Chapter 10
Sometime later Valka jumped up, startled by a male voice calling his name.
“Valka! Valka, are you there?”
“Valka kill all!” he snarled, so angry that Delia had been harmed, and now others dared to even come close to his cliff, much less actually climb up it.
“It is Elkva! I have come to bring your axe and your food, and cold rocks.”
“Show yourself,” Valka growled.
“I cannot,” Elkva called.
Valka growled again, this time more threateningly, to be sure that Elkva heard him clearly.
“Your skaevin won’t allow me to pass.”
Valka’s brows bunched down over his eyes in confusion. He walked over to the entrance of his cave and looked over to the left, the direction anyone coming up his footholds and into his cave would have to take. Sure enough, Delia’s skaevin sat between the steps and the entrance to the cave.
“Go!” Valka shouted, placing his hands on the raptor’s haunches and shoving.
Instead of shifting in the direction Valka shoved, the skaevin shifted toward Valka, causing him to have to step back. But at least it was enough to allow someone to pass into and out of the cave. Valka glared at the raptor for daring to make him move, sure the creature had done it out of spite.
Elkva stepped around the skaevin, careful not to anger it, and offered the items he carried to Valka. In one hand he held the leather pouch containing the eggs Valka had gathered for Delia and another pouch that Valka hadn’t seen before. In the other he carried the wooden spit with the carcass of the small animal Valka had killed to feed Delia already threaded on it, and tucked under his arm was Valka’s battle-axe. He waited for Valka to indicate he should enter or just leave the items he carried with him and go.
“Why armor?” Valka asked, looking at Elkva with an almost comical expression.
“To be safe when I fight beside you.”
“Valka fight. No Elkva.”
“I am sorry, Valka. I was still in my home with my female. I did not know, Skala was planning to attack her, or I would have fought Skala. Is your female well?”
Valka stood silently watching Elkva. He had never been one of the strongest warriors, hence Valka’s question about the armor he wore, but he’d always been one of the most trustworthy.
“I am sorry. I should have been more aware.”
“You mate yours,” Valka said, understanding why he hadn’t been aware of what was taking place.
“I am sorry, still.” Elkva lifted his hands just slightly to indicate he still held Valka’s belongings.
“Come,” Valka said, turning to reenter his cave, and resume his position sitting and watching Delia sleep.
“Is your skaevin going to attack?” Elkva asked.
“Delia skaevin,” Valka answered, not looking back.
“Alright,” he said, keeping a wary eye on the large bird since Valka hadn’t exactly given him the assurance of safety around it. “I have your eggs, but some are broken,” Elkva said from just inside Valka’s cave, not following him all the way inside his home.
Valka shrugged. He really didn’t care until Delia woke and wanted to eat some of them.
“And I have your meat. I will put it on the fire.”
“Valka have no fire.”
“I’ll start one, so Delia doesn’t get cold.”
Valka turned and glared at Elkva suspiciously. “Elkva know Delia?” Orc males weren’t usually that concerned with other Orcs’ females.
“My female is her friend.”
Valka watched him for only a moment more before turning back to Delia, obviously accepting Elkva’s answer.
Elkva busied himself quickly making a fire in Valka’s fire pit, then placed the spitted animal over the fire to roast. Once he was sure the animal was the proper distance from the fire and wouldn’t burn, he picked up Valka’s battle-axe and the bag of rocks he’d brought with him. “Your axe,” he said, setting Valka’s axe on the ground near the log he sat on. “And some rocks.”
Valka didn’t turn his head away from Delia but his brows bunched up over his eyes again as he gave Elkva no small amount of side-eye.
When Elkva didn’t explain, Valka reached out and took the bag of rocks from him, dropping it to the ground, and pulling the bag open to better see inside. “Why?” he finally asked.
“Patricia said, cold rocks on injuries help heal.”
“Rock kill, no heal!”
Elkva shrugged.
Valka scoffed, then went back to watching Delia. He leaned forward, leaving the log behind and crawled over the furs on his knees to where her head rested and lifted her eyelid to look at her eye. Satisfied that she was still alive, he moved her hair to examine the bruises where Skala had hit her near the temple and then the back of her head, too. The one near her temple was already turning a dark purple color, while the one at the back of her head was a dark red.
“Put a rock on it,” Elkva said.
Valka scowled up at him.
Elkva bent over and picked up a smooth round rock and extended his arm to hand it Valka. “It is cold. Patricia says it makes the injury heal.”
“The cold keeps the swelling down,” a female voice called from outside Valka’s cave.
Valka stood up quickly, looking at Elkva suspiciously.
“I am not alone. My Patricia waits outside.”
Valka remained standing but didn’t say anything.
“I can’t leave her unprotected. But you needed your food and your axe. So we are both here.”
Valka finally nodded.
“Can I come in?” Patricia called out. “I just want to make sure that Delia is alright.”
“Delia sleep!” Valka shouted irritatedly.
“At least she was,” another female voice said.
Valka looked angrily at Elkva.
“I am not the only one here to help you,” Elkva said hurriedly.
“Valka need no help!”
“You might. You killed Skala. Skala is Raska’s brother. Raska will come for revenge. I will stand with you. So will Toska, Oscal, and Katva.”
“Why?” Valka demanded suspiciously.
“Because you were right to defend your female. Because Skala should have been killed long ago. And because Patricia is Delia’s friend and Patricia would be angry if I didn’t.”
“And Toska’s female!” Toska shouted.
“Toska is mated to Delia’s other friend, she is loud like Delia. She will be angry with Toska if he doesn’t stand with Valka.”
Valka watched Elkva for a few seconds before he impatiently waved him back, away from Delia, then he grabbed his battle-axe and headed for the entry of his cave. He stepped out and stared at the group of people standing there looking right back at him — just standing there, waiting for him. All of the males wore their battle armor.
“Why Oscal? Why Katva?”
“Valka is the strongest. We stand with Valka,” Oscal said.
Valka made a show of looking behind Oscal. “Where female?”
Oscal smiled. He wasn’t surprised that Valka knew he’d claimed one of the females. Valka was far more aware of everything happening in the tribe than he let on. “I left my female with my mother. She is too afraid.”
Valka harrumphed.
“I should have had a female. Raska sells them all until now,” Katva grumbled. “And now he takes one for himself!”
“Raska is not a good leader,” Oscal added. “If he comes, we stand with Valka. Valka will be a good leader.”
Valka shook his head almost violently. “Valka no lead!”
Patricia peeked out from behind the tall Orcs she and Louise had been waiting behind, to face Valka herself. Though she was brave enough to meet Valka’s gaze, she was still cowering in the presence of the skaevin.
Valka’s face skewed up and he turned around wearing an extremely irritated expression to glare at Elkva. “Female cry!” he half-whined himself as he pointed his axe at Patricia.
“She’s mine. No more crying.”
“She cry!” Valka insisted.
“No, she is worried for Delia. And she’s more worried than she is afraid. She won’t cry,” Elkva said.
“I won’t cry. I promise. I was afraid, but I’m better now. Well, except for that,” she said, pointing at the skaevin.
“Her cry!” Valka said again, louder.
“I won’t. I have Elkva now. I’m not afraid anymore,” Patricia said.
Valka looked at Elkva doubtfully, he was not their strongest so it made no sense to him.
Elkva smiled at Valka and shrugged.
“The old lady said to brew this in a tea and it will help Delia,” the other female said.
Valka turned around to look at the other female.
“I’m Louise. I will not cry, either. I’m here to help.”
“No! Mine! Only Valka help!” he insisted angrily.
The males inclined their heads, understanding completely. “We guard you and your female until she is better,” Katva said, ignoring Valka shaking his head again. The males simply turned away from him to face out over the edge of his cliff, with their weapons in hand taking up defensive positions to defend him and his cave and female if necessary. If he chose to care for his female, he would be free to do so without worry.
“This is ridiculous! I wonder if the other females have to deal with this much trouble just to help one of their own?” Louise said.
“What other females?” Katva asked.
“There were others. They escaped before we did, but they never made it back here. I wonder if they survived and are happily living their lives with males that don’t act like that!” Louise snapped.
“Take female away!” Valka growled.
“Wait, she just said there are other females,” Katva said.
“That is not why we’re here,” Elkva said. “We are here to help, Valka. Valka, allow us to help you. You are always alone. But no more, now you have friends.”
Valka turned his back on them and started back for his cave entrance.
He heard one of the females sniffle.
“Skaevin eat cry female!” Valka grumbled. “Skaevin eat all!”
Toska shook his head doubtfully at Louise, when she looked at the bird sitting halfway blocking the entrance to the cave, then at Toska with worry clearly etched into her features.
“We’re not leaving. We’re here to stand with you. But we need to keep our females safe while we help you fight,” Toska said.
“Go home!” Valka shouted, stomping away from the group of them as they stubbornly declared their loyalty.
“Wait! Valka!” Louise called.
Valka stopped in his tracks and turned to glare at the female who dared to call him by name as he stalked back to her. Females didn’t have the right to demand anything of any male that wasn’t hers, and he was already angry that this one thought she could speak to him disrespectfully.
“Here. If you won’t let me do it, you do it. Heat some water and put this in it, try to get some into her mouth and make her swallow. It will help. The old woman said so.”
He watched her, narrowing his eyes at the female called Louise for a few moments before he spoke. “Svatka. Old woman Svatka.”
Louise nodded and smiled at him. “Svatka. She said it would help. I’m sorry, I just want to help Delia so badly.”
He reached his hand out and Louise placed the small cloth filled with herbs in his huge hand.
“Please help her, Valka. She saved every one of us. Without her, we’d have died down in the bottom of that ship long before we ever ended up here. She kept us believing we would make it off that ship until we actually did.”
Valka decided he liked this female because she spoke highly of his Delia. “You make water,” Valka said, shoving the herbs back at her. “No yell Valka. Skaevin eat you.”
Louise took a moment to consider the proximity of the skaevin, then looked over her shoulder at Toska, knowing better than to decide to enter Valka’s cave without her mate’s permission. They’d only just made a shaky alliance and the last thing she wanted was to anger him and end up with another male that might not be so agreeable.
“Go, the skaevin won’t hurt you. I’ll wait here,” Toska said, pointing to the closest side of Valka’s cave entrance. “But don’t yell at him.”
“I’ll guard beside you,” Elkva said, immediately seizing on the opportunity to help guard Valka’s home. Then he focused on Valka. “Where will my Patricia wait?”
Valka’s eye twitched at the thought of the crying female near him, but at the moment she wasn’t crying, and she was important to Elkva who Valka actually liked, or at least didn’t mind so much. “There,” he said, pointing to the fire pit. “No. Cry!” he insisted pointing his finger directly at her.
“I won’t,” Patricia promised, rushing past him to sit exactly where he indicated, though she kept her gaze bouncing back and forth from Elkva to Delia with every second that passed.
Valka stalked back to his fur bed, crawled across it and gathered Delia in his arms as he sat on his butt and held her close. He smoothed her hair back out of her face once more with his huge, gruff hands and despite everyone nearby, he pressed his thick lips to Delia’s cheek. Then he just sat there, holding her as he waited for her to wake.
A rustling sound drew his attention. He looked up to find the skaevin had moved closer to the cave’s entrance so it could see Delia. “Delia wake soon,” he told the skaevin.
~~~
“Raska! Come! Come fast!”
Raska pushed Bettina away from him and got to his feet. He stalked angrily to his cave entrance and stood proudly, completely naked for all to see. “Why do you disturb me? I am claiming my female!”
“You claimed your female all night,” one of his friends said snidely.
“You should not begrudge your chieftain his own female! What is a chieftain without a female to tend his needs?” he shouted after them.
The first who’d been calling for him, shoved the others out of his way. “No one cares about your female! We come for Skala! You have to come now!”
Raska sighed. “What has he done now?”
“He attacked Valka’s female! Valka has attacked Skala! You must stop him!”
“Valka’s female?! That’s Delia! Is Delia well?” Bettina asked worriedly as she ran to the entrance of the cave.
Raska shoved her back inside.
“Silence!” he shouted at her. “Your only concern is that I am satisfied. If she dies it is not of your concern! Do not leave this cave, ever! Sit and remain silent!”
He turned to question the men who came for him. “Why do you waste my time? Tell me at once he needs me! Valka will kill Skala!” Raska shouted angrily.
“We just did! It is why we are here!” one of them said defensively.
Raska shoved past Bettina and grabbed his halberd. “You stay here!” he yelled at Bettina, before storming out of the cave once more.
Raska took off at a run toward Valka’s cave. He stopped halfway and looked over his shoulder at the males following, but at a distance. “You caused me to tarry! My brother’s death will be on your hands! Step up now!”
The males looked at each other, then at Raska, who still looked at them expectantly. They wanted Raska to handle Valka and not have to be involved.
“If Valka kills Skala and myself, he will come for you next!” Raska bit out angrily.
The males looked at each other once more before falling into step with Raska. As one unit they had a chance. They rushed toward Valka’s cave, prepared to kill him.
~~~
Valka still held Delia on his lap, but her head rested on his right forearm, tilting back enough that her mouth naturally fell open. The fingers of his left hand rested gently on her throat as he watched Louise dribble some of the horrid smelling tea Svatka had given her into Delia’s mouth. When enough had been dripped into Delia’s mouth, Valka began stroking her throat. He flashed a quick smile when the action caused Delia to involuntarily swallow.
“Again!” he demanded.
Louise nodded, as excited as he was that Delia was responding. She held a stone bowl in her hands, just barely spilling some of the noxious liquid over its edge to slowly track down the side of the bowl and drip into Delia’s open mouth.
Valka stroked her throat again, causing her to swallow.
“Valka?” Toska said, his voice urgent and tight.
Valka grumbled, but didn’t answer or look his way.
“Valka, they’re coming,” Toska said again.
“Who come?” Valka asked, still not bothering to glance up.
“Raska. He’s got warriors with him. They carry weapons.”
“Pffht,” Valka scoffed. And it was the only response he bothered with.
“Valka, they are coming. Do you not hear their war cry?” Katva asked. “They come to battle with you!”
“Raska barter, not battle,” Valka said.
“True, usually. But there are many of them, and they carry their weapons. Some wear armor,” Toska said.
“Valka help Delia. Kill Raska later.”
“If you don’t settle this now, they may kill Delia,” Elkva said.
Valka’s head shot up sharply, glaring over at the males who’d assembled to stand with him, awaiting his presence at the entrance to his cave. “No hurt Delia,” he snarled viciously.
“Then we need to fight,” Oscal said.
“It’s time, Valka. The women will keep watch over Delia while we take care of the threat against her and you,” Elkva said.
Grumbling, Valka laid Delia down, then took the time to roll up a fur and place it beneath her neck so that Louise could continue to give her Svatka’s tea. He grabbed his battle-axe and started for the cave entrance.
“They’re wearing their armor. What about a helmet? A chest plate? You need some form of protection,” Elkva said.
“Warrior no need armor,” he growled. He’d walked all the way out of his cave, but came quickly back. He pointed his battle-axe at each of the males, then at both females. “Valka die honor. Delia choose new male.”
“We’ll see to it. Whoever is left standing will see to it,” Elkva promised.
“No male choose! Delia choose!” Valka shouted angrily.
“I’ll make sure,” Louise said, nodding confidently, though she was completely unsure of how she’d manage to keep her word.
Valka gave a singular nod, then turned and walked over to the edge of his cliff. He waited until Raska and his males were close enough to see him clearly, and he dropped over the side to land steadily on his feet, not even bothering with the footholds he’d cut into the cliff side.
Katva shrugged and followed Valka over the edge.
Oscal merely glanced back at the rest before he made his way halfway down the cliff before jumping down to stand beside Valka.
“You protect the females, we are going to join Valka,” Toska said to Elkva.
“I’m coming, too,” Elkva insisted. “If we die, they will go to another male. We must stand together to make sure this doesn’t happen.”
Toska looked over at Louise. “If I die, it is with honor. Be proud.”
“Don’t die!” she demanded angrily.
“I will do my best,” he promised, then he followed Valka over the side.
“It has been an honor, Patricia,” Elkva said before he followed Oscal down the steps to jump down at the halfway point.
Patricia started crying.
“No! No, you cannot cry! Valka said no crying in his cave!”
“But he’s not here. And I don’t want Elkva to die. He’s so kind to me.”
“If you cry, they hear you, and it will distract them and they will all die,” Louise lied.
Patricia slapped her hand across her mouth to stop her sobs. “Really?” she squeaked out, furiously blinking tears out of her eyes.
“Possibly. Who knows how well they can hear?”
Patricia watched quietly while Louise tried to coax Delia to drink some more tea. Eventually her mind began to wander and she began to think about Valka and how devoted he seemed to Delia. “Why does Valka talk like he does, and none of the rest do?”
“I don’t know. But he makes himself understood.”
“True, but I can’t help but wonder why none of the others speak in broken sentences, but he does.”
“Ask him, Patricia. I’m sure he’ll tell you.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Patricia said.
“Nor do I, and does it really matter?” Louise asked.
“I suppose not,” Patricia said, looking around the cave. “It’s a nice cave, Valka’s got here. A really nice one. I wonder why some have caves and some have huts. Elkva said that the stronger you are, the more you contribute to the tribe, the better your home is. The less you contribute, the less nice your home is.”
“Patricia?” Louise said.
“Yes?” she asked, smiling.
“Shut up! We’re trying to help Delia, and our males are about to battle for their very existence and ours. Shut. Up.”