Loyal to the Light

Those Unique in Mordor

Ronk and Hagra took their new companion to the base of the fort, directly beside the door, where they made up their own campsite. They drove away the other orcs who saw fit to challenge their choice, and then settled down. "We'll have to make sure everyone knows this is our place." Hagra declared, resting a hand on the wall of the fort. "We'll be settin' out soon to find more orcs like us an' we don't want anybody else takin' our spot while we're away."

Ronk nodded agreement. He was most concerned about Brûz and how he would react, but he had no way of telling yet. Meantime, there was the slave, their new comrade. Ronk wondered if the Bright Lord had any plans to remove the slave-mark on the orc's forehead or if he would just let it stay there. "So," he said to the slave, "who're you an' why'd the Bright Lord choose you to join us?" Hoping for a good story, he leaned against the wall and took out a dagger, cleaning it to keep his hands busy.

The orc stared between Ronk and Hagra, both eyes wide and seeming to look into nothingness. "Ghârarmu I am. Sight-gifted. Lifted up into light, sworn in loyalty. Until dying breath I serve." He sounded lost in other thoughts.

"That's not tellin' us much." Ronk replied. "Are you gone in the 'ead, like Barug back there?"

Ghârarmu looked at him. "No. Only shrouded world, mind seeking elsewhere, looking between shadows. Bright Lord knows." Then, as if to clarify, he added, "All words enter and stay. I understand you."

It was small comfort. Ronk wished they had a companion with more sense to him than whatever Ghârarmu had. But the boss had chosen him, and now it was their job to find more who would follow his lead. With a grunt, he stood up again. "As much as I like sittin' about, we should go find whoever else we can t'join us." Ronk told the others. "Bright Lord said we 'ad to find orcs like us, and we ain't goin' to do that by standin' 'ere. Let's go." He set an example by snapping his dagger back into its sheath and stepping away from the campsite.

"Hold up!" Hagra called. "We need to make this campsite secure! We can't just 'ave globs walkin' all over it again." When Ronk looked back, Hagra had gotten up as well and was looking about him. "We need some kinda wall or sign or somethin'." He was muttering.

Ronk rolled his eyes. "Mate, if we find anyone here when we get back, we'll just splatter the ground with their blood, alright? Then the rest will know not t'try it. Let's go." And he beckoned to the other two.

They took some supplies with them before leaving the fortress, since none of them knew how long they'd be gone or how far they'd have to go on their search. With food in their pouches and grog in their flasks, they felt ready for just about anything, and they set out through the gates with high spirits. Even Ghârarmu, silent as he was, trotted with definite eagerness at Ronk and Hagra's sides. They crossed the barren plain and entered the still almost abandoned outpost on the other side. A few enemy orcs wandered around the place, making a pretense of patrol, but none caught the attention of the three, and so they passed on.

When they had come to the fighting pit sat in the middle of this region of Nùrn, Ronk suddenly realized he had no idea what he was looking for. He held up a hand and motioned for the other two to get into the tall grass. They huddled there, not at all sure if the grass hid them the way it hid the Bright Lord, and waited for Ronk to explain the pause. In a whisper, Ronk explained the issue. "What're we actually lookin' for out 'ere? How do we know what kind of orc t'choose?"

Hagra shrugged, but Ghârarmu spoke up. "Sight and hand. Close quarters, in them I look." He nodded in spite of the two uruk's puzzled expressions.

"'Sight an' hand?'" Asked Hagra. "Wot's that supposed to mean?"

Ghârarmu frowned in thought, fixing his gaze on the leaves and grass stems about them. In a few moments, he answered slowly. "Bright Lord...cleared sight. Still dark without his hand, but not so dark. I will see them...into them. With sight. I must touch them to see. They will show me...what...we...must know." Having accomplished a full sentence, the orc looked back up at the other two. "Now see?" He asked.