Orcs by Stan Nicholls Read Free Book Online

with his boot. “Up, you
bastards!
” he roared. “Up!
Move yourselves!
”
    Some rolled from the kicks. Several came alive with blades in their hands, ready for a fight, then cowered on recognising their tormentor. Haskeer was among them, but less inclined to quail at his commander’s rage. He scowled, returning his knife to its sheath with deliberate, insolent slowness.
    “What ails you, Stryke?” he rumbled sullenly.
    “What ails me? The
new day
ails me, scumpouch!” He jabbed a thumb skyward. “The sun climbs and we’re still here!”
    “And whose fault is that?”
    Stryke’s eyes narrowed dangerously. He moved closer to Haskeer, near enough to feel the sergeant’s fetid breath against his face.
“What?”
he hissed.
    “You blame us. Yet you’re in charge.”
    “You’d like to try changing that?”
    The other Wolverines were gathering around them. At a distance.
    Haskeer held Stryke’s gaze. His hand edged to his scabbard.
    “Stryke!”
    Coilla was elbowing the grunts aside, Alfray and Jup in tow.
    “We don’t have time for this,” she said sternly.
    Captain and sergeant paid her no heed.
    “The Queen, Stryke,” Alfray put in. “We have to get back to Cairnbarrow. Jennesta —”
    Mention of her name broke the spell. “I
know
, Alfray,” Stryke barked. He gave Haskeer a last, contemptuous look and turned away from him.
    Sullenly, Haskeer backed off, directing a venomous glare at Jup by way of compensation.
    Stryke addressed the warband. “We’ll not march this day, we’ll ride. Darig, Liffin, Reafdaw, Kestix: round up horses for all. Seafe, and you, Noskaa: find a couple of mules. Finje, Bhose:gather provisions. Just enough to travel light, mind. Gant, take who you need and release those gryphons. The rest of you, collect up our gear.
Now!
”
    The grunts dispersed to carry out their orders.
    Scanning his officers, Stryke saw that Alfray, Jup, Haskeer and Coilla looked as bleary-eyed as he probably did himself. “You’ll see they waste no time with those horses and mules, Haskeer,” he said. “You too, Jup. And I want no trouble from either of you.” He curtly jerked his head to dismiss them.
    They ran off, keeping well apart.
    “What do you want us to do?” Alfray asked.
    “Pick one or two grunts to help divide the pellucid equally among the band. It’ll be easier to transport that way. But make it clear they’re carrying it, not being given it. And if any of ’em has other ideas, they’ll get more than their arses tanned.”
    Alfray nodded and left.
    Coilla lingered. “You look . . . strange,” she said. “Is everything all right?”
    “No, Corporal, it isn’t.” Stryke’s words dripped venom. “If you hadn’t noticed, we should have reported to Jennesta hours since. And that might mean getting our throats cut.
Now do as you’re told!
”
    She fled.
    Wisps of the vision still clung to his mind as he damned the rising sun.
    They left behind the ruins of the human settlement, and the trampled, deserted battlefield beneath it, and headed north-east.
    An upgrade in their trail took them above the rolling plains. The liberated gryphons were spreading across the grasslands.
    Riding beside Stryke at the head of the column, Coilla indicated the view and said, “Don’t you envy them?”
    “What, beasts?”
    “They’re freer than us.”
    The remark surprised him. It was the first time she’d made any comment, even indirectly, that referred to the situation their race had been reduced to. But he resisted the temptation to agree with her. These days an orc did well not to speak too freely. Opinions had a way of reaching unintended ears.
    He kept his response to a noncommittal snort.
    Coilla regarded him with an expression of curiosity, and dropped the subject. They rode on in grim silence, maintaining as rapid a pace as they could over the uneven terrain.
    At mid-morning they came to a winding track that led through a narrow ravine. It was deep, with tall grassy walls rising