First Story, so reviews/constructive criticism are very welcome, I'm not really sure what else to write here so...Here's my story...
Liberation
Chapter 1
Vark arrived at the Mor'Shan Base Camp as dusk was falling, trundling along in the back of a supply wagon. Though somewhat undignified for an orc, it was better than walking, that was what Kodos were for. He looked out over the grassy flatland of the Barrens and remembered Swart's lectures on the 'Majesty of Nature' during his training in Razor Hill, he could particularly appreciate it now. The sun was just setting behind the Stonetalon Peaks, leaving most of the Barrens in shadow but making the clouds above glow in a glorious golden colour.
However his artistic musings were abruptly cut short as the cart hit a rock and the Blood Elf dozing quietly next to him flopped off onto the ground. Vark sighed, yelled at the driver that they'd catch up, and leapt off himself. Landing neatly he walked over to the dazed elf.
"Rude awakening?" Vark asked sardonically, offering his hand.
"Whaa?" slurred the elf rubbing his head with one hand and propping himself up with another
"You fell out" said Vark, always one to state the obvious
"You don't say" replied the unfortunate elf, allowing himself to be hauled up by Vark, his whole lower arm disappearing under the orc's huge green hand.
"What's your name? I'm Vark, Son of Rul'Thal" growled Vark, using the traditional Orc way of showing friendship.
"T-Taelan" stammered the aforementioned, really quite intimidated by the seven-foot-high mass of blackened steel and green muscle before him.
Vark was confused, the elf seemed...afraid...of him, although, Vark supposed, the 'Taelan' was very small, perhaps he had never seen an orc before? Vark attempted a 'smile' as he had seen humans do, unfortunately on an Orc it just made him look hungry.
"Don't eat me!" Taelan positively squealed, tripping over his long robe in an effort to get away from the monster's fearsome canines, Vark stopped smiling, and then made a noise that sounded like a mixture of a dog's barking and a big cat's yowl, which Taelan then realised was
laughing.
"Don't worry little elf, I'm not hungry" an amused Vark replied, "Haven't you ever seen an Orc smile?"
"...Oh" muttered Taelan nervously
"Come on, the sun's going down and I want to sleep in a bed tonight!" Vark said grabbing Taelan's arm and hauling him along up the path.
Taelan trotted along after his new friend, he was feeling quite content now that he wasn't in immediate danger, even better, Vark seemed to know which way to go, and that meant that they wouldn't get eaten by one of the horrible creatures that seemed to infest every inch of this dry, dusty place. All was good.
Vark followed the cart's tracks up the path, occasionally looking back to make sure Taelan hadn't been attacked by hyenas, the elf seemed fairly happy, maybe a bit tired, but then again, this was the first elf Vark had met, so what did he know?
"Are we there yet?" moaned Taelan, looking at the ground, he glanced up to see Vark starting to speak, then with an exclamation glimpsed the (oddly comforting) sharpened stakes that made up the fortifications of the Mor'Shan Base Camp.
"What?" asked Vark, then looking in the direction the elf was quickly moving in he saw the Camp, smiling, he too quickened his pace and caught up.
"Aka'Magosh friends!" a gruff voice called from a watchtower built on a small hill
"Throm-Ka" replied Vark, looking at Taelan who appeared to be confused by this exchange in Orcish, "It means 'Well met'" he muttered. Taelan gratefully nodded and repeated the greeting, hideously mangling the pronunciation, causing both Orc great amusement.
"You need to report to Captain Shatterskull" shouted the Orc from the watchtower, helpfully pointing the way, Vark nodded his thanks and went further into camp.
Apart from a few caves and huts, Mor'shan Base Camp did not have much in the way of civilisation, it had lots of weapons scattered about and several pieces of armour, but apart from this it was exactly as advertised, a 'Base' Camp. Vark gazed around for the illusive Captain, amused at Taelan's suggestion that they simply "Look for the biggest axe", which turned out to be true, with Captain Shatterskull standing to attention near a tree, supervising weapons practice among some recruits, and, he did indeed have a very large axe.
Taelan was almost falling asleep on his feet as Vark talked in Orcish with the other Orc with red, spiky armour, then, their conversation apparently finished with Red Spiky Orc asking what his name was with a grunt and a head gesture. "Taelan" he mumbled in answer, then Red Spiky Orc asked something else, a quill delicately poised on a scrap of parchment.
"He wants to know where you're from" Vark translated
"Oh...um, Quel'thalas I suppose" replied Taelan, the red Orc grunted in acknowledgement, and stumped off in the opposite direction, Taelan looked expectantly at Vark for instructions.
"You go in that building there" Vark said, indicating a domed structure near the base of a cliff, "Go inside, and find somewhere to sleep, find a place for me as well" Vark then wandered off toward a different Orc with a different axe, and Taelan went toward what he assumed was the barracks.
The Camp's Supply Officer, Kelm Hargrunth, was sitting on a rock, sharpening his weapon, as Vark approached, "Quartermaster" Vark said, with a nod at the bearded orc.
"That's me, what d'you want?" asked Hargrunth, eyeing the young orc before him.
"I'm to join the Outriders, I need a uniform" replied Vark happily, this would make his father very proud when he heard.
"Why didn't you say so?" said the Hargrunth, surging to his feet, he stepped up to a table piled with supplies, clothes and armour in front of him, looking more like a shopkeeper than a Veteran of the Third War. He apprised the Orc on the other side of the table, "You won't need much equipment, which is good, we always seem to be low on supplies, you have armour and a weapon already, but as you say, a uniform", Hargrunth dug through the pile of oddments until he found what he was looking for, "Ah, here you go, and I suppose rations and suchlike" he muttered after handing the tabard to Vark.
Vark remembered his father's stories about glory in the Horde's army, and felt honoured to receive such a token, he unfolded the cloth and looked at it, a silver mouth with fangs and a simple border were all that adorned it, Vark laid it across his arm and took the ration packs and bandages Hargrunth handed him.
"6 ration packs, resupply to the frontline is every week, so don't eat them all at once, you won't get more before that, also, you're expected to look after your own injuries if they aren't serious, so use those, if they are serious, see a healer immediately. You'll be dispatched in the morning, now get some sleep" explained Hargrunth, then turning away, went back to sharpening his axe.
Vark, with arms full of food, bandages and clothes, stumbled into the dark interior of the building and dumped his stuff in a corner, then, folding the tabard reverently turned round to find Taelan looking at him.
"What's that?" asked Taelan, indicating the symbol on the cloth.
"It shows I'm part of the Horde" Vark said proudly as Taelan took the tabard off him to have a look.
"Why don't I get one?" said Taelan, very impressed with the big skull on the front.
"Because you're notpart of the Horde, obviously"
"But I thought Thrall agreed to let the Sin'dorei in?" asked a confused Taelan, using the Thalassian name for 'Blood Elf'.
Vark finally saw the reason for his confusion, "Yes, the elves are in the Horde, but you, as an individual are not, you are a civilian" Vark said, using an odd word his uncle had taught him that meant 'someone who lives in a country but doesn't fight for it', Vark thought he'd have to clarify "Well, before the Horde was an army, or a fighting force, not a nation, we were the Orc nation, and no-one needed to know anymore, but when the Warchief started allowing other races to join, we became a nation of many people, I was using the word 'Horde' in its Orcish sense, but as you're not an Orc, and don't speak Orcish, your confusion is understandable."
"Um...okay...thanks" Taelan said, even more confused, but accepting of the situation.
"You should know about the basic politics, how old are you anyway?" asked Vark, looking at the extra-small elf.
"Twelve maybe? I'm not really sure, I don't remember much of my early years, then Arthas came, I was about eight then I think, my mother was a ranger, so she's probably dead, and my father was killed when the humans turned against us, and I sort of found myself in Orgrimmar, among all the other refugees" said Taelan sadly.
"Oh" said Vark quietly, he had thought that the elf was young, but not that young, "How did you end up here then?"
"Couldn't stay in Orgrimmar, didn't know anyone, and I didn't speak any of the languages, I apprenticed to one of the Blood Elf Magisters who joined the Shadow Cleft, you know, the big cave thing in the middle of the city?" Taelan asked glancing up, Vark nodded and he continued. "Well he was usually too busy talking to demons making potions and things and just sent me out for regents and ingredients and suchlike, so I ran away, saw this cart leaving the city, jumped on it, must have been before you got on because I didn't see you."
After a slight pause in which Vark considered the story he spoke, "Well do you know where this is?" he said, vaguely indicating the Camp and building.
"Um...not as such..." said Taelan with a sheepish grin.
"You are in the Warsong Outriders Base, otherwise know as Mor'shan Base Camp, the big cave in the cliff leads to Warsong Gulch, where the Outriders fight the Silverwing Sentinels, who are a group of Night Elves, who don't like us taking wood from the forest." Vark carefully explained.
"I see...and the tabard?" Taelan said, pointing.
"Means that I'm an Outrider" Vark said proudly. "...Of the lowest rank, but I'll get promoted soon."
"So you'll be out fighting tomorrow?" asked Taelan, not wanting to be left alone in this strange place.
"I doubt it!" scoffed Vark, "The Captain said I was to report in the morning, I'll probably be on fetch and carry. I assume you want to know what you'll be doing?"
Taelan had just been thinking that, he knew he wasn't part of the army, so was unsure of his position in the hierarchy of the Camp. So he nodded at the Orc's question.
"Well you can come to the Captain with me tomorrow, he left the 'occupation' column blank when he wrote your name" said Vark.
"Thanks." said the elf smiling, then remembering something else he wanted to ask, "What do I do about food?"
Vark looked at him closely, "When did you last eat?"
"Yesterday afternoon" replied Taelan.
"Oh well you can have one of my ration packs, don't think too much about them, just eat" Vark said, digging one out of the pile of supplies, then throwing it to Taelan.
"I assume you're a mage then? From the robe and the bit about the magister" Vark commented as Taelan wolfed down his food.
"Well...I am yes, but I've also learn some things about curses, and the fel and things like that, I wasn't supposed to but I used to look in all the big books he left around. What about you? You're wearing armour so I thought you were a warrior, but you're not jumping up and down, shouting about 'demonic possession' like most Orcs." asked Taelan thoughtfully.
"I am a shaman, I felt a slight taint about you when I met you, but I wanted to make sure. And there are, as you say, still warlocks in the Horde, and I respect power, regardless of the source, if you can use it to help the Horde, I don't care." Said Vark grinning, "So, with all those things, you're not much of a surprise really, didn't you wonder why i could understand you and not any other Orcs?"
Taelan looked confused, "I just thought you spoke Thalassian?"
"No, its about being a shaman, the element of Water forms the basis of language, so I can understand anyone, which, as you've seen, is useful" Vark explained.
Taelan nodded, as he had his mouth full, he swallowed, and continued "What now then? Also, how old are you? You're taller than most Orcs but you don't look as old as them."
"I'm sixteen by the Elves reckoning, but yes, I'm oddly tall, the only reason I've ever been given for it was that one of my grandmothers may have been an ogre, but that also might just be boasting on the part of my grandfather, so I have no idea" Vark said smiling "And to answer your first question, now we sleep. Good Night Taelan", and with that, Vark turned over and re-arranged his pile of oddments he used as a pillow.
Taelan, chuckling to himself, also lay down, "Night" he murmured, and then quickly fell asleep.
