TL: Etude Translations
The heavy snowfall lasted all night. In the middle of the night, Stanford, concerned about the reindeer getting too cold, had them brought inside. The orcs, however, seed less worried about their livestock, which were covered in thick blankets.
The next morning, the snow ceased, leaving it deep enough to reach halfway up one’s calf. After internal discussions, the majority of the exploration team advocated for crossing the Rocky Mountains directly. Stanford respected their decision.
An orc nad Finn invited them to join his caravan, offering supplies and rest at the tribes they traded with. “Although we’re unsure about crossing the mountains, the tribes we visit occasionally trade with dwarves. Maybe you can talk to them…” the orc suggested, convincing Stanford.
After spending the night together, the explorers and the orcs developed a preliminary trust and followed the caravan southward. Finn introduced Stanford to the caravan leader, an elder orc nad Eugene.
Unlike the lively and talkative Finn, Eugene, with his white fur, was serious and reserved. He seed more like a general leading an army than a caravan leader.
The temporary alliance traveled southwest, eventually entering a vast, unending primordial forest. “Unlike the tribes on the plains, these tribes rely on fishing, hunting, and farming,” Finn explained.
They passed several tribes along the way, with the caravan trading and then quickly moving on to the next one. Stanford noticed small human tribes in the area, showing unmistakable wariness towards the orcs, indicating ongoing tribal conflicts despite trade relations.
Finally, they reached their last stop, the Blood Bull Tribe, near the Rocky Mountains. “Welco, my friends!” an orc, similar in age to the caravan leader, greeted them enthusiastically at the wooden gate.
“It’s been a long ti, my friend!” Eugene, who had rarely smiled during the journey, greeted the chieftain, Assoye, with a warm embrace.
Finn whispered to Stanford, “That’s Assoye, the chieftain. He’s a hearty man. But be wary of his son Gunther, the one behind him. He’s greedy and cunning… It’s hard to believe Assoye could have such a son.”
As Finn sighed, Stanford’s gaze shifted to Gunther, a large and muscular orc, who even in the cold weather, was bare-ard and looked tough and fierce.
Suddenly, Gunther, sensing their gaze, turned sharply towards them. Finn and Stanford quickly looked away, pretending nothing had happened.
“Who are these people?” the elder chieftain asked, looking curiously at the humans among the caravan.
“Oh, we t them along the way. They’re adventurers looking to buy furs here. They ca by boat from the south and now wish to cross the Rockies to return,” Eugene explained.
“Crossing the sea and the mountains? They are indeed brave!” The chieftain then invited Stanford, now inadvertently recognized as the leader, to join a feast.
The feast was held in a wooden longhouse, reflecting the simple style of the orcs. There were no musicians, elaborate rituals, or extravagant decorations. People sat around a huge rectangular wooden table, eating at and drinking heartily, so even directly from the barrels.
The entertainnt included wrestling and axe-throwing, amazing Stanford and his deputy leader, Matthew, who accompanied him.
After downing a large bowl of alcohol, the elder chieftain addressed Stanford, holding a bowl as big as his own head, “Guest, could you share with us the sights and experiences from your journey, with us who have lived in the forest all our lives?”
“Oh! I would be honored to share my experiences with such esteed hosts,” Stanford eagerly agreed.
…
“As we just sailed out of the bay and turned northward, we encountered… a trendously large whale!”
“You know what whales are, right? But the one we encountered was exceptionally large. I estimate the part that was above the water was over twenty ters long!”
A chorus of disbelief erupted in the hall.
“Haha! This human sure knows how to exaggerate! A twenty-ter-long fish, did you see it in your dreams?” Gunther, the chieftain’s son, led the laughter.
Those surrounding him joined in the mockery. Matthew, looking indignant, was about to stand up and retort but was held back by Stanford.
Maintaining a faint smile, Stanford continued calmly, “As we sailed further north, the days grew shorter, and the nights longer…”
He painted a picture for the audience of the land of eternal night, describing the vibrant life in the icy wilderness: huge bears covered in white fur, chubby otters, lazy seals, and the resilient indigenous people – both orcs and humans – living under harsh conditions, and the nearly miraculous curtain of light.
“Incredible!”
The chieftain picked up his bowl again, “You an, there are traces of civilization even there?”
“Yes, Chieftain! Civilization persists, even in those conditions.”
Assoye raised his bowl, “To the gods! To life!”
“To life!”
Everyone in the hall echoed, lifting their bowls.
After everyone had drunk, the elder chieftain said to Stanford, “Please forgive my son’s rudeness. But that’s how we orcs are; we speak our minds and can’t hide our thoughts.”
Stanford nodded with a smile, accepting the apology.
He then stood up, holding a delicately crafted wooden box, and said, “Esteed Chieftain Assoye, this is our gift to you!”
A sturdy orc beside the chieftain ca forward and took the box from Stanford. He was about to open it for inspection, but Assoye exclaid, “No, Yerye, let open it myself. I am very curious!”
Yerye handed the box back to the chieftain, who carefully opened it under everyone’s watchful eyes.
“Oh!”
“Ah!”
“Ai ya!”
The hall filled with sounds of amazent.
Inside the box lay a bottle, stunningly beautiful. Most of it was covered in white, like freshly squeezed milk, adorned with intricate blue patterns of flowers and birds, so lifelike it seed as if the birds might leap off the bottle at any mont.
The orcs, accustod to using clay pots and bowls, whether high-ranking leaders or busy servants, had never seen such a fine piece of craftsmanship and marveled at it.
“This… this is too precious!”
Chieftain Assoye, unable to take his eyes off the porcelain bottle, muttered in awe.
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