Chapter 2: The Slaver
Apple Bloom woke up with a groan, rubbing her head. Ugh, that hurt. She looked around, finding herself in in a cage with Sweetie Belle, which was still passed out.
“Sweetie Belle, wake up!” She shook the unicorn gently.
“Uhh…my head…Where are we?” The unicorn looked around with her friend, finding themselves in what looked like a camp of those human-like creatures. It tents and guard towers looked rather old and damaged, like they had their best time long behind them, being grey/green in color. The children knew this wasn’t good.
"Boss!" One of the creatures called out "Caught something. You'll want to have a look at this."
The sound of heavy boots came from a tent, closer and closer.
Apple bloom gave a gulp and Sweetie Belle quaked in her hooves as the 'boss' emerged.
A broader, stockier example of their kind, his rough skin a sickly green. At first, his face appeared hidden under a strange helmet. It was a skull-cap of spiked metal straps around and over his scalp, down his nose and beside his cheeks, like some form of cage for his head, showing only his large, bat-like ears and the various rings he wore on them. As he approached and looked upon his new quarry, his features were better seen, much to Bloom and Sweetie's aversion.
He was quite simply the ugliest creature they'd ever seen. His eyes were deep-set and mean-looking. His nose was hooked and had been pierced by some form of bone or tooth, slotted sideways through the bridge. But his teeth were what they found the most aversive, a large mouth of swollen gums packed with pointed fangs one would be likelier to find in a shark or an alligator.
The fillies winced at the thought of what his bite could feel like. Somehow they knew at once this monster was not a friendly one.
He tilted his head in bafflement. “What the bleedin' hell is this meant to be?! I send you shrakhs-for-brains out to find fresh slaves and this is what you bring me?”
“But look at 'em, boss. These aren't normal horses! Look at their coats. And the mane. And they talk, boss, see!” One of his guards replied.
“I got ears, you bloody fool. I know they talk. That doesn't mean they're any use! You can talk and you're not much use!” The boss countered.
“Oh yeah...wait, what?”
“So...what do I do with you, eh?” The boss looked at the foals in confusion.
The unicorn whimpered and her friend stood protective in front of her. “Leave us alone...Just let us go. We mean you no harm.”
He eyed her for a moment, then laughed. “Look at this brave lass, boys. She thinks she's scary.” The others laughed too.
“I reckon the elves have something to do with this!” One of the guards exclaimed, causing another to groan.
“There you go again. Always jumping at elves! Lightning strikes, its elves. Your sword rusts, it's elves. You get the shrakhs, its elves.”
“That's what happens when you eat raw ghul brains, ya glob!” A third one added.
“Look, I'm just saying!” The first one tried to explain.
“Shut up, the lot of ya!” The boss yelled before he turned to the foals. He scratched his warty chin and growled. “Right...the Black Captains'll be here in a few days. They'll know what to do with you. In the meantime, you can make yourselves useful around here. Throw them into the mines!”
Some of the guards walked up the cage, the Earth pony struggled as they tried to restrain them but was overwhelmed by the guards and dragged out, while the unicorn offered no resistance at all.
Once they reached the mines, a residual stench of oil fumes wafted through the noses of the foals.
Sweetie Belle wasn’t able to take stock of the scene as she and her friend were dragged. She hesitantly trudged close to the wall as they continued into the naturally forming interior. The walls were grimy to the touch as she ran her hoof along its rough surface.
One of the nearby slaves, all humans, caught her attention when he screamed out as he stumbled into a hole. His cries died away as the sound of a thud emanated from below.
Sweetie Belle’s ears fell back. She could already tell, even without peering over the edge, that the unfortunate human had come to an untimely demise. The disinterested looks in the other slaves suggested that they were no strangers to this type of occurrence.
She was forced away from the wall with a firm tug as she assessed the weary state of the humans around them. She was terror-stricken, and she ground her hooves into the dirt as one of the guards brought her and the other filly to a nearby rocky outcrop.
“Get down there and start digging for iron. You'll know it when you see it as long as those pretty wide eyes work well enough. And you'd best hope they do. Because we have a word for those that don't pull their weight around here...Supper! You each get a barrel and you fill it up with ore to the brim. If you don't meet your quota, you go on the roasting spit! And don't even think about running because if you do, I'll catch you and you'll still go on the spit but you'll still be alive, wriggling and choking and burning as we carve you up!.” The boss warned and the two children nodded in fear. He pointed to some rusted pickaxes which laid haphazardly on the floor around them. “Those are your tools. And count yourselves lucky. The slaves in Gorgoroth have to use their hands. It's always a good laugh when they dig right into a magma vent!” He laughed. “You don't even need to cook them after that!”
The two foals picked the pickaxe up and struggled for a moment before they managed to get to work.
They had lost count how long they had been worked, Sweetie Belle looked over to her left. Apple Bloom looked ready to keel over from exhaustion. For the better part of the last hour, she had been dealing with an oil vein she had unwittingly struck. Sweetie Belle felt sorry for Apple Bloom, who was still trying to pat the oil out of her wet mane. Their exhaustion was already borderline overwhelming.
Sweetie Belle wasn't immune to the effects exhaustion was having on her body either. Her hooves were filthy after the long hours of mining for iron. She could practically feel the grime on her poor mane and tail.
“Apple Bloom…” The unicorn tried to catch her breath. “I don’t think I will make it.”
Seeing the fear in her eyes, Apple Bloom replied, “Don’t worry, we will. Together we can make it.”
“Inspection!” A voice yelled and the slaves fell to their knees exhausted as both foals turned around to see one of the guards. He was a hunched, lanky creature with yellow-green skin pitted with welts and scars. Yet he did not have the look of one used to battle, more like one used to misfortune. His squinting eyes looked like rotten tomatoes and his long, crooked nose looked as though it had been broken more than once and not by accident. Yet among the slaves, the creature seemed to swagger about with impunity, checking each barrel. He stopped at Sweetie's barrel and gave her a look. “You...Come here.” His voice was cold.
The unicorn slowly complied, hooves shaking. “Y-y-yes?”
The guard pointed to the barrel. ”Is that it? Is that all you've mined since midday?”
The fully stuttered, “Uh...well...I-it's hard for me to-“
“Yes or no? Are you hiding it all somewhere?”
“N-no...I...That's all.”
The guard in response folded his arms and shook his head, tutting, “That's not much, is it. You'll never fill that barrel by sundown. You know what Gimub'll think of that.”
Sweetie Belle sat down and looked like she was ready to cry, shaking like a leaf.
“However...” The guard mumbled, causing the filly to look up.
“Yes?”
The inspector checked left and right before whispering, “I've a very important job minding the slaves, see. And I can't do a very good job on an empty stomach, can I. So...you sneak me some meat and grog from the feasting table, me and your friend here will take care of the barrel. They won't see you, not now that they're so drunk they can barely stand.”
The two fillies looked at each other. There was a possibility that they might not be able to beat the quota, Apple Bloom might be a farm pony, but was nowhere as energetic as Scootaloo.
“Okay, I’ll do it.” Sweetie Belle said, although she felt uncomfortable.
“I know you can do it, Sweetie Belle.” Apple Bloom gave her a reassuring smile.
“Appreciated.” The unicorn then walked out and her friend resumed to work.
She could already smell the meat, it smelled disgusting and she tried to cover her nose, to no avail.
The food called grog didn’t smell better. Peeking outside the mine, the filly saw that every guard, including their leader was sitting at the table.
“The other day, see, I found one of the slaves in the pens, the ones that can't work anymore, and asked him if he wanted some drink.” One guard told the others.
“We've barely enough for yourselves. Why'd you offer good grog to a slave?” Another asked.
“Simple, I wanted to see the glimmer of hope in his eye...Right before I took it out with a branding iron!” The first guard exclaimed.
The other started to roar with laughter. “That's a good one, that is! I'll have to try that some time.”
Sweetie Belle crouched low and winced, shutting her eyes tight in horror.
I hate this place...
The unicorn noticed despite the drunken state they were in, that they were weary at the table, she needed to distract them. Luckily, a stone was right next to her.
She picked it up and threw it at a wall.
“What was that?” The one called Gimub asked and all took a look, some stumbled due being drunk, giving the filly the opportunity she needed. Lighting up her horn, Sweetie Belle picked up some meat and grog and walked back into the mine.
The inspector seemed to smile as he saw her with the food. “'Ah. Good girl. Now, about that barrel.” The guard pointed to Apple bloom. “Er...you, other horse. Help me with this, quiet as you can.” He said and together with Apple Bloom, he tipped out the ore already in the barrel. Then he and Bloom filled it up with dirt and put the ore on top. “Old slave's trick, see...” He looked at the other slaves as they stared at him and yelled, “What are you lookin' at?! Rest's over! Get back to work, you lazy tarks!”
“Sweetie, we got to find us a way outta' here, fast.” The farm filly said to her from with worry in her voice.
“Why? We're alright now? Besides, I'm tired.” The unicorn replied shaking a bit in exhaustion, before her friend grabbed her by the cheeks, hissed exasperated.
“Sweetie! When they check the barrels come sun-up and find one that’s just half-dirt, ya think the Slaver's gonna' be happy?”
Sweetie Belle thought for a moment, her eyes widened in dread, and shook her head.
“Right.” Apple Bloom pointed to the guard. “An' ya think he's gonna' keep quiet?”
The white filly looked at him, already busy eating, barely paying attention to them and shook her head again.
“Right. We ain't safe here. We need a plan.”
“Well, I'd suggest patience, little one. Ratbag's never one to hold his grog well.”
The man who'd spoken was kneeling before them with a thoughtful expression. He looked different to other humans they'd seen in ways they couldn't quite pinpoint. He was a rangy fellow in similar rags as the slaves but coupled with a furry cowl. His face was weathered but handsome with sky-blue eyes, an aquiline nose and thick, hazel locks and beard. His voice was low but gentle and resembled a refined Trottingham accent with a hint of Shirish.
“I’m Hirgon of Tarnost. I will help you. You don’t deserve to be here.” He said with an honest expression.
The unicorn’s ear twitched as she heard the Uruk called Ratbag mumbling in his drunken state, “Ah...groggy-woggy...you're by best. He sniffed, “and only friend...”
The man listened silently, his face showing little more than puzzlement. And yet somehow it seemed like this was the only the second strangest thing that had happened to him that day.
The strange silver figure beside meanwhile had looked intently at Dinky all the while, eyes wide with fascination.
"Well...that all sounds...interesting." Talion said at last "Suffice to say, you're a long way from home.”
“We noticed that already. If you don’t mind, Mr. Talion, can you tell us more about you?
Talion gave them a look of dismal. “...I do mind. So no. At least not right now. I want to find your friends, get you all to safety and then go about my business...alone.”
“No need to be quite so fierce, Talion.” The spirit advised.
“I do not need this.”
“We never know what we may need until we are deprived of it. There is more to these newcomers than meets the eye.”
“What about you…spirit friend?” The unicorn asked the spirit.
“I sadly can’t remember anything.” He replied and disappeared again.
It worried the Pegasus if her friend was alright, but something told her that she shouldn’t think too much about it.
“There is the camp.” The man pointed to it as it was in sight. “Stay behind me.”
They took cover behind a carriage as they heard yells and as two guards came into view, chasing down a man and Apple Bloom, managing to knock them down and out, and dragging them back into the camp.
Talion turned to the spirit and said, “Well this doesn’t bode well.”
“Didn’t you see? The prisoner created a distraction.” The sprit replied then vanished again, but Dinky heard him adding, “Why use your human sight to track the Uruk? I can see more than any mortal.” After a short moment the spirit then said, “Slay the Orc captain. Cut off the head of the snake and the body will wither.”
The man then turned to the foals. “Right. I'll take care of this.” He then gave them a stern glare. “Do not move and only make a noise if there's trouble.” The nodded in agreement, even Dinky. While she wanted to help save her friend, she knew she didn’t have a chance against those creatures.
They saw how Talion climbed up a wall and stabbed an Archer from behind, before moving out of sight. No sooner had the first Uruk fallen than he heard an unpleasant voice yelling in his ear.
"Hey!"
Talion spun round as a crude, jagged Uruk blade slammed into his own. The ugly, toad-like face of Gimub the Slaver was before him, his mean, little eyes boring into his.
"A pity I have to kill you." he snarled, licking his lips "You would make a strong slave."
With a roar, he drew his sabre up and slammed it down from every angle. It was all Talion could do to keep himself balanced.
Other uruks were rushing forth, ready to aid their master.
It was high time to behead this snake.
His eyes flashed back to his last night on the black gate.
The scream.
The blood.
The teary-eyed promise...broken.
Talion's fist, blazing with an eerie silver glow, bashed into Gimub's face, nearly denting his spiked helm. Talion felt his sword light in his grasp as he landed deep strikes on his dazed foe. Step by step, he pushed the Slaver back as his sword ripped through the air. The force of it knocked Gimub's sabre out his meaty hand. As the Slaver dully stared at it fly away, Talion's blade came round one last time.
In the courtyard, trapped under the weight of one of her captor's boots, Apple bloom looked up groggily and saw a dozen uruks fleeing the hollow, tripping over each other in their haste.
"Where are you going, you globs?!" The Uruk with his boot on her back yelled "He's just one rotten tark! Where are your backbones?! Where are your...uh...ugh..."
His ugly mouth hung open as the intruder strode into view, his eyes glowing bright blue.
The little pony gasped, feeling her stomach feel tight, as the man raised his hand, the blank-eyed, slack-jawed severed head of Gimub the Slaver in its grasp.
The strange, blue-eyed man yelled in a voice that resonated eerily. Like two voices at once.
"Run you filth! And tell your masters...I am coming!"
Screams of fear echoed across the hollow from all sides.
"He killed Gimub! How could he kill Gimub?!"
"The tark cut his head off! Like it was nothing!"
"Run!" the loudest voice belted out. It was coming from the Uruk with his boot on Apple bloom’s back, who swiftly turned tail with a shriek "Run for your bleedin' lives!"
His comrades needed no persuading.
After a few seconds, Taillon came back, about to untying a Slave tied to a wooden stake before the same man that got caught with Apple Bloom, the latter ran into her friends for a hug.
“So you didn’t die 10 years ago.” The ranger said.
“I take it you didn’t come here to arrest me for treason. Captain.“
“You and I are all that remains of that Garrison, Hirgon.”
“Then why did you come here?” Hirgon asked as he untied the slaves.
“Looking for a slave that fought the Black Hand of Sauron.”
Hirgon chuckled. “More like run away from him.”
“You know this man?”
“Of course. You’re staring at him.”
“Where are the servants of the Dark Lord? Do you even know?”
“Perhaps.”
“This is no time to keep secrets.” The ranger pointed out.
“I’ve been stuck here for weeks. Steady…” He helped a slave up. “Come to the Outcast Camp, we shall ask my scouts. Our little friends will be safer there too.”
“I’ll be there.” Talion replied and the fillies followed Hirgon without a word, just wanting to be out of there.
The man then looked at Apple bloom, eying her suspiciously.
"Weren't there supposed to be two of you?"
Apple Bloom looked at her friends. “Ya mean she's not with ya?!"
Talion's eyes rolled as he sighed.
"Just perfect."