Gwin starts her first real 'day' in Isengard. Enjoy!
Chapter 111It wasn't long before a Uruk named Ulguth made his way over to our cell. I scrambled off of Candaith's lap as soon as I heard the creature's stomping, remembering Morflak's disgust at Candaith and I hugging. By the time he was at the door, I was standing as nonchalantly as I could manage. The Uruk eyed me critically, before giving me a dramatic sigh. "Looks like I'm stuck with ye today, she-elf," he drawled, unlocking the heavy metal door.
"Just me?" I asked meekly.
"Hah, don't ye worry, they'll be some work for the others to do," Ulguth grunted. "Someone will be comin' ta get these two rangers here." He gestured at Candaith and Lothrandir, before grasping my arm and roughly pulling me out of the cell. I gave Candaith a fleeting look which was hopefully reassuring, but I knew he could read my anxiety easily.
"Good luck Gwin," Lothrandir murmured as I passed, and I smiled tightly at the disheveled ranger.
I convinced Ulguth to let go of my arm, promising to follow him without complaint. "Ye better listen to what you're told, and keep yer complaints to yerself," he said. "Only way to get by here as a prisoner is to obey what the overseers tell ye." The Uruk had a strange brogue to his voice, and I wondered at it. Did Uruks come from different places, with different cultures? The thought of it was disconcerting, and I shoved it aside for later consideration. At the moment, I was trying to pay close attention to our route, and began making a mental map of the depths of Isengard.
Soon enough, I was in what looked like a mess hall. The floor was filthy with…something, and the tables were even filthier. Uruks and orcs were sitting at separate tables, and I knew from experience that the two races didn't get along. One strategy I had considered was somehow causing a big fight to ensue that we could use as a distraction for our escape, and this might be just the place to do it.
But not yet.
Suddenly I was standing in front of a massive Uruk-Hai with a multitude of piercings and a peculiar chef's hat; it took much focus not to laugh. He…no, she narrowed her eyes at me, and I wondered if she could discern my amusement, but did not comment on it. "I'm Barkha, and I'm the head overseer of the kitchens here." Her voice was a little higher than what I'd come to associate with a male Uruk, and although she had a stocky form, I could see some curves there. It was bemusing, to say the least. "I'll be telling you what to do and where to do it."
I nodded, but was unsure what to say. Barkha huffed a sound of annoyance. "Always have to deal with you prisoners messing around. Why Sharkû bothers keeping you alive is a mystery to me. You'd make a much better meal than what I can make with the stuff I get." I felt a shiver run down my spine as she eyed me up. "Although you're a bit skinny, probably not much meat on those bones."
"Barkha, I'm leavin' her here with ye," Ulguth said. "I'll come back fer her later."
She rolled her eyes, "Fine." With that, she turned her attention to me. "There's lots of work to be done in my kitchen, do you think this place feeds itself?" She grabbed my arm and dragged me over to where a giant oven was. "Bread baking, meat roasting," and then eyed the biggest pot I had ever seen, "And plenty of gruel." The bread automatically made my mouth water, and Barkha must have noticed, "Oh no, you don't get that kind of stuff, that's for the higher ranks." She bared her fangs in a terrifying grin, the expression entirely at odds from the grim one a moment ago, "You get the gruel." I watched in horror as she took a wooden spoon and scooped some up, before it landed in a crude metal bowl with a sickening 'plop'. "I know you're hungry, so eat up! Gonna need your strength to do the work I'm going to put you up to."
I hesitantly used a spoon and forced myself to put a bite in my mouth. It threatened to come right back up immediately, but I forced myself to swallow it, and then another bite. I managed to choke down the entirety of the admittedly small portion, and she took it away with a barking laugh. "Tasty, isn't it?" Her yellow eyes glittered with mocking amusement, and I tried to ignore how the slop wanted to crawl up my throat and onto the ground. I would need to eat to stay alive. I had the wild urge to laugh at how "Lothrandir the Chef" would react to the gruel, but kept it to myself.
The first thing Barkha had me do was mop up the slop that was all over the floor. Uruks and orcs were messy creatures, and it seemed like more of their food ended up on the ground than in their stomachs. I ducked as a Uruk threw a handful of it across the room, laughing loudly as it landed on the back of another Uruk. My eyes widened as a full-blown food fight occurred, and I hid under a table to avoid the carnage. More for me to clean up…
Sure enough, as soon as the coast was clear, Barkha unceremoniously hauled me to my feet and shoved the mop back in my hand. "Get back to work!" Biting back a retort, I ducked my head and continued with the dirty job. It was tiring, as I had to wash the mop and clean out the bucket countless times. Luckily there was a period where no one was eating, so I worked as fast as I could before more mess could be made.
Despite my best efforts, Barkha didn't seem to think it was up to par, "You could not have done that more slowly if you tried, worm. Still, the slop had to be cleaned, and you cleaned it. There will be more later. There's always more!" She bared her teeth at me, something I was becoming marginally more used to. "It's time to feed the prisoners. Scoop out some feed from the slop bucket and carry it to the dungeons. Empty the slop into the buckets by the cells." She leaned in close, and I almost gagged at the rancid smell of her breath, "And be quick about it."
I picked up the large, heavy bucket with tired arms as I trudged my way down to the dungeons, unfortunately needing to stop several times to catch my breath. I wondered if Lothrandir or Candaith would be there. As glad as I would be to see them, I doubt they'd appreciate what I brought with me! I also wanted to try and find Mair, and this would be a good cover to walk by each cell and deposit some of the gruel into the little pails just outside the cells. There was a little opening in the door, just big enough for the pails for food and…other things. I felt bad for those who were not in their cells at the moment, for they would return to room-temperature gruel that would likely be even more unpleasant than its current lukewarm state.
Unfortunately, my two rangers were not present. I felt my heart break a little as I went by each cell. Those who were inside were in quite a state, and I wondered how long they had been imprisoned. Every time I came across someone who looked like they were a Dunlending woman, I would ask their name. Some would reply, some would stay where they were in desolate silence.
Finally, after I despaired of never finding Mair, I spotted her. She looked at me with wide eyes, full of recognition. "Lady Gwin?" she whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear.
"Hello Mair," I replied, just as softly. "Are you well?"
"I am fine my lady, do not worry for me," she insisted, but looked away from me when I appraised her more closely. She was wearing what looked like rags and barely could be considered clothing, and her feet were bare and covered in dirt. I had noticed her brown eyes were dulled, and she seemed somehow diminished.
"Your father sent me to find you," I whispered. She looked up in surprise, with some confusion. "Well, rather he handed me and a few of my comrades over to Saruman, by the wizard's request. Lheu Brenin wants me to use this captivity to rescue you, and find us a way out of here."
"But how?" she asked, looking around herself. "The dungeons…they are far away from the entrance, with many foes to face." Mair sighed, "I find it is hopeless."
"Do not lose hope," I replied fervently. "We must hold onto it, or we will be lost. I will find a way out of here." I refused to give Saruman what he wanted, and I would die here, if I must, in order to protect those I loved from his machinations. I held up the slop bucket and poured a bit into her smaller one. "It isn't much, but it is something."
"I am used to it by now," she muttered with a sigh, and pulled the pail into her cell. "At least they gave me a spoon; I had feared I would need to eat it with my hands." She began to shovel it into her mouth like she was starving, and I wondered when she had last eaten.
"They only feed us once a day," she clarified, a short time later. "We get our water in the morning, and then a little more at night, to use for what we need. Washing, drinking, it does not matter. If you use it all, you must wait until they next deliver it." She looked far too thin, and she had not been prisoner for very long.
"Thanks for letting me know, I will spread the word to Candaith and Lothrandir," I said softly.
She gave me a small smile, "I am glad your husband is with you, Lady Gwin. It is hard to be separated from the ones you love." She had a faraway look, and I wondered who she was thinking of. Could Radanir be one of those people?
"I am glad too," I whispered, forcing my own smile.
"Hey!" a voice yelled. "Hurry up and finish, you got more work to do, she-elf!" I dropped my shoulders in resignation. Saying farewell and assuring Mair I would work on a plan, I hurried away, my empty bucket hanging by my side.
I was tasked with cleaning up after the 'evening meal', and when Barkha was satisfied, she threw me a moderately clean rag. "Wipe yourself down, you're filthy," she said, disgusted. "Oh, I almost forgot, these are for you." In her hands were what I had seen the other prisoners wearing: they were clothes of a drab, grey color, with rough-feeling fabric. I noted with disgust that they were emblazoned with the mark of the white hand. I nodded my thanks, and let Ulguth lead me back to my cell. The walk felt endless, and I was dragging my feet by the time I was standing outside the gate.
Candaith was dozing against the wall, but jerked when he heard the lock turn. His concerned blue eyes roved over me, and I gave him a tired smile that probably looked more like a grimace. "I'll bring ye some water," the Uruk grumbled, locking the door and shuffling away. Candaith went to pull me into his arms, but I held up my clothes, "Let me change first, I'm covered in gruel."
After the water was delivered, and the coast was clear, I huddled in the darkest corner of the cell and Candaith shielded me as I quickly changed. It felt better to have clean garments, but I was saddened by the state of my old clothing. It was a hodgepodge of garments from various Elven realms, and despite its fine make, they were in a poor state. "Look meleth nin, we match," I said ruefully, and he quirked a little smile at me before enveloping me in a hug. I sighed in contentment, happy to be in his embrace. "It has been a long day."
"Mine as well," he replied, his deep voice calming me. "Shall I tell you about it?" He leaned against the stone wall, and I settled myself in his lap once more. "That Fasch creature had me lugging huge barrels of weapons and armor around the upper caverns. There are various platforms where such things are stored. Unfortunately, the smithy is down a path off of the main walkway, and it is quite a distance from some of the locations I was asked to deliver the items to. One of the other prisoners couldn't handle his load and…" his voice caught, and he swallowed.
"What happened to him?" I asked, a sinking feeling in my stomach.
"They whipped him, horribly," Candaith said thickly. "We were near where they breed the wargs, and they threatened to throw him inside one of the cages. The beasts were going wild due to the smell of blood, and I worried they would break out. I managed to convince the orcs to let me help the man carry his load, as well as my own." He moved his arms around and winced. "I worry for the future of that man; he may not be long for this place." I agreed; I assumed once a prisoner has outlived their usefulness, they wouldn't be alive much longer.
"You did what you could, and I know he appreciated it," I murmured, intertwining our fingers. "Did Fasch seemed pleased with your own work?"
"Well, he didn't say he was displeased," he said dryly. "So I would consider that a win in my book."
I went on to tell him about my day full of gruel and food fights. "The 'head chef' Barkha seemed to be of the same mind as Fasch. The best we can do is keep our heads down and do as they ask, until we can find a way out of here." I also explained about how I had come across Mair. "She…she looks like she has lost all hope," I whispered. "She couldn't have been here for more than a week. If she is already like this…how will we be in a few days?"
"We are strong," Candaith said firmly. "And we have each other. Mair is all alone in that cell. However, your presence will provide her with some encouragement. Hopefully we can rouse that spirit inside of her."
"I hope so…" I trailed off as I heard a nearby cell door clang open, and an 'oof' as a body hit the ground. I jumped to my feet when I saw who it was. "Candaith, it's Lothrandir! He…he looks injured." Sure enough, the Forochel ranger groaned as he sat up, putting a shaking hand to his head. Unfortunately, there was nothing either of us could do to aid him, and it was beyond frustrating. I noted him take a linen cloth from his bag and carefully dab at his forehead; my breath caught as I saw the blood on it. Lothrandir slumped against the wall with a heavy sigh, sipping on some water and trying to breathe normally.
Candaith, unable to do nothing, trilled out a faint, low bird call. Lothrandir did not react at first, and I worried he had not heard. Finally, he trilled his own, but even I could tell it was shaky and had taken much effort to do. Candaith stiffened, and his hands clenched tightly into fists. "He has been beaten."
"For what?" I asked, horrified.
"He did not specify, but it isn't like they need any real reason to hurt us. We are prisoners, and Lothrandir is tougher than most; they will find it amusing to bully him, I would guess." Candaith ran a hand over his tired face. "We are lucky we have avoided such treatment, at least for one day."
"We must get out of here," I said rapidly. "I need to figure out a way." Could I manage to get on Morflak's good side fast enough to avoid our deaths? I hoped not to face Saruman again, but it was only a matter of time, if we remained here too long.
Candaith took my face in his hands, "You will not do so alone, meleth nin." He kissed me, and I sagged against him as he pulled me close. It was slow, and gentle, and exactly what I needed. Ending it, he kissed my forehead and stroked my hair. "We will get through this."
"We must," I whispered. Too many people relied on me to help save Middle Earth from its evils, and I did not wish to be parted from those I loved who were still out there. My heart ached when I thought about how the twins were doing. Likely going mad in their cell in Tur Morva, if they had not revolted already. I felt a flicker of unease at this; I prayed no violence would come between the Dunlendings and those of my party, but I was sure tempers were running high. Plus, the twins were powerful; could they possibly break through iron to escape? My mind was racing, and I knew there was nothing to be done except get out of here.
After wiping myself down a bit more with some damp cloth, I pulled out my blanket from my pack and settled on Candaith's chest. Lying on the ground wasn't exactly comfortable, but we needed to rest, and this was our only option. "Relax into dreams, meleth nin," Candaith whispered, running his fingers through my hair. "I will keep you safe." With that, my exhaustion overcame my worried thoughts, and I fell into reverie listening to the reassuring sound of Candaith's heartbeat.
Well that certainly was not the most pleasant of days! Thankfully Gwin was able to locate Mair, and she and Candaith reunite without any real injuries. Unfortunately Lothrandir was not so lucky, but he is holding his own as best he can. I hope you liked the chapter!