For a Better World by Ellynn  

---

Chapter 3

---

The human child, who’d been crouching over something until that moment, suddenly straightened up and lifted its head. When he slightly shifted, child’s gaze stopped at him.

“Don’t leave.” He paused. “We can play.”

The child jumped to its feet, but didn’t run away this time. It took one step forward and stopped. Then took another step, then stopped again. Tilting its head, it squinted at him. Its hair nearly reached its elbows, and up close, he could see that its face was rather narrow. But it didn’t approach the fence where he stood, halting three or four paces short. It folded its arms over its belly, which made it appear even slimmer.

He reached under his tunic and pulled out his creature. “I brought this. To play.” He extended his arm toward the human child, but the wire fixed to the bars blocked his attempt. What now? However, when he looked closer, he saw the weave wasn’t entirely even. While some gaps were too small even for a seven-year-old’s hand, some were larger. Big enough to squeeze through his twig-creation.

“I won’t play with you. You’re an orc.” The child’s voice was calm and firm, and it didn’t step closer or glance at his plaything.

He didn’t understand this last thing, but the child itself fascinated him more than the word. He cocked his head, studying it. This human youngling had a delicate narrow face, and its voice had a higher pitch than even that of the girls of his kind.

“You’re a girl!”

“Yes, I am!” The child jutted its chin out, crossing its arms over its chest instead.

He’d never played with a girl before. Never really talked to one either; they weren’t interesting, and you couldn’t play with them. Heck, he hardly even met them. But the things this girl had... well, those were interesting indeed. He’d talk to this one. Besides, that’s why he had come here in the first place – to learn more about playthings.

However, what had she been doing just a moment before? His gaze dropped to the ground where she had sat. All he could see were some dots and lines. He saw no sense to it.

“What’s that?” he asked, pointing.

She turned back, and then towards him again.

“Drawing”, she said, rolling her eyes and letting out an exaggerated sigh. “How can you not see that?”

But he couldn’t see, and he couldn’t understand it – not even the word itself. He had never heard it before.

“D-druwing?”

“Yes. I take a stick and draw. A picture is a likeness of an object or a person, orc. I make pictures of houses. And children. And animals. And stars.” As she spoke, she straightened her back and squared her shoulders, and lifted her chin she was looking down at him now.

He blinked. Damn, must everyone be taller than him? But no matter, he would disregard it for now, because far more interesting things were happening. Drawing, she called it. She was making... what was it... ah, yes, pictures, she had said. Creating images of different things, she explained. Was that really possible? To make pictures of all the things she mentioned? Of objects? Animals?

Drawing. That word meant that action?

He looked at her, then at the shapes on the ground. Drawing. Absolutely... incredible.

He had to try it!

“I want to do it too!”

The girl studied him for a moment, as if weighing him up, and then stepped back to retrieve her stick from the ground. Returning to the fence, she stopped just a step away this time. Her eyes locked onto the creature he held and she reached out as if to take and look at it, while simultaneously placing her stick into his other hand.

It was just an ordinary wooden stick, a foot long – like a straight twig. But... clearly, it could create something new. Something unusual. Something special.

He kicked a few pebbles aside and smoothed the dirt flat, then raised the stick. And stopped. What should he make? Hmm... well, maybe... yes! He grinned and set to work. A few straight lines here and there, a couple of more, then a circular motion, a short stroke, two lines sideways, another longer downward, and two more angled out. Then, another shape like that, a little smaller, and finally the third – the smallest of the three.

Pictures.

It was really possible. He made pictures. Pic... pic—

“I pictured it.”

“Who is that?”

He lifted his head. The girl stopped examining his twig-animal and studied his pictures instead.

He pointed. “This is our hut. The biggest figure is me.” His finger moved to the slightly smaller figure. “Brother.” Then to the smallest. “Sister.”

The girl observed them. “How old are you?”

“Seven.”

She kept studying the drawings on the ground. “And them? I see you drew them smaller than you.”

“Uldut four. Mazoga two. And you?”

“Eight.” Then she shrugged. “I don’t have brothers or sisters.”

He gestured to the markings behind her.

“And what did you... uh... dr... drawed?” He’d learned to recognise the word by now, but saying it – well, that was a bit trickier.

Another eye-roll. “Drew. You say drew.” An exaggerated nod. “Stars.”

Now, this was really too much!

“You say very strange words.”

Her chin lifted higher.

“They’re words from my language. Not my problem if you don’t understand.” She turned back to her earlier drawing. “I often draw stars.”

By warg’s arse, too many words and information. How to remember it all?

“Uhm. And what are these... stavs?” He repeated the word as best as he could. He wouldn’t show any weakness in front of a human youngling, right? A girl, what’s more.

She stepped closer to the fence again.

“Stars are shiny dots of light in the sky,” she said with absolute certainty.

He looked at her. She may have had playthings – several, even, she may have known how to draw, but clearly she wasn’t very clever.

“There are clouds in the sky,” he declared, gesturing upwards. With both hands. Overhead – of course – were clouds. Dark, steel-grey and thick, without a single shiny dot. Same as every day. Same as always. Ha! What will you say now, kid?

“But above the clouds is an enoooormous expanse and that's the real sky and that’s where the sun is by day, and the moon and the stars by night. They are light.” She said this with the same confidence as a moment ago.

Oh, she was properly daft. “That can’t be. Those are clouds. Everyone knows that.”

“But if the clouds cleared right now, we’d see the stars. The Valar made the lights, and Eru made them. He created the whole world and the sky.” She nodded several times.

Nonsense! He began to laugh at the obvious stupidity. “I don’t know who all these guys you’re talking about are, but our Maker created the world. Everyone knows that!”

Even little Uldut knew that much. The adults mentioned it sometimes, and he had heard the most from old Mogra, who often told stories; all the children had listened to them countless times. They had all learnt about their Maker, mighty and glorious. He had made the world, and he was their father – he had made their entire people. It was long ago, so very long ago... So much time had passed that no one could even imagine such ancient history anymore. As he heard it from Mogra, their Maker had been gone for ages – destroyed by enemies, evil gods, but his people would never forget him. Because, without him, they wouldn’t exist. And now he’d explain all this to the silly girl.

“Our stories are true,” the girl said calmly, before he could even speak.

“You don’t know—”

“Melyth! Supper!”

A female voice came from inside the hut; the window was cracked open and the call carried clearly. The girl startled. She stood frozen for a moment, then dropped his twig-creature and sprinted away. In an instant she crossed the distance to the dwelling and vanished around the corner.

He stared after her for a while, then shook his head. Well, obviously, the only thing he could do now was go back home. He shoved his arm through a wider gap in the net, stretching to his limit and scraping his skin raw in the process, until his fingertips finally reached the animal and he could take it back. And then he slowly trudged back toward the village.

He shook his head. Oh, so many new things! Who knew humans had their own language and stories? Dead wrong ones, obviously. Clueless, the lot of them.

Alright, maybe they don’t know a thing about the world, but you’ve got to admit their kids have brilliant playthings. Who would ever say slaves coming up with that?! In any case, he must show all this to his brother! And the picturemaking, too.

And he’d absolutely go back to the cage tomorrow. Because the girl was wrong. She needed to setting straight. Why couldn’t it be tomorrow evening already? He’d march right back and burst into the girl’s hut, if only he could. He’ have to tell her the true stories.

He stopped for a moment and closed his eyes.

“You’d be well to remember everything I tell you about our Maker, children! And about his son, too – our Supreme Master! You must never forget that, never! Our Supreme Master cares for us all. He’s been doing that for hundreds of years, children. Longer even, thousands of years. He watches over us. Old Mogra had heard it from her elders, and they from their elders. And you will tell this story to the young ones someday. The Supreme Master shields us from the evil elves and humans and anyone wishing us harm.”

Of course he remembered. He’d be back and teach the girl the real truth.

That night, he dreamt of the light in the sky. Bright light. So bright, he thought it would scorch him and that he’d burn. When he woke up, he was shaking and crying.

Master, please. Master, don’t ever let it happen. I’ll be good. Master, keep us safe from the evil enemies. And keep the light away.

-x-x-x-

“Muwty Muwty Muwty! You said that we will play and that you have something new for me!!!”

Uldut came to him at the hut right after they had eaten some bread and ham for breakfast. The little one wobbled on his short bandy legs, grinning from ear to ear. Little pest. But no matter. He was still better company than the other boys.

The other females’ children hadn’t yet scattered to find their day’s entertainment and were still milling about the hut, and he didn’t want them to see what he had. His hand immediately flew to the pocket that contained his treasure, shielding it from view. The bulge wasn’t all that obvious, but still – best if they all cleared out. Best if it’s just the two of them.

“Maybe later—”

“Now now now!!!”

He glanced at the gaggle of children; it didn’t seem as if they’d be leaving anytime soon. He let out a sigh. “Alright, let’s do it now. Let’s go—”

“Yeeeesss!!!”

The kid started bouncing, and he couldn’t help but smile.

“Come on then.”

He led his brother to the edge of the woods, near where he had made the plaything; they were well hidden from prying eyes here. He motioned to the kid to sit, and then took the animal out of his pocket.

Even from the start, it had been all knobbly and uneven and lopsided, and being constantly crumpled in his pocket definitely hadn’t helped it. The twigs of one leg had slightly cracked, and the body stood even more crooked now. It managed to stand on all fours when he placed it on the ground, but... if so much as a fly sneezed, it would be enough to send his twig-animal toppling nose-first!

Uldut’s eyes went as round as... well, he didn’t know like what, but they looked at least half the size of his entire little head. The little one gaped, transfixed by the wooden animal before him.

“So... What do you think?”

Silence, no response. The kid kept staring, motionless and spellbound.

Had he even heard the question?

“Uldy?”

Only then did the boy start and look up. “What is that, Muwty?”

“That is... a wooden animal. A playing thing.”

“Oh.” The kid gazed back at the animal. “A playing thing. Oh! But how...?”

“Well...” He took the creature in his hand and began to move it. A bit of hopping, a bit of running, then a bit of hiding... “We can pretend it’s running. And talk to it. And—”

“Talk to it? Like it’s a new mate for our game?” The little face was utterly baffled. But the eyes were beginning to glimmer with something quite different, with something that didn’t match the shocked look on his face: excitement, just starting to show.

“Er, yeah. And we can—!”

“Yesssss!!! I will play!” Uldut’s eyes gleamed even brighter now. “Is it for me, Muwty? It’s for me, right? Right?”

Uhm. That was not quite how he’d imagined it, but... all right. Why not? He could always make another playing item, and then they’d both have them.

Besides, why not right now? They were in the perfect spot – wood all around, more than he could ever need, and he just had to stretch out his hand and snap off a few twigs.

“Yes, Uldy. For you.”

“Yippeeee!!!”

Grinning widely, Uldut jumped to his feet and spreaded his arms. For a moment the little one looked as if he didn’t know what to do, but then, with the next bounce, the kid was right up close to him and clasped his arms around him. Giving him a body-squeeze. And he kept on giggling, all cheerful.

There it was again – the same warmth he felt yesterday. Even stronger on the inside than outside. He squeezed Uldut back and shivered. How unusual! And so, um...

But he couldn’t just let himself get swept up in it, not yet; first, he had to say something to his brother. Something very important. He pushed him back just a little.

“Uldy, we’ll make more playthings, but we mustn’t tell anyone about this. The other boys would surely take them from us. They’re all bigger and stronger, we couldn’t keep them if they wanted ‘em. We’ll leave them here, hidden, and come back to play in this spot. We’re not taking them to the village.”

Uldut’s face turned deadly serious as he nodded, nodding so hard that his whole upper body rocked back and forth.

“Yes Muwty!” And then he gave him another body-squeeze.

It felt so strange, and so... good.

-x-x-x-

Finally! The clouds were changing colour. Evening-tide! He’d been waiting for it all day. Slipping out of the village, he made sure no one saw him and dashed off.

All afternoon his thoughts had been busy, trying to gather every scrap he had ever heard from Mogra. About the beginning of the world, about the Maker. Hopefully he wouldn’t forget anything important. The girl would hear the real truth tonight.

He ran for most of the way; he couldn’t wait to get there and tell her how things really were. Yet, as he reached the cage, he stopped short as though someone had slapped him.

Nothing. All for nothing. No telling the tale, no explaining. The girl wasn’t outside tonight.

He stared at the empty patch between the hut and the fence, still as a tree stump. It hadn’t even crossed his mind that she might not come. But... why? Where had she gone? What was he supposed to do now? How was he to tell her if she wasn’t here? And he had built the whole story in his head.

He waited until night, but she didn’t come.

On the way back, his head hung low and his eagerness was just like of a dead rat.

Then, rain followed for several days. He looked through the window, disappointed; he really didn't feel like going out. Most of the time he stayed in the hut with his brother and the other boys, sons of other females, who were about their age. Two-year-old Mazoga and the other girls would sometimes run about, but most of the time their mothers took them away to the kitchens or other workshops. His own mother wasn’t around much, even when she was inside; she kept behind the curtain on her cot, drinking from her flask.

Hm, and where could he find that flask now? Well, as he wouldn’t go out – one glance at the rain-soaked window made that plain – perhaps it was time to look for the flask. He hadn’t seen it since that day three or four weeks ago. A shiver passed through him. That had been a bad day. A proper thrashing he got then...

Before leaving the hut, mother had left the flask on the shelf that he could easily reach if he climbed the stool. He kept on looking at it. What was so special about the booze? Yes, it made grown-ups act strangely, but maybe it tasted good? He had to try it! No more looking, time for action! He climbed up onto the stool, opened the flask and was just about to sniff it, when his mother came back into the hut.

“Don’t touch that! It’s mine! You can’t have it!”

She lunged at him, snatching the flask from his hands, and started slapping him. Once, twice, thrice... He fell from the stool, and she kicked him twice. She would have landed a third one too, but he dodged it by running outside.

She had been hiding the flask ever since. He had peeked into the cupboards and searched the shelves he could reach, but found nothing. Either she had hidden it well, or she carried it with her. Truth be told, there weren’t many hiding places in the hut at all. In the part of the hut where the front door opened, stood a wooden table and a few chairs, some shelves and two cupboards against the walls; on one side lay a straw-bed where he, his brother and sister and other children all slept, crammed up together, and on the other side there was the hearth. Still, even without proper hiding spots, his search has failed. But he had to find it! He had to try it!

Well, since it was clear he wasn’t going anywhere this rainy afternoon or evening, maybe today was the day to try again. His mother was out with the other females, preparing supper for the males, and he knew she wouldn’t be back for quite a while. Still, best to be on the safe side.

“Uldy, go and stand by the door, keep an eye on the street. If mother is returning, come quick and warn me.”

“Yes, Muwty. And then we’ll play after?”

“We will, Uldy.”

He normally didn’t go into the back part of the hut, the one behind the curtain, where the females slept. Why would he go there at all and what would he do? Absolutely nothing. He had peeked in once or twice at his mother’s spot and the other females’, but hadn’t seen anything interesting; just straw-beds and tattered, muddy blankets. So he had stayed away since. But now... yes, he’d go into the mother’s space. That was the only place left in the hut where the flask might be hidden. Which meant – it was time for action!

He pulled aside the curtain and stepped in. A wooden wall, windowless, blocked the far end. On both left and right side curtains hung from the ceiling to the floor, just like the one he’d slipped through. There wasn’t much room; he crossed the longer side in just four steps. Some light crept in from the front room, filtering through the cloth.

The only thing in here was her straw-bed, and just enough space beside it to squeeze through. On top of the bed lay a crumpled bundle; turned out to be a stained blanket and a tunic. Nothing else to find.

And he still hadn’t discovered what he was looking for. Where could the flask be? Well, the only place left was under the mattress. He lifted it a little. Nothing. A bit more, and still nothing. Then he lifted it all the way – lo and behold! In the farthest corner, where the wall met the curtain, a flat dark shape lay tucked beneath the straw-bed. The flask. And judging by the slosh inside – it wasn’t empty.

He grinned. He’d finally find out! He carefully unscrewed the cap and sniffed. Hmmm... In fact, he didn’t really like the smell. He frowned. But maybe the taste is better than the smell? He raised it to his lips and—

Fire! Flames! Burning!

Fire! Burning him inside! His tongue, the roof of the mouth, his cheeks and throat were all blazing. Oouuccch, this was just like the time he had stuck his hands in the fire to see what it felt like! Only now it was burning from the inside out! Aaaah!!! He coughed and clutched his throat. It burned! Then he spat, but his mouth and throat still sizzled. He shoved the flask closed and stuffed it back where he’d found it, then dashed out coughing. He ran past Uldut and bolted out onto the street. Still shaking, he kept on spitting around.

Blegh, blegh, blegh!

These grown-ups were completely mad in the head. How could anyone enjoy that? Mother can keep the whole thing; he surely wasn’t going anywhere near it again.

Waaateeer!!!

He sprinted towards the kitchens. They weren’t far, and there were always barrels or buckets of water there. He had to put out the fire that was still blazing in his mouth and throat! With big urgent strides he charged ahead and reached the kitchens in no time, bursting inside. Two cups of water went down in a blink; it had never tasted so good before. He took a deep breath. Ah, he felt better. Yes, he could go back now.

He stepped outside and made his way towards the hut. Oh look, it no longer rained! While running over here, he didn’t even notice that the rain had stopped in the meantime. He slowly skirted the kitchens and came round to the front, then slipped into the passage that led from the food-square to the huts. The square was already crowded, so it was best to run along.

“Aaah! Aaaaaahhh—” The scream ended in a choking rasp.

He spun around.

Males were pushing and shouting at the food tables where the females were handing out meals, right in front of the kitchens, and one of them, on the very edge of the square, had both hands clamped around a female’s neck, shaking her like a piece of cloth. He lifted her so high that her feet dangled in the air, and her head hung at a strange angle. Then he threw her to the ground and gave her one last kick.

“That’s right!”

“Kill heeer!”

“I did, ha ha ha!!!”

“She deserved it!”

The yelling and laughter grew even louder.

A figure with long black hair at the nearest table stood up and looked over toward the commotion; when he rose, he stood nearly a head taller than anyone else nearby. Oh no, it was Vurbag himself! A shiver passed through him, and he retreated one step into the space between the huts. That grim stare, those broad shoulders and the chieftain’s towering height always made him want to run and get as far away as possible. Vurbag was nearly as tall as those massive dark fellows who had come to the village last month. What were they called again... ah, yes, the Master’s Guard.

This was the closest he had ever been to the chieftain. No more than ten or fifteen paces separated them now, and from here, he saw the chieftain’s famous necklace better than ever before. He shuddered. No, it wasn’t just the chieftain’s size and strength that chilled his blood. Oh, if only he never came closer than this to the chief and if only Vurbag never got angry at him and if only his ears never ended up on that necklace! Rumour had it that most of it was made of human ears – cut by Vurbag from disobedient slaves, but some said that there were ears on it from their own kind – those who had been unlucky enough to get on his bad side.

He’d better get going. A small potato like him had better not get in the way of angry males. But... He stared at the crowd ahead. What had just happened? What was going to happen next? And why did that male kill the female?

“Hahaha, sorting things out, are you, Durug?” As usual, the chieftain’s voice roared like thunder, drowning out all other voices.

The male who had killed the female grinned. “Problem solved. One disobedient female less.”

“Hahahaha!”

“Well done Durug!”

“So the other females see and remember!”

“And you know what, Vurbag? This idiot was not only disobedient, she was useless too!” That came from the male standing next to that Durug who had killed the female. “She was already nineteen, and nothing. We’ve been fucking her for six years, and she never gave birth once. Barren, obviously. Just a parasite, eating our food and giving nothing back.”

Vurbag growled. “You dealt well with it! The females had better take her body to the wargs later!” With a flick of his hand, the chieftain slowly turned back to his table, and as he moved his glance brushed over the crowd and landed on him.

Oh, no, the chieftain was looking at him!

Vurbag’s mouth grinned, and he pointed a finger straight at him. Oh, was he going to beat him for something? He shivered all over.

“Kid! Remember! Everyone must do their part for the Master!!! The females must give birth to new warriors!!!” Vurbag lowered the pointing hand, but the grin and the look in his eyes grew grimmer. “Are you doing anything useful for the Master, or are you just useless?!"

Oh boyyyyy! He turned and ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

“Hahahaha!”

He kept running like crazy and didn’t stop until he reached his hut. But instead of going in he ducked behind the corner and, gasping for air, peered down the alley he’d come from. Oh, good, none of the grown-ups had followed. His heart pounded like mad, and his legs didn't want to move anymore. He slid down to the ground and leaned back against the hut’s wall.

Seven years old – and had he ever done anything that counted as doing his part? Done anything for the Master? No, he hadn’t. So, would someone twist his neck too, like they did to that female? Oh dear! A whimper escaped him. He wanted to live!

Klang!!!

He jumped, and his heart starting to beat faster again. Eyes darting, he looked around in every direction. Surely one of the grown-ups had followed him and now they would say that he was useless.

But the rustling came from the opposite side, and a chubby figure that waddled from the gap between the huts had four legs and was only half a foot long.

Damned rat!

Leaning back against the wall again, he took a deep breath. He’d have to be very careful and make sure the grown-ups never noticed he was useless. And most of all, he’d have to make sure he never caught Vurbag’s attention again.