I do not own the Hobbit.
Please review and let me know how these chapters are going. Writing in an Orc frame of mind is somewhat...enlightening and i don't want to slip into a human frame of mind which happens sometimes. So please let me know when i being more Man than Orc. !
Thank you!
Azog clenched his teeth together, trying to not make a sound as the Man stood in front of him, carving a fresh cut into his chest. He lost he fight and a low groan of pain rolled out from between his lips. The Man stepped back and took a swig of some drink before casting an approving eye over Azog's body. Azog refused to show how much it hurt but he could barely hold on to that façade now. All the energy and fire that he had gotten from eating the man and the man child was all but gone now. He supposed being tied up naked against a cold rock and being helpless against the enemy's torture had that effect.
"What do you think?" the Man called back to his companions who were sitting at a fire, "Do you think we can kill it now?" One Man got up from the fire and came over. He scrutinized the work of the previous Man.
"No," he said reaching for the knife, "I don't think it has suffered enough. Let me have a go at it and then we can kill it."
Azog sighed in himself. The pain was bad, he didn't deny that but it was really the humiliation at being caught the way he did that irked him. How he could not have noticed the signs of exhaustion was beyond him. After he had eaten the child, he had found himself swaying on his feet; feeling strangely warm and comfortable. Then the world spun around wildly once and the next thing he knew he was being dragged out of the house by a band of screaming Men who were kicking and stabbing at him with their short swords. He tried to fight back but his limbs had gone cold and all he could manage was halfhearted pushes and even more worthless kicks. Then for some reason them had decided not to kill him right away but to torture him instead. Men. So foolish. It would have been best for them to kill him. Because it was only a matter of time before he got out and killed them. If he managed to survive to the moment that he needed.
As it was; in addition to the beating that them had given him, pounding his body with their fists and feet against the rock that he had been tied to; his blood had pooled into his swollen eye from the slash across the left side of his face making him blind. His arms that were stretched out painfully to either side were trembling and had a warm sensation in his fingers which he knew was not a good sign. There were three broad cuts across either side of his chest that began at the breast bone and then slid upward to his shoulders; these had bled him a new shade a skin that was similar to the skin of his Orc brethren. They had not reached his legs yet, but he had a feeling that they wouldn't have the patience to carve the entirety of him before they killed him. He needed to make his move soon if he was going to try anything at all. It may a futile gesture and most likely he would just make them kill him faster but he could not die being tied to a rock like this. He wanted to go out with man blood in his mouth and know that at least one of them was dying when they killed him.
The new Man strode up, knife in hand and thrust his face into Azog's. He rested the blade against the right side of Azog's face, the point lay just above Azog's ear.
"I knew those people," he said beginning to drag the blade down, his breath stank of the drink, "You killed them as if they were nothing to you." The blade moved down his cheek, his blood running down his face in hot blade streams. The Man leaned closer. "Now I am going to kill you as if you mean nothing. Which you do." Azog smiled at the Man.
"They were not nothing to me," he said speaking slowly in the Man's tongue, "They were food." The Man cursed and pulled away violently as if Azog has struck him. Then in the next second he leaned back in and pressed the knife blade over Azog's heart.
"They say you creatures actually have a heart like ours," the Man spat at him, "Well I am going to find out if that it is true."
The Man began to press the blade into Azog's chest, the fact that the man was using one of the cuts on his chest as easy access sent Azog into fresh agony. Suddenly he was no longer in pain. Hot anger well up in him and sent a spike of energy through his limbs. He roared and lunged forward; his arms and legs screaming in an agony that he used to fuel his anger. He felt the ropes burn into his flesh with a dull searing sensation. He heard the Man gasp in fear and tried to lunge back but he was too late. Azog's cold lips had touched the Man flesh and he bit down hard and ripped back.
The Man's gurgling scream sounded like music to his ears. Hot Man's blood sprayed over his face and body and after swallowing the chunk of flesh he laughed and licked the drops that hung from his lips. The other Men leapt up and grabbed a hold their companion trying to staunch the blood flow. Azog couldn't see where the wound was but he was willing to bet the Man would most likely not survive.
"Kill the monster!" someone screamed shrilly. A Man leapt forward, sword in hand. As the Man raised his hand to thrust the blade home, there was a low whistling sound and the man grew a long silver blade from his neck. The Man stopped looking surprised. He reached up stupidly to the blade but his hand never made it. He dropped with a muffled thud, his blood looking black on the snow. The group of Men seemed to be frozen in place. Then as if someone had snapped their fingers they roared to life, kicking out the fire and drawing their swords. But it was too late. A large dark blur burst out from the darkness and drove into the midst of them and into the dark again. And a Man was gone. The Man gave soft cries of fear and anger, turning around in a circle with their backs to each other. Again the dark blur struck taking another. Now only eight Men were left. There was a tense silence that seemed to thicken as the seconds passed. Then Azog heard it. It was faint at first and then it began to grow in volume. DireWolf growls. Then out of the darkness five large dark shapes materialized, stalking around the group in a slow circle. It was like a fatal dance; the Men circling in the middle of a circling group of DireWolves. Then the dance seemed to reach it final point and from outside of the two circles, one lone bark, deep and powerful sounded and the DireWolf circle leapt in. In a few seconds the inner Man circle was obliterated. Azog watched in total awe and satisfaction. Then to his surprise as the DireWolves settled to eating the Men, small dark shapes slid off the DireWolves and came trotting over to him.
"Captain," one of his Orcs said to him. Azog nodded to him.
"Rugath," he acknowledged. Rugath nodded to two other and they came and braced Azog as Rugath cut the ropes from his arms and legs. Azog prepared himself to take his weight bit his body just slumped even though he was willing it to stand. His Orcs were slinging his arms across their shoulders and preparing to move him when a shadow fell over them. Azog looked up to see the Mother DireWolf standing in front of them. He saw his Orcs tip their head to her in respect. She snorted frosty air at them and then lowered herself to the ground. She looked at Azog and then swung her head to her back. Without a word his Orcs carried him to her and laid him, face down on her back. He fought the groans of pain back into his throat. The Mother DireWolf's fur was softer than he had thought and warm. He felt her warm leaching into his body making his arms and legs tingle painfully. She got up in one fluid motion and began walking. Azog braces himself for painful jolts from the motion but to his surprise he felt nothing. Her movements were fluid and graceful. He sighed in relief and gripped her fur in one hand, noting that his fingers were feeling a bit more normal now. He felt her body tense under the grip and then relax. She growled and the sound rumbled through his body making his muscles relax even more. He sighed again and growled a bit back. He felt his growl effect in the shiver of her muscles under that thick coat of fur and with a smile he let his tension fall away as he trusted the DireWolf to protect him.
The road to recovery took place in a cold cave with a hard dirt floor and a heavy smell of Orc and DireWolf. It was strangely comforting and pleasant. Azog was still harboring extreme surprise that his Orcs had come back for him and bonded with the DireWold pups as well. It seemed that they had come to deeply respect their respective DireWolves as much as he had come to deeply respect the Mother DireWolf. His Orcs tended to him as best they could. After that nature and his natural resilience to being defeated took over. In three days he was able to move around without reopening wounds and by the end of the week, he was ready to move out.
"What is your plan?" Rugath asked Azog, as Azog stood looking out into the cold waste. Azog looked at him and then back at the four remaining Orcs of his group.
"I want to find the Chief," Azog said, "I have words to say to him." Rugath nodded.
"I have a fair idea of where he might go," Rugath said, "We picked up some chatter from the Men while we were searching for you. If our present location is correct then we are but a few days ride from where he is." Rugath paused and looked back to the DireWolves. "If they will come with us, that is."
Azog followed his gaze to the DireWolves who were sitting in a silent group to once side of the small cave.
"I guess we should ask and find out," Azog replied. He walked over to the Mother DireWolf and stood in front of her.
Pale icy blue eyes stared deep into dark back ones. At first Azog felt like he was gazing at the surface of an iced over pool. Then it was as if the ice broke and he fell into the cold depth of those black eyes. His heart raced up even as he tried to steady himself by taking deep breaths. He both saw and felt the cold calculating mind and heart of the Mother DireWolf; the love she had for her pups, the hatred she had for anything that would harm them. Then as if coming from an even blacker depth, he saw what he was hoping to find; a deep respect for him that matched his own. It was as if he had gone into a trance of some sort; his mind and body being filled with a pure power that not even he had ever experienced before. This DireWolf was his; it was meant for him. In the same way he was meant for her and she knew it. Suddenly he was rushing back up to the surface of those dark eyes and the Mother Direwolf dipped her head low so that they stood eye to eye.
"You are mine," Azog said to her softly, "and I am yours. You and I will bring death to all those oppose me. You will be the dread of my enemies. You will be my Dru." She bowed her head lower than his eyes and Azog raised a slow hand to her head and placed it there. She titled her head from side to side, making his hand run through the soft fur. Then she moved back and gave a short bark to her pups. They yelped and pounced towards the Orcs that they had chosen. Azog stood next to Dru, their side touching as they watched the Orcs and DireWolves bond with a feeling of satisfaction and anticipation.
Then Azog called them to pack and make ready. In less than half an hour the camp was broken and they were mounted.
"Rugath," Azog pointed ahead, "Lead." Rugath nodded to him and with a word the Orc and Wolf leapt ahead.
