Title: Mordor
Author: Endaewen
Summary: The thoughts of one of Sauron's servants.
Disclaimer: None of these are mine. The setting and all else came from the briliant mind of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Rating: G
Note: For the Mordor contest at the Lord of the Rings Fanatics Plaza.

As much as I am unable to criticize the workings of our Lord and Master, I have to wonder why he sent out the recruiters he did. Although they brought in large numbers of orcs from the Misty Mountains and other places, it might almost be better had He just had the numbers bred from the orcs of Mordor. The new orcs have been nothing but problems. Weaker, smaller, though cunning. The problem is that they were brought in unwilling, so they have employed all their cunning into subverting the training they are given. The only thing controling them is fear, the same as the others, but they need the fear in more immeadate forms, such as myself. We evidently didn't need an army right away, as it has been over a decade, closer to two in fact, since they were brought in, and no signs that we are to move.

My brethren and I have spent the years in our city, though in the last decade or so, our leader, and the most powerful among us has been sent out to some purpose. I know not what it is. Only recently, months ago did he return. Rumor has it that he was in Mirkwood rebuilding our Lord's stronghold and sanctuary there.

In the mean time, the Mordor-bred orcs have been fighting with the Mountain orcs, killing each other off almost faster than they breed, particularly the smaller orcs brought in from the Mountains. The streets of the city have rung constantly with the sounds of fighting, and the same is true of the border-forts nearby. We will no longer send the mountain orcs there, as they do not survive for long and we need the numbers.

We have spent the last decade improving their breed. The weakest and dullest have been culled by the constant fighting, and those ruled by fear have not survived either. Living in the city with eight of us present has seen to that. In fact, as they were first marched into the city the weakest still alive (the truly weak and injured did not survive the journey) often expired in fear on the spot.

In the last weeks, the armouries and smithies have been running with double shifts day and night. This signals that we are moving soon, as soon as everything is ready and everyone is equipped. Unfortunately, the improved weapons will mean increased casualties among our armies as tempers rise and they fight each other.

I have heard that this is a problem throughout His lands. For some reason our Lord and Master has decreed that there is to be no sign of our armies outside His borders. Even our regular skirmishes with the border-patrols of Gondor have decreased as He has called our forces back into the heartland of Mordor.

Deserters are becoming a problem now too, as companies of orcs decide to strike out on their own. Most are killed by our border-patrols, but sometimes both disappear. Sometimes the border-patrol is found later, dead, but sometimes neither is seen again. It is assumed then that both groups have deserted together.

The problem is severe enough now that we are sent out at random to properly motivate our Lord's armies. Generally our mere presence is enough to set things right, at least for a while after we leave, but soon enough we are sent back to do it all over again.

This will continue until we are sent out to war at last. War! I have waited at my Master's command, for an age or more, I've lost count, to conquer, to fight and to spread the fear I gained with his gift of the ring.