An Orc's Perspective

[engarian.livejournal.com]

B2MeM Prompt and Path:Freedom, Red
Format:Ficlet
Genre:Deathfic
Rating:PG
Warnings:Battle, Death
Characters:Anonymous Orc
Pairings:None
Creator’s Notes:Tolkien provided the sandbox, I merely play with the bucket and shovel he left behind. No profit of any kind is made from my fanworks.
Summary:As the final battle of the War of the Last Alliance got underway, Sauron threw all of his troops at the enemy. One of them was an anonymous orc who had never been outside of his den before.

An Orc’s Perspective

I heard the war horns winded, thousands of voices raised in a roar as the gates were slowly opened ahead of us. The great doors rumbled and a brisk wind blew through the newly opened gap, sweeping down our waiting ranks. Drums had beat as we exited the caverns. Their sound now continued as they delivered orders through their rhythm.

Many around me cast careful sideways glances at the surroundings, grunting their astonishment. Open space was a new experience for most of us. Of course, our overseers had been outside the crowded dens before; they had been given details about our roles in the upcoming battle. But we were the rank and file; nothing special, just bodies to throw at the enemy. Our numbers would prevail, not our skill.

I was not at the front, a fact that made me grateful even though I had nothing to do with my position. I was removed from the fierce battle at the opened gate where elven arrows and bright blades were now mowing down my den mates. I looked around me and saw open ground ahead, angling away up a slope that looked possible to scale if I was quick. If only I could reach it, I might break free of the bloodshed and live to fight again another time.

The smell of blood hit me and I fought down panic. I had to get out of the pack and away from the death dealing blades and arrows. I turned, pushing my fellow orcs out of my way and began running as quickly as I could toward the small apron of open land beyond the gaping gates.

The battling crowd blocked my view. I stopped to get my bearings and took a deep breath. The air smelled strange without the additional taints of spoiled food and piles of excrement. I took a quick look up and halted in amazement. The sky was so vast! Suddenly I felt like a flea crawling on the earth – small and of no importance. I fell to my knees, frightened by its immensity; it was beyond my imagination. A sudden jolt of pain struck me. Looking down I saw the arrow. I fell, but smiled. Finally I was free from the orc dens of Mordor.

Comments

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

Nettenya, I don't know how to tell you this, but I think the orc possibly ate your ficlet :( a sad thing, as I'm eager to read it!

Kaylee

[engarian.livejournal.com]

My apology. I accidentally cut one carat off and that messed everything up. It should be up and running now.

- Erulisse (one L)

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

Oh, and it's just as beautiful and heartbreaking as I was envisioning it would be! *shivers* Not that I would normally call any orc's thoughts 'beautiful' but you rendered the descriptions so well, and the random orc's thoughts made me cry for him. You made me well appreciate how scared he was! Venturing outside for the first time after being inside for who knows how long...*shiver* Especially walking into THAT!

Well done, nettenya. *hugs Erulisse*

[engarian.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much, my dear friend and sister. I appreciate your reading and reviewing. Over the years I've done quite a few stories from an orc's point of view. I find I enjoy looking at the other side - LOL.

- Erulisse (one L)

[shirebound]

Oh dear, your ficlet has fallen into the Cracks of Doom!

[engarian.livejournal.com]

My apology. I accidentally cut one carat off and that messed everything up. It should be up and running now.

- Erulisse (one L)

[shirebound]

Ohhhh, and it's wonderful and poignant and heartbreaking.

[engarian.livejournal.com]

Thank you SO much, my dear. Even the enemy sometimes had hearts, hopes and dreams.

- Erulisse (one L)

[zdenka]

Okay, I think I see the problem. Looking at the entry with my mod-palantir, it looks like you just pasted the text of your ficlet before the closing bracket of the LJ-cut instead of after, and LJ got confused.

I hope you will repost, since I'd like to read it. :)

[engarian.livejournal.com]

My apology. I accidentally cut one carat off and that messed everything up. It should be up and running now.

- Erulisse (one L)

[zdenka]

I'm feeling sorry for the Orc now!

[engarian.livejournal.com]

I'm thrilled, because nobody wins in a war. Orcs are creatures born of evil, but they are also trained and nurtured to act in that way. I always feel sorry for the pawns in any conflict.

- Erulisse (one L)

[ysilme]

How intense this experience of the vast sky must have been, and how extraordinary! How bittersweet to have this as a last experience and memory, but it's also truly a blessing to have felt freedom, even just before death.

[engarian.livejournal.com]

One small grasp of freedom is more than he had ever had through his entire life. What a remarkable gift! Thanks for reading and reviewing, I really appreciate it.

- Erulisse (one L)

[hhimring]

A short flight into freedom--but at least he got out, even if it was such a brief experience.

[engarian.livejournal.com]

Freedom attained, even if quickly fleeting, is still a taste of something remarkable. *hugs* Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

- Erulisse (one L)

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

You made me really sorry for this Orc and I hate Orcs! Very well written.

[engarian.livejournal.com]

I'm actually not that fond of orcs either, which makes me wonder why I have written so many stories about them over the years - LOL. Thank you so much for your kind words.

- Erulisse (one L)

[aearwen2.livejournal.com]

Well done! And yes, I can believe an orc fresh from the den to be tossed into the flames might take a chance at escaping - and find a moment of freedom before the end.

I need to get to work, I see...

[engarian.livejournal.com]

Thanks, hun. Get to work, the month is passing quickly! :-)

- Erulisse (one L)

[silver-trails.livejournal.com]

Beautifully written, my dear. =)

[engarian.livejournal.com]

Thank you so VERY much.

- Erulisse (one L)

[starbrow.livejournal.com]

Oh, how poignant and sad. One moment of freedom, and then just the freedom of death, if that's possible for Orcs.

[engarian.livejournal.com]

If orcs are truly descended from elven stock, then death may indeed be freedom for them, and a chance to start anew after a long stay in Mandos' Halls. But that is fodder for a different tale and one I'm not tripping over quite yet :-)

- Erulisse (one L)

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to catch up....

I think it is most skilful to be able to make us feel sympathy with an orc.

I found myself thinking about their possible elven beginnings before I saw your last comment. I was thinking that, however they reproduce, the elven blood must be some generations back, or sideways or something, but perhaps still enough to throw up one with an appreciation of beauty now and again.

I wonder did JRRT even ponder on an after-life or rebirth for orcs?

[engarian.livejournal.com]

The Professor was a bit vague about Orcs. I think he had to make them from elven stock because in his universe, there were only the Valar, the First Born and the Second Born, yet there needed to be a villain and the fodder for an army and the Valar, no matter how powerful, were unable to imbue life (thus, the sequestering away of the dwarves until after the birth of the elves). Orcs, however, are one of the many large holes that exist in the Silmarillion.

If you have 144 elves on the shores of Cuivienen, and one Vala determined to hunt and destroy them, you're not dealing with a large population group. Yet, by the time of Feanor, the orcs were legion - at least in sheer numbers. It's a real problem, when you get down to logistics.

I do speculate on an after-life/rebirth for orcs because of their origins. The real question for me is what will they look like? Will they be orcish? or will they return to their elvish mien instead.

- Erulisse (one L)

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I agree about the origins and statistics.

As for rebirth - I would have thought those who had actually lived as elves before their 'corruption' process would certainly go to Mandos and, should Namo be able to restore their fea sufficiently, be released back into the wild as elves in The West. Perhaps the first ones bred from that generation likewise - but after that I cannot hazard a guess, to be honest.

[engarian.livejournal.com]

As I recall, in part of "Elf Interrupted" by Fiondil, he had a section of Mandos that was reserved for the fea of orcs to recover and rediscover their joy. It always seemed so reasonable to me. I'm also quite sure that not all orcs would make it into Mandos because they may not have enough elvish blood left to qualify.

I always remember one guide I had at Mesa Verde National Park who told his "flock" that he was Cherokee, and that he really didn't want to hear about how any of them were 1/64th Indian. He said "If you fell down and skinned your knee when you were a child, you bled that tiny amount out of you already." Indeed, most of the tribes won't recognize less than 1/8 blood as qualifying as a card-carrying tribal member.

- Erulisse (one L)

[fernstrike]

How bittersweet! It's good he got the tiniest taste of freedom before his death - I can vividly imagine his amazement at the open sky. I wonder if death could be freedom from the torment of being an orc? But perhaps that's a metaphysical discussion with many ideas and few answers :-)

Really well written!

[engarian.livejournal.com]

Over the years I've written a lot of orc stories, and that small spark of wonder at the outside world runs through most of them in one way or another. The orcs were so regimented and one of what was almost a hive mentality, having any independent thought was unique and quite unusual. I appreciate your reading and am touched that you cared enough to comment on my poor orc and his elusive dream of freedom.

- Erulisse (one L)

[nialoke]

Oh, this is beautiful and heartbreaking. The origin, life and (possible) afterlife of orcs are such an intriguing topic, but also a very sad one - I'm glad your orc got a little glimpse of freedom here, but it's so sad still. Great job of showing us a little bit of them as individuals, too!

[engarian.livejournal.com]

I have written several stories from an Orc's perspective over the years, but this was heartbreaking. Just that small bit of freedom for him made it worthwhile. Thank you for taking the time to read.

- Erulisse (one L)