PASSING SHADOWS|| BOOK II

V

• Orc Hunt By Chance Thomas •

The Uruks continued onward swiftly, across grassy terrain. Raina sat uncomfortably in the torture chamber the Uruks had created for her, feeling her body would snap in any moment. After the Uruks had set off for the day, she had tried to ignore the bumps, the growing stiffness in her neck and legs. She tried to look after herself as best as she could, like Pippin had looked after Merry. Pippin couldn't even clean the blood on his head, so Pippin had just sat there, holding his friends hand tight, squeezing it, and hoping he would wake up.

Raina was out in the front of the pack to make sure the Uruks that carried her trailer didn't fall behind. Piping hated seeing her in that thing, wondering how she could possibly bare it. Wondering how she had bared a lot of things.

Merry and Pippin were a few minutes away, both strapped to an Uruks back each. They were silent as they ran, fierce and formidable, Sensing that Merry had been sleep long enough, Pippin tries to whipser to Merry to see if he will wake up. To see if he's OK.
"Merry! Merry!"

An Uruk-hai puts up his hand to signal. The company immediately stopped, and Mordor orcs appeared from some rocks where they were hidden in the shadows.
"You're late." Grishnakh chastised "Our master grows impatient. He wants the Shire-rats and the girl now."

Mauhúr dismissed him rudely, feeling a level of offence over Saruman's message. Mauhúr didn't need little Orc's teloing him what to do. He knew how to follow orders
"I don't take orders from Orc-maggots. Saruman will have his prize. We will deliver them."
"Merry! Merry! Wake up!" Pippin whispers before observing the Uruks drinking something while they rested."My friend is sick! He needs water. Please!"
"Sick, is he?" Mauhúr answers."Give him some medicine, boys!"

A Uruk leans over, pouring a horrible brown liquid into Merry's mouth. He coughs and splutters as it comes into contact with his mouth and slivers down his throat. Breathless, he wakes.
"Stop it!" Pippin cries
Mauhúr scoffed. "Can't take his draught!" "Leave him alone!"
"Why? You want some? Huh?" Pippin didn't reply."Then keep your mouth shut."

Mauhúr turns back around.
"Merry." Pippin whispers.
"Hello, Pip." He replies faintly
"You're hurt."
"I'm fine. It was just an act."
"An act?" Pippin looks at him, surprised, trying to work out whether Merry was just trying to reassure him or was actually telling the truth.
"See? I fooled you, too." He grins."Don't worry about me, Pippin."

One of the Uruks up front began to pick up a scent. Faint, but all the same, a very troubling scent.
"What is it?" Mauhúr asks." What do you smell?"
"Man-flesh." The Uruk Uglúk replied.

Pippin blinked, realising something. "Aragorn!" He whispered to himself.
"They've picked up our trail! Let's go!" Mauhúr commanded

The Uruks continued to run, this time even harder. Pippin, an idea forming in his mind, tears off his elven brooch with his teeth and spits it onto the mud beneath the feet.

🌋

Aragorn lay pressed to the ground, listening carefully for the stomping of boots.

"Their pace has quickened. They must have caught our scent." He rises up and shouts to the other two. "Hurry!"

Aragorn begins the chase yet again, swiftly followed by Legolas and less so by Gimli. Legolas runs up to the hill and stops.
"Come on, Gimli!" He calls desperately.

For three days, Aragorn, Gimli, and he had tracked the Uruk party this far. He had missed Merry and Pippin, but for Raina, he felt something else. Something more. Like some sort of aching or longing, whenever she wasn't in his sight.