FicWad

Athrum finally found the strength to pull herself to her feet and wander back to her parents hut. She stopped short, Selm was sitting on one of the large logs that surround the fire in the middle of the village. He was happily recounting his travels to all that were listening. She took a deep breath as his thick hands moved with his words she couldn't fully hear, she was drawn to him. His black hair was in the normal plait along with his chin hair which had been separated into two different braids. It gave him a sterner look than she liked, he tossed his head back, his laughter echoed over her like a fresh breeze.

Her feet froze to the ground when her eyes landed upon the female at Selm's side, this dark skinned female picked up the story easily. She elbowed the nearest guard who glanced at her. "Who is that?" She whispered.

"Selm's mate," he answered and waved a hand to her wanting to hear the rest of the story.
Athrum's heart pounded so hard she couldn't hear anything beyond it, the ground seemed to vibrate with it under her feet. Her stomach hit her toes as acid bubbled up her throat. She clutched at her stomach as another element of her future was whisked away from her.

Everything was thrown into a structured chaos when an alarm was sounded, the lands shaking grew to a quiet thunder. A raid party of ogres approached the thick wooden fence. They forced their way through the entrance batting the guards aside like flies. Everyone armed themselves and rushed the invaders. Children and the elderly hurried for the safety of the largest building near the center of the village.

Athrum found herself frozen with indecision, her gaze fell to her feet which a long handled axe caught her eye. She drew a breath, if she wasn't suppose to do anything she was told from the beginning of her life. She felt nothing left but to die in the heat of battle. Her fingers enveloped the leather wrapped hilt, she hefted the heavy weapon. She ran toward the fight, a roar of challenge flowed out of her.

She vaulted into the fray, the mighty head of the axe fell upon the nearest ogre slicing the arm to the bone rendering it useless. Warm blood sprayed over her as she fell back a step to swing the long weapon, her muscles hummed under the unfamiliar strain. It weighed more than any staff she had wielded before, it felt good and right. The feeling she had gained upon the day she had killed the talbuk lashed against her, until her whole body pulsed with the power.

The axe hit the wounded ogre in the chest ripping through the rib cage, the monster barely got a scream out before the fat body slammed against the ground. The handle was torn from her grip, she started to climb the mountain of fat to gain access to the axe. Another ogre's club hit her in the hip sending her a few feet away from the fallen, the thick log that made up the fence stopped her flight. The wind was knocked from her lungs, she rolled on her side as she gasped
and tried to force herself to breath.

She watched as the ogre moved toward her, she was able to gain control over her facilities fast enough to roll away from the club that thundered against the ground inches from her. Dirt and bits of rocks flew up pelting her face and shoulders like a thousand knife tips.

The ogre grabbed her braid and yanked her toward him, she struggled as she was hauled off with the rest of the retreating party. The meaty feet covered the ground swiftly between garadar and the mountain that they have held up for generations.

Athrum was shoved into a cage, which was quickly locked and the fat jailors went into the cave to lick their wounds. She tested the six sides of her small prison, which was well crafted with little weakness in the structure. She sat in the back of the cage that was only big enough for her to stand upright but not sit with her legs stretched out. She leaned her head against the back and closed her eyes, her whole back pounded with agony. Her chest added to that torment from all the torture she had endured in such a short time. Her mind wandered to her favorite daydream, which her being kidnapped and later rescued by Selm. Well, she had only one element right in the drama from her mind. She was indeed captured, her eyes opened and landed upon the road that had brought her to this point.

She doubted that there would be any sort of rescue from him. Athrum frowned at the circumstances that now surrounded her. She had always seen her own future so plainly before, now it was grays and uncertain. She wallowed in this unhappy thought for a long while, not even her active imagination was any help.

Time slipped by as she slept until her muscles cramped, she forced herself to stand and stretch her legs as best as she could. Slowly, the cages littered about the grounds were filled every time the raiding party returned. More people torn from their homes to fill the appetites of the ogres. For just as swiftly as they were filled, the unfortunate prisoners would be taken in the cave never to return.

Athrum grew even more restless, a rescue party should have been sent by now. She wasn't going to last much longer not as hungry as these ogres apparently were. It seemed she had to free herself, she waited for the patrol to move by before she started kicking at the door of her cage.

The sentry stopped and peered in her direction, he thundered toward her and picked up her cage and shook it violently. Her head was slammed against nearly every side of the cage like a child's plaything, she was limp upon the bottom of the cage when the orge finally dropped it. The wounds on her face and arms were reopened and freely bleeding once again, she held her head in effort to gain her senses. The ogre continued on his rounds satisfied the morsel would behave.

Athrum's attention snapped toward a movement near her cage, the tall grass parted and the smell of tanned leather drafted over her. Karga was hunched down half hidden by the cage, she had that grin on her face that normally annoyed her. In this instance, she was overjoyed to see it. She glanced over to the sentry and shifted closer to the orc female. "What are you doing?"

"I find the clan wanting without you," she whispered with a shrug. "I came to spring you." She freed delicate tools that had been crafted specially for lock picking.

Athrum's brow knitted with confusion, she had no idea how to use such things. She glanced at the monster who was holding fast near the road, a thick hand scratched the exposed butt cheek.
"Where are the others? You brought backup right?"

Kagra shook her head, her eyes flickering to the thick ogre than back to clanmate. "It is just me," she tip toed to the front of the cage and started working on opening the lock.

"So you have a plan to get us out of here?"

"Sure," she answered, her face set with concentration.

Athrum was very doubtful with that answer, she decided that dying on the run was much better than anything the ogres had planned for her in that cave. The lock opened with a click, both orc's held their breath glancing back at the patrol who yawned and stretched and went back to scratching his rear. Athrum's stomach twisted with fear of discovery as the cage door opened noiselessly, the pair scurried toward the tall grasses in effort to stay hidden from sight.

Their flight ended abruptly when another patrol stood in the middle of the path that would lead them to freedom, both pressed their bodies against the outcropping. It was far too steep to climb and go around, jumping off the other side of the path would only end in tears with broken bones or death.

Athrum glanced about the area for any possible weapon, there was only rock, grass and dirt. Not much could be done with those, she frowned and glanced at Karga who was at a loss. Clearly, she didn't plan the escape just the rescue part. She made a mental note to slap her in the head if they survive this little adventure.

She picked up a rock, it had some good weight and reasonable in size. It would do some serious damage if it hit right, she aimed for the head. Karga caught on the idea seizing her own stone missile, she wound up and threw it with all she had. A small grunt escaped her as the stone left her palm, it shot through the air and clipped the horn that was sticking from the ogre's head.

Wide eyed, Athrum pressed her body against Karga's who found herself pinned between the steep cliff and her clan mate. The ogre looked up as if the object had fallen from the sky, Athrum licked her lips as her mind raced. If the guard called brought attention they would certainly be done for. She rushed the ogre, her shoulder dipped low which slammed into the squishy belly of the stunned creature. The ogre backpedaled his arms flaying in attempt to regain balance. Athrum frowned as the beast was able save himself from falling over the edge as she had hoped. Gripping the rock a little harder, she ran back to Karga and then back at the creature. She sprung into the air, swinging the rock as if it were a mighty axe.

The stone connected with skull with a loud crunch and splatter of blood, she kept hitting as the ogre's body fell to the ground. Her rage overwhelming her, all her emotional stress still fresh. Her body roared with life finally free to move as it should.

Karga dodged a few of the swings and grabbed the other's arms. "It's dead, let's go."

Breathing hard, she blinked at the female as reality of their situation was realized. The face was a simple crater of blood and bone, she left the rock in the concave. She tore the thick club from the creatures dead hand and the pair raced down the path. Armed with female suffering and a really big club, she cleared the rest of the ogre's stupid enough to attempt to stop them.

The pair walked toward the village, Athrum carried the club on her shoulder. Her body was covered in blood. Than she realized the damage that had been left behind the raiding party, many huts were mere skeletons and a few were still smoking from recent fires. Bodies wrapped with care were lined near the broken outer fence, a few of the shamans were performing the last rites for the honored dead. She had been so focused she hadn't realized what else was going on. She closed her eyes at her selfish thoughts while she was in the cage. She didn't even think that there were others suffering.

Rebuilding was easy enough even without those who had fallen, with each passing day of backbreaking labor Athurm felt a little stronger in body. Her mind stayed relatively quiet as she worked to re-establish the fortification around the village. At night, she would fall asleep with ease from the long day before and wake up, eat and do it all again.

She found adulthood was not full of glitter and glory after all.