Free Fallen Crown (Orc Destiny Volume II) (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga) by Jeremy Laszlo

they were
beginning to trust his ways. Setting off across the camp he motioned for his
newly returned captains and Bota to follow. Within minutes he was back in his
tent and hearing the details of their trip. Within an hour he knew all that was
needed to know, and he sat patiently listening to their tale.
     
     
    It seemed they had reached the pass through the mountains
without incident, but found the southern mouth cleared of all useful materials,
except of course the many pouches stuffed with goblin currency he had hidden
there weeks ago. Traveling through the pass they found it still empty, the
great carcasses of the giants nearly picked clean by flocks of large black
birds. Fortunately the northern mouth of the pass was another story.
    The Orcs told him that they had found all they could carry
with their large carts and still left much behind. They gathered all they could
carry and struck out for the city of the goblin king immediately. Without time
to rest, they had hauled the equipment day and night until they reached the
city of the goblins and, once there, they were met amongst the dunes by a
scouting patrol. They surrendered themselves and their wares to the goblins,
telling them what Gnak had ordered them to.
    Brought to the city, they were met by the goblin king who
was happy to receive them. He fed the Orcs, allowed them rest, and set his
armorers and blacksmiths to task as he prepared his own troops to march. For
three days and two nights the goblins’ forges blazed heat, and thousands of
hammers clanged steel relentlessly until the job was complete. Returning, the
Orcs marched with the goblin king and his small army, detaching themselves the
previous day to rush ahead and announce his coming. He would arrive near
morning.
     
     
    Gnak took in all the information as it was given. He rested
quietly for several minutes, thinking to himself. Planning. Then he spoke,
giving his orders to Bota, who could then delegate them to whomever he wished
to carry them out.
    “Go count clan. Gnak want know number. Send hunt. Big hunt.
Goblins come, we feed. Give honor goblin king.”
    Dismissing them from his tent, Gnak followed them out and
watched as they dispersed to carry out his orders. Turning, he strode between
the tents back the way he had come earlier, and reaching the southern edge of
the camp he looked upon the carts of weapons and armor. A guard had been set to
protect the armor from outsiders who might be looking on from the dunes beyond.
Gnak had no doubt they were there, watching his clan’s every move. But he did
not care. Let them watch.
    Striding among the carts he found that they were all
similarly filled, and reaching within one he pulled from it a blackened iron
breastplate. It was not an overly ornate thing, but neither was it plain.
Shaped in the form of the Orc body, it lacked the definition of muscles and
such, but was thick and solid. The edges were turned up and rolled, to make
them smooth. Leather straps clung to the plate from behind and attached to them
a simple back plate had been created with built in slots to hold the newly
formed blades. Though the design was simple, it allowed a wearer to easily
slide it over their head, pull the straps tight to secure it, and they were
ready.
    Turning the piece back over once more, he touched his finger
to the design etched upon the blackened metal, tracing the image. It was a
large skull that wore an immense crown. Standing within the crown was an Orc,
with chains in his fists. The goblins had made Gnak the very image his clan
would wear. Orcish pride demanded that Gnak approve, and so he did… with a
large tusky grin.
    Replacing the piece into the cart he turned and strode away.
A king was coming to visit him. A king he had been working to emulate. He would
prepare as best as he was able.
     
    CHAPTER SEVEN
    With the morning came the goblin king, though naught
announced his arrival but the drumming of hooves and eerie song that carried
over the dunes