[CaptainofDespair]

Taking in the dark, clouded air of Mordor, Morgoroth gasped for a fresh breath. But finally, after his eighteen years in a tortured nightmare, he was free. This new freedom was, however, not what he expected it to be. Surrounded by the high mountain walls of the Ephel Duath, and with the harsh, almost inescapable watch of the Great Eye so very near, he did not feel free.

His encounter with Raeis however, had given him a brief feeling of homeliness, as if he was back in Mirkwood, listening to the sounds of the birds amongst the trees. He could have drowned in her deep blue eyes, for they had drawn in him in, as a spider does to the fly, and he had immersed himself in the history of them. But his attention had quickly gone back to the man they knew as Grash. He listened to him speak of the Silent Watchers, and of the Tunnel. Having heard stories of what lurked in the Tunnel from the orc guards, he knew all too well what waited for them. But Morgoroth saw a certain confidence in the man, and he trusted him.

He scanned the motley, rag-tag group that had been freed by Grash. Morgoroth was not surprised to see a few of the Haradrim and Easterlings thrown in with a the slaves. But he was curious as to why dwarves were being held captive here, in Cirith Ungol. His knowledge of the dwarves was limited, but he knew they were great craftsmen. He wondered why they would not be put into the service of the Dark Lord. But soon he realized, that he would have time to contemplate this thought later. The Orcs would return to Ungol, and if the escapees were still in the Tower, there would be slaughtered ruthlessly. Time was of the essence, and the questions that were hurtling through his mind, would have to wait.

Now, he noticed that the remnant slaves and prisoners were pairing off, and preparing to head into the tower, to search for those which would be a necessity if they were to survive. Having been in complete solitude for so long, Morgoroth's mind told him to seek the recluse within, as he had always done. But now, his heart demanded a different course of action. So, he made his way to the now ajar entrance of the courtyard, blocking the path of Raeis, whom had made an attempt to sneak off on her own.

"Milady..." Raeis stopped in her tracks, seeing the tall, but tattered elf blocking the path that she had chosen to take. "You do not think I would allow you to run off into such an evil place, without the proper...company?" She stared at the Silvan, still intrigued by why he had taken his time to prevent her from entering the Tower. "I believe it is my duty, not only as an elf, but as a noble child of Eru, to keep you from harm. We should stay together, as it would prove most beneficial in the long run," he continued. He flashed Raeis a sharp smile, and stood patiently awaiting her decision.

Raeis looked at him quizzically, and it took her a few moments to respond. but finally she muttered a low-toned response. "Fine...We shall keep each other company," she groaned. Morgoroth stepped aside from his post at the gateway, and allowed her to pass. As he turned to follow her in, he looked back a brief moment, caught up with the eerie display of carnage that had ensued in the courtyard. "Stupid Orcs," he muttered, as he hastily trotted into the Tower, to catch up with Raeis.