Chapter 5
Ascara, the Orc girl wondered if Grandma Tog has always been this old. The Orc healer has been kind to all the children but always seemed just as bent as she was now, leaning over a fevered Orc kid with bruises over his face.
He was much larger than Ascara herself and she had suspected he got his bruises in a fight. Most Orc boys fought viciously, and said nasty things to her, so she did not like any of them at all. The dwarves had better manners, the goblins were smarter, but the Orcs, she could never find any friends among them.
"What is it child, can't you see I am tending to this boy," Grandma Tog softly admonished, unhappily breaking her concentration. "They call him the vessel of prophecy," the Orc healer explained and added some other words that must have had something to do with Udun, the Witch King himself and other matters her young mind refused to grasp.
"But Grandma Tog," Ascara exclaimed, utterly ignoring her elder's words. "There is a dragon in the camp. A real dragon! Really big too, they say," she added, trying to impress the old lady to the best of her ability
.
"You don't say. First a simple Orc child is possessed by some highe powers to deliver prophecy. Then a dragon appears? What's next? The Great Ring to Rule them All," Grandma Tog wondered almost sarcastically, not truly expecting any validation.
"
Well, Granmda Tog, as a matter of fact, there is some ring outside, and this strange little creature, even smaller than me, holding it," the Orc girl announced, proud to have witnessed such a momentous event.
"Ah, well, we can't have unauthorized Rings in the camp. I better send somebody for the mighty Witch King to decide what to do in his wisdom," The Orc Healer sadly reasoned, unwilling to keep interrupting her healing spell, and yet unable to do anything about it.
"You, goblin captain down yonder, what's your name, Grimak? Weren't you waiting for a progress report on the Orc boy? Well tell our leader he is doing just fine, and that there is some Ring in the camp, as well as a dragon, he might like to know," Grandma Tog commanded and the goblin rushed to do her bidding.
Ascara ran after him, out of curiosity, and was fortunate enough to observe the great leader of the Nazgul approaching, perhaps, the last of dragons.
"Ah, I see you, Golden Smaug, and welcome you into my humble abode. What brings you here?" Ascara heard the Witch King intone, and then his words were cut off by a magic shield.
Smaug nearly hid his surprise at sight of the witch king. Such power emanating from one being, almost impressive, the dragon silently observed. He had never met the leader of the Nazgul, but as was proper the man knew his name. The golden dragon's mind had roamed while in his slumber, however and he had dreamed many things, a distant awareness of this being and his brethren a vague part of that.
One that had nothing to do with him, however, and one that never troubled his vast mind. There was no treasure, no gold to be had from the witch king, after all.
"I came with my miniscule companion to see what all the magic was about...and the army. It is a curiosity."
He tapped a foreclaw idly on the ground in speculation as he spoke. The golden dragon sat on his haunches, nearly like a cat, though no cat had such magnificently gleaming scales. Smaug's tail was curled around his hind feet, also much in the way of a cat as his gaze impassively regarded The Nazgul.