The city blazed the colour of the setting sun, basking its revelling occupants in a hellish orange glow. People were eaten, families burnt alive, women raped. The once peaceful town was no more, all that was left were ashes.

Takarn strolled leisurely past a crumbling building, he had worked out his frustrations and now he had all the time in the world.

He searched the city for Mivnev for as much as he wanted to join in the raid he had already indulged himself enough, duty calls.

He found her standing guard against two adjacent buildings, one smelt like fie and iron and the other, the other smelt of. Food!

He picked up the pace as he approached her purposefully clacking his feet against the cobblestones as to gain her attention.

She wheeled when she heard the noise, drawing a weapon, she sheathed when she realised who had made it.

“Takarn come quick, there is something you must see!” She all but squealed in excitement. Okay now he was curious, something would have to be quite delightful to elicit that noise from his stoic second in command.

“What is it?” He asked warily.

“Just come.” She said grabbing him by the hand and dragging him into the blacksmiths.

When he entered the room he himself nearly squealed in delight.

Metal, metal lining the walls, metal on the floors, shields, swords, axes, hammers and a whole other plethora of weapons.

He smiled, this was more metal than any orc would usually see in their lives. The plains of Belador had little to no mines, its wealth was in its rare grasses, woods, and animal products such as ivory. But as you can imagine none of its human neighbours would sell metal to an orc.

“It gets better my Bogdan.” She said as she pulled him once again. Better? How can something be better than this! He thought.

But what she showed him truly was better. It was a storeroom, filled to the brim with iron ore and ingots.

He nearly fainted from the sight of so much metal, this would make him rich. The Khans would honour him if he managed to bring both this and the grain home. Sure the travel time would be longer but it would be worth it.

“Mivnev.” He said most reverently as he looked at the iron.

“Yes my Bogdan.” She said in a voice that he would call smug on anyone else.

“Gather the men, I want all of this and the grain ready to move by dawn.” He said. If I can bring this back to the camp my own crest won’t be such a distant dream.

“Yes my Bogdan.” She said before saluting and leaving. He heard her distant yells to gather up the men but Takarn was already lost in daydreams as he watched the iron.

-----

Khan Kelshar POV

Khan Kelshar paced back and forth along Khans Hill. Where the fuck is he! The Bogdans were meant to have comeback 2 days ago and all of the other Khan’s had, but not Takarn.

Khan Kelshar felt a mixture of worry, regret and rage. Worry, for the subordinate he had come to see as more of an apprentice or protégé. Regret, as he knew the most probable reason he has not returned would be that his troop was defeated in the battle. And finally rage. Rage at the weakness of his own subordinate, the fact he couldn’t even conquer a small human village?!

Khan Kelshar shook his head, he was done moping about. He would need to select a new Bogdan, one that wouldn’t let him down.

But as he prepared to leave the hills summit he saw something truly odd, is that a wagon train?

Khan Kelshar took several men and marched up to the wagons and he was right, it was a wagon train, filled with from what he could see grain and something else.

He approached the wagons and marching in the front of it were 2 columns of well disciplined spearmen and at their head was…

“Takarn.” He called out as he pulled him into an embrace. “You’re fucking late!”

“I know my Khan but there is a reason. Come, I will show you.” Takarn said while grinning from ear to ear like an idiot, but he wasn’t, no, Kelshar knew there was intelligence there, cruel, cold intelligence.

He was led to a series of three covered wagons and as Takarn lifted the covering he nearly fell on his arse.

It was filled to the brim with iron ore.

“The one behind this has ingots and after that is pre forged goods.” Spoke Takarn but Kelshar just smiled.

“You know.” He said while clapping him on the shoulder. “I never once doubted that you would succeed, now come, we must get this into camp and discuss your reward.”