Rise of the Warrior of Everfen

Chapter 59: Dishonorment

They stood at the edge of the table as Lohke set down the letter. It was probably the third or fourth time he'd read it and he finally leaned back in his chair. He'd read it out loud to them when they arrived, read it who knew how many times beforehand. Erinne watched him for a long moment before she reached for the letter and skimmed over it herself. She took in every word and sighed, laying it down and moved to a chair. Cold Hammer remained standing, the first to speak in a long time, "So they want blood for blood?" He questioned low in his throat.

"They want Chief Gussten's blood." Lohke murmured in response, covering his face, wiping his hands down and then sighing. "I cannot give them a chief. If I do nothing, I risk the treaty officially coming apart. It's barely holding on."

"I'll write to Wren again." Erinne said but Lohke shook his head.

"It has done little. The families of the two men killed insist they would have never done said crimes. I have orc witnesses that say otherwise. Wren's suggestion could come at a terrible cost. Putting our orcs on their side of the border to discuss what happened, bear witness...the humans are already up in arms over this. I fear they would disagree and kill whatever orcs I send there."

"Then let me go." She said softly. "I am human in their eyes, I've helped with these matters before."

"They will not hold you in high esteem. You were there, they will demand to know why you didn't stop it."

"I know, and I'll answer truthfully, but if we do not solve this soon there is going to be war. Six months of correspondence between leaders is driving both sides mad. The orcs are up in arms, they're ready for battle if the humans should cross the border. The humans are damn near crazed enough to do it. Trade has stopped between our two races. For three years it flourished, we can get it back to that."

"I worry it will never return to that, Sheobulf. I fear for the future."

"We all do," Cold Hammer said, "but Erinne is right. You can't keep sending letters back and forth to King Wren. It's taking too much time. The families of the two humans grow ever anxious for what they see as justice, they're rallying more humans to their cause everyday. Wren is not his people. If they decide to break from his rulings, they'll cross our borders and the treaty will be broken anyways. You and Wren need to act."

"Agree to the meeting, Chieftain, but tell Wren in place of orcs, you're sending the human who bore witness to the execution."

"The families will be there. Are you prepared for what they may say to you?"

"Traitor, orc lover, orc whore..." She shrugged. "I have heard these things before. I will be fine."

Cold Hammer snorted and added in the words he had often been called, "Traitor, human lover, pet, coward." They both knew the insults, both heard them from both races.

Lohke looked troubled over that. "Pardon? People say that to you? Orcs say that to you?"

Cold Hammer snickered, "Did you expect everything would be perfect?"

"She is a Killerfrost. Who dares question you and her?"

"Killerfrosts accept me just fine," Erinne rejoined the conversation. "Other clans, not always so much. It is not a big deal, Lohke. We have learned to ignore it and move on. Besides, most orcs quit throwing insults when he grabs his hammer. They still fear him. It's easy to insult someone from a crowd and he can't pin point who you are, less easy when he just threatens to take on the whole crowd at once. That usually shuts them up."

Lohke looked even more disturbed, "Orcs have done that to you? Both of you?"

"Yes," Erinne nodded, "we visit a lot of clans, it's bound to happen."