[Queen of Orcs 03] - Royal Destiny (50 page)

A muthuri will commonly ignore a relationship until it becomes serious. When she shows awareness of a couple’s attachment, the muthuri is said to have a “wise nose.” Then she is expected to act in the couple’s best interests by either facilitating or preventing their permanent union. If a muthuri disapproves of the relationship, she will end it by forbidding her child to see his or her velazul.

shash
verb root and noun—To thank, thanks.
Shashav
translates as “thank you.”

shieldron
—See “military ranks and units.”

sleep
Orcs sleep sitting upright in a cross-legged position, with only a mat as a cushion. Only babies and the extremely ill rest lying down.

smell
Orcs have an especially keen sense of smell, and their language contains many terms for scents that humans cannot distinguish. They are also capable of smelling emotional states and physical conditions. They can detect anger, fear, love, pain, and some forms of sickness. This ability has affected their culture in fundamental ways and may partly explain why orcs do not easily grasp deception. Orcs usually do not speak about those emotions they detect by smell. This is particularly true of the males.

spirit
noun—The human word for
fath
. An equivalent term would be “soul.” The orcs hold that one’s spirit defines one’s being. That is why they believe rebirth is possible, since the ritual alters the spirit. Fathma is an additional spirit that passes from orc queen to orc queen. It mingles with the queen’s original spirit and transforms it. In the process, it instills the memories of the queen’s predecessors.

sukefa
noun—A thin, soft garment worn beneath a winter kef. Similar in appearance to a cape, it has two sides with contrasting colors.

sustolum
—See “military ranks and units.”

tahweriti
noun—An orcish delicacy. Doves are stuffed with brak and dried fruit, then slowly roasted overnight over aromatic wood.
(golden bird)

talmauki
noun and adjective—A shade of bluish green that is the royal color and reserved for the orc queen. The queen’s kefs and cloak are always dyed this shade. She also uses it to color her claws and nipples.
(great green)

Tarathank
proper noun—An ancient orcish city destroyed during the washavoki invasion. It was the queen’s city in the time when the monarch always came from the Pah clan. Other clans also had their halls in Tarathank. For this reason, it was called the City of Matriarchs. Tarathank was the center of the orcish civilization at its greatest height, and its grace and splendor were never matched. Since orcs of that era were ignorant of warfare, the city lacked defenses.

tava
interjection—Hello.

thrim
verb root—To have sexual intercourse.

thwa
adverb—No, not.

thwada
noun—A condition that renders an orcish mother untouchable. There are two kinds of thwada, and they are very different in their cause and nature. The ceremonial thwada is temporary and pertains to mothers about to undergo certain serious spiritual rituals, such as Entering Darkness. Contact with that mother is considered dangerous to all involved. In this state of thwada, the mother cannot eat or associate with sons.

The second form of thwada is a punishment imposed on a mother for having intercourse before she is blessed or continuing in a forbidden relationship. The mother is considered dead, and no member of orc society will have open dealings with her. This form of thwada is permanent. A mother who is thwada leads a ghostlike existence on the outskirts of society, seen but ignored. Though she sometimes dies of hunger and exposure, orcs usually sustain her by “losing” necessities in her vicinity.

It is interesting to note that this punishment is inflicted only on mothers. Offending sons are permanently disgraced, but permitted to remain within society.

tolum
—See “military ranks and units.”

Trancing Stone
noun—A magical object created by Velasa-pah. It allows anyone who holds it to experience the memories discarded by departed spirits. The stone is an heirloom of the Pah clan.

trafpaha
noun—A three-dimensional construction of sticks and string that serves as a chart of a rock formation, ridgeline, or mountain. Used only by the Tok clan, it conveys a wide range of information through the shape, color, and material of its various components.
(stone speak)

Tree
Because trees bridge the earth and sky, orcs consider them a manifestation of Muth la. They make a sign for Muth la by pressing a palm upright against the chest and splaying the fingers like branches. This sign is usually made to acknowledge Muth la’s presence in an event or deed.

The yew tree,
Taxu baccata
, is particularly sacred to Muth la because it is evergreen. Its seeds are used to make Muth la’s Draught. See separate entry.

tul
adjective—Real, having a verifiable existence. This word approaches the meaning of the human expression “true,” although the orcs have no term for its opposite.

tuug
noun—A cord braided from two differently colored strands of yarn used to tie on a gabaiuk.

urkzimdi
noun—An ancient Orcish word for humans. It translates as “second children” and is based on the orcs’ belief that Muth la created humans after she created them. The word fell into disuse after the washavoki invasion.

urkzimmuthi
noun and adjective—The orc race, also the plural of orc. As an adjective, it means “orcish.”
(children [of] mother)

vash
verb root and noun—1. To bless, blessing. 2. To marry, marriage.

vata
interjection—Good-bye.

vathem
noun—A stone retaining wall used to create a terraced field. After the orcs occupied the Urkheit Mountains, such fields were used extensively.

Velasa-pah
proper noun—The name of a human who was reborn before the washavoki invasion and became a great urkzimmuthi wizard. He tried to warn the orc queen of the invasion, but she failed to comprehend the danger or act upon his advice. He was residing in Tarathank when it fell. The orcs tell differing tales about his fate and the import of his prophecies.

Velasa-pah was the orcish wizard (see separate entry) who came closest to the human concept of a sorcerer because the knowledge he received concerned the spiritual realm. He created the Trancing Stone and foretold the future.

velazul
noun—Lover. Unlike the human term, it is used only in the chaste sense.
(give love)

washavoki
noun and adjective—Human, either male or female. The word translates as “teeth of dog” and refers to the whiteness of human teeth.

washavoki invasion
The first contacts between humans and orcs were peaceful, but that era was ended by the onslaught of human invaders from the east. At that time, orcs were ignorant of warfare and they were easily overwhelmed, despite their superior size and strength. Although orcs quickly learned how to make arms and became ferocious fighters, they never acquired the strategic skills required for victory. They were driven from their lands and survived only in the inhospitable Urkheit Mountains, which they named
Blath Urkmuthi
because they sheltered fleeing mothers.

washuthahi
noun—A black, pea-shaped seed that is mildly narcotic and stains the teeth black when chewed.
(teeth pretty)

weapons
Orcs did not make weapons before the washavoki invasion, and their arms are adapted from human designs. Swords, axes, and maces are primarily used for combat, but orcs also carry daggers and sometimes hatchets. All their weapons are strictly utilitarian in design. They reflect the orcs’ strength, being larger and more massive than those humans carry. Spears and pikes are not unknown to orcs, but they are rarely used. Although orcs use bows and arrows for hunting, they do not employ them in combat.

wife
noun—Human word for
muthvashi
.

Wise Sons
—See “military ranks and units—orc leaders.”

Wise Woman
noun—A human woman skilled in the healing arts. Wise Women also practice midwifery.

wizard
noun—The human translation for
minsi
. Although Muth la speaks to mothers, on rare occasions she imparts special knowledge to sons. This knowledge benefits all urkzimmuthi. Although this may seem magical, it is not derived from sorcery. Renowned wizards include Val-hak, who brought the secret of making sand ice to his clan; Fluuk-jan, who taught his clan how to make steel; and Velasa-pah, who learned how to visit the realm of spirits and foretell events.

woman
noun—An orc female is called a
muth
, but the term is not commonly applied to human females. There is no specific term for them in Orcish, although “woe man,” a corrupted pronunciation of “woman,” is occasionally employed.

yellow iron
noun—The human translation for
daumriti
, the Orcish word for gold. Orcs do not prize gold and mainly use it in decorative metalwork and for weights used with scales. The chimneys in hanmuthis sometimes bear designs in gold. Orcs do not wear jewelry or decorate their weapons, so gold is not used for those purposes. Because the metal never tarnishes, orcs consider it a symbol for eternity. That is why their queen’s crown is made of gold.

zim
noun—Child.

zimmuthi
noun—The singular form of “orc.”
(child [of] mother)

zul
verb root and noun—To love, love.

THE QUEEN OF THE ORCS TRILOGY
By Morgan Howell

King’s Property

Clan Daughter

Royal Destiny

Praise for
King’s Property
Book 1 of Queen of the Orcs

“An unusual tale…Howell’s depiction of orc culture is fascinating—these orcs are as big, strong, and dangerous as any in fantasy, but they also have moral and ethical issues of importance. This is not a book to read for fun on a rainy night—it’s a book to think about.”

—E
LIZABETH
M
OON
,
Nebula Award–winning author of
The Deed of Paksenarrion

“Dar never loses our admiration and compassion—qualities at the heart of any struggling hero.
King’s Property
tests your presumptions of ‘the other’ and brings to mind the cultural prejudices and wars born from betrayal that are so sadly evident throughout our own history.”

—K
ARIN
L
OWACHEE
,
author of
Warchild

“In a crowded field, Howell has succeeded in creating an original and vivid fantasy. [The] characters display unexpected depths of humanity—even when they’re not human. I was captivated by Dar. Highly recommended.”

—N
ANCY
K
RESS
,
Nebula Award–winning author of
Beggars in Spain

Queen of the Orcs: Royal Destiny
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

A Del Rey Books Mass Market Original

Copyright © 2007 by William H. Hubbell

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Del Rey Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

D
EL
R
EY
is a registered trademark and the Del Rey colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.

eISBN: 978-0-345-50045-8

www.delreybooks.com

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