Chapter 4: Surrounded by tiny women
It had been a very strange day for the girl with no name.
She sat awkwardly in a huge wooden tub, being fussed over by a group of human women. Despite her initial protests, they seemed intent on scrubbing the layers of sweat and dirt from her (as well as several layers of her skin).
Pink and tingling, she looked up to the canopy of the spacious tent. It looked to be patched together from a variety of interesting looking animal hides, stitched together like some perverse quilt.
This was
not
, by the way, how she had expected her day to go. Despite how odd it had started out.
The women cooed and chattered, mostly in her tongue, but sometimes in the rougher tongue of the orcs. Though it did not sound quite so thick and guttural coming from their more humanoid mouths.
The shortest was very friendly, very short, and very pale. Her light blue robes looked delicate and gauzy over her soft skin. Her hastily gathered bun, wispy eyebrows and even the lashes framing her blue eyes were all light blonde. A smattering of faint freckles were sprinkled across her nose and cheeks. Her body was soft, round and curved, her squishy little hands scrubbing the sweaty mass of hair before her. Her clear and lovely voice was happily discussing the new arrival as if she weren't even there.
The other woman was much taller, with robust shoulders and a heavy bosom. Her skin was deeply tanned and heavily freckled, and her long hair fell in honey colored waves around her plump face. She appeared to be older than the other girls, and a bit more reserved, but she was very beautiful. She held herself like a noble lady, giving her movements a dainty quality. She wore a crown of dried flowers on her head, with a gauzy shawl draped across her arms and around her creamy robes. She puttered about fetching water in the background as the younger girls chatted and worked.
The smallest and youngest looking of them was a short, slight woman with dark brown hair and plainer features. Her hair was cut into a boyish bob, with a short fringe over her dusty grey eyes. Her small nose wrinkled anytime she looked at the girl, which wasn't often. She was very chatty with the other women, and seemed friendly enough, even if she was more interested in her work than actually acknowledging the naked woman in the tub before her. Anytime she did, she was strangely formal for such an odd occasion. Her skin was a cool light brown, with lots of freckles on her arms. She had finally ceased her merciless scrubbing of the girls back and was now intent on her hands and fingernails. The occasional wince didn't seem to have any effect on the intensity of the washing.
The girl would have preferred to do it herself, but she hadn't gotten much of a say in the matter.
The fourth woman was tall and slender. She had a beautiful dark complexion, like expensive polished wood. Long braids decorated with golden trinkets framed her face, and the pointed ears poking out of them led the girl to believe she must be an elf. She had never seen an elf in person before, but the woman emanated such grace and nobility, she wasn't sure what else she could be. The elf was every bit as beautiful as Marcus had always described them when reading to her. As she walked past, a delicate scent trailed alongside her. A bit like honey or vanilla, something sweet and familiar.
Upon closer inspection she thought she saw tiny golden freckles across her nose. They glinted brightly when they caught the candlelight, and complimented her warm yellow robes. She spoke the least, content to sift though a pile of clothing while her companions chattered, occasionally nodding. It was unclear whether she was actually listening or not. But the girl thought her pointed ears would make it hard not to, as they occasionally twitched in the direction of the other women speaking around her.
The short one had finished washing her hair, and was now brushing it out, fussing over the tangles and knots.
"Oh!" She exclaimed as she moved the hair aside, getting a glimpse at the back of the girls neck. Her hand clapped over it instinctively and she turned away, her shoulders tensed.
"Not there. Please." She pleaded.
The tiny blonde respected her vague request and resumed chatting, seeming a little taken aback but quickly regaining her excited demeanor. A lot of the words she said were foreign to the naked girl, and although she tried to smile and nod along, the growing need for clarity gnawed at her. Before she could ask anything, the blonde spoke directly to her,
"My you're such a pretty one, the rams will love you. And they'll be so excited to meet you! But if they get
too
excited, come find one of us, ok? They can get carried away if they're not careful. You'll get used to it, though. And we'll have so much fun training you, too."
She turned to the older woman who was now pouring a fresh basin of water into the tub.
"Isn't she pretty? I think they're going to
love
her, her..."
She hesitated, unsure.
"Oh, biscuits, what
was
your name again?"
The women all smiled at her expectantly. For some reason, it made the girl feel a bit embarrassed.
"I, uh... don't have one." She admitted, sinking into the tub a little further. That was twice in one day she had been asked that, much more than she was used to. And it felt worse to answer honestly each time.
"Oh!" Exclaimed the blonde, now looking a little bit embarrassed herself. But she maintained her cheery and excited demeanor. "I'm so sorry, of course, I completely understand. But we have to call you
something
. What should it be? Maybe something fun, like... honeysuckle? Or mint? Or fluffy!"
She beamed excitedly, one could practically see the gears turning behind her eyes, filling with suggestions and ideas. She didn't actually give the girl a chance to respond, though.
"You should name yourself after something pretty! Like me, mines Daisy!" She smiled at the girl so warmly, her golden lashes fluttering. It felt rude to refuse such a sincere request.
"Choose wisely. Some say names are
very
powerful." The darker skinned woman added playfully, turning her head to look at the girl with no name. She supposed the elf had been listening and was simply choosing not to engage in the idle chit chat. Fair enough.
"Maybe a flower?" Suggested the tall woman with the round face and wavy hair. "Though anything you choose will be lovely." She added warmly.
The fourth woman said nothing. Her nose crinkled and she scrubbed even harder. The girl in the tub resisted the urge to pull her arm away.
She thought about a few flowers, but they didn't feel quite right. She did not know the names of many, anyways. Her garden had been small, and she reserved the space for things they could
eat
. Vegetables and herbs and onions.
Onions had flowers, she supposed she could name herself that. It
would
get a fun reaction from people.
She missed the garden already. It had been where she spent most of her free time when it was cooler out. She thought of the large fragrant bush in the corner, of sitting under its shade, reading books about fair maidens and faraway places. In the summer months, it would be dotted with tiny purple flowers, tucked in between the sticky leaves. Her sanctuary.
"Can you call me Rosemary?" She asked shyly. The tiny blonde woman, or Daisy, squealed and wrapped her arms around her, falling into the tub slightly.
"Well spoken, Rosemary." The beautiful dark skinned woman murmured appreciatively. Her voice had a slightly musical quality, there was just a rhythm and a softness to it. "This one is Lyla, I have not been with this herd very long, but mine wife and I have been treated well here. You need not worry."
The brown skinned brunette nodded curtly.
"Hana." She proclaimed, a bit overly formal. Her nose up in the air as if it were distasteful.
She didn't offer any other information. Just Hana.
"You may call me Amelie," Spoke the taller tan woman. Her voice was incredibly warm and soothing. She set down the strands of hair to gently pat the younger girls shoulder. "I've been with this herd for many years now, and another for many years before that. So if you have any questions, you need only ask. We are honored to welcome you here as our new sister and
rüthana
. You will be happy here, I'm sure of it."
She sounded so reassuring, it must be true. The girl, now with a name, hoped it so.
"And I'm Daisy!" Squeaked Daisy, hugging her again, apparently unbothered by the fact that she had leaned so far into the tub that she was practically sitting in the girls lap, soaking her robes. The girl was glad that at least one of them was dressed.
"But you already knew that." Daisy continued, "There's going to be a lot for you to learn, don't worry if it feels kind of scary at first! We know you'll love it here."
"I do have a question," She interjected, pushing Daisy away slightly, as she was pressed right up against her face cheek to cheek. Daisy stared into her eyes hopefully. It reminded her of a puppy begging for scraps. An image popped into her head of a fluffy golden tail wagging behind her.
"What's a herd?" She finished. The women all looked shocked for a moment, and exchanged concerned glances.
Except Amelie, who continued to sit and smile contentedly, her eyes closed.
"What do you know of the orcs, young one?" Lyla asked. It was a bit hard to tell just by her tone, but Rosemary knew that expression well. Did she think she was being daft on purpose?
"Well," Rosemary confessed, blushing and looking away. Her first time thinking of her own name.
"Not much, to be honest. I know they come from the red star. But it's mostly bad. Just what humans gossip to each other about. Fighting wars and abducting maidens. That kind of stuff."
The women exchanged glances again.
"But they weren't what I expected at all! The huge one came up and asked if I wanted to go with her, and then she picked me up and carried me for a long time, and then she brought me to your camp. And now I'm getting this lovely bath. So it all worked out, right?"
"That's it?" Hana asked, incredulous. Her nose was wrinkled up in annoyance. Rosemary was starting to get the sense that she had done something wrong.
"I'm sorry?" She offered, sinking lower into the water. The tiny blonde woman sunk in with her.
"Hey!" Daisy squeaked, grabbing both sides of Rosemary's face with her plump little hands, splashing water everywhere.
"It's not your fault, it's
Naga
. Ugh! She gets like this sometimes, all... vague. I bet the other girl they bought is just as confused as you are. She's usually a bit more...
explicit
. And the people joining us are usually a bit better traveled." She seemed genuinely apologetic. Her big round eyes made Rosemary feel like she had just kicked a small dog.
Amelie had moved around to her back and taken over working on her hair, now that Daisy seemed content to remain glued to her naked lap and had abandoned her hair combing duties all together. She ran the comb through slowly. It was nice.
"The
Nar
bought you to join our herd. It's a large company of orcs, or
gurshana
, that travel together, made up of many smaller family groups. Normally we would have a home to serve as our base, hidden somewhere in the mountains, but we are currently... in between places. Until then, we all travel and camp together as a big group, and we all take care of each other.
We
," She gestured to herself and the women around her. "Are part of the
rütha
, the breeding females. We belong to the herd and all of the
gurshana
in it. They take care of us, and we take care of them." She concluded.
"Take care of them?"
"With our bodies."
"But-" Rosemary started to ask, extremely flustered, her head whipping around, pulling her hair out of Amelie's hands. Before she could continue, Daisy interjected, clearly annoyed. Her voice got very high and squeaky when she was annoyed, like if someone had stepped on a mouse, and then apologized by continuing to step on it over and over again.
"Not me! I'm a
mara,
I already have a mate. I have
two
!" She held up two fingers to make her point, leaning over Rosemary's shoulder to face Amelie and put the fingers right up in front of her. Rosemary flushed red and tried not to move as a small, soft breast pressed up against her cheek and eye, blocking her view slightly.
"No, you're not." Lyla admonished from the side. "You haven't been officially married. That makes you a
rütha
like the others. You can't
get
married until we settle somewhere. Until then it's not
appropriate
to call yourself a
mara
