The Goblin Pit by Elenna

The Goblin Pit

by Elenna

VIII

I startled awake to the feel of something cool on my bare back. Lash was standing over me cleansing my exposed back as I lay forward on the pile of work on the table. He handed me a cup of fresh water and finished medicating me. The ointment the goblins use for healing seemed to work quickly. Though my head still pained me, he no longer needed to medicate my head. Neither of us said a word. There was no need at this point. He helped me to put on my shirt and waistcoat. He made me put on Merry’s jacket underneath my own helping me into each. I was surprised Merry’s jacket fit, but should not have been as my own clothes were fitting loosely. He bade me eat as he looked at the completed map.
“Please, tell me where we are.” I implored, placing blank sheets around the map as he laid it back on the table. He gave me a long surmising look. He knew I planned to escape with my cousins. I could see it in his eyes. He would not try to prevent or dissuade me. He merely nodded and pointed to an area outside the bounds of my map. I ****** a breath in through my teeth. We were in the Ettenmoors? Eighty leagues! This could not be possible! Maybe I was misreading where he was pointing to, but I thought I knew Bilbo’s maps. It was possible that he was mistaken. Lash looked at me, took my hand and traced the route that had brought us here from our camp. He had not been with the scouting band that had captured us but had apparently been briefed on the activity when we were brought in. He may even have tended me at the time. I do not remember traveling so great a distance only that my consciousness had seemed to ebb and flow whether from the blow to the head sustained trying to protect my cousins or some foul medicament our captors had provided. Goblins could travel quickly at will. Lash traced the route a second time using my hand to make certain I understood the route. He then pointed out several spots where we might find water along the way. With that done, he offered me more food which I declined. We picked up the blank sheets to ensure that none would know he had given me aid.
“Why are you helping me?” I whispered.
“At one time I…You show care for the brothers. You show care for me and do not worry about yourself.” He whispered in return.
“You tended me and did not try to be cruel.”
He placed his hand on my shoulder. “I would…It is time,” he said. We clasped arms. He took the leather thongs and tied my hands together. He looked at me and took the extra food and stuffed the pockets of Merry’s jacket with it. He then attached my hands to my waist. “Make this good,” he said quietly as he took up his whip and lashed it down on the chair three times. I cried out after each stroke even though he had not come near me. As the door opened, he shoved me into the wall with his hand around my throat lifting me from the floor. I spit in his face and gave him a good, swift kick, a vile and filthy thing to do but having my hands tied I could think of nothing else. He backhanded me across my right cheek hard enough to leave a mark and left me staggering. It was all for the witness of Knife and Cudgel. They saw that Lash had me tied and realized I was to leave. Knife took up my tether and pulled me from the room with Cudgel behind him, while Lash retrieved the map.

I knew they were taking me to the Goblin Master’s chamber. He would have to see the map before they could do anything more with me. We took the usual route through the passages and I was once again thrust into the Goblin Master’s chamber. As before, I was forced to await his pleasure. Eventually he looked up at me. Lash moved forward and handed him the map and remained at the Goblin Master’s side to review the map with him. This seemed fitting as his life was apparently at stake every bit as much as mine was. The Goblin Master narrowed his piggish eyes at me before he commenced his perusal. I could sense rather than see his smile of approval as he traced the River Baranduin with his finger. “Where is your home?”
“Hobbiton,” I mumbled barely audibly, but he understood and his grin grew. He ordered that my hands be untied to facilitate my pointing places out in response to his questions. He continued to interrogate me about the Shire. I had rehearsed my part so many times during the past week; I could have played my role in my sleep. I began by hesitating with my answers, knowing I would be shown the inevitable club. Thankfully, it was not used. Knife participated by digging his claws into my shoulder. As a result, I gave my replies begrudgingly at first. Soon the descriptions flowed from my tongue like a great river. I answered every question readily, freely talking about towns, rivers and forest areas that simply did not exist. He asked about mining prospects which I guaranteed him were plentiful. Armies, of course, would have to be fed. I nervously assured him there was be plenty of game to be caught and fields and towns to forage, pointing out the nonexistent locations as we talked. He grew more animated as his mind became dominated by the land he would conquer. He plied me with questions for a long time. Almost from the start I was responding not with facts concerning the Shire, but with information gleaned from tales told by Bilbo, Gandalf or others who visited Bag End or that Bilbo and I encountered as we walked about the Shire. Fortunately, he never doubted a word I said. The incentive not to lie standing on either side of me was encouragement enough. Lash stood just behind the Goblin Master’s chair following every place on the map his master asked about. I could feel his eyes on me boring into mine each time I answered. I adopted a defeated presence speaking quietly, mumbling indistinctly and several times had to be roughly reminded to speak up and look at the master as I talked. I saw Lash’s amber eyes flash at me on several occasions as I looked at the Goblin Master. I worried he would expose me. He merely watched me as he had done so often over the past week.

When the Goblin Master felt he had learned enough facts from me, he nodded to my guards who grabbed my wrists to secure my hands once more. This was the point for me where everything could have fallen apart. My usefulness had ebbed. They had the map and could begin planning their attack on the Shire in earnest. They would either kill me or take me back to serve in the mines as before. There was no hope of my release or that of my cousins. I had panned this moment out as well and seized upon it.

“Please,” I begged. “I drew the map for you. Grant me some time with my cousins.”
“I owe you nothing.” The Goblin Master was nonplussed at my audacity given my meekness moments before. “Be grateful and I may let you live.” Lash narrowed his eyes. He must have wondered if I would discard all of his good intentions.
“You have what you want. It should not be a hard fight.”
“I never expected it to be. What of it?”
“Please,” I protested, “I have betrayed my land and my people: my friends, my family, everything I hold dear to me to give you what you wanted.”
“What is that to me? It was your decision. Was it not?” He flashed his eyes at me. “No guard spent a constant watch over you be it with a whip,” he glanced at Lash and grinned, “or with any other instrument of persuasion.” Apparently, Lash held some reputation for his cruelty to their captives. The Goblin Master stood up and leaning across his worktable came close and clearly saw the developing bruise on my face and the fresh marks on my throat. He looked at my three guards and asked them a question. It was Lash who answered in that goblin growl they called a language. He was quite animated as he described my final disciplining. Cudgel and Knife confirmed his words leaving the Goblin Master satisfied.

I was led out into a heavy rain, the type of rain that everyone in the Shire would have relished for his garden, but none would have wanted to wander about in, myself included. I was grateful. Perhaps the rain would cleanse me of the filth I felt staining every part of my being. I had not been allowed to bathe in weeks, possibly months…I had lost track of time. It was more than just my physical state that felt dirty. I had at least been partially cleansed with each new hurt I had experienced. I felt maculated as if my very being was ‘tainted’ by what I had been forced to do in providing a map of my beloved Shire for them to make war on and try to conquer. The fact that the map I had provided was totally inaccurate did not lift my spirits at all. I hoped that I had been clever enough. If I was mistaken it would cost the lives of my family, friends and others whom I loved. I stood for a moment with my face uplifted to the darkened sky allowing the cool rain to wash over my face. There would be no moon or stars to guide my trek this night. I felt deserted. A great pull on the tether was all the warning I had that we had set off. The rain was the only positive aspect of this journey. My guards thought it would be great sport to give my leash a quick jerk every once in a while to make me fall into one of the myriad of puddles. It was apparently a humorous matter of great magnitude to watch me struggle to my feet. I did not care. I was being haunted by second thoughts and regrets and felt as vile as the mud which encased me. By the time we reached the larger outpost, my spirits had improved somewhat at the thought of possibly seeing Merry and Pippin and knowing they were whole if not safe.

Upon arrival at the larger outpost I was secluded in a very small room close by the chamber of the Second in Command who came and glared at me as I was brought in. The only glimpse I was given of my cell was afforded when they opened the thick door and pushed me inside closing the door behind me. From what I had seen it was totally empty. There were no furnishings whatsoever. I was not even afforded the amenity of a light of any type. They had left my hands tied but I was at least allowed the freedom of movement within the room. I was drenched to the skin from the rain and the damp coolness of my present cave like cell was making me feel chilled. I would have loved a hot meal, a warm fire, a pipe and a hot cup of tea or something stronger to aid me in warming up. I had to settle for being cold and wet, alone in the dark with my thoughts. Strangely enough, I was not frightened. I felt a deep loathing for my captors as well as my surroundings. The peculiar circumstances I had found myself in had provided me the opportunity to observe them at work. They were cruel and for the most part seemed bent on their orders. They had a hierarchy they answered to. Each seemed to care more about his self than their overall structure. There was no real sense of unification. They would fight amongst themselves just as easily as put down a prisoner’s rebellion if they thought that one of them could come out on top. This could be used to our advantage, I thought. There was a part of me that would hate to see anything bad happen to Lash and, yet, he had as good as told me that he would have to remain true to his kind as I had informed him I would remain true to my kind. I hoped we had created enough trust between us that the future would bode well for each of us. I sat musing about this for a long time wishing they could have untied my hands. My head pained me greatly. Sitting like this in my wet clothing was uncomfortable. I recoiled in terror as something long and slimy slithered under my left leg and over my right foot. Eventually I dozed. The internal timepiece which I had counted on for so long to give me some idea as to whether or not it was day or night was no longer functioning. My various injuries and medicated stupors combined with the nocturnal nature of my captors and the dim lighting had stripped me of a valuable asset. Being forced to sit here in the dark was perhaps a final effort on their part to break my will. How long I sat thusly, I have no idea. My clothing was nearly dry.

They came to get me at last hauling me to my feet by my hair and the strap around my waist. I was taken to the large chamber where the Goblin Master was holding forth. I was to stand waiting in the wings and out of sight of my fellow captives. I soon realized that near me and directly across from me, with the little platform where the Goblin Master stood in between, there were archers with their bows trained on me. I could not imagine what I was supposed to have done now to elicit this behavior. I had not been listening to a word the Goblin Master had been saying. I was concerned for Merry and Pippin’s welfare. Suddenly my guards were pawing at my clothes and raking their claws through my hair. I was relieved they were not Cudgel and Knife. My bonds were removed. Someone whispered that I was to stand by the Goblin Master. I noticed the bows were still trained on me as I was given a push in his direction.
“…and he comes back now among you…”
I tried to locate my cousins in the crowd. There was Pip. Lash was immediately behind him. He had one hand over Pippin’s mouth and had leaned down to whisper something to him. Pippin was struggling. I watched him constrain the boy and say something else. Pippin nodded and stood still but Lash still held onto him.
“…He has been well fed: as much as he wanted whenever he wanted. He was given a soft bed and warm blankets. My healer spent much time with him every day to make certain he was in good health. The only thing he lacked was his brothers. The whelps are important to his kind. My healer made certain they too were healthy…”
I saw Roelin and Wyatt. They seemed puzzled. Thoronlor nodded at me and shook his head.
“…gladly and willingly has drawn a map of his lands and enhanced it with descriptions and directions. With gratitude to him, my army is preparing to advance. When we go to conquer, he will go at my side and will be granted a place of honor under my rule…”
I blanched at the thought. What was he saying?
I located Merry in the crowd. Knife and Cudgel stood one on either side. Merry bore a horrid scowl on his face the likes of which I had never witnessed in him before.
“…said, ‘I will gladly betray my lands and my people: my family, my friends and all that I hold dear.’ I present to you your ‘traitor’. I am certain you will all wish to ‘thank’ him when you have the opportunity. He is quite humble. The only reward he has asked of me is to spend some time with the whelps of his kind. I am a most generous master and gladly grant this for the great service he has given me. He will prove a great asset to me in the future as I seek other lands as well. He will work together with my scouting parties and will be afforded high honor as he serves me well…”
I felt all eyes on me; some filled with contempt, some with pity, some confused. The only smiling face was Pip’s because he had understood the part about spending time together. My cellmates, Roelin, Wyatt and Thoronlor showed pity as did Matta and Rufus. The eyes that were the most difficult to endure were Merry’s. I could not protest. It would have made everything futile. I felt utterly dejected and alone. The Goblin Master ended his speech with his typical mundane flourish. He looked at me and smiled before stepping from the platform. He walked over to me, put his arm around my shoulders and quietly said, “We shall see now. We shall see…” and broke off laughing. I tried my best to acknowledge his comment by playing my role with a reassuring smile though I was dying inside. I endured the stares as the captives were dispersed to their tasks. When all were gone I was led to a room next to the large chamber. I was shoved inside and the door was locked behind me.