Disclaimer: I own NOTHING well the plot is mine and so is the torture
chamber. Everything else belongs to J. R. R. Tolkien.
A/N: I am really enjoying my reviews- keep 'em coming. This is the longest chapter so far and will probably be the longest chapter in the entire story. The first part is from the orc's point of view. Enjoy!
The captive began speaking in a faltering voice. "I.I mean I-" The orc cut him off.
"Get along with it, we don't have all day," he said waving the whip threateningly inches from the prisoner's face, "How did you meet Gollum and when?"
"A. about a week ago," came the reply. "I was lost and Gollum promised to help me if I would help him first."
Finally he was getting somewhere. "What did you need help in?"
"I was planning on spying out the land and-" the orc had gotten too excited and was turning the wheels, causing the prisoner to gasp and almost pass out. He mumbled a quick 'sorry' that he hoped wasn't understood and returned the prisoner *almost* to the place he had started from. The captive continued.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frodo hoped his story worked. He had been stretched to the point of death but had been apologized to. He wondered why he got an apology. Perhaps it was because the orc felt he was getting somewhere, though this particular orc couldn't be the brightest, considering he was telling complete and utter lies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And," the prisoner caught his breath, "reporting back to my master."
"Whom do you serve?" the orc questioned. He hoped that his captive was as stupid as he made out to be. That would aid greatly in the wealth of information he could report to his master. At the same time he wished the captive was smart, but weak so he could test a new device on him. It had been built only last week. He called it the "widow-maker" because it was so horrifying. It was basically a large box carved out of stone with large wooden spikes in it. After ten minutes in it you would be dead or ready to confess. He wasn't sure which.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frodo had finally decided on a plan. He would act incompetent and give false answers readily. He was incredibly nervous, so he pretended not to have heard the question and asked to have it repeated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Just great," the orc thought. I've got a complete imbecile on my hands." He repeated the question slowly, like a stern teacher to a young student who had asked a question one too many times.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frodo said the first name that popped into his head. "Saruman. I serve Saruman." The orc had a look of bewilderment on his face as Frodo spun his tale, "Master- Saruman- Master Saruman said that, because I was small I wouldn't be spotted. He told me to try to find a way into your land. I was to report back to him. If I didn't I-" he burst into a very convincing wail with false tears.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The orc was incredibly confused. He had never seen anyone or anything do that before, not even in the presence of his Master. "Stop it! Stop that at once!" he shrieked. The prisoner stopped suddenly. He remained on the verge of tears for the rest of the "interview," but he did not explode again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frodo felt he was acting very well. Every so often the orc spread the wheels farther apart, but, because it was gradual, it was bearable. Frodo gave him any information he might have ever wanted. He told how Saruman had sent him to look for a secret way in, how that if he failed, Saruman would eat his brains for breakfast. At that point the orc had to wave the whip in front of Frodo's face because he had been acting "emotional." He again played up Gollum's part in the entire act. He told how Gollum had known of the place (Cirith Ungol) for a long while. He told of the sticky webs, how they had been slashed apart by someone (or something). That was how he had managed to get so far before he was stung. Finally the orc interjected, "And there were none with you or with this creature, Gollum?"
"No, not that I know of. Gollum was very sneaky." Unfortunately, that was the wrong answer. The orc suddenly turned the wheels apart with lightening speed. Frodo screamed: "Yes, yes! There WAS another, he was of my kind. He was a great friend. We lost him before I got to the end. I assumed he was taken by Shelob-" here his body gave an involuntary shudder "-but it was no great loss. I figured she would enjoy him, that he would keep her occupied until I found a way out. Obviously, my thoughts were wrong." Frodo wondered if the same fate had befallen Sam, being eaten by Shelob.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The orc was pondering these things in his mind. They would all have to be reported, so it was best that he went over the details in his thoughts before he presented them aloud to his Master. He believed every word of it- in the end it was the eyes that convinced him. They looked so innocent- but they wouldn't be for long. He suddenly realized that there was a flaw- why did Saruman need entrance to Mordor? He decided that this would be the perfect time to put the prisoner in the (duh, duh, duh) "widow-maker."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the orc was untying him, Frodo wondered what was happening. Certainly they weren't letting him go? It appeared that they weren't. He was led to a coffin-sized box. He suddenly thought, "They're going to put me in it- what will I do?" He suddenly thought of the Elves. That thought made him feel stronger. As they placed him in the box full of splinters he heard a voice out of the past: "And you, Ringbearer. I come to you last who are not last in my thoughts." Frodo realized that he was in the thoughts of many and that gave him comfort.
The orc asked his question: "What does Saruman want with a secret entrance to Mordor?" He shut the lid, giving Frodo about ten minutes to think. He finally decided that he would tell him that Saruman was looking to infiltrate Mordor, overthrow the Eye, and find Isildur's Bane. He assumed the orc would know what it was that men called Isildur's Bane, but if he gave a faltering look he would call it the Ruling Ring. All this he came up with while lying in a bed of splinters. Perhaps it was the words of Galadriel that strengthened him so, but more likely it was that his body had decided to stop feeling things, especially pain, for the time being. He knew, however, that when he pulled them out, the splinters would hurt and would cause him pain for several more days, if not weeks.
At that point, the orc opened the "widow-maker" and re-asked his question. Frodo gave his prepared answer along with many whimpers and shudders for effect. The orc took his word and had him taken back to his upstairs cell. He was told that he would be back in a few days, and that he must be prepared to answer ANY questions or they would show no mercy.
Frodo was deposited along with another bowl of stagnant water in his "room." He knew not how long he lay, but only that when he woke up, the long de-splintering process began.
A/N: The "widow-maker" is a modified form of what? Be the first to answer correctly and I'll send you a preview of my next chapter. Chapter 5 will *hopefully* be up within the next couple of days.
A/N: I am really enjoying my reviews- keep 'em coming. This is the longest chapter so far and will probably be the longest chapter in the entire story. The first part is from the orc's point of view. Enjoy!
The captive began speaking in a faltering voice. "I.I mean I-" The orc cut him off.
"Get along with it, we don't have all day," he said waving the whip threateningly inches from the prisoner's face, "How did you meet Gollum and when?"
"A. about a week ago," came the reply. "I was lost and Gollum promised to help me if I would help him first."
Finally he was getting somewhere. "What did you need help in?"
"I was planning on spying out the land and-" the orc had gotten too excited and was turning the wheels, causing the prisoner to gasp and almost pass out. He mumbled a quick 'sorry' that he hoped wasn't understood and returned the prisoner *almost* to the place he had started from. The captive continued.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frodo hoped his story worked. He had been stretched to the point of death but had been apologized to. He wondered why he got an apology. Perhaps it was because the orc felt he was getting somewhere, though this particular orc couldn't be the brightest, considering he was telling complete and utter lies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And," the prisoner caught his breath, "reporting back to my master."
"Whom do you serve?" the orc questioned. He hoped that his captive was as stupid as he made out to be. That would aid greatly in the wealth of information he could report to his master. At the same time he wished the captive was smart, but weak so he could test a new device on him. It had been built only last week. He called it the "widow-maker" because it was so horrifying. It was basically a large box carved out of stone with large wooden spikes in it. After ten minutes in it you would be dead or ready to confess. He wasn't sure which.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frodo had finally decided on a plan. He would act incompetent and give false answers readily. He was incredibly nervous, so he pretended not to have heard the question and asked to have it repeated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Just great," the orc thought. I've got a complete imbecile on my hands." He repeated the question slowly, like a stern teacher to a young student who had asked a question one too many times.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frodo said the first name that popped into his head. "Saruman. I serve Saruman." The orc had a look of bewilderment on his face as Frodo spun his tale, "Master- Saruman- Master Saruman said that, because I was small I wouldn't be spotted. He told me to try to find a way into your land. I was to report back to him. If I didn't I-" he burst into a very convincing wail with false tears.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The orc was incredibly confused. He had never seen anyone or anything do that before, not even in the presence of his Master. "Stop it! Stop that at once!" he shrieked. The prisoner stopped suddenly. He remained on the verge of tears for the rest of the "interview," but he did not explode again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frodo felt he was acting very well. Every so often the orc spread the wheels farther apart, but, because it was gradual, it was bearable. Frodo gave him any information he might have ever wanted. He told how Saruman had sent him to look for a secret way in, how that if he failed, Saruman would eat his brains for breakfast. At that point the orc had to wave the whip in front of Frodo's face because he had been acting "emotional." He again played up Gollum's part in the entire act. He told how Gollum had known of the place (Cirith Ungol) for a long while. He told of the sticky webs, how they had been slashed apart by someone (or something). That was how he had managed to get so far before he was stung. Finally the orc interjected, "And there were none with you or with this creature, Gollum?"
"No, not that I know of. Gollum was very sneaky." Unfortunately, that was the wrong answer. The orc suddenly turned the wheels apart with lightening speed. Frodo screamed: "Yes, yes! There WAS another, he was of my kind. He was a great friend. We lost him before I got to the end. I assumed he was taken by Shelob-" here his body gave an involuntary shudder "-but it was no great loss. I figured she would enjoy him, that he would keep her occupied until I found a way out. Obviously, my thoughts were wrong." Frodo wondered if the same fate had befallen Sam, being eaten by Shelob.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The orc was pondering these things in his mind. They would all have to be reported, so it was best that he went over the details in his thoughts before he presented them aloud to his Master. He believed every word of it- in the end it was the eyes that convinced him. They looked so innocent- but they wouldn't be for long. He suddenly realized that there was a flaw- why did Saruman need entrance to Mordor? He decided that this would be the perfect time to put the prisoner in the (duh, duh, duh) "widow-maker."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the orc was untying him, Frodo wondered what was happening. Certainly they weren't letting him go? It appeared that they weren't. He was led to a coffin-sized box. He suddenly thought, "They're going to put me in it- what will I do?" He suddenly thought of the Elves. That thought made him feel stronger. As they placed him in the box full of splinters he heard a voice out of the past: "And you, Ringbearer. I come to you last who are not last in my thoughts." Frodo realized that he was in the thoughts of many and that gave him comfort.
The orc asked his question: "What does Saruman want with a secret entrance to Mordor?" He shut the lid, giving Frodo about ten minutes to think. He finally decided that he would tell him that Saruman was looking to infiltrate Mordor, overthrow the Eye, and find Isildur's Bane. He assumed the orc would know what it was that men called Isildur's Bane, but if he gave a faltering look he would call it the Ruling Ring. All this he came up with while lying in a bed of splinters. Perhaps it was the words of Galadriel that strengthened him so, but more likely it was that his body had decided to stop feeling things, especially pain, for the time being. He knew, however, that when he pulled them out, the splinters would hurt and would cause him pain for several more days, if not weeks.
At that point, the orc opened the "widow-maker" and re-asked his question. Frodo gave his prepared answer along with many whimpers and shudders for effect. The orc took his word and had him taken back to his upstairs cell. He was told that he would be back in a few days, and that he must be prepared to answer ANY questions or they would show no mercy.
Frodo was deposited along with another bowl of stagnant water in his "room." He knew not how long he lay, but only that when he woke up, the long de-splintering process began.
A/N: The "widow-maker" is a modified form of what? Be the first to answer correctly and I'll send you a preview of my next chapter. Chapter 5 will *hopefully* be up within the next couple of days.