The Girl and the Orc - (A Middle Earth Story)

Hurricane

     Rain started to rush out to see what was going on, but Bogwater pulled her back into the room by her waist. He couldn't let her go out in a storm like that. Knowing her, she'd end up falling overboard on accident.
    "I have to help!"
     "Rain, look at me."
     The girl looked up at her friend with concerned eyes. Bogwater continued his speech, "Let me at least go out there first. Just wait a minute."
    Rain lowered her head with a sigh. She knew her friend was right. If she went out in a panic she could end up falling overboard. Then she would just make a bigger mess that they would have to clean up after.
Bogwater put the girl down and took off out of the room back to the open dock. Sure enough, there was a huge hurricane coming straight towards them. The wind blew wildly around the boat. The ship rocked back and forth with the violent waves. Elves frantically began to pull the sails back up and prepared the ship for the worst of it. Bogwater grabbed an Elf by the arm, turning the Elf to face him, "What's going on?"
     The Elf grimaced and forced his arm back, "I don't answer to Orc scum," he spat. The Elf turned back to what he was doing.
      Bogwater stood flabbergasted. He felt a strange pain in his chest. The Elf's words had hurt him. How he wished he was human. Bogwater stopped another Elf in his tracks. "Please, tell me what I can do to help."
     "Get out of my way!" the Elf pushed Bogwater to the side and went around him. Bogwater tried every Elf he could stop. None of them responded to anything he said. If they did respond, it was to call him an orc scum and to push him out of their way.
    Bogwater clutched his fists in anger. Sure, he knew Elves hated Orcs, but he thought that if they knew his story they would at least show a little compassion and understanding. Bogwater shook his head and stomped back to the room were he left Lorsan and his friends. He slammed the door behind him.
     Rain noticed the angry look on his face. It looked as if he had been stabbed in the chest. "Bog, what's wrong?" she questioned.
      The Orc shook his head, "They won't answer any of my questions."
      Rain frowned, "Why not?"
      "Because he's an orc," Lorsan stated with a knowing nod.
       "What he said," Bogwater studied his hands sadly. They were rough with training for battle and covered in scars from old accidents. Nothing like the Elves' perfect, dainty and soft hands. Nothing like Rain's small and kind ones.
      Rain's face twisted with anger. How dare they treat her friend that way! They were judging him before they even knew him. Rain's face softened as she noticed Bog's sad look on his own face as he studied his hands. Rain went up to her friend, placing her hands in his rough ones. She placed a soft kiss on one of the scars on his fingers. "Don't let them get to you. I know you aren't bad. They'll see that too one day."
      That's when the boat lurched to the starboard side, sending the group falling on their backs. A huge wave had splashed over the side of the ship, causing the boat to lean to the side with the weight of the water.
      "Ow," Rain rubbed the side of her forehead, she had hit it on the edge of the desk as they fell backwards. She felt a warm liquid squish on her fingers as she touched the sore spot tenderly. Blood. 
      Bogwater rushed to Rain's side, helping her sit up. "Rain! Are you okay?"
      Rain nodded slowly. She honestly felt a little dizzy, but they had bigger problems to worry about. How would they get out of this storm alive?
     Rain looked over at Lorsan. She knew that the other Elves would respond better to one of their own kind. "Tell them to stay strong. As soon as we get out of this they can rest, but now I need them to keep their hopes up. Tell them to keep the ship going as straight as they can."
     Lorsan nodded and ran out of the room and into the pouring rain outside.  Rain was right, they would get through this. The Elves had often run into hurricanes in the past during their journeys, this one was no different. It was a stronger hurricane, but the elves knew how to keep the ship a float. As long as they kept going strong they would survive this.
      Bogwater took Rain's face in his hands and forced her to face him. He studied the deep cut on the side of her forehead. Blood trickled down the side of her cheek. "Oh, Rain. Why are you always hurting yourself?"
     "I don't do it on purpose!" Rain cried.
      Havish quickly grabbed a towel that he had found on the desk. He dabbed the blood off the girl's face with the cloth. She would need stitches.
     "Havish?" the Orc looked at his friend with a smirk.
     "Yes?"
     "That's one of the maps."
      Havish looked at what he had grabbed off the desk. It was a map.  The old man face-palmed himself. "Doggone it!"
     Rain and Bogwater laughed at their silly old friend. Havish always could lighten the atmosphere with his antics.
      The old man went to look for a needle and thread for Rain's cut. Havish had opened several drawers in the desk before finding what he was looking for. "Have her sit on the bed," Havish pointed to the bottom bunk of the bunk bed. Bogwater helped the girl up to her feet, trying to steady themselves as the boat rocked once more. The Uruk helped Rain walk to the bunk, sitting her down on the edge of the feather mattress. Bogwater sat next to her as Havish approached and quickly began to thread the needle.
     "Damn this storm!" he cursed as the boat lurched again, causing him to drop the needle onto the floor. He bent over to retrieve it. It took a while to find the needle as the ship rocked violently. The needle kept rolling away as soon as the old man tried to grasp it. Rain and Bogwater laughed at their friend's expense. It wasn't everyday you see an old man run after a needle during a storm. Once Havish finally managed to catch it, it took a while for the thread to go through the needle. The rocking of the ship made Havish's shaking hands even more shaky. When he finally managed to thread the needle he began to carefully sew up Rain's deep cut. The boat lurched to the side, making the old man stab his finger with the needle. "Argh!"
     "Havish! Are you okay?" Rain questioned.
      The old man yanked the needle from his finger, a small stream of blood trickled down his hand. "I wish this accursed storm would stop!"
     In a minute, the boat was still again. A ray of a sunshine shown through the crack under the door to the room. Havish's deep brown eyes grew wide, "Did I just do that?"
     "Havish!" laughed Rain, "You're magic!"
     "Damn right I am!"