Fíli sputtered awake through a bucketful of frigid water. "Up and at 'em, Whelp. The sun waits for no one." The blonde dwarf sat up, astonished, glaring at the taller man. "And drag that mattress outside, too. You'll have to air it out lest it molds."

Fíli glanced out the small window with an irritated scowl. "It's hardly morning!" He protested. Orsimer cuffed the back of his head and placed his gloved hands on his hips.

"You can't get much done in the dark. We have to make sure that every drop of light counts. Or do you not want to learn my trade?" The dusty grey light streaming through the window outlined Orsimer's posture, reminding Fíli of his stern mother, Dís. All fighting spirit fled from him and he bellied up like a submissive dog.

"I'll bring th' mattress outside, Master Orsimer." Fíli squeaked, clutching at the sopping straw like a lifeline. The imposing figure left, and Fíli let loose a breath that he hadn't known he had been holding. Aye, that man was rather scary when he wanted to be!

By the time Fíli hung his bedding over a limb from a nearby tree and chewed down the bread and cheese set aside for his morning meal, Orsimer had already started smelting some ore.

"Ye do this yerself, too?" Fíli asked, brushing his damp hands on his tunic.

"The best way to make sure that something is done right is to do it yourself. The quality of the metal you use is as important as the forging technique. Too many impurities make for a brittle blade." Orsimer turned the shadowed eye holes of his helm to face the young dwarf. "Come, I will show you how to separate the metal from the rock."


Ahkmar watched the dwarf's face carefully, pleased when she registered the honest interest he harbored in the smelting process that she explained to him. Satisfied with his understanding of the timing and heat requirements, the orc grabbed a bucket of iron ore from the back of the shed. "See how much metal you can extract from this."

The dwarf pouted slightly again, but nodded. A touch of a frown ghosted across Ahkmar's face before she twitched it away. The lad was probably used to getting what he wanted. She worried at her bottom lip for a moment before crossing her arms. She'd have to beat that out of him if he was going to ever learn anything.

"I'll be back…" Here she paused for a moment to judge the sun's height. "Two hours before sundown. If you finish with the ore, you can chop up some of those logs into firewood. The food's in the pantry, as usual. Help yourself to the midday meal." Ahkmar stopped by the house to grab a few throwing axes and a hunting knife before whistling sharply for Venrukaan.

The horse trotted briskly to her side and she rubbed his jaw absently before walking into the wood, Venrukaan picking his way expertly around the rocks and trunks in her wake. Ahkmar's eyes flicked to the left and right, examining the leaf litter carefully for disturbances. Breathing deeply, she tested the air. Nothing. Shrugging, she delved deeper into the forested area, setting a few small game snares as she walked softly forward.

The wet leaves squelched beneath her boots, darkening the treated leather with water stains. Ahkmar wrinkled her nose in annoyance, but the boiled deer skin kept the damp away from her woolen socks. Abruptly she stopped, dropping into a crouch and pressing a hand to Venrukaan's barrel-like torso. Her fingers traced the scarred bark of the oak tree before her. It was stripped clean and, judging by the glittering sap left behind on her fingertips, rather fresh. The orcish womer dropped to the ground to examine it closely, picking out abnormal scatterings and pressings of leaves. Breathing deeply, she scented the wet hair of the elk, a tiny smirk appearing on her dark green lips.

Staying in a crouched position, Ahkmar followed the fresh tracks of her prey, moving quickly and silently through the underbrush. Hearing a whuff of air, she froze, peering through the leaves ahead of her. There he was, an elk nearly three quarters the size of Venrukaan with an impressive velvety rack proudly sprouting from his crown. Ahkmar licked her lips, slowly pulling a hand axe from her belt. Reaching back, she took aim, sending a quick prayer to Akatosh, and flicked the wedged blade forward, releasing it briskly so that it spun to strike the beast firmly in its underjaw.

Letting out a gurgle of pain, the magnificent creature bolted from the clearing, Ahkmar and Venrukaan following in hot pursuit. It was easy to track. The heady scent of the beast's fear filled Ahkmar's nostrils and its lifeblood and frantic running left tracks so apparent even a milk drinker could easily pick them out. The wound was mortal and deep, so it wasn't long before orc found elk, eyes rolling in its death throes as it lay against a large rock, too weak to flee any longer. Pulling out her hunting knife, Ahkmar cautiously approached the animal, keeping a wary eye on the wide, sharp antlers that it boasted. A weak toss of its crown was all it managed before a look of defeat overcame it and it laid down its great head. Ahkmar angled her long knife and quickly plunged it into the elk's breast, piercing its heart. It let out a final sigh as its eyes gained a dull, glassy sheen. Ahkmar murmured her thanks to Malacath as the pool of lifeblood at the base of the rock began to coagulate.

Removing and cleaning her throwing axe, she stuck it into her belt before gutting the large deer with her more dexterous hunting knife. Heaving the heavy carcass into her arms, she secured it to Venrukaan's saddle. Ven, used to this practice by now, stood patiently as she tightened the ropes, unbothered by the thick, coppery scent. Leaving the entrails in a haphazard pile for scavengers, Ahkmar led her horse back to Brookside.

It was then that she heard the yelling.

"Gonna split yer belly like an old woman's purse!"

Ahkmar sliced through the ropes securing Venrukaan's burden and sprinted back to Brookside, ears peaked and eyes peeled for any sign of her apprentice's condition. It had been quite a while since the last bandit raid and she'd grown a false sense of security. Growling angrily to herself, she cursed her small hunting arsenal. Only four short throwing axes and a small hunting knife equipped her person. Shoving away any thoughts of failure, she focused all of her energy on getting to Brookside.

Bursting through the tree line, her eyes flicked frantically around as her fingers pulled two small axes from her belt. There! The short wheat-haired dwarf stood at a crouch, his back to the house with three human bandits at his front and sides. A fourth bandit lie on the ground nearby, his eyes blank and dim with death. A macabre smile stretched across his neck, a steady trickle of blood still weeping from the wound.

Fíli looked worse for wear, one arm dangling uselessly to his side and a patch of red staining his tunic just below his sternum. Ahkmar saw red, letting loose a loud yell to gain the attention of the lowlifes. Venrukaan whinnied in response, rearing and displaying to the men his sharp hooves. New life seemed to fill Fíli's veins, and he lunged at a distracted bandit with his short blade, opening up a deep wound just below the man's armpit. He gurgled as blood filled his lung, staggering back and swinging his sword towards the dwarf's head in one last, desperate attack. Straw-like hair fluttered to the ground, and Ahkmar felt her breath catch, but the young dwarf had ducked out of the way to bodily slam his opponent's chest.

Coming up on her own opponent, Ahkmar pushed away all but the locational thoughts of Fíli. Her opponent was a giant of a man, his cheekbones parallel with the crown of her head, and his shoulders a handbreadth wider than her own. A nasty grin stretched the scar on his upper lip as he bore his large axe down towards her. "Got ourselves a hero, do we?" His deep voice was full of malicious intent.

Ahkmar's mouth quirked upwards beneath her helm as she spun away from his swing, bringing her smaller, more dexterous axes around to hack at the man's grip. With a curse, he shifted his hands further up the staff of the weapon, Ahkmar digging a few good notches in the wooden shaft.

The bandit was a skilled fighter, however, and he did not drop his weapon. Using the momentum from the failed strike, he spun like a berserker and the great axe came back again, faster this time. Not quite expecting that sort of maneuver, Ahkmar jumped back a second too late, feeling the metal blade jar painfully against her side. Thankfully, she had gotten into the habit of always wearing armor. It would bruise quite impressively, but bruises she could deal with.

With a cry of rage that sounded more animalistic than human, Ahkmar flung one of her short axes towards the man, her vision flickering red as she drew upon the inner anger that all orsimer harbored beneath the surface for use in times like these. When he dodged she followed up with the second one, grabbing the man's great axe in his distraction. They grappled for control of the weapon. The two were about evenly matched in strength, but the man's grip was stronger. Putting her back flush against the bandit's chest, she rammed her helm into his face. A satisfying crunch and a strangled grunt of pain told her that she had broken his nose. His fingers loosened momentarily at the injury, but that was all she needed.

With little fanfare, she wrenched the weapon from his grip, kicking him back with her booted foot when he attempted to grab at her. The red haze still lingered at the edge of her vision, and she did not hesitate when she decapitated the man with his own weapon. Eyes flicking over to her companions' battles, she was moving again before his head hit the floor.

Venrukaan was doing well enough, holding off the bandit with his sharp hooves and intimidating posture. Fíli on the other hand had developed a limp, favoring his left leg as he did all he could to defend himself from his opponent's relentless attacks. Ahkmar raced towards him, leaning forward and readying her stolen axe. She yet out a wordless yell, almost a battle cry, lost in her rage. The bandit turned to look at her. The surprise in his wide blue eyes would have made her laugh in any other situation. The battle axe sunk easily into the trunk of his body, the momentum of her sprint almost cleaving him entirely in two.

"Master Orsimer?" Fíli looked at her with a mixture of awe and fear.

Ahkmar disregarded him for now, turning her attentions instead on her mount's opponent. "Oy, you bleeding milk drinker!" She dropped the large axe and pulled the last two throwing axes from her belt. Preoccupied with avoiding Venrukaan's sharp hooves, the final bandit did not react to her insult. Growling, she reached back and hurled the throwing axe towards his broad back. The well cared for blade sunk easily through the boiled leather, slicing muscle and lodging itself into one of his ribs. Without preamble, Ahkmar threw the final axe. It met a similar fate, though this time it lodged itself into his spine and his legs collapsed under him like a puppet with its strings cut.

She supposed that was as apt an explanation as any.

Venrukaan let his front hooves fall heavily onto the downed bandit, crushing his skull like a melon. Fíli winced audibly behind her. Ahkmar turned, the red in her vision finally faded away. "I caught dinner…?"


I got a new apartment, so when I'm not working (I work at a chocolate shop in a high tourist area, so it's a rather fun job, if somewhat exhausting) I've been moving my stuff and fixing up the new place. Ugh so busy! I've had the majority of this written up for a few weeks, but I needed to get the final touches on it before posting. Plus moving = no internet (except for some 4G on my phone, I suppose. But my data plan isn't the best so I'd rather not waste GB posting.)

On the bright side, around the writer's block I've suffered on this chapter, I've written another few chapters ahead – most likely they'll be chapters 15 and 16. So those should be out fairly quickly once I get to that point. Thank you so much for your reviews and support. Y'all're the reason I write. Love you!

PS: Do you guys like the teaching intervals? I don't want to timeskip too much, but I do want to get into more of the quest action, preferably by chapter 20 at the very latest. If there's something you want Fíli and Ahkmar to experience or discuss – preferably an event that offers some form of character or relationship development, I'm all ears. Or rather eyes – I read the reviews after all!

Cheers,

Kohlii