The tunnel was dark, and the only light seemed to come off the elves itself until Angore lit a torch.
"The orcs won't be needing this any longer," he said with a smirk.
Elrohir smiled and wondered if any of the other orcs would notice the small mound they had made to inter the corpse and sconce alike. They would surely notice the unguarded cave, if not the missing patrol.
It was tough to feel too hopeful in this dark place, but Elrohir was yet with hope.
"Yes, we can make better use of it," he said with a smile, and looked upon the tunnel as it lit up from the torchlight.
It was smooth, beyond the skill of goblins, and it was very cool, surprisingly not cold, just refreshingly cool. The tunnel was not very high, so it was quite difficult for the elves to move without hunching forwards. At some points it was so low that they had to crawl to inch ahead. In a while they came to an opening. It was a circular room with a high ceiling, and a gentle fresh breeze blew there, as if there were cracks in the mountainside letting in the air from outside.
"There are three paths leading off this chamber," said Elrohir, "we must chose one that descends into the halls below."
"That will not help us much, they all seem to," said Angore after peering into them with his torch held high.
Before they could ponder further, they heard more voices, and the path to the left shone a dim light, and the elves put out their torch and hurried into one of the other tunnels and waited with baited breath.
The orcs soon came to the chamber, and of course did not hear or see anything untoward, for it is the manner of the Eldar to go unnoticed if they ever want to, especially from creatures as clumsy as the goblins.
"What a boring job, guarding that dreadful cave, why would anyone climb that cold mountain," grumbled one of them.
"Well, at least better than the day shift," said another and they all chuckled.
Elrohir tapped Angore's shoulder and in an instant three short javelins had found the backs of the orcs. The fourth one looked perplexed, and looked with fear from one tunnel to another wondering which way he could flee. Then he saw the elves charge upon him suddenly and he lost his balance and fell down. Pointing his sword at the orc's throat, Elrohir spoke to him.
"Tell me, where does the passage you came up lead to."
The orc bared his teeth and hissed and spat, but the elf simply pushed his sword further.
"It goes down to the Pass, and further South," and quite suddenly the orc gave way to fear, "let me go!"
"You will come with us, and lead the way," said Elrohir in such a menacing voice that there was no argument.
Angore stared as the orc stood up, and Elrohir tied his hands and held the rope. The orc cried in pain as the rope seared his defiled skin.
After hiding the other three orcs behind a huge rock on one edge of the chamber, they made their way slowly down the passage the orcs had come in by.
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