I know, I know. It's short.

Readers: WTH, Deanta?

Me: It's also Monday. :(

- 2. Alone -

"On your feet, you rat! Move it!" The whip came whistling past Shagrat's ear, almost clipping the end of it. He thought he was safe until the lash smacked right across his tail. He shrieked and jumped up, holding it close to him and trying to hide the tears on his face. Another man gave a sharp tug on the rope around his neck, making him stumble forward.

Why are they hurting me? Shagrat thought, What did I do? I was just trying to rest a little, 'cause my feet hurt. I wish Mama or Isthey was here.

His thoughts were interrupted by a hard kick from behind, and he stumbled forward again. Once they were sure the adult orcs wouldn't follow, the Men had put him and the others on the ground, tying their necks together to keep them from running off. Shagrat had never walked so far or so long in his life, and he was taking any chance he thought he had to rest, only to have a whip come down on him and drive him off again. One more time, he tried stopping at a tree stump.

"Get up!" the Man with the whip bellowed.

"B-but I'm t-tired! My feet hurt!" Shagrat cried.

"Get movin' or I'll make the rest o' ya hurt, too." the Man replied, raising the whip. Shagrat forced himself to get up and drag himself along. He thought he would be grateful when they stopped for the night. He was wrong.


"We camp here tonight!" the leader, the one with no eyeholes in his helm called.

"What of them?" a Man asked, gesturing to the small orcs.

"Not to worry, they won't escape, unless an animal takes one and doesn't kill it quick enough." He muttered some strange words in what Shagrat could only guess was his native language. It gave Shagrat the chills, and he shivered as he listened to the ugly, evil words. Roots from a tree suddenly grew out of the ground, forming a perfect fence around the little orcs.

"There, see?" he said as he finished.

"What about all this food we've kept that's no good to eat anymore?" someone inquired.

"Give it to me." the leader commanded. He took the large bag he received and dug around in it until he found two well-spoiled deer haunches.

"Here's your dinner, rats. You can fight over it." he said with a malicious smile.

Like a pack of wolves, the orcs descended on the inadequate supply of meat, realizing that whoever got to it first was the one that ate first. Only the biggest ones were able to actually reach the meat, the smaller ones being knocked easily out of their way. This included Shagrat, since he was the smallest of the whole group. Time and again, he'd try to get at least a crumb of food, but every time all he got was another bruise, until finally he gave up. He crawled over to the tree and lay down, curled up as small as he could get, and cried.

"Mama." he whispered, "Isthey. I-I...w-w-wuv y-y-you." Then he hugged himself tight, shivering in the chill of the night, and cried himself to sleep.

That night, Shagrat's dreams were nightmares full of monsters and blood and fear. A giant wolf chasing him through a forest of thorns. Isthey getting angry, screaming at him and yelling at him and hitting him. His mother and baby sister dying as he was forced to watch. A dark form atop his unclothed mother, her screams tearing through the night, until Shagrat awoke and realized those screams were not his mother's but his own. He surveyed the others around him and saw that no one had woken up. For once, he was glad of that. Shagrat knew no one would comfort him here. No one would hold him and tell him it would be all right. No one would rock him and sing him back to sleep. He looked at the sky, where the stars glittered dimly, but still visibly. He'd been told the stars were the spirits of the Uruk-hai's ancestors, who were always watching over them from the sky. He knew in his heart, his mother and baby sister were up there now.

"I'm scared, Mama." he whispered, "I miss you, and little t'arya (1),too." He sniffed, fresh tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Take care of Isthey, Mama." he said, "Don't let 'um get him, too. I don't want t-t-t'aryón to get hurt, too." He touched the band of leather wrapped twice around his little neck, the necklace Isthey had made for him. He'd already memorized the words on the inside of it.

I love you, little Shagrat. And I always will.

"I l-love you t-too, Mama." He yawned and lay back down.

"Good night, Mama. Good night, little t'arya. And (yawn) good night, Isthey."

As the little orc fell asleep again, he failed to notice two of the stars that seemed to flash brighter for a moment, then return to normal. But Shagrat was already asleep.


(1) "T'arya" is "sister" in Uruk-hai

Wow, here's a first. I actually cried once while writing this one. Not much to say. The next one should be happier, though.

Sauron: I h-h-hope s-so. I'm r-running out of K-Kleenex.

D. L. : D'aaww, come 'ere, you. (hugs him)