Risha Chapter 30

Behind her arrow, followed a barrage, striking the humans, elves, and their horses. 

Risha pulled back another arrow as the humans shouted in surprise and turned to face the new threat. 

With a howl of rage, she activated the runes in her arrow and let it fly.
The arrow hit a shield of energy, exploding into blades of wind that cut past the barrier and into the flesh of her enemies. 

Then they were upon them. 

Risha let one last arrow fly before jumping off of her spiderling to engage a human standing over the body of a goblin child. 

He drew his own sword, but her blade flowed around it like a snake, cutting through his arm, then his neck. 

Her war party cut through the humans like a blade through flesh. The humans were not expecting to encounter armed and armored enemies, and it showed. 

It was a route, and the cleanest battle Risha had ever fought in. Immediately, the enemy leaders called for a retreat, and their horses turned, leading their men away from the battle. 

Some of her warriors looked to follow, but Risha howled, a command to focus their bloodlust. She drew another arrow, and shot at the horses, causing riders to fall. Her men followed suit, piercing the backs of the retreating force.

“Leaf-Watcher!” She called to the white wolf, her fur turned red from the blood of her enemies. “Have your people follow them, but retreat as soon as you see their reinforcements.”

Leaf-Watcher howled in response, her pack answering her call, then the wolves were bounding after the riders. 

Risha turned to the huddling refugee goblins and orcs, her gaze pausing on the humans still alive but moaning in pain. 

Kolo ran up to an orc woman, hugging her tight, before turning as Risha approached him.

“We do not have long, Kolo. Have your people ready to move.” Risha looked at the chained spiders, and the tiny unevolved goblins who looked at her in awe. “Kliks.” 

The spider in her cloak crawled to her shoulder, waiting for her words.

“Convince their warbeasts to follow us without their chains, and we’ll have them removed.” 

“On it!” The spiderling jumped off her shoulder, growing to her full height as a warbeast as she skittered over to the bloodied warbeasts. 

She motioned one of her High Goblin Spearmen over. “Search the battlefield for the living.” She paused, “Including humans and elves.” 

The spearman saluted, then spread her order to the others. They’d bought themselves some time, but if Leaf-Watcher’s words held true, then a larger army followed close behind the men they’d fought here and Risha would rather not meet them in battle unprepared.

The injured and young mounted her spiderlings while Kliks convinced the remaining warbeasts in quick chittering and thumping to let their chains be removed. 

“Thank you.” 

Risha turned to see Kolo kneeling in front of her. 

“I hear your men call you Grand Mother.” Kolo said, “Grand Mother Risha, I offered my life to you as payment, but now I offer it to you in gratitude.”

Risha looked at the orc, kneeling in the blood of the dead, his head lowered to her.

“You do not know who I am.” Risha said, anger in her voice, “Or what I have and will sacrifice for my people. Why do you kneel?”

Kolo did not hesitate in his response. “I have only seen you for a few hours, but already I see the way you lead and protect your people. In truth, I did not believe there was any hope for a leader who did not cruelly hurt those under him. You have shined a light where there was only darkness. Please, let me fight for you, as one of your own.” 

Risha stepped past the kneeling orc, her hand tightening on the pommel of the blade at her waist. “You were already mine.” 

For some reason beyond her, the orc seemed pleased at her words.

The orc rose from the ground and followed her as she assisted in readying their retreat. She could not evolve the goblins yet, since they fit on her spiders better in their smaller form. The warbeasts agreed to have their chains removed, and Risha did it herself, letting her healing ease the pain of the removed spikes. 

Once the dead had been combed through, they began their journey towards camp. Leaf-Watcher and her pack joined up with them at the river, only sporting minor injuries. 

The pack’s appearance put them on a clock, as Risha did not doubt that the humans would be close behind. 

Diel also met them there, a small group of heavily injured orcs and goblins being taken care of by him and the two men with him.

They’re progress back to camp was slow, as they had to be careful with the many wounded. Thankfully, Risha’s healing aura prevented any injuries from worsening. 

Klaz’zks and the few that had been left behind at camp immediately greeted them as they skittered in. Risha hopped off of her spiderling and helped the wounded as they were moved to emergency bedding. The good news was that she could heal the goblins and spiders by evolving them.

So that’s what she did. She went up to all of the smaller goblins, and granted them evolutions. That brought her force up by fifty High Goblins, forty-seven orcs, mostly women and children, and three spiders. She evolved the spiders after Klaz’zks had a chance to speak with them and establish her own rules for her people.

Then she turned to the worst of her problems. 

Injured humans and elves lay restrained by crude rope, ten in all.

Risha looked at them, and remembered well a similar situation. She looked at Diel, who shouted orders in preparation for further retreat into the mountains. He had been strong in his captivity, an orc that impressed her in his fortitude.

She walked up to the oldest of the humans, a man with gray in his hair and beard. “Do you speak for your people?” She asked.

The man spit at her, the glob landing on the dirt between them. “I do not negotiate with orcs.”

Risha tilted her head, then realized that she still wore her helmet. She took it off, revealing her purple skin and pointed ears. “I am no orc, human. I am Grand Mother Risha.”

A nearby elf gasped in surprise. She noticed the reaction, but didn’t turn from the rude human.

The man was caught off guard by the reveal, but his face quickly hardened. “I won’t tell you anything, monster.” 

“Monster?” Risha stepped closer to him, revealing her fangs. “Yes, I am a monster. But you are just as monster as Risha.” She leaned down, her eyes holding his, “It was not Risha who slaughtered children, and left them to rot in the river. No, that was not Risha.”

“You orcs slaughter humans! I’ve seen the villages after your raids. Better to slaughter all of you then let you spread your evil.”

Risha’s tone was low as she responded, “Risha. Is. Not. An. Orc.” She stepped away from the smelly human, “You are closer to orc than Risha is.” her gaze moved to the orcs who now followed her, “But even they have their own honor.” She looked back to the human. “Where is your honor, human?” 

His gaze dropped from hers, and she showed her sharp teeth. 

She turned to the elf who had gasped when she revealed herself, “You know what a Grand Mother is?” 

The elf shook his head at her. “You do not know what power you lay claim to. Monsters can’t be Grand Mothers.”

“Risha has met Lalaila, in the tall forests she calls home. Risha has met Empress Shyanne in her hall.” 

With every word, the elf’s eyes widened. He bowed his head low, his bonds stretching as he attempted to kneel. “Forgive me Grand Mother. I- we- you’re supposed to be monsters.” 

“Did you not hear me, elf? I am a monster.” Despite her words, Risha’s anger dissipated at the show of respect.

The Elf froze, his mouth opening and closing. “Do you speak truth? No, those names shouldn’t be known to a monster…” He stared at the ground in thought.

Risha shifted impatiently, but kept her mouth shut, she recognized that this meant something important to the elf, and she’d rather wait than interrupt what could be valuable to her.

“Let me and my brethren go, and the elves will leave your forest until we’ve spoken to our eldest.” The elf said.

The humans broke out in anger at his words, their shouting covering each other. 

Despite the noise, the elf’s gaze remained true, and the two other elves did not argue with him. 

Risha appraised the elf for a long moment, unsure about what to do.

If the elf was telling the truth, it could reduce the amount of enemies she had to deal with in the coming battles, but if he lied… He had information about their location and numbers. Risha did not forget that the elves too were involved in the death of women and children. 

She turned away, and walked towards her spiderlings. She needed advice, and she knew just who to ask.

Risha motioned towards one of her children to guard her as she sat on a fallen log, her eyes closing.

[Council Of Grandmas] 

She opened her eyes to the tent she’d designed not too long ago, her home in strange space that existed for the Grand Mothers. She tried to contact Shyanne, but something told her that the Empress was busy, so she went to the next Grand Mother she trusted.

The world twisted around her as she appeared in a cave, a familiar woman whittling away at a wooden figurine with a knife as she sat on top of a dead many-legged monster.

“Young Risha, it is good to see you.” Maya smiled as she placed the figurine down. “What brings you here?”

Risha paused, not sure how to broach the subject. After a moment, she continued, “I have been fighting humans and elves.” 

Maya’s smile disappeared as she stood up. The air shifted around her, and she asked, “Do you know which kingdom?” 

Risha shook her head. “I do not.”

Maya calmed, her gaze reading Risha’s expression, “Do they know who you are?” 

“Some of them.” Risha said, then she continued to explain her situation with the elves.

Maya listened calmly, her gaze thoughtful. Eventually she sat back down on the chitinous creature that was her throne. “And you want my recommendation?”

“Yes.” Risha said.

“Kill your prisoners.” 

Risha froze at the words. “Why?”

Maya took a deep breath, then let it go. “There is a reason that Shyanne accompanied you when you met Lalaila and Sarah. They are dangerous, more dangerous than you realize. You go against the rules of things, a classless creature becoming a Grand Mother.” She eyed the point of her dagger, as her mind saw beyond Risha. “Sarah is blinded by her ideology, and Lalaila remembers the days when goblins and orcs scarred the earth. If either one of them sees you as an enemy, they will not hesitate to strike fast and hard.” Maya stabbed her dagger into the dead creature under her for emphasis. “Your anonymity protected you. Her elves will tell her of you. Shyanne refuses to bind all humans to her, which means that they are just as dangerous to you.”

Risha knew that she could do as Maya suggested, and none of her people would argue with her. But killing them when they were bound and defenceless in her camp… “What about Shyanne?” 

Maya paused, “She will not approve. But she knows the laws of the world, and will not hold it against you.”

Risha sighed, and sat on the stone floor, holding her head in her hands. “I do not want to.” 

“Why? You did not hesitate to kill your overseer, or the chieftains who opposed you.”

“But I did not kill them all.” Risha said, “Even now, the evil creatures who once tortured and killed my people follow me. They pledge themselves to me and I accepted them despite everything they’ve done to me. Am I a fool?”

“What do you want, Risha?”

Risha looked up, the Dark Grand Mother suddenly in front of her.

“What do you desire? Why did you fight so hard for your people? Why did you spare the orcs when they asked for your protection? Did you forgive them?”

“No! Risha never forgave or forgot! But Risha saw! Risha saw the scars that they too suffered. Risha saw the orc’s pain, how they dripped blood as they dared to hope for Risha’s protection against those that slaughtered their women and children. Risha heard the yell of a young orc, begging her to put aside her anger, so that she might listen.” Risha sobbed, her teeth showing in a sharp grimace of pain. 

Slowly, she got herself under control and continued in a whisper, “Risha knows that their honor is strong, even when it’s shaped by the evil of their chiefs.”

“Then there’s another option.” Maya looked up and a familiar Empress stepped out of the shadows. 

Risha followed Maya’s gaze to Empress Shyanne.

“You know the mountains, don’t you, Maya?” Empress Shyanne asked. 

Maya nodded, “I do. The passages are well guarded, and she only needs to fear the ocean.” 

Empress Shyanne met Risha’s gaze, “forgive me for not revealing myself earlier, young one. But if you want to let the elves go…”

“Then do so.” Maya finished for the Empress. “You will have time before Lalaila or Sarah make a move, and when they do, retreat behind the mountains. They will not follow you through the mountains, instead they will come by ocean, but neither of them have a strong hold over the waters.”
“If they come, you’ll have time to prepare your defenses.” Shyanne added.

“If Sarah suspects the truth, she will come.” 

“What do I do with the humans?” Risha asked, looking to Shyanne.

Shyanne let out a sad sigh, “If you keep them alive, I will make sure a deal is made for their return. But that kingdom lies outside my control, and if you are left with no other choice, I will not hold it against you.”

Risha took a deep breath, then stood up tall, her expression emulating Shyanne’s strong gaze. “Thank you.”

“Good luck, Risha.” 

“May the darkness treat you kindly, Risha.” 

Risha dissolved her ability and opened her eyes, her decision set.