It had only been a few seconds, but I could tell that they were coming closer. I swiftly ran over my options; I could see no way to cross the stream, it was moving quickly and was very deep. I was blocked on my right by thick bushes, but my left was clear, with only a few trees in the way. I ran that way, right into the minions of the ancient lord Morgoth.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" I screamed silently at myself. The Orcs were just as surprised as I was and I turned around, thinking that I would swim the creek, but it was too late. Several of the creatures had come up behind me and blocked the path.
"Look what has come to our stream boys!" The biggest Orc said, sneering at me. "The boss will be very interested in her!" They surrounded me, not thinking that a helpless, small girl would be a danger to them. As one came nearer, with a greedy look in his eyes, I yelled in his face. "AI HA!" I picked up a large branch that was on the ground and bashed the startled Orc in the throat. I then grabbed the long, ugly knife on his belt and quickly stabbed him. He fell to the ground, unconscious, if not dead. His companions were as shocked as I was.
I had no idea what I was doing, I just knew that I had to get out of here. "But killing them?" My startled self protested, "What in the world do you know about knife fighting!". The Orcs had recovered while I was frozen in shock and glared at the small girl in front of them.
"Get her you filthy maggots! She killed that thankless bastard Narg!" cried the Orc that seemed to be giving the orders.
"Orcs really were pretty stupid." I thought, as three of them rushed towards me. I waited until the biggest one was close and then pivoted, kicking his groin and cut his throat while he was reeling in pain. "I guess my kicks are more powerful then I thought." I pondered as I turned to attack the other two.
I never reached them, as two more had snuck up behind me knocked the knife out of my grasp, grabbed my legs and yanked me off balance. I cried out as I landed on my wrist and heard a sharp snap. They had flung me on my back, and as I managed to twist and kick one of them down beside me, the other grasped his knife and stabbed it into my shoulder, twisting with a careful thrust between my shoulder blade and arm, dislocating or breaking it.
"AHHH!" I screamed in pain and he twisted harder, making fire run up my arm. More Orcs had come and the one that seemed to be giving the orders yelled "Get her hands tied, I don't care how you fools do it, just get her down!"
Not that I cared, I dimly thought, pain was radiating through my right arm and I was having trouble breathing. "Oh." I realized that one Orc had his hands on my chest, forcing air out of my lungs, which was knocking me unconscious. Through the haze of pain, I could feel my legs getting cruelly bent up and tied together and my hands lashed with a rope. I made one final, pathetic effort to get them off me before I fell into the blackness that was creeping over my eyes.
I do not know how long I had slept for, but when I did awake, I had trouble seeing. I was surprised, having forgotten all about being in Middle Earth and quickly ran through events in my troubled mind; "Windstorm, Middle Earth, finding water, fighting Orcs, shoulder... Oh darn." As I said this I remembered what had happened and I could feel the pain radiating through my body, centering on my right shoulder and wrist.
My vision had returned and I realized that I was under a tree and that it was nighttime. "And so my first day in the land of my dreams passes...Wonderful." I muttered, angry at myself for not swimming the river when I had a chance.
Only then did I hear the rowdy noises coming from a large fire in front of me. The Orcs had seemingly forgotten all about me and they were feasting and drinking. I watched with amusement, the pain shoved into a small corner of my mind.
"Gimme the ale, Gorg." said a particularly ugly Orc.
"Get it yourself ye stupid dog!" replied Gorg.
"Why you..." They leapt on each other and brawled while the other drunken Orcs watched and snickered, throwing in kicks themselves. They laughed especially hard when Gorg and his adversary rolled into the fire and yelped, looking sheepish.
"Ye Bastards!" cried a smarting Gorg, "What did you do that for?". He blamed his own stupidity on his companions, I noted with a smile.
My mind returned to myself and I ignored the Orcs and focused on remaining conscious and pretending that my right arm wasn't really that hurt. I silently cursed my captors as I quietly twisted about, trying to find a position that didn't feel too bad. I stopped quickly when a large, heavy foot stood on my lungs forcing the air out of them.
"Awake, are we?" The leader asked, as he stepped back, satisfied that he had gotten my attention.
"Did precious have a nice nap?" said another as I became more interesting then drinking.
"Stupid!" I quietly raged inside, "Why did you have to draw attention to yourself!"
Big hairy hands grabbed my shoulders, ignoring my cry of pain and sat me up with my back against a tree. They then untied my bound hands, and retied them in front and forced them over my head. I screamed louder, as the fire in my should grew with my arm being jerked about.
"And what would pretty girls be doing here?" snarled the leader.
I had no answer as I didn't know myself. Not liking my silence, one yanked my head back, slamming it against the tree and poured a thick, foul tasting liquid down my throat. I gasped and spluttered as I tried not to gag. I spoke then, not wanting to earn another drink of whatever they had just given me.
"What do you want with me?" It wasn't a question.
They laughed at the small female who sounded so tough and the leader replied; "Brave, are we?" " We be taking you to the boss, he likes pretty girls with spirit. One dressed in men's clothes should get herself a special welcome."
I didn't bother to ask what the special welcome was, I had a feeling that I didn't want to know. My heart sunk even lower as a big Orc stepped in front of me and snarled "He don't mind his 'baggage' being slightly damaged." With that he proceeded to methodically slap my face. I looked up at the stars, hoping that they were the real ones, and just from the blows. The Orcs laughed again at my swollen face and dropped my hands into my lap and let me fall back down. I whimpered with pain and curled into a ball, staring up at the starry sky as the Orcs returned to their campfire.
"Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight." I whispered the old Earth rhyme, " I wish I may, wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight." I focused my bleary eyes on a particularly bright star and murmured "A Elbereth Gilthoniel". My pain easier slightly with the ancient saying and I realized that these words, powerless on Earth, held great power here.
It didn't last long however, and I soon felt as if my arm was slowly detaching itself from my body, one aching hair at a time. I lay there for long hours, listening to the Orcs quiet down and fall asleep. I noticed that none remained awake to guard me. "I guess they don't see me as much of a threat anymore." I noted bitterly.
The fire slowly died and I watched the little clearing fade into darkness. As the last ember faded I saw the object laying on the ground in front of me. My heart leapt as I identified it as the knife I had stolen earlier that day. "Those idiots!" I said silently. "Eru bless all the stupid little Orcs."
I slowly leaned forward and hissed as the pain in my arm flared. My left hand reached for the knife and grasped it. I sawed through the rope binding my legs and stood, gasping as the feeling in them returned. I then braced the wonderful, beautiful knife against the tree and with some difficulty cut the rope binding my mangled wrists.
I stared, partly in shock at my bloodied and broken right hand. "And it just had to be the right one too." I murmured, forgetting that I didn't have to write anymore exam papers. I looked at all the sleepy Orcs and walked away, keeping the knife, MY knife in my hand.
My adrenaline lasted half an hour before I stopped, unable to go any farther. I knew that the Orcs would find me soon and sat, leaning against yet another tree. I turned my bruised face and looked at my shoulder. It was a mistake as I could see the blood soaking through my once clean shirt and coat. I had no interest in moving it or my arm, and let it lay limply beside me.
I sat there and watched the sky lighten and the sun rise, unable to sleep for fear and pain. "Great, Emily now you get to be captured again and this time they won't be so stupid as to leave the knife next to you."
I looked at the knife in my hand and closed my eyes, not really caring what happened anymore. I must have fallen asleep, because I woke to the cries of Orcs and the clashes of sword against knife.