Chapter 11: Captured!
Hawk woke up startled out of her sleep. What was that noise? She looked at Elrohir; he was still sleeping. Then she heard it again, it sounded like something was headed their way. She crawled over to her husband and shook him awake.
"Elrohir, I'm, I'm sorry." She said trying not to cry.
"What's wrong?" he asked sitting up confused.
"Someone's coming." She replied, "And I fell asleep. Please forgive me."
"Hawk," but he was unable to say anything else because at that moment he was shot.
"Elrohir!" she cried looking down at her fallen husband.
"Go Hawk." He said through clenched teeth, "Go now before they find you."
But Hawk refused to leave him. She had done this. It had been her idea to set a watch and she had fallen asleep. Now Elrohir was hurt. She would never forgive herself. She stood to face the coming horde; they wouldn't take them without a fight. But she was struck from behind with a well-placed fist. She teetered for a moment then fell to the ground unconscious.
"Grab the boy." Deloth barked to his band of orcs, "Leave the other."
Deloth had spotted the travelers at sunset when they had stopped for the night, but he waited till he was sure that they weren't paying attention to attack. His master didn't want anyone to know that the orcs were still around, yet. He had seen the boy give the man his weapons so he knew that he was practically defenseless. But he went over and moved the cloak from his shoulders, his hands burning from the contact. Then he pulled the sword from his pant leg, again his hand seared in pain. He didn't know what kind of magic this boy possessed but he wasn't about to let him have the weapon so he had tossed it and the cloak aside next to the fallen man.
The orcs picked up Hawk and ran into the night. They weren't too far from their home but they wanted to get somewhere to hide for the day. They found a cave and gathered inside as the sun began to rise.
Hawk groaned in pain as she came to. Why did her head hurt? Then she remembered; they were attacked. She opened her eyes to see if she could see Elrohir, but all she saw was about fifteen orcs sitting around a fire roasting something. Tears sprang to her eyes; Elrohir was dead. She was lying in the back of the cave in a little antechamber but the only way out was past the orcs. She looked at her hands, they were bound but Valin was still on her finger. Her cloak was gone as was her sword. She looked around desperately for the weapon, but it was nowhere in sight. It didn't look like the orcs had kept it.
Deloth heard her groan and went over to her. His hands still burned from where he had touched the cloak and sword. This boy would pay for what his things had done. He smiled maliciously; he was taking him to be a slave for his master. That was considered a fate worse than death. But at the moment he was going to have a little fun.
"Get up, boy." He said when he reached her.
Hawk rose to her feet and met the orc's yellow eyes fearlessly. Deloth punched her stomach. She doubled over in pain.
"That'll teach you some manners, boy." He spat.
Deloth looked over his shoulder at his fellow orcs and said something to them in their filthy language. Hawk straightened trying to catch her breath. She was seething. But another orc handed the one in front of her a whip, and her look became stoic. If he wanted her to squeal she wasn't going to. She would take this beating standing up. He wasn't about to intimidate her. Deloth noticed her look and sneered.
The whip cracked and wrapped around her chest, tearing the lightweight fabric of her shirt. He pulled the whip back along with the tattered remains of the shirt. Hawk glared into his eyes. She still had her mithril so the blow hadn't affected her. The whip hissed again and split the side of her pants. She looked down surprised. What was he doing? And again the whip sprang into action ripping the clothes from her frame. Her mithril shirt covered her but it didn't go but to mid-thigh. She knew that she needed to get out of there now.
But Deloth's fist curled around her hair. He pulled her head back and glared into her eyes. Then he spit in her face. Hawk turned her head away in disgust. Then he untied her hands and grabbed the mithril shirt and pulled it over her head. She sank to the ground humiliated and curled tightly into a ball.
Deloth hissed as he drew in an astonished breath. This wasn't a boy, but a woman. He barked an order at one of his companions and they tossed him something from a pile in the corner. He threw them at the girl.
"Put those on." He commanded roughly.
But Hawk was too frightened to move. So Deloth knelt down beside her and forced her to look into his eyes.
"Put those on, now." He growled menacingly and threw her into a back corner of the room.
Hawk did as she was told but was shocked when she noticed the clothing he had given her. The shirt, if it could be called that, was just a piece of cloth that tied around the neck and under the arms, barely covering her at all. And the pants weren't much better. They were much too big for her and threatened to fall off at any moment. But she would keep them up if it was the last thing she did.
Deloth looked at this girl curiously. He didn't think he had ever seen a woman so beautiful in his life. He smiled wickedly; he wouldn't make her a slave, he would present her as a gift to his master.
When the sun set the orcs set out again. Deloth made Hawk run with them, but she kept tripping over the pants she was wearing. He finally had enough and threw her over his shoulder, carrying her the rest of the way to the tower of his master. Once there he took her to a room and threw her roughly inside.
Hawk caught herself with her hands. She could feel the skin break and the blood rush to her palms. She looked down at her hands, tears pooling in her eyes. She put them together and cried into her fists.
"Someone help me." She sobbed, "I need some help, I can't do this on my own."
But she stopped when she felt warmth spread through the wound on her right palm. She pulled her hands apart and looked with wonder at her healed hand. Of course, Valin had healing powers. She turned the ring and closed her left hand into a fist. It only took a few seconds for both of her hands to be completely restored.
A moment later Hawk heard footsteps approaching. They stopped right outside of the room she was in. She stood up and looked at the door fearfully. It opened to reveal Deloth and a man who was so evil his stench overpowered her and made her fall to her knees.
"Welcome, my lady," he hissed in a menacing voice, "to Gonathras."
"You mock that fair speech with your foul tongue." She spat out.
"What is your name, little one?" he asked his red eyes narrowing into slits.
"Hawk." She replied raising her head.
"Well, Hawk," he mocked her, "I am Morgost and you are now my slave."
"I would rather die." She met his eyes fearlessly.
He was in front of her in two steps, lifting her up roughly by the hair, "Don't tempt me."
Then his mouth covered hers in a savage kiss. Hawk fought against him with everything she had. But the more she struggled the tighter his grip became and the harder he kissed her. Her left hand landed on the knife in his belt. She pulled it out and thrust it into his shoulder. Her aim was too high to do any damage, but it was enough to make him release her.
Morgost looked down at his own knife in his right shoulder. He pulled it out and looked at the girl. No one had ever been able to hurt him before; there was something strange about this one. But his hand connected with her face and sent her flying to the ground, unconscious. He watched with satisfaction as a livid bruise formed on her flawless cheek and blood oozed from the cut on her neck where the knife had caught her. He turned to Deloth a look of pure hatred on his face.
"Keep her here until she learns her place." He commanded as he left.
Deloth bowed to his master and then sat down to keep an eye on the prisoner. He knew that his master wanted her, but she would have to calm down a little first. But then again, his master always did like a woman with a little fight in her.
Hawk woke up a few hours later. Her face felt like it was on fire. She gingerly put her right hand on her cheek and winced from the light contact. Then she heard someone laughing. She opened her eyes and saw the orc who had captured her sitting by the door watching her. Then she felt something trickle down her neck, she reached up and when she looked at her hand she was surprised to see blood on her fingers. She thought about using Valin to heal herself, but with the orc there she realized that that wouldn't be a good idea. Right now she had her ring and that was what mattered.
Deloth watched the girl with some amusement. She was clearly in pain, but she wasn't going to admit it. But that was fine with him; he didn't want some whiny woman on his hands. He rose, picked up a skin of water and started toward her.
Hawk recoiled, expecting another blow. But she was surprised when he handed her the water skin. She looked up at him confused.
"Drink." He commanded.
Hawk raised the skin warily. But when the cool water hit her tongue she drank with relish. Then she poured a little into her hand and did her best to clean her face. But Deloth moved her hand away and looked at the bruise on her cheek. He knew that his master wanted it to stay there as a reminder to her that she was his slave. And the cut would eventually scar as another reminder.
About midday another orc came and whispered something to Deloth. Hawk didn't care what they were talking about; she was trying to figure a way out. But her guard came over and bound her hands. She was terribly confused but her face remained expressionless. Deloth led her to the topmost tower, where his master was waiting for the girl. When she was inside he turned and left her there.
Hawk looked around the room and noticed that there was nothing but a table in it. At the moment it was laden with food. Morgost rose from his place at the table and went over to her. She looked away from him. But he caught her chin and made her look at him, shaking his head.
"Come, my little bird, and have something to eat." He said pulling her over to the table.
When he reached the chair he forced her to sit down. Then he tied her into it, but he removed the bonds from her hands so that she could eat.
"Don't try to untie yourself because I really don't want to hurt you, little bird." He said watching her glance at the cords around her waist and ankles. "Otherwise I will have to bind your hands again."
Hawk glared at him. But he smiled wickedly at her open hatred. He admired her spirit; most of his prisoners gave in too easily. But she was going to take a little breaking.
"Eat." He commanded taking his seat.
"I'd rather starve." She spat out.
"Well suit yourself, little bird. But you won't get anything else to eat till I decide to invite you up here again." He replied piling food onto her plate.
"Know this, little bird," he continued the monologue when she didn't respond, "I will break you. You will be mine. You will be trained, like the magnificent beast from which you get your name. All it takes is a little time."
Hawk turned her head away from his gaze. She was starting to get very mad. But if she didn't control her temper she would end up in a whole lot of trouble. Morgost saw a muscle working in her jaw and knew that she was barely controlling her anger. He was getting somewhere. He wanted her to lash out at him again; he found it devilishly entertaining.
"Eat something, little bird. Don't worry," he said as she eyed the food suspiciously, "it's not your friend. My orcs left him where he fell, food for the wolves."
Her eyes flew to his. He laughed at the fire he saw in them. His plan was working wonderfully. In a few minutes she would be right where he wanted her. Hawk's mind reeled with this new information. Maybe he wasn't dead? If that was the case she wouldn't give up hope. She would control herself and wait for Morgost to show her his plan.
Morgost noticed the change in her immediately. His news didn't have the effect he wanted it to. It was almost as if she had hope for her friend. But he knew from what Deloth had told him there was no hope for the other man. He was almost dead when they reached him.
"Deloth," he called his voice a menacing hiss, "take this girl back to her room and make sure that no one but me enters it. That means you as well."