Chapter One
Ashgarn awoke, his head pounding and extreme pain radiating from his whole body. A figure stood above him.
An Orc? Ashgarn thought. Could it be... the Gravewalker?
Ashgarn's eyes widened as his vision became better. It was a Ghûl! Ashgarn punched the wretched creature in the face and it recoiled. Ashgarn felt lucky that his slender form allowed him to wiggle away from the Ghûl. The Orc got to his feet and surveyed the situation. There were only two of them, but if he didn't act fast they would hide underground and summon the rest of their kin.
Ashgarn sniffed. His superior Orc sense of smell told him that there was one of the dead Uruks a few meters away. Ashgarn leapt over there, barely avoiding the Ghûl that lunged at him with its claws. Grabbing the dead Uruk's weapon, Ashgarn charged into the Ghûl. Swinging the blade, he sliced it diagonally from the right shoulder across the chest, killing the beast. Instinctively Ashgarn somersaulted, avoiding a Ghûl paw. The Orc turned around and simultaneously swung his sword, decapitating the foul Ghûl.
They were right to be cautious, it is a bad time for Ghûls. Ashgarn thought.
The Orc pondered the options. He judged that it was only one or two hours until sunrise. Lighting a fire would ward off any more Ghûls, but could attract other Uruks. Or the Gravewalker. The more Ashgarn thought of it, the more he realized that he was one of the few survivors of an encounter with the feared Ranger. Ashgarn was in awe of the power he had shown, slaying four Orcs with a single bolt. Of course the Orc had heard stories of the Gravewalker, but he assumed they were filled with fear and hyperbole. If the Ranger was that powerful, were the rumors of his power of resurrection true? Ashgarn shrugged it off. He was no better than a common warrior with talk like that.
Ashgarn decided that it wasn't worth the risk and decided to return to his master's stronghold. Ashgarn was currently working for a local Warchief, Zunn the Shield, though his loyalties tended to change whenever the odds weren't in his favor. Zunn used Ashgarn as an assassin, hunting down renegades, traitors, and potential rivals. Ashgarn's latest assignment had been to hunt down four Uruks who had stolen a few of the Warchief's slaves, cut them up, and sold the meat in his own Stronghold's market. "Soft meat" as human meat was often dubbed, was a rare commodity and many Orcs considered it a delicacy.
The Uruks were dead with no witnesses, and Ashgarn looked forward to his payment. The Warchief was generous, and paid in food, slaves, and shelter. Ashgarn realized how important the last one was in preserving his lifespan. While many Orcs would rather find a remote spot to nap, Ashgarn preferred his apartment. It was in the middle of a Stronghold, and because of this was especially well protected.
"Ashgarn, good to see you. Someone is waiting for your report," Stakûga, one of Zunn's lieutenants, greeted Ashgarn.
"I will go see him once I get some grub," Ashgarn replied.
Chapter Two
As Ashgarn walked through the bustling stronghold he felt much better. Ratanàk was one of the best chefs in all of Mordor, and some of the hunters had caught a Caragor. Ashgarn burped under his breath and walked towards Ûkshak's dwelling. Ûkshak was the intermediary that Zunn used to communicate with Ashgarn and his other assassins. Ashgarn had met him in person before, of course, but only when he was given very important assignments.
"Seen any Ghûls lately?" Ûkshak asked. The Orc had a very scratchy voice and long nose.
"No, only Hell-hawks," Ashgarn said, finishing the key phrase. Even though Ûkshak knew who he was they still used a key phrase so they could be especially professional.
"The mission is completed, the Uruks were slain," Ashgarn said.
"Perfect. Zunn doesn't tolerate thievery," Ûkshak replied.
"Your next task is the hardest yet; we need you to infiltrate another Stronghold and spy on the Warchief for us," Ûkshak said, "Zunn will give you a full briefing at midnight. Meet him in Zûgor's forge."
"Alright globs! Quit slacking and start stacking or you'll be supper!" a nearby Uruk said to the pair of Orcs, indicating some boxes that needed to be stacked.
I'll have to kill him later, Ashgarn thought as he started working.