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

[shirebound]

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

[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. :)

[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.

[hhimring]

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

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

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

[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...

[silver-trails.livejournal.com]

Beautifully written, my dear. =)

[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.

[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?

[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!

[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!