It was strange at first, a human living with the orcs. Ambar had to learn quickly. The old orc wouldn't let him dawdle. At first, he was put with the toddlers and his sister, an old matron tended to them with stories and lessons. After a few weeks, they were exposed more and more to the children closer to their age. They played rough. One Orc with a cut on his chin kept watch over them. It was strange, but at least he could stay with Thalia. He learned the names of the tribe. The old Orc was the shaman and named Hal’Chagka’Dul, the orc with the cut was his son Hal’Bek’Dul, and so on. They all had the surname of ‘dul to represent the clan, and the front of their name was their family name. It took a while for Ambar to get used to it, but he learned he could just call them Chagka and Bek, though for other orcs he decided it was better to keep some formality.

  Months passed. Thalia started to speak again, though her legs were permanently crippled. She made games that the other orc children were eager to learn, even with her broken Orcish.

  Ambar soon grew accustomed to life in the village, and was even brought out to help hunt some of the striped deer that passed over the mountain. It was different.

  The hunt started as he expected. They crept through the forest looking for the sign of their prey. The orcs found hoofprints, broken twigs, they even sniffed the ground to track the striped deer. When they found one. . . That's when everything changed. Ambar expected bows to come out, or spears, something. Instead, the orcs spread out in a semi circle, keeping the wind at their faces and away from the deer. Then, once the deer was surrounded, the ones upwind screamed like a thousand devils and the deer bolted right into their ambush.

  As it tried to pass by, an orc swung a fist and broke its neck.

  It reminded Ambar that any one of these hunters could do the same to him. Why use bows when you could hide your scent and camouflage yourself in the trees? Why use a club when a fist would do?

  Why did they take him and his sister in?

  The seasons passed into winter.

  He finally worked up the courage to ask the old orc during his evening meditations. “Chagka, why did you take us in?”

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  The Shaman opened one eye with a smile. “Your Orcish is coming along well.”

  “What?” that wasn't what Ambar had asked about.

  “I suppose it is time to truly begin to teach you.” Chagka said, standing up.

  “But why?” Ambar asked. Couldn't this frustrating old fossil speak straight for once?

  “Come” was his only reply.

  There was no reasoning with him once he got like this.

  The snow was freezing.

  Chagka was just sitting there smiling, steam boiling off his skin next to a boulder twice as tall as Ambar.

  “How did I get into this situation?” Ambar asked no one.

  “Less complaining, more learning. Move this boulder.” Chagka interrupted.

  Move that boulder? Yeah right. It must weigh as much as a house!

  “How am I supposed to move it?” Ambar asked.

  “Use the power, all Shaman have the ability.” Chagka replied, just sitting there, smiling.

  Ambar thought back. It had been a while since he used that supernatural strength, that snap. He didn't even know what caused it to work in the first place.

  “I'll try,” Ambar said.

  “You'll do.” Chagka replied, still smiling.

  Ambar walked up to the boulder and put his hands on it and heaved. He pleaded with that strange power to strengthen him, he pushed and pushed.

  “You are trying too hard. Don't try, do. The power isn't a woman to seduce, it's a beast that must be commanded.”

  The damn boulder and shaman were mocking him with this nonsense!

  ‘Move!” He yelled, he felt the snap again. He pushed and the boulder remained still.

  Chagka laughed. “Good! Good! Don't just push the power through, layer it like a blanket over you!”

  Ambar turned to Chagka.

  “What even is the point of this? I have some sort of mystic power, what magic? Why does it matter if you train me?” Ambar left his next thought unsaid. It's not like this magic could bring his family back.

  Chagka stopped laughing and held up a stick.

  “Point? Where is the point on this stick? Here at this end or at the other? And if I break it?” Chagka snapped the stick easily. “Where is the point now? If I carve it I can make the point pointier. What do you wish your point to be? We can carve it together.”

  “ I want. . .” Ambar trailed off. What did he want? His family farm was dry, the canals had been blocked for months. His family, all buried other than Thalia. Gertra was long gone. At this point, living with the orcs was all he had. Then he saw a black bird in the sky. Strange, there shouldn't be any birds flying at this season. He remembered the dragon.

  “Revenge, I want the dragon to pay for killing my family.” Ambar said

  “Then practice, we will carve your point into a spear for this dragon's heart.” Chagka replied.

  It was only hours later when Ambar lay down exhausted on his furs that he realized Chagka never answered why he was teaching him.