Im trying my best to make these orc stories worth reading but they will get better I promise, anyway lets see how this goes…..

Creature Comforts

Theodal started to wake ever so slowly, he hadn't been able to recall anything after he felt an orc club crack him on the back of his head, he figured that must have knocked him out, because to his dismay he found that he could not moved his arms or legs for they had been tied with rope rather tightly.

Theodal panicked and tried to get his hands free, squirming and groaning his attempts were in vain, he also fretted about the other members of his hunting party, did they share a similar fate or did they escape? He forgot this immediately and went back to his bound wrists.

"Leave it Tark, you aint doin yourself any favours."

Theodal froze and squirmed around, meeting the confused looks of four orcs, from the markings on their armour they appeared to be from the land of mordor, a land that was bought down in flame once Saurons ring was cast down into the flame from which it was formed.

As each orc took looked at each other, Theodal realised that if he was at the mercy of saurons former minions, that maybe they were out for revenge against men to pay homage to their late master, but he was confused, these orcs weren't menacing, nor were they pinning him down or torturing him, they just stood there until the largest of the orcs slowly walked forward and crouched down.

"Stop trying to fight the ropes, the more you fight, the tighter they get, you aint getting away so quit trying."

Theodal spat as close as he could. "If you intend to put an end to me beast do it swiftly, I will not speak even if you torture me, I will remain loyal to my king."

The large orc just sighed. "Look tark, were not gonna kill you."

Theodal forced a very sarcastic laugh. "What kind of fool do you take me for orc? You honestly think your trickery will work with me."

The orc just rolled his eyes. "If we wanted to kill you, or torture you, we would've done it already."

Theodal thought to himself he had been captured before and those orcs did not have any second thoughts before they had his fellow captives kicked over cliffs or tied to a tree for a popular orc game which involved praying that the orc with the bow would miss you, but these orcs just stood there with no look of malice or hatred, just confusion.

Soon after the silence Theodal sat up. "Were did you orcs come from?"

"Mordor, we came from mordor."

"But I thought it was destroyed and all the orcs killed?"

The orc shrugged. "Not true, some of us survived, got away from the battle, some of us survive, but we don't attack tarks anymore."

Theodal still wasn't convinced these orcs meant no harm so he stoically kept his own information at bay. "Why not, isn't malice and cruelty all you creatures know."

Once of the orcs stepped forward, this one was smaller than the other orc. "Before our master died, he made us do bad things to the taros, he was a voice in our heads, plaguing us, killing us if we didn't do it, then when he died, we didn't get the urge no more, we just stopped killin tarks."

Theodal was nearly in shock, he had killed so many orcs that would've killed him given the advantage, even though killing anything made him feel sick, fortunately that advantage never came, but now he was at the mercy of four orcs, but they didn't want to hurt him.

"Er… so are you all telling me that you have no intentions of killing me at all?"

The orc nodded. "Yeah thats it, unless of course you kill one of ours first."

Theodal was still baffled. "But you attacked us, out of nowhere you jumped out and took out my hunting team."

The orc then looked quite annoyed. "Your filth bowman shoot one of us, he had to die!"

The orcs stood aside to show the body of an orc with an arrow wedged in between his eyes, trickles of black blood still seeping out from the wound as he lay there motionlessly.

"You took one of ours, so we killed your bowman."

"So why did you knock me out and tie me up?"

The orcs eventually spoke together in a huddle before the larger orc crouched back down. "Because during the fight you were trying not to kill anyone why?"

Theodal was surprised, these orcs actually cared? He had to be certain they weren't kidding, but he was so close to being convinced. "Er well Im not really much of an orc killer, to be honest I don't agree to killing any thing at all."

The orcs looked to each other, this surprised them, a whiteskin tark, that didn't take imense pleasure into spearing every orc that even looked at them funny, then the smallest orc stepped forward.

"Do you like orc?"

Theodal thought for a second. "Well yes and no, no in terms of the fact your kind has threatened all of us for years even before Saurons' time and mainly because you haven't shown any interest of hurting or killing me."

The orc turned his head. "We just don't want to anymore."

"The voice of master has gone now, he doesn't tell us to kill anymore, so we don't, but the tarks continue to hunt and kill us."

Theodal was truly in shock now, these orcs were only attacking because they killed one of their own? If they hadnt shot the orc, the others would've just left them alone.

Soon the orc fully sat down with his legs crossed. "Do you have name?"

Theodal was hesitant, but eventually spoke. "Er…. Theodal, I am from Rohan."

The orc shot a polite look, something that was all too new to Theodal an orc smiling, now he had seen everything. "I am Narku, leader of this small band of orcs."

Every orc then sat down, and the small orc leant forward. "I am Craklash."

The Narku, indicated the other two orcs. "And this is Tarburz and Shakgriig."

"Its an..rem pleasure to meet you." Theodal faked a smile, before looking over Narku's shoulder. "Who was the orc we killed?"

The others fell silent before Narku responded. "He was Tharzog, my brother." Narku bowed his head in sadness.

Theodal felt terrible, the he felt shock, he felt sorrow for an orc, he had never seen an orc sad before, angry yes, but never sad, even though he didn't fire the arrow, he assumed if he was going to be around these orcs that he would probably be a slight reminder of their fallen comrade.

"Narku, I am sorry for your brother."

Narku simply grunted. "Its fine, were just glad that his body wasn't taken away."

"if it makes you feel any better, I didn't fire the arrow, but I am curious to know what happened to the others?"

Narku was quiet before Tarburz leant forward. "We fell the leader, knocked you out then the rest legged it."

Theodal was shocked that one of his own had fallen and felt slightly betrayed that his fellows had just taken off, and left him for dead.

Tarburz then broke the silence. "We will bury him at nightfall, but tell us what is it that you do, if not fight orcs?"

Theodal was surprised about all these questions, no killing, no accusing, no revenge for their dead orc, but he decided to just answer and make use of the orcs supposed kindness. "In Edoras, I was a blacksmith."

Tarburz then laughed lightly. "In mordor, I was a smith too."

Then Shakgriig spoke. "I was a tracker."

Craklash. "I was a taskmaster and a trainer."

Theodal started to become quite intrigued he thought all orcs were just mindless killing machines that killed anything that wasn't orc, but they all had jobs although Craklash's job involved whipping, he supposed that orcs couldn't be trained unless whipped into shape, then he turned his head towards Narku, who was still looking at his deceased brother.

"What about Narku?"

Craklash quickly spoke. "He was a captain, as well as the leader of all of us."

Narku swiftly rose, then shook his head slightly. "It will soon be dark, Tarburz, Craklash, gather some wood, Shakgriig, dig a hole for the fire and you." Narku pointed at Theodal, who looked slightly afraid by this change of tone, and even more nervous once Narku came up very close to him.

"I will cut your bonds and remove your weapons, now you must promise me that you will make no attempt to run, we cannot give away our presence more than we already have, if you do try to run, Shakgriig will be set on you, and believe me he will find you, we will treat you like one of us, and if you are good we will let you travel with us, but you must promise me you will not try any hostile moves against us, we may be orcs but we were the orcs good enough to escape."

Theodal supposed he had no choice his fellows had deserted them and these orcs seemed oddly pleasant enough to be around so he swiftly nodded. "You have my work Narku."

"You have made a wise choice." Narku said sternly as he cut the ropes binding his wrists and ankles, and allowing him to stand properly and stretch his legs, he looked around the small camp as he saw the other three orcs preparing the fire.

"Narku." Theodal said quietly. "Allow me to assist you in your brothers burial, its the least I can do."

Narku simply grunted and nodded. "Yeah I suppose."

Theodal was worried, not about the orcs, but about what could happen if his kinsmen could see him now, consorting with orcs.

Theres the first chapter, let me know what you think, read and review and I'll get some more chapters up as soon as I can :)