For a Better World by Ellynn  

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Chapter 6

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A hand was gripping his neck, and the massive knife was coming down toward his ears. Vurbag’s grinning face hovered over him, while the sinister necklace swayed around his neck. “I need more trophies! I want it even longer and bigger!” The crowd around them roared. “Slay that useless little parasite, Vurbag!” The chieftain laughed even louder. “Hahaha, I’ll take a trophy!” Then Vurbag’s face turned serious and he leaned closer, so close that the chieftain’s head filled his entire field of vision. And then it flickered and started to change, and the whole Vurbag’s head morphed into a single, blazing eye. “Useless parasites have no right to live!!!” The voice was deep and booming, and it shook him to his bones. No! He wanted to live! But the blade touched his skin and cut—

He jolted upright on his bunk, gasping for air. He was surrounded by darkness; it was night. Tears were streaming down his face and his whole body was shaking. It wasn’t the first time he had had this dream, and during these first moments upon waking while the experience was still fresh and real in his head, each time – just like now – his hands would instinctively fly to his ears, to check if everything was alright with them.

Good, they were still here.

“Too small ears, a lousy trophy,” Vurbag had finally said that night a month ago. Well, at least for once being small was an advantage. But he hadn’t gotten off without punishment, because Vurbag had thought of something else. He touched the scar on his forehead, where Vurbag carved the mark “slave” with his knife; he’d carry it forever, and forever would be mocked for it.

On the other hand, at least he still had all his body parts.

He lay back down. The heartbeat slowly returned to normal. He sighed and closed his eyes. Hopefully, the dream wouldn’t come back tonight.

-x-x-x-

From early morning the slaves were loading the wagons brought by the Master’s Guards – with grain, dried meat, fruits and potatoes. There were dozens of large carts, yet no matter how much they loaded, the mountains of food waiting to be moved didn’t seem to shrink.

Whips cracked through the air like thunderclaps.

Where was all that food going? For whom? Why? If only he could find out—

A crack of the whip, slash. “Ah!!!” He fell.

“Think you can slack off, kid?!?! Get to work!!!” A kick.

And work resumed.

Around midday it was time for a break. Holding a small bowl, he slowly walked with the humans towards the spot where the overseers were handing out meagre meal portions.

“Hahaha, you’d like to eat?”

He looked up and realised it was the same overseer who had kicked him earlier.

“Oh no you won’t! You haven’t done no work. I saw you! No food for you today!”

He jumped back just in time to dodge another lash; one thing he had learned quickly was how to read an overseer’s posture. So this time he avoided getting beaten, but he was still hungry, and the thirst was even worse. He moved away from the overseer, sat on the ground and looked around. There was nothing. No puddle, no juicy piece of fruit that might have rolled to the ground by accident, and no bucket – not even one filled with muddy water for animals.

And the evening was still so far ahead...

A group of humans was sitting a few feet away, eating; mostly grown-ups, and only a couple of older kids. Melyth’s mother was among them, and a few others he’d come to know these past few weeks. She sat tall and straight, back unbent and head held high, watching him. Then she stood up and, carrying a mug in one hand and something else in the other, walked in his direction. She stopped only two or three paces beyond the circle of humans and looked at him. She didn’t say anything, just gave him a long, solemn look, and silently placed the items on the ground. She nodded at him gesturing toward the items on the ground, and walked back to her spot.

His heart leapt. Could it be...? Is it possible...? Oh, if only it was... He stood and stepped toward it, his stomach growling louder.

“Elwyn! What do you think you’re doing?” The shout came from somewhere within the group. A male jumped on his feet and waved an arm toward Melyth’s mother as she returned to her place.

She shrugged. “Isn’t it obvious? The overseers didn’t give the child any food or water, so I did. Just like I always do when any of us is denied a meal.”

He slowly continued forward, toward the bowls she had left on the ground. What are they saying? Hopefully they won’t shout any louder. It wouldn’t be wise to draw the attention of the overseers, because now that the Guards were here, they were even more irritable than usually and beat them even harder. He glanced over his shoulder. Two or three of the overseers had looked over toward the humans, but they turned away and resumed their own conversation; hopefully they were far enough not to notice anything unusual.

“Have you lost your mind?! He is one of them! An orc! That’s not a child but a monster! One who’ll be whipping our children one day just like his kind whips us now!”

“Maybe. Or maybe he’ll grow up to be a leader who remembers what was done to him and chooses to act differently from their current leaders. But what matters far more is this: if I ignore someone in need, then I’m no better than them. The worst kind of filth. And that will never happen. Never, ever. One day, when I stand before Eru, my conscience will be clear.”

Her words sounded strange and foreign to him; he couldn’t even tell where one ended and another began. But some things made perfect sense. The male’s face was almost as red as his hair, while her voice was calm and her face composed. She made a simple gesture, and the man sat. He kept on muttering to himself, but didn’t say another word to her. The others went back to their meals.

How insane and amazing at the same time! A female chieftain! Just like Melyth told him. A leader who is obeyed. Although... although she didn’t yell or strike anyone like Vurbag did.

But who cared any more if humans were weird for having a woman in charge! He stepped up to the bowls. Oh! One had water in it, the other bread and cheese. Not much of any. But it was there. For him?

He looked up. Melyth’s mother sat about twenty paces away. Her head held high again, hands folded in her lap, face serene. She looked to the sky for a moment and her lips moved in some silent words, and then turned her gaze back to him. Her lips curled into a soft smile, and she nodded.

His own smile was much wider. Food! Water!

They disappeared in the blink of an eye; it was only a couple of gulps and bits after all. But – several gulps and bits more than his own kind had given him.

He licked his lips, searching for stray crumbs, and looked her again. She was also watching him. Serious and thoughtful. Should he go to her and say something about what she’d given him? Yes, definitely. But what? How to tell her what he felt? He was... happy? Sure, but it wasn’t the right word. Satisfied? The same thing. He couldn’t express himself.

“Back to work!!!”

He jumped up and rushed to join the group of children, and resumed digging. But he couldn’t stop thinking about her glance, her smile, and how she left the food and water for him.

He got help when he needed it. Just like that. For no reason. Just like his people handed out punches. And the help came from a human female. Hmmm... Well, if he had to say whether anyone had ever done anything kind for him... yes. One of the humans had.

“My mother always does what’s right,” said a familiar voice. Melyth was digging just five or six steps away. She was watching her mother, who was working a bit farther away with other grown-ups, with clear admiration in her eyes.

“The male she was talking to... he seemed angry.”

Her expression changed instantly. She looked at him, frowning. “Come on, orc, you’re not that stupid, I don’t have to explain it to you.”

“Uh, right, um... you don’t.” He shook his head, thinking. What she’d just said gave him an idea for another question – a chance to check if he’d expressed himself right a couple of days ago. “How...?” He hesitated, looking at her. “How do you know what’s right?”

“You idiot, don’t just stand there but work, they’ll beat us both if you don’t!” she hissed, and he quickly started moving. She looked straight ahead, but continued speaking. “It’s simple, orc! If you do something that makes someone else feel bad and suffer, that’s wrong. If you do something that makes someone else feel happy and good, that’s right! But you already know that, don’t you?” She turned her head to face him. Her hands kept on working, but eyes locked onto his. “You know, I told my mother that you had warned me that day. You didn’t want the overseers to see me and you warned me. You did something good for me. You did what was right.”

Well, yes, he had done something right, and explained it well to Uldut. He slowly nodded. It felt good to hear the confirmation. And yes, it certainly felt good, for example, to do something nice for his brother – to make the kid feel good. That kind of thing always made him feel good, too. And the other thing? Hurting someone, just for the fun of it? Hmm... there was nothing special about it. Though, if he could hurt Shozrac, or any of the boys who used to beat him, or Vurbag, for revenge – well, that would be a different thing. It would be great and it would make him feel excellent. He grinned at the very thought of it. But as he was still a scrawny little kid, that wasn’t going to happen. He sighed. Perhaps one day.

“Your mother... She helped me back there. Tell her I’m... I’m...” He paused. The feeling was there, inside him, but what was it called? What was the word for it? There wasn’t any. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Opened, closed.

“The feeling when someone does something good for you, and you feel nice and you feel warmth and liking for that person?”

He cocked his head, thinking. The description was perfect. “Yes.”

“The word for that feeling is thanks. You say ‘thank you’ to that person.”

“Would you tell her that for me, later?”

“I will.” She was quiet for a few seconds, and then spoke again after a few of swings with her hoe. “Murtash?”

“Eh?”

“Thank you for not telling on me that day.”

He smiled.

-x-x-x-

Doing something for someone. Giving someone something. Just like that. For no reason. What did it look like?

Well, there was only one way to find out.

About five months ago, that girl, what was her name... ah, yes, Birta. She brought him some of those ribbons when he asked. And she got beaten for it. So maybe he could do something for her. To show that he was... hm... thankly for what she did.

When he returned to the village that evening, he didn’t go straight to his hut. First he headed towards the storehouses next to the kitchens. The females would surely be busy preparing supper, and he’d be quick; by the time they notice him – if they even do – he’d be on his way. Besides, his shorts were loose and had deep enough pockets, and he was skinny. There’d be no bulge. And no one would notice that three small apples were missing.

One for him. Surely, he wasn’t going to skip himself? Another for Uldut; he really liked the kid. And the third apple – for Birta.

Uldut gave him a body-squeeze and a wide grin that didn’t leave his face even long after the fruit was gone and the sticky juice on his lips had dried.

Then he left their hut. Yes, he was half-asleep on his feet and just wanted to flop down on his pallet. Should he look for Birta tomorrow? But he’d feel just as crushed tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. So he went.

He passed several circles between the huts in the females’ part of the village, then around the kitchens and the workshops. And luck was on his side. Several grown up females and girls came out of one workshop, each going their own way. One black-haired girl was limping on her left leg.

“Birta!”

The girl stopped and eyed him warily, side-on. One of the grown-up females also glanced back, but after telling the girl to hurry home, she walked away. He looked around himself; no one else was paying them any attention. Then he reached into his pocket.

“This is for you.” He held out his hand.

Her gaze darted between his eyes and the apple, back and forth, back and forth.

“F-for m-m-me?” she asked, eyes wide and frightened.

“Yes. Take it.” He nodded.

Her hand started to move, but then froze halfway.

“Y-you want something from m-me?” She took a little step back.

“No.” He frowned, observing her. “You speak funny.”

She lowered her head and shrank, looking even smaller. She didn’t reply anything, and a moment later she started crying.

Oh. He didn’t mean anything bad by it, he was just curious why she talked like that. But it seemed he wasn’t going to find out.

He stepped closer. “Don’t cry. Here, take it.”

The sobbing stopped, and her eyes widened.

“R-really?”

“Yes. You helped me once.” He gave a faint smile.

“Hm, I r-r-remember.” She nodded, but didn’t smile back.

“So I wanted to give you something. Here.”

She stood there for another moment watching with uncertainty, and then finally took the apple. Straight away she bit into it, and a few moments and bites later, her hand was empty.

“It was g-good.” Then she looked over her shoulder towards where that female had disappeared. “Mother w-will b-beat me if...”

“Right. Go.”

The last glance she cast over her shoulder as she walked away was a bright one after all, and her eyes seemed to glint. And he caught a shy little smile, even as she was already turning her head away.

So then... Doing something for someone. Giving someone something. Just like that. For no reason. What did it feel like?

It felt like making him giggle on the way home. Even made him hop once.

-x-x-x-

Two days later all the carts were loaded; they stood lined up on the clearing between the village and the cage, ready to set off. He thought they looked as if they’d burst under the weight, so many sacks were piled one on top of another, spilling out on the sides. The horses, harnessed to the wagons, snorted and stamped their hooves. Most of the Guards were already seated atop the carts, slowly guiding them towards the river crossings north of the cage, where the water was shallowest; only a handful still wandered about, checking if everything was in order. Some of the overseers stood around observing the caravan as it prepared to depart, and he stood just a little further away, next to the warg enclosure.

So much food! So many barrels! Yes, he had overheard that many more of his people lived far to the north, but...

“Where is all this going? Where exactly is that north? How far is it? Why is all this being sent away?”

The nearest overseer snapped around.

Oh! How careless – he’d asked the questions aloud, unnecessarily drawing attention to himself...

The overseer stepped towards him. “Think you can slack off, kid?! Go find something useful to do before I get my hands on you!”

He turned and fled. But the overseer gave up after only a few paces – clearly not in the mood to waste energy on running. So he stopped, then peered out from behind the edge of the warg enclosure, and continued to watch from there.

“I heard you asking. Don’t you know? Our land stretches for hundreds of miles. In every direction. And the Master lives in his massive fortress more than a hundred miles to the north.”

He jumped, his heart thudding. That was another overseer who appeared beside him, and he hadn’t even heard him! Still, though this one growled as well, at least he didn’t immediately swing his fist unlike the previous one.

Which didn't mean that the overseer wouldn’t think of it only a moment later. He backed away a few steps, just to be at a safe distance. “The Master needs... all this?”

“By warg’s balls, kid you’re so stupid! It’s not all for the Master! You don’t think he’ll eat all of this himself, do you?!” The overseer leaned a bit towards him, a fleck of spit flying from his crooked teeth as he shouted. “Our army needs it! Our warriors up north and west are fighting the humans! This feeds them so they can keep fighting the enemy! Just the way you gonna do one day!” The overseer leaned a bit closer and started to walk toward him. And for every male’s step, he took one back. “Humans are evil. They want to wipe us out and take the whole world for themselves. And they want to kill our Master! So we have to kill them first! They’re all so, so wicked!” The overseer stopped and pointed towards the stables; his other arm moved instantly, landing a whip blow over his shoulder. “Now get to work! Be useful! Go clean the stables!!!”

He bolted for the nearest one, fleeing from more strikes. Yes, yes, he’d make sure not to be useless! But once inside, he didn’t get straight to work. He paused and started thinking. What the overseer had said... hm, it wasn’t exactly—

“Barely acceptable. A bare minimum. I expect an improvement next year,” said a deep, powerful voice.

He froze mid-step, then quietly turned and crept back towards the stable door. Holding his breath, he peered out. To the right, the way he’d just come from – nothing. To the left, near the cage fence, stood one of the Guards, and Vurbag next to him. Only one other overseer stood nearby, perhaps ten paces behind the chieftain, and apart from those three, no one else was in sight. The big one towered over Vurbag by nearly a full head.

“We couldn’t—”

“I don’t care! I gave the orders and they must be fulfilled!” The voice echoed, and Vurbag took a step back.

“Understood.” The chieftain’s reply came out all quiet and shaky.

He absolutely shouldn’t be here, listening to this conversation. If Vurbag found out... a knot formed in his gut. What would he do to him? He’d kill him, without a doubt.

But he didn’t leave. He stayed, pressed against the doorway.

The Guard then pointed towards the human cage.

“In the end of winter you’ll send one hundred human males to Lugburz. The Master needs them to build new roads.”

“One hundred?! But that’s the tenth of all the males! How are we supposed to produce—”

The Guard’s massive hand moved in a second and landed a heavy, dull thud to Vurbag’s chin; it sounded like a full sack slamming to the ground. Vurbag staggered. Somehow he managed to stay on his feet, but didn’t strike back.

Yes! Smash him! Let him feel what I felt when he beat me up!

The big one gave three more blows, and Vurbag collapsed.

“Complaints and insubordination not permitted! Figure it out!” the Guard growled. “You’ll get them back in half a year.” A low, guttural chuckle filled the air. “What’s left of them. Hahahaha...”

The Guard then turned and left, while Vurbag slowly pulled himself up, clutching his chin and stomach. Oh, he definitely, definitely, definitely wasn’t supposed to see this. For witnessing such humiliation, Vurbag would surely slice off his ears first, then every finger and toe, then his arms and legs. And probably make a stew out of his bits in the end. He shuddered. His body remained frozen in the same position, but now he just tilted his head perhaps an inch back. If Vurbag looked this way, he’d no longer see his head poking out.

"Aarrghhh!!!" A furious roar, followed by heavy blows. First, second, third... tenth. What was happening? He peered again.

The other overseer, the one who’d been nearby from the start, now lay crumpled on the ground, Vurbag raining fists and kicks all over him. Then the chieftain finally stopped.

“If you ever tell anyone he hit me, I’ll kill you on the spot!!! You understand?!?!”

Groaning in pain, the overseer nodded while still on the ground.

"And one more thing! Round up fifty humans tonight! Young, old, males, females, I don’t care! Bring them to the village! And get the whips ready! Someone has to pay! I wanna have some fun!”

Then he turned and marched off, disappearing from his view, and the battered overseer eventually got to his feet and limped away. But he still stood there pressed against the stable wall in his attempt to blend into it and be invisible – long after both of them were gone.

It was such a relief to know he wouldn’t be the one chosen for Vurbag’s fun. And it was even better to see him humiliated.

But... wait. He remembered what he’d overheard just then. What he’d learned, what he’d heard... It wasn’t quite true, was it? It wasn’t right. “Humans are evil,” the overseer had said. But... were they really? Maybe. If the grown-ups said so, then surely it must be true, right?

Except he had seen otherwise. Experienced otherwise. He was hungry and thirsty, that day. His people left him without food. His own people. And who gave him food and drink? One of the humans.

First Mogra, and now this male. The grown-ups... they said strange things. Things that... He frowned. Oh, how complicated it all was!

The grown-ups said things that weren’t true.