Grimlok The Strong

Chapter Five : The Orcs In Cracked Tusk Keep

It wasn't a very pleasant trip travelling to Cracked Tusk Keep.

Our heroes got attacked by two cave bears and the horses fled in terror. Rendering them suplies-less and exhausted from walking all the way. But Grimlok was used to that, he did ascend the seven thousand steps up to High Hrothgar and he still does everytime he has to go there. But poor Belrand, he had to stop to catch his breath every once in a while.

They would often speak of how rich they might be after this quest. A home, entitled as thanes and even gold might await them if they come out alive after this!

To their surprise there was no one in the courtyard to the keep. So they decided to go inside.
The keep is old. Years of being abandoned made its walls weak and ancient. Some dirt and smaller stones would fall from the ceiling. The cracks and moans the keep's halls make echoe through the rooms.

Being isolated from the outside world, the keep became its very own garden. Grimlok can't turn his head without spotting some types of ingredients growing in the corners of the rocky keep.

"No loot, no guards.. No bandits." Belrand looked around cautiously as he advances with his weapon unsheathed.

"No.. We must push further. We might find these bastards." Grimlok whispered. Not noticing the two shadowy figures that moved along the walls.

He opened a wooden door to a large room where the ground was slippery and greasy with intestines and blood.

A torture room.

Perfect.

Belrand placed a hand on his mouth and squinted his eyes. The smell was horrible in here.. There was fresh blood. No doubt, the bandits ARE here.

All of a sudden a firey explosion blinded the two. They growled and couldn't see their attackers.

Grimlok felt a sharp pain in his waist, so did Belrand but he felt it in his neck. The bastards were attacking with arrows.

When the vision became clear again Grimlok was about to take out his bow, but his sight became so blurry. He couldn't focus. He felt every muscle in his body ache. He fought whatever was inside of him long enough to ready his arrow and shoot at a blurred figure.

Wwhip

"Ah!!" A scream was heard. "Gumper! He's down, somebody help!" Other screams became louder.

Belrand was knocked out by the poisoned arrow. He was out instantly. Grimlok walked over to him but he yelled out in pain as his waist was burning.

He kneeled down and held his bloody waist, sneering.

A blurry figure approached, from the body build it seemed it was a female. She knelt and tilted her head. "You're a strong one aren't you?" She spoke ever so casually.

"We hit you with our strongest poison yet and you manage to wound one of my men." She hissed. Just when Grimlok replied with a snort, and he fell back with a thud.

He woke up several hours later only to find himself and Belrand kept in a cage like some sort of animals. The smell was horrible in here.

The cage was rusty and had several bloody bones in it. Haystacks piled up on each other in it so that they can sleep on them. Belrand leaned against the bar, his head hung back. He was limp and sluggish. Still unconscious.

Grimlok groaned and looked at his waist, the arrow was gone. But with every breath he takes in he feels a sharp pain in his side.

He growled when he looked up. They were in a big room surrounded by old stoney walls with torchlights hung around. The place was dimly lit. But there was a fireplace in the middle of the room, with some logs and seats around it. Some bandits in studded, fur, or leather armor sat there.

One of them had an arrow in his shoulder. An orcish arrow. It was the bastard Grimlok successfully shot. He was a thin orc with green skin. He had long dark hair and red eyes. He was sitting with some female orc who wrapped a bandage around his shoulder.

Now that Grimlok thinks of it..
Everyone he saw in here are orcs!

He was thinking of a way to get out when loud and heavy footsteps interrupted. He looked up and saw a female orc in steel plate armor. She knelt down and he had a clear view of her.

Her dark brown hair dangled off her shoulder. A red warmark on the side of her face. She had light greyish skin and her fangs were not so big. It made her look beautiful to any fellow orc.
A hand squeezed the hilt of her sword as she eyes Grimlok. To her, he was just another invader. A handsome one that is.
"You made a mistake coming here." She spoke.

Grimlok just glared. All of his weapons were taken.

She blinked, staring at him. Just when a young voice called, "Chief! Chief!"

She turned back. A youngester approached with a wooden bowl. "Durgg made lunch." A small boy smiled. Handing the bowl of food over to her.

"Thanks Yamr," she smiled ruffling his hair. He ran off to play with other children.
She glanced at Grimlok and sighed. Standing up and walking away. Grimlok tilted his head in confusion. Bandits don't usually keep children. Leave alone be kind to them.

They sat in front of him eating some grilled meat and drinking mead.

"So what do we do with them?" One of the bandits asked.
"We kill them is what. We can't risk having them stay in the cages too long. They might gather the guts to break out." Another argued.

"But one of them is outcold."

"Chief?" They turned to the orc in steel plate armor.
".. I found a letter in the orc's belongings." She began.

Grimlok widened his eyes, that fool!! She fiddled around with his stuff?!

".. A letter from the jarl of Falkreath. Siddgeir." She spoke. The empty hallways repeated the name in an echoe. Everyone went quiet for some reason. They stared at her with disbelief.

"The fucking jarl!!" One of them stood up.
"Borg, please be seated." The chief glared. "You expect us to argue about keeping assassins from the jarl?! Oh no, this argument is invalid. We kill them and we kill them now-"

"Stop being paranoid, Borg!!" The chief snarled loudly.

"If the jarl sent them.. Doesn't this mean that they're of importance to him?" An orc rose his brow.

"Yeah.. Maybe we could strike a deal with the jarl again. The two assassins in return of full citizenship in Falkreath!" A woman grinned.

"You expect us to strike another deal with a man who betrayed us? Do you remember what he said?" The chief growled standing up.
"You stay in that fort as long as you want. Just as long as you pay me." She growled. "That's what he said. And now that we're running low on gold he ditches us? Think of the children we have here.. We worked so hard to arrive to this point. We can't let it slip away." Her voice softened.

"But what do we do chief?" An orc firrowed his eyebrows in worry.

"Just give it up.. We're not meant to be here anyway. Let's just let these poor bastards go and give up the keep." Another sighed.

"No. We won't. They're the jarls men right? We can convince them to persuade the jarl to just leave us be." The chief suggested.

"We're counting on you chief." An orc smiled.

Grimlok sighed heavily. From what he understands the deal the jarl made with these bandits was simple. They're poor and mainly harmless unless provoked. So he tosses them in this keep. But as long as they pay him.
Now according to what they said they're barely making any money to pay the jarl. So he wants them killed.

Every last one of them.

And they think Grimlok and Belrand could fix this problem. He had a sense that he will make a difficult choice in the future.
One that might put his fortune and fame in Falkreath at risk. Or increases it.