Disclaimer – Still not mine last time I checked, not Lurtz, Ugluk or the
Fellowship. Unfortunately.
A/N – Thanks to Womba Warrior for pointing out my typo (s and d are so close together darn it!) now rectified and for the review, as well as to Amarth and Boromir's Luv. As promised, here's the next installement so you're not all in suspense – it would have been up sooner apart from ff.net's little technical hitch and my screwy internet connection. Are some Orc heads going to roll? Well, one is - guess who! On with the show!
Chapter 10 – Out in the open
The darkness had finally fallen across the sky, and Gorplak was glad of it; she stared at the dark ground at her feet, barely registering as it went by, her mind moving faster than her feet ever could.
He loved her. He pledged himself to her. He loved her. And he denied that he and Vashlash had done anything… well he would wouldn't he. And Vashlash was telling the truth? About what? She and Vashlash hadn't spoken in hours, and Gorplak had been unaware of the nudges Nudlik had given the other female Orc, or of the furtive glances in her direction from them both. It made no sense.
He loves you.
A little part of her felt elated and thrilled, imagined the possibilities of happiness.
You don't deserve happiness, he's lying to you, said another, mocking any positive emotion that dared erupt into her head.
He loves you.
He's lying.
He pledged himself to you.
Vashlash hasn't denied anything.
He cares about you.
Why should you trust him? You saw what you saw.
The argument played over and over in her head, drowning out the rhythm of her feet against the dirt, creating another irregular beat.
She barely noticed the column slowing; she was saved from crashing into the Orc in front of her by a restraining grip on her arm. So deep in her mental ponderings she hardly noticed who had saved her, giving an appreciative snort and began moving out of file. She only really noticed as the grip loosened but didn't remove itself, and she was forced to seek why. Her gaze travelled to her arm, around the gnarled knuckles, up the long, strong forearm, over the dark ragged locks of hair, the rugged cheeks and, although she tried to stop herself, into a pair of orange eyes that she knew very well.
"Gorplak." She trembled slightly as he said her name, and she cursed herself for being so caught up in this spell he had cast over her, that she was helpless to resist and that some part of her didn't want to.
"Sir." She managed to force out formally. She managed to drag her eyes from his, her gaze finally resting where his hand still gripped her arm.
"Why won't you believe me Gorplak? How can I convince you I love you?" Gorplak squeezed her eyes shut, and wished her mouth would do the same.
"Let me go." She whispered, barely loud enough to be heard, but she could tell by the intake of breath that he had. And, to her dismay, the hand left her arm. She almost cried out at the lack of contact, the brief heat that his presence had brought her, until she felt the heat come to rest again on her cheek.
"Then let me see your eyes. Just one last time." Bagshash begged and slowly, slowly, her brightly shining green eyes met his, full of confusion, full of… regret. Bagshash wished he could taste her lips for the final time before he let her go, but knew he could not. Still, he couldn't resist the urge to brush his lips across her forehead, savouring her smell, and then he was gone. As Gorplak had asked him.
And Gorplak hated herself for it.
Vashlash hated herself for it. She saw everything, from Gorplak's hesitant and uncertain reaction, to Bagshash's unbelieving shuffle away. And it was her fault. Nudlik had smothered her in kind words but Vashlash hated it; she wanted to be sworn and shouted at, and these gentle words were so out of character from her lover. Still, it strengthened her resolve to do something she'd been putting off.
"Gorplak? I need to talk to you about something."
Gorplak couldn't help but gaze at the dark sky for help. She desperately wanted to be alone with her thoughts, and yet Vashlash was the key to all the mystery, the heartache and the pain. Reluctantly she turned to meet her friend.
"I've caused you a lot of pain over the years, and most of it we've laughed about," Vashlash began, then the urge to giggle overtook her. "Remember the time that I put athelas on your wounds and you swelled up for three days? We laughed and laughed and…" She stopped as she saw her words were being met with a stony silence. She ducked her head in embarrassment.
"Well, what I mean is, this time I've caused you pain and it hasn't been funny." She stopped again, this time to draw a deep breath. "I told you that Bagshash and I had… you know. Well, we didn't. I lied."
Gorplak's eyes finally lifted to meet Vashlash's in disbelief, startling her to stammer out her excuses faster and more incomprehensible than she wanted. "I wanted him for myself and I'm sorry but I thought it didn't mean anything to you but it did, I know now, and then he turned me down and I just thought that…"
Gorplak didn't even hear half the excuses, all she saw was Vashlash's mouth opening and closing rapidly and her own brain screaming "She lied." With numb arms she lifted her hands to Vashlash's shoulders and forced words from her shocked mind.
"Nothing happened? You swear it?"
Vashlash took the other female's hands in her own. "I swear it." She began to speak again but Gorplak silenced her with a finger held to the lips.
"You swear it." She repeated, not as a question but as a statement of disbelief. "You swear it." A smile burst forth from her lips. "You swear it!" She shouted happily, spinning in a giddy circle and laughing. Sobering for a moment she caught Vashlash's face between her hands. "Vashlash?"
The other Orc nodded slowly, suddenly wary. She was taken completely by surprise as Gorplak planted a kiss on her scarred cheeks. "I still owe you for that athelas trick." She beamed and was gone, following the trail that Bagshash had left. Vashlash let out a sigh of relief.
"And I deserve whatever you give me."
Gorplak wasn't running; she was flying. Finally, everything had dropped into place, and a great weight was lifted from her; she felt she could soar now that the pressure was gone. She dodged the trees as thought she flew over them, and eventually she found what she had been searching for. And for a moment she had to grasp a tree in support.
Bagshash stood, surrounded by Orcs clamouring for his attention but he barely seemed to notice them. Gorplak rested her head against the rough tree bark, noticing his strong shoulders slumped as though from weariness, usually vibrant orange eyes now dull and staring at the forest floor. Gorplak frowned to herself; Bagshash's lack of life was her fault, but at least now she could set it right. She plunged into the fray and tried to fight her way to the front to get his attention.
"When do we have to fight sir?"
"Are we marching again tonight?"
"Do we get a rest tomorrow sir?"
"I love you."
"We haven't any supplies, permission to go hunting?"
"The sentries need relieving from their posts."
"Commander Ugluk said we weren't to stop at night."
From amongst the cacophony of noises, Bagshash thought he heard her. He told himself he was being ridiculous, until he heard it again.
"I love you." Gorplak tried louder this time, still trying to elbow her way to the front but finding more backs and bodies in her way. He heart leapt as Bagshash turned to survey the crowd that mobbed him, but at that moment a thigh bumped into the back of hers and she stumbled forward, hidden by the horde and Bagshash missed her.
"Sir!"
"What do we do sir!"
"Permission to hunt for supplies sir!"
All the time the voices grew louder as he tried to ignore them all to listen for the one he wanted to hear, but he couldn't see her; perhaps he was just hearing things.
Gorplak resurfaced in time to see Bagshash look away, downhearted. She cried out again but even she couldn't hear her own voice, drowned out by the multitude around her. Well, desperate times called for desperate measures.
"I LOVE YOU!"
The shrieked words caused an instant silence to descend upon the group, and slowly eyes cast around to find the source. Gradually a path opened in front of Gorplak as the Orc officers all turned to stare at her, but she was only aware of one gaze that lingered in her direction.
Just as the silence had fallen like a lightening strike, so the questions began likewise.
"What does she think she's doing?"
"Do you think the enemy heard it?"
"Is he going to punish her for that?"
Gorplak only heard one, oblivious to the others around her as she proceeded down the gap created for her by her wild shout.
"Do you mean it?"
Bagshash's voice was barely above a whisper, but Gorplak felt she would have heard it even if the forest were crashing down around them. "Vashlash told me everything. She told me the truth. She said…"
"There's been enough talk recently." Bagshash growled. To the shock of all the officers, and to Gorplak's delight, he pulled her close without deliberation and applied his lips to hers with bruising force. Gorplak moaned against his lips and responded in kind, pressing herself against his body as his hands roamed through her hair, over her shoulders, down her back, creating a tingling path of pleasure. Nothing existed for the two lovers but the contact between them, and nothing else mattered. Gradually the ferocity of the kiss subsided, and reluctantly the two pulled apart, amid the shocked gasps from the Orcs present that both Gorplak and Bagshash had forgotten about.
"When I said punishment that wasn't what I meant." A voice quipped, and a quick gust of laughter burst from the crowded group. Bagshash gave an embarrassed shrug but Gorplak just smiled. He placed an arm around her shoulders, and she slipped a replying arm around his waist.
Captain Gagnik cleared his throat nosily. "Erm sir? What are we going to do about…"
"Permission to hunt for supplies is denied, I intend to issue a break for the Company through tomorrow. Food can be hunted then. And it is not a break to fight the enemy, we'll be meeting up with Lurtz and the rest of your Uruk-Hai comrades the day after." Gagnik nodded, his questions allayed for the moment.
Bagshash addressed the rest of the gaggle who were concerned that the march wouldn't continue that night. "Don't relieve the sentries, recall them, and prepare the company to move out again." Again his words were met with nods, and the crowd began to disperse. "We march in ten minutes troops." Bagshash called after them.
Gorplak began to nuzzle at his neck, sharp teeth nipping slightly. He tried to stifle a groan, rather unsuccessfully, while she just laughed.
"Better make it twenty." He called out again, before any other words were muffled by soft lips reaching for his own.
The column waited in line. The orders to form up had been given ten minutes ago but still the command to march had not been given. And Vashlash, waiting a little impatiently like everyone else, was worried. Gorplak was missing.
There was a gap beside Vashlash where there should have been an Orc and still the column waited. Just as there started a restless muttering, a slightly dishevelled Gorplak ran into line and Captain Gagnik called the order to move out.
"Where have you been?" Vashlash hissed quietly, pulling a leaf from Gorplak's shaggier than usual mane. Before she had a chance to reply, Bagshash moved past their section of the line, momentarily running alongside Gorplak and planting a kiss on her cheek.
"Keep it moving and keep it down, or you'll be feeling the whip." He growled threatening as he continued his vigil on the column. Vashlash raised an eyebrow.
"He hasn't threatened the whip in a while, he must be in a good mood." She commented, then reality dawned on her and she grinned, a twisted, wicked grin. "And I bet you know why too don't you." She accused Gorplak happily, who just smiled suggestively. "I want all the details."
The sharp crack of the whip falling on a pair of shoulders behind them reminded them of the need to be quiet so they lapsed into silence. But it gave Gorplak an idea.
A good whipping. Now that's an entertaining thought…
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
All together now… hurrah! Everything's sorted between Gorplak and Bagshash, bless! And I'm not going into any more details of their sexual habits because a) I'm not sure I want to go there b) I couldn't do them justice and c) I want to keep to the pg-13 rating… although I've probably broken it with all the blood and fighting but hey! Just use your imaginations people.
Well, it's plain sailing for now, but there are still enemies out there for our Orc and Uruk-Hai – some closer to home than others! Next chapter could be a bit bloody… but lots of romantic slush ahoy too. Until next time dear reader!
A/N – Thanks to Womba Warrior for pointing out my typo (s and d are so close together darn it!) now rectified and for the review, as well as to Amarth and Boromir's Luv. As promised, here's the next installement so you're not all in suspense – it would have been up sooner apart from ff.net's little technical hitch and my screwy internet connection. Are some Orc heads going to roll? Well, one is - guess who! On with the show!
Chapter 10 – Out in the open
The darkness had finally fallen across the sky, and Gorplak was glad of it; she stared at the dark ground at her feet, barely registering as it went by, her mind moving faster than her feet ever could.
He loved her. He pledged himself to her. He loved her. And he denied that he and Vashlash had done anything… well he would wouldn't he. And Vashlash was telling the truth? About what? She and Vashlash hadn't spoken in hours, and Gorplak had been unaware of the nudges Nudlik had given the other female Orc, or of the furtive glances in her direction from them both. It made no sense.
He loves you.
A little part of her felt elated and thrilled, imagined the possibilities of happiness.
You don't deserve happiness, he's lying to you, said another, mocking any positive emotion that dared erupt into her head.
He loves you.
He's lying.
He pledged himself to you.
Vashlash hasn't denied anything.
He cares about you.
Why should you trust him? You saw what you saw.
The argument played over and over in her head, drowning out the rhythm of her feet against the dirt, creating another irregular beat.
She barely noticed the column slowing; she was saved from crashing into the Orc in front of her by a restraining grip on her arm. So deep in her mental ponderings she hardly noticed who had saved her, giving an appreciative snort and began moving out of file. She only really noticed as the grip loosened but didn't remove itself, and she was forced to seek why. Her gaze travelled to her arm, around the gnarled knuckles, up the long, strong forearm, over the dark ragged locks of hair, the rugged cheeks and, although she tried to stop herself, into a pair of orange eyes that she knew very well.
"Gorplak." She trembled slightly as he said her name, and she cursed herself for being so caught up in this spell he had cast over her, that she was helpless to resist and that some part of her didn't want to.
"Sir." She managed to force out formally. She managed to drag her eyes from his, her gaze finally resting where his hand still gripped her arm.
"Why won't you believe me Gorplak? How can I convince you I love you?" Gorplak squeezed her eyes shut, and wished her mouth would do the same.
"Let me go." She whispered, barely loud enough to be heard, but she could tell by the intake of breath that he had. And, to her dismay, the hand left her arm. She almost cried out at the lack of contact, the brief heat that his presence had brought her, until she felt the heat come to rest again on her cheek.
"Then let me see your eyes. Just one last time." Bagshash begged and slowly, slowly, her brightly shining green eyes met his, full of confusion, full of… regret. Bagshash wished he could taste her lips for the final time before he let her go, but knew he could not. Still, he couldn't resist the urge to brush his lips across her forehead, savouring her smell, and then he was gone. As Gorplak had asked him.
And Gorplak hated herself for it.
Vashlash hated herself for it. She saw everything, from Gorplak's hesitant and uncertain reaction, to Bagshash's unbelieving shuffle away. And it was her fault. Nudlik had smothered her in kind words but Vashlash hated it; she wanted to be sworn and shouted at, and these gentle words were so out of character from her lover. Still, it strengthened her resolve to do something she'd been putting off.
"Gorplak? I need to talk to you about something."
Gorplak couldn't help but gaze at the dark sky for help. She desperately wanted to be alone with her thoughts, and yet Vashlash was the key to all the mystery, the heartache and the pain. Reluctantly she turned to meet her friend.
"I've caused you a lot of pain over the years, and most of it we've laughed about," Vashlash began, then the urge to giggle overtook her. "Remember the time that I put athelas on your wounds and you swelled up for three days? We laughed and laughed and…" She stopped as she saw her words were being met with a stony silence. She ducked her head in embarrassment.
"Well, what I mean is, this time I've caused you pain and it hasn't been funny." She stopped again, this time to draw a deep breath. "I told you that Bagshash and I had… you know. Well, we didn't. I lied."
Gorplak's eyes finally lifted to meet Vashlash's in disbelief, startling her to stammer out her excuses faster and more incomprehensible than she wanted. "I wanted him for myself and I'm sorry but I thought it didn't mean anything to you but it did, I know now, and then he turned me down and I just thought that…"
Gorplak didn't even hear half the excuses, all she saw was Vashlash's mouth opening and closing rapidly and her own brain screaming "She lied." With numb arms she lifted her hands to Vashlash's shoulders and forced words from her shocked mind.
"Nothing happened? You swear it?"
Vashlash took the other female's hands in her own. "I swear it." She began to speak again but Gorplak silenced her with a finger held to the lips.
"You swear it." She repeated, not as a question but as a statement of disbelief. "You swear it." A smile burst forth from her lips. "You swear it!" She shouted happily, spinning in a giddy circle and laughing. Sobering for a moment she caught Vashlash's face between her hands. "Vashlash?"
The other Orc nodded slowly, suddenly wary. She was taken completely by surprise as Gorplak planted a kiss on her scarred cheeks. "I still owe you for that athelas trick." She beamed and was gone, following the trail that Bagshash had left. Vashlash let out a sigh of relief.
"And I deserve whatever you give me."
Gorplak wasn't running; she was flying. Finally, everything had dropped into place, and a great weight was lifted from her; she felt she could soar now that the pressure was gone. She dodged the trees as thought she flew over them, and eventually she found what she had been searching for. And for a moment she had to grasp a tree in support.
Bagshash stood, surrounded by Orcs clamouring for his attention but he barely seemed to notice them. Gorplak rested her head against the rough tree bark, noticing his strong shoulders slumped as though from weariness, usually vibrant orange eyes now dull and staring at the forest floor. Gorplak frowned to herself; Bagshash's lack of life was her fault, but at least now she could set it right. She plunged into the fray and tried to fight her way to the front to get his attention.
"When do we have to fight sir?"
"Are we marching again tonight?"
"Do we get a rest tomorrow sir?"
"I love you."
"We haven't any supplies, permission to go hunting?"
"The sentries need relieving from their posts."
"Commander Ugluk said we weren't to stop at night."
From amongst the cacophony of noises, Bagshash thought he heard her. He told himself he was being ridiculous, until he heard it again.
"I love you." Gorplak tried louder this time, still trying to elbow her way to the front but finding more backs and bodies in her way. He heart leapt as Bagshash turned to survey the crowd that mobbed him, but at that moment a thigh bumped into the back of hers and she stumbled forward, hidden by the horde and Bagshash missed her.
"Sir!"
"What do we do sir!"
"Permission to hunt for supplies sir!"
All the time the voices grew louder as he tried to ignore them all to listen for the one he wanted to hear, but he couldn't see her; perhaps he was just hearing things.
Gorplak resurfaced in time to see Bagshash look away, downhearted. She cried out again but even she couldn't hear her own voice, drowned out by the multitude around her. Well, desperate times called for desperate measures.
"I LOVE YOU!"
The shrieked words caused an instant silence to descend upon the group, and slowly eyes cast around to find the source. Gradually a path opened in front of Gorplak as the Orc officers all turned to stare at her, but she was only aware of one gaze that lingered in her direction.
Just as the silence had fallen like a lightening strike, so the questions began likewise.
"What does she think she's doing?"
"Do you think the enemy heard it?"
"Is he going to punish her for that?"
Gorplak only heard one, oblivious to the others around her as she proceeded down the gap created for her by her wild shout.
"Do you mean it?"
Bagshash's voice was barely above a whisper, but Gorplak felt she would have heard it even if the forest were crashing down around them. "Vashlash told me everything. She told me the truth. She said…"
"There's been enough talk recently." Bagshash growled. To the shock of all the officers, and to Gorplak's delight, he pulled her close without deliberation and applied his lips to hers with bruising force. Gorplak moaned against his lips and responded in kind, pressing herself against his body as his hands roamed through her hair, over her shoulders, down her back, creating a tingling path of pleasure. Nothing existed for the two lovers but the contact between them, and nothing else mattered. Gradually the ferocity of the kiss subsided, and reluctantly the two pulled apart, amid the shocked gasps from the Orcs present that both Gorplak and Bagshash had forgotten about.
"When I said punishment that wasn't what I meant." A voice quipped, and a quick gust of laughter burst from the crowded group. Bagshash gave an embarrassed shrug but Gorplak just smiled. He placed an arm around her shoulders, and she slipped a replying arm around his waist.
Captain Gagnik cleared his throat nosily. "Erm sir? What are we going to do about…"
"Permission to hunt for supplies is denied, I intend to issue a break for the Company through tomorrow. Food can be hunted then. And it is not a break to fight the enemy, we'll be meeting up with Lurtz and the rest of your Uruk-Hai comrades the day after." Gagnik nodded, his questions allayed for the moment.
Bagshash addressed the rest of the gaggle who were concerned that the march wouldn't continue that night. "Don't relieve the sentries, recall them, and prepare the company to move out again." Again his words were met with nods, and the crowd began to disperse. "We march in ten minutes troops." Bagshash called after them.
Gorplak began to nuzzle at his neck, sharp teeth nipping slightly. He tried to stifle a groan, rather unsuccessfully, while she just laughed.
"Better make it twenty." He called out again, before any other words were muffled by soft lips reaching for his own.
The column waited in line. The orders to form up had been given ten minutes ago but still the command to march had not been given. And Vashlash, waiting a little impatiently like everyone else, was worried. Gorplak was missing.
There was a gap beside Vashlash where there should have been an Orc and still the column waited. Just as there started a restless muttering, a slightly dishevelled Gorplak ran into line and Captain Gagnik called the order to move out.
"Where have you been?" Vashlash hissed quietly, pulling a leaf from Gorplak's shaggier than usual mane. Before she had a chance to reply, Bagshash moved past their section of the line, momentarily running alongside Gorplak and planting a kiss on her cheek.
"Keep it moving and keep it down, or you'll be feeling the whip." He growled threatening as he continued his vigil on the column. Vashlash raised an eyebrow.
"He hasn't threatened the whip in a while, he must be in a good mood." She commented, then reality dawned on her and she grinned, a twisted, wicked grin. "And I bet you know why too don't you." She accused Gorplak happily, who just smiled suggestively. "I want all the details."
The sharp crack of the whip falling on a pair of shoulders behind them reminded them of the need to be quiet so they lapsed into silence. But it gave Gorplak an idea.
A good whipping. Now that's an entertaining thought…
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
All together now… hurrah! Everything's sorted between Gorplak and Bagshash, bless! And I'm not going into any more details of their sexual habits because a) I'm not sure I want to go there b) I couldn't do them justice and c) I want to keep to the pg-13 rating… although I've probably broken it with all the blood and fighting but hey! Just use your imaginations people.
Well, it's plain sailing for now, but there are still enemies out there for our Orc and Uruk-Hai – some closer to home than others! Next chapter could be a bit bloody… but lots of romantic slush ahoy too. Until next time dear reader!
