Gil awoke to pain. A dull, aching pain that coursed through her
entire body. She forced one eye open, then the other. She caught a glimpse
of something to one side, and tried to turn her head. Pain flooded her, and
she choked back a scream. The thing she had noticed came over to her. This
time, Gil did scream. An Orc. She knew this must be an Orc.
Rough hands grabbed her and forced her head back. Nausea threatened to overwhelm her, but she had no strength to fight the terrible creature.
A water skin appeared, and a heavy liquid was forced down her throat. Gil fought with all her meager strength against the liquid fire. It burned in her body. Finally, she gave in to the fiery medicine, and passed out again.
The next time Gil awoke, it was dark again. She could feel smooth rock beneath her instead of the bumpy grass by the creek. A faint glow came from somewhere beyond her, and Gil cautiously moved her head to see what it came from. To her surprise, It no longer hurt to move. She carefully tried out her arms and legs, then stood.
The glow came from the opening of the cave. It was day out, but no one stirred. Gil quietly crept past the sleeping forms on the ground and inched closer to the cave's door.
Suddenly, a dark shape rose up before her. Dark eyes glared at her, and the Orc spat out growling words and gestured wildly. Another form appeared in the dark beside the first, this one larger. Even the other Orc cowed at this new one's appearance.
"Do you understand this language?" the towering Orc asked in the common speech.
"Yes," Gil replied timidly. The words were hard to make out, the Orc's dark speech gave them a foreboding accent.
"I am Baroc. This is Ozga. Ozga will teach you. You are my slave." Baroc spoke in a haunty tone, and then walked away. Ozga turned to her then.
"You are not to use the high speech. I will teach you our speech. If you disobey, I will beat you! What is your name?"
"Gil."
Ozga frowned. "It is not an elvin name, is it?"
"Yes. In the common speech, it means 'the glimmer of a star'. Gil choked on the last word, remembering that the star she was named for lay dead.
Ozga landed her fist on the side of Gil's head. Gil looked up in surprise.
"You were not listening!" Ozga reprimanded her. "Pay attention, or you will be a 'glimmer' of life!" Ozga repeated her instructions, and Gil soon found herself tied up in a corner of the cave. These creatures slept in the day, and only ventured out when the sun was gone. Gil tried to loosen the ropes chafing her hands and feet, but soon gave up. She would need to renew her strength if she was to survive the night with a cave full of Orcs.
Night came, and Gil was kicked awake. The ropes were removed, and she was herded by Ozga to the mouth of the cave. Many of the Orcs where already outside, busy doing various tasks. Several took the time to hit her as she walked by.
Ozga pointed her towards a pile of rocks, each about the size of a small melon. "Get more." she directed.
Gil spent most of the night scavenging nearby for the rocks. Ozga wouldn't let her go far, but neither would she let her rest. Near morning, one of the Orcs tossed her a piece of meat that was half raw and half burnt, but Gil ate it gladly. Living with the Orcs was not going to be easy, Gil decided, but she was not ready to give up.
Rough hands grabbed her and forced her head back. Nausea threatened to overwhelm her, but she had no strength to fight the terrible creature.
A water skin appeared, and a heavy liquid was forced down her throat. Gil fought with all her meager strength against the liquid fire. It burned in her body. Finally, she gave in to the fiery medicine, and passed out again.
The next time Gil awoke, it was dark again. She could feel smooth rock beneath her instead of the bumpy grass by the creek. A faint glow came from somewhere beyond her, and Gil cautiously moved her head to see what it came from. To her surprise, It no longer hurt to move. She carefully tried out her arms and legs, then stood.
The glow came from the opening of the cave. It was day out, but no one stirred. Gil quietly crept past the sleeping forms on the ground and inched closer to the cave's door.
Suddenly, a dark shape rose up before her. Dark eyes glared at her, and the Orc spat out growling words and gestured wildly. Another form appeared in the dark beside the first, this one larger. Even the other Orc cowed at this new one's appearance.
"Do you understand this language?" the towering Orc asked in the common speech.
"Yes," Gil replied timidly. The words were hard to make out, the Orc's dark speech gave them a foreboding accent.
"I am Baroc. This is Ozga. Ozga will teach you. You are my slave." Baroc spoke in a haunty tone, and then walked away. Ozga turned to her then.
"You are not to use the high speech. I will teach you our speech. If you disobey, I will beat you! What is your name?"
"Gil."
Ozga frowned. "It is not an elvin name, is it?"
"Yes. In the common speech, it means 'the glimmer of a star'. Gil choked on the last word, remembering that the star she was named for lay dead.
Ozga landed her fist on the side of Gil's head. Gil looked up in surprise.
"You were not listening!" Ozga reprimanded her. "Pay attention, or you will be a 'glimmer' of life!" Ozga repeated her instructions, and Gil soon found herself tied up in a corner of the cave. These creatures slept in the day, and only ventured out when the sun was gone. Gil tried to loosen the ropes chafing her hands and feet, but soon gave up. She would need to renew her strength if she was to survive the night with a cave full of Orcs.
Night came, and Gil was kicked awake. The ropes were removed, and she was herded by Ozga to the mouth of the cave. Many of the Orcs where already outside, busy doing various tasks. Several took the time to hit her as she walked by.
Ozga pointed her towards a pile of rocks, each about the size of a small melon. "Get more." she directed.
Gil spent most of the night scavenging nearby for the rocks. Ozga wouldn't let her go far, but neither would she let her rest. Near morning, one of the Orcs tossed her a piece of meat that was half raw and half burnt, but Gil ate it gladly. Living with the Orcs was not going to be easy, Gil decided, but she was not ready to give up.