chapter 15

She laughed that horrid, grating laugh and let go of him. Turning away she glanced back, "now don't you go anywhere little piggy. I'll be back to play..."

Gamli struggled against his bonds, but they held fast. And without food he didn't have the energy to fight. His father was right...he was going to end up an orc meal. Laying back he stared at the wooden support beams wedged into cracks in
the ceiling. Wait...he blinked his eyes...surely he was hallucinating. Perched in the rafters was a small curvy figure almost invisible in the gloom. Melda! She looked down at him and held a finger up to her lips.

He was suddenly aware of his nakedness and immediately turned red. He couldn't help but wonder how much of his encounter with the orc woman that she had seen.

He quickly looked at the door the orc female had recently exited then back up at her. She was radiant, her sword drawn and gleaming in the flickering torchlight, perched as if she was on a broad, comfortable tree limb. He had forgotten what a skilled climber she was.

"By my mother's beard I am glad to see you...but as you can see I'm...err...a bit indisposed." She made motions for him to be quiet but he was so overwhelmed to see her he babbled on, "My princess, how...oh by the gods you are safe! How did you get in...oh my, what did you see, blast it...don't look at me. Oh look at me all you want but please rescue me...she is going to fatten me and eat me..." she shushed him by throwing a clot of bat pellets at him and again held her finger to her lips. "Shut up you fat fool and wait until she returns...you are safe. Just relax and let me enjoy the view." She winked at him and faded back into the unlit rafters.

"Relax, she says....enjoy the view she says..." He muttered under his breath. "Easy for her to say"

"Who are you talking to?" The orc witch ambled back in the door. "Keeping yourself company I see? Well I've got food for you to eat piggy. A nice bucket of slop fit for you." She cackled and drew nearer, raising the bucket up. "Now of course you can't feed yourself so it's up to me... open wide."

She lifted the bucket high above her head and was about to dump it on the poor dwarf when he saw a shadow slither to the floor behind her. As she was tipping it over, a bright blade appeared in front of the orcs neck and Melda was leaning in close to her. "This dwarf belongs to me, orc filth"

With a slight flick of her wrist she removed the orcs miserable head from her shoulders. Letting the body fall and stepping over the mess she crossed to Gamli's side. "I thought you said no woman would have you" she teased.

"That thing was no woman...you may as well have left me. These chains are impossible without a key" he despaired. "Just go without me."

Her smile never wavered as she held up a ring of keys. "What do you think I was doing while you were here taking naps and being doted on by such a beautiful and desirable woman such as her?"

"Bless you Melda, thank you for saving my worthless plump hide...of which there is a substantial amount as you and all the world can plainly see." He heard the rattle of keys in the multiple locks and felt the loosening of the chains across his chest and under his belly. With her help he sat and swung his legs off the torture rack. Mercifully his belly hid his still throbbing member, the rest he tried to hide himself from her gaze as she inspected him for serious injuries.

"Nothing life threatening...scrapes and cuts I can fix once we get out of here. You can move, my dwarf...unless you want to stay and become the feast that bitch promised. Here are your clothes, put them on while I watch the door."

"Then watch the door Melda," he answered as he pulled on his tunic, leather pants and boots, "and stop leering at me like that...I'll have you know this was NOT my idea, and definitely not my idea of a playful evening."