[Fordim Hedgethistle]

The prisoner was brought to Lurg, who stood over the man as the Nazgûl had stood over him. The orc tried to mimic the menace and terror of the Wraith, but it was useless, for he was not filled with the will of his lord – he was only a maggot-servant obeying the commands of his dread master. Still, in this situation life was his to give or deny…

“Well, well, well…” he drawled. “What have we here, then? A rat? It looks like we’ve caught a rat, boys! And from the looks of ‘im, he’s a rat that’s escaped from the cellars of Cirith Ungol. Why, I remember this rat – used to play with him myself, from time to time. Always carrying on he was, claiming to ‘love the Dark Lord’” he adopted a high falsetto voice and minced about in mockery of Rhând, “‘Don’t hurt me, please please. I want to serve the Lord. I was betrayed by nasty Gondorians. I am a good servant of the Master.’” A rough chorus of orc laughter spread over the prisoner like a carpet of whips.

Laughing himself, Lurg drew his ragged knife from his belt. Taking the prisoner by the hair, he pulled back his head and made to slice his throat.

“No, wait!” the man cried out. “I am a loyal servant of the Dark Lord! Do not slay me!” His words, so close in tone and manner to the mocking of Lurg, brought the ors to their knees with hilarity. Many of them took up the cry themselves, “I am a loyal servant! I am a loyal servant!” until the rocks rang with their screams.

“Enough of this!” Lurg bellowed, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. “We’ve not the time. If we’re going to capture the rest of these maggots, we need to be on that blasted Path by nightfall.” He advanced on Rhând once more.

When the man spoke this time, it was with greater caution and thought. Lurg, a quick witted and wicked creature, could see the plans evolving in the slave’s mind. “If you want to capture the other prisoners,” Rhând started, desperately, “I can help you.”

Lurg paused. Cocking his head to one side he growled, “How?”

“I know where they are going,” the man said, gaining confidence, “and I have won their trust, they think I am one of them. If you take me with you, I can lead you to them and help you take them all. All I ask is that you spare me now, and let our masters know of my loyalty later.”

Lurg turned this over in his mind for few moments. If the slave were telling the truth, then the orc knew that he and his companions should torture the information out of the slave, but that might take time and the sun as fast setting. Soon it would be full dark, and even for their eyes the way would be hard to find, and travelling slow… “All right,” he said to the man (to the general dismay of the orcs), “we’ll take you with us. But if you lead us wrong, or if you’re lying…”

“I’m not lying,” the man said, relief overspreading his hideous features. “You won’t regret this. Come on!” And like a spurned puppy, eager to receive its new master’s praise, Rhând sprang ahead, beckoning the orc party after him.