Chapter Text
Olrok was doing as he was told, even as he was sweating buckets doing this climb.
“They’ll be near the base of the mountain by the time you get there. There’s two of them and even an idiot like you should be able to find them. I need at least one for this ceremony so you better not kill both of them.” Flogg had ordered him.
Olrok didn’t like Flogg all that much. The sorcerer was given the right name by the vat keepers since he enjoyed flogging and whipping when you didn’t do things the way he liked. But beggars can’t be choosers and Olrok preferred hiding with the sorcerer than being on the run from roaming raiders. With food so scarce Olrok would much rather take the lick of the whip with a guaranteed meal than possibly end up as a meal. Flogg said he’d killed the last sorcerer and was trying to take his place. However to Olrok it was clear Flogg couldn’t read very well. The other uruk would read real slow, aloud and usually got at least one word wrong. But Olrok wasn’t really in the mood to help him. Not after Flogg bit his ear off for correcting him. That learned Olrok to keep his corrections to himself. The smell of old ash let him know he was near where he was supposed to be.
“They should be near the burnt bodies.” Flogg had told him on his way out.
The other uruk didn’t seem to trust Olrok with much of anything. Olrok wasn’t really sure why, he usually did exactly what the other uruk said yet Flogg was never happy with it. Olrok had gotten to know this mountain over the past six months and he can now make the climb down one way or the other in less than half a day. Still he was sweating which then would get frozen by the wind cause Flogg wouldn’t give him any of the skins he had. It wasn’t like he only had a few the sorcerer had easily two dozen lying around.
Shaking off the frozen sweat he stretched his neck and shoulders, “You better hurry up too.” Flogg had warned, “They only got a few days before they die. I can keep one going with the goat’s milk for future work but both will be almost useless if you bring them to me dead and I’ll make sure you pay for it.” Olrok didn’t want to know what Flogg would cut or bite off should he fail.
Thankfully he found what he was looking for. Flogg had been right, they were hard to miss despite being so small. They were two orcs, the smallest he’d ever seen in his life. They were wrapped in a cloth and had soft, round faces. Their big ears had Olrok identifying them as some sort of goblin. They looked at him and gave little chittering and purring noises. Picking them up their little arms came out and clung onto him.
“Take the basket. They might not cling so use that if they don’t.” Olrok wasn’t sure what the other uruk meant but now he did.
The two freakishly small orcs gripped at his skin with their tiny claws and stayed on him. For a moment he was worried they wouldn’t come off when he tried to shake them off and they didn’t move. But when he grabbed one it let go of him. That got a sigh of relief out of him. At least he wasn’t stuck with them on him. He’d be scared to have Flogg try and take them off, the other uruk was the opposite of a gentle surgeon. With his package in hand he now just needed to make the climb all the way back up. Flogg didn’t let him take any food but he managed to snatch a skin of draft. The two small faces looked up at him with their big eyes as he drank. He offered it to them and the things couldn’t even seem to drink right. They coughed as they drank but seemed to get some of it down.
Now it was for the climb back up and over. He could take the easy path and be there in about a week but Flogg was expecting him back in less than two days. So with a roll of his shoulders he knew he was gonna have to take the fast route. With another long pull of the draft he leapt onto the stone to make the straight climb up. He was no goblin, which would likely make this climb much faster but Olrok was proud of his climbing ability. With the draft fueling him he wouldn’t need to stop and if he kept pace he could make it back in a little over a day.
Thankfully his package was very light. He was grateful he didn’t need to use the basket cause it would have thrown off his weight and made the climb slower. The little orcs were shivering by the time they made it to the peak but Olrok didn’t see any sign of oncoming frostbite. Not that he could have done anything to stop it. He was in only a loincloth and some straps for the basket and waterskin. So it wasn’t like he had anything for them. The cloth they were wrapped in Olrok had tied around their little torso’s which was better than he had at the moment. He just knew he’d get an earful from Flogg if they lost some fingers or what little nose they had. The sun was coming up by the time they reached the peak. The little orcs looked tired but he wasn’t too worried, it wasn’t far now.
Here Olrok took his time a bit to get a breather and just walked the last hour or so. When he got to the entrance he thought something smelled off but it was probably just coming from the valley below. Everything in Mordor smelled off these days. The cairns and messages had some fresh snow on them so he absently brushed it off as he passed. He could feel the heat coming from inside the cave through the thick leather used as a door. He could see smoke coming out of the chimney farther in. Good, he hopes he gets to eat something today.
The smell of smoke was strong as he walked in it was why he didn’t notice till it was too late. He stood frozen as if hoping none of them saw him even as all eyes were very clearly pointed his way.
“Olrok you idiot help me.” Flogg called in a voice that he couldn’t tell if he was angry or afraid.
He found him by his legs kicking underneath the orc straddling him. Someone had chained Flogg up, the metal of it clinking in the space. Olrok spotted four uruks total besides Flogg. Two were shorter uruks, more goblin in height, the shortest was clearly a goblin by the big ears and eyes and one big’ol Mordor breed uruk. The big one was baring his teeth at him, a string of drool coming out of his mouth with a growl. The big guy seemed to just be waiting for Olrok to do something so he could rip him to shreds. It was why Olrok did not move a single muscle other than his eyes.
“You?” The uruk straddling Flogg asked, “You work for him do ya?”
Olrok then opened his mouth and a string of uh, ooh, and wells, came out, “I asked you a yes or no question boy.” The shorter uruk said firmly.
“Well I mean yes….but I don’t HAVE TOO. I mean...you know I’ll work for most people so like…..I don’t have a problem with whatever y’all are doing just….I don’t want to cause no trouble.” Olrok managed to say as the big fella who was taller than him began leaning closer.
Olrok’s heart was hammering in his chest, “Give’m here.” A small voice called.
Looking down he’d forgotten about the little uruks in his fright. The shortest one among this new group was glaring up at him with wide open arms.
“Sure take’em I don’t want’em.” He said pulling the small orcs off and handing them to the small goblin.
The two even smaller goblins looked awkward in the short goblin’s arms but the big uruk was practically growling into his cheek so Olrok was too scared to even think about that. The uruk’s fangs opened on his cheek, pressing sharp points into the meat of his face.
“Olrok you two timing traitor!” Flogg roared out, or started to and it ended with a groaned pain.
“You shut your yapper. I don’t need you to talk yet.” The old uruk straddling him said, “You, new boy, come here.”
Olrok was more than happy to get out from underneath this big uruk’s teeth. He’d always been small by Mordor standards and he didn’t like to be reminded of it, especially like that.
“Sorry gotta go.” He muttered out as he slipped out from underneath the other uruk who just gave him a threatening growl.
He passed the pale short uruk who immediately drew his attention because he was cooking. The smell of boiling barley and sizzling meat had him so distracted he nearly ran into the orc who called him.
“Sorry, sorry…” He muttered out terrified he offended the uruk.
By the way the other three looked at him he seemed to be in charge, “He says he can read, is that true?” The uruk asked, pressing a finger into Flogg’s bleeding chest.
Olrok looked at the carved shelves full of books. It was why Flogg was here, he was hoping to be a full sorcerer by reading all these books. To Olrok he thought that might not be how it works. Looking down at Flogg the uruk had one of his nostrils sliced open, the uruk straddling him had a small blade in his hand, so small Olrok recognized it as one of the surgery blades that had been gathering dust around here.
“I mean he kind of can.” Olrok started, Flogg growled in offense, “He always mixes up the endings of words, especially if the writing is kind of hard to read.”
“Wait, can you read?” The old goblin asked him.
“Yeah I mean I never got what was so hard. I’ve been able to read ever since I can remember.” Olrok explained.
“Read this then.” The old goblin then thrusted an open book into his face. He looked over the words before he read them aloud.
“The seal needed to bind the spirit must be done in salt and then splattered in fresh blood of the body. Once the body is placed on the seal the user must do the binding when the moon is at it’s highest. For the strongest bind it is best to do so on a full moon.” Olrok read aloud, “The user must then pierce the heart of body of the desired spirit while calling up the forces from the earth below. Using their own spirit, the seal and force of the earth will bind the now dead spirit to the living user.” Olrok stopped at the end of the open pages, “Do you want me to keep reading?” He asked.
The old goblin then turned to Flogg, “That makes a lot more sense than what YOU were saying.” He turned back toward Olrok, “You’ve just got yourself a job boy.”
“Me? Oh okay.” Olrok said surprised.
“I’m Ogdosh, that’s Azeke and Fizdeg.” The old goblin pointed to everyone in the room, “Miglagh is the one who keeps growling at you. And the little ones I assume are Azeke’s little brothers.” Olrok looked to the short goblin holding the littlest goblins.
“What gives you that idea?” Olrok asked, not really sure what he meant by ‘brothers’ he didn’t see any sign of an oath between any of them.
“Lets just say I met their fathers and their mother. Given how long I expected she had, the timing and their scent it’s too close to be anything else.” Olrok wasn’t sure what to think about that but the little goblin’s ears were back as it stared hard at the stone at it’s feet.
“Don’t worry girl. I’ll see to it you get your revenge.” The old goblin he now knew as Ogdosh said, the little goblin going towards him, “For once we have a bit of time to do some learning, some planning and some resting.” He leaned back and patted the little goblin called Azeke on the head.
“As long as you don’t lie to me about whatever you read, and I’ll know if you’re lying, you’ve got yourself some steady feed and protection for as long as we’re here.” Ogdosh told him.
“Really?” Olrok was pleasantly surprised, “Don’t you worry I won’t let you down I’ll read you every book here if you want.” He sped out.
The pale uruk named Fizdeg handed him a bowl of gruel and a chunk of meat with just the barest layer of crisp on it. He immediately scarfed the whole thing down worried it might get taken away if he didn’t eat it fast enough. He coughed a bit as he almost forgot to chew the meat. As he coughed Fizdeg went to the mama goat that Flogg used for milking. A surprising amount of stuff needed milk but there was always extra. Not that Flogg let Olrok have any. He filled up a linen bag with her milk and went to the smallest goblins. Olrok watched as he showed Azeke how to get the little ones to suck on the bag. Seemed more complicated than eating should be but who was Olrok to argue.
He didn’t know these orcs very well but so far he had a good feeling about them. None of them whipped, fucked or tried to eat him, though the big one had clearly wanted to when he came in. However it was clear that they obeyed their leader. The old goblin had a mortar and pestle on his face. The sort of tattoo you see on a healer but by the feel of him Olrok guessed he was also a sorcerer. This cave seemed to attract sorcerers. Olrok didn’t care too much about that as long as he had some grub, a place to sleep and no one hurting him.
Yup Olrok felt pretty good about this new situation. Flogg must have messed it up to not get the same offer. Didn’t surprise Olrok, Flogg wasn’t really an orc that was easy to like even on his good days. So for however long these uruks were planning to stay here Olrok was more than willing to help out. Hey he might even get lucky and be useful enough they want to keep him around. But that’s not likely but an uruk can dream can’t he?
End of Epilogue