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‘He’s dead! The Elf’s killed ‘im!’
Snikdul’s voice was squeaky as he announced the demise of Gâshronk, ending in a strangulated gasp as Gromwakh clapped his hand over his companion’s mouth and pulled him down. Elves, he’d heard, have a nasty way of overhearing things. The two Orcs were silent for the space of many heartbeats before Grom dared a look up. The captain was indeed dead and the Elf who had done him in was nowhere to be seen.
Nor were there any of the other Orcs about. He’d heard the big Elf and another go thundering after them, weapons at the ready, he supposed. Gromwakh wondered how many of his fellows would return. He’d also heard the big Elf tell the lady she was to stay with their wounded companion. Grom poked his head up to look for her, but did not see her by the wagon. He wondered if she’d managed to drag the wounded one off to the cover of the trees on the other side of the wagon. He debated with himself whether to take a little look-see about the apparently deserted camp, then thought better of it. She’d looked as formidable as the Big Elf. And lady, or no, he figured she was probably as set against dealing with Orcs on anything other than a dire level. He sat back on his haunches and thought for a few more moments.
‘Let’s pull back even further,’ he whispered to the white-knuckled Snikdul. ‘We can circle around under cover and find what’s left of the troops.’ He pulled on his companion’s arm, motioning for him to stay low and move quietly. He recalled a scrap of information one of the Uruks had let drop when they’d first heard about going to the Golden Wood. It wasn’t too far from the mountains in parts, the Uruk had said, and he’d wondered if they’d come down through that route.
In his simple line of reasoning, Gromwakh held on to that word – ‘mountains’. They’d go back to the main body of the army and even if the route didn’t go near the mountains, still perhaps he and his little band could drift away at some point and make for them. That little beam of hope in his Orcish mind, he urged Snikdul on toward where they thought the other Orcs might be
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