Chapter 8
The Rescue
'This has got to be a nightmare,' Kay thought. She sat in the cold, damp cave, her clothing torn, hanging in strips from her body. The girl huddled close to the cold stone, hugging her knees. Kay's eyes darted around in the shadows, trying to see the creatures she knew where close. She had woken from unconsciousness not too long ago, only to find herself the captive of orcs. The girl was frightened, hurt and wet. The creatures pawed at her body, raking their claws across her skin. She screamed, more than once if her fragile mind remembered correctly.
They had left her alone for a while, probably attending to other things. Kay didn't understand why they hadn't killed her. Orcs almost never took prisoners, so said Aragorn. She couldn't understand why they had taken her and not just killed her right off.
Unfortunately for her, she might wish that she were dead, if she knew what they were saying about her in the darkness.
It had been the better part of two hours since she awoke; she shivered, half in fear, half in cold. The others must think her dead, so they will not come after her. 'Good' she thought, 'they have the quest to finish, I am not even supposed to be here. They'll be better off without me.' Something brushed her foot, and she cried out. This attracted the attention of the orcs.
One of them scuttled up to the girl, she cringed back against the stone, praying it would swallow her up. Other joined the first, they leered and drooled at her, and suddenly, Kay knew what they were after, why they didn't kill her. A new energy swelled up inside her and she caught hold of a stone. She threw it at one of the orcs, causing him to fall. She found more stones, casting them at the creatures, but there were too many of them.
Clawed hands caught hold of her arms and legs, she fought them, screaming in rage and fear. They hands tore at her clothing, her jeans tearing like paper under their assault. More than once she felt their claws rip her skin, blood flowed free. Kay screamed and kicked out trying her best to get away, but there was no escape. Two held her down while the others continued to tear her clothing. The girl cried.
Suddenly, a roar erupted from somewhere in the cave, and the orcs looked up in shock. A huge figure emerged from the shadows, bearing down upon them, knocking the orcs away like they were flies. Some attacked the newcomer, but they were sliced apart cruelly by a wicked, curved blade. Kay lay upon the stone ground, shivering in shock and fear. The orcs who held her, released their hold to run, but the huge figure neatly severed their heads from their bodies. Kay flinched as they hot, black blood splattered on her face. The edges of her vision darkened, and she couldn't see the face of the newcomer. A huge arm caught her up, and she was pressed against a firm body, cradled in one arm like a doll. The person held her tightly, almost enough to hurt. There was another earsplitting roar; it came from the one holding her.
More orcs gathered at the mouth of the cave, wielding weapons. Kay barely registered all of this as she was quickly losing consciousness again. She felt the one holding her move off at a run, using his blade against the orcs in their way. There was something feral about the way he fought, wild. Also, right before oblivion took hold, Kay registered a peculiar scent: leather, sweat and something darker, yet familiar. Kay lost her hold on the world, just before she could place it.
*
Garak had tracked the orcs to a small cave, most were camped outside, fires lit and the foul creatures milled about. He hid in the bushes not far away, watching. This may or may not be the ones who took Kay; there were many orcs about these days. He sniffed the air, hoping to detect the girl's scent, but there was no such luck. All he could smell was the foulness of his lower cousins, he growled.
When Garak thought about what those creatures could be doing to Kay, bile rose in his throat. The girl was so innocent, untouched, unspoiled. She was a rarity.
Suddenly, a frightened cry split the air, and Garak jumped to his feet, before he knew it he was running toward the cave. The orcs saw him coming and readied their weapons. Garak felt his old instinct to fight and kill rise up inside him, and he let it. He drew his own sword, cutting through their masses with ease, and he entered the cave. In a far, dark corner there was a bunch of the creatures, huddled over a struggling, screaming figure. White skin shone in the darkness, and a scent hit his nose: fear, pain, desperation, and a familiar scent of blood. It was Kay's blood.
Garak roared in rage and charged them, he barely knew what he was doing as he cut through them with his sword. He didn't stop until all of the creatures were lying dead at his feet. Then, through a read haze of rage, he looked down at the small figure huddled there. Kay's clothes were in tatters, it wasn't hard to tell that it was claws that had torn them. Garak was able to come out of his blood rage enough to see that the girl was barely holding onto consciousness. He bent and scooped her into his arms, holding her against his body with one arm, leaving his other free to use his blade.
With ease he cut his way through the massing orcs, and took off at a sprint into the forest. The orcs wouldn't follow, they were not that stupid. They had seen what he was, they would believe he wanted Kay for himself, and they would leave them alone. Still, he wanted to get as far away from that place as he could. He ran, re-sheathing his sword, an held the girl against his chest with both arms. She felt so tiny against him, so frail. He looked down at her face, streaked with dirt, blood and tears. She was unconscious, that was for sure, but he needed to find a place where they would be safe before he could check for any wounds.
Soon he came upon a small clearing, near a spring that flowed from under a huge oak tree. Kneeling, he laid his burden down on the soft grass, his dark eyes sweeping over her body. He sighed when he saw no bad injuries, only cuts and bruises. Her clothing barely covered her body; Garak tore off his cloak and wrapped it around the girl's small form. He tore off a piece and dipped it into the stream. When he touched to cloth to Kay's face, she jerked away from him, her face contorting in fear. Garak removed his hand, surprised. 'She must be so afraid, she thinks she is still with the orcs,' he thought. Garak took a few deep, calming breaths before reaching out again with a gentle, steady hand. When he touched her skin again, she only flinched.
"Shh, its alright, your safe…" he whispered, his deep, bass voice not so harsh as it usually was. It surprised him, how gentle he was with the girl, he was never like this, it was against everything he was! But he wasn't who he was, not anymore. This girl had seen to that, from the moment she had given him her blood to help him Garak was changing. He sighed, almost forlornly; there was nothing he could do about it, so why bother worrying. Perhaps it wasn't as bad as he thought, he hadn't wanted to be an Uruk-hai in the first place, and perhaps this was a way for him to have a second chance. Kay always talked about second chances; it was this girl who had given him his second chance.
Garak washed the girl's face, clearing all traces of blood, dirt and tears from her skin. She shivered and he noticed that they still had a good bit more of night to get through. He should stay awake and watch out for any orcs about. He sat against the tree, beside the spring. His sharp eyes darted about the forest, watching for anything that might threaten the girl with him. A sudden whimper caught his attention and he looked down at Kay. She tossed in her sleep, her brow furrowed and her eyes darted under her eyelids. She shivered in the cold night air.
Garak felt that familiar tug in his chest, which happened whenever the girl was around him. A thought struck him then: is it possible that he might have a heart? After his many years of torment and darkness, could a heart still beat in his bosom? Is he still capable of feelings? Kay whimpered and curled into a fetal position. Garak instinctually gathered the girl into his arms, holding her on his lap, his arms around her small, shivering body. She calmed and rested her head against his chest, so like how she did before when she was hurt. Garak sighed, somewhat feeling contented. Kay was safe; she was with him. Now, he just had to make sure they both stayed that way. Garak rested back against the hard bark, holding the girl securely in his embrace. It is that way that forest watched over them, the last of the great powers in nature. The spirits sent their spells to send the Uruk to sleep. The great oak wrapped the two in branch and leaf, hiding them from all sight. And so they slept that night, demon of the darkness and a human child full of light, tied together by blood and destiny.
**A/N – how did u like it? It's not done yet! *evil laughter* keep checking back for more, I hope to conclude this in a few more chappies! REVIEW!!**