XII

Largg

"We can rest when we get down there," Morrick said, pointing over the edge of the cliff. Largg groaned inwardly; he was tired and a trek to the bottom didn't appeal to him.

"Fine," Firri said. "We'll rest when we get there."

"Ta the bottom?" Largg asked incredulously.

"No, ta that shelf there," Burk pointed, to Largg's relief. Then his companion nudged him playfully. Largg, however, was unprepared, and Burk was far stronger than he was. Largg felt himself slipping. He yelled as the world tipped.

Suddenly he was falling, bumping against rocks as he slid down the cliff. Time seemed to slow as he fell, his brain taking in every minute detail. As he watched the world fall by he felt no pain, only fear.

He hit the ground with a loud smack, nearly knocking him unconscious. He could have sworn he heard several bones crack. He lay for a while on the ground, stunned. Then the pain came. It hit all at once, excruciating and burning. He tried to scream but could not find his voice.

Delirious, he heard a chorus of deep voices. He painfully turned over and saw a cave ahead of him. Was it real or a mirage? Largg really didn't care. He slowly dragged himself toward it.

Voices were coming from inside, calling to him. Then a chant rose from the darkness, and Largg paused, frightened. He had a sudden fear that he had died, and the cave seemed to be the entrance to the underworld. But the pain was too real for that. He was alive, but unless he got off the road, his life might not last much longer.

He paused for breath, his sides and right arm burning, and could clearly hear the words of the chant, which had an ominous air to it.

Come in, come hither to our cave,

O little orc so young and brave.

In here you'll find comfort and rest,

If you escape the sun's rays first.

Enter the darkness cool and calm

Let it erase, like healing balm

All of your misery and pain

Rest here till you can leave again

And we'd be glad for company

A chance to laugh and say we're free

While we're imprisoned in this hole,

We'd find your presence pleas'rable.

Intimidated, but feeling he had no other choice, Largg pulled himself into the cave. The instant he had crossed into the shadows he was grabbed by a pair of strong arms. The grip was strong, but gentle. Nevertheless, Largg was still afraid.

"Put me down, ya brute!" he yelled.

"We're tryin' ta 'elp ya," a deep voice said. "Lay still'n we'll bandage that arm fer ya. Looks like ya broke yer wris'. And yer ribs ain't lookin' real good either."

Another one of them came over and applied a cloth bandage to Largg's right wrist. He yelled and tried to tug away but the first creature held him firmly. Whatever these people were, Largg realised, they were certainly not orcs. His fear mounted higher.

"I know it 'urts, just 'old still," the one bandaging his arm said. Largg did not obey, and continued struggling.

The pain intensified. Largg began to feel feverish and light-headed. He gave up struggling. His head felt as though there was a hammer inside.

As he began to drift off, one of the creatures leaned over him. His eyes had grown familiarised with the dim light. Immediately he recognised the creatures.

Trolls! I've been captured by trolls! They'll kill me!

With that he closed his eyes, helpless to save himself, and passed out.

Largg awoke to silence. It was the middle of the night, or so it seemed, as there was hardly any light to see by. Largg was surprised that he was still alive.

His surprise only grew as his eyes became accustomed to the dim light. He was in a spacious cave, the far ends of which were masked in shadows. To his right was the mouth, with silvery moonlight streaming through. He had a vague recollection of crawling into a cave before he passed out.

But the most surprising thing was that the cave was clearly inhabited. Not only that, it also bore clear signs marking it as a troll den. There were crude stony shelves hewn into the walls. And the shape of the cave was altogether too perfectly round to have been formed by nature alone. Largg knew he was no genius, but it didn't take much wit to decipher these riddles. Undoubtedly he had been captured by trolls.

The real riddle was the fact they had let him live. Not only had they spared him, but they had too bandaged his wrist – which, surprisingly, did not hurt. And, finally, they had vanished, leaving him alone in the cave, free to leave. Thanking his good fortune, Largg got up to find his companions, and escape the gloomy abode of the puzzling trolls.

Shadows stirred along the edges as he rose. Largg froze, petrified. The cave had not been deserted after all! He held his breath, heart beating madly. Two fig ures stepped forward – but Largg breathed a sigh of relief. Though he couldn't see them clearly in the dim light, they were the size of orcs, not trolls.

"Were ya captured too?" Largg asked sympathetically. "I reckon the trolls're gone, we can get outta here now!"

"What are ya talkin' about?" the orc nearest asked, and Largg, with surprise, recognised Burk's voice. "We're not captured, we've just been waitin' for ya ta heal! Ya all right?"

"How did ya get inta 'ere?" Largg asked, feeling more lost than ever.

"First tell me if yer alright."

Largg punched his companion (rather hard) in the stomach. Burk grunted and doubled up.

"Yeah," Largg said, trying to restrain from laughing at the comical position in which his friend was contorted. "I think my wrist's fine. But thanks ta ya, my head's all fuzzy. Count that as payback!"

"And that's all the payback yer gonna get," Burk groaned, clutching his stomach. "I think I'm gonna barf!"

"But where are we?" Largg asked, ignoring his whining. The other orc, who Largg could tell by his voice was Sheglock, answered.

"We're in the house of Mark and Bob."

"Hmm," Largg said thoughtfully. "I musta dreamed those trolls, then. But I coulda sworn there were two trolls that got me."

"Those would have been Mark and Bob," Sheglock explained calmly. "They're trolls."

"But where are they?" Largg asked in alarm.

"Outside, probably. They can only go out at night." Sheglock showed no fear or worry that they might return, but his ease did naught to quell Largg's mounting apprehensiveness.

"And where're Morrick and Firri – we gotta wake 'em!"

"They're not going to waken, leastwise not my brother. When he sleeps, he sleeps like a log, and nothing can wake him, save the sun of the next day. But why the hurry? Shouldn't you stay here until you are fully healed?"

"I can't! We gotta scram 'fore the trolls come back!"

"And why's that?" Sheglock asked calmly.

"They're gonna eat us!" Largg cried imploringly. Why couldn't Sheglock see the problem. Largg knew that Sheglock was odd, but had not thought that he was stupid.

"No!" Sheglock cried, clearly offended, though for what reasons Largg could not fathom. "They're nice trolls. It was they who bandaged and took care of your wrist while you were in that coma. Mark writes poetry, and I like him. But Bob's more puzzling; I haven't figured him out. He's more of an introvert, I suppose."

Largg neither knew nor cared what "introvert" meant. His primary concern was Sheglock's mental health and sanity. It seemed that he, Largg, had not been the only orc to receive an injury to the head. Whatever had come upon Sheglock, it had severely addled his brain.

"This is madness!" he cried in frustration, making for the door. But Burk, who had by then recovered sufficiently, stopped him.

"'E's telling the truth, ya know," Burk said. Largg was flabbergasted.

"Ya too? Ya know what? Ya've both lost yer marbles! Trolls don't write poetry!"

Just then Largg heard the heavy thud of approaching footsteps outside the cave's door.

"'Ere they come," Burk said, smiling. "Just in time too!"

Largg knew he couldn't escape. He'd just have to hope that – as wild as it sounded – his companions spoke the truth.

An enormous head appeared silhouetted in the mouth of the cave. Largg managed not to scream, but barely. The troll stepped inside, closely followed by another.

"Who 'ere said that trolls don't write poetry?" the first asked in disapproval, surveying his surroundings. He seemed suddenly to notice Largg. "'Ey! Look, Mark, 'e's awake!"

"Aye, 'e 'ealed after all. Good fer ya, matey." The enormous troll patted Largg lightly on the shoulder, who cringed in fear.

"There ain't nuthin' ta be 'fraid o'!" Mark cried, and Largg regretted his brief show of distrust. Funny as it was, the trolls really did seem good. Largg was surprised and relieved at the situation, though he was bitter at Burk for being right.

We've waited and waited and now

You awaken at last; but ya show

No signs of affection or care

Ta the poor trolls who brought ya here.

"Not real good – but I made it up'n the spot. The rhymes ain't perfect, but ya get the point."

"I'm sorry," Largg apologised., "but I just've never heard o' good trolls before."

"Yer fine – few orcs 'ave."

"But we're persecuted nonetheless," the other, who Largg remembered was called Bob, said.

"Tis a sad life," Mark agreed with feeling. "Well, get ta bed an' rest summore. In the morning' ya'll have ta decide what ta do."

Sheglock and Burk took his advice without hesitation. Largg lay down but was unable to get to sleep. He lay a while with eyes wide open, staring at the cold grey roof of the cave. He missed the breeze and open sky, and was begin ning to feel claustrophobic.

Soon Mark began singing, in slow mournful tones, of the persecution and discrimination the trolls faced. Largg felt surprisingly attached, and empathetic to their plight. He was not usually a sentimental orc, and seldom thought of any thing more than the struggles of the present journey. But as the serenading song resounded through the bleak, stony cave, Largg felt a very unusual, though not altogether unpleasant, sensation. He closed his eyes, shutting out all save the rhythmical and melodious words of the poem. The song melded into his dreams, and he succumbed gradually to sleep.

He woke to the concerned faces of all his companions. They were leaning over him in alarm. Largg bolted upright, as the others heaved sighs of relief.

"What?" he asked.

"Whew!" Firri said. "For a moment we thought we'd lost you again. You sleep long."

"I was just sleepin', though, not out cold. But why'd I fall inta a coma again?"

"I don't know! But the last one lasted long enough."

Largg was surprised by the last comment. He had assumed he'd only been unconscious for a day, at most. "How long was I out?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"A good four days," Morrick replied.

"Ya musta hit yer head pretty dang hard on the way down," Burk told him.

Largg groaned. "I shoulda hit ya harder," he said regretfully.

"Well, yer better now," Bob said, coming over with some cooked meat. "'Ere's some bird-flesh; it's about all we get in these parts, as we don't eat orc. The rest have already breakfasted. When yer done, ya can leave as early as noon today."

"We best tarry a while," Morrick said, "and allow Largg to heal completely."

"But not too long," Firri said. "We have a mission to do, and should get to Dorezátz before winter really kicks in. Our duty to Sauron should come first."

"There's really no other choice," Morrick said.

"Well, if we must we can leave him here, and go on without him. But we mustn't delay more than a month!"

"We'd love ta 'ave some comp'ny," Mark said, overhearing. Largg said nothing. Funnily enough, he was now loath to part with the trolls. He was intrigued by them, and wanted to find out more about them. Here was something he thought he'd never find – good trolls (who didn't even eat orc!) He wanted to stay for at least a week, and possibly more. Why this sudden change in mood, Largg could not say. But he felt that there was a connexion between his altered desires and the song he had heard the last night. Possibly he now could under stand the trolls better, for even though he remembered few of the actual words of the poem, the message stayed with him far longer than he ever anticipated.

"What do you think?" Sheglock asked Largg at length. "You're the one who is injured."

"I'd like a break, and a rest," Largg decided. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw both trolls' faces break into wide, genuine smiles.

In the end they stayed there almost three weeks. Largg soon fell into the rhythm of the trolls' life, and grew comfortable with it. Through the day, Mark seldom sang, for both Firri and Morrick showed no appreciation of his art. But in the night the slow, beautiful music resounded through the spacious cavern, a lullaby of peace and tranquillity. Largg grew accustomed to it, but no less appreciative. He realised, for perhaps the first time, that he had an appreciation of art.

Too soon the company began debating when they would have to part. Though Sheglock, Burk, and Largg desired to stay longer, Firri was growing restless, and Morrick seemed to feel that they had overstayed their invitation. Though the trolls urged them to the contrary, the group's leaders insisted that they set off soon. The name of Sauron was thrown around, and reminders of old promises and calls to duty.

By the end of the third week Largg's wounds had healed almost entirely, and hurt no longer. Firri deemed the time ripe to depart.

So Largg went to sleep for the last time to the sonorous and slow music of the trolls' laments. They sang songs of bitterness and parting, but with a hopeful edge to them. And, before he knew it, Largg drifted off and embarked into the adventures of his dreams.