[Mithadan]

It took Gravlox the better part of a day to evade the pursuit of the Fangirls. But at last, as night fell, his head ringing from the screams and whines of the overamorous Elf-o-philes, he found a burrow in the side of a hill. Evicting two halflings and an assortment of hamsters, he settled in for an evening of remorse, self-blame and the Orcish waybread known as Doritos. Then he fell into a tortured sleep filled with images of leering Fangirls and dreams of Merisu pushing him from cliffs or tall trees into pits full of fire.

He woke with a bad taste in his mouth and a heavy heart. After a breakfast of pickles and cold chicken from the halflings' larder, he left the burrow and wandered aimlessly for a time bemoaning the fates of the world and his Orc boots which had never fit properly. For three days he wandered until he happened upon the camp of his Uruks. A quick count showed that of the twenty lads he had set out with, only ten remained.

"What has happened here?" he demanded. Buzzcut stepped forward and proclaimed proudly, "We captured a mighty Elven warrior, the one with the teeny blade. I sent him ahead to Gol Dulldor with three of our Uruks to guard him. Then three of our lads were in the edge of the forest doing what bears do in the woods, when they were attacked by more warriors. They were spitted en flagrante..."

A bit more questioning revealed that the captured warrior was of Merisu's party, as were the others who had assailed his Orcs. They were last seen heading in the general direction of Gol Dulldor...very slowly.

"Should we prepare to attack the enemy?" asked Buzzcut. Gravlox thought for a moment, briefly entertaining a vision of snatching Merisu away from her companions. But that was old school. Gravlox was a changed Orc. He shook his head. "No, we return to Gol Dulldor to check on the prisoner."

And so they broke camp (and some dishes), mounted their wolves and headed back home...