Lost Scout

[Frundette]

"Come with me," he invited with a crooked smile. "I will show you, I think we both know what will be waiting for them when the reach the orc camp looking for you. Not to mention the number of orcs who will be combing these woods for you once they realize you are gone, you know as well as I do how important remaining secret is to them. You have suddenly become a lot more valuable, Gyyyyytha..."

The fact that this thing knew her name did nothing to ease her fear of it. If anything, it made it even creepier, as if it had been listening outside the cage each night. She weighed his offer, but except for the fact that she was still breathing, there was no reason to trust this creature in front of her.

"Fine, show me," she said, lowering her rock slightly, no longer threatening to throw it at his head. But her eyes scanned the surrounding area for something else to use as a weapon.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

The fact that this thing knew her name did nothing to ease her fear of it. If anything, it made it even creepier, as if it had been listening outside the cage each night. She weighed his offer, but except for the fact that she was still breathing, there was no reason to trust this creature in front of her.

"Fine, show me," she said, lowering her rock slightly, no longer threatening to throw it at his head. But her eyes scanned the surrounding area for something else to use as a weapon.

Gomez watched her eyes search the surrounding trees, whether for more orcs or another weapon he did not know, but he didn't comment on it either way. "Follow me, follow me..." He dropped onto all fours again and beckoned her forward with a clawed hand as he began walking almost due north.

"The orcs will be moving soon," he cautioned, scanning the bushes ahead of them. "Only I know a safe route through the Greywoods..."

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Mulush growled angrily before pushing the blubbering girl away from him hard enough to knock her to the ground. "Get Vorgak!" he snapped at one of the orcs bringing the logs for the fortification and the orc nodded, heading off. Vorgak was a skilled tracker, probably the best among them. "Cook 'em both up tonight," he growled, now in a foul temper.

Orkhan didn't need to be told twice, the commotion during the afternoon caused by Gytha and Ruby had caused him to miss his lunch break. Hungry and annoyed that a slave had gotten past him, he was more than eager to get rid of the trouble makers and satisfy his rumbling stomach at the same time. He grabbed Ruby by the ropes binding her hands behind back and hauled her backwards across the mud to grab Danielle, who was huddled with her knees tucked up against her chest by the wall. With a girl in each hand, he began dragging them across the camp to a small hut with smoke rising out a hole in the top. Ghegari was a good cook, she'd be able to make something edible out of these two stringy girls...

The cookhouse did not have a door, only a hole in the wall to allow visitors to enter. Inside the air was thick was smoke and the smell of burned meat. The only light came from the small hole in the top, which seemed almost more useful in providing light than removing the smoke from the room. A short, fat female orc was inside stirring the contents of a massive pot suspended over a fire. A cage similar to the one they were kept in overnight was set up in the corner, and Orkhan threw both girls inside without removing the ropes or gag from Ruby. The two exchanged words in orc tongue before Orkhan closed and locked the cage, and left the room to aid in the search for Gytha. When he returned, Ghegari would have supper ready for the hungry search party.

 

[StarrNico]

Ruby held back a cry as she was tossed in the cage with the other girl. She didn't know how she was going to get out, but she knew they had to or die.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Ghegari turned away from the steaming pot to face the two girls, her wooden spoon dripping with a foul smelling liquid. She knelt down to examine the captives more closely and rapped her spoon loudly on the metal bars a couple of times to see how alert they were. Upon seeing both of them jump, she grinned toothlessly and returned to her soup. The last two were dull and drowsy, but these ones were much more alive, and would make for a nicer meal.

 

[StarrNico]

Ruby wished her father would come. She looked to Danielle and tried to get the other girl to untie her, or even just get the gag out. She had jumped at the spoon hitting the bars of the cage, then watched the orc go back to the pot.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Danielle was huddled in the furthest corner of the cage, her knees drawn up against her chin like she wanted to make herself as small as possible. Her cheeks were red and puffy from crying, and her hair was sticking up in all directions, with some plastered to her wet face. She didn't understand why she was singled out and brought into the awful cookhouse. All she had tried to do was behave!

She wasn't looking at Ruby when the other girl looked at her to untie her, but her exhausted and irrational mind started to blame Ruby and Gytha for getting her into this mess. If only the two girls had kept quiet and done their work, none of this would be happening! Maybe, she thought, if I'm nice to the orcs, and do what they say, they'll let me live...

 

[Frundette]

As soon as the creature's back was turned toward her, Gytha stepped forward a few paces, as if to simply catch up and let him lead her along his mythical "safe route". But as soon as she was close enough to feel confident in her aim, she threw the rock with all the might she could muster at the back of Gomez's head. Without wasting time to see if it had the desired effect of knocking him out, she grabbed a hefty looking stick from the forest floor and brought it up as if it were a staff, preparing to crack him over the head again or defend herself from retaliation if needed.


---


The sun shone brightly and a cool breeze blew as Aelfric, Ezra, Strider, and Jasper followed the trail toward the orc encampment and had it not been for the dire nature of their mission, Jasper would have quite enjoyed this trek through the woods. As it was, he was growing increasingly anxious about what they might encounter at any moment, imagining the orcs being ready to spring an ambush at any moment.

They had hiked for almost 2 hours when the distant sounds of commotion met their ears. The speakers were too far away for their words to be made out clearly, but it definitely sounded like someone barking order in a harsh language.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Half expecting Gytha to attempt something of the like, Gomez wasn't all that surprised when the rock struck the back of his head. Still, the small trickle of blood which resulted along with a spurt of pain was undesired whether he expected it or not. As hard as it was thrown, it did not knock the orcish creature out completely, but left a good sized welt that would be noticeable for a couple of days at least.

He threw up a hand and rubbed the back of his head while spinning around to face Gytha. Instead of rising up to stand on two feet, this time he stayed on all fours and took several steps away from the scout to try and avoid the stick, like a dog who knew he was guilty after killing his master's chickens. "Oww, oww... poor head, poor head..." He caressed the wound with his hands, all while shaking his head to try and clear his thoughts. His face looked genuinely hurt and bewildered as to why he had suddenly been struck. "The orcs hit me... you hit me... is a gesture of honest help too much to accept?"

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

The sun shone brightly and a cool breeze blew as Aelfric, Ezra, Strider, and Jasper followed the trail toward the orc encampment and had it not been for the dire nature of their mission, Jasper would have quite enjoyed this trek through the woods. As it was, he was growing increasingly anxious about what they might encounter at any moment, imagining the orcs being ready to spring an ambush at any moment.

They had hiked for almost 2 hours when the distant sounds of commotion met their ears. The speakers were too far away for their words to be made out clearly, but it definitely sounded like someone barking order in a harsh language.

Although Ezra did have someone to lose on this mission, his thoughts were not too far off of Jasper's. The thought of encountering an orc made even him nervous, but more for Danielle then for himself. If he had just been more clear with her about staying home... maybe she wouldn't have come.

As the sounds of the commotion ahead reached his ears he could feel his heartbeat begin to increase, and the hairs on the back of his neck rise slightly. His muscles tightened as adrenaline began flowing through his system, but with Danielle possibly ahead it only made him want to go further. "That sounds, un-human..." He commented. "It must be the orcs, the camp can't be far away from here."