[piosenniel]

Soredamor's post

Hearing a disgruntled mutter as the goblin trooper turned his back to his Captain, Grûglach growled. The trooper sped up a bit, though he tried not to show his fear. He tried, but he did a poor job of it. The Captain observed this with a smirk. He was proud of how he kept his troops in line, and he enjoyed watching those retreating backs, fear apparent in the swiftness of their pace and their posture, their backs more hunched than usual. Under Grûglach’s eye, he intended them all to cower. He watched the back of the retreating goblin, trying to burn a hole in his back and stir him to running in his fright, but he soon tired of it. It never took Grûglach long to realize he was wasting his time with these creatures.

The fall of Sauron had made the Captain more reliant on himself than ever, and he felt he was wasting time if any of it was spent on anyone else. There were times when it sickened him that he was forced to show some kind of façade of loyalty to be in a secure position, but he realized that it benefited him to remain in his position among the goblins of the Misty Mountains, and that he would not find any benefit elsewhere. But it was one of those times, at that moment, when his disgust took him just slightly over the edge. And the approach of a sniveling lieutenant pushed him a little farther.

“Captain Grûglach, sir?”

The lieutenant, Gorurk, said everything as a question, most likely in fear of being wrong. Grûglach was revolted by this behavior, but he did not hesitate to encourage it by so often telling him how wrong he was. Gorurk waited for his Captain to answer, but Grûglach liked to make people wait. He hated to waste his own time, but he had no qualms about wasting others’. Finally the lieutenant understood that he would not receive acknowledgement, and he continued, his voice now shaking. It was always astounding what a little silence could do.

“There is word from Gundabad...it’s…not very good…”

“Really?” Grûglach spoke with mock surprise. He fooled Gorurk.

“Well…yes, sir… I always tell the truth to you, sir…”

“I’m sure you do, Gorurk.” The Captain said, almost soothingly, but so very contemptuously. “So tell me the truth, and tell me what word has come from Gundabad.”

“There is to be an attack. They say it will be the final attack. They say they will get rid of all that served the Master. Gorurk always praised the Master’s name. They say…”

“I have heard enough of what they say, and more than enough of what you say, Gorurk. We will wait for orders.” Then Grûglach would see if he would follow those orders.