This chapter is one that is close to my heart. We just had to put my golden retriever down and I had this written long before it happens. It resonates a whole lot more now. On a happier note: I am done with college! I now have all the time in the world to sort out what the heck I'm going to do with my life…and update this story more often.
Enjoy!
Chapter 9: A Turn for the Worse
Avel's barking jolted her out of her musing. She sat up, glancing around the edges of the forest. Avel's barking seemed frantic, and worried, which let off warning bells in Eywn's mind. She stood and went into the house to get her sword. The dog's barking continued from the back of the house. Making her way through the house, she kept her eyes fixed on the windows, looking for the perpetrator that caused Avel to panic. She was beginning to wonder if he had merely been startled by something- a deer or a wolf…but then she saw it. A flash of darkness passed outside the window near a tree. A large figure with someone riding atop it.
She had only heard stories of these creatures but she recognized it instantly. Eywn's house was surrounded by orcs on wargs.
Eywn saw Avel paw at the back door and she rushed to let him in. The wargs surged forward, tearing through the hen coop and her garden before landing on her porch with a deafening thud. Eywn was in the process of shutting the door when a rough hand grabbed the door and pulled it back with a force that almost sent Eywn tumbling forward. She abandoned the door handle to aim her sword and got a quick stab in the chest before the others approached. The stabbed orc growled and fell back behind his comrades. Eywn took advantage of her moment of opportunity and swung again, slicing across the neck of a new orc; she used the momentum to swing at another. This time, the blade went across the stomach, creating a deep gash along the weak part of the orc's crude armor. Eywn backed up as he too collapsed in front of her.
She did not have much time to celebrate this small victory. Eywn's sword hand was grabbed and she blinked away tears as an orc pulled her out onto the porch. Eywn was flung off the porch and she landed with a thud on the grass. The first orc she stabbed was on the ground. Her stab had been true; the light was leaving his eyes and he coughed up dark blood. Eywn felt a sense of grim satisfaction before a foot slammed onto her back. She gripped her sword tightly as a hand tried to pluck it away from her. Eywn felt two hands pull her to her feet and hold her between two stench-filled orcs as another approached her. Her sword was still in her hand, but the orc holding that side had a rough grip on her wrist so it was useless. The orc in front of her stopped inches from her face. She took in the sweat, foul breath, and unwashed face of the lead orc. A sinister smile passed over his face. Eywn refused to look away from his eyes. Fear coursed through her limbs, but she wasn't about to let this foul creature see the terror.
"Where are the dwarves, whelp?"
Eywn didn't dare blink, but a tremor of horror shot through her body. The dwarves? Certainly they couldn't mean her houseguests from the night before. Her mouth remained shut. The orc snarled and slapped her face. A flash of pain erupted on her left cheek. She felt blood fill her mouth and her eyes squeezed shut. Taking in the pain, she looked back up to the orc, her eyes a mixture of defiance and anger. She would not speak.
"Tell us...or we'll burn this entire place to the ground." Eywn's eyes went wide.
"What dwarves? I haven't seen anyone in ages" she earned another slap. Eywn spat the blood onto the orc's muddy boots. She turned her gaze back to his, her eyebrows knitted in fury.
"Don't lie to us, scum…we know they passed this way. Which way did they go?" he shook her in his grasp.
"If you could track these dwarves to this point, wouldn't you be able to find them again?"
Eywn knew it was stupid. She knew she could be killed for such a bold statement, but the orcs would kill her anyway. The orc considered her words for a moment. His eyes went narrow and turned back to the house.
"Search the place…and kill the mutt." Avel, who had been in the hold of one of the orcs, had been barking and growling during the whole proceedings. Eywn began to fight the hold the two orcs had and pushed herself forward. The orcs held her firm as one of their number hoisted their crude sword and plunged it into Avel's neck. Eywn screamed as the dog's growls turned to whines. She watched the light leave her companion's eyes and tears began to form. She knew she would be next.
The sound of orcs rampaging through her home brought Eywn back to reality. She began to kick her legs up, trying to loosen the hold the orcs had on her. They held firm, ramming her into the ground before yanking her up again. She watched as her possessions were flung from her windows and doors. The lead orc turned back and grinned. Eywn felt tears forming in her eyes and no amount of self-restraint could stop them.
"Now…where are the dwarves?"
"I've seen no dwarves" her voice sounded strained and she knew her death was imminent.
Several orcs came out with baskets full of her supplies. They had left the vegetables and fruits, but the pies and supplies of meat were all brought out. Her knives and forks were also thrown into a large pile. One orc brought out a few of her blankets; among the blankets, she spied the hood of the new cloak she had been given by Ros and Marigold. A breath caught in her throat at the sight of it; they would not take something so precious from her. She squirmed, moving to free it from the pile, but the orcs held her tightly between them. The ale was carried out last. Eywn slumped as her possessions were being strewn across the lawn.
"We found no dwarves…but we did find this." The orc held out the pipe she had thrown onto the table in her rush to the back door. It looked like any ordinary pipe, but the dwarvish runes were clearly carved into the wood. Why the orcs would have any reason to know what dwarvish runes looked like was beyond Eywn, but it clearly brought their attention.
"I bought it from a trader years ago…" Eywn said, trying to sound as if it didn't matter. The orcs turned to face her. The lead orc grabbed the pipe and thrust it forward so it was inches from her face.
"Why don't I believe you, scum?"
"I don't know…I bought it years ago" Eywn felt her voice starting to sound desperate. The orc threw it to the ground and grabbed the front of her tunic. Eywn was pulled up and the two holding her arms kept a hold so her arms were pulled back. Eywn's feet kicked, trying to find the safety of the ground.
"Human brat," he spat, "If the trader you bought it from "years ago" was among the caravan we met last week, you should know your supplier of this filth won't be trading with anyone…ever," Eywn's eyes widened in horror. The caravan, her friends, her family…..they were gone. Her expression could not be masked; she couldn't fathom this reality. The orc seemed pleased with her reaction; he pulled her closer to his face, letting his tongue lick his uncared for fangs. His breath seemed to penetrate every pore of her face and she had to give everything she had in not squirming.
"If you won't tell me, I guess I'll bring the dwarves to you…" he let go of Eywn and she plummeted to the ground, the arms still being held by the orcs. Eywn bit back a hiss of pain as her arms bent awkwardly behind her. She was yanked to her feet again and led forward. Eywn dug in her heels as she was steered toward the house. Whatever they had planned, she knew it couldn't be good.
"I don't know any dwarves!" She screamed, trying to turn her head back to the lead orc. He was handed a torch by one of the orcs who had ransacked her house. Eywn began to piece together his plan and realized that she would be a part of it in a most discomforting way. As she was pulled into her house, she began to fight even harder. In the struggle, her massive table was overturned as the orcs shoved her towards the cellar, whose doors had been left open in the previous ransacking. At the top of the short stair, Eywn was released and she tumbled down the stairs and landed hard on an overturned shelf. Eywn turned just as the door was slammed shut above her. She stumbled to her feet and tried to push the door open again. The door didn't budge. She heard something scraping against the top. They were locking her in. She pushed against the door with her shoulder, putting all her strength in pushing her shoulder against the door. It barely trembled. Her breath caught in her throat…how were they going to bring the dwarves to her?
Shouts could be heard from outside and Eywn let out a soft breath she had been holding in. She heard something familiar…something crackling and that something was now filling her house. It didn't become apparent to her until the smoke began to seep down through the cracks.
The orcs had set her house on fire. She placed a hand on the wood and felt the heat rising. Eywn tried everything she could to not let panic settle in, but she backed slowly and sank to her knees. If she escaped, the orcs would be waiting for her, if she stayed, she would be burned alive…like her family.
Eywn tried to push back those memories, but the choking air was igniting long lost memories.
Thank you for reading! Many Blessings ~Eylanan
