Chapter 3
Garak
The first thing Garak noticed upon waking was that he was not dead. The second was that he was warm, covered in a soft blanket. Third was that he was not alone. He opened his eyes, and was greeted by the sight of horrible sunlight, filtering through the trees above him. Then, suddenly, the light was blocked by a figure bending over him. It was a human female, her short hair strange for her species, but female nonetheless. She was vaguely familiar, Garak tried to remember from where. She smiled down at him, she wasn't supposed to smile, she was supposed to be afraid and run away from him.
"So, your finally awake," she said to him. Garak blinked a few times, his head felt full of fluff. When he tried to move, he groaned in pain, one hand going to his shoulder. The girl, eyes wide, reached out to him. Garak growled and jerked away violently, ignoring the pain of his wounds. She flinched but did not run away from him, the Uruk growled again and reached for his weapons, but found them gone. "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you," the human girl said, reaching out to him again. "Your wounds were bad, but you should be ok now. Just take it easy for a while – Ack!" he grabbed her by her shirt, dragging her toward him.
"Who are you?" he growled. "Where are my weapons?" She clutched at the hand that held her, struggled feebly. There was a sound of steel being drawn and Garak felt a blade at his neck.
"Let her go, monster!" said a voice behind him, another human, a man this time. "I told you it was a bad idea, Kay, but you never listen to me," the voice continued. The girl looked over Garak's shoulder.
"No, Aragorn. Don't. He's just confused, he doesn't know what's going on," she said. What in the name of Morgoth was going on? The human girl was defending him? It didn't make any sense. The girl locked eyes with him again. "Look, just let me go and I'll explain everything," she said, not fighting him anymore but there was still a hint of fear in her eyes. Garak hesitated, but those eyes hit something inside him, something he had never felt before. He released the human, and she rubbed at her neck, but did not move away. She looked behind him again. "Put your sword away, Aragorn, you wont need it," she said.
"He almost killed you, Kay and yet you insist on trying to play savior to this…. creature," the man, named Aragorn, said in a low voice. The girl, named Kay frowned.
"Put it away, Aragorn, now," she said in a warning tone. This must have startled Aragorn, for the blade left his neck. Kay met Garak's eyes again, the look of anger gone, replaced by one of kindness. "Do you remember last night? Your fight with the others?" she asked. Garak thought, he did remember. Ungar was being a fool; Garak knew that Sarumon was just using all of them for his dirty work. Once he was done with them, he would throw them away like an unused toy. He nodded to the girl. "Good, your wounds are dressed and healing, faster than I thought, too," she smiled. Garak growled, low. What was this foolish girl leading to? "Look, I know you don't have much reason to trust us, but I assure you that no one here will harm you. It took a lot of convincing, but I managed to talk them out of sticking you right then and there, last night. Aragorn is way over protective, but don't worry about him. You're free to go if you want, but I don't think you can go back to the other Uruk-hai, after the mess you caused last night," she said solemnly. It was true, he would never be accepted back into their ranks, after he challenged Ungar he had doomed himself.
"Why should you care, human? What do you gain from helping me?" he asked, warily. Kay sat back on her heels, sighing.
"Nothing really, I was hoping you'd gain." She paused, staring into his eyes intently. "I know what you were thinking last night, and its true, Sarumon cares nothing for you, and the Dark Lord does even less. They just want to use and exploit you, and when they are done, they'll kill you." She sat forward, eagerly, but whispering. "Why don't you come with us? We are fighting against them, and when it is all over, maybe you can try for a life, one that doesn't include killing," she said. Garak stared at the girl, a sneer forming on his lips.
"Why do you think I would want to fight the Dark Lord? Perhaps I was just after Ungar's position," he said, lying. He truly didn't enjoy killing, but it was expected of him, as an Uruk-hai, he was one of lower rank and was just expected to follow orders and not question. But something in him said it was wrong, and that all the destruction twisted cruelly in his stomach. He didn't want to hurt the people anymore, and last night's raid had been enough for him. He had watched at Ungar cruelly killed a woman and her child before him. Kay didn't flinch, and continued to stare into his eyes.
"Because, I saw it in your eyes last night. I think you want a different life, but this is all you have ever known, right?" she asked. Garak nodded, waiting for her to continue. "You can have another chance, everyone should have a second chance, to try do things right," she said. Garak sat silently, thinking. Fighting and killing were all he's ever known, but he didn't like it anymore. He glared into the girl's eyes and she didn't look away, point for her. This one was different from the others, she wasn't afraid of him, well…not too much. His lips set in a grim line, and he nodded. Kay grinned. "Great, so are you going to join us? We could use your help, we are going to Mordor to get rid of Sauron once and for all," she said confidently. Garak couldn't help but laugh at that.
"You?" he asked, mockingly. He looked around, seeing the others with them. "Four halflings, a dwarf, an elf, two men, one old and a girl, are going to destroy the Dark Lord," he said sarcastically. Kay crossed her arms and glared at the Uruk.
"Yeah? Your point? You say that as if it were a bad thing, at least we're doing something about it," she retorted. "Cant say the same for you, you'd just sit around on your butt and wait for the end to come, wouldn't you? That's all you have been doing, just taking orders like a good little lackey – GAH!" Garak caught her by her throat again, pulling her close, till they were almost nose-to-nose.
"I am not a lackey!" he growled. "I want Sauron dead and gone just as much as you do, and I do not have to explain my reasons to a silly little human girl," he said and released her. Kay coughed, rubbing her neck again, but she grinned. Was this girl insane?
"Good, then you will help us?" she asked. Garak narrowed his eyes, watching her. Finally he sighed, thinking it better just to say what she wanted him to.
"Fine, I will go with you, but only because I want a piece of that piece of Mordor shit myself," he growled. Kay nodded.
"Wouldn't have it any other way," she said. "Do you have a name?" she asked. This startled Garak, no one had ever asked for his name before, they'd either already known it or had been too busy screaming in pain to ask.
"Garak," he said. Kay smiled.
"Well, Garak, I'm Kay, the others are Aragorn, Boromir, Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin," she recited their names, pointing to each of the fellowship. "We're gonna get going soon, do you feel strong enough to walk?" she asked. Garak looked down at her; even sitting he was at least a head taller than the girl.
"Uruk-hai don't feel pain," he said matter-of-factly. Kay cocked an eyebrow at him.
"Ok…. whatever you say, Garak. Lets go!" and she stood, holding out a hand to the Uruk. He looked at the hand, but stood on his own. Kay shrugged and the company began walking.
*
Kay walked alongside Garak for most of the day; only once did Aragorn pull her away. He brought her up front with him to speak to the girl.
"Are you mad?" he whispered harshly, but Garak could hear him clearly. He smiled inwardly, interested to see how this played out. "He cannot come with us, he is a monster, the enemy. He could lead us right into a trap, or lead them to us," he said. Kay made a face at him and jerked her arm out of his grasp.
"He is not a monster, and I don't think he'll betray us," she answered. Garak shook his head, why was this girl so bent on defending him? "You are only saying that because he is an Uruk-hai, well, he can't change how he was made, no more than you can change how you were born. Just leave him be, Aragorn, or you'll make a bad situation worse." Kay left him and rejoined Garak at the end of the line, behind Boromir. Kay was muttering something about 'stupid men' and 'testosterone levels' under her breath, and Garak almost smiled…almost.
"Why are you defending me? For all you know, he is right. I could betray you, just as quickly as I could kill you all," he rumbled. Kay looked up at him.
"Well, I guess that's a chance I am going to have to take," she answered. "Besides, I don't think you will, Garak. You know why? 'Cause you hate the Dark Lord and Sarumon more than you hate us," she added in a serious tone. From then on, they walked in silence, Garak thinking about what the human girl had said very deeply.
The fellowship came to an uphill of steep rocks; the men had no trouble climbing and the elf, even less. One by one they helped the others up, first Gandalf, then the hobbits and Gimli. Finally it was Kay's turn, and she placed her foot precariously on the rock face. Legolas reached down for her hand, but she tried to pull herself up without his help. Garak saw her foolishness; she was too small to make it. The girl slipped and fell backward with a cry. The Uruk caught her with one huge arm, stopping her fall. Everyone halted, watching the two of them. With a growl, Garak set her on her feet again, and bent, cupping his hands.
"Step here, I'll boost you up," he growled, but not menacingly like before. Gingerly, Kay put her foot in his hands and he lifted the girl with ease, the elf pulled her up the rest of the way. Garak leapt unto the rock with one great bound, looking down almost superiorly at Kay. "You keep that foolishness up, and next time I won't catch you," he growled and continued walking. Kay stared at his retreating back for a few moments, then hurried to catch up.
They paused for a while, eating some way bread and refilling canteens. Kay saw that Garak was not eating and went over to him. She offered him some bread and he looked down at the food with disdain. She glared up at him.
"You need to eat something, Garak. Its not poisoned or anything, ok?" she said, exasperated. Garak grinned horribly down at her, revealing sharp canines, almost like fangs. She recoiled slightly, but then regrouped and met his stare without flinching. Garak was beginning to admire the strange girl; she could look at him with out screaming in fear, which had gotten old after a while.
"I don't need or want your food, human," he growled but Kay didn't leave him. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Look, just eat something, and don't call me 'human' I have a name you know," she retorted. Garak snorted and looked away. "Your not fooling anyone with that Mr.-I-am-mightier-than-thou shit, Garak, so just knock it off," She grabbed his hand, shoved the bread into it and turned away, going back to where she sat with Legolas. Garak blinked, looking between his hand and the girl, who had pointedly turned her back to him. She had touched him; she had actually touched his skin and was not repulsed. Then something struck him, this was not the first time she had touched him. He remembered vaguely, her face above him, letting him drink…something. She had treated his wounds, even. He sniffed, the air that remained smelled like her, that also was familiar. Then, it came to him.
She had given him her blood, the girl made him drink her lifeblood to help him get well. Garak raised his hand that held the bread to his face and he sniffed it. That was why she was so familiar. He looked over at her again, she was laughing at something the elf had said to the dwarf, who was glowering. She saw the Uruk watching her, and met his gaze. Why in the name of Utumno would she do that? Give over her blood to him? It seemed that she read his mind, for she smiled and nodded, slightly.
They continued to walk, Kay returning to Garak's side. The hobbits walked together, sometimes one would look back at him. He snarled at them, and the halfling whipped around again. Kay sighed.
"Ya know, you might try being kind to them. They have a lot of reasons to be afraid of you, but maybe you could at least be civil to them," she said, low enough for only him to hear. Garak looked down at the girl beside him, but said nothing in answer to her statement.
"I know what you did for me, last night," he said in his low, growling voice. "Why did you do that?" he asked. Kay looked up at the Uruk, and smiled. He couldn't get over how she smiled at him; no one had ever smiled at him before.
"I thought we'd gone through this, Garak. Everyone deserves a second chance, even you. You needed my help, and I gave it to you, don't worry about it," she grinned. The Uruk noticed her hand was bandaged, swinging with her steps at her side. He reached out and with two fingers brushed the small hand with his larger, blacker one. She started, looking down at where their hands met. He recalled his hand, his face returning to its cold, hardened stare.
"Don't ever do that again, you don't know what you could have done," he rumbled and strode ahead of her, his tone and posture telling her to let it go.