Chapter 10

On a chilly moonless night when they camped in the dense forest near the Anduin, Uglúk walked over to Lurtz's resting place, hoping to find him in an acceptable mood. Tucked into his belt he carried the still more than half-full flask with Saruman's mysterious healing potion.

The Uruk-hai had covered another twenty leagues in bright daylight today, and Uglúk nursed the hope that Lurtz would be sufficiently tired to at least listen to the suggestion he intended to make before unleashing his wrath on his friend. The huge Uruk was nowhere to been seen though. Sniffing the air, Uglúk caught the warm trace of the familiar scent and simply followed.

He found Lurtz leaning against a tree and listening to the sounds of the nightly woods while his narrowed, yellow eyes wandered over the distant camp. Uglúk briskly stepped closer, aware that Lurtz had noticed him already, although he did not bother to acknowledge his visitor's presence with as much as a single glance. The wary glitter in the Uruk-hai leader's eyes revealed to that he was anything but tired, but as far as his mood was concerned... – Uglúk couldn't tell. Armor and warpaint were in place, and the white handprint on Lurtz's broad face gave him a strange, sneering expression.

Farther away in the East they could hear the faint gurgle and slapping of small waves against the river shore; a strangely soothing sound, even to their uncaring ears.

"I came to talk to you...," Uglúk started, immediately realizing that he could hardly have said anything more awkward to begin with. He was not even sure he was welcome here. The white, masklike face turned slowly towards him and Lurtz's features distorted into a scowl.

"Sha! Talk?! I had hoped you had come for a good fuck."

"Can we do both?" Uglúk retorted at once, careful not to look too pleasantly surprised.

Lurtz's expression did not change much. He swiftly swung around to grip Uglúk's arm with his right hand and pulled him along. His companion obliged, and side by side they trotted down to the riverbank, soon running rather than walking. The lower-ranking Uruk briefly wondered if Lurtz still refused to acknowledge their bond and therefore wished to get farther away from their camp and its prying eyes, but when they halted on a small strip of soft ground near the river, Uglúk knew that there was another reason.

Lurtz struggled with his metal armor without a word, managing, but considerably slowed down by his useless arm. Uglúk stood back and observed every single move. He found it painful to see Lurtz like this, and he felt a mixture of red hot anger and desire for his stubborn lover slowly bring his blood to a boil. He did not know where the sudden impulse came from, but as soon as the last piece of metal touched the ground, he charged the taller Uruk with a mad snarl of both anger and arousal.

He caught Lurtz completely unaware. With a loud 'thump!' his heavy body hit the ground. Its owner landed painfully on the back, not fast enough to curl up and roll backwards to lessen the impact. Uglúk was already pinning him down, a maddened, almost vicious grin on his usually calm face. His right hand pressed willfully against the soiled green bandage while he made sure he held Lurtz's uninjured arm securely locked with his left knee and hand.

"Not good, no?" he asked snarlingly.

The massive Uruk under him did not display any sign of pain. Instead the painted face twitched and teeth were bared, but no sound other than that of heavy breathing escaped the gaping mouth.

"Don't you understand...?" Uglúk hissed, leaning closer to the enraged face.

Suddenly Uglúk was thrown into the air with enough force to lose his grip on Lurtz's good arm for the fraction of a second. It was all the time Lurtz needed. Claws slashed at Uglúk's throat but missed as he bent his upper body backwards just in time to avoid them. The leather of his jerkin was torn open with an ugly scratching sound, and the claws locked onto the leftover leather. The lighter Uruk was yanked to the side and fell hard, but he was not unprepared when Lurtz's body spun around, connecting with his own while a shower of fine sand rained down on them.

More sand splashed up as they fought on the ground now. Except for the sounds made by their colliding, heavy bodies and pushed-out breath, both were ominously silent. While Uglúk tried to get on top of Lurtz again, the latter simply seemed determined to tear every bit of flesh off the other Uruk. Blood began to form dark patches in the sand, and sand began to stick to sweaty and bloody skin.

They wrestled each other for minutes, but none of them inflicted a deadly wound when given the chance, nor did one of them gain the upper hand long enough to subdue and humiliate the other. And neither of them ever drew a knife or a dagger to gain an advantage. It was as if they were under a spell that rendered them unable to hurt each other too seriously. Soon both Uruk-hai warriors were badly scratched and bitten, and bruises covered their bodies even where leather had offered some protection.

The fight went on until both Great Orcs were entirely covered with bloodied sand, the grains stinging in their eyes and clogging their nostrils and mouths as well. They ended up lying side by side, facing each other and heaving from exhaustion, spitting sand, struggling not to sneeze and blink all the time. Eventually, their heavy breathing calmed down, and strong limbs relaxed. When they each tried to read in the other's eyes, they both knew that the fight was over.

Uglúk waited for Lurtz to raise himself, then he too struggled to his feet. The silence between them weighed heavily, and neither of them expelled it with raucous laughter or a good-natured backslap. Lurtz's gaze was still filled with rage; his glowing eyes framed by smeared warpaint, blood and sand. Still alert, he watched every one of Uglúk's moves.

"The next time I kill you," Lurtz's growl broke the silence. He wiped sand off his useless arm with an angry, dismissive gesture.

"Good," Uglúk spat back, entirely unimpressed by the remark, "then I don't have to suffer watching you get killed."

"What...?!"

Lurtz blinked and shut his mouth, so perplexed now that he forgot to keep up his hostile demeanor any longer. Uglúk did not grace him with an answer. Instead, he took off his knife belt and leather garment. The air was so cold that a faint veil of steam rose from his lean, muscular frame for a few seconds. Without looking at Lurtz, he stepped into the water, first flinching from its icy touch, but soon taking short dives to cleanse himself of sand and blood. His confused companion stood motionless on the river bank – the perfect parody of a sand sculpture.

With painful slowness Lurtz began to free himself of what was left of his tunic. Uglúk had not held back during their fight, and the fact that the garment was almost falling apart by itself considerably helped him to get rid of it. He hesitated for a moment, staring at the smooth silvery surface of the nightly Anduin as if he expected the water to jump out and attack him. Then he joined Uglúk with a big splash and felt the cold water immediately soothe the burning caused by a plethora of scratches, bites and cuts.

Lurtz had never swum before, but without a conscious thought ever touching his mind instinct assured him that he could. Testing the water's buoyancy, he pushed himself off the muddy ground and tried a few strokes, pleasantly surprised how well it worked in spite of the useless arm. The strength of his legs and the other arm easily compensated for it, and he swam towards Uglúk, where he regained his footing and scooped up an armful of water, showering the other Uruk with icy drops. Half-heartedly, Uglúk splashed some water back.

Since he did not possess the other Uruk's compact frame, he was getting cold faster. Still mostly ignoring Lurtz, he stepped out of the water, shivering now and at a loss what to use to dry himself with. In his back, he could hear an irregular sound of waves breaking against the flat shore, followed by footsteps on soft ground. Then a solid arm caught his waist from behind, and a face pressed against his wet hair. Welcoming the other's body heat, he pressed back against Lurtz's bulk. His body twitched when something cold and limp got caught between his buttocks.

"Oi, dead fish!" he quipped.

"I'll teach you about fish," Lurtz growled, stroking his warm hand down Uglúk's quivering belly and beginning to cradle an equally unimpressive appendage in it. The strange spell was broken. The smaller Uruk leaned back with half-closed eyes and offered his unprotected neck for the ensuing barrage of teasing bites. His hands reached behind him to catch Lurtz's hips, stroking them up and down, while his own body grew warm and comfortable against that of his lover.

The touch of Lurtz's hand fell into rhythm with Uglúk's strokes, and the flesh it held came to life, growing heavy and heated in the firm, yet gentle grip. Soon clear fluid dripped into Lurtz's hand, and deep moans escaped Uglúk's throat, while his cock pushed more urgently against the confines of his lover's hand. The growing hardness against his buttocks almost pushed him over the edge, and he wondered if Lurtz would want to enter him like this – fast and unprepared. It would be just like him to do it that way.

Surprisingly, Lurtz let go of him and moved around to take Uglúk's arm. Wordlessly they pulled each other down onto the torn garments. Before the other Uruk could react, Lurtz had placed his right hand on Uglúk's hip, holding him still. Then his mouth caught the rearing erection, wrapping its length with an agile tongue. Uglúk's slender body shivered with rekindled pleasure as the tongue sucked and curled around his aroused member, every now and then tickling the tender tip and tasting the salty drops it eagerly produced.

Uglúk wanted to last longer, but the vibration of a rumbling purr combined with the administrations of his lover's skilfull tongue defeated that plan. After a few heated thrusts his body melted, and he climaxed, venting all his previous anger and frustration in a roar, followed by a series of breathless gasps, as he quieted under the pressure of Lurtz's heavy paw on his hip. Then the possessive hand left, and Lurtz stretched out beside him, his own groin level with Uglúk's head. Still out of breath and thus not overly enthusiastic the sated Uruk began to lick the thick, veined shaft that had been placed so bluntly in front of him.

With a disapproving growl, Lurtz gripped Uglúk by the hair and pushed his face in his lap, forcing his member into his lover's mouth, as he had done it before. Somewhat afraid that they might end up fighting again, Uglúk complied, although he could not bring himself to enjoy it much in his state. Knowing Lurtz's stamina, he expected his mouth to be used for some time, but after little more than a minute his unpredictable lover pulled back. Uglúk's half-lidded flew eyes open in surprise, as Lurtz's hand slid down his back now. The solid body rolled around, and Lurtz came to kneel beside him.

Once more the commanding rumble rose from deep inside his chest now, and his strong hand travelled down Uglúk's spine, not caring to avoid the wounds inflicted by their fight. Some of them were still bleeding, but this did not keep Uglúk from raising himself onto all fours and leaning into Lurtz's suggestive strokes. Lurtz had never entered him in this fashion, and he was quite certain that his leader was inexperienced in this kind of pleasuring. Although Uglúk was not in the mood for a painful coupling – and he expected pain – he was also unable to deny his own curiosity. He just wished he had licked Lurtz with more enthusiasm...

Again the growl behind Uglúk's back sounded somewhat frustrated, and he flinched when Lurtz's hand firmly gripped his flesh, tightening his hold against large contracting muscles. Uglúk widened his stance, realizing how difficult it was for Lurtz to open him with only one hand. Once more an impatient snarl reminded him that he should definitely expect some abuse. Nevertheless he tried to be calm and trusting, while inviting his lover with a barely audible purr.

Uglúk steadied himself, opening to the pressure when the head of Lurtz's member began to force its way inside his flesh. The first inches of Lurtz's entry were painful for his lover and tormentingly slow. Instinct urged him to push and simply take whatever pleasure the other body offered, even if it meant tearing it inside. But he was not as heedless of Uglúk as the latter had feared. Instead he gave him time to adjust, to welcome this coupling. His arm wrapped around the smaller Uruk's waist, and the growl melted into something closer to a purr now. An eager tongue began to lave over the wounds on his lover's back.

The caresses of that warm tongue assured Uglúk that he was safe, and he became more confident. Taking a deep breath, he widened his stance further, pressing slightly back against his lover's bulk in anticipation. With a gasp Lurtz urged forward, almost falling on him without easing his tight grip around the other Uruk's waist. A weird, strangled sound of surprise escaped Uglúk's throat when he felt the length of Lurtz's cock fill him completely. The intense sensation of pleasure was unexpected, and he could easily ignore the small, stinging pain. With a delighted sigh, Uglúk pushed backwards again.

It was all the encouragement Lurtz needed. With a groan, he started to shove, feeling his lover out and soon finding a rhythm that agreed with both of them. Mostly concerned with his own need now, he thrust with hard piston movements. Uglúk felt a sweaty face rub against his back, frantic tongue swipes cover bruised flesh, hot breath in his hair, and he closed his eyes, memorizing every single touch. He had never felt this way with anyone, and he had never had such peculiar thoughts: he found himself wondering if Lurtz had any idea how much he was giving at this very moment, probably without realizing it.

Ravaged by the incredible sensation of a dry orgasm, Uglúk almost passed out while Lurtz collapsed on top of him, this time much too spent to roar his completion. He only gasped and sighed while spilling his seed into his lover's trembling body.

They laid motionless except for the heaving of their chests for a couple of seconds, then Lurtz withdrew gently. Still buried under the other Uruk's weight, Uglúk struggled to turn on his back. Face to face now, they sought out each other's eyes again, only to find their own peacefulness and trust confirmed in the other's expression. Lurtz started to lick and kiss Uglúk's heated face, but while doing so, his lids began to droop. Stifling a yawn, he slid off his lover's torso and nestled against him. Uglúk wrapped his arms around the wide chest and rested his head on it. Seconds later they were both asleep.

Both Uruk-hai woke up at midday. The white glare of daylight was reflected by the river and almost hurt their eyes. Very reluctantly they let go of each other and got up to dress in what was left of their garments. Their limbs were uncomfortably cold, their bodies blood-crusted and stiff. Their stomachs were empty and announced the fact noisily, yet they were both surprisingly well-rested and content.

While searching for his knife belt, Uglúk spotted the green bandage made of Elvish cloth on the ground. Stealthily he turned his head to make sure that Lurtz was not watching him, then he picked it up and stepped into the river to rinse the sand off the finely woven material. The old stain of dark blood on it blurred, and the Uruk stared it for a long time. It reminded him that there was something important he had wanted to tell Lurtz last night. He had been so determined then...

With a frown, the slender Uruk turned around, still observing Lurtz from the corner of his eye, but his lover was totally absorbed in his struggle with an unruly belt. Uglúk shook his head, not finding what he saw particularly amusing. He was still convinced that words would not find their way into their leader's thick head. Then he remembered that he actually had said something last night that might have gotten through. Lurtz was arrogant, quick to anger and stubborn, but he was not stupid.

Sighing, Uglúk folded the bandage and tucked it into his knife belt, the gesture unusually gentle and considerate for one of his kind. He also checked himself over to make sure the small bottle with Saruman's healing potion was still there. The little flask was still in place and tightly sealed. Strangely enough, it had not fallen from his belt and been buried in the sand during their fight.

When he saw that Lurtz was ready to go and expectantly looking at him, Uglúk nodded and joined his friend. Side by side they walked away from the river – the silver band of the Anduin, which would inevitably lead them to their destinies.

As they came closer to the camp, Uglúk began to wonder what the others would make of their appearance – the fact that were returning together in peace, yet covered with more than superficial flesh wounds and ripped clothes that would hardly be mistaken for the results of some excessive foreplay even by the most imaginative members of their band.

As always, Lurtz either ignored the looks directed at him or responded with hostile glares and growls, thus advising them to cast down their eyes and retreat with as much dignity as they could muster. Some Uruks did not only look away though, but smirked at Lurtz behind his back. In spite of his seeming aloofness, Uglúk was wary of what was going on around them, and he sensed a growing hostility in some of his comrades, while Lurtz's mind was occupied with more mundane issues:

"Let's eat before we get going," he said, determinedly pulling Uglúk with him. "Saruman wants us to attack soon. He will not be pleased if we fall behind our enemies.

But I won't go anywhere hungry," he added with a broad grin.

Uglúk remained silent and merely nodded his consent. Confused by emotions he had never experienced before – mainly those accompanying an unfamiliar sense of fierce protectiveness – he cursed under his breath.

Of course Lurtz heard it and shot him a glance. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I am hungry and cold, that's all," Uglúk lied, hating himself for feigning weakness where there was none and for hiding his true strength because of his feelings for his lover.

They shared a substantial meal near Lurtz's sleeping place. The dense woods that seamed both sides of the Anduin were excellent hunting ground, and there was no shortage of fresh meat. For a while their quietness was brought about by hunger, as they ripped into chunks of bloody meat, but Uglúk was also grateful to have some time to think. It had only been a couple of days since Lurtz had sustained his injury. Maybe his arm could be healed yet...

Handing him a drinking skin with fresh water, Lurtz gave his companion a long, inquisitive stare. Uglúk looked up from his meal, returning the scrutinizing, intense gaze.

"Will you stay with me tonight?"

A question, not an order. Uglúk's breath caught with surprise. He swallowed, then nodded, while a new plan materialized in his quick mind.