The King's Vacation
by Fairy Laughing
Chapter VI: The Story
Elessar frowned at the unconscious orcs and humans, and then looked to the girl and remaining orcs, "So, what is the cause of all this bloodshed and hatred?"
She sighed, "It started five years old. I remember little, as I was but a child then, though I have been told stories about what took place. It was after the war, but the Uruks had been awaiting orders from the Dark Lord for many months. Their orders never came, and they were left with the last orders they had received."
"And they still obeyed them?" Elladan asked.
She nodded, "They had nothing else to hold on to besides their instructions to allow none to pass over the bridge that crosses the Anduin. This was always our village's trading route, the centre of our commerce. During the war we did not use this route, but afterwards we tried to regain it... regain our commerce and livelihood."
"And how did that go?" Elrohir leant towards her to listen."
"Well, we have been trying for five years, but we are nothing more than a small farming village, and we have no experienced warriors. We have only sent them in small groups too, so we have yet to overtake the Uruks."
Elessar shook his head, "These fell beasts do not know why they are fighting either... so all this is pointless."
"When they awake will you make peace?" Legolas asked, realizing what had happened.
"For all of ours that have been killed or wounded? After years of being cut off from the rest of Middle Earth?" She became angered.
"They have lost some of their own." Elrohir pointed out.
Urburg nodded his agreement to this fact, looking a little bit sad. You could almost feel sorry for him.
"Well... how do we solve this then?" She asked.
Elessar, being the most excellent conflict solver that he had become, declared, "When they awake please refrain fighting – any of the orcs who wish to stay and repair the village they have destroyed may, they can build houses, fences and... uh... make curtains."
"Curtains?" Elrohir asked dubiously.
"Yes, curtains." Urburg said.
"And for the ones who are seriously anti-human and were not just following orders?"
"We will... take them with us." Elessar said, very slowly.
"What?!" All three elves cried.
"I do not think that is a wise idea, friend..." Legolas said.
"Are you mad?" Elladan asked.
"They are orcs!" Elrohir cried, "So we are just going to pack them up on horses and take them with us, travelling about the countryside with unemployed orcs?"
"That is what we will do Elrohir, yes. Though they may prefer their own mounts over horses."
"Oh, so now we will have orcs AND wargs? Brilliant!"
"I think it's a pretty good idea, myself." Elessar said, Elrohir's sarcasm passing over his head. "We can find somewhere for them where they will not bother others."
"No, they will not bother anyone until after they have eaten us in our sleep."
"Have some faith in our word, elf." Urburg grunted.
"I know no one who has lived to speak of an orc keeping it's word."
"Pansy elf!"
"Stinking orc!"
"Prissy!"
"Ugly!"
"Both of you, silence!" Elessar cried, putting himself between the quarrelling orc and elf. Elrohir stuck out his tongue at Urburg who pulled down one eyelid in reply.
"Worse than little brothers..." The girl murmured, and Elessar had to agree.
"Where will we take the orcs?" Legolas asked.
"Ah... well, gee..."
"Harad." Elrohir decieded. "Middle of Harad without water or mounts, and then we leave them."
"That is mean."
"We could bring them up into the mountains," Elessar thought aloud, "Where there are no people... they could live of, like, roots and animals and stuff."
"Sounds like a plan."
They had all more or less agreed, or at least had to put aside the argument just then, because the orcs and children had started to groan and wake up. Quickly they took away everyone's weapons, and moved all the kids to one side of the cave, near the exit, and the orcs towards the back of the cave.
And then they waited.
To be continued...
*Author ducks from the flying vegetables, handily catching a carrot and munching on it.*