Salt Storm: The Salted Series: Episodes #31-35 by Galvin, Aaron (read 50 shades of grey .TXT) 📕

“Can’t say that I’m good with any of it,” said Brutus. “If what you say about all them Selkie suits is true, then I’d rather skin these Orcs here and now in fair exchange.”

It wouldn’t be a fair exchange. Lenny thought, reflecting back on the tens of thousands of stacked sealskins outside the crematorium. Not by a long shot. There’s not near enough Orcs to match the Selkie dead.

“We’re not skinning nobody,” said Tom. “Whatever the Orcs and Merrows said of you in the past, Brutus, we’re not butchers.”

“Not you lot, maybe,” said Brutus, positioning himself in front of the Orc commander, Pohl. “But me . . . well, a man is what others say he is. Aye, say rather, he becomes it on account of such tales. That about right, Commander?”

The Orc leader mumbled a response through his gag.

Brutus removed it a moment later. “Got something to say there, sir?” he taunted. “Speak on, then. For all the good it’ll do you and yours.”

Commander Pohl worked the stiffness of his jaw back and forth before speaking. “Kind of you Selkies to give us a choice between death now or death later. For what it’s worth, I’ll take my hanging now.” He glanced toward his fellow prisoners and soldiers. “Better a quick drop here, I say. Far better to take the rope here, rather than to face the horrors our Lord Blackfin would put us and our families through for failure, I assure you.”

Brutus showed his blade. “You Orcs fear his wrath later more than mine now, do you?”

“Indeed, I do,” said Commander Pohl before addressing his fellows again. “As all of you should fear the Blackfin’s vengeance as well. Failure in one’s duty is a travesty, but treason . . .” he tsked. “Well, that’s another matter entirely.”

Lenny stepped forth. “It’s not treason if it’s truth.”

“And what is ‘truth’, little Selkie?” Commander Pohl demanded of him. “Hmm? And what righteous creature are they to deem themselves good and worthy above all others to judge? What higher virtue in them to decide the truths from falsehoods when it comes to the choices made by strangers?”

“I’d say murdering thousands of Selkies is about more truth than I can handle,” said Lenny.

Commander Pohl smirked. “Then, I’m afraid it would kill you to know the harsher truth . . .” The Orc leader cocked an eyebrow. “It’s many more Selkies dead than the number you imagine.”

Lenny’s brow furrowed at the Commander’s unabashed manner.

“There now, you see?” the commander asked. “That is how you know truth, boy – the strength of it stumbles all formerly content in the falsehoods of their own foolish, blind beliefs.”

“How many, then?” Tom asked. “How many have you killed?”

“Not I,” said Commander Pohl. “I was only the administrator.”

“A what?” Lenny asked.

“An administrator,” said Commander Pohl. “I passed along the orders, as they were given unto me also. My loyal soldiers here carried it out, just as I carried my burden before them. That one there though,” he nodded toward Yusuf, who dared not meet the eye-line of his commander. “Well, Yusuf proved himself quite worthless when it came to killing. Don’t let him fool you, however – he was given the choice to leave or no. The same as all the rest sent here and those others carrying on to meet their duty in Røyrkval with Warden Zane before.”

“What do you mean?” Tom demanded. “What choice?”

Commander Pohl shrugged. “The Lord Blackfin knew these southern posts to be among the harshest of assignments. That only the hardiest of mind and spirit could carry out such orders. Whatever you think of our Pod Father, one cannot say he does not share concern for those loyal to him and our cause.”

“Your cause is genocide,” said Tom.

Commander Pohl scoffed. His brow furrowed at the stupefied reaction from the Selkies surrounding him. “You think me heartless for these acts? I’m not. No more than my Lord Blackfin. The Merrow king sent all these here down to the ice mines in Røyrkval to suffer and starve for their breaking of his laws and attempts at rebellion. It was my Lord Blackfin who ordered us to instead give cleaner deaths to your fellow Selkies. Faster too. We spared them from unneeded suffering, you might say.”

Brutus glared at Lenny and his grouping. “You lads heard enough yet? Want to call Henry and his Leper boys back now?”

“We’re not calling them back,” said Tom. “The commander here is just trying to bait you into giving him a quick death, Brutus. That, and set us to arguing again.”

Commander Pohl smiled at that. “You believe yourself a good man, don’t you, Selkie? You and that self-righteous little nipperkin there beside you.”

Lenny’s face reddened at the taunt, but he made no move to voice his disagreement as Commander Pohl went on.

“But the real truth is that you’re afraid. Fearful of the shadows that lives within all of us. A constant fear even my people share with yours, I shudder to say.” Commander Pohl’s lip curled at the admission. “The realization that we all have darkness lurking within . . . a monster whose hunger cannot be sated . . . always begging for release . . . aye, and the worser truth being that all such stirrings in us linger not so deep as we might imagine.”

Lenny’s skin tingled.

Commander Pohl shook his head. “No, the real darkness is never far from any of us, Selkie . . . and yet not all of us are capable of calling upon its power in our times of need. My Lord Blackfin knew this. It’s why he insisted we all have the choice to come and attend this bloody work, or else to leave it for others to do that we might return home instead with our conscience clean of such sins.” Commander Pohl nodded when Lenny and the others had no retort, their words stolen by his account. “Well, go on. Ask him