With Hope and Without Hope

Chapter 28: Detour

"I suppose this is no fun for you, having to follow me, minding me like this. Did you do something wrong that you ended up with this duty?" Pippin asked, eyes wide.

"Do something wrong? Nah, not lately, at least," the smallish orc said with a chuckle. "I'm just following orders."

Hiding his smile, Pippin turned back to the pot of water he had set to boil in the plain room that served as pantry and kitchen of sorts for Saruman. It was much darker down here one floor below the main hall. The only light was the fire in the corner that heated his water and cast deep shadows on the face of his minder, whom Norgry had called Fagrod. If he kept him talking but did not look at him, Pippin found he could almost forget he was an orc.

Wooden crates and baskets were stacked up on all sides of the room. Pippin thought he could smell food among the dust and orc stench. He longed to rummage through the containers, but as of yet, he was given food only when Saruman remembered. If Saruman learned of his pillaging, he might lose this precious bit of freedom, so Pippin restrained himself.

"Oh, I thought you were one of those who gave orders around here." The hobbit was a bit surprised to find an orc nearly as easy to manipulate as some of his aunts and uncles, with whom he had almost mastered getting out of trouble as well as getting what he wanted.

Yawning widely, he had a vague sense that midnight had passed hours ago. But Pippin had been determined to bring a pot of truly hot water to Strider, and so he pushed himself to make another trip to the storeroom. Besides, there were tasks he had yet to do. "So, I suppose you have to sit with me and watch water boil. It is boring, though. I know! I could tell you the history of my family. We go back generations."

"You're making me more bored with every word. What are you going on about?"

"Our family history. You know, my mother's parents, brothers, and sisters, and their parents, and their parents. And then, on my father's side, we do it all over again. We can take all night into morning if we wanted. It's just a way to pass the time."

Fagrod scowled, and Pippin worried that he might have overplayed his hand. "What are you trying for?" He leaned into Pippin's face. "You planning some trick?"

"Trick? What trick could I play?" Pippin answered, putting as much shock and amusement as he could muster into his voice. "I'm only trying to help you pass the time. It's rather boring sitting here with nothing to do. You likely have plenty of other more important things you could be doing and instead you have to follow me back to Saruman's big room up there, up those stairs, and down the hall. I could find my way back by myself, but I understand you've got to follow me. Those are your orders, after all. So I just thought we could pass the time somehow."

"Yeah, Norgry handed out duties like it was mealtime and they was your supper. And right now, this is my duty." Fagrod's eyes narrowed at Pippin. "You planning to sneak off somewhere? Is that it?"

"Sneak off somewhere? You think I'm going to try to escape?" Pippin truly laughed then, ignoring the pang of fear in his heart at the absurdity of escape. "Where am I to go off to? Orcs are everywhere, and I don't even know how to get anywhere but back to where I came from. Besides, my friend needs this water to live. There's nowhere else for me to go."

"That's right. Nowhere else for you to go. And if you happen to find some place to wander, you'll be looking at the sharp end of this here." He grinned fiercely as he displayed his knife, and Pippin wondered what made him think he could forget this creature reveled in mayhem and violence.

Suppressing a shiver, Pippin instead shrugged his shoulders, carefully assuming a nonchalant expression. "I understand, I'm your duty, and you have to do what your boss tells you. If that's following around one little hobbit, well, I can try to make it less boring, like I explained. We can start with my family.