[Sophia the Thunder Mistress]

Farien rose from tending the wounded men at the sound of the harsh speech of an orc. She looked around frantically for the other captives, counting in her head. All there... except... Georelelia and Emilia. Farien breathed deeply. Were the orcs going to kill them methodically one by one? She looked over to where Arrin and Serra still sat, under Eregiath's watchful eye. They wouldn't take her babies! Farien suddenly became aware that she was gritting her teeth together and glaring at the orc who had spoken.

As she watched the orc took a rope and motioned to the nearest prisoner. It sneered as it tied her, and led her away. It returned again and again, taking another prisoner each time. Throwing Serra over its shoulder... Farien lunged toward it. Eregiath caught her by the wrist. "You can't do anything, love." he whispered into her ear.

When her turn came Farien resisted, throwing herself backward onto the ground, fighting against the rope halter around her neck. The orc simply pulled. Farien felt the skin scraping off her arms as she was dragged along the rough ground. She kicked and tried to slow it down, to no avail. She felt her skirt tear and looked behind as a large piece of the red fabric remained on the ground where she had been. Defeated, she struggled to her feet, and followed the orc.

Approaching a large cave he shoved her past two goblin-guards. She spit at him as he removed the rope harness from her neck. Snarling he moved closer to her. She felt his hot rank breath on her face as he revealed a small dagger. "Do you know what this is, woman?" he asked her in a low voice. She closed her mough firmly and stared at him. "It's a poisoned blade I sometimes use to help tarks like you calm down. It'll put you to sleep real quickly..." The hot breath hissed against her face again. "Or maybe you'd like it better if I used it on your baby? That precious curly haired girl..." Bits of saliva flew out of its mouth as it spoke, splattering across Farien's cheeks. The expression in her eyes changed immediately from defiance to terror. She remained silent, however. The orc must have read the fear in her eyes, because he removed the rope from her neck roughly, and shoved her into the cave, muttering all the time in Black Speech.

Farien fell to her knees panting, just inside the entrance. With one sleeve of her dress she wiped the foul spit of the orc from her face. After being outside, the darkness of the cave baffled her, until she heard Telmir's voice call from her right, "Mamma! We're over here!" She went that way, and gathered her children in her arms, huddled in the dimness.