The small rodent lay lifeless, its eyes staring into the void of death. Yet, life was all about the squirrel’s corpse. The grass swayed almost indifferently in the breeze, though it was painted in fresh, warm blood. The trees towered like silent sentinels watching to see what would happen next. Most notably, two orcs were hunched over and eyeing the corpse with purpose.
G’war poked listlessly at the dead creature and grunted clearly disappointed. “Nar meat on dis one,” he lamented. The second orc swatted away the first’s stick and grumbled, “G’war…Lat dumb, plenty of meat!” The first orc snorted through his plague doctor’s mask. “Izg not dumb…” He poked at the dead squirrel’s hindquarters. “Look…no meat. Lat blind…and dumb.” Ruun’dal quickly snagged the stick from G’war’s hand and threw it into the forest in protest. The two orcs grunted to each other but did not move from their squated position over the kill. Ruun’dal sniffed a bit and then looked down at the body. “Maybe…Izgu boil it…in a soup…maybe.” G’war gave her a nudge at that. “Maybe Izg nar so dumb after all.” They both chuckled and got back to thinking on what to do with the husk of the creature before them.
“Soup for pugs. Izgu nar pugs.” G’war added poking the corpse with a fresh stick he procured from the first floor. Ruun’dal nodded at that. Grewl was for pugs. This squirrel was their kill and should be prepared in a way that suited blooded orcs. “Lat can stick it…roast it over a fire. Little crunchy snack.” Ruun’dal panamimed her idea by sticking a finger through a hole she made with her other finger and thumb. “Hur hur hur!” G’war’s chuckle filled the forest. “But…so small…stick might break.” Ruun’dal stopped fingering her hand a moment to take in his point. “Mmm, Akh. Nubhosh…broken stick in food.” G’war nodded to that and rubbed his chin. He passed the stick to Ruun’dal, so that he could focus on his thoughts. She proceeded to pick her nose with the stick as she waited to hear his next idea.
“Dat squirrel attacked me. Brave for a dumb nar-meat having rabbit. Izgu clomped it…not hunted it.” Ruun’dal nodded along, still picking away. “Was a spider too…and bear! Bear had more meat…” Ruun’dal drooled a little bit at the idea of bear meat. “Attack a squirrel and die a squirrel…” G’war said, thinking aloud. In a sudden motion, he burst into action. He tore the carcass open and spilled its entrails upon the forest grass. He picked at the seams between flesh and fur. Ruun’dal’s picking paused as she watched in surprise. G’war’s fingers found their mark, and with a strong pull, he began to rip fur from bone. In just a few seconds, he had removed the hide from the carcass. He dropped the bloody mass of bones and sinew to the group and stood. “Nar a meal…a trophy!” He held up the pelt and let out a “Hoowah!” Ruun’dal snorted out a chunk of wood and joined him in the battle cry. “A fine belt lat will make,” G’war added, looking to the fresh pelt in his hand.