The interior was furnished very simply; there was only a mattress to sleep on and wild animal furs for guests to sit on. When his guests arrived, the old orc raised his head and scanned them from head to toe for a while.
"You are smaller than what was told; it is very hard to believe you did all those things!"
The person in the chief's target was Nafız; although his words were biting, he didn't know whom he had messed with.
"You also look quite imposing for someone who became the servant of those who killed his friend!"
Beyaz Ayı smiled bitterly; this was a very old story told across the entire continent.
"We accepted your invitation; if the introduction phase is over, shall we start talking?"
Since he wasn't addressed, Alyon got a bit tense; he would speak over a veil of the atmosphere.
"Sit down, savior of the Orc Steppes; you gave yourself such a name, didn't you?"
While the duo expected a man burning with the fire of war in front of them, they had found a dervish who seemed to have retreated into seclusion. This tranquility wasn't for them; Alyon, the conqueror of two regions, jumped right in.
"Wherever we set foot, we exalted orcs, untied their handcuffed hands, broke and threw away the chains struck around their necks. As the person who saved a people taken captive in their own lands, did I exaggerate too much?"
There was nothing lacking in what he said, nothing excessive; they had fully realized everything he said.
"Don't get angry immediately, young chief; I know what you did, but you were acting comfortably far from your enemy. Now you are getting closer to each other; what do you think the result of this will be?"
Every time Beyaz Ayı spoke, he asked a question; this business had turned into a polite interrogation rather than a dialogue.
"I will repeat what I did to the previous ones; I will crush their heads with my iron fist!"
The hulking orc got carried away; he was speaking his mind without holding back. Seeing this state of his, the enemy tribe chief was bewildered for a moment; he hadn't encountered someone speaking so informally for a long time.
"Ah, you young people, you don't even know who the enemy facing you really is!"
The old man's momentary joy would be short-lived; immediately after, he spoke with the pessimistic expression he wore like a mask on his face.
"I guess you are looking down on us, old man? Even if five continents and six civilizations on this world came together, we would still pass through them and go our way!"
Nafız finally exploded too. She cut into the middle of the conversation to make the king of retorts to Beyaz Ayı, who constantly acted all high and mighty.
These words would practically grab the man sitting cross-legged by his arms and shake him. Those facing him were two orcs at an age to be considered babies yet; where did these brats learn the information that he barely learned despite being the main tribe's former war chief and the lord's friend?
"Your tongue is indeed very sharp, Blood God. Have you ever heard the saying 'the brave die first'?"
"Let's return to our topic, Beyaz Ayı; half of your army is now under my command, they set up camp outside the tribe waiting for the attack signal. It is not too late to surrender; there is no need for more orc blood to spill on these lands!"
Alyon's goal was to add this place to his forces as it was; in case of a conflict, there would be a loss in the number of those passing into his hands.
"Slow down, young chief; there is an orc tribe chieftain in front of you. In which book is it written to surrender without fighting!"
When the invaders' chief's words woke up the man acting as if he had given up on himself, he suddenly spoke with fervor.
"Coward, with what face did you come here!"
"You treacherous turncoat, how can you enter these sacred lands!"
"Disgrace of orcs, wretch afraid of death!"
While tension escalated inside the tent, shouting sounds started coming from outside. This noise, initially in the form of a few people's voices, turned into a chorus over time. Just as Beyaz Ayı attempted to get up and go out, the leather door of his tent suddenly opened.
The arrival was Çekiçdöven; bowing respectfully, he left the large package in his hand on the ground. The aura of the young commander, who had drawn an impatient and fiery temperament until today, was ice-cold; he started speaking with a serious expression.
"What I brought are the items your son Çekiçdöven received from you. Since he died, I wanted to return them!"
When the Glacial Region Tribe Chief opened the incoming bundle, an armor and a massive hammer would come out of it; the action of his son-in-law, who stood thoughtfully along the way, had surprised Alyon.
"I lost him, but it was nice to see he protected his honor. These will now belong to an orc warrior deserving to use them!"
Beyaz Ayı responded with the same coldness in the face of what came from his son; although the scene was dramatic enough to make one's heart ache, it was also cold enough to freeze one's bones.
"Let's solve this the old way then; I will be in my fighting circle with my family! Come against me with your best five warriors; if I lose even once, I will leave your old army to you and depart from these lands!"
Standing up furiously in the face of what he saw, Alyon said his last word. The rule 'obey the strong one' was perhaps the only law among orcs. A better exit couldn't be thought of to challenge an old-fashioned man.
"You must be tired due to the journey; I will be waiting for you tomorrow when the sun reaches its peak. If I cannot win even once, I will leave the whole tribe to you and go from here!"
Promises were made; there was no need to stay here even for a moment. Alyon, opening the leather door slightly to leave, paused briefly due to a sound reaching his ear.
"Your attitude reminded me of someone from the old days, young chief; I hope you won't be upset!"
The hulking orc was expecting this; taking a deep breath, he gave his answer.
"As for me, I am in the sadness of finding an old man who gave up instead of the warrior in my memories!"
The answer heard by the man, who got a bit emotional after the words said referring to his former student, created a slap effect. Beyaz Ayı closed his eyes slowly where he sat; while standing silently, it seemed as if he wanted to get lost in memories.
The crowd gathered outside the tent, watching for Çekiçdöven's exit, would be a little surprised when they found the enemy commanders in front of them. With the appearance of the expected person too, they had started insults again when a pressure descending on them cut their voices.
"From this moment on, whoever doesn't retreat ten steps within five breaths, their death will be by my hand!"
The speaker was a tiny female orc, but after the killing intent she spread around, it wasn't possible not to take what she said seriously. Just as they entered, they left the tribe silently; as a result, a big bet was placed.
When Alyon shared the news with the army, an excitement would wrap everyone; when night fell, this was the only topic. Although they were creatures whose hearts beat for war, fighting to the death with people they stood shoulder to shoulder with for many years was difficult even for them.
Their chief had protected them again, taking all the burden on himself and his lineage. They had all witnessed his daughter's strength, but there were some question marks in their heads about the other people who would fight.
At the dawn of a night passed in this way, a fighting circle large enough for a hundred thousand people to watch started to be set up. Both armies put their hands under the stone, working together as in the old days; could any job withstand such orc power?
The stage was prepared before the designated time. Next was supporting the people they wanted to present a magnificent show to them. Beyaz Ayı's warriors were lined up on the right side, Alyon's brave ones on the left.
The first to enter the circle was a warrior from the members of the Glacial Region Tribe; this person, slightly larger than normal orc dimensions, had a large axe in his hand. In the struggle, Alyon had actually put himself in a disadvantageous position; he wanted to prove his family's strength, and for this reason, Nafız and her student Sangre had to remain out of the equation.
"Father, let the first fight be mine. Allow me to show our family's strength!"