With a secret mission to marry an elf, Wynne must join Legolas' and Elvenking Thranduil's new quest as a horsekeeper. She begins an adventurous journey, encountering orcs and monsters, friendly uruk-hai, a lady dwarf and many Fellowship heroes - but...
"Shush now, darling." The voice was like a growl and its owner's foul breath was hot on her neck.
"Oo she's one tasty bite, ain't she? Can I have a nibble?" A second orc came into her view. His dark face was nearly bald and he had a bent nose that looked like it had been broken repeatedly.
"Get off, Burz! She ain't for eating. She's leverage."
"Lever-what?"
"Dimwit! If those freaking elves comes after us we can hurt her to make 'em back off. Get me now?"
Wynne whimpered and tried to squirm out of the orc's grip, but instantly stopped when she felt a knife at her throat.
"Don't move, luv! I love a frisky gal as much as anyone, but this ain't the time or place." His insinuating tone made her cringe.
The orcs quickly tied her hands behind her back and the first one flung her on his broad shoulder where she hung like a sack of potatoes. Then they ran at speed.
Wynne's position made her dizzy and disoriented and she didn't know which way they went. Her terror mingled with guilt. How could she have let the orcs surprise her like that?
The elves were exceptional trackers but her captors were on foot. Would they leave a visible trail now? And even if the elves somehow managed to follow, the orcs had said they would use her as a shield. She had just made the elves' task to kill them a lot harder.
Was this not exactly what Thranduil had meant when he warned her not to come that first day? She meant trouble. She was a burden.
oOo
The orcs finally stopped, apparently to catch their breath, speaking to each other in a strange language. The speech sounded harsh and ugly and Wynne couldn't even tell whether they were arguing or talking friendly.
She was still hanging upside-down, and the blood accumulating in her head made the dizziness stronger.
She tried to look around. Were the elves on their way? She couldn't see anything but dry, dead grass and brown dust.
Then they were off again, still at the same fast pace. The orc shoulder became sweaty and the stink worsened her nausea.
She couldn't hold back anymore; despite herself she threw up, but the orc didn't even seem to notice, he just ran on.
It was hard to measure time under the circumstances so she had no idea how long the run lasted, but the orcs stopped eventually and flung her to the hard ground.
