Ogres and Ogresses

Chapter 29: Emotion

"Mourabet?"

The curvy green woman stared down at Zyra with disdain. She looked between her and the men on either side of her and snarled.

"On to the next ones I see. Human loyalty is so

fickle

."

Zyra tried to hide a wince. "What do you want Mourabet? You made me promise to never come to the Shyla tribelands again, and here

you

are."

She walked up to her, taking note of the ogresses' sweaty forehead and disheveled hair.

"Don't tell me...despite your airs, you came to seek me out?"

Mourabet's pursed her lips, crossing her arms defiantly. "So what if I have?"

Zyra took a step forward, squaring off with her. "If you have then you would do well to address me with respect."

The green of her cheeks turned darker. She glared at Zyra, her thin claws clinking as she struggled to keep herself from attacking, until her frustration won. Mourabet let out a long sigh.

"I can't find him."

"Find who?"

"What is the problem?" Medean came to her side, looking at Mourabet suspiciously. He had not forgotten her slander.

"River is missing," Mourabet said more firmly. "He went out last night to bring in the water and he never came back." She ran a hand through her curly red locks, and sighed heavily. "I thought he might be under the skirts of some loose village trollop, or that he was cowering from his overly eager betrothed, but when he did not come in to do his chores I grew worried. He is a lazy boy, but he has never failed in his responsibilities to me or Meela. I fear something terrible has occurred."

"And you want me to help."

"You are the keromedio aren't you? Or are you only useful to your men?"

Zyra was about to slap Mourabet for her animosity towards her when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Scallen raised an eyebrow.

"Zzssyra...have you forgotten that you were in the middle of sssomething?

"

Her eyes widened. Even if Mourabet was a monster she could no doubt use this to her advantage.

"Scallen, Medean, while I appreciate your concern for my well-being I must before all else serve as keromedio of this valley and the human tribes. We can return to this issue after River is found."

"Finally something sensible."

Zyra laughed. "Oh Mourabet, the only sensible thing I've heard from your mouth is silence."

Mourabet sputtered in shock but before she could retort, Zyra left, heading towards the Shyla village.

"I'm going to see if anyone has seen him. You're welcome to come if you like."

"You think me daft? I already asked half of the—"

The men looked at the women, then one another, aware that Zyra was stalling. With an amused hiss, Scallen slid forward, halting when Medean stretched his arm out in front of him. The basilisk turned to the dark witch, his green eyes glittering with warning.

"If you need that arm...I sssuggest you move it.

" There was a rattle in his voice, but the dark witch ignored it.

"I don't know what you're planning, snake," Medean snapped, "but I want you to leave Zyra out of it. She seems sturdy but she's delicate, she's a flower growing into something hearty and bigger than both of us, and I won't let you stifle her growth with your fickle perversions. She needs guidance, not manipulation."

"Really?"

Scallen tilted his head to the side. Emotionlessly he opened his mouth and dribbled purple venom onto Medean's sleeve. The dark witch pulled away quickly, cursing as he ripped off the sleeve before the acid touched his skin.

Scallen tilted his head the other way.

"I'm painfully aware that you care for ssZyra'sss...flower. But I assssure you there isss nothing you can do to keep me from it. If ssZyra wants to be plucked, then ssso be it. And if ssshe wants guidan..ssce...

" He leaned forward, his tiny sharp teeth twisted into his trademark smirk.

"I can give it to her. Ssstay out of my way, pup."

Medean's eyes flashed black. His magic became a solid, and a black swirling wind crawling over him and over his arm. A new sleeve emerged, clothing him without evidence there had ever been a tear.

"You're not the only one with tricks snake."

Scallen didn't answer. Medean cursed when he saw the basilisk beside Zyra as she and the ogress descended into the forest.

"Follow them," Etaceh commanded. Her eyes were sorrowful, but her stature was proud and firm.

"Yes my liege."

He turned and ran after them.

--

"Wait!"

Kail turned.

He had heard the soft footsteps following him for some time, but he had hoped they would falter. As he reached the river that would lead him toward the Rovians he thought he'd lost her. Instead he saw Leaf coming forward, a pack on her side, her breath coming in heavy gasps. She lived in the forest but for the most part it was a sedentary existence. His presence was possibly the first workout she'd had in years. Pity, he thought sadly. No matter where he went he was sure to make a mess.

"Don't go." Leaf stood in front of him, her eyes full of desire and determination. A hazy outline of Zyra floated before him and it wavered when she moved. He growled.

"I already offered to take you to the Rovians, there was no need to follow me in this manner."

"I am not here for the Rovians," Leaf stated.

She walked forward and took his hand. He stiffened.

"Leaf—"

"Hear me out," she pleaded. "Please."

He didn't answer, which for her was confirmation.

"I...I just wanted to let you know that when she breaks your heart in the end..."

"Leaf."

"If she does, I want you to return to me. I want us to live a life together. I...I love—"

"No!" Kail wrenched himself from her arms and saw a piece of her hope shatter to the floor.

Her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm not going back for love," Kail said quietly. He still remembered the pain from Zyra pulling his power and felt guilty. He should have been there. He should have allowed her more of his strength. He could only hope she had come out of the ordeal.

"I'm going back to finish this. I have been running my entire life Leaf. I have done things that would make your pretty skin peel to hear of it. There is a war coming, and I intend to fight it."

"And after?"

He reached out to her and tucked a strand behind her ear. "There is no after. I will not survive this."

Leaf surged into his chest, wrapping her arms around him. "Stay!" she sobbed. "Stay."

Damn, he should have known better than to approach someone who had been bereft of the simplest kindness.

"Leaf just come with me."

"No! I will not pretend to be nothing. You will ignore me. I will see her."

She rubbed her face into his chest until she turned red and he had mercy on her. Gathering the poor woman in his arms he held her and stroked her hair, cooing to her all the while.

"I will make you a deal," he said softly. "When this is over, no matter the outcome, I will come back for you."

She paused mid-sob and looked up at him.

"Truth?"

He nodded. "If I am alive I will come, if I am not alive you will never see me again. But heed me, you may not like the person I am when I return."

"But you will come back?"

"Yes."

"Forever?"

He looked at the clawed fingers that dug so hopelessly into his shirt. "Leaf, please just come with me."

She shook her head, her eyes feral. How had he missed this? How had he been unable to see that beneath her cool demeanor her sadness had made her feral? He leaned down and kissed her hoping that action would bring her to her senses.

"Forever."

She laughed through her tears, holding his arms with her hands, and kissed his again joyously. He returned it. Then she passed him her bag.

"Here," she said. "Herbs from the deepest part of the forest, and a map. When it is over, you may use it to return to me. And I will wait. Forever."

"Thank you."

With the woman restored he walked off once more, keeping his ears sharp. No footsteps, she had stopped following him. Kail let out a tired sigh. It was true what he said, there would be no guarantee that he would come out of this alive, but even if he did, he remained haunted by a pair of green eyes. He grimaced. No, he had mourned the end of that. Perhaps he should return to Leaf, live a simple life. Or maybe he could finally return home to his brother, and his people. Maybe he would die. Or maybe, even if he lived he would never return to Leaf, and hope that she would take his absence as a sign of his death and live peacefully with her fantasy. If she investigated his death she would find the Rovians, and they would take her into the tribe whether she wanted or not. They would protect her.

Kail shook his head. Were these once again the thoughts of a coward? He was not afraid of Leaf knowing they could never be, but what had scared him was the look in her eye, the threat that if he refused her she would lose all hope. The hopeless were often the most drastic. He didn't want her to harm herself, especially not for a wretch like himself. Sighing, he walked on.

***

"Did you give the ogre the package?"

A pale pretty woman looked up at Creedon and smiled. "Yes."

"Good. You have proved your worth. What is it he calls you?"

"Leaf, my lord."

Creedon chuckled. "Well Leaf, would you care to shed your guise?"

Leaf nodded. Thinking strongly about her original form she pulled from the stone Creedon had imbued with the little girl's magic. She could feel herself changing, shifting darkening. Before long, Henna stood in front of his grinning maniacally.

"He carries it straight into the village. They will be unable to defend against it until it is too late."

"Excellent."

"And your promise my lord?"

Creedon looked at her dismissively. "Yes, the ogre shall be yours forever, just as he promised."

Henna fell to her knees. "Thank you my lord."

"Rise. We have much work left to do."

Henna nodded and raced behind her almighty ruler. She could still feel the ogres body against hers, rocking, touching with fondness and sweetness. She could only imagine how Zyra would feel to know that she too had taken Kail, who was more than willing, to her bed. Henna saw his divine green shape, felt his hands cover the planes of her body and shivered.

Creedon glanced back at her and she controlled herself. No, now was not the time.

Still she could not help but remember the ogre swearing up and down that he would never touch her. She smiled brightly.

Oh well, things change.

--

"Thrust!"

"No..."

"Stop whining. You asked for this."

"But it's so hard!"

"It's supposed to be. Now thrust again."

"Ughh..."

Ginger whimpered pitifully and once again thrust the spear forward. Her arms shook from exertion as the effort to hold the heavy wooden spear became too great. Beads of sweat poured down her body in streams and she resisted the urge to wipe it out of her eyes. Enui watched her passively, her teachings without mercy.

"Hold...hold. Good, return."

Ginger let out a sigh of relief as she brought her arms in and the spear back to the ground.

She wiped her face, panting.

Enui walked around her, shaking her head.

"Ginger we gave you the lightest spear. Please tell me you are not this weak."

"Well excuse me," Ginger coughed. "I am a village girl. We don't get out much if you haven't noticed while scaling trees each day."

"That reminds me."

Enui walked over to Ginger and snatched the spear out of her hand. Effortlessly, she threw it high into the air and into the tree tops.

"Climb up there."

Ginger could barely see the bottom of the spear wobbling among the leaves. "Are you insane?"

"If we let you journey by yourself you will need to pitch a Rovian sleeping net. If it's too low there's no point. You have to be able to climb. Now go."

"Can I have a break first? My arms burn..."

"Go."

Ginger groaned loudly, and then faced the tree. She took a deep breath and jumped, her arms and legs wrapping around it. It took all of her strength just to remain on the tree, how was she to climb it?

"Ugh...Enui. I can't—Hey!"

A sharp pain in her but halted her retreat. Enui stood under her, her spear point beneath her bottom.

"I don't suggest getting down," Enui said calmly. "If you haven't realized yet this is going to be hard and you're going to have to push yourself. If your own life isn't incentive, then maybe my spear will be."

"

Are you crazy

?"

"Climb!"

"Enui...gosh, let the girl down."

Gharla and Rair stood observing Ginger cling pitifully to the bark.

"Help...me..."

Enui didn't move, looking to her fellow huntresses but leaving the spear be.

"She needs to learn. She can't thrust a spear, she can't climb a tree. What is she good for? She's going to get herself killed."

"Ahh...I'm slipping."

"We have to teach her," Gharla said walking forward. "It's going to take time."

"We don't have time!"

"I say we let her dangle."

"Rair!"

"What?"

"I'm...I'm falling!" Ginger's arms gave out and she plummeted to the ground.

Enui moved her spear with an eye roll and Ginger fell onto a pile of leaves. She gasped, feeling her body for invisible wounds.

"Oh...Maker be praised! I thought you were going to impale me!"

"We can't do that," Enui snapped, twirling Ginger's spears between two fingers. "We need you. Though what for is beyond me." She threw it up and caught it effortlessly. "I need a break. Working with her is exhausting."

Enui stepped over Ginger and headed towards the village, a frown on her usually calm and patient features.

Ginger struggled up, every muscle in her body aching from Enui's exercises.

"She doesn't like me very much does she?"

Rair helped her to her feet. "No."

"It's not that she does not like you," Gharla declared giving Rair a dirty look, "It is just that she is under a lot of stress and she wants results. You have been working with her for three days now, and you still cannot properly thrust a spear?"

"It feels awkward," Ginger complained. "The thrusting motion feels so unnatural."

"It must since you are not on the receiving end."

"Rair! What has gotten into you?"

"Ginger."

"Haha, very funny," Ginger moaned, walking past her tormentors. "Make fun of the nymph girl."

"Is there no ability the nymphs have given you other than an advanced carnality?"

"I don't know. Let me go ask my nymph father. Oh wait. He's dead!"

Gharla sighed and tried to think of ways to resolve the situation. "Vine, the nymph I met in the valley," she said for Rair's sake, "had the ability to control vines. As did all the nymphs."

"That sounds interesting," Ginger said, working out a shoulder. "However I think you are forgetting that there are no vines in our lands. We cleared them out when we first settled here."

"True, but have you ever tried to move the plant life around here?"

Ginger shrugged, "It's worth a shot."

She knelt down beside a flower and stared at it.

"...Nope. Nothing."

"You barely tried!"

Ginger glared at the huntresses. "You are right Gharla. Why don't you show me how it's done?"

"This is impossible!" Gharla growled. "You are impossible!" Without another word she stormed off, leaving Rair and Ginger in the clearing.

Rair observed Ginger as she pulled the flower out the ground and threw it. Whimpering she plopped herself on the ground, closing her eyes. Rair walked up and stood over her, her eyes emotionless.

"So, is that it?"

Ginger opened one eye. "Yes I suppose it is. Unless you wish to ridicule me some more."

"I was joking with you," Rair said. "I know you to be of a sunnier more jovial disposition. I had hoped to lighten the atmosphere."

"Yes well practice makes perfect."

The short-haired woman sat beside her. "The valley is not a place for humans," Rair said softly. "I have seen beautiful girls turn into monsters with sharp teeth, and men made of light. I have seen snakes stand on two feet that could look into my heart and know the things unspoken. We have all seen these things, and we were all unprepared for them. It may seem harsh, but we are trying to help you."

Ginger scoffed. "Seems harsh. You all are a bunch of brutes! I thought you'd be just a bit daintier. I mean Zyra would have never—" the thought paused her, made her sit up as the grief was refreshed.

"Zyra would never have pushed you so hard," Rair finished. "She would have encouraged you and praised you for your improvements no matter how small. But Ginger," she put a hand on her shoulder. "Zyra is not here."

Ginger's lips quivered as she repressed her worry. "I'm scared," she admitted, sitting up. "That thing that...killed Paj, that Nima can't remember. What if it was just the beginning? What if Nima's sickness, and Kyzu's silence, and Zyra's absence are all things that will destroy us?"

"Then we will fight to the bitter end."

Rair stood and offered her hand to Ginger. "Will you stand and fight Ginger? Or will you just lie there?"

Ginger scrubbed the tears out of her eyes and put a wet palm into Rair's.

"Let us begin," Rair said firmly. "How about something lighter?" She reached into her hunting skirt and pulled out a knife from each thigh. She handed the shorter one to Ginger and took her stance. "Follow me, and only me. Do exactly as I do. Prepare yourself."

Ginger looked at Rair and mirrored her image.

"Move your arm in...closer...and point the blade with the serated edge to your left. Good. Step forward."

Ginger did as she was told, Rair instructing her with patience with an undertone of mercilessness. She knew Rair would not let her stop, even if she fell down to the floor. She would pick her up and make her start again. She could only hope that Zyra would be proud.

"Good. Step again. Shift your position so you are well balanced always."

Ginger shifted and yelped when she found herself on the floor.

"Not balanced well enough. Get up."

Ginger scrambled up, her clothing caked with dirt.

"Balance yourself."

She tried harder this time and when Rair pushed her she did not budge.

"Good. This is your foundation. This is where you start. Now Ginger, I want you to

thrust

."

--

After walking through dense forest for what felt like an eternity, Zyra and Mourabet arrived at the Shashanen Shyla lands. After searching once again, Zyra felt that they had merely wasyed time.

"He is not here," Zyra said sighing. "I can't pick him up at all. He is not in your village."

Mourabet ignored her, continuing to ask her neighbors if they had seen River. Medean had appeared to her and said he would try to use the witch's basin to find him. Scallen had not returned. Still, she knew they would help according to their nature.

As for Mourabet's nature, Zyra had finally blocked out the woman's venomous thoughts down to a buzzing in the back of her mind. One thing that never ceased to amaze her as she discovered these new races and their customs was how similar the curse words sounded. No matter what language, Zyra understood when she was being insulted.

Despite herself she had spied upon Meela to see how the old woman fared. Being a blind woman of many years she didn't expect her to be entertaining anyone, but to her surprise an old man with red hair so light it appeared yellow was kneeling by Meela's feet.

As she looked in from the window she heard him speak in cooing words that held no meaning to her but their overall tone of affection. Feeling to be a voyeur, she walked away from the window, half-wondering if the old woman's amused smile was directed toward her. She wouldn't be surprised, she was Kail's mother. As Mourabet threatened her fellow ogres with vile tortures if they were hiding River from her, Zyra decided her best bet was to try to retrace River's steps.

She stood at Meela's front door and used her powers. Her eyes caught a scratch in a tree that looked about River's height. She went to the tree and further to the left she saw some flowers with broken leaves. Someone had stepped there. Gharla and Firetoucher would have been proud.