Chapter 7 Chapter Six

The fireplace above Thrall's head allowed him to observe the moonlight.He was careful not to leave any clues, not to the recruits who beat him, not to the sergeant, and certainly not to Blackmoore (the man who treated Thrall like nothing had happened) of his extraordinary discovery. .He was as sycophantic as ever, and discovered for the first time how much he hated it.Thrall lowered his eyes, even though he knew he was equal to any human.He put on the shackles docilely, though he knew that if he didn't cooperate, he could tear the guards to bloody pieces before they could lock him up.Thrall hasn't changed his demeanor one iota, inside or outside the cell, in the ring or on the training ground.

For the first few days, Thrall noticed the sergeant watching him with piercing eyes, as if trying to pick out changes that Thrall was determined to hide.But he didn't tell Thrall, and Thrall was careful not to provoke suspicion.Make them think they've got him down.He just regretted that he would not be able to see the expression on Blackmoore's face when he found out that his "orc pet" had escaped. For the first time in his life, there were things Thrall could look forward to.Those things stirred up a hunger and thirst in his heart that he had never felt before.He had been so passionately preoccupied with avoiding physical pain, and praised, that he had never really thought seriously about what it meant to be free.Unchained, free to walk in the sun and sleep soundly under the stars.Never in his life had he been out at night.What would that be like?

His imagination, previously derived from books and Terry's letters, could finally take flight.Lying on the straw bed, he couldn't sleep, imagining the scene of finally meeting a member of his tribe.He had read, of course, all that man had of "those hideous green monsters from the darkest demonic abyss."One annoying thing was the orc charging at Thrall without hesitating to injure himself.If only he could know what that orc was talking about!But the minimal orc language he mastered couldn't do it. He'd know, one day, what the orc was talking about.He will find his people.Thrall may have been raised by humans, but nothing could earn his love and loyalty.He was grateful to the sergeant and Teri.For they have taught him honor and goodness.But because of their teachings, Thrall saw Blackmoore more clearly, and realized that the lieutenant general had no good qualities.Only Thrall still belonged to him, and the orcs would never get any glory and goodwill from him in their lifetime.

There were two moons in the sky, one larger and silvery, the other smaller with blue-green shadows, and tonight was a new moon.Teri responded to his decision and offered to help, which, unsurprisingly, she did.Together, the two of them came up with a very feasible plan.But he doesn't know when that plan will work, so he waits for a signal.waiting.Thrall had just fallen into a fitful doze when the tinkling bell woke him up.He immediately became alert and walked towards the farthest wall of the cell.For several years, Thrall painstakingly loosened a rock and dug a hole in the back.Here he keeps his most precious possessions: letters from Terry.Now he moved the stone away, took out the letter, and wrapped them in another thing that was also more important to him than anything else, his blue swaddling cloth with the white wolf's head mark.Then he turned and waited for his chance.

The bell continued to ring, now mixed with shouts and screams.Thrall's sensitive nose is much more sensitive than that of humans, and he can smell the smoke.The smell had grown stronger with time, and now he could see faint flashes of orange and yellow in the dim cell. "Fire!" cried the voice. "on fire!" For some reason, Thrall jumped onto his makeshift bed.He closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep, trying to make his rapid breathing low and slow. "He's not going anywhere," said a guard.Thrall knew he was being watched.He continued the illusion of a deep sleep... "Cough, the damn monster can fall asleep anytime. Come on, let's help."

"I don't know..." said another. There were more panicked cries, now mixed with the trembling howls of children and the loud voices of women. "The fire is spreading," the first person said. "hurry up." Thrall heard the thump of leather boots on the stone.The voice echoed.He is alone now. He got up and stood in front of the huge wooden door.Of course the door was still locked, but no one knew what he was going to do. Thrall took a deep breath, then rushed over quickly, slamming his left shoulder against the door.Helpful, but not enough.He hit it again, again and again.For the fifth time, his huge body rushed over, and the old wood was disarmed and turned into pieces.The momentum carried him forward, and then he fell heavily to the ground, but the slight pain was nothing compared to the surging ecstasy in his heart.

He knew the corridors.He had no trouble seeing here and there, provided dim light from torches in sconces tied here and there on the stone walls. Follow this one, up the stairwell, and... As before in his cell, a deep-rooted instinct was activated.He clung to the wall, huddling his massive body into the shadows as best he could.On the opposite side of the entrance, several guards ran past.Thrall was slightly relieved that they hadn't seen him. The guards left the door to the courtyard wide open.Thrall approached cautiously, then slipped out. Everything is chaotic.The barn was almost completely engulfed in flames, while horses, goats, and donkeys ran panic-stricken across the yard.That's even better, in such a chaotic and crazy environment, the possibility of him being discovered is even smaller.People formed a chain of buckets, and as Thrall watched them, many hurried past, accidentally spilling some precious water in their panic.

Thrall looked to the right of the courtyard gate entrance.Something crumpled and dirty was what he was looking for: a huge black cloak.Even with such a large cloak, it can't completely cover him, but it can be used.Covering his head and broad chest, he curled up so that the edge of his cloak fell to his feet, and walked briskly forward. The journey from the courtyard to the castle gate was a brief moment, but to Thrall it seemed like a lifetime.He tried to keep his head down, but looked up now and then to avoid hitting a bucket wagon, or a frightened horse, or a screaming child.His heart was beating wildly, searching for a way in the chaos.He could feel the heat, and the bright firelight lit everything up, as bright as the sun.Thrall concentrated on walking forward step by step, leaning as low as possible, towards the direction of the gate.

Finally, he succeeded.Here too the gate was opened.More and more wagons came rattling in with rain, and the drivers struggled to keep their panic-stricken mounts under control.No one noticed a lone figure slipping quietly into the darkness. With a clear view of the forest, Thrall ran.He ran straight to the top of the forested hill, keeping as far from the road as possible.His senses seemed sharper than before.The smell of novelty filled his burning nostrils, as if he could feel every rock, the edge of every blade of grass under his galloping feet. There was a rock there that looked like the shape Terasa had told him about.She said the rock looked like a dragon standing guarding the forest.It was dark, but Thrall's excellent night vision could see a bulge that, if one used one's imagination, was easily reminiscent of a reptilian neck.There's a cave there, Terasa said.He will be safe.

For a brief moment, he wondered if Terasa had set him a trap.Then Thrall dismissed the idea, both angry and ashamed that it had come to his mind.How good Terasa had been to him, through those sweet letters.Why did she betray him?More importantly, why go to all this trouble when she could have achieved her purpose simply by showing Blackmoore the letter he had written. There it was, a black oval cave in the gray rock.Thrall didn't have time to catch his breath, so he changed direction and ran towards the shelter. He saw her inside, against the cave wall, waiting for him.After a while he stopped, until his eyesight was much better than hers.Even though she was inside and he was outside, Terasa couldn't see Thrall.

Thrall has only human aesthetics, he can say, better than those standards, Terasa?Foxton is beautiful.Long, dark hair--so dark he couldn't see its original color--was braided down his back.She was wearing only pajamas, a cape that hugged her slender curves, and a large wrap around her side. He paused for a moment, then stepped forward boldly. "Tarasha," he said, his voice low and husky. She took a breath and looked at him.He thought she was taken aback, but Terasa laughed immediately. "You scared me! I didn't expect you to walk so quietly!" After the laughter, there was a smiling face.She stepped forward and held out her hands to him. Slowly, Thrall took Terasa's hand.Compared with his big green hands, those slender and clear hands were almost three times different.Terasa was only as high as his elbow, but there was no fear on her face, just joy. "I could kill you here," he said, not knowing where the idea came from. "That way no evidence will be left." She smiled even wider. "Of course you can," she admitted, her voice soft and beautiful. "But you won't." "how do you know?" "Because I know you." Sal let go of her. "Are you in any trouble?" "Not at all," he said. "The plan worked. It's such a mess there, I think a whole village of orcs could have escaped. I see you let the animals go before you set fire to the corral." Teresa grinned again.Her nose was pushed up slightly, making her look older than she was—how much, twenty?twenty five? —much smaller. "Of course. They're innocent lives. I don't want to see them hurt. Now we better hurry." She looked down at Dunholde Castle, where the fire and smoke were still billowing into the starry sky with. "They seem to be starting to get the fire under control. You need to get out of here." A look Thrall couldn't understand crossed her face for a moment. "I have to go too." She picked up the package and opened it. "Sit down. I'm going to show you something." He sat down obediently.Teri rummaged through the package and pulled out a roll.She unwrapped the roll and held one side while Sal picked up the other. "Here's a map," Thrall said. "Yes, that's as accurate as I could find. This is Dunholde," Terasa said, pointing to a castle-shaped design. "We're a little to the southwest, right here. The asylums are within a twenty-mile radius of Dunholde, here, here, here, here, and here." Sal couldn't see clearly in the dim light. "Your safest course is to go here, into the wilderness. I've heard some of your people are hiding there, but Blackmoore can't find them, just traces." She looked up at him. "You will find them anyway, Thrall. Let them help you." Thy people, Terrassa said so.Not the orcs, or whatever, the monsters.Gratitude suddenly filled his heart so strongly that he was speechless for a long time.Finally, he finally said, "Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?" She looked at him calmly, without flinching. "Because I remember when you were a little kid. You were like my brother when... when Faralin died shortly after. You were my only brother... I saw what they did to you and I hated that behavior .I want to help you, to be your friend." She looked away. "I have no more favorable opinion of our master than you." "Did he hurt you?" Thrall's rage surprised even himself. "No. Actually not." Terasa held one of her wrists and stroked them gently.Thrall saw a fading bruise under the sleeve. "Not physically. It's more complicated than that." "tell me." "Thal, the time has passed—" "Tell me!" he exploded. "You are my friend, Terasa. For ten years you have written to me and given me smiles. I know someone who really understands who I am, and not just... a monster in the gladiator's ring. You are the one in the dark Light." With his most gentle movement, he reached out and placed his hand lightly on Terasa's shoulder. "Tell me," he urged again, his voice soft. Her eyes are shining.As Thrall watched, fluid spilled from Terasa's eyes and ran down her face. "I'm ashamed," she whispered. "What happened to your eyes?" Thrall asked. "What is 'shame'?" "Oh, Sal," she said, her voice choking.Teresa wiped away tears. "These are tears. They come when we are very sad, very sad, as if your heart is full of tears and there is nowhere to go." Terasa took a shaky breath. "Shame is... when you do something completely against your will, and you don't want anyone to know about it. But everyone does, and you probably do too. I'm a Blackmoore woman." "what does that mean?" She looked at him sadly. "You are so innocent, Thrall. So pure. But one day you will understand." Suddenly, Thrall remembered some clips of bragging and chatting he overheard on the training ground, and understood what Terasa meant.But he didn't think she should be ashamed, just furiously felt that Blackmoore was meaner than Thrall had ever suspected, and that Terasa was so weak she couldn't even fight. "Come with me," he persuaded. "I can't. If I run away, what will he do to my family... no." She reached out and squeezed Sal tightly. "But you can. Please, go. I'll sleep better knowing you've finally managed to escape from him. Go free, for both of us." He nodded and remained silent.He knew he would miss her, but now, after actually talking to Terasa, the pain of parting was stronger. She wiped her face again, and said in a calm voice. "I brought enough food, and several bags of water. I stole a pocket knife for you. I dare not take anything else, for fear of being discovered. Finally, I hope you bring this." She lowered her head, carefully A silver necklace was removed from the long neck.A small crescent-shaped talisman hangs from a delicate necklace. "Not far from here, there is an old tree that was split by lightning. Blackmoore allowed me to go out and walk here. At least I am grateful for it. If you have been here and need help, put this necklace Put it on the stump of that old tree, and I'll meet you in this hole again and help you as I can." "Terry..." Thrall looked at her sadly. "Hurry up." She looked back at Dunhold anxiously. "I made up a story as an excuse for me to leave, but the sooner I go, the easier it is to lie." They stood up, looking at each other sadly.Before Sal could react, Teri walked over, stretched out her arms and hugged Sal's burly body tightly.Her face was pressed against Thrall's belly.Thrall is a little nervous, everything that has touched this place so far has been an attack.But even though he had never been touched like this before, he knew it was a sign of love.Instinctively, he patted her head and stroked her hair. "They call you a monster," her voice broke again, and Terasa stepped back. "But they're monsters, not you. Take care, Thrall." Teresa turned, lifted her skirt, and started running in Dunholde's direction.Thrall stood and watched her away, until she was out of sight.Then, Sal wrapped up the silver necklace with his lightest movements and hid it in the package. He picked up the heavy package—Tarasha must have struggled to carry it so far—and threw it behind his back.Then Thrall, the one-time slave, began striding toward his destiny.