Shadow of Mordor - The Novel

Chapter Fourteen - The Great White Graug

"Torvin?" Talion called out for the Dwarf, the pint sized hunter nowhere in sight. He knelt at the campfire, the embers still glowing faintly with a smoldering orange glow. Talion's ears twitched a split second befor he heard a familiar, booming voice shout, "Heads up, Cap'n! Ahaha! Time ta go huntin'!"

Torvin bounded past Talion atop a massive white Dire Caragor, skidding to a stop a few meters away. Talion spun around when he heard a snarl, a second Dire Caragor mere yards away from him.

"A deadly hunter needs a deadly mount!" Torvin called out. "Let the bastard charge ya!"

Talion rolled his eyes at the Dwarf's "advice". Easier said than done... The Caragor snarled, and foaming saliva dripped from its mouth. Talion waited, slowly raising his hand to his sword hilt, then, just as his fingers felt the smooth leather wraps, the Caragor screamed and lunged forward. Talion dove to the side, ripping Urfael from its sheath and skidding to a halt on the waving grass. The Dire Caragor spun around and charged again, leaping into the air to pounce on the Ranger. Talion gripped his sword tight, then slammed the flat of his blade into the Caragor's chest as it passed over him. He threw the cat over him, the bulk of its weight redirected past Talion's person, and directly into a nearby tree. The branches shook and leaves fell in a shower of emerald green. Talion wasted no time jumping on the white beast's back, the sudden weight snapping it out of its stupor. The beast bucked and thrashed, howling in rage at the Man who dared ride him. Talion held on, only just barely managing to reach past the Caragor's spined ruff and press his hand to the Dire beast's face.

Celebrimbor entered the beast's mind and whispered past the anger, "Do not resist me..."

The Caragor calmed, stopping its frantic bucking, and shivered. Talion exhaled a breath he didnt realize he had been holding, and glared over at Torvin. The Dwarf sat on his mount, a wide grin plastered on his rugged face.

"Time fer tha hunt of a lifetime. However short that is."

"I assume you know the path?"

"Tha real question is: are you ready ta travel it? Whatever happens durin' tha hunt, think: What would Torvin do? Actually, that's a good life lesson ta follow always."

Talion rolled his eyes and spurred his mount forward, the Caragor's claws digging into the moist soil before lurching forward into a canter. It was a brisk morning, with a salty sea breeze blowing in from the north. Talion took in his surroundings, the chill air, the long, waving grass, the looming mountains in the distance. The Ranger's eyes glistened, his once dark brown, now turned icy blue irises fogging with memory. Dirhael was about to take the Oath to become a Ranger. I promised him we'd come here, once.

Celebrimbor was silent for a moment, then whispered in Talions ear, He did not deserve such an evil end.
Talion breathed a sigh, then set his jaw and stared ahead.

"Let's hope yer trainin' sticks Cap'n! Or else you'll stick ta tha wall, once tha Mighty Graug hurls ya there."

Talion was brought back to his grim reality, then said in a monotonous tone, "I am ready to fight the Graug."

"An' that's just what you'd do. Fight. No art, no finesse! Tha hunt isn't about swingin' an' slashin', it's BIGGER than that!"

"From your perspective, Dwarf, everything is bigger." Talion spoke with a hint of a wry smile.

"Yes, this Graug is VERY big! Bigger tha- Oh... Wait... Yer mocking me."

Talion spurred his Caragor again, the large cat taking a sharp turn to avoid a large puddle of muddy water, then speeding up to match Torvin's speed.

"Graugs are one a' the oldest species of Mordor, and tha deadliest by far. It's been a long time since I faced this Graug. Let us hope time wasn't as gentle ta him as it was ta me."