PS: I guess you could take my having not talked about the women in a few ways; the more they got used to Calla the less women were around because it upset her and they wanted to please her. But I will say they do always rape women when they raid villages, so that hasn't stopped. And I'm saying they probably wouldn't keep women during the winter cause then they have to feed them and supplies kind of run low and they probably just don't want to deal with them during that time of season. Also, and this is probably the actually reason, I've left a lot of what the orcs do out of the story and their awfulness stopped being so apparent when Calla started feeling things for Azog, cause Calla has chosen not to see certain things in order for herself to survive. So there are probably women around somewhere their camp (maybe only one or two for them to take turns raping in the winter) but Calla's not seeing it. And that's very psychological, and I realize I've never brought that up before so thank you for speaking about it. I hope all that made sense.

XXV. So I hit my low, but little did I know that would not be the end/From the holland road well I rose and I rose, and I paid less time/To your callous mind, and I wished you well as you cut me down

Calla stood behind Azog, wishing to press against him and draw as much comfort to her quivering soul as she could, but even she knew in this moment she could not afford to appear weak. And so she stood behind Azog large pale body and stared at the grotesque orc that stepped forward as their leader.

"Azog," the orc greeted, the deep defiguring scars stretching on his face as he spoke. "It has been many years."

Azog nodded in greeting. "Lug," was all he said as a reluctant hello. "What has brought you to my camp?" There was no welcome in his pale eyes, no happiness whether small or hidden anywhere on his face; this was not a pleasant meeting.

Lug smiled savagely. "A scout spotted your small," he looked around their camp with an unimpressed face, "party," he finished. "I have many mouths to feed, as you can see, and thought perhaps you might be of the mood to share." He knew Azog wouldn't, he was as prideful as he was pale and terrible; and in a fair fight Azog would have him beat and they both knew it. But it would not be a fair fight, that they both knew as well. And as much pride as Azog had, Lug knew he would risk dying at such a low cost.

"But of course," Azog said as though he were being gracious, but his eyes - hard and cold and full of fury - offered little more than ill comings.

His smile was smug as he bowed his head slightly, as much respect as he was willing to give to Azog; and then he looked to the woman behind him, her pretty face and lovely eyes though he could not see the shape of her body he thought it would be just as enticing as her face. A dark chuckle sounded deep in his chest when Azog moved to hide more of her from his sight; this one meant something to him, and Lug wanted her. "I have brought you a gift," he said pleasantly, watching as Azog's already guarded eyes grew more suspicious.

Azog watched Lug wave a hand and then he saw an orc holding a chain leading a naked young woman to him, and he understood what he was to do. It was then that Calla looked at the many orcs and saw several orcs holding chained women, all of them as expressionless as the one now in front of them. The woman had blonde hair, well kept as though the orcs kept her clean, and she was very thin - her breasts small and her ribs outlined in her skin. And staring at the woman, seeing her dead eyes and the small thin scars that lined her body as though from a whip, Calla too knew what Azog was to do as well.

"I hope you like her," Lug said coyly, coming to stand beside her. "I chose her specifically for you, I know how you like the pretty ones." He smiled cruely, his eyes moving to the dark haired woman behind Azog before looking to his blonde woman. "On your knees," he commanded, one of the few she knew. Lug looked to Azog with a small smile. "Have her, please," he said as though he were being kind, "so she may see," he said pointing to the dark haired woman.

Azog looked at him dangerously, but they both knew he would not refuse; though Azog greatly wished to. He moved behind the woman and got to his knees, lifting his loincloth and taking her. In all honestly he felt no desire, if Lug were to take the woman so he could not finish it wouldn't bother him - he was only half hardened as it was. His eyes flicked to Calla's, seeing Lug had moved to stand nearer and Yazneg had put himself between, and the hatred and shock and anger he thought would shine in her eyes was not there; there was only understanding, and behind that pain. He sped up his movements, slamming the woman's hips hard onto his until he came with a long deep groan, and with a breath he pushed her away from him and got to his feet. "Thank you," he said blandly, all the proof he hadn't wanted her evident in his voice.

Lug tore his eyes away from the dark haired woman; he had been right, even in a dress he could see the curve of her breasts and the spanse of her hips - curves which had grown and rounded after having her son - he could see why Azog had shown her favor, she was ravishing. "But of course," Lug told him. "She is yours until we part ways. I know you will enjoy her often, she is very pretty. Though I must admit she is nothing compared to this one," he said turning hot eyes to Calla, the proof of his desire for her burning in his eyes. But Azog's large pale body quickly shrouded his view of her.

"I will have her as I wish," Azog assured him, knowing he would have to take her often for Lug would be listening for it; and Azog must ensure that he did not discover how much he cared for Calla. "Thank you. You may whatever you desire, what's mine is yours." Azog did not specify that Calla was not to be shared, but the look in his pale eyes was dark enough that Lug understood without the words being spoken. With a hand on Calla's back and a hand holding the woman's chain he led them both to the tent - all eyes trained on them as they went.

"I want you to stay here," he told her softly, his words quick and his eyes trained over his shoulder as though someone were watching. "Do not come out unless I tell you." He bent down to whisper in her ear. "Do not let them know you understand them," he bade her quietly so only she would hear, touching briefly and secretly as though the woman were a spy and he quickly returned to his orcs.

Calla was now alone in the tent, petting Daisy who was sitting relieved as she licked Calla - having been told to stay by both her and Azog. The pups were eagerly crawling toward the woman and her new smell and she looked at them warily. "They will not hurt you," Calla assured her, having thought a moment before speaking in the common tongue. The woman's eyes shot to hers mistrustfully, hatred and loathing in her eyes startling Calla. "Do you have a name?" she asked gently though the woman did no more than shake her head and look down, either refusing to answer or not being able to. "Can you speak?"

Once more the hateful eyes met Calla's kind blue ones, and she gasped when the woman opened her mouth. They both looked up at the sound of someone approaching and Calla sighed relieved when she saw it was Yazneg. He opened his mouth to speak but he looked quickly to the yellow haired girl before turning to Calla. "Are you alright?" he asked in the human tongue, being smart enough to realize it would be best for them to think she did not know their language; as well as being smart enough not to trust the woman. "Who are you?" he demanded harshly, receiving a hard look from Calla. The woman did not answer, she also did not glare at him for he was an orc and she had been trained well. "Does she not speak?" he asked Calla.

Calla looked at her lap. "They cut out her tongue," she said softly, tears springing to her eyes at the thought of the pain the woman had gone through; of the thought that that might have been her own life had Azog not taken a liking to her.

Yazneg looked at her uncomfortably, never sure what he was supposed to do when she was upset; so he sat beside her quietly, waiting until the tears left her eyes. "Lug does not like their screams, he says they irritate him," Yazneg told her gently.

Calla nodded, though she would never understand such cruelty. "I suppose there is no way he would let her stay with us when they leave," she said shocking the woman with her words. Calla looked up at Yazneg when he said nothing and she saw in his eyes why not. "He would ask for me in return."

"He already has," Yazneg told her, remembering Azog's livid face and twitching mouth before he ground out his refusal. "Azog would have killed him then if his numbers were not so great. It would be a slaughter, one not even he could win."

"How does he know Azog?" she asked, the question that had been burning her mind since the orc Lug had greated Azog by name.

"Lug used to be Azog's second, but he wanted to roam past the Mountains where Azog did not. So Lug left, taking half our numbers with him; though he has recruited more orcs in his ranks," Yazneg answered her, hating the orc and that he was back, knowing he had specifically come looking for Azog.

Calla sat thinking hard, realizing Lug must have come back for Azog for a purpose. "He wants to take Azog's place," she whispered, knowing it was true from the way his eyes had looked at him.

Yazneg nodded, having feared the same. "He had never been satsfied doing as Azog ordered, he challenged him often but our loyalty was to Azog and so Lug lost every time. I do not believe that is how this will unfold," he told her gravely, wishing he could say anything less forboding but having nothing.

Calla took a breath as she thought. "So Lug plans to remove Azog as the leader," she said trying to figure it all out. "He wants the orcs under Azog's command."

"And you," Yazneg said making her turn to him with surprised eyes. "Lug knows you mean something to him, and you truly are very beautiful. He may want you now most of all, if not only to take you from Azog."

Calla looked away as her mind raced, her skin crawling as she thought of Lug touching her in any way. And she was not sure Azog could refuse if Lug were to demand raping her, for as Yazneg said their numbers were greater and it would be a slaughter. "How does Lug plan to become your new leader?" she asked, praying he would not say what she feared he would.

Her prayers were unheard. "He will kill him."

song is Holland Road by Mumford and Sons.

So as another warning, either next chapter or the one after will have a particularly rough scene; however I will say this now, I will not do a strictly rape scene just cause I don't want to and Azog wouldn't stand for that. However, it won't be pleasant. And that's all I'll say and I'll leave the suspense on that one. And poor Azog is being forced to rape a girl he doesn't even want to, and he'll have to several more times to please Lug. (Lug was the name of a not well known orc in the Similarion, it's not the same orc I just don't know how to come up with orc names) Also with Azog and Lug, they were like "brothers" in a sense, they were close enough that Azog trusted him to be his second. And then Lug decided he wanted to overthrow Azog and that didn't work so he left with half his orcs. So there's a lot of hurt and anger between them and I think it shows in this chapter, and it'll definitely show in the next chapter. So please tell me what you think, and I am always welcome to suggestions.