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<blockquote data-quote="ScyldSceafing" data-source="post: 811896" data-attributes="member: 5928">Slave's ProgressAll day the orcs had pushed them forward, their legs in light irons, their necks chained together by the coffle. Eladkot had stared at the older man's bald spot for so long he felt he'd see it in his sleep. It was worse for The Dwarf - he was shorter than any of the others except for the little girl, and she was at the end of the coffle. His position in the middle meant his neck-ring pulled up constantly, making him walk with his chin in the air and thereby rendering him prone to stumbling over the slightest obstruction. They were fed, but the food was tasteless and cold. They were told not to talk. They were told not to look around.And it's worse for the women, Eladkot thought. His reverie was broken by the orcs arguing. As usual, Bjorn settled it.&quot;But the path is washed out!&quot; Grak said. &quot;We're going to have to pick through there single-file!&quot;&quot;And what of it?&quot; Bjorn countered. &quot;This is our way. I don't know another, do you?&quot;&quot;Well-&quot;&quot;Look. Move out. Sooner we start, sooner we finish.&quot;It didn't take a woodsman to see what the orcs were complaining about. The trail they were following was pounded flat some time before out of the shale and shattered stones which piled up against the hill-face proper. Apparently heavy rains had washed portions of it out - it would be impossible to go more than single file. A false step at the wrong point would mean a slide down a sharp incline composed entirely of fragmented rocks.&quot;This should be fun,&quot; Eladkot muttered.&quot;Shut it,&quot; one of the guards said. Slowly, gingerly, the group worked its way along the path.After about 100 feet of this struggle, the path turned sharply to the right, following the contour of the hill. For several feet on either side of this turn, the path disintegrated entirely, becoming just a general slope of rock. One of the lead orcs nearly fell, and they began helping each other across it. Eladkot, looking ahead, realized that the orcs had divided themselves in a way that could be most useful.Right. Useful, he thought. Useful if there was anyone else here who wasn't chained up.*-*-*Cassa, working point, appeared suddenly out of the trees.&quot;Laucion,&quot; he said, panting slightly. &quot;It's orcs. About 8 of 'em. And they got prisoners, looks like.&quot;</blockquote>

[QUOTE="ScyldSceafing, post: 811896, member: 5928"] [b]Slave's Progress[/b] All day the orcs had pushed them forward, their legs in light irons, their necks chained together by the coffle. Eladkot had stared at the older man's bald spot for so long he felt he'd see it in his sleep. It was worse for The Dwarf - he was shorter than any of the others except for the little girl, and she was at the end of the coffle. His position in the middle meant his neck-ring pulled up constantly, making him walk with his chin in the air and thereby rendering him prone to stumbling over the slightest obstruction. They were fed, but the food was tasteless and cold. They were told not to talk. They were told not to look around. [i]And it's worse for the women,[/i] Eladkot thought. His reverie was broken by the orcs arguing. As usual, Bjorn settled it. "But the path is washed out!" Grak said. "We're going to have to pick through there single-file!" "And what of it?" Bjorn countered. "This is our way. I don't know another, do you?" "Well-" "Look. Move out. Sooner we start, sooner we finish." It didn't take a woodsman to see what the orcs were complaining about. The trail they were following was pounded flat some time before out of the shale and shattered stones which piled up against the hill-face proper. Apparently heavy rains had washed portions of it out - it would be impossible to go more than single file. A false step at the wrong point would mean a slide down a sharp incline composed entirely of fragmented rocks. "This should be fun," Eladkot muttered. "Shut it," one of the guards said. Slowly, gingerly, the group worked its way along the path. After about 100 feet of this struggle, the path turned sharply to the right, following the contour of the hill. For several feet on either side of this turn, the path disintegrated entirely, becoming just a general slope of rock. One of the lead orcs nearly fell, and they began helping each other across it. Eladkot, looking ahead, realized that the orcs had divided themselves in a way that could be most useful. [i]Right. Useful,[/i] he thought. [i]Useful if there was anyone else here who wasn't chained up.[/i] *-*-* Cassa, working point, appeared suddenly out of the trees. "Laucion," he said, panting slightly. "It's orcs. About 8 of 'em. And they got prisoners, looks like." [/QUOTE]

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