Forgotten

Title: Forgotten
Author: Anemone Frost
Email: Weepingwillow987@aol.com
Pairing: Hobbits/orcs; M/P
Rating: PG-13
Summary: 2/? More torment for the poor hobbits.
Feedback: Yes, please.
Warnings: Violence
Archive: Ask first.
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Tolkien.


Merry and Pippin had been marching for what felt like weeks, and the two had gone miles without food and drink. The lack of sustenance was gnawing at their bodies. There was some comfort, though, but very little. The orcs had moved the troop out of the clearing, allowing them to march into the shade of the trees. It was still hot but far better than being driven on through the heated rays of the sun. Both were sweating horribly and their damp curls clung to their foreheads, while flies buzzed aroundm. Pm. Pippin tried to swat the annoying insects, but it was a feeble attempt due to his bound wrists. He would have to endure the stinging bites.

Whips suddenly cracked at his heels forcing him to pick up his pace. Merry was falling slightly behind.

“Merry,” Pippin whispered, “you have to quicken your pace. If you begin to fall too far behind the orcs will use the whips on you. Please, walk faster. I know you must be weak but you have to keep up. If they beat you any more today it will only weaken you further.”

“I can’t do it Pippin,” Merry whined’m s’m so hungry and so tired.” His face reddened. “My back and rear hurt also.”

“I know, Merry, I know,” Pippin whimpered. “There will be a moment for rest. I’m sure of it. Even the orcs can’t march forever. The heat is probably wearing them down too.”

“Quiet maggot!” an orc spat, cuffing Pippin. “Keep still and standing! We stop for a moment, so enjoy it while you still can.”

The hobbits glared ahead at the front of the line. Orcs were lingering around and growling about something ahead of them. Pippin saw Merry’s eyes widen with fear. Pippin looked back ahead and saw what had frightened Merry. There were gaps in between the orcs, and he could make out the rippling of water. The troop had come across a pond. The leader suddenly snarled, and the troop began to move again. The two hobbits were struck with fear and found themselves glued to the spot. However, the orcs began to roughly shove them along. Closer and closer they moved to the water’s edge. The water rippled near their feet. Pippin was the first to break.

“Please, we can’t swim!” he wailed. “You can’t force us in there! We’ll both drown!”

“Pippin!” Merry cried in despair.

One of the orcs smirked down at them. “Is that so, little one? Olik, it seems the halflings don’t know how to swim. Such a pity, isn’t it?”

Olik chuckled. “Maybe we should give them swimming lessons. Hm, but how would we manage that??”

“Well, let’s just see what happens when we keep them marching through the pond,” Hurlick snickered cruelly, amused with their new game. “That should be interesting enough.”

The two orcs smacked at both the hobbit’s backs with their sharp claws. Pippin squeaked at the searing pain, though he refused to budge. Another smack of jagged claws slammed onto his back, causing him to practically leap into the w. Me. Merry was close behind, tears trickling down his crimson cheeks. The pond water was murky, bitter cold, and smelled rancid. The level of water was all ready up to their knees. The orcs around them sloshed by, spraying icy water all over the poor hobbits. The water was now up to Merry and Pippin’s chests and slowly rose higher and higher. Pippin’s heart was pounding. Not only could he feel it thudding against his chest, but he could also hear it ringing in his ears. He glanced over at Merry, who seemed to be in the same state of panic. Perspiration was sliding down his flushed face and neck. He wanted to speak, but one of the orcs grasped the back of his neck.

“How are you handling this, little one?” The look Merry shot the creature as it groped at his cousin caused the orc to laugh evilly. “It looks as if your friend here doesn’t like to be touched.”

“Leave him alone,” Merry snapped.

“Did you hear that Olik?” Hurlick asked. “One of the things mouthed off to me. Lucky for you Ugluk is present, so we’ll have to teach you to hold your tongue in private. In the mean time, I think this one needs to be taught to float.”

“No! You’ll kill me!” Pippin screamed, attempting to run away. The claw that wrapped around his neck prevented him from getting far, and he only succeeded in strangling himself when struggling. “Let me go you foul creature! If you push me into the water I‘ll drown!”

“Don’t worry little one,” Hurlick chuckled. “We won’t let you drown. Olik and I have some fun planned for you later, young one. Maybe you’ll even enjoy it.”

The uruk shoved Pippin forward, and the hobbit came close to falling into the water, dangling mere inches from the murky surface. Merry yelled and tried to rush to his cousin’s aid but another uruk took hold of him and hauled the squirming mass over his shoulder. Hurlick entwined his claw in Pippin’s curls and yanked hard, pulling the head back. Pippin was forced to gaze into the orc’s ugly yellow eyes. His gnarled face curled in a disgusting smile.

“Are you thirsty, halfling?rlicrlick asked. “I can remedy that.”

Still holding Pippin by the hair, the orc slammed him into the water. Pippin’s body floated for a second before Hurlick shoved him deeper into the water. Soon, the hobbit’s entire body disappeared in the rippling haze. Merry was thrashing and screaming violently enough that the entire troop of uruks had stopped to view the commotion. Hurlick was chuckling as Pippin’s arms shot out of the water flaying madly. His head was still buried beneath the depths of water. Tears were streaming down Merry’s face as he watched his cousin’s desperate struggles to escape.

“Please, let him up!” Merry sobbed. “You’re killing him! Let him go! I’ll do anything you want just leave my cousin alone!”

“Why would I want to do that?” Hurlick sneered.

Merry could only wail in response. It had been nearly a minute since Pippin had been forced under the water. Merry cried out as Ugluk violently rammed into the other uruk. Concern for Pippin’s safety ran through his mind. The two uruks were fighting viscously over Pippin’s hunched form in the water. The two were locked in battle, each rolling in the water, slashing and biting at any visible flesh. Merry gazed about the water, searching wildly to catch sight of his cousin. A slight smile formed as he saw Pippin dragged from the water by another uruk, who slumped the unconscious hobbit over his shoulders. Scarlet liquid stained the water as one of the orcs fell. Ugluk rose triumphantly over Hurlick’s torn and bleeding form.

“This is the fate for those who play with any of the halflings,” Ugluk snarled. “Let them be!”

The troop began to march forward again. When the uruks finally reached the other side Pippin was dumped from the shoulders of the orc, and he landed face first in the dirt. The same happened to Merry, but he was landed face first into the edge of the water. Due to his bindings and the rising panic, he found himself unable to turn on his back. While he was gagging the on the awful water, the uruk above him dug his claws into his ankle and began to drag him out. Merry’s shriek rang throughout the trees as the nails pierced his flesh. The orc growled and flung him roughly toward Pippin’s form. Merry eagerly crawled toward the hobbit as he gained back his senses. Pippin was deathly still and pallid around his face. His breathing was shallow.

“Pippin? Pippin are you all right?” Merry asked.

A gurgle rose in Pippin’s throat, and he opened his eyes. “Merry? n’t n’t feel so well. I’m cold and.....”

The hobbit never finished. He whipped his head to the side and vomited all the water that had entered his lungs. Merry rubbed his bound hands across Pippin’s back, trying to relax him.

“Any better?” Merry asked.

“So tired,” Pippin murmured. “I want to sleep.”

Merry tried to embrace his cousin, but he was savagely knocked aside by a uruk. “Up with you! We march now!”

“How can you force us to march?!” Merry yelled. “Look at him! He isn’t capable of walking! He’s far too weak from what one of your cronies did to him! Look at him!”

The uruk snarled and barked an order to a nearby orc. Pippin groaned in agony as the orc roughly plucked him off the ground. Pippin was carried off into the troop, and Merry tried to fight his way through the mass to stay by his side. Merry saw his cousin mouthing his name. He tried to quicken his pace, limping on his wounded ankle, but a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him away from his cousin. Merry’s eyes widened as he saw Olik’s face leering down at him.

“Where do you think you’re going, eh?” he spat. “No, you’re staying right by my side maggot. It’s your fault that Hurlick is dead. If only you had kept your mouth shut! We were only having a bit of fun, but that was all ruined by you!” An evil glint flickered in his dark eyes. “You’ll pay for this later. When everyone else has fallen asleep, and when all the lookouts are distracted, I’ll take you off into the woods, and finish you off! I’ll have you all to myself tonight.”

The uruk licked the side of Merry’s face, nearly causing him to retch. Merry closed his eyes as the orc hauled him off the ground, tears trickling down che cheeks.

More to follow.