ULf had been expecting to find his father alone and so to come face to face with the elder and the proving master was quite a shock. He immediately stood up straighter as Ulag leered down at him as if suspecting to find white paint across his hands. Presenting himself with a classic salute, ULf stood to attention and remained silent.

"Speak, boy. formality.

Elder Wren did not seem to have the patience for

“Warchief, I am to inform you that the human will soon be ready to resume his place in the provings."

Grolfir raised a dark brow at this news and remained silent on the matter.

"What else?" Ulag demanded.

Well... er... there’s nothing else, master. I was just told to inform the warchief."

“Why would our warchief be interested in knowing that the human boy is nearly ready to resume his place in your pack? Do you keep him constantly updated on the human's bowel movements too?" Ulag had approached ULf and began jabbing the young orc in the chest.

“Um, no."

"So what! 7?"

"So, master." ULf quickly corrected himself as he stepped backwards.

“Good, now quit your interruptions and begone. You have your own proving to think of." Ulag kept prodding ULf until he'd jabbed him completely out of the tent. Then he turned back to the other two orcs and grinned evilly. "I love my job."

"What is evident enough," Wren said.

I still say that the human should be cast out." Ulag's expression sobered.

Talina's ears pricked up at this. It had been she who had sent ULf into the tent as the final ingredient in hearing the conversation she wanted to hear. Assembling the three orcs beneath her had been a task but it Was all for nothing if they weren't talking about what she was interested in.

“Or killed for his foolishness," Wren added.

"It was not his doing." Grolfir's tone carried a dangerous and telling edge to it. Evidently this wasn't the first time the suggestion had been made to him.

“Then banish him! Sending him to his own kind would be a mercy. Humans don't belong in the proving pits. They are too small, too soft and they break too easily."

“They do when they're set against our best young warriors without even being told how to hold a club." Grolfir growled and his eyes spoke a silent question to Ulag. Do you really want to speak of this? You might not Like what I have to say.

Ulag went suddenly silent.

“We will appear weak to the humans." Elder Wren was not so easily dissuaded. "'Those are the orcs,’ they'll say, ‘their warriors spar with our young. '"

"The boy is of age to prove himself."

"Barely," Ulag grunted under his breath.

“I have heard enough of this!" Grolfir smashed his fist down on the table, the wood quivered beneath the impact. The gesture got the sudden attention of both Ulag and Wren. "He is the chosen of my niece. He fights though he knows he will fall. This alone would be enough for me. I'll not talk of banishment or murder without him here to speak from himself. Do either of you wish me to summon him?"

Ulag and Wren looked to each other nervously and wisely chose to remain silent.