Chapter 4

The game found them first.

With a crash of breaking branches and underwood, a huge, black shape rolled toward them. The two Orcs heard a strangely agitated huffing and puffing mixed with a grinding sound. They spun around toward the noise as one, instinctively baring fangs and snarling.

Lurtz's first conscious reaction was to ready the longbow, but the powerful lump of animal rage was already charging, so he threw a knife at what he believed was their attacker's thick neck. The knife found its aim and stuck, resulting in a squeal followed by more and louder puffing, as the creature stopped in its track for a split second. Then it bolted sideways. Unthinking, Lurtz whirled around to throw another knife, and this one flew true as well, hitting bone with a grating sound.

It was a wild boar – the biggest one the two Uruk-hai had ever seen. Its shoulder was level with their hips, and seven inch tusks gleamed in the twilight as it charged again, this time turning against Uglúk. Lurtz's knives still stuck firmly in the beast's side and neck. It was bleeding profusely, and the sharp iron-like smell of blood filled the air. But its fighting spirit was unbroken.

Uglúk was prepared for the attack; his own knives ready to strike. The huge animal stormed forward in a straight line, its frontal charge offering no useful target for his blades. With a curse Uglúk dodged, managing to plunge another knife into the thick hide. This time the animal loudly cried out in pain. Further infuriated by the proximity of this unfamiliar but deadly enemy, the boar swung its mighty skull sideways.

Black blood gushed up in a fountain as the boar's tusk unlocked from Uglúk's thigh. The second spurt was weaker already. Knowing that every other course of action would be his undoing, the Uruk-hai let himself fall backward, relaxing his thigh and pressing down on the wound with both hands as hard as he could. The animal, irritated by his enemy's unexpected fall for merely a split second, came around for another onslaught.

Seemingly heedless of his companion's distress, Lurtz calmly raised his longbow. He began to pelt the hapless boar with huge black arrows, each of the tips as fatal as any knife. The strong boar stumbled, grunting and squealing in agony. The animal was just regaining its footing one more time when something huge and heavy hit it from the side. It balked and bucked at the horrifying smell of it, but the strange and terrible creature did not let go. A strong arm locked firmly around the boar's neck, and a sharp pain was cutting deeper and deeper into its throat, until it broke down with a gurgle. Twitching, it pushed out its last breath and finally lay still.

"You look great!"

Uglúk grimaced and looked up at the leader of the Uruk-hai, whose arms and leather-clad chest were drenched in blood. He looked into the cold, unrelenting predator eyes of his superior, determined not to admit to his weakness.

So he had failed. So he was lying on his back, knowing that as soon as he took his hands off the wound, more arterial blood would spurt out and let him die a drowsy, idiotic, not particularly honorable death. There was not much he could do, and right now, he didn't give a damn. Lurtz was still glaring at him.

What are you waiting for, you bastard!

Finish me off or help me, but d g!

Lurtz did something.

He raised the hand that was still holding the knife with which he had just cut the boar's throat. Suddenly alert again, Uglúk's eyes widened and his body tensed.

With agonizing slowness, a flexible tongue snaked up the length of the sharp weapon, caressing it, sampling the bright red blood on it. The cold cat eyes still bored into the other Uruk's gaze.

Uglúk was trembling now, and his mouth twisted in a hateful, but effectless snarl.

Humiliation.

Lurtz understood.

He saw it. He smelled it.

With a swift movement, he knelt down beside the wounded Uruk-hai warrior. Driven by pure instinct, Uglúk shot up in a flickknife move, intent on razing Lurtz's face with his teeth, but he was pushed back by a heavy punch in the chest.

"Lie still!"

Hardly able to breathe, the injured Uruk pressed both hands on the wound again. He felt a tug on his leather tunic, but at this moment he did not care about what Lurtz was doing with him.

Clawed, but skillful hands removed two strips of leather from the garment. Saruman's knowledge worked in him – this time to the benefit of one of his kind. He bound the wound to both sides, satisfied to see that the already lazy flow of thick black blood was dying off. In disbelief, Uglúk withdrew his hands.

Lurtz got to his feet without a word and walked over to the dead boar. After he had collected his arrows and their knives, he cut a big triangular piece of still warm meat from the animal's shoulder. Then he sat down against a tree and started to devour it, stilling both hunger and thirst.

Uglúk sat up, careful not to flex the injured thigh. Saliva filled his mouth, but he did not turn his head. The Uruk-hai neither had words for 'Thank you' nor for 'Please', and so he was silent, still perplexed, and – just to be on the safe side – not expecting anything.

Lurtz helped himself to another generous slab of bloody meat. Uglúk heard the gentle rustle of footsteps behind him and felt a tap on his shoulder. Blood dripped into his lap, and the delicious scent made his nostrils flare. He looked up, and seeing that his leader's face was serious but calm, he accepted the offer with a grunt. They finished their portions in silence; then, to Uglúk's surprise, Lurtz went for even more food, this time handing the bigger piece to the injured Uruk.

It was also Lurtz who broke the silence.

"This thing is huge. There is more then we can possibly take back. We might as well feast on it now. Tomorrow it will be stiff... not half as good."

He wiped some blood from his chin and licked it off the back of his hand.

"We are not too far from the camp. The others could help get it."

Lurtz shook his head, realizing that he was not ready to go back yet. Sometimes the hunters were gone for days in search of reasonably large game. Nobody wondered or worried about it. They always caught up with the others, even if the troop had moved on. Their race was made for this nomadic life. Always running, always hunting for something.

"We will stay here."

Besides, you are not in the shape to go anywhere, smartarse.

Uglúk nodded. A part of him still refused to accept the fact that the other had helped him. Was this some sort of game Lurtz played? But why bother? Orcs could be mean, but their sadistic games were never refined. Uglúk had observed the lesser Orcs at Isengard closely and disliked what he had seen. The Uruk-hai were different – this troop proved it. Their kind did not bother to waste energy bickering and hatching stupid ideas for torturing and degrading one of their own. The ones who had refused to accept Lurtz's leadership had fought and paid the price for their disobedience.

Satiated with the warmth of their meal, Uglúk's tenseness dispersed, and he watched Lurtz move about in that measured gait of his. Always restraining himself, always holding back something. Something of vast darkness, and intangible, yes, but blatantly visible for one who cared to look close enough. Surfacing at times... something dangerous.

It had not always been there. Uglúk remembered.

Lurtz inspected the dense forest around them, looking for some place that would offer them more protection from the now icy rain than their current location. He eventually found a patch of thorny bushes nearby and intertwined them to form a sort of roof, adding branches and dead leaves to the makeshift tent to waterproof it. They had no blankets with them, just the leather clothes they wore to protect them from the cold weather while allowing them to move about noiselessly.

Uglúk listened to the rustle and wondered what the leader of the Uruk-hai was doing. Then the echo of Lurtz's footsteps became more distant, followed by a faint, but even splashing sound. Uglúk gritted his teeth, knowing that he would eventually have to relieve himself as well. He was not so sure if he could limp anywhere on only one good leg.

When Lurtz returned to carry their weapons over to their sleeping place, he noticed how wretched Uglúk looked all of a sudden. Under his leader's mildly interested gaze, the injured Uruk-hai forced himself onto his feet, stumbling a bit first, but managing to steady himself. Careful not to lean on the wounded leg, he staggered into the bushes to urinate. Glad to be out of the other's sight, Uglúk leant against a tree, relishing both: the ensuing stream of his piss and his curses.

Somehow he made it back to the makeshift tent without falling.

Lurtz was not there, and grateful to have no one around to witness his frustration, Uglúk lied down and almost instantaneously fell into exhausted sleep, only to wake up with a start when he heard Lurtz return. He did not flinch though when the taller Uruk carelessly dropped down beside him, casually ramming one heavy arm into Uglúk's back; this and a deep growl meaning to convince him that he occupied way too much space under this makeshift roof. Obligingly, Uglúk moved aside.

Lurtz stretched beside him without a word, but also with no further sign of hostility. A pungent, yet pleasantly spicy smell of sweat, mixed with the lingering scent of freshly dried blood, washed over Uglúk. And warmth. Lurtz's body radiated an incredible heat. Although their bodies did not touch, it trickled into Uglúk's body. This was most welcome... Feeling at ease again, the wounded Uruk-hai drifted back to sleep.

The Great Orcs were pragmatic creatures. As hardy they were, they did not bother to prove the point when there was no need to. Within minutes, both creatures were sound asleep, their strong, unconscious bodies nestled tightly against each other for animal comfort and preservation of body warmth, while the cold rain was pouring down incessantly.