that did grip his sword and killed him with another thrust that was almost careless made. He fell, all life gone within him, and she laughed and did hold aloft her sword, her other hand also reaching for the sky. She was once more beautiful and fair, strong and perfect in limb and body as now the Banepearl rewarded her. They had been fools, she and Si'anelle, to deny themselves this and to suffer in deep despair for their disobedience. For what did it matter if they reaved so long as it was done among the foul and not the good.
Of a sudden Ae'thenal did know another stood with the clearing. Turning now she saw a tall woman, broad of frame, bronzed of skin and leanly muscled. Naked save for the wolf skin she did wear, the head of the wolf like a cap upon her wild mane of yellow hair and the rest of the skin worn as a cloak as her sole covering. A sword was belted at her waist and she did carry a longbow in one hand and the other did grip a stunned senseless Goblin by one leg. If this was indeed her unknown ally, now Ae'thenal could hazard the guess why the arrows had ceased to fly when the Orcs were winnowed down to one. Trusting that she had swordcraft enough to slay a single Orc, the woman had gone to hunt a one of the Goblins that had earlier fled. Though why this wolf daughter should wish to have a living Goblin to keep Ae'thenal could not further say.
"Lady, I do have you in my debt," she said and did incline her head with formal grace, even though her despair and weariness was now making its swift return. In exile from Ulthuan she had indeed found human-kind to be strange enough, however before this day she had not met any human woman that was as strange as this, nor a one who was so shameless as to go abroad undressed.
The wolf woman did make no answer, for a time she continued to stand and watch, her blue eyes without emotion in her strong featured face. Then she made a movement with her head to sign that she should follow her, before she set off among the trees dragging her senseless captive by the foot. Sighing now Ae'thenal went to claim the Banepearl where it lay, the wicked thing whispering and mocking of her as was its habit. Except she did not care what it did say as it told its lies as she scooped it up. And then she did follow after the strange and feral woman, knowing that in these lands she could be no other than a one of Sebekneru's Norsca women with her stature and her yellow hair.
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