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Old 04-13-2007, 05:34 PM   #374
Child of the 7th Age
Spirit of the Lonely Star
 
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Lindir; Makdush and orcs

"Hold your swords! Johari, Kwell. Azhar is right. Put the weapons down." Lindir did not speak loudly, but his tone and look brooked no hesitation. He quickly went on to give a series of orders. "Unsheath your daggers and get the heavy rope we brought. Bind them all and throw them into the pit where you were imprisoned earlier. Get others to help you." He nodded directly at Kwell and then explained at greater length. "We'll keep them chained to the wall so they can't escape through the hole in the pit. We need these orcs alive. For all we know, they're an advance party coming through for a great troop of soldiers. If we slay them, we may doom ourselves to not knowing that. Work quickly and quietly so they do not awake until they are well bound."

He walked up to the halfling and spoke, "Carl, get someone to help you bring rocks and debris to plug up the hole in the back of the cave. We don't want them doing what we managed to do. And could two of you go out and search the plains around the camp to see if there are more orcs nearby?"

Lindir had heard the hesitation underlying Azhar's plea. He felt little different than she did. Running through an enemy who was asleep in bed was something he preferred not to do. He assumed the orcs were enemies. What else could they be? But there was no declared war, and these particular orcs had done them no damage. He could not simply slay them without warning or provocation. And the need to gain information was not just a ruse. Orcs generally travelled in large bands. If these few were here, there were undoubtedly others somewhere close by, and they needed to find out that information.

**********************

Makdush barked back at Gwerr, "Shut your mouth. I can't see." Taking a few strides forward and pushing the overhanging limbs of a neaby scrub tree away from his face, he stared down at the western fringes of camp, standing perfectly still on the ridge. The men in the distance were not looking in his direction and seemed totally absorbed in what they were doing. He was too far away to make out the words that were passing between the riders but the scene in front of him was not hard to decipher.

He called over to Gwerr and Iskhkur, "Good thing we got out of there. They've found the others. They're still dead to the world."

"Dead? They're dead? They've killed them." Ishkur muttered a curse under his breath.

"No, you moron. Not dead....still sleeping. They must be drunk as all get out. Actually," and here Makdush grinned broadly, "these riders must have hearts of mush. I'd have run the sleeping idiots through by now. They are standing around arguing with each other."

"They haven't killed them yet?" Gwerr sounded as if he couldn't believe his own ears.

"No. Two have unsheathed their weapons but do not strike. They keep babbling at the mouth. They can't agree on something. What fools!" Makdush added under his breath, unable to comprehend why anyone would hesitate to kill in such a situation. The Uruk thought a moment and then suggested, "Maybe they're not running them through because they plan to torture them later and find out about their companions." This was not a pleasant thought.

Ishkur shrugged his shoulders. "Could be. At least they're still alive. But who can figure out men. Worse than Elves, I say. Maybe it's the soft hearted women who can't bear seeing blood."

Makdush shook his head, "I don't think so. One of those holding a sword is a woman. Oh, yeah, not only have these fools brought women with them, it looks as if they've dragged along one of their little brats."

At these revelations, Ishkur looked totally shocked. What kind of warriors would do such a thing?

Makdush turned back towards the camp. This time it was his turn for shock. "By the bloody eye of Sauron! The one stopping them from striking isn't a man. Too tall to be a man, even a man of Gondor. It's an elf." The Uruk spat on the ground and fumed, "Elves....I hate them. Every stinking headache has an elf at the other end."

"Well, at least they're alive," countered Ishkur. "We still have a chance. Any sign of the women and the brats."

Makdush shook his head, "No, I can't see them in camp. Someone needs to go out and check the area."

"I'll do that." Ishkur countered. He turned to leave the grove, still leading the horse behind him, but not before stopping for one instant to confide something in Gwerr's ear.

"Watch your rear!" Makdush grunted as Ishkur left. "Looks as if they're sending out a party to look for us."

Last edited by Child of the 7th Age; 04-17-2007 at 09:34 AM.
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