Alaskantiger – glad you found me!! Don't worry, my brain can always concoct more!
Rabid Locust – You've been such a loyal reader, thank you so much!! *hugs!* ^_^ yeah, chappies is a fun word I came up with one day…hehe… *pokes at pile of goo* hmm…hope goo can still read stories… THANKIES!!!
Cat – Thank you!! Yeah, I like writing with emotions, its fun! Red and gold sheep? Eh, what ever works for ya ;) I likes sheep….
Megami – yeah, didn't want to conform to convental Mary Sueish, I no like it! Please check back for more!
LotR-FaNAtiC – thanks for the compliments, I am glad you like it!
Weirdlet – thanks!! I am glad you are enjoying it so far, I am not sure exactly how I am going to end it, but it's a happy ending…I hope….lol!! Thanks!
Frying Pan Girl – thanks for reviewing!
Chapter 10
Together in Blood, Heart and SoulFor the next three days the routine stayed the same, they walked during the day, resting briefly and sleeping at night, holding onto each other. Garak made sure they had food and water; Kay kept finding firewood wherever they were. At night they talked, about menial things. Kay told Garak of her world, her home and he told her of things he remembered. The Uruk refused to tell the girl of his time at Orthanc, it was just too horrible to say.
Once or twice, Garak could feel eyes on them, even as they traveled. He wanted to get away, to go faster but he knew that the girl would not be able to keep up. She was also tiring much faster as each day passed. She had stumbled countless times, causing them to halt for a while. It was on the third day that Garak felt the eyes closer than ever.
"Kay, we need to move, now," he said in a low voice. Kay, who was drinking some water, looked at him strangely. She caught his wary look and her eyes darted around.
"Are we being followed?" she whispered. Garak nodded. "Ok, lets go." They moved off at a fast walk, but Garak wanted to move faster. Kay struggled to keep up with Garak's long strides. Twilight was upon them and her eyesight was not as sharp as her companion. Kay cried out as she tripped over a root that had grown out of the ground. She skidded on her hands and knees, hissing as her skin was abraded. Garak stopped, turning. He took the girl under her shoulders, and lifted her. But instead of placing her back on her feet, he lifted her to his back.
"Hey!" she cried, indignantly. But before she could say anymore, Garak took off at a dead run. His long bounds clearing rocks and fallen trees as if they were nothing. He clasped his arms under her rump, her legs on either side of his broad back; she wrapped her arms around his thick neck. "What are you doing?" she asked into his pointed, but crooked ear.
"We aren't getting anywhere with how slow you are going, we need to move faster. I can't expect you to keep up with my pace, so I will carry you," he said simply. "If we stay at this pace, it will take at least two weeks to get to Rivendell, when I said one I meant by how Uruks move," he added. Kay frowned, but she knew he was right. She decided that it would be better if she kept her mouth shut and let Garak do what he thought best, he knew more about this land and its inhabitants than she did.
"Who is following us?" she whispered. Garak growled low in his throat, Kay took this to be not a good sign.
"Wargs, the mangy beasts. I've felt their eyes watching us for sometime, but they were confused. They saw what I was, but say you with me. I feel that they know my mind is not of my brethren. Garak leapt over a log, Kay clasping her arms around him, her breath warming the black skin of his neck. Garak forced himself to keep his mind on the situation at hand. Garak felt the creatures moving closer, they were surrounded. He halted suddenly, sliding Kay from his back. Quickly he handed her his hunting knife, hoping it would be enough to protect the girl. They stood back to back, and Garak unsheathed his blade.
The attack came suddenly, the wargs leaping from the undergrowth growling and snarling. Garak cut through them with his large sword, while Kay defended herself with the knife. They seemed to be focused mostly on Garak, the most of them attacking the large Uruk. Garak roared, angered and frustrated, no matter how he fought the beasts would not stay down.
A sharp pain in his right thigh made him howl in pain. One warg had managed to get through his defenses and sunk its teeth into his flesh. Kay saw the attack and sunk her knife deep into the animal's flank. Garak pushed the pain aside and continued the fight. Kay was infuriated, seeing what these beasts were doing to her companion and friend. With a strangled cry she slashed another warg in the throat, her vision a red haze.
Then suddenly, it was over. The carcasses of many wargs littered the ground, while others retreated into the dark. Kay stood panting and clutching her bloodied knife. Garak sheathed his blade and grabbed her hand.
"Move!" and they ran, needing to get farther away. Garak felt his leg begin to throb and he knew that he was losing a lot of blood. He could hear Kay gasping behind him but they couldn't stop, not yet. They ran for a long time until dizziness swept over Garak and he stumbled, and fell to the ground. Kay skidded to a halt and knelt beside the Uruk.
"Garak? Garak what is it? Are you hurt bad?" she asked, adrenaline still pumping in her veins. Garak groaned and nodded. His hand went down to touch his wounded leg. Kay gasped at the horrible sight, dark blood poured from the punctures. "Oh god…" she whispered in shock. Garak's sight began to dim and he mumbled something incoherent. Kay's visage appeared before him again. "Hold on, Garak, I'm going to bind the wound," he felt her cool hand touch his forehead.
Kay ripped the cloak she used as a robe, making one long strip. Using the knife she still clutched, she cut Garak's pant away from the wound. Gently, she used another piece of cloth, wetted with water from their canteen to wash the area clean of dirt and blood. She quickly bound the strip around the Uruk's large thigh, binding it tightly, but not so much as to cut off blood flow. The pain took hold of Garak's mind, and he moaned, eyes rolling back into his head. Kay grabbed his face between her two smaller hands, shaking him.
"Don't you dare die on me, Garak!" she said harshly, but he heard the concern behind her words. "Stay with me, damn it, I wont let you go so easily." Her grip loosened and she stared into his dark eyes. Barely he thought he saw tears welling up in her eyes, but he couldn't be sure, the pain and blood loss was loosening his grasp on the waking world. "Garak, you have to stay with me, please," she was whispering now. A few drops of something wet fell onto his face, it must have started to rain. "Please, don't die…" her hands caressed his face, how could she touch him like that?
Suddenly, the hands left his face. He was startled, but his vision was darkening again and he couldn't see the girl. He faintly heard a hiss of pain, but it didn't register in his pain filled mind. Then, he felt her hand behind his head, and something pressed at his lips. Blood.
He smelled it, tasted it as it trickled between his horrible lips. It filled his entire essence, and his unnatural hunger swept over him like a tidal wave. His lips closed over the font of blood, sucking, drawing it into himself. More wetness fell onto his face, sadly, like the blood. Nothing else registered in his brain except for the blood, the world faded to nothingness. His world contracted to just the simple act of drinking this blood. The taste was incredible! Like ambrosia, godly…like nothing he had ever…wait.
He had tasted this before, it seemed like so long ago. The taste: so pure, so good. The scent brought images to his mind, sunlight, stars, and a smile. A voice near to him came to his ears through the red mists.
"That's it, take all you need, just don't leave me, Garak…" it was familiar, a female voice. He could hear the heart beat of the source of this lifeblood. It was beating in time with his…how could this be? Uruk's have no hearts; they were dead to all emotion and feeling. And yet, he could feel it, thumping in his breast, like a caged bird wanting escape. The other heartbeat was slowing. The voice, becoming a whisper. "Don't leave…" he recognized the voice; he cared about this person! But who… "Love you…."
Kay!
With a shout he tore away from the arm that was feeding him blood. He was shaking, the pure, unspoiled blood pumping in his veins, almost burning him inside. After a while, he returned mostly to himself, and he turned back. Kay lay there, staring at him, her eyes half closed. Her left arm was slashed, blood slowly flowing from the cut. Suddenly, Garak knew what had happened.
"Oh no…" and he was at her side in an instant, cradling her limp body to his. Swiftly, he tore a piece from her cloak/robe, tying it around her own wound. He pressed two fingers to her neck, feeling for a pulse. There was one, it was weak, but getting stronger. Good, he had pulled away in time. After assessing that there was no more damage, Garak forced himself to look into the girl's eyes. "I told you never to do that again," he whispered. All the girl did was smile faintly up at him.
"Couldn't let you die," she answered, her voice so soft, he had to lean down to hear her. Garak shook his head.
"You don't know what you could have done, I could have drunk you dry!" The smile never faded.
"At least you wouldn't be dead," she said. Garak wanted to shake the girl, but settled for gripping her arms tightly.
"But you would be," he answered. "Do you think I could live after knowing I had done that? Oh Kay…" he hugged her small body to him. He felt wetness on his arm and looked down, Kay was crying, but she was still smiling. Then he knew that it had not be raining at all, it had been the girl's tears falling onto his face. This girl was so confusing!
"Garak, I care for you, I had to do something," she said. Garak just held her tighter, thoughts running through his mind. He then felt something trickled down his cheek. He lifted a hand and brought it to his face. After catching the drop on his finger, he brought it to his lips. It was salty, like Kay's tears. He was crying. Kay noticed this as well. "Oh, Garak…" and she touched his cheek, brushing away the tears that had collected there.
"I am so confused, these feelings, I cant describe them, can't control them…" he said. Kay smiled.
"You don't have to understand them, Garak, and don't try to control them, its normal," she replied. "I am tired, Garak, don't go dying on me, ok?" she asked, her eyelids drooping. Garak nodded and watched attentively as the girl in his arms fell asleep. Pretty soon he was feeling tired as well. They should get to Rivendell by tomorrow evening, from there…who knew?
Garak lay down, never letting go of the body he held. He leg throbbed dully, but he didn't care, Kay was with him, more than just physically, but that thought was too complicated for his exhausted mind. Garak drifted of into oblivion, holding the strange human girl that had somehow re-awoken his heart, and in the process managed to weave her way into it.
**A/N – What do ya think?? Good? Bad? Is the romance a good idea or not? Never written like this before. Heh… Hope to have next chappie (yes, RL its "chappie"!) up by weekend!**