Predator or Prey | The Hobbit

TWELVE

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Predator or Prey

CHAPTER TWELVE.

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Nhel.

That same night, Nhel, her mate Azog and their band of Orcs kept an eye on Beorn's house from a distance. The two Orcs were unwilling to attack the group of dwarves, a wizard and a skin-changer as Beorn, still in his bear form, guarded his home.

Nhel examined the bear that grunted as it prowled into the forest. She didn't know how a black bear could be so enormous. The one who was guarding its home, was much bigger than a normal bear.

"Why can't we just attack them now?" Came one of the Orcs in their party, "Kill the Dwarf filth and steal the Dragon while they sleep."

Nhel shared an annoyed look with her mate, then turned to the Orc behind them.

"No." They both answered, Azog's more of a sneer. The two Orcs plodded back in the opposite direction.

"The beast stands guard." Azog stated.

Nhel glowered down at the small Orc, "Unless you wish to be torn to pieces, I suggest you keep your mouth shut. He'll hear us before we even get close to his home."

Azog growled in agreement, "We'll attack them on the road."

Nhel snapped at the wargs trying to bite at each other and demanded for their owners to control them. If they had been just a bit louder, they would have been killed by now.

Suddenly, the sound of something running towards them broke down the small trees. Fear flowed through their skins, believing that it was the beast who heard them. But it was only Bolg, Nhel and Azog's son.

Bolg's warg bared its teeth and bad breath in his parent's faces, and moved his warg away before something bad would happen.

"What is it, my son?" Nhel asked.

"They are gathering in Dol Guldur." He replied to his mother, then turned to his father. "The Master has summoned you!"

Nhel watched her mate's face morph into anger. What could he want now?

Bolg waited for his parents to astride their wargs and lead the pack to Dol Guldur first. Azog rode ahead, Nhel behind him and Bolg rode by his mother's side.

"Did he say what he needed your father for?" Nhel looked ahead as the wargs wheezed, running out of breath because of how fast they were running. They'd been running for a good ten minutes, and Dol Guldur was just a few more minutes away.

Bolg shook his head, "No. He did not."

No more words were said between the two until they finally reached the worn down, dark castle.

Azog hopped off his white warg and proceeded into the castle, waiting for no one, not even his mate. Only because he knew she could handle herself.

They could hear the Black speech coming from their Master. Nhel paid no attention to it, he was only rushing the Orcs to get inside quickly.

Once they were inside, she let Azog and Bolg go their own way and she did the same. She roamed through the broken halls of Dol Guldur, looking for the specific area where the two persons she needed were. Nhel spotted the small light coming from further down the hall and picked up her pace.

When she reached the room, her eyes scanned inside searching for the two.

"Ally," Nhel's booming voice unbothered a blonde who sat in front of a small fire, bowl of different ingredients for her spells at her feet. "Doreen." An older, raven-haired woman with a few grey streaks in her hair, jumped at her name.

"Y-Yes, Nhel?" Doreen stuttered, she looked into Nhel's hard, blue eyes.

Nhel broke out into evil laughter as she stared at Doreen's face. "You look just like her." Her pair of blue eyes landed on Doreen's throat as the human gulped in fear. "I just want to rip your throat out, so it can satisfy me and make your daughter vulnerable when she finds out her mother is really dead." Nhel spoke in the dark language she knew and Ally laughed in agreement.

The pale she-Orc grinned at Doreen's clueless face. The woman did not understand the dark language that she and Ally knew.

"How long until the spell lifts?" Nhel looked down at the witch. "A few more days. But I shall block it again and cause her pain until she is weak, so you can finally have her, Nhel."

Nhel stepped closer towards the witch and bent down to reach over and pat the brunette's matted hair. "This is why you're my favorite. Don't kill the mother. We still need her."

"Of course, but I must tell you, Nhel. I think I've finally started to weaken the Dragon." Ally smiled up at the pale orc. "She's always trying to fight away the magic that blocks her visions and it weakens her. She screams in pain, loud enough for you and your pack to hear."

"Good." Nhel moved her eyes to Doreen who watched the two converse. "Don't worry, Doreen. You will not have to stay with me any longer, soon." And with that, Nhel walked off hearing the cries from the old woman, asking what she meant by her words. Her cries were cut off when she heard a body fall to the floor with a small thud, and Nhel automatically knew Ally had used her magic to knock the woman to sleep.

The she-Orc trudged away from the room she was previously in to find Azog. Except, he found her first.

"What did he say?" Nhel inquired.

"The hunt for the dwarves is now in Bolg's hands. We have been ordered to lead his armies." Azog told his mate.

Nhel grew angry, "What about the dragon?! I need the dragon. And what about her mother?"

"We'll take the witch and the old woman with us." Azog placed his large, cold hands on Nhel's shoulders. "Do not worry, my love."

Nhel nodded, turning to the same orc that wanted to attack the Company as they slept, and demanded for him to collect the witch and the woman.