Faces of War

Chapter 26: Wondering

Disclaimer: I will never be the writer and "captor" of imagination the RR Tolkien is, was and forever shall be....I am however, having lots of fun!

Shire Baggins: I have re-written this story and have plans...boy do I have plans...let's hope the come to fruition! Yes. I was fascinated by the notion that War, in it's most evil and ugly personna effects people on all/both sides...so yes, there will be more on Qurag....some based on my 7 year olds' simple question ..."where do all the orcs come from Mommy?"....a very Middle Earth birds and the bees discussion quickly ensued....and then my story took another turn....hope you like it! Yes, Frodo seemingly should be dead....I am a firm believer in the maximum "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" and our little Hobbit is heading for Herculean status by now....

endymion2: Your questions will be answered in this chapter....In many ways the Orcs...at least some of them were also "victims" in this war...in the same way that the children...and potentially the Hobbits of the Shire could have been...but for luck and some "scouring of the Shire" action in Book Cannon anyway....Frodo's blood poisoning will be addressed for a brief time in this chapter but will rear it's ugly head ( or should I say cellular defenses?) In later chapters.

Iorhael: We shall see what bond is forced between Orc and Hobbit in future chapters....right now you'll see that even Frodo is surprised by the "humanity" of a race that he held as no better than animals....and given his experiences....who can blame him?

It was hot, a stuffy fetid sort of heat that held him down and kept his limbs prisoner. He parted his lips, gasping for air, straining to tilt his head, to bring the relief of air to his tight and pain filled lungs. He tried to pull his scattered thoughts and images of pain into one cohesive word, he sought to reach out, to break through his fevered dreams and pain filled breaths, but he could not. The night wore on, moments meant to be respite turned to torture as Frodo sunk further into his fevered hell. The gradually deepening slumber brought him no relief from his exhaustion and he felt his breathes become more labored, his heart begin to slow and in the deep recesses of his mind he was afraid.

Rosetta, who had curled herself comfortably in the crook of Frodo's arm, brushed sleepily at a drop of water tricking down her face, she made a soft 'umpf' sound, annoyed at the interruption in her sleep. She sought to find her place of comfort once more only to be distracted by the feel of water upon her again, and as she came slowly to a different level of awareness she noticed suddenly how hot she felt, how sticky and uncomfortable she was as she snuggled into Frodo's arms. 'So hot' she thought vaguely, then she opened her eyes and looked up to see that the heat she'd felt was coming from her Sir Frodo. She sat up suddenly, pulling his arms from her and reached to his sweat drenched face and curls "Sir Frodo" she whispered urgently, and again "Frodo" she said louder as she shook him this time. He made no move, eyes closed, face pale and breathes coming in labored gasps, he made no move to awaken. She got to her knees and looked wildly about her, she needed to get help, but how? and where? She tried once more to shake the motionless body beside her and began to cry tears of desperation even as her attention was drawn to the still form of the Orcs across from her.

The smaller one, Qurag, was watching her from his huddled position by the wall. He stared without blinking and saw as the little human child began to cry. He looked to his companions, they slept, their hulking bodies thrust back against the wall, their chains clenched in their fists even as they grunted and snorted in their heavy sleep. He looked to the flask on Durzak's hip and then to the now sobbing human child, the one with hair the color of the sun. He waited, for he knew she would have to come to him.

Rosetta couldn't control her tears any longer, she felt her body shake with the force of her crying and took deep breaths to try to calm herself. "Help" she whispered, staring at the pale face of the sick Hobbit "please won't somebody help?" she pleaded. She looked up from her tearful perusal of Frodo's thin and frail sculptured features to see Qurag gesture to her. She stared a moment, 'yes' she thought 'he will help' she reasoned with her child's trusting spirit, and she left Frodo's side in answer to his beckoning. She came within a few feet and got down on her hands and knees to crawl forward, slowly she came closer until his hand signaled 'stop' . "Little one" the Orc whispered, his voice deep and gravelly sounding but gentle in it's slow cadence "Ringbearer, he must drink...must drink this". He said as he handed a foul smelling skin to her tiny hand. She stared at the flask and then to the brown eyes of the smallest Orc "Medicine?" she questioned. Qurag nodded slowly and replied "Orc draught, very strong, not much". She nodded in reply and turned to go but stopped as he reached a hand tentatively towards her, she turned and waited for his words. "He not like, will fight, must drink to live." Qurag said softly. She nodded once more and her lips trembled with her waiting tears as one slipped down her dirt streaked face. Qurag reached to wipe the tear from her face "be strong, help friend" he said as he waved her away. She nodded and taking his massive calloused hand, kissed it and said "thank you...I knew you would help us." and she scrambled to her feet and ran quickly across the tunnel to where Frodo was lying.

Qurag watched motionless as the little human child took the Hobbit's head and pulled it to her lap, he felt a sadness in him as he saw the tenderness with which she stroked his curls and kissed his forehead. She took the top from the skin and looked once more to him for approval, he nodded once and mouthed the words 'drink now' and watched as with her trembling hand she opened the chapped lips and poured the draught with tentative precision. A small quantity of the foul brown and sticky liquid ran down the corner of his chin to drip to his shoulder and she tried once more to open his mouth and get some in. The Orc smiled to himself, he could see from the tremors of the body in her lap that this time she'd been more successful. He tensed and waited to see what would happen.

The heat was holding him down, crushing him under it's weight, he tried to move and struggled to breath as his mind began to weave images filled with pain and fire. He felt hands holding him, claws ripping and tearing as he was laid naked before their leering gaze. He flailed wildly, tried to crawl away only to be yanked back to the sound of their raucous laughter. It was so hot, the sweat poured from him and he looked up in terror to see the burning brand held before him. They roughly grasped his head and turned it sideways so abruptly he felt he must surely die from the snapping of his neck, but they suddenly stopped. The smell of rotted meat and unwashed filth encrusted skin was upon him and he was feeling pain, unbearable pain and smelling his own flesh sizzle as he screamed. His scream brought no relief as they yanked his curls to further open his mouth and poured in the liquid fire, the thick brown, foul tasting draught that burned even as the brand had burned his body on the outside, it's fluid wove a molten path down a throat to damaged to even scream any longer.

Rosetta had just placed the skin down when Frodo began to thrash and flail his arms wildly, whimpering and gasping as his eyes flew open and stared to her with a look of glazed misery and frantic despair. She tried to hug him, to sooth away his nightmare, for surely she thought, this must be a bad dream he is awaking from? He seemed to be all arms and flailing limbs as he struggled weakly to free himself from his reawakened moments of terror, his eyes open and searching about him for a freedom he would not find.

Qurag watched with pity from his seat against the far wall, he knew the draught to be too strong, but knew also the restorative power of this noxious drink and hoped the human child had not given too much. He looked to still sleeping forms of his companions and hoped the scene before him would not wake them from their slumbers.

Frodo continued to moan and thrash his arms about wildly in ever slower and less frantic movements as the shock wore off. His eyes remained fixed and open, staring into nothingness, slowly changing from fever bright to stuporous, eyes now clouded with pain of a different sort. Rosetta hugged him to her and ran her hands through his dank curls as she tried to sing softly to him the songs he'd gifted to her only days before, songs of brave deeds and heroic moments in time, songs to chase the dread of evil and fear of the unknown away. With his body reduced to only occasional tremors and a shudder or two, Frodo's breathing became slowly more deep and less labored until at long last he was eased into a more restful state. Rosetta took her tiny fingers and gently pulled down the pale eyelids, kissing each one as she sidled up to him and wrapped his arms about her to find a few minutes of comfort she whispered "I'm sorry Sir Frodo....I didn't want to make bad dreams.... only to make things better" she said softly as she hugged his arms to her and cried herself back to sleep.

Qurag watched with the trace of a sad smile upon his black lips, the yellow haired one brought to him a sensation of pain and longing, a desire to have the company of one who could not be forced from his side. His mind formed quickly bidden images of such moments, he saw himself with a young smiling figure, pictured a time of such closeness and he shut his eyes needing to shut away his memories, needing to forget the Orc creatures of his past. 'I not remember' he thought in his other speech, the one his birthing creature gave him 'I not want remember little Ashrig' he sighed and frowned 'not remember' he told himself 'hurt go away'. He shut his eyes and tried to cover his pain in the silence of his sleep.

Frodo woke slowly, feeling his body responding to his aching reminder of wakefulness with trepidation. He felt uneasy, something was changed, something had happened in the night that he had no conscious memory of. He opened his eyes and wrapped his arm more securely about the Princess, but that was not it he reasoned, for she was in his arms where she'd been as he'd fallen asleep. He felt her respond to his change in position and he lifted his head to look about him a little more, still troubled by the sense that something was different. His eyes and his mind came to the twin realizations in the same instant, his leg was no longer the center of his pain and he saw the reason why. The skin, the unmistakable drinking skin of the Orc concoction he'd been forced to consume in the tower, it lay right before him. He suddenly noticed a foul taste in his mouth and as his hand moved to his lips he felt the sticky residue. The distant sound of voices at the entrance of the tunnel signaled that their work dsy was about to begin. He struggled to sit upright, his motions jarring awake a softly whining Rosetta and he stared at the Orcs across the tunnel.

Qurag's brown eyes stared back at him, eyes that looked first to the face of the Hobbit, then to the skin beside him and Frodo knew what had happened. He gently shook Rosetta awake "Princess, time to rise poppet...we've more work today....come now, awaken little one." he whispered. She sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily and yawned, then as she sat up she turned to pat his cheek "you are better....we knew you would be" she said looking at Quarag, "didn't we?" she asked the Orc with a smile. Qurag smiled quickly, with one half of his wide black lips, a fleeting motion that served to show the sharpened fang like appearance of his teeth and motioned that she should bring the skin back to him before the others woke up. Rosetta carefully picked up the skin and brought it to the Orc chained to the wall across from her, she handed it to him with a gentle smile and scampered back to sit next to Frodo.

Frodo was examining his leg, the skin was still warm and streaks of infection clearly showed under the fairness of his leg, but it no longer throbbed and he felt nearly fever free for the first time in days. "Thank you Qurag...you have brought me great relief." he said quietly. Qurag nodded and replied " feel good now, few days maybe, not all gone hurt." Frodo nodded, he could still feel the burning in his throat and stomach from the draught, his stomach a bit unsettled from the strength of their medicine, but he was as free from pain as he had been in a long time and he was grateful. "Thank you my friend, for now I can use my strength to help the children" he said quietly. He sighed and wondered why an Orc, one of those who had lost the most from the destruction of the ring, would choose to help him. Before he could in fact pose that question, the prodding hands and feet of the returning guards signaled the beginning of their labors. With one last nod in Qurag's direction, Frodo helped Rosetta to her feet and followed the gestures of the guards as they were led from their place of rest.

As they walked they were each handed a hunk of bread, Frodo watched as Rosetta ate hers hungrily and then taking half for later he handed the other half to her as well. As he was about place the half in his pocket to give her at another time he heard a voice behind him "need eat, if want to help". Frodo looked back over his shoulder to see that Qurag was in the front of the Orc line this morning. He looked to the countenance of his snarling companions and wondered if it would not bring trouble of sorts to the smallest Orc for him to speak back. He just nodded silently and began mechanically to eat the tasteless bread in his hand.

Their second day of blasting brought better results, more stone was cleared and Dalmer fairly beamed as one of the guards found the evidence of a new vein of gold near the newest blasting site. Frodo found that while he still required the crutch, the painful throbbing of his leg was much reduced and he could better concentrate on the tasks at hand. After hours of building, setting and cleaning up after their explosives he and the Princess were covered with fine grey dust and their ears rang from the memory of the loud explosions. He tried to seek out the eyes of Qurag, who cast furtive glances his way, he badly wanted to communicate and know better the purpose behind the deeds of the previous night. Each time he began to speak the other Orcs would growl or gnash their teeth as they twisted their large heads or stomped their feet in warning. With each show of warning, his resolve deepened, he would find a way to speak with Qurag, he must.

With the evidence of the last blast, a piece of rock with gold within it, held in his hands Dalmer announced "ye done good, even these beastly Orcs" he tilted his head in their direction as he surveyed the dust covered and exhausted group of workers 'ye'll 'ave some reward as it were then." He gestured for the guards to bring the group back to their sleeping quarters where he chained Qurag to the wall and with his hands tight to Rosetta's shoulders said "the girl can come with me, she'll see her brother....maybe he'll stop his fightin' with me and get them orphans back ta some real work now...especially since we seem ta have a whole new area fer mining." Rosetta's face lit up with joy but she looked to Frodo for his assurance that all would be safe.

He smiled at her gently and then looked squarely at Dalmer "I'll do no more work without her at my side, new mine or no Dalmer, without me and the explosives you'll see precious little of the gold." he said strongly. Dalmer's smile faded, he made as if to step toward the steadfast Hobbit, but thought better of it and he sneered in contempt "seems we're needed each other right about now Halfling eh? Not ta worry, I'm not done mining yet so safe she'll be." Frodo nodded and sighed, relieved to have faced down the ruffian with no more trouble arising for the children. Dalmer looked to one of the guards "Kennon, Thad and Medal have brought back a few buck from their hunts....take these two with ya and bring 'em back some supper....Hollin, you stay here with them" he said pointing to Frodo and Qurag.

Hollin took up his post near to the front of the tunnel as Dalmer and the other guard left with the Orcs chained before them. For a moment all was silent, the stillness of the cave broken only by the occasional drip drip of trickling groundwater nearby. Frodo began to sit down when a harsh, yet quiet voice said "come, speak now." He looked to where Qurag was chained to the wall and then to the back of the guard at the entrance and shifted his position so he could be closer to the Orc. "How leg?" Qurag grunted. Frodo ran his hand along the tattered remnants of the dressing upon his wounded foot "still pains me, but it is no longer raging with infection....thank you....I know, I know you risked a lot to help me."

Qurag grunted a sound which could have been a yes or a no and then said "did for sun haired child". Frodo leaned back against the hard surety of the cavern wall and closed his eyes a moment and smiled "yes" he said wistfully as he thought of the way his Princess hwarmed his own heart " she does have that effect on one doesn't she?" He turned his head to look more fully at the smaller Orc "why do you want to help her?" Qurag's face looked pained as he replied "human child like creature Orc, like Ashrig....creature Orc of my blood.". Frodo was struck by the realization that it had never occurred to him to think that Orcs might feel connections to others of their race. He felt a tinge of guilt, it was so easy to think of them all as animals, as creatures bent only upon causing pain, working to follow the orders of their master. He had a sudden thought "Ashrig...she was related to you then?" he said quietly, trying to further his notions of Orcs and relationships. Qurag grunted "not know word" he said with a brief shake of his head.

Frodo tried again "Ashrig was a Orc Creature that shared your blood, a....family member perhaps?" Qurag did not know the word family, but he sensed that the halfling was trying to understand so he tried with his words to explain "Orc creature Snaga....one who ...." at a loss for words he gestured to show a large belly. Frodo frowned a moment in confusion but then his face lit up as he understood "your mother" he said softly. Qurag grunted his assent " Orc Creature Ashrig from same....mot...mother" he said trying out the strange new word with difficulty. Frodo looked pleased with his new found knowledge and asked "your sister then, Ashrig....where is she?" he asked gently. Qurag frowned, his eyes took on a hard and angry look "Men kill...men kill when moth...mother of Qurag try return to people." Frodo was beginning to understand and he said in wonder "Snaga...your mother was an Orc slave....you were trying to bring her back...back from?" his mind sought his knowledge of Mordor's geography, the slave fields...."Neinnor...you are from the sea of Neinnor ...the slave fields...oh sweet Eru, do you not know that those lands have been freely given to the slaves now, King Elessar has given it to them...there was no need to bring your mother back to her people...Qurag, she...she would have been free had she stayed." Frodo said quietly, feeling a great swell of sadness.

Qurag did not understand all of the Halfling's words but he tried to reply "Orc mother...want own creatures...go to find them when Lugburz fall." Frodo leaned back against the cavern wall, suddenly weary with the weight of this new knowledge, he took a deep breath and asked "Where, where were you taking them to?" Qurag did not have the words to tell the name of the place, only the words his mother had taught him, described to him "Go river place, near white city...Orc Snagas taken from there by ship people". Frodo knew that Qurag was describing the fall of Osgiliath and the subsequent slaving that the Corsairs had helped Mordor engage in. He shook his head, saddened by the plight of Qurag....but he still felt a piece was missing, there was something else about Qurag that he needed to know. He looked quickly to the entrance of the tunnel, checking to be sure that he'd have a moment more to pursue his questions. He turned and looked the Orc full in the eye "Why were you at the Slave field? What purpose did you serve there?" Qurag growled under his breath and Frodo thought perhaps he'd overstepped his bounds and he instinctively pulled back a bit.

Qurag replied "Orc making camp, Qurag was to make more Orcs." Frodo was a little abashed at the notion of such activity and he looked to Qurag for clarification "You were making....breeding orcs with the Snagas?" Qurag nodded, some pride evident in the way he sat up taller and patted his chest "Qurag good for making Orcs....make ones that ..." He searched for a moment until he found a word he thought the halfling would understand "make ones with good head...ones wanted by the master". Frodo was taken aback by this concept, but it was apparent that Sauron had been building the ranks of Mordor with more than the standard animalistically cruel beast he'd thought Orcs to be. He looked a moment at Qurag, noting the trimmer, more compact body shape, smaller and more dexterous hands, wiser countenance and knew that Sauron had had plans to make his own master race of mixed breed Orc Creatures, creatures that he would hone and build to his satisfaction taking only the best of all races to breed with his foul creations.

He shuddered at the thought of this travesty of racial normalcy, was sickened by the image of a world built systematically to suit the needs of one. He wanted more than anything to cease his conversation, to pretend perhaps he'd never opened this door of communication, but he knew that all knowledge he gleaned could only be for a reason, his trial at the hands of the Valar had taught him to discount no knowledge, no matter how insignificant it may first seem. He continued with a few more whispered questions "how many female Snagas were there with you? Were they all Snaga from other lands?" Qurag thought a moment, he had no word to describe numbers, but he tried in his own terms "many camps full....some Snaga full Orc, most Snaga come other lands.....not all Snaga worthy" he finished slowly. Qurag sensed that somehow this last statement would bring more words from the halfling and he was not wrong in his assessment.

Frodo shook his head, not wanting to understand Qurag's last words. 'Please' he thought to himself 'I cannot bear the answer to this question....but I must ask it'. He swallowed slowly and licked his lips as he searched for just the right way to phrase the question "What makes a Snaga 'worthy' and what happens if they are deemed 'not worthy'?". Qurag heard the sound of clanking chains in the distance, he answered quickly "Snaga must be mother in three moons or fed to camps...Snaga who have little Orc given much, mother Snagas held high." Frodo felt bile rise in his throat, this couldn't be true....these slave women had three months...then...well he couldn't bring himself to continue with these questions but felt he had to ask one more. He looked furtively to the entrance, heard the voices of the guards as they herded the other Orcs "Durzak and the other one...they are ...well, what ...how did you come to be with them?" Qurag tilted his head to one side, not sure how to describe their purpose "they keep Qurag safe, keep Qurag strong to make Orcs." 'Bodyguards' Frodo thought to himself, loosely translated, but at least I believe that is his meaning. He looked upon Qurag with a new perspective, the thought that this being was doing what he felt best, sometimes clearly by being at odds with what he was told, gave him hope. If he got away from here, if he made it out with the children, it was clear that this post ring world would require some delicate handling. He wondered a moment if perhaps Qurag was part of the reason the Valar had set this latest trial upon him. Frodo did not have the energy for such suppositions, his mind was saddened by his conversation with the Orc and he felt he could bear no more thoughts filled with such shadows. He quickly thanked Qurag once more and moved quietly away from him, hoping to appear non-communicative as the others entered the tunnel entrance.

He watched as Qurag nodded briefly to him in response and then turned to the Larger Orc handlers who now clearly acted in deference to the smaller Orc, giving him the first choice of deer parts as they ripped their meal from the carcass before them. Frodo watched for only a moment before his eyes and nose could take no more and he rolled over to face the wall, the sound of their gnashing teeth and the smell of fresh blood forming images in his mind that he was thankful his Princess was not here to witness.