Caleb's Journey
Chapter 18

Preparing for War

Every male ogre slept on a bed made of the hides of the creatures he killed. As a rite of passage every tribe required of its men that they venture out, on their own, to kill a wild beast and return with it and skin it in the presence of the tribe. Thereafter a great feast was held and the body of the kill consumed. The greater the hide, the more status the young male gained in the group. Each male had until the age of fifteen to accomplish this task and then start a family of his own. Skarlarth slept on the hide of an exceptionally large bear, his first kill, and then added to over time with the coats of the previously mentioned creatures. He had been extremely patient in waiting for big, noteworthy prey. His adventure took so long that, after several months, his parents assumed he was dead. When he finally returned with that great kill the tribe noted him as a warrior of marked potential. His thoughts turned back to that day as he lay on his back, staring at the top of his cave. As he lay there his wives began the preparations of the day, the lighting of torches, cooking breakfast, and various other domestic duties. Skarlarth took a different course, imagining the day when he would test his mettle against Nostarius. In that short span of time they had spent together, he had come to loathe the vampire. Triumphant scenes of that conflict played out in his head as he drifted back to sleep.

When he awoke, he threw off his blanket and began acting on the accord that he had reached yesterday. He summoned Trogdon, his younger brother and lieutenant, to appear before him. As the duo sat at the elder brother’s feasting table and breakfasted on a score of boiled eggs, bread, roasted boar, and a jug of ale, a large meal in honor of what, Trogdon knew not, Skarlarth revealed to him the nature of calling him to his home. Skarlarth began by telling him the pact into which he had entered with Xerax, and the need to secure the loyalties of the other ogre kings. In meek assent, Trogdon nodded before he spoke. As always he was cautious with his word for his elder brother had a foul temper and a generally hostile disposition. Trogdon had a sharper mind, smoother tongue, and higher intellect than his kin, but lacked his physical strength.

“

My mighty brother and greatest of ogre kings, why must we attack the humans?” We have failed every time we try to smash Attalis. The walls are too thick for us to crumble and we have lost many brave warriors to the volley of arrows they shoot at us. If they emerge to engage us in battle, after they shoot us down, they have tactics that we lack.”

“

It will be different this time,” Skarlarth barked. “Never before have we united all of the tribes to attack and we now have undead army and gnolls to help us. We will win. The vampire told me that he give us help of great general, too. Together we rush walls, use siege weapons, and crush the ’uman fort. When undead army is weak from attack we attack them, get gnolls to help us and we are then very strong. We will tell ’umans we keep their land if we stop war. I will be greatest ogre king ever!”

“

Indeed brother. If Attalis falls to us then we will have the luxury of negotiating from a position of strength if we continue to march our army north. The humans will indeed treat with us.”

“

After breakfast I leave. In one moon all must be ready. Brother, after we win I will grant you a tribe of your own, either from my own lands or from ogre king who dies. All will bow to me as the best king.”

“

Really? My own tribe?” Trogdon cried out in bother inquiry and glee. He always wanted to be a chieftain. “If it pleases my chief I’d like to volunteer to visit the gnolls and enlist them to our cause.”

“

Yes. Show me strength in battle and I will make you a chief, rich and powerful, only I will be more powerful. We make new ogre nation. You get things ready and I will get other ogres to come with us.”

Trogdon, who secretly longed for more power knew that while he had the better gift for persuasion with other races, all ogres feared and respected Skarlarth. If anyone could convince the tribes to join forces, it was him, for his presence inspired awe. A fair warrior, the younger brother did not have nearly the might of his elder. He loved the idea of having a voice in the new ogre nation, not only his normal voice, whispered in the ear of his brother, but a strong seat from which to speak his mind. It was his greedier aspirations that made him readily agree to prepare the tribe for war. His baser self bested any other idea and his fidelity had just been purchased, not taken. That alone made him a more dangerous foe to his future adversaries.

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