[Soredamor]

Skagrun had not let Grûglach's anger blind him from the task at hand. The captain had been ready to take the entirety of the force he lead and go chasing after Gorurk the deserter. But the fear he observed in the faces of all his officers, except Skagrun, when he swung his fist at the nearest living thing and crushed the throat of an orc, nameless and faceless to Grûglach. Skagrun had quickly taken advantage of his captain's pause after slaying the trooper, laying a hand on Grûglach's shoulder and saying, "There are more lives to be taken at Gundabad." Grûglach was then brought back to focus, if not calmed, and he had ordered preparations for a quick march.

And a quick march was exactly what he forced upon his troops. Word had spread quickly about Grûglach's killing for no reason, and there were enough that followed orders out of respect that those who followed them simply out of fear were driven to obedience without the use of a whip. They were drawing near to Gundabad, and Grûglach intended to make this the last night they marched, anticipating the bloodshed that was to come. There was a feeling, a growing fervor that ran throughout the Goblin force, one that drove them to a greater speed than would normally have been possible. They new well what awaited at Gundabad, what could be the end for both the orcs at Gundabad and the goblins of Moria. But they also knew that it was time to taste man flesh and blood again, and they relished in the opportunity.

Grûglach kept pace with Skagrun, and the captain discussed their plans from here. They would have to set up camp nearby Gundabad in secrecy, and explore the situation. Now that the battle drew near, Grûglach realized just how little he knew of the situation. He did not know how many orcs held Gundabad. He assumed most of the remnants were there, and that was many, but it was foolish to assume. And any assumptions at all could get him killed. Everything had seemed simpler when they were miles away from the fortress and the slaughter; for a slaughter it inevitably would be: but whose he did not know.

“We can spare a few to act as scouts.”

“Yes,” Grûglach spared Skagrun a glance. “Pick a few you think you can trust. Tell them they are to find the commander of the forces there, if possible. We need to know our allies just as much as we do our enemies.”

Skagrun grinned crookedly. “Yes, of course, our allies…as you wish, sir.” The goblin lieutenant was lucky he refrained from laughing. Grûglach sneered at the ground beneath him, his large yellow eyes turning just enough to see Skagrun’s face. Of all the fools, he was the least foolish, but the captain would never forget how dim-witted they all were. There were always advantages to their sparseness of intelligent thought, ones that Grûglach had used to reach his secure position. But now that his security was limited, it only disturbed him.

“We had best take advantage of not being alone in the stand against Men.”

His smile leaving him, Skagrun eyed his captain, looking almost surprised at this statement. It seemed the lieutenant had difficulty in thinking of the battle at hand being anything more than an opportunity to kill. He missed the fact that it was also an opportunity to be killed. There was silence for a long time following Skagrun’s moment of shock. As the night grew paler and the day began to overcome it, Grûglach ordered camp to be made, judging that they had no need to go any farther. For now, he would keep his distance from Gundabad.

“I do not know what will happen if Gundabad falls.”

Skagrun was still silent.