Tribe Nuk'urrah

"Why you disturb our camp?" The old shaman gazed down at Alex, whether in curiosity or annoyance it was hard to tell, but there was no hate in her face.

On his knees with a half a dozen spears at his neck Alex chose his words carefully, "The town worries. They don't understand your ways and they do not know what you want. So they worry." Alex gave no indication of fear because he felt none, this tribe was small and well guarded, but it was obvious to him that they weren't hiding their presence from the town. They were, however, trying to hide their presence from the wilds, and Alex wasn't sure if it was the right time to point that observation out so he kept it to himself for now.

The shaman seemed to be thinking, weighing his value and potential danger. "How did you come by a totem?"

Alex knew she was speaking of his pet from other encounters with Orcs, but he also knew that his cat wasn't a totem. "This is Demon, she's a magical creature, but she's not a totem. For now we travel together."

"Familiar then? I heard of magic contracts between humans and magic creatures."

That wasn't right either, but it was close enough. As part of their rights into adulthood Orcs undergo a spirit walk where they meet the animal part of their own soul and form a special bond with it, giving it access into the world as either a conduit for magical energy or giving it physical form as an animal companion. The Orc and animal remained one soul in two bodies until they died, which was a ritual known only to the shamans of the tribes and even if an orc left their tribe into exile they could keep their own totem, but never replicate the process of helping another living being find their own totem.

A Familiar on the other had was a contract of mutual trust and terms between a mage and a magical creature. It was a forbidden ritual in most cities and tended to cause some discomfort for Alex when mages were around because magical creatures were independent beings who might or might not attempt to destroy a city just to watch it burn, so long as it didn't violate any of the terms of their contract.

For Alex and Demon they were technically two souls tied up in the same body, so there was no contract and there was no sense of mutual survival. The cat itself was once a dead animal and Alex had managed to shove the conscious mind of the demon possessing him into it. He retained all the powers of the demon, but didn't have to constantly fight anymore to keep his sanity from being swallowed. Incidentally he was also practically immortal now. So long as either his body or the cat lived the other one would revive in a matter of minutes after ****, but close inspection would still reveal him as being possessed, and that was an even bigger taboo than having a familiar, and would be grounds for instant **** if the shaman ever realized that fact.

This shaman however seemed to desire a peaceful solution, and so took the animal with Alex that simply leaked magical energies without giving a care about it to be a magical contract, and not a possession.

"Two clans make war." The Shaman announced interrupting Alex's thoughts, "We have no clan so get attacked by both. We cannot cross river here so we hide. Did not want to alarm humans so showed peace banners."

Alex had only seen a few Orc war banners, never a peace banner, so he had no idea how Willowbridge would have recognized their peaceful one, but he wasn't going to point that one out either.

"The boss in the fort sent me. Maybe if we talk to him he will let your tribe cross the river. Will you come with me to talk with him?"

The shaman shook her head, "I am only shaman, take my girl to talk. She will be next shaman."

Alex turned to see the indicated orc, one of the ones holding a spear to his throat. She did not look happy with the suggestion, but obviously didn't want to argue with her mother on the point in public.

A few curt words that Alex couldn't understand and the spears were withdrawn from his neck, he stood carefully and bowed slightly, "I will be waiting at the edge of your camp."