"Are we there yet," Dura complained.

"We make this journey every year since you where a child and every time you complain." Ugor hissed. "Even the elf hasn't complained and she's weaker than all of us."

Dura looked back at Plum who was trailing behind and obviously tried but she hadn't complained not one time.

How beneath me, Dura thought, being compared to Plum of all people.

     For more than three weeks Plum had been traveling at an orcs' pace, she was exhausted. Brandyl silently kept his eye on her and would stop and rest when he thought she was pushing herself too hard.

"It's not that far now," Brandyl said, waiting for her while everyone else went ahead.

"Look just there in the valley." Brandyl pointed. "That's Dimmore, you can see orcs arriving from all over."

"Wow," Plum said. "It's nothing like I imagined."

    Surround by snow-covered rocky mountain peaks, green grass as far as the eye can see, a quiet flowing river directly in the middle of the village, luscious and vibrant flowers and the tallest trees she'd ever seen.

"The most fertile land in all of Sapphire," Brandyl said.

"It's so beautiful," Plum said. "I can see why the humans want Dimmore so bad, and why the orcs fight so hard to protect it."

       Plum had never seen so many orcs. They came all over Sapphire. The young, the old, the married, the single. It was a bit scary and overwhelming to say the last. All the eyes were on her. Outsiders were not a normal sight at the hunt nor were they welcomed.

An outsider, the whispers started. Must be Chieftain Brandyl adopted daughter, I heard she was an elf. Why would he bring her here?

     Suddenly Plum felt self-conscious she shrunk down trying to make her invisible.

Dura, embarrassed by all the attention ducked away as soon as she was able without being obvious. She knew this would happen and wanted to separate herself from it. She had the eyes of Urim, notably the greatest orc chieftain ever.

"Dura! You finally made it." Glasha said.

Dura heard her name from the crowd.

"Glasha, how are you." Dura greeted, annoyed at sight of Glasha.

"So I hear Brandyl brought his elf daughter," Glasha said.

Already, Dura thought, we just got here. How could she know?

"Yeah she slowed us down and complained the whole way," Dura said.

"What is he thinking bringing her," Glasha said. "The hunt isn't for outsiders."

"I can't speak to what Brandyl is thinking,"  Dura said.

"You can't? He's your chieftain." Glasha said.

"He's your chieftain too," Dura whispered to herself.

" Well I'm sure Urim and the other chieftains will have something to say about that," Glasha said.

"Whatever," Dura said. "It's not my concern. But Plum is hoping to find a mate."

"What! Is she serious? Who would marry her." Glasha said, unable to contain her laughter. "This year I'm sure Urim will ask me." 

"Ask you what?" Dura said.

"To marry him of course. Everyone says it, I'm the obvious choice for him."

"Is that so," Dura said.

"Yes, at last year's hunt Urim could hardly keep his eyes off me." Glasha boasted.

Bitch, Dura thought. Urim would never look at you let alone marry you, how conceded.

     Plum was trying to settle in but all the unwelcome stares made it obvious that she was not welcome. She could hear the not so polite whispers and some orcs didn't even bother to whispers. But everyone went silent when Urim seem to appear out of nowhere.

Plum was frozen with fear, though she had never seen Urim she knew him right away at first sight.

     Chief Urim was more scary and intimidating than she ever could have imagined. He was huge even by orc standards. He towered over everyone especially Plum who stood no more than five-six. His long brown braided hair cascaded down his back. The ends of his for braids were tied with clean sun-dried small human bones. That clang together when he walked.

He had a fine chiseled face that was not unpleasant to look at. His sharp thick tusks protruded evenly from his bottom teeth, and his green skin was decorated with scars he wore with pride.

     Urim walked straight up to Plum and look down on her with curious eyes.

Plum unconsciously stopped breathing. She was so scared she nearly peed herself from fright, just standing in his shadow was overwhelming.

"Chieftain Urim," Brandyl said stepping in front of Plum to protect her.

"Outsiders are not welcome here." Chieftain Urim said.

"Chieftain," Brandyl pleaded. "This is my daughter Plum Apricot."

I know you found me in a basket of plums and apricots but you didn't have to tell him my full name. Plum thought.

"She's an elf," Urim said.

"She has been with me since she was born. She knows no other life except that of an orc. Yes, she is an elf but she's more orc than anyone here."

"Outsiders are not welcome here," Urim repeated.

Dura watched for from the side with a satisfying grin on her face. Plum would be humiliated and embarrassed in front of the whole horde.

"Please," Brandyl quietly pleaded, slightly bowing his head. "She is my daughter, let her stay."

     Plum caressed Brandyl arm touched by his word. She always wanted to come to the hunt but she never thought about Brandyl position or that she wasn't welcome. To see him weaken himself before another Chieftain was painful for her to take.

Urim glance at Plum once more and his eyes softened, but only for a moment. Then it seemed like an eternity before he finally spoke.

"She can stay," Urim ordered, as he turned and walked away.

"What?" Dura whispered to herself.

Paralyzed with fear Plum hadn't realized she wasn't breathing until she breathe a sigh of relief when Urim left.

Brandyl turned, smiling wide at Plum.

"I think he likes you," Brandyl grunted with a nod of his head. "Plum!" he said placing his hand on her shoulders. "Good luck daughter, do your best. No regrets."

What, just happened? Plum thought.

     Plum felt so small and insignificant compared to Urim, not just in height and body size. Urim was an orc she would never catch up to. Meeting him like that was too much, she was shaking the whole time, her heart was beating so loud she was sure Urim would hear it.

But she was grateful Urim didn't order her to go home in front of the entire horde, that would have been embarrassing, not only for her but Brandyl.

"Plum! Plum! Wake up Plum!"

"Orgul?" Plum said rubbing her eyes.

"Plum wake up! Get dress and grab your bow," Orgul said, throwing her clothes in her face. "And hurry up," he added as he disappeared outsider leaving Plum wondering what was going on.

     The bright morning sun hit Plum's sleepy eyes as she stretched and yawned welcoming the day.

"No time for that," Orgul said grabbing her hand.

He led her downhill and through a large crowd.

"What's going on?" Plum whispered.

"Shh, just listen," Orgul said then fix his eyes forward.

It was the first time since Plum arrived in Dimmore that everyone wasn't staring at her.

"What are you saying," Urim said.

"There are no more steedsaakers," Agronsk said, Chieftain of the Stonefist horde.

"Perhaps we need to send out more scouts," Yolmar said, Chieftain of the Steelaxe horde.

"We sent out our best scouts, they've searched for weeks and found nothing. Not a trace," Agronsk said.

"Do you think the humans..." Torgan said, Chieftain of the Bonecrushers.

"No!" Brandyl interrupted. "Even they are not capable of something like this."

"Then where have all the steepsaakers gone?" Agronsk asked. "It has long been or traditions to find and kill the biggest one during the hunt. But if there are no more steedsaakers, what will we hunt?"

The orcs look to Urim to solve the problem. But even he couldn't solve disappearing Steedaakers.

"Chieftains," Orgul spoke.

"Orgul, what are you doing?" Plum whispered as Orgul stepped forward.

Brandyl eyes slightly widen, he wondered what his son was up to.

"Chieftains, I have an idea," Orgul said.

"And what is your idea?" Agronsk asked.

"My sister," Ogrul said grabbing Plum's arm and pulling her forward to the laughter of everyone.

Ogrul, what are you doing, Plum thought.

Brandyl eye's nearly popped out the sockets as he sat forward in his chair.

"Really?" Agronsk laughed.

"You think your... sister, the elf, can do better than our scouts?" Yolmar said.

"She's the best scout I know better than anyone. If the steepsaakers are out there she'll find them." Orgul said.

"Our kind has been hunting steedsaakers for centuries. It is encoding in our very being. The elf has probably never even seen a steepsaakers let alone track one, and you believe she can do better then orc scouts?" Yolmar questioned.

"What do we have to lose," Orgul said.

"Brandyl, she's your daughter. What do you think?" Torgan said.

Brandyl turned his concerned eyes to his daughter. Her eyes beckoning him for help. It reminded him when she was a little girl and she would fall and skin her knee and cry. She would look to him tear-filled eyes and reach for him. Every time all he had to do was pick her up and comfort her and that was all she needed to stop crying.

He wanted nothing more than to protect her. He could not abandon her, not when she felt so unsure about herself.

"My daughter is..." Brandyl started.

Every eye fixed on him but none more than Plum.

"My daughter is," Brandyl leaned forward and puffed his chest. "My daughter is the greatest tracker, I know. She will find the steepsaakers."

"And what if she doesn't," Agronsk said.

"Then, there are none to be found," Brandyl said, with no hesitation.

 "Ridiculous," Agronsk said to the agreement of the other Chieftains.

"And what of you?" Urim asked.

He hadn't taken his eyes off her, not even once.

"I am..." Plum swallowed hard, looking to her father for approval.  

A faint smile touched his lips as he nodded. 

"I am Plum Apricot daughter of Brandyl Stormtracker Chieftain of the Battleaxe horde. I will find your steedsaakers."