Disclaimer: No matter how hard I try not mine.
Review Responses:
Slayer3: I like our little arrangement. Story for ice cream. If only everything in this world was that easy.
Larien: See my author's note below. It explains the confusion. Originally I planned a cliffhanger after the vision, but I knew how many death threats that would get me so I continued on. Poor Van already has a lot to live with. Too much for any child. Yes if Manveri had not had that vision Atavus would be dead. Are you being suspicious? That's a good question.
Lintered: I know I take the cake at being cruel. It's the orc in me.
Karone Evertree: Yes you make perfect sense. I always wanted to write a premonition that would really shock people.
ashlyns: Sorry I already did it.
Author's Note – Everyone Please Read: I think I need to clear up a little confusion that I have created. I have stated that Ugluk is a throwback, and it has brought up some questions. Atavus, Ugluk, and Van all have the same blood flowing through their veins. Half orc, half elf. That is what gives them their special powers of healing, but they have slightly different genes. Atavus and Van have predominantly elf genes, which make them look like they do, and Ugluk got predominantly orc genes. Now an imbalance of the two blood types does change their appearance somewhat, but not drastically. That's what caused Atavus' eyes to turn black in Journey. So for instance if Ugluk was to somehow turn up with more elf blood than orc his eyes might change to green like Atavus', but that would also negate his healing abilities like it did hers. But since he's dead we don't really have to worry about that do we? Does any this make sense? I hope so.
Promises
Atavus could not believe her eyes. It was not possible. How could he still be alive? She could feel Van tense as he stared across the open shaft at his father. "I guess I should have checked a little closer." She said placing the boy on the ledge behind her.
"Manveri was very close, but she missed both the heart and the lungs." He said pulling the short sword from the center of his chest. She could see the pained look in his eyes, and heard him gasp. "I can't say if anything else is damaged though."
"It won't take you long to heal though will it?" She asked already knowing the answer.
"No it won't, but you already knew that, didn't you?" He asked leaning against the rock wall just inside the doorway to the well room.
She just nodded. "So what will it be? Are you going to kill us, or just wait for the roof to cave in and do the job for you?" She asked.
"You promised me that I would be the one to kill you, so you've really got to survive this siege." He reminded her of her words from long ago, when he had saved her from a warg.
"Yes I did. Didn't I? But for some reason I don't think you are just going to let us walk out that door." She suggested.
"Maybe if I'm right behind you." He said smiling weakly.
"So do I get a sword in the back as we leave this place?" She said sarcastically.
"That's not my style. I face those that I kill." He answered.
At that moment another barrage was set off above. Atavus turned covering Van as more rock and debris fell from the upper levels. When she turned back she could see Ugluk lying on the opposite ledge turned towards the wall. And her heart sank as she stared at the tunnel they had entered from, seeing thousands of pounds of rock piled to the tunnel ceiling. "Ohhh." She groaned in frustration. They were to late.
Ugluk rolled back towards them then looked to where Atavus was staring. His laughter echoed through the well room.
"Why do you consider that to be funny?" She said her voice dripping with anger. "That was our only escape. Looks like we all get to die here together anyway."
A tiny whimper was heard from behind her. She turned to Van and picked him up trying to comfort the frightened boy. "I'm sorry Van. I know I promised to take you out of here, but now I don't think I can do that." She whispered.
"I do not think it is funny that we are trapped in here together. What I think is funny is that we are trapped her and I am the only one who knows that there is another way out." Ugluk said continuing to laugh.
"There's another way." She said skeptically expecting a trap, or just another of his cruel jokes.
"In that far corner to your left, one of the stones sunk into the wall about shoulder high. Turn it. A secret passage is there leading out of the north side of Minas Morgul. If you take the boy you can possibly make it out. They are concentrating the barrage on the south and west sides." He explained.
She wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. But if there were a way to get Van out she would try. She walked to the corner trying the stones until she found one that would turn. As she turned it the wall next to it receded and slid to the side. She looked down the dark hall and could see that no damage had been done to it yet. She turned back to the orc. "This has been here all this time."
"Longer than I have." He answered.
She looked back to the tunnel. She had hid in this room hundreds of times as a child and had never known that she could have escaped if she had wanted. She turned back to him. "Are you coming?" She asked.
"The ledges are too narrow. I'd never make it to that side of the shaft." He said looking around the room. "Not in the condition I'm in."
"I could help you." She suggested not believing her own words.
"No. If we both fall who will get the boy out?" He said staring at his son. Van was standing next to the wall staring down the shaft. At his words Van looked up at him with a look of wonder on his face.
"But I've never left this place without you." Van said. Atavus wasn't sure if the boy was afraid of being in trouble, or frightened of leaving his father behind.
"That's okay. I belong here Van. You don't. Go with my sister. She will take care of you." The orc said looking away from his son. "Now go. That's an order." His voice became gruff.
Van turned away from him and walked to the open tunnel mouth, but turned before he went in. "I don't hate you. I didn't mean it." He said quickly and then rushed into the tunnel.
"I know." Atavus heard the orc whisper. Then his voice grew stronger. "Now don't you get your self killed freak. Remember your promise."
"I'll remember, …….brother." She said turning and leaving him behind, following Van. There were many things she would remember.
The orcs had all began to flee the crumbling fortress, but most never made it past the dwarf and men who were laying siege. Gimli could not hold his delight when he saw Aragorn pulling Legolas out the front entrance of the fortress. Legolas was bloodied, and Aragorn looked bruised but they lived. "Where is she?" He asked looking around for Atavus. There were at least a hundred people who looked like elves leaving the fortress, but no Atavus.
Aragorn looked at Gimli in concern. "She's not out yet. It took us a long time to free the others. She should have come out before us."
"We have to go back." Legolas insisted trying to pull away from Aragorn to turn back to the fortress, but just at that moment the walls around the entrance collapsed bringing it all down in front of them.
"If you're going back in there, you'll be doing a lot of digging, master elf." Gimli said with a sad look covering his face.
Manveri had been listening to the conversation, standing next to Legolas but she had a far off look in her eyes. "We don't have to go back in. Follow me." She whispered taking off around the North side of the fortress, which had not been destroyed yet. They followed her.
As they rounded the corner Van jumped in Manveri's arms. Atavus walked up behind him and ruffled his hair. "I'm glad to see you all made it out okay." She smiled then saw Aragorn and Legolas before her. Her aching heart began to swell seeing the two she had missed so much. She rushed to them folding both of them in a hug nearly knocking them down. "You know I've been wanting to do this ever since you first got here." She said as the tears coursed down her cheeks.
She knew it had been only a few months since she left Rohan, but it felt like a lifetime since the two people who she considered to be her closest family had held her. Then she corrected herself. She now had two more family members to care for. Van would need her, and even Veri who knew nothing of the world outside Minas Morgul would need her. And she needed them too.
"How did you get out?" Veri asked, looking along the North wall until she saw the entrance to the secret tunnel.
"We had help." Van said turning to smile at Atavus.
Atavus smiled back. Van would be all right. He had lost the orc he called Ugluk that day, but had gained a father in his heart. "Yes we did." She whispered.
The EndAuthor's Note: Yes I know it's sappy, but I have pitied Ugluk so long that I couldn't just leave him as all bad. So they all got a happy ending sort of. Anyway I have a couple of ideas for new stories, that do include Atavus, but nothing completely concrete yet, so it may be a week or two before I start a new one, but I promise there is more to come. At least three more stories in my head bouncing around. I just need to work it all out.
And thank you to all my wonderful readers and reviewers. (Especially those that bribe me with Ice Cream) And thanks to my evil twin, who contributed a wonderful character to my story. I hope you liked what I did with her.