With Hope and Without Hope

Chapter 23: The Pits

Merry trained his attention on the task assigned to him, willing his mind not to wander. It was hard enough not to think of where might Legolas and Gimli be in these dreadful caves, or what might Saruman be doing with Strider. But with his cousin out of sight, he could barely keep his fear at bay.

He hadn't been sure in what sort of fix he would find himself as he followed Uglúk, then Norgry into the Pits. He'd hoped to have a chance to sneak around and find the others. Eventually, Norgry had given him chores that no one else apparently wanted. He'd been put into a crude room that seemed to serve as a sort of pantry or kitchen, dim but for the light from a rough hearth's fire. Now, with a filthy rag tied to a stick, he cleared floors of rank muck whose origins he truly did not want to know.

There was so much around him to shut out: the rhythmic clang of metal on metal from the many forges below, the hollers and shouts of the ever-quarrelling orcs, the foul stench that permeated the air and threatened to dispel even his appetite. And finally, there was the inescapable dark-or rather, the lack of natural light, which reminded him of all that he was separated from, perhaps forever.

Merry shivered as his thoughts drifted back to Pippin-his cousin was in the service of Saruman! He had to admit his own predicament was quite possibly worse. He was in the depths of Orthanc, servant to an orc. What would his Da say if he could see him?

Still, they could have fared worse. They were forced into servitude, but they had not been tortured, not as yet. And though they served the corrupt wizard, they owed Saruman nothing more than obedience, a bitter fact Merry assuaged with thoughts of escape.

After scooping the sludge into a hole in the corner that served as a drain, Merry stopped to wipe the sweat from his brow, careful to avoid touching the slick walls as he set down his mop. The air sweltered from the heat of the ever-burning fires-fires for which he would soon haul firewood, he'd been told.

As he started in another grimy corner, Norgry stomped through one entrance to the room and only glanced briefly at Merry as he left through another. He'd been left to his own much more than he'd expected, after a spout of boasting from Norgry that drew much unwanted attention, but he supposed this orc wasn't accustomed to having a servant. He was determined to take advantage as much as he could.

As a small orc brought in a cauldron of the noisome concoction the creatures drank and placed it on the fire, Merry looked longingly upon the opening through which Norgry had passed. A narrow stone passage lay beyond, dark but for the dull fiery glow that washed this underground world in shades of orange and black.

The constant clanging, cavernous spaces that vanished into darkness, and the occasional pounding of heavy footsteps made the world beyond the room formidable. But he had now seen two orcs pass that way. With something too frail to be called hope, Merry stepped into the corridor and let his eyes adjust before taking a few tentative steps to his right.

As the heat increased, the path curved to his left, and where another tunnel broke off on his right, the gloom deepened. Peering into the shadows of the second tunnel, he could see no farther than his hand. He would look more deeply at his next chance and find the end of that path.

It was likely he alone among his friends had the ability to move about so freely. It might be up to him entirely to find an escape for them now. If he could learn his way through these tunnels, he just might save their lives.

He quickly returned to the kitchen to pick up his mop, just as another orc brought in an empty cauldron. Merry knew he could not hope to be left alone for more than moments at a time, so he would accept small bits of knowledge won slowly. But how long would Legolas and Gimli endure? Or Strider? He could do nothing for the man, but he hoped to find Legolas and Gimli and learn how they fared. He had no notion of where they were held-

There was that screaming again. When he had first arrived, the hollers had sounded much like the orcs' arguing during their march to the tower. This was different. This was someone in pain.

Merry covered his mouth as he gasped, and tears sprang to his eyes. He covered his ears, then spared one hand for his face. But the screams reached his ears too easily, and his hope drained away like soil in a rainstorm. As the cries faded, he caught his breath and groped for his mop.

"What are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be doing something?"

"Eh, yes, em, I'm mopping the floor, see? Those were my orders." Merry tried to wipe his face surreptitiously as he returned to his chore.

The orc chuckled. "The Pits too much for ya? Oh, you'll grow to love 'em, you will. They'll be just like home in no time!" The orc cackled.

Thoughts of home made his heart ache, but he managed to remember the notion that had begun to play in his mind earlier. "Could I have some water?"

"Water? What for?"

"To drink," Merry said, forcing calm into his voice. "I'm thirsty."

"Oh, right. You little rats can't take our drink. Boss says keep you alive, so I guess there's nothing for it. There's a well down that tunnel. Keep going, you'll see it."

Just the chance Merry was hoping for. "Thank you." He left at once, noting details as he walked slowly down the dark hall. As he passed the murky passage, he peered into the blackness but continued on his way. He truly needed water, so he would find the well first. On the left, an archway opened to the inner pits below where orcs worked. Studiously ignoring the opening, Merry followed the sound of water until he found a trickle running from a hole in the stone. The relative cleanliness of the water surprised him.

On his return, he found the passage and slipped in a few steps. It did indeed go farther, much farther. Running his hands along the damp surface, he stepped carefully yet quickly as he dared. It went on for some time, and after twenty paces he stopped. The entrance looked far away already.

He turned back to the darkness. Was there anything here worth looking farther? Five more steps. Nothing he could see yet. He turned around and rushed back to the pantry. Perhaps he'd investigate this one further, or maybe he would try another corridor and hope he found more than today.