[Child of the 7th Age]

Ulrung cursed the sorry fate that had led him into this miserable Orc camp. For the past day he had carefully followed the directive of his Master: to recall the Orc war parties in preparation for the fight that was soon to begin. Ulrung valued his skin too much to delegate the task to underlings. Underlings had a way of failing one at just the wrong moment. He had heard and seen what happened to officers who failed to live up to Angoroth's expectations. He had no intention of becoming one of those captains who lost the favor of the Master and ended up dead.

Despite Ulrung's initial resolve, he was sick of riding into Orc camps and negotiating with Orc officers. The overwhelming stench and disarray was almost more than any man could bear. He had faithfully carried Angoroth's message from camp to camp surrounded by a small but loyal bodyguard. At more than one point, he had spoken with Orcs who were so surly and defiant that he might have feared for his life, had it not been for the presence of his armed retinue. He was currently not in a very good mood, although he had been generally successfully in bludgeoning and bribing the Orc captains to comply with Angoroth's request.

"Cursed Orcs!" he muttered to himself. "So stupid that they do not even know who they are dealing with." Whoever or whatever Angoroth was, Ulrung was quite certain that his Master could take down a whole troop of Orcs by merely lifting a finger or two and giving them a frozen stare. Ulrung had just finished dealing with several of the Orc captains and was about to ride out of camp when he glimpsed two particularly stupid Orcs who were nervously walking up and down the far boundary of the camp and gazing outward with sheer desire in their eyes. It seemed quite clear to Ulrung that the two were about to desert, as soon as darkness and opportunity came their way.

Brandishing his sword over his head, he growled under his breath to the soldier riding at his side, "I've had it with these idiots. We need an example! Let's take these two back to their captain and threaten to execute them. Perhaps we'll do it and perhaps not, but at least we'll give them a scare."

In a loud voice he bellowed, "You two! Why are you skulking about on the edge of camp? Thinking of leaving us, huh? I can see your intentions in your eyes. Why aren't you back with the others making preparations for battle? Is this what your captain let's you do?"

Before the startled Orcs could even respond, Ulrung gave orders to his men who proceeded to herd the pair back to camp, tying a rope firmly about their waists. Coming to the very center where a giant fire burned, the Easterling captain snarled in a loud voice, "Where is the captain of these men? Answer now, or I swear I will roast every Orc officer in this camp over the firespit, and have them served to the soldiers for dinner!" Ulrung glanced around waiting for someone to answer.