Strange Tidings

The two orghs had made a fire and were now trying to eat and speak in their harsh tongue at the same time. They had not noticed Doigan following them on foot, his horse Jasnaya following closely behind. The little horse was as good a hunter as Doigan, and knew how and when to keep still.

Doigan wondered. The presence of two orghs would normally be cured by some work with a good spear; it would not be cause for puzzlement. But one of these orghs was different, he seemed to blend in with the surroundings and from time to time he would disappear altogether! Was this an orgh-bugu? Doigan had never seen such as these, and out of curiosity he decided to follow these two.

The strange orgh poked the fire absentmindedly with a stick. Suddenly he looked straight at Doigan and jumped up! Doigan was as surprised as the orgh; they where not smart, and he would be ashamed to admit that one had spotted him when he was hiding. He rushed into the clearing, taking the advantage of surprise. The orghs crouched low, back to back, weapons at the ready. Doigan jabbed his spear at the chest of the strange orgh, who winked out of existence. His smaller companion swung a crude, rusty sword about a few times, then he ran off, leaving a very confused Doigan in the clearing. Orghs were normally simple creatures; they attack and fight until they can no more.

A noise behind made him turn. The disappearing orgh had reappeared and shot a bow at Jasnaya. With a cry of rage Doigan launched himself at the harw-orgh with the odd-looking bow, when two more of them appeared among the trees. The harw-orgh tried to dodge but took a spear in the throat, and went down in a stream of gurgles. Doigan stopped to grab the orgh's bow, knowing that the ayimag's bugus would be interested in this, as the orghs had never carried such weapons before. At the same time, Jasnaya drove off one of the remaining orghs, but the other was there still, and the horse had taken many mortal wounds. One spear-thrust finished the orgh, but it was too late.

Jasnaya sagged down on his front knees, and fell over. Kneeling beside the horse, Doigan allowed himself to weep. And much later, in the light of the setting sun, he could still be seen there, keeping watch over his friend.

The clear note of a familiar horn wafted over the treetops. Doigan stood up and looked back on his fallen comrade once more, and whispered two soft words "Daraa bajartaj". He swallowed hard, then gripped his spear and set out back towards the tosgon.

© 2001 Ronald In'tvelt