Hello dearies!
I hope eveyone enjoyed their week.
I'm super excited because I have a job interview this week!
It's housekeeping, but I don't mind.
Anyway, I got no response from the last chapter and it's a little disheartening...
Anywho, at this point we are going to leave the book a little and I'm going to focus on my OCs.
(Seriously, anyone who read the book or watched the movies knows what happened. :P)
As always, I'd love to hear from you about what you think or about anything really...

Hope y'all have a blessed week!
~ Rachel

When she awoke, Eraveth sat up only to find that she was in a dark cage with a chain around her wrist. Eärwen was nowhere in sight. She tried to pry it off but it did not budge. She heard a noise and looked up to find an orc standing just outside her cage. She shrieked and backed away as far as possible only to find another orc on the other side of the cage. Her cry drew smiles from the two orcs and they moved slightly closer and snarled at her. She sat in the middle of her cage and buried her head in her arms as she rested them atop her knees.

Eraveth kept her eyes covered until she heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. She glanced up and her mouth dropped open in horror at the creature approaching. She had heard the stories and there was no mistaking that this was Azog the Defiler. The orc approached and Eraveth flinched when he slammed his hand into the bars of her cage but she did not take her eyes off of him. She felt his cold eyes drilling into her own and felt fear creep up her spine when his horrid mouth formed a bone-chilling smile.

Azog motioned to the guards that were on either side of Eraveth's cage and turned to walk away. The orcs moved forward and opened the cage door. As Eraveth backed away, one of the orcs unhooked one side of the chain and proceeded to drag her out of the cage. They followed Azog down a long hallway. Eraveth stumbled once and the guard behind her pushed her forward. The room that they entered was large and had a table and two chairs situated in the middle of it.

Eraveth was deposited in one of the chairs as an orc released her wrist from the chain and then he and his comrade beat a hasty retreat and closed the door effectively sealing her in with Azog. A chill ran up her spine when she heard a bar placed across the door.

As Azog circled the table and took a seat, Eraveth glanced around the room and found that there was no way out. The room only had one entrance and that had just been sealed from the outside. She glanced at Azog and was disconcerted to find that he seemed oddly relaxed.

Azog leaned toward her and said in a frighteningly calm voice, "I know that you are a part of Thorin Oakenshield's company. I want you to tell me where they are going. I will release you if you do so."

Eraveth refused to respond and stared into his eyes. Her father had always taught her to face her enemies head-on and never show them any weakness. Azog seemed to be expecting this and merely laughed it off. He leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"I am familiar with the stubbornness of dwarves," he said as he continued to stare into Eraveth's eyes. "Your silence does not surprise me, but I must wonder if your loyalty is well placed. Thorin made no attempt to rescue you when you were captured, why continue to be loyal? I've been told of how you have spirit. You owe them no allegiance. Tell me where they are and you will be greatly rewarded. I will even give you your freedom, which is what you desire most, correct?"

Eraveth bit the inside of her mouth to keep from yelling at this beast. Her gaze never once faltered and her eyes narrowed slightly. Her blood began to boil by the fact that this horrendous creature thought he could gain information from her by bribing her with freedom. Her grip tightened on the chair as she fought to control her anger.

Azog's relaxed façade faltered slightly when he realized that Eraveth would not speak. He rose from his chair and began to circle the table. It reminded Eraveth of a predator circling its prey before the kill. He stopped behind her chair and bent down. His hot breath landed on her neck as he spoke.

"No one is coming to save you," he whispered in her ear. "The only chance you have to leave this place is to save yourself. You can only do that by telling me where they are going. Save yourself the pain and tell me."

Eraveth moved away from his hot breath and turned her head to face him. The defiance Azog saw in her eyes made him angrier than ever. With a roar, he pushed over her chair and picked her up. He smiled in satisfaction as terror filled her eyes. He slammed her body against the wall and lowered his face to hers.

Eraveth's body began to tremble as Azog's face drew closer. He raised his cruel hook to her face and rested it against her cheek. Her eyes widened when, with a quick flick, he formed a small cut across her cheek. She began to feel sick when Azog lowered his head even more and licked the blood off her cheek. Still she refused to utter a sound and this was what drove him mad.

Azog's blood began to boil and he threw Eraveth across the room. She landed in a heap beside the table and tried desperately to crawl away. Her whole body ached with the force of the impact. Azog stopped her from moving away farther by stepping on her skirt. He picked her up and threw her again. This time she landed on the table. He came forward and pinned her legs using his own body.

"If you won't talk," he growled in a menacing voice, "I'll make you scream!"

Eraveth tried to push him away, but he caught her wrists and forced them above her head. Eraveth writhed until she felt the cold metal of his hook making its way down her neck. She stilled to keep the sharp points from cutting her. Her eyes widened with the realization that the hook continued to move downward. It moved over her bosom and paused when it reached the first string of the brown, leather jerkin that she wore over her baggy white shirt. One by one, he cut the ties of her jerkin until they were all completely severed and the jerkin fell open.

Eraveth began to try to move away from him. Azog reached up and moved to hold her wrists against the table with his hook. This action brought his body even closer to hers. Every breath she took caused her chest to rub against Azog's.

Eraveth had never felt so small before this. His massive body loomed over her. She tossed her head from side to side in an effort to try to free herself. Azog seemed to tire of her struggle and brought his good hand up to her chin. She felt his hand move from her hip, where he had placed it earlier, and slide its way along her waist, up the side of her chest, and along her neck until it caught her jaw and held her still.

All of a sudden, Azog's foul lips came crashing down on hers. She felt his sharp teeth bite her lip. She couldn't breathe and she became terrified. Azog continued with his rough use of her lips until she screamed, but she screamed the one name he hated most.

"Thorin!" Eraveth screamed before she realized that she had called to him. She tasted blood from where Azog had bitten her and tears began running down her dirt-stained cheeks. What she didn't see was Azog's hand hit her across the face before darkness enveloped her.

Azog looked down at the now still form of Eraveth. The cut on her cheek from earlier had bled slightly and her mouth was swollen and bruised. A small amount of blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. He turned and strode towards the doorway.

"Bolg!" he bellowed and the door opened quickly as the orc came in, "take her and place her on their trail. When she leads you to them, kill all of them except her and Thorin Oakenshield."

Bolg grunted his acknowledgement and went to retrieve Eraveth.