Part 14

As winter came in they spent less and less time outdoors.  In this Northern country, the winters got painfully harsh.  No wonder no one did any campaigning in the cold season.     

The Company spent most of the time exercising in their own barracks, weapons drills in the courtyard, cleaning and doing a whole lot of nothing in the evenings.  Sometimes they were allowed to take a cart into the town that was five miles away and most of her platoon would blow their money in the tavern there. 

“Come on, Greza.  It’s not much but the ale’s not bad,” one of the males said as he put his boots on. 

There was a whole group, nearly half her platoon was going into town.  They had all just gotten paid.  She had never had so much money in her life.  She had never had any money for that matter.  Greza had counted and recounted the coins several times to make sure. 

“No thank you,” Greza said. 

“Are you one of those knee-bending temple types?”  One of the other males asked.

“My religion doesn’t allow me to drink,” she said.

“What worthless religion is that?”  He asked.  He had a clean shaven face and everyone said he liked his reflection more than anyone else.

“The Path of Light.”

“The Path of…wait, is that the church that was a fake?  Their chosen child was killed, right?  It’s been proven to be false.”

“It’s not false.  You simply have to have faith.”

This drew some laughter from the party that was getting ready to leave.

“Forget that hog swill and come with us.  You might actually have a good time.”

“No thank you.” 

Aside from not drinking, she also didn’t want to blow her newly earned money.  She was going to save every coin she could.  For what, she didn’t know, but one day she might leave the Company and she’d need money to live off of.  Maybe she’d buy a quiet farm somewhere.

Eventually the group left and the barracks were quiet again.  There were a few others there.  They were talking, playing cards and writing letters.  

Then one of the females, Burana, walked up and sat down on the bunk across from her.  She had flaming red hair and a face covered in freckles. 

“You believe in the Divine Light?”  Burana asked.

“I do.”

“Why?”

That wasn’t an easy question.  At first she had believed it because Erinad did.  But that hadn’t lasted long.  Soon she had started to see the hand of the gods in her own life.  The more she prayed the more she felt it. 

“I feel them,” Greza said.

“But, what about the Lost Victor?”

“A child was killed.  That isn’t the end of the prophecy.  The gods will fulfill their promise.  They always do.” 

“I follow Stanarius.”

Greza knew a little of Stanarius.  He was a god from the south.  Very ancient.  Ever since the Victor was lost, the religion of Stanarius grew.  They believed that the purpose of this life was to suffer and through suffering they grew closer to their god.  No wonder she didn’t go off to the tavern with the others. 

“Did you join the Company to suffer?”

“That is part of it.  I also needed to,” Burana said, but didn’t elaborate. 

“I needed to as well.”  She didn’t elaborate either. 

“The fortress has a library.  I’ve seen a copy of the Path of Light there.”

A copy of the ancient scriptures?

“Where?”

“Third floor.  East wing.”

She stood up and was about to leave, but she remembered her manners.

“Thank you,” Greza said. 

Burana nodded. 

Greza hurried through the halls and up the stairs.  She passed by other soldiers and was mostly ignored.  She got a few looks.  A half Ork wasn’t a common sight.  She was the only one she knew about. 

She wondered if they thought she was attractive.  It was certain that some of them did or given enough ale they would, but she never knew how she fell with most males.  The nobles that watched her fight would often make lurid remarks, but again she didn’t know if it was whatever beauty she possessed or her lethality they desired. 

It couldn’t be her hair.  Her thick, black hair hung about her face.  She hadn’t bothered to do anything with it today.  If she was training then she’d tie it back or one of the other females would offer to braid it, but other than that she mostly ignored it. 

Eventually she found the library.  It didn’t had more books than Erinad’s room.  Instead of being stacked in piles, the books were on shelves.  Dozens of shelves.  Each shelf was labeled.  History, philosophy, science, war, biographies, instructional, stories and religion. 

She quickly found the copy of “The Path of Light.”  It was the dustiest book on that shelf.  Opening it up she found that it was in good shape with clear lettering.  Like most books, it was in Imperial.  Printing started in the Empire so Imperial had become the language of books. 

With the precious book clutched to her chest, she hurried back to her barracks.  The female quarters were empty so she had plenty of solitude to read. 

She lay on her bunk and opened the book to the first page.  She’d never read the book cover to cover.  Erinad had always jumped around and taught by topic.  But finally she had the scriptures to read and she’d get to know this book like she knew herself. 

As she read she was amazed at the depth, complexity and (surprisingly) the overwhelming melancholy of the writing.  She had never thought of the scriptures as sad.  It seemed that the writers were in mourning for the sins of the world and the suffering that went on. 

It was late at night before she finally grew too tired to continue.  She marked her place with a weapon cleaning cloth and closed her eyes.  It was a half day tomorrow so she’d be able to sleep in. 

In the morning the bunks were covered in soldiers that were mostly still dressed.  They must have returned late at night and been too exhausted to do much more than collapse in bed. 

She took her book to the cafeteria and read as she ate. 

“The savage can read?  Or is she looking at the pictures?”  A familiar voice said. 

She looked up to see Hyrin flanked by three other men.  They all had that arrogant “Alpha” look to them, but they were followers, not leaders.

She ignored them and went back to her book. 

“Maybe she’s just trying to look smart?”  One of followers said.

“It aint working,” Hyrin said.  “I saw you got moved to the infantry front lines.  Perfect place for a mindless brute.”

If they were trying to anger her, they’d have to do much worse.  Their childish taunting was nothing compared to the vicious and biting insults of her Dark Elf masters.  They had had an instinct for finding her weakness and sticking the knife there.  These men were clumsy amateurs.  

Then her book was snatched out of her hands. 

“What’s the savage reading?”  Hyrin looked at the book and frowned.  “Path of Light?  Don’t tell me you actually believe this dung.”

“Give it back,” she said.

He just laughed. 

If she fought him, she’d win but she’d be thrown in jail, lashed and possibly kicked out. 

Instead she calmly stood up, then leapt across the table catching them by surprise.  She grabbed the book out of his hand and brought herself to stand face to face with him.  She could smell the fear on him. 

“Do you really want to fight me?”  She asked. 

He stood there, staring at her with wide eyes, fear clouding his thoughts.  Then he gulped and spoke.

“Let’s go, friends.  Leave the savage to her picture book.” 

They left and she went back to her meal.  She ignored the people that were now looking at her.  Maybe they thought she was a violent brute as well.  She didn’t care.  All her life she had been stared at and scorned.  This was nothing new.