A Saga Begins

[Mazguul]

(( OOC: As requested by Claws, I have decided to actually do a 'Mazzy Saga'. I'll try to update it regularly so that those curious few can keep an eye on what the she-orc is up to during the long weeks away from the tribe (if I had more time I really would be online more). Some might be short entries, others might be essays. Just remember this is purely for my amusement and it's also a good way for me to remember what happened to the nutter

Let this be the first of many.... ))

Mazguul stared into the depths of her pint glass which seemed to worry the Goblin that was cleaning up the empty glasses at the Inn in Ratchett.

He's seen the she-orc come in here for years. Some times alone, occasionally with a group of orcs wearing similar grab to her and infrequently with a troll. Yet he had never seen her not drink. It was normally something she started doing before she had even sat down yet this time she was just sitting there, and had been for almost four hours. Her unusually blue eyes doing nothing but watching the patterns in the liquid as she stirred her finger round in lazy circles.

Worried that he might loose a valued customer, for few drank so much spent so much and never caused trouble, he approached her. Though he was sure not to get too close to the creepy transparent cat resting in the corner of the room Ravage sat up to growl at the goblin anyway.

"Um. Miss Orc?"

Mazguul grunted in acknowledgement though still didn't look up. "Wha' you want?" she grumbled eventually when she realised she would not get rid of the goblin so easily.

"Errrr... something wrong with the drink?"

"Nope." Came the short and swift reply.

"Right, right, good. So I'll.... just leave you to it."

Mazguul didn't bother to reply as the goblin scurried off. She had no idea why she was here, she wasn't supposed to drink, not 'in her possible condition'. The she-orc snarled at this thought. Oh she had really done it this time; 'it never rains but it pours' was something her sire had always told her. He was right. So right. Still, she sat in this Inn, as she had done since she had first found it, to pass the time and to see if Zandii turned up.

The she-orc didn't know what was going to happen to her and she disliked the unknown. She was fairly sure she was with pup and she had no doubt in her mind that they were not of her current mate but her previous. She didn't know how Vargosh would react to the news, for the last thing she wanted was to disappoint anyone. If she even was with pup, the spirits had been so unclear on the matter. And where WAS that damned troll?!

No sooner had Mazguul started to wonder where Zandii had got to, than a hand snatched the glass she had been stirring. Mazguul looked up at a rather young female troll.

"Whaz up, Orcie?" the troll grinned, flashing her yellowed teeth as she did so before taking a long swig of the pint. She smacked her lips and put the glass down firmly, keeping hold of it in her thin clawed hands. "Gobo sayed yu niid'd mi"

Mazguul snorted. "Aye, I actually be needin' yers fer once. Need yers to confirm a pregnancy" the she-orc said as she sat back and folded her arms. "Think yers can do it without killin' anthin'?"

"Mi bi good troll!" Zandii replied with a hurt look "An' who dat bi fr? Fr yu? Dat bi easi coz dem kitteh" she pointed at Ravage "sai twins for shur and shi bi knowin' dat type o'ting shi sayed. Bi tinkin' mabbay yu niid'd ti hear it fr'm mi before believin'."

Mazguul blinked. Zandii grinned.

In that moment the sheer weight of what was going on suddenly hit Mazguul. She had promised Vargosh his own pups and here she was carrying Osan's. While half of her was delighted the other half was dreading the consequences. She cared for both the Orc and the Mok'Nathal just as much as each other, really she did... but until she spoke to her mate she had no idea what to do. She wondered if just running and leaving the tribe was the best thing. Would Vargosh even want her any longer? Where was she going to bring the two little darlings up? Was it fair to include Osan in all of this?! Would Vargosh want Osan included? Who in grom's name was going to deliver them? (For one horrible moment the idea of Gruulg delivering the pups popped into her head). All these and a thousand more questions flooded into Mazguul's mind.

"Dat aside, yu readi fr tranin' wid dem spirits?" Zandii continued causally - that Mazguul had frozen to the spot didn't seem to put the troll off chatting. "Corse wi have ti stop when dem puppies com alon'. Liddle green uglies... yu bedder tell mi where yu gonna bi livin' wid dem. Can't habe dem with di lifestyle yu have now. Yu niid real home. Dems gonna niid dems fadder too, 'specially wid two. Orcie? Yu bi okay? Yu look cross. Summid I sai? Orcie? Orcie, Orcie, Orcie? Maz? Oi! Yu listenin'? Wi start makin' yu a shaman now? Dis bi aboud dem twins? Stop lookin' like you want to crai! Yur an Orc!!!"

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Outside of the tavern, two little birds were sitting on a fence. Or they were until a shout of 'GROM-DAMMIT!!!!!!' from a she-orc sent them flying into the air in a panic of screeches and feathers.

(( And so.... the saga begins... ))

[Vargosh]

((I've got a STRONG feeling I wont be a member of this guild much longer.

I have this feeling Kozgugore would kick Varg's arse out so hard and permanently if Varg finds out of whoms pups that Maz is carrying.
Quite dissapointed myself Irl too. :<

But, heck, nice written.))

[Kozgugore]

(( I don't see how Koz has anything to do with this, but ah well, RP!

Nice set of yarns at least, Maz. Nice to see some other orcs finally setting some storylines in motion, too! *Cheer* ))

[Vargosh]

((The things Varg would do ICly.
Being demoted twice and already not be the favourite, well this will probably make Koz forced to kick Varg. :< ))

[Kozgugore]

(( Koz ain't forced to do anything. Things go as they go. But someorc'd have to do something very crazy for him to shove his boot someplace. But heck, this is about the story, which certainly doesn't deserve a righteous boot up the buttock! ))

[Morgeth]

((Loved the story, and I'm a famed fan of drama anyway. Your stories are always quite captivating, Maz. She's an interesting character, to say the least. And who doesn't have mantrouble? D:))

[Osan the Orc]

Nice read Mazzy! Gotta like the Drama:D

[Mazguul]

Totems

As the morning sun slowly rose and spilled light onto the Barrens a herd of Gazelle were being hunted by a large wolf. A wolf who's dark blue coat crackled with static. Flickers of lightning jumped across it's body and it's eyes were of storms; Bloodrend was his name. Named after Mazguul's own mate.

While the wolf crouched in a thicket, waiting for the chance to strike, his Mistress was up on a hillside occasionally glancing down at him. She wondered if the wolf knew just how conspicuous he was in this environment.

Mazguul did not sit alone. In fact two figures sat there casting their shadows down the hillside.

Both figures looked a little worse for wear. One was a severely hungover troll, the other a depressed orc. The troll cradled her head occasionally groaning and muttering things along the lines of 'never again', while the orc had a knife in her hand. The knife was being used to carve Mazguul's latest attempt at a totem. Zandii, the hungover troll, had assured Mazguul that as a fledgeling shaman the orc would need one of these... and it needed to look 'just right'.

"Sin de maat yit?" Zandii asked.

Mazguul shook her head.

"Who else bi knowin'?" the troll continued to probe.

"Just Osan" Mazguul replied absent-mindedly, her attention was more focused on what she was doing than the troll's verbal diarrhea. "Then again I did tell him I weren't sure."

"Sooooooo. Di ex bi knowin', that yu mite bi?"

Mazguul nodded.

"Hi's pleased?"

Mazguul paused for a moment and thought back to the night when she had told Osan. She wasn't too sure why she had done it. But, after he had yelled at her for a good half an hour non-stop for allegedly stirring things between himself and Vargosh, the conversation turned to less harsh things. They both admitted things to each other. She'd been forced to admit things to herself too.

"He be pleased in some ways I be guessin'"

"Dis mite bi a silly quaastin, bu' wai tell di ex?" Zandii asked, cutting off Mazguul's thoughts

Mazguul's eyes narrowed. "Shut up an' start talkin' about summit else?" Mazguul snarled then turned back to her carving.

Zandii sat up and leaned right over so that she could rest her chin on Mazguul's shoulder. Her attention was focused on the totem in Mazguul's hands. While she was pleased that Mazguul was taking the lesson seriously and now had the ability to use her hands enough to carve things (for before Vargosh had found Mazguul a healer the she-orc could barely picking things up for old burn scars), Zandii could not help but feel the need to mention something.

"Looks constupaat'd" Zandii remarked.

The she-orc stopped what she was doing and looked down at the totem. She turned it this way and that yet no matter which angle she looked at it from the face she had carved into the totem now looked constipated.

Damned troll.

With a grunt of frustration Mazguul threw the totem over her shoulder and into a pile of twelve other rejects.

"Ya'll git dere, Orcie" Zandii said and patted Mazguul on the head in a belittling fashion. "Sum uf oos git di knack. Yu niid mur praktiss"

Soon enough though the troll was doubled over in pain from an elbow in the ribs from Mazguul. The latter picked up yet another 'blank' and started carving again with a merry little whistle.

(( Thankies for the replies people =)

I'm sorry, Vargosh. I didn't mean this to cause conflict but rather to give my character a little kick up the bum in the storyline department. ))

[Mazguul]

Shattering

A hand reached out and grabbed her by the neck, lifting her up off the floor and choking her. She scrabbled at the paw to get free. But the owner of the hand was too strong, so strong that even as Mazguul thrashed to get free the hand stayed where it was. There was no release other than death. Her world started to go dark, the hand tightened it's grip, crushing her windpipe. She couldn't breath, her lungs were on fire as they gasped for air yet found none. She tried to cry out. She tried to beg Vargosh for forgiveness. At that moment she would have given anything to have those hate filled eyes turn calm once again. She loathed to see him like this and she didn't want to die.

Just as her lungs felt as though they were going to implode Mazguul woke up from her nightmare with a start. She sat up suddenly, gasping for breath, drenched in sweat from terror. She looked around wildly, briefly not knowing where she was until a soft noise next to her made her snap her attention to the sleeping form at her side. She relaxed a little as Osan seemed so peaceful.

The events of the night before flooded back into her mind and with a whimper she rolled over. A hand reached up to her face. A face still tender from having been kicked by a furious Mok'Nathal - she'd forever be missing her right tusk.

Having been literally thrown into the gutter by Vargosh, his rage had known no bounds, she had been forced to watch as her world fell apart. Her mate had abandoned her, vowed to kill the father of her pups and... she couldn't blame him for leaving. She had destroyed his everything. As for challenging Osan she was completely shocked. As far as she was concerned this was between herself and Vargosh therefore including the orc was not, in her opinion, fair. Yet there was nothing she could do to stop it.

After Vargosh had strangled and beaten her - Osan had found her and had picked her up out of the dirt. He'd ferreted her away somewhere safe, somewhere quiet. This place. He'd patched her up, listened to what had happened and had given her no choice but to be his once more. 'She owed him' he had said. And she did, at this rate she'd get him killed. She should have never left him, hurt him. Or she should have never told him or Vargosh a thing. She should have left without a word.

She rolled onto her other side and rested her head on Osan's chest. Her unusual coloured eyes watched the orc as he slept.  She had tried to love too many, while her own heart was large enough she continued to forget the others were not so inclined. The she-orc sighed at herself. If Vargosh took away the only love she had left-

A snort from outside brought her attention back to reality and back to the little place high in the hills. Ravage was on the prowl.

Mazguul's eyes turned away sadly from Osan and she rolled back over to try to sleep some more. She closed her eyes, fearful of the days to come yet tonight the very spirits watched over them. Hopefully the spirits would continue to do so.

Oddly enough, her thoughts turned to Morgeth... Mazguul missed her sister's council.

(( If anyone wishes me to re-write the events as I have recorded them (from the Mazzy's point of view of course... which isn't necessarily 'what actually happened') then please do mention it and I shall be more than happy to edit it with good enough reason on the part of others ))

[Vargosh]

((I was , to be completely honest, not in any way liking what I had to make Vargosh do. Damnit. D:
But Vargosh, is Vargosh, and he got pretty screwed by Mazguul.

Background story, as Mazguul know, it's pretty obvious why, Vargosh did what he did.

Nice read, nevertheless.))

[Mazguul]

(( This post is also related to:
http://orcsoftheredblade.com/forum/index.php?topic=2034.0 - the ransome note
and
http://orcsoftheredblade.com/forum/index.php?topic=2035.msg19650#new - chieftain's organisation ))

Kidnapped

Mazguul sat, curled up and hugging her knees to her chest, watching the door to the large 'Tauren tent thing' where she had been placed. Having only a knife to hand as a weapon was not at all comforting.

Outside she could see the taurens known as Grimtotem milling about and getting on with life. Well... they seemed to be preparing for something, watching and waiting.

She had been told her Tribe had been notified as to the fact that herself and Osan had been kidnapped. If Osan had been in this same tent too it made have made this entire thing more bearable. That she had no idea where he was made her even more desperate to escape.

"But they are coming" she internally told herself again, and again "...or are they...? Three more days and I'll make a break for it. Find Osan. And get us out of here. Good... I really should stop talking to myself. Not good. Going mad. Must tell the other voices to stop. SHUT UP!"

She hoped someone would come... the stress of the past week was making her mind loose control over dampening the whispers in her mind. Already she could hear little but the growing volume of indecipherable chatter in her head. So many voices, too many voices: she had to concentrate on something else!

Quickly her mind turned to other thoughts. Such as possible rescue (though she had a strong feeling a ransom would be too high a price for her tribe to pay) and she severely hoped they had something alcoholic with them if they did. Not that she'd manage to drink much of it. The pups would easily cope with a pint but currently she was feeling like her insides were trying to crawl out of her throat - morning sickness had always hit Mazguul badly before and this time was no different.

Whimpering to herself, hoping against hope that she would see a friendly face again, she hugged her knees all the more and continued to wait.

[Claws]

((Please slow down Mazguul can't keep up, me and my big mouth again i guess  ))

Nice work

[Mazguul]

(( Don't worry, I'll be slowing down soon. And yes, 'you and your big mouth'; this saga thing is getting addictive *looks scared*

Naw, I'm just teasing, Claws Thank you for the idea, and thank you for reading these mind splatters. ))

[Mazguul]

(( A little mind fart that doesn't tell anyone anything nor go anywhere - it's purely for my benefit   ))

Fire

Mazguul sat gazing into the flames of the small camp-fire she had haphazardly created for the soul purpose of keeping her company. Her thoughts continuously returned to the conversation between the Shaman of the tribe.

"What can we do for the rest of the tribe?"

The she-orc recalled the question put forth by Xaryah. She chewed on a finger absent-mindedly as she continued to contemplate and she might have stayed there all night had a nudge not disturbed her. The distinct sound of something small begin dropped to the floor made the she-orc look round.

Ravage, Mazguul's spirit companion, had brought food again. Mazguul was unsure if the spirit of the hunt did so out of kindness, loyalty or sheer necessity but she was grateful nonetheless.

"As if I not be fat enough" Mazguul grumbled at the offering of mauled rabbit - or she assumed it was once a rabbit.

She picked up the 'unidentified creature' between fore-finger and thumb. She held up the thing and looked at it in disgust. She supposed it looked edible. A kick from her insides that felt like butterflies in her stomach reminded her that the two pups she carried needed sustenance no matter how unappetising the thing to be eaten looked.

Kicking off her boots the she-orc took out a flick knife from her belt and deftly took the blade between her toes. Even after finally having her hands restored to a non-crippled condition she still found the daintier tasks easier to perform with her feet. She worked quickly, gutting and skinning the rabbit, her hands places on her large pup filled belly and her feet doing all the work. Some old habits were hard to break.

Other habits were hard to break too. Such as keeping her herself to herself and assuming that the others orcs were no longer interested in the spirits or their guidance. Perhaps it was time to be more open with her rituals, offer to include other orcs. After all the rites she had researched and the couple she had performed were for the benefit of the tribe. There had been interest for sure. One had even asked for a specific rite: one to appease the spirits of frost for deep winter was fast approaching.

Having filleted the rabbit-come-rodent she placed the slivers on a large flat rock to slowly cook. Ravage wandered behind the she-orc, laying down to become a willing back-rest. The fire began to slowly die.

It had not been that long ago that the spirits had allowed her to continue to live after she had left her life in their hands. Only a month had passed since she properly communed with the spirits of water: the only elementals that seemed content to grant her their blessings. It had been an even shorter time still that her Chieftain had invited her to see if she could speak with beasts other than wolves. It was only the previous day that she had attempted to speak with the spirits of fire and the results had been... well... nothing had happened at all. Was she even ready to undertake the task of performing a tribal ritual? She thought not.

Her thoughts returned, as they always did, to her sister. She wondered if perhaps she should take up Krogon's offer in order to help Morgeth. First she would have to- her thoughts stopped abruptly as another matter came to attention. Seeing that the fire had gone out completely Mazguul kicked a few smouldering logs back into the centre of the ring of stones. She did not even think as she placed a hand upon them then let go. A moment later and flames sprang from the wood.

Mazguul blinked. Fire had heard her call. She decided that perhaps it was time for her to try communing with them again. Such an invite was not to be taken lightly.

[Kozgugore]

(( Whoop! Little brainfarts are always welcome, albeit a little smelly. Nice, little read! ))