Disclaimer: Sorry I forgot the disclaimer last time. I am very new at
this. Sareei, Ariel, Isilme, Tulka, and the black rider are mine.
Everything else belongs to Tolkien. Thanks for the nice reviews. Hope you
all enjoy the story. God Bless.
Arabella: Many thanks for all the help and encouragement. Your advice has really helped me. Please keep it up. I need all the help I can get.
Zebeblum: I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope you will keep reading.
Amlugwen: Yes, there will be more. I think I have more fun writing this story than you guys do reading it. I basically write for my own entertainment. This is the first story I have ever posted. I hope you enjoy it.
And now on with the story.
Chapter 2 Uruk-Hai
Six months ago
The rider sat back in the saddle and surveyed the orc's progress. They had been following the trail the rider had laid out with unerring accuracy. They were almost past now as the rider watched from their vantagepoint in the trees, their eyes slits as they watched the orcs move into position. The rider was upwind and the fog hid them neatly from view. Just a little more. There. The last orc passed their hiding place.
"Now they can't get away." The rider thought grimly as they moved out from their hiding place.
"Hey!", the rider shouted. The orcs jumped in surprise. "Bet you never thought you'd see me again, did you?", they said in a deadly voice.
One of the orcs took an angry step in their direction. "You have been at us ever since we raided that village. We haven't slept in three days. But we've finally tracked you down." The other twelve Uruk-Hai snarled in rage. They were short tempered to begin with and doing without food and sleep for three days hadn't improved their tempers any. Keeping them from sleeping was bad enough, but making off with their food was even worse. How had they done that? You'd think they were an elf or something.
"You're going be sorry you ever saw us." threatened their leader.
"I'm already sorry I ever saw your ugly face. You've got a face that would stop the Anduin in it's tracks." The rider sneered and held up a burning stick.
The orcs started laughing.
"Now what do you think you are going to do with that?" the leader wanted to know, laughing. "You'll need a bigger weapon than that to hurt us." The orcs were all laughing by now. Some were taking out arrows and preparing to fire.
"I've learned that it isn't the size of the weapon, it's the results that count." The rider said softly. "If I were to drop this you would be very, very sorry."
"Well, why don't you drop it then?", challenged the orc. "We're hungry and you look to make a tasty meal." The other orcs snickered.
The rider's smile faded as their face took on a more serious mood. They were silent for a second.
"Do you remember being near the village of Greenfen about a week ago?", asked the rider softly.
"Yeah.", bragged the leader. "There were plenty of tender young ones there. We had a feast." He was so busy laughing he missed the change that came over the rider's face.
The eyes grew cold as steel and the corners of the mouth turned down. "I just wanted to make sure you remembered.", they said, their voice deadly quiet. Then they threw the burning stick to the ground in front of the orcs.
Suddenly, the ground in the clearing was a sea of flame. The orcs tried to get out through the entrance but the searing flames engulfed them before they could escape. The rider sat on their horse, watching them burn alive. "Quite fitting.", they thought coldly, "considering all the children you ate in that village."
When the rider was sure all the orcs were dead, they turned their horse and disappeared into the mist.
***********************************
Elrond was troubled. Not that dead orcs were troubling. The less there were, the better. Someone had apparently soaked a small clearing with oil and then lured the orcs into it and set it in flames. But no one had come forward to claim responsibility for the act. Who was this person? Even the Rangers couldn't tell him. He pondered this puzzle as he sipped his tea.
A light knock at the door of his study broke into his thoughts. "Enter.", he said quietly.
Aragorn entered and came to his chair. "Ada, we can't find a trace of anyone out there. The heavy rains have washed away all evidence of tracks. Whoever executed those orcs is long gone."
"Executed?" Elrond raised his eyebrow at the word.
"Yes.", said Aragorn. "We have found evidence of three other orc bands being ambushed. All killed in some manner or another. But the one thing that was clear was that each time it was a deliberate trap and they walked right into it, with no way to get back out. One group died in a pit full of spikes. Another died from drinking from a poisoned pool. Another from poisoned food. Although how someone could get to their food to poison it without being caught is beyond me. It sounds like the work of an elf."
Elrond was thoughtful. Aragorn waited patiently. Finally Elrond spoke. "Send messengers to Lorien and Mirkwood. See if anyone there has heard anything; a rumor perhaps of an elf or a human who would have such a vendetta against the orcs."
At Aragorn's look he smiled. "I know Estel. Such feats would be beyond any human, except possibly a Ranger and they are all accounted for. This looks to be the work of an elf, an extremely bold one at that. But I would feel better checking all possibilities." He looked at his son. "It disturbs me that there is someone this.dynamic.in Middle Earth, someone who executes orc bands at will, and no one seems to have any knowledge of them." He seemed lost in thought for a moment. Then he looked up at Aragorn and smiled.
"Go Estel and send the messengers. Then have your brothers come in from the archery field. We must be prepared if we find this mysterious rider has decided to come to Imladris."
"He apparently doesn't want to be found by anyone. He may not appreciate it if we try to discover his identity." Aragorn warned.
"He is not the first I have found so, and he will not be the last.", said Elrond grimly.
Aragorn left him to his thoughts and went to seek his brothers.
"I wonder what drives you, strange one.", mused Elrond as he sat deep in thought.
*********************************
Sareei went to the bar to tell the innkeeper she had decided to stay for the night and ask for a room. As she waited to get his attention, a drunken farmer smirked and slipped his arm around her waist.
"Here, pretty one, you don't have to worry about a place to sleep.", he said as he leered at her.
Sareei smiled sweetly at him and shoved a large jug of wine off the bar. It landed neatly on his foot with a crash. He howled in pain and hobbled away. The innkeeper turned at the noise.
"What was that?", he wanted to know.
"Oh, someone just broke a large jug of wine.", Sareei explained, smiling. "I think you should put it on that farmer's tab. The one that just went out the door. And now, about that room."
Arabella: Many thanks for all the help and encouragement. Your advice has really helped me. Please keep it up. I need all the help I can get.
Zebeblum: I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope you will keep reading.
Amlugwen: Yes, there will be more. I think I have more fun writing this story than you guys do reading it. I basically write for my own entertainment. This is the first story I have ever posted. I hope you enjoy it.
And now on with the story.
Chapter 2 Uruk-Hai
Six months ago
The rider sat back in the saddle and surveyed the orc's progress. They had been following the trail the rider had laid out with unerring accuracy. They were almost past now as the rider watched from their vantagepoint in the trees, their eyes slits as they watched the orcs move into position. The rider was upwind and the fog hid them neatly from view. Just a little more. There. The last orc passed their hiding place.
"Now they can't get away." The rider thought grimly as they moved out from their hiding place.
"Hey!", the rider shouted. The orcs jumped in surprise. "Bet you never thought you'd see me again, did you?", they said in a deadly voice.
One of the orcs took an angry step in their direction. "You have been at us ever since we raided that village. We haven't slept in three days. But we've finally tracked you down." The other twelve Uruk-Hai snarled in rage. They were short tempered to begin with and doing without food and sleep for three days hadn't improved their tempers any. Keeping them from sleeping was bad enough, but making off with their food was even worse. How had they done that? You'd think they were an elf or something.
"You're going be sorry you ever saw us." threatened their leader.
"I'm already sorry I ever saw your ugly face. You've got a face that would stop the Anduin in it's tracks." The rider sneered and held up a burning stick.
The orcs started laughing.
"Now what do you think you are going to do with that?" the leader wanted to know, laughing. "You'll need a bigger weapon than that to hurt us." The orcs were all laughing by now. Some were taking out arrows and preparing to fire.
"I've learned that it isn't the size of the weapon, it's the results that count." The rider said softly. "If I were to drop this you would be very, very sorry."
"Well, why don't you drop it then?", challenged the orc. "We're hungry and you look to make a tasty meal." The other orcs snickered.
The rider's smile faded as their face took on a more serious mood. They were silent for a second.
"Do you remember being near the village of Greenfen about a week ago?", asked the rider softly.
"Yeah.", bragged the leader. "There were plenty of tender young ones there. We had a feast." He was so busy laughing he missed the change that came over the rider's face.
The eyes grew cold as steel and the corners of the mouth turned down. "I just wanted to make sure you remembered.", they said, their voice deadly quiet. Then they threw the burning stick to the ground in front of the orcs.
Suddenly, the ground in the clearing was a sea of flame. The orcs tried to get out through the entrance but the searing flames engulfed them before they could escape. The rider sat on their horse, watching them burn alive. "Quite fitting.", they thought coldly, "considering all the children you ate in that village."
When the rider was sure all the orcs were dead, they turned their horse and disappeared into the mist.
***********************************
Elrond was troubled. Not that dead orcs were troubling. The less there were, the better. Someone had apparently soaked a small clearing with oil and then lured the orcs into it and set it in flames. But no one had come forward to claim responsibility for the act. Who was this person? Even the Rangers couldn't tell him. He pondered this puzzle as he sipped his tea.
A light knock at the door of his study broke into his thoughts. "Enter.", he said quietly.
Aragorn entered and came to his chair. "Ada, we can't find a trace of anyone out there. The heavy rains have washed away all evidence of tracks. Whoever executed those orcs is long gone."
"Executed?" Elrond raised his eyebrow at the word.
"Yes.", said Aragorn. "We have found evidence of three other orc bands being ambushed. All killed in some manner or another. But the one thing that was clear was that each time it was a deliberate trap and they walked right into it, with no way to get back out. One group died in a pit full of spikes. Another died from drinking from a poisoned pool. Another from poisoned food. Although how someone could get to their food to poison it without being caught is beyond me. It sounds like the work of an elf."
Elrond was thoughtful. Aragorn waited patiently. Finally Elrond spoke. "Send messengers to Lorien and Mirkwood. See if anyone there has heard anything; a rumor perhaps of an elf or a human who would have such a vendetta against the orcs."
At Aragorn's look he smiled. "I know Estel. Such feats would be beyond any human, except possibly a Ranger and they are all accounted for. This looks to be the work of an elf, an extremely bold one at that. But I would feel better checking all possibilities." He looked at his son. "It disturbs me that there is someone this.dynamic.in Middle Earth, someone who executes orc bands at will, and no one seems to have any knowledge of them." He seemed lost in thought for a moment. Then he looked up at Aragorn and smiled.
"Go Estel and send the messengers. Then have your brothers come in from the archery field. We must be prepared if we find this mysterious rider has decided to come to Imladris."
"He apparently doesn't want to be found by anyone. He may not appreciate it if we try to discover his identity." Aragorn warned.
"He is not the first I have found so, and he will not be the last.", said Elrond grimly.
Aragorn left him to his thoughts and went to seek his brothers.
"I wonder what drives you, strange one.", mused Elrond as he sat deep in thought.
*********************************
Sareei went to the bar to tell the innkeeper she had decided to stay for the night and ask for a room. As she waited to get his attention, a drunken farmer smirked and slipped his arm around her waist.
"Here, pretty one, you don't have to worry about a place to sleep.", he said as he leered at her.
Sareei smiled sweetly at him and shoved a large jug of wine off the bar. It landed neatly on his foot with a crash. He howled in pain and hobbled away. The innkeeper turned at the noise.
"What was that?", he wanted to know.
"Oh, someone just broke a large jug of wine.", Sareei explained, smiling. "I think you should put it on that farmer's tab. The one that just went out the door. And now, about that room."