“It tore my chest to do it, Brother.”
“Yet you prevented greater sorrows.”
“Should you be speaking to me? I’m dead, you know.”
“You’re same Dargu who bit my neck. My life is still yours.”
“Then I give it back to you.”
“It’s not proper to return gift when it was given lovingly.”
“Oh, Zna! What’s to happen to me?”
“You’ll find your path. You always have.”
“Can I stay among urkzimmuthi?”
“Hai,” said Zna-yat. “Your home would become shrine. We’d leave you offerings and prayers.”
“I’d be honored ghost.”
“Hai. Greatly honored.”
“And very lonely.”
“That, too, I think.” Zna-yat was silent awhile. “You might live among washavokis.”
“They have little sense.”
“Hai, that’s surely true. Sev-ron told me they trade land for little bits of yellow iron. He showed me some. They were flat and round.” Zna-yat paused. “Perhaps you could get some land.” “I have no yellow iron.”
“I think you do.” Zna-yat pulled the massive gold pendant from a sack.
Dar smiled for the first time. “And you just happened to be carrying that around?”
“It’s natural for mothers to own land.”
Dar had already guessed what her brother would say next. “And for sons to farm it. Do you have one to recommend?”
“Sev-ron doesn’t altogether lack sense. I know he’s wearied of killing. Also, my nose is not unwise. He has feelings for you.”
“I know,” said Dar. “But I don’t for him.”
“I smelled no atur about you before we visited Tarathank. It was not same with Kovok-mah.”
“My chest is empty.”
“Yet it’s also big. It won’t be empty long. Go to Sev-ron’s faraway country. Get some land. See what happens.”
“Since when do sons give mothers advice?”
“I’m just talking to some ghost.”
Dar took the heavy pendant. “It would be good to work Muth la’s breast and see things grow.” She sighed. “What will happen to Kovok?”
“He could go back to his goats, but Muth Mauk will need mintaris.”
“Might she choose him?”
“I think it likely. She possesses your memories.”
A thoughtful look came to Dar’s face. “My feelings, too. I saw her eyes make water for first time today.” She smiled. “And unlike me, she’s pretty.”
“Your spirit was always beautiful to those who gained wisdom to see it.” Zna-yat smiled. “I’m glad I did.”
Dar stepped from her home to enjoy the twilight. Taking off her sandals to feel the newly turned earth, she walked across her fields to view the mere. Averen’s shadowed mountains were dark blue, but the lake’s calm surface mirrored the pastel sky. As the evening grew darker, the stars came out. Each one had a twin in the water, and Dar felt she was gazing at two heavens, one distant and one within her reach.
A door opened, spilling firelight. Dar heard the sounds of running feet. Small voices cried out joyfully. “Muthuri!” Dar smiled and turned to embrace her daughters.
Few journeys are accomplished alone, and mine was not one of them. I wish to thank those people who aided in the creation of Dar’s tale: Richard Curtis provided the encouragement to undertake the adventure. Betsy Mitchell, my editor, proved an experienced and skillful sapaha. Diane Gummoe, a true Wise Woman, helped me understand Loral’s ordeal. Gerald Burnsteel, Nathaniel Hubbell, and Carol Hubbell provided the insights that only thoughtful readers can. Shashav.
armor Orcish armor is strictly functional, being devoid of ornamentation. It is more massive than its human counterpart. The basic item consists of a long, sleeveless tunic made from heavy cloth reinforced with leather and covered with overlapping steel plates. The plates are small and rounded at the lower end to permit ease of movement. The effect is that of fish scales. Its protection is supplemented by additional armor strapped to the arms and legs. A rounded helmet completes an orc’s armor. Simple in design, it encloses much of the head. There are small holes opposite the ears, and the area about the face is open to permit good vision and communication. Some helmets have nose guards. Orcs regard their armor as a tool necessary for distasteful work. They take no pride in its appearance, allowing it to rust.
atur noun—The scent indicating love. Also see “sexual practices.”
Bah Simi proper noun—Orcish name for Murdant Kol. (Blue Eye)
bathing As opposed to humans, orcs bathe frequently. If given the opportunity, they will do so daily. This fondness for cleanliness is probably related to their keen sense of smell. Orc settlements have communal baths where both sexes often bathe together.
biting of neck A practice where one orc voluntarily and permanently submits to another. The relationship is similar to that of a mistress or master and her or his disciple, although strict obedience is expected from the bitten individual. Also see “mintari.”
Blath Urkmuthi proper noun—Orcish name for Urkheit Mountains. (cloak [of] mothers)
blessed adjective—Human translation for vashi, the Orcish word for “married.” The term refers to the fact that an orc couple’s union must be approved by both their respective muthuris. In practice, a muthuri will seldom reject her daughter’s choice of husband. A son’s muthuri is more likely to oppose a marriage.
Also see “sexual practices.”
breast noun—Human word for far. Orcish attitudes toward breasts differ markedly from human ones. In their matriarchal society, breasts symbolize a mother’s authority and her nurturing nature. The orc queen colors her nipples as a sign of her sovereignty. Orc mothers seldom cover their breasts except in cold weather.
When a mother wishes to initiate intimacy with a male, she will grab his hand and brush it against her covered or uncovered breast. This action is considered decorous and is often done publicly. Also see “sexual practices.”
cape noun—A garment worn by orc males that resembles the kefs worn by orc mothers. It is a sign of leadership that is derived from wisdom. A son who wears a cape lacks the innate authority of a mother, and his leadership extends only over other sons. Also see “military ranks and units—orc leaders.”
chest Orcs consider the chest, not the heart, to be the site of emotion. Their expression “to have big chest” means one is brave. A lover would say that his or her beloved “fills my chest.”
clan noun—Related orc families that form the principal social unit of orcish society. A mother’s offspring belong to her clan, and her daughters will spend their lives in her household. When sons marry, they move into their wife’s household, but retain their clan affiliation. Each clan is headed by a matriarch who assumes the name “Muth” upon her election. The matriarchs are subordinate only to the orc queen, and they form a council that occasionally meets to advise her. Every clan has a distinctive tattoo that is marked on the chins of its members when they reach adulthood.
Before the washavoki invasions, the urkzimmuthi had thirteen clans. The ensuing wars reduced the number to nine: the Yat, Mah, Tok, Hak, Goth, Jan, Zut, Smat, and Pah clans. Some clans have acquired a nickname based on a predominant trade or quality. The Yat clan is known as the Queen Clan. The Pah clan was called this before Tarathank fell. Later, it became the Lost Clan. The herding Mah clan is known as the Milk Clan. The respective specialties of stonework, glassmaking, and metallurgy make the Tok clan the Stone Clan, the Hak clan the Fire Clan, and the Jan clan the Iron Clan.
consulting stones This is a voting procedure that the Council of Matriarchs employs to obtain unanimity on contentious issues. When the council cannot agree, they request the queen to “call for stones.” Then the matriarchs are given stones of differing colors. The colors represent different outcomes of a vote, usually “yes” or “no.” Each matriarch votes secretly by placing her hand in a pottery jar and dropping a stone. Afterward, the queen counts them. The result is called the stones’ decision, not the matriarchs’, and tradition calls for it to be accepted unanimously. Generally, the council will avoid calling for stones, preferring to avoid acting until agreement can be reached through discussion.