knees. 'I'm useless,' he sighed.
'Not true.'
'So you say.'
'You're unskilled, that's all.'
'It's not just that. I'm…' He looked around to see if anybody was in earshot, and whispered, ' I'm afraid.'
'Good.'
'What?'
'Nothing wrong with fear. Show me an orc who goes into battle without it and I'll show you a fool.'
'I don't understand.'
'Fear is a warrior's ally. It's a spur, a dagger to the back. Courage isn't being without fear. It's overcoming fear. If you're wise you'll make it your friend, and turn it on your enemy. Understanding that is what makes our race so skilled at warfare.'
'Then why don't the orcs here see it that way?'
'Somehow, I don't why, they've gone wrong.'
'Have they? They live in peace. They're not bent on death and destruction the way we are. Maybe I should have been born in Acurial.'
'I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Look where their ways have landed them. You should be proud of your heritage.'
'You sound like my sire. He was always telling me what I should be, and saying I was a coward.'
'It's hard trying to follow in the footsteps of a great orc like your father. But he was wrong to call you a coward.'
'You must be the only one around here who believes that. Everybody hates me.'
'No they don't.'
'They hate me because of who I am. And those Wolverines who died… it was my fault.'
'It wasn't. Get that through your head. I know what it's like being an outsider too, and trying to fill somebody else's boots. But if you want the band's respect, don't throw away your birthright. Honour it.'
'That's easy said.'
'You can start by working on your training. Really working.'
Wheam stared at the discarded staff. 'I'm not very good at this.'
Dallog stooped, took hold of the staff and held it out to him. Wheam grasped it and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.
'Look at your foe,' Dallog said, nodding at the swaying dummy. 'It's everything you feel bitter about. Everything you hate and fear. It's all the bile you've stored up about this warband, about yourself, about… your father.'
Wheam let out a piercing yell and rushed at the dummy. He set about beating it, swinging the staff wide and hard, delivering great clouts. After three or four blows straw started to spill from the dummy's split torso. Wheam carried on thrashing it.
'Good!' Dallog exclaimed. 'Good!'
The farmhouse door opened. Stryke and Coilla came in.
As they passed, Coilla called out, 'Good job, Wheam!'
The youth beamed and continued the battering.
'He could be of some use yet,' she said.
'If we ever have to fight dummies,' Stryke replied.
They made their way to a large room at the back of the house that had been set aside as a refectory. Hardly any of the benches were occupied. They picked one farthest away from anybody else.
There was a water butt at the end of their table. Coilla ladled herself a cup, then took a swig. 'I still can't get over it.'
'Jennesta? It should be no surprise; Serapheim said she was here. It's why we came.'
'Knowing she's close makes it sort of more real. Back in Maras-Dantia we spent a lot of time trying to get as far away from her as we could. It seems strange doing the opposite.'
'I'd like to get near enough to slit her throat.'
'Who wouldn't? It'd certainly help bring on the rebellion Sylandya wants.'
'But an attack on Jennesta's going to be a suicide mission.'
'Is it? The resistance has spies in the fortress. Maybe they could get us in.'
'It's a thought. I'll talk to Brelan and Chillder. Though their minds are going to be on other things. Like trying to incite an uprising in thirteen… no, twelve days.'
'Surely they'd see how taking out Jennesta would aid that.'
'They might see the benefit; I don't think they'd be keen to allot their stretched forces to it.'
'They wouldn't have to. If we can get help from the inside it'd take just a couple of us to do the job. I'm thinking stealth rather than storming the place.'
'You're counting on Jennesta being that easy to overcome. Blades against sorcery; it'd be a close call.'
'I'm willing to try. See if the twins can get us a plan of the fortress. That'd be a start.'
'I'll ask.'
She raised the cup again and drained it. 'Talking of plans, what chance do you think they have with this comet thing?'
'It turns on a lot of maybes. But it's all they've got.'
She smiled. 'I nearly put my foot in it when they were talking about the waning moon. I didn't even know this world had a moon.'
'Me neither.'
'There's so much we don't know. I keep thinking I'm going to give us away. Though I wonder how bad that would be.'
'If they knew where we were really from? It's too big a risk. Orcs are different here. We don't know how they'd take it.'
'They're different all right, and not just in being so timid about fighting. I mean, a state? Cities? It's not what orcs do. If I thought we had no way of getting home again — '
'The star's still safe?'
'Don't look so anxious. Course it is.' She slapped the pouch at her waist. 'Stop worrying about it.'
The farmhouse door slammed loudly. They turned to see Haskeer swaggering in. Pausing only to throw a disparaging remark at Wheam and Dallog, he joined them at the table.
'How's my fellow heroes this morning?' he said.
'Oh, shut up about that,' Coilla chided.
'That's not showing much respect for the prophecy.'
'Only idiots believe in prophecies.'
He ignored the insult and looked about the room. 'Anything to drink?'
'Not the kind you want,' Stryke told him, nodding at the water barrel.
Haskeer pulled a face. 'No alcohol, no crystal, no action. Where's the fun? I thought we were getting a revolution started.'
'There'll be fighting enough, and soon.'
'Good. I'm keen for a bit of mayhem.'
'We all are. How are the new recruits shaping up?'
'All right.' He shot Wheam a scornful glance. 'Mostly.'
'I need to count on them. They have to work as part of the band and — '
'Don't sweat it, Stryke. They're knuckling down.'
'I'll hold you to account on that.'
Haskeer would have come back, had Jup and Spurral not arrived. He greeted them with, 'Ah, the pisspots.'
'How'd you like that water butt shoved up your butt?' Spurral asked.
'Ooohhh!' Haskeer lifted his hands in feigned dread. 'Call her off, Jup!'
