The Return of the King.
Part 1
"What do you use for brains, young Robin," his mother scolded Robin Smallburrow, Shiriff. "Tis plain to see whatever this creature is that the bounders brought you that he is half dead from hunger!"
'Mother, it is an evil creature, an Orc like the ones Masters Merry and Pippin fought in the wars far away. It is large too, for an Orc, and likely very dangerous," protested Robin.
Mrs. Smallburrow seemed to swell with righteous anger. "I'll have you know Robin, that while I cook the meals for the Shiriffs prisoners they'll be well fed, and he's not dangerous, he's starved! Plain good sense can see he's too weak with hunger to be barely able to move!"
Indeed, the Orc, for that is he was, did seem weak and sickly. Mrs. Smallburrow made this as the only assumption a Hobbit-lady could: it must be hunger. So she set to and thought about how to feed this creature. Venison stew, yes, he looked as if he could eat a cauldron full, plus several loaves of new-baked bread. And cheese, yes, a whole wheel. Brambleberry pies as well, she should think! So, off she bustled, to collect all this food, and bully the Shiriffs into helping her feed the creature. The only safe way to do this was to sneak up on him while he was asleep and bind him so he could be fed. This plan was carried out the next day, bright and early.
Several hours later, when Rangers appeared the Orc had been stuffed nearly to death. He was bloated, and begged the Rangers in a strange mix of Sindarin (presumably learned from elvish captives) and Westron to free him from these small dangerous beings and their torture methods. "Kill me," he begged. And the Rangers looked in awe at the Hobbits, who could break such an old and strong orc as this one in only two days.
'We'll collect him tomorrow," said the Ranger captain who introduced himself as Calmacil at last. "He's in no fit state to travel, but please, feed him no more, or he won't live to be taken to Rivendell for questioning as Orcs have delicate stomachs" he lied. "This Orc seems incapable of answering for now, but the elves will have the means to make him do so." The captain examined the orc again. "Most unusual. He's so tall for an orc. You did the right thing in sending messages for him to be collected, there is a mystery here!"
Meanwhile, huffing with indignation that good Hobbit fare could be bad for anyone, Mrs Smallburrow took it upon herself to cook a huge meal for the Rangers. Rabbit pie, rhubarb crumble with cream with vegetable soup and fresh bread as starters. Once again, she overfeed the strangers in the Shire, and the poor Rangers, groaning, had to refuse large fourth helping of everything. Thanking Mrs Smallburrow, the Rangers declined a cooked breakfast in the morning opting instead to head off with their captive, instead setting out for Rivendell and Elrond's advise as soon as the sun rose.
Oddly enough, the big orc gave the Rangers little if any trouble. Of course, he was bound at night, and his hands were never free, but he did as he was told, and in fact seemed to be co-operating! Also, oddly, his appearance seemed to be changing, and his speech too as a young Ranger, Earnuril, reported.
"Most peculiar," remarked Calmacil, "however, soon we shall be in Rivendell, and although Master Elrond plans to leave soon, he has not left yet, and he has much knowledge of strange things. It's likely that he will unravel the story behind this odd orc."
Several days after this, the company of Rangers delivered their captive to the border guards of Rivendell, who agreed that he was he was very large for an Orc, plus he was suspiciously docile. The elven guards took control of the Orc, and the Rangers continued into the valley to the Last Homely House to rest for the night. Little was said to the Master of the House, Elrond of the Orc, for it was known that he was soon to depart for the West with the other Ringbearers, but enough was said that Glorfindel, once a high Lord of Gondolin, decided he would see the creature in the morning.