The Keep

Looking around quickly, she spotted movement out behind one of the trees, a small orcish boy spying on her. Jumping up and running over to him, she slugged Grot in the arm, her eyes flashing happily at him. “You made it!”

He nodded sullenly, his eyes staying on Lae for a few minutes before looking back up at Kali. “Your parents getting food?”

She nodded, looking around for them. “I’ll save you some.”

He began to protest and she slugged him again, her lips curled into a smirk. “You ain’t eaten in days. I’m getting you some. Meet me back here when night falls… if night falls here,” she paused, thinking it over. “Just try ta stay out of sight if ya can, alright? They’re probably all too busy ta even notice a tiny scrub like you wonderin’ around, but be careful, ‘kay?” she smiled at him, speaking affectionately.

He nodded seriously, looking back to Lae, then turning on his heels to find a quiet spot to sit undisturbed.

Grimmik and Lektu Blackrock returned to the campfire, a large beast wrapped around Lektu’s slender neck. She cautiously placed it down before looking up at Grimmik. “I will find the others of our clan and let them know we will be eating,” she said in her soft voice, the end of her sentence turned up at the end as though it were a question.

He nodded, grunting gruffly at her, and plopped down in front of the fire. Kali moved over to the beast, taking out a tiny dagger and a large iron bucket from her satchel. Slicing the blade into the cat’s coat at the throat, she cut deeply, puncturing a vein. She quickly grabbed up the bucket and placed it under the beast, awkwardly trying to hold up the heavy beast’s torso as it bled. As the last of the blood spilled into the bucket, she set the blood aside and continued to cut down the belly, pulling the fur from the flesh while her father watched her critically.

Grunting, he grabbed the blade handle in her hand, squeezing his hand painfully tight around hers as he skinned and sliced the animal. Twisting her arm in awkward ways, he pulled the pelt off the animal. Reaching inside the beast, he grabbed the flesh, motioning for Kali to remove the fur. She nodded, grabbing the beast’s head, and with great effort sliced the areas where the fur still clung to the beast. With a loud groan, she stumbled backwards, holding the coat while her father held the flesh and bones in his hand. She draped the coat over her shoulder, quickly moving to find a branch large enough to hold the beast over the flames. She was grateful when the other members of her Clan returned with enough wood to cook the flesh, dry the coat, and keep the flames burning through the night.

Kali, covered in the blood of the beast, held Lae to her bosom as the beast cooked on the fire, the flames making loud sparking noises. She could still hear the sound of triumphant orc shouts as they downed another beast or as another of their friends passed through the portal, and before nightfall things had calmed and most sat at a fire, drinking the blood and eating the flesh of the local animals, celebrating one another and preparing for battle.

Even her father looked more kindly and relaxed than he ever had. He sat close to Lektu, still not touching her, and laughed heartily at the Clan’s plans of victory, of triumph, and of power.

Lektu was not an unattractive orc, by any means. Her skin was a bright green and her eyes a glowing red, her bone structure that of a strong orc woman, though her frame was smaller with lack of nutrition. Her cheekbones were high, and if she were to smile, Kali imagined it would be magical. Her eyes and lips, however, were creased with frown marks, and she seemed much older than she actually was. Her eyes always darted around, looking suspiciously for danger. She was of average size for an orc, and her muscles were faded with the years, though Kali was sure that her mother was once strong and beautiful and independent, possibly even with her eyes. She day dreamed a lot about what her parents used to be like, making up stories about their nobility and their love that seemed non-existent as they purposefully avoided touching their green flesh to one another’s.

Her father sat beside her, his body as well wilted with age and hunger, though he was still strong. His biceps were particularly firm, though he preferred magic over hand to hand combat. His beard was scraggly and long, the same colour as Kali’s hair, and the hair on his head receding in a V shape. His brow was strong and his face was stern, his mouth often turned down into a thoughtful frown. Grimmik had deep features. His eyes glowed the familiar red, wrinkles touched his eyes, forehead and cheeks, and various scars showed on his face and neck.

He feasted hungrily on the beast, staring intently at the fire, ignoring the excited murmurings of conversation around him. The grease of the panther slipped down his chin and caught in his beard, shimmering in the light.

Night set around the swamp. The birds in the trees called out to one another, and bugs and small rodents began to stir in the marsh and grass. The marsh felt warmed without the sun, as though a canopy of humidity protected them from the chill of the night. The air was acrid and smelled of excitement and roasting meat, and was filled with the calls of the animals and the celebrating orcs. Gul’dan had long disappeared into the night, followed by Blackhand and his pet ogre, and the celebratory mood grew quickly, lard wallops and shouts sounding around them.

Kali carefully watched the going-ons of the area before being shooed away from the campfire so the adults could talk without her young ears. She nodded obediently, having stuffed some meat in her pockets and in Lae’s shawl, her eyes seeking out Grot. Wandering through the twilit area, she walked between the other fires, catching snippets of the conversations of the other gatherings. All spoke of the land, and most praised Gul’dan for leading with such strength and providing them with a new land to conquer and make there’s. Kali admitted to herself, reluctantly, as she watched them feast, that this land was much more fertile and giving than what had come of Draenor.

She walked further from the crowd and the deep voices, the firelight growing further in the distance as she looked for a cave or a small clearing. As the fires behind her blinked into the night, she spotted another one, so small she had to look a few times to make sure she had even seen it. She picked up the pace, her legs quickly moving her towards the light, grunting softly with the effort, her stomach full of meat. She smiled widely as she saw the dark green skin of Grot, his eyes transfixed on the fire in the same manner of her father. She slowed herself as she caught sight of him, and stiffed to the side behind a tiny tree to watch him for a few moments.

He looked up from the fire for a second, scanning the unfamiliar lands, lightly rubbing a fist against his stomach. The smell of roasted flesh had infected the area for miles around, and he licked his tusk hungrily. She quickly jumped from behind the tree and shouted out loudly, enjoying the look of fright on his face as he grappled for the dagger that matched Kali’s. Grot held the knife in front of him childishly before seeing her face. He grunted unhappily, plopped down in front of the fire, and glared at her as she cheerfully hopped over to him, sitting down beside him so they touched. She rested her head on his shoulder as she reached into her pockets, and held out the meat cruelly in front of him, snatching it away as he grabbed for it.

“Say please!” she demanded, smiling wickedly at him.

He glared at her, speaking lowly. “Please.”

She smiled, kissing his forehead and placing the meat in his hand, then reached in the swaddling for the rest, filling his hands with the juicy meat. His eyes grew wide as she moved, digging the food out of every pocket and covering she had until his hands were almost overflowing, his mouth salivating uncontrollably.

“Have you ate already?” he questioned, looking over to her and then at Lae.

She nodded eagerly, groaning a little and leaning back on her left arm, her right hand rubbing her stomach under her top. “More than enough ta feed an ogre.” She leaned up and looked at Lae, whom she had rested in her lap, smiling and cooing down at her. “Her too. She’s goin’ to grow up big an’ strong.”

With this, Grot eagerly pressed the meat to his lips, the grease quickly coating his lips and chin. Kali watched with a bemused expression on her face, speaking softly. “You ain’t ate in a while, have you,” she frowned, leaning closer into him. He shook his head, not pausing his loud chewing and smacking. She nodded in response, reaching for her bag and pulling out a flask, holding it out to him. “This was harder ta get. Had to distract Grimmik fer a while.” she grinned wickedly, shaking the flask in her hand. “You owe me one.” He looked at the flask, then up to Kali’s teasing eyes, stuffing another large piece of meat into his mouth before grabbing the flask, undoing the top and taking a sip of the sweet blood, looking back at her gratefully.

“Thanks, Kali. I do,” he smiled, watching her carefully. She wore very little, though she was covered. Brown cheap material covered her torso and lower body, the pants ending at her knees. She wore cheap leather shoes that were much too small for her and originally had been many other children’s before hers. Her body was tiny and still childlike, and though she looked too big for the clothing, Kali didn’t seem to notice or care. Her body was thin, and though she was muscled, they were small and tight to her body. Her chest was still flat, and her stomach was firm and unhealthily concaved, like most orcs at the time.

Grot was in worse shape than her, however. His body was tiny and scrawny, hardly any muscle or fat at all on him. He didn’t have a clan to fight for him or win him food, and his parents had no claim to any food, so they were tossed the scraps, and he got the scraps after that. His eyes had dulled slightly with the lack of nutrition, though they flashed wildly as he devoured the meat. His skin was a similar brown to Kali’s, his eyes a cold steel colour, which she was grateful for. She could see the difference in those whose eyes glowed red and those whose eyes didn’t. The aggression of the red-eyed orcs frightened her and she often tried to avoid them the best she could.

She watched him eat, wiping his face on his bare arm, his clothing covering little more than hers, though he didn’t wear shoes on his feet, and whispered softly, “what do you think?”

He looked up at her, smiling widely and showing off his fangs, nodding. “It’s great, thanks!”

she smiled, nodding at him. “I meant ‘bout… this.”

He frowned, looking back at the fire as they sat in silence, Kali hovering her finger over Lae’s hands, playing with her, both lost in their thoughts.

The silence was broken by a large squawk from the trees, jostling both of the young orcs out of their reverie, looking at one another’s face.

“I don’t know either,” spoke Kali, always the more confident and upfront of the two of them, as she leaned back and stared at the fire again.

They spent several hours like this, the three children sitting around their tiny fire, the air growing lighter as it grew later. Kali shivered slightly, goose bumps running up her arms as she moved closer to the fire, stroking the fine hair on Lae’s head as the infant slumbered. Looking up at the sky, she got up wearily. “Should get back. They’ll be wonderin’ where I went, even in the excitement.”

He nodded gruffly, standing with her.

“Will you be okay out here?” she whispered, looking around nervously, meeting his eyes as he nodded.

“Dabu. I have my blade, after all,” he smiled proudly.

She grinned again, taking out another large slab of meat from her bag, wrapped in cloth. “Fer the morning,” she said.

She grunted and walked past him, her chest puffed out as she grasped her knife, sticking to the path she had taken on her way out. The sky was darker now as she walked through the marsh, and though she tried to stay confident, her breath grew faster and more frantic, and her eyes darting around for the source of any sound until she heard loud footsteps behind her. She whimpered, letting out a gasp as she realized the footsteps were soft and moving quickly. She hugged Lae to her chest, quickly made a knot in the fabric to wrap the child around her neck, and strapped the rope across her midsection as she began to run frantically towards the orcish gathering.

The rodents and insects scuttled out of her way, her frightened whimpering growing louder. She squeaked as she felt her shoe slip under her foot, caught in the marshy mud. Not daring to stop or look back, she gasped loudly as the sound of running grew closer, and shouted behind her, “identify yourself!”

She heard a familiar loud grunting and panting behind her, and turning quickly, she brought her fist to Grot’s arm, knocking him off balance to the ground. “Jerk! Tryin’ to scare me?”

Grot grinned despite himself. “Trying?”

She laughed out of relief and anger, punching his arm again before helping him up and hugging him to her tightly, squishing Lae, who moaned unhappily in her sleep between them.

“I’m walking back with you. It’s not safe out there alone,” Grot stated.

Kali nodded seriously at him, quickly thinking.

“Around our camp, there’s a lot of trees, an’ we set up some fur to dry. If you stuck behind there, you won’t be seen ‘til they wake. You’ll get a few hours sleep in, an’ I’ll be right next to you.”

She smiled reassuringly, squeezing his hand in hers, both of their skin rough and dry with lack of water and food. She looked up at him nervously before motioning in the direction she was heading, “I think it’s a li’l further this way.”

Grot grunting, walked at her side, his eyes darting around at the strange noises of the land as well.

They got back to the camp late. The moon was high in the sky, and the fires on most camps were dwindling a bit. Most of the adults were too full and exhausted to have kept up with their night watch duties.

They kept to the side, furthest away from the camps. She located her Clan on the outskirts of the gathering, motioning quietly to the trees. Kali squeezed Grot’s hand in hers, and leaned up against his body to whisper softly in his ear, “sleep well.”

He nodded and quickly moved behind the protection of the trees, curled up into the cold mud, and covered himself with his arms. Kali did the same, falling asleep without even realizing that Grimmik and Lektu weren’t among their numbers.

In fact, all over the camp, some of the more powerful warlocks were missing.