In the end, it had taken the efforts of man as well as elf and dwarf to secure the orc upon Arod. She fought them for every inch, and Arod shied and snorted. It was only Gimli's steadiness and a stubborn desire to prevent Legolas having the last word that prevented Aragorn abandoning the task in frustration. Eventually, the orc was secured in an undignified bundle over Arod's withers, and the party could be underway.

They took the well-rested horses off at a long canter and at first managed good time. The air of the plain was hazy and reluctant to show them the landmarks they sought, but eventually, they hit a track, and Aragorn began to recognise the rocks and trees that lurched at them from the mist. Despite this, he did not relax. The few villages they passed had been burned, and recently. Smoke lingered in the air. The sun finished skirting the Ered Nimrais and began lowering towards the Gap of Rohan far behind them, turning the mists fiery. If they did not arrive at Edoras soon, they would have to journey in the dark.

When the horses tired they slowed them to a walk, but kept moving; Gimli shuffled about behind Aragorn and said he preferred creatures that did not bump as they moved.

It was then that Aragorn noticed the orc's unnatural stillness. He nudged Hasufel with his heels and the horse sprang forward, making Gimli give a surprised huff. They trotted up alongside Legolas.

'How does our prisoner fare?' Aragorn asked.

Legolas shrugged. 'At first it made much noise. But later, it quietened. It has not given me trouble for some time.'

Aragorn leaned from his saddle and listened. He could not hear the orc breathing. Her face was lost in the long shadows and poor light.

'Halt a moment,' he said. 'Let me see.'

Legolas cast him a long-suffering look, but called Arod to a stop.

Aragorn dismounted, handing Gimli Hasufel's reins.

The orc did not make any sign she noticed Aragorn's approach. They had been forced to tie her belly-down, with her legs dangling and her arms constrained behind her back; Aragorn had to crouch by Arod's legs to see her face.

Her eyes were shut. As Aragorn watched, viscous black liquid dripped from her open mouth.

Arod shifted uneasily and Legolas murmured to quiet him.

Aragorn made to put a hand to the orc's neck to take her pulse, but pulled back at the last moment. If Uglútz made a sudden movement in response to his touch, Arod would startle. He'd get bitten by an orc or trampled by a horse – or both.

All the same, he needed to check her.

He took a step backwards, then planted his feet and reached for the orc's shoulder.

Tentative, he shook it.

There was no response.

'Aragorn, no dirwig,' Legolas hissed. 'It plays only!'

Aragorn shook the orc again, and called to her, 'Do you hear me?'

Legolas muttered, 'I question your actions very deeply.'

Aragorn gave the elf a glare and continued with his shaking. When the orc still didn't respond, he put a hand to Andúril's hilt, then slowly reached for her neck.

Under Aragorn's hesitant fingers, Uglútz's pulse was sluggish. Her skin was cool, but he did not have enough experience with orcs to judge whether that was a bad sign.

'Uglútz?' he whispered.

She twitched; her eyelids fluttered. A low growl, more felt than heard, rumbled from her bloodied lips. But she did not awake.

'We need to get her down,' he told Legolas. 'Something is wrong.'

The elf set his jaw. 'This is a waste of time! The sun is night to set, and we are yet two leagues from Edoras. Why do you allow this creature to play games with us? The later we arrive, the more we imperil our quest – and ourselves!'

'Two leagues we can easily make before full night. But I do not wish to arrive in haste only to discover our entire journey has been wasted!' Aragorn realised he was shouting, and lowered his voice. 'Legolas, te harn.'

The elf sighed out through his nose. 'Do you think that creature is going to repay your kindnesses? How can it? It does not understand what you do – rather, it sees weakness and means to take advantage of it!'

'I do not do this because I expect to be repaid – I do it because it is right.'

'You are making a fool of yourself. It galls me to watch.'

Aragorn fought back his ire. 'Legolas, let me worry about my own reputation. And if I am proved wrong in this, rebuke me as much as you wish. But for now, I need your aid.'

The elf sighed and looked away. 'Ai, I give it. Although I think this even less wise than that time in Harad when you attempted to tame one of the mûmakil.'

'Do you need my help?' Gimli called. Hasufel had been nudging him slowly across the track and was attempting to nibble his helmet; he was now several paces from them. 'It looks like a job for more than two.'

'No need,' quipped Legolas, 'not when you are doing such a fine job of feeding your mount.'

'Keep an eye out,' Aragorn told the dwarf. 'There may be enemies around. We ought not all to be distracted.'

'As you say,' Gimli replied. 'But my strength is ready as well as my axe, should you require it.'

Aragorn nodded his thanks, and turned to Uglútz.

It was much easier to pull her off Arod's back than it had been to string her there, but it still took both Legolas and Aragorn to manoeuvre her weight. Arod stood perfectly still, as though he understood their task and wanted to be relieved of the orc as soon as possible. After some struggling, they laid Uglútz out on the grass. Aragorn untied her wrists and allowed her stiff shoulder joints to relax, taking the opportunity to examine the flesh where the axe-wound had been. It was raw, but not hot or swollen – so infection was not the problem. It must have been her awkward positioning that had caused her to swoon.

He considered leaving the orc's hands free, but could only too well imagine her suddenly awake and throttling him. In the end he re-tied her wrists, this time in front, to relieve the pressure on the shoulder joints and help restore the blood flow. He laid her on her side, and her breathing deepened.

Eyes still shut, she emitted a grunt.

Legolas sprang back and nocked an arrow to his bow. But Aragorn remained crouched in front of Uglútz. He was not unwary. But he was disinclined to move away. It felt cowardly to refuse his presence to the ailing – even though his patient was, in this case, an orc.

As he was checking Uglútz's pulse again her yellow eyes flickered open, like twin lanterns abruptly unshuttered.

He froze, his hand going still at her neck.

She blinked, then focussed on him. Angry fire sparked in her eyes.

Aragorn stopped breathing.

Once, he had come across a wolf, alone, on a deserted path east of the Weather Hills just as night fell. They had stared each other down just like this, unmoving, tensed to spring, one false move a death sentence. Finally, the wolf had turned its back and walked away.

But Uglútz could not do that. She was cornered. And she knew it.

Nothing could be more dangerous than a cornered enemy – wolf or orc.

But then again… Uglútz was not a beast.

'You are better?' Aragorn said softly.

She held his gaze a moment longer, then the yellow fire dimmed. She looked away. 'Stupid tark,' she hissed.

He held back his relief – smiling would infuriate Legolas; worse, Uglútz would re-think attacking him.

But as Uglútz's gaze passed behind him, she stiffened. 'Stinking golg,' she growled.

Aragorn cast Legolas a warning look, but the elf did not lower his bow.

'I watch your back, Aragorn,' he murmured. 'If you will not guard yourself, I must do it for you.'

'Shoot me again, will you?' Uglútz cried. 'Thief! Thief of Maggot!'

She threw her weight, but her feet scrabbled uselessly on the ground; she fell to cursing.

Aragorn noticed she did not use her hands – the claws twitched limply, but that was all. The blood flow had obviously not yet resumed enough to allow her muscles to function.

He needed to act before she returned to full strength – then, there would be no holding her back.

'I will take her on Hasufel,' he said, making up his mind. 'And we will leave straight away.'

Legolas looked down at him, nostrils flaring. 'This course is madness. I will take the orc.'

'If you and the orc share a mount, it will imperil our task. She will strike you – can you guarantee you will not kill her in return? Besides, it would be well to relieve Arod of the weight. Legolas, we have but two leagues to go. We are so close. Trust me in this.'

Legolas grit his teeth.

'I am with Aragorn,' Gimli called suddenly, ducking away from Hasufel's teeth. 'The light fails. Cease this fruitless staring competition and let us be underway.'

The elf's face went like flint, but he unbent his bow and returned his arrow to its quiver. 'You take many risks,' he said quietly to Aragorn. 'I only hope they pay off. I will ride behind. Do not leave my sight, or I cannot protect you.'

Aragorn sighed and cast him a look of thanks. 'I do not intend to ride off alone.' He rose and clapped Legolas on the shoulder. 'When we reach Edoras, I will repay you in song for this trust.'

Legolas grimaced, but his eyes sparkled with mirth. 'Please don't. Although, I would like to see Théoden's face.'

Amidst her many complaints, they pulled Uglútz onto Hasufel's back, and at Aragorn's insistence seated her upright. A line between her ankles under Hasufel's girth secured her legs; they fixed her wrists to the rear of Aragorn's saddle and bound her arms to her body. Her face they shrouded in Gimli's spare hood, so she could not bite.

Aragorn sat before her. He did not like turning his back on the orc, even though she was trussed as securely as Legolas could tie her. But he could not very well seat her ahead of him, though that would be easier for Hasufel to bear – unlike Legolas, he could not ride without reigns.

They set off with the evening closing in, smoke growing ever-thicker in the air, and Uglútz's breath hot on the back of Aragorn's neck.

NOTES:

Translations of Sindarin in the text are as follows:

no dirwig = take care

te harn = she is hurt