Because I have the time and energy, I'm going to churn out another chapter. YAAAAY!

The Orc gave a horrible, crackly laugh and turned back to the woman to finish the labor work and sew her back up properly. "You had no idea? Honestly? The little ones always make the best soup. Very tender flesh." Murzok gave a very loud growl. The babe, frightened by her father's volume, began to whimper. Murzok, overcome by fatherly feelings, gently cradled her head and cooed to her as best he could. "Hush, Youngling. Shhh. Father is here."

All of the Orc personnel stood in shocked silence for a moment. "You…you care for your young?" one of them whispered quietly. Murzok slowly lifted his head to look at them, and turned the child away from the others as best he could. "Is that not what father's do for their children? Don't Orc do the same for their young?" Murzok asked. A few of the Orc consented that yes, it is what Orc do. "But, it is not what your kind do. Not at all. There was one huge beast that had a son with one leg... He ate the child head first," one of the smaller Orcs said with a shiver. Murzok felt bile rise in his throat.

"We are taught that Uruk do not beg. But I ask you not as an Uruk-hai, but as a father. Do not speak of this to anyone. Please. Tell them that I ate the child, just as my brother did. No one must know, not the wizard, certainly not the Master," Murzok pled with as much sincerity as he could muster. "What mustn't they know?" the smallest Orc asked. Murzok looked down upon the tiny face of his new child with such a feeling of devotion that it almost broke him. "No one must know that she lives."

The woman that lay on the birthing slate gave a weak cry. "Damn," the surgeon muttered as he turned back to his work. "We need to close her up or this one won't be reusable for breeding. Hand me the wire and needle. Quickly now!" And just like that the surgical team was back to its quick paced self. Murzok crept closer to gaze into the eyes of his child's mother. "I do not think that you will forgive me, or even believe me, but it was not my intention for any of this to happen to you," he said quietly. The woman gave a very stunted laugh. "I think this was exactly what was supposed to happen, filth. Was that not why I was kept? You disgusting abomination, I hope that you find no rest in death and forever walk as a lost soul!"

The Uruk felt a chill run down his spine and travel to the pit of his stomach. He turned in place three times and spat. 'That's more bad luck that I don't need,' he thought. After a few moments he shrugged it off and once again turned to the human. "If I could release you back to your people, could we make a bargain?" One of the Orc sliced his finger as he jerked his attention to the Uruk for a split second. "Bargain," she mocked, "Bargain! What fool would I be to bargain with an animal that knows nothing of honor or decency? No! I would rather run you through," the woman ranted as blood continued to pour out of her nether regions.

"You are right. I do not know of honor or decency. I do not know what I feel for this child either, but I feel it none the less. I ask nothing of you for myself, but please. If I could return you from whence you came, would you not take the babe? She is your child as well. Do you feel nothing for the life that grew inside of you?"

"I feel for it as I feel for you! That is not a child. It is a beast worse than you are. You were inside of me. Oh yes! I remember! The agony of it broke my mind for a time, but that creature is far more putrid a thing. It grew without my nurturing in a place it was not wanted. It heard all of my thoughts. It has seen all of my memories and dreams. It was always Always ALWAYS THERE! The place that would grow and cradle my babes has become poisoned. No man will go there and no life will come from it again. It has ruined me. That you were one to eat your young would be a more fitting end," she raved, foaming spit falling from her lips.

"Crazy Tark! Shut your trap! He shows you more kindness than you deserve. You find one of the only Uruk-hai that isn't out to thralk and eat you, and you go stark raving mad. It's in our nature to crave blood and violence and a nice warm place for the sausage, but do you really think we're like that all of the time. How would Orc or mountain troll or even men survive that way? Sometimes, it's only orders. Now hold still or your girly bits are going to heal sideways," the leading Orc said as he finished stitching her up.

The woman fell back against the slate with a thud, eyes wide with shock. "Orders! What would order about the likes of you? What terrible being has the power to command such foul things?" she whispered. Murzok shook his head, "No servant of the Master speaks his name freely unless he seeks the Master's attention. Master will hear his name and listen in our heads to what we say. He is always in our minds, listening and whispering."

Step…Step…SteeeeeeeFALLL! Damn it. Bemia gave a heavy sigh. Even walking properly took so much effort after being in that awful place. Not to mention that just looking at her own feet made Bemia feel very self-conscious. In the darkness of the dungeons, she could not see how frail and skeletal she had become. It had been two weeks and her stomach still could not handle very much solid food. Bemia had never thought she would come to hate broth as much as she did now. Even the smell made her nauseous.

The walls of the inn shook slightly as Durek burst into the room. "Lass! What do ye call yerself doin'? Tryin' ta break your fool neck? We'll have nunna tha," he said as he easily lifted her off of her knees and placed her back onto the bed. "Durek. I am going to walk! Now you let me try or I'm going to poke one of your eyes out", she said as she clutched the wall for support.

Durek gave an exasperated sigh and threw his hands in the air. "A' least wee Wolfy isna bein' so damn thick skulled". Bemia finally managed to walk all the way to the bedroom door. "I need to be fully recovered soon Durek. I can't let whatever is happening go unnoticed. I will do something about this. The king will listen to me, even if I have to kill that slimy councilman."