"I don't know. It still seems - motivated unpleasantly? It can't hate Elves as a group much anymore but it could hate individual ones, it can't bring you anywhere but it could try to send you places, it can't hold on to any opinions about what Melkor wants of it but if there's something it doesn't need to believe in order to carry out it could maybe do that... I don't think it can be relied upon to volunteer to help me make it safer to be around, which means we have to anticipate it, which means there is some chance of error."

"So. We need a more elegant solution. But not something as strong as constraining them never to act against our interests, presumably..."

"Or maybe there's such a thing as a more cooperative orc - I mean, I'm not an Elf, they don't have to hate me -"

"Right. Probably. Though the process might make even cooperatively-inclined ones less so..."

"I was thinking if I could interact with one without - messing with its head right away, and without any Elves around - and it was the right orc, I don't know how much they vary - maybe I could get somewhere with that."

"Sure. Do you think you can catch it yourself? Want us to catch it and then you walk over and order us away?"

"I don't have any good catching methods other than 'threaten with fire', which I don't think will really help; you may have to tie one up for me."

"Okay. We can do that with a few until you get a sense of how much they vary in personality. If they do."

Sigh. "Thanks."

"Thank you.

Orcs are psychological weapons as much as foot soldiers. For the Enemy."

Nod.

And they head back out. Take a few more orcs alive. Separate them, tie them up, leave them there, retreat out of the presumed range of Orc sight and hearing.

Kiri sighs and approaches one.

Cold. Why didn't the Elves just kill her outright- hate Elves- who's this she's not an Elf.

Well, it doesn't have to be cold, anyway.

She doesn't know their language, communication's going to be awkwardly one-way; maybe she'll be able to pick up a few words by mindreading and say something back.

Not cold. The not Elf is just standing there. Better to provoke it into killing her, on the assumption it'll make it quicker than the elves would?

Kiri sits down nice and nonthreateningly on the ground. (Now where did the orc get the idea that the Elves would kill it slowly...?)

Stories told to Orc children at home, by devoted parents and boasting older siblings and occasionally by the protectors of the orcs in their dazzling immortal forms. Elves will kill you slowly. Elves will kill your children.

Elves will kinda have to kill your children if Kiri can't figure something out, ugh.

This orc does seem to have a different personality, though, that's promising...

Elves want all orcs annihilated. Elves think orcs are better off dead. Elves hate orcs. Orcs hate Elves. So it is. And here is not an Orc not an Elf - will it let her go? Maybe?

"Maybe," she attempts to pronounce.

It can talk? Was it talking to her? Does it speak her language? 

"Hello," she says hesitantly. Well, if it might not kill her.

"Hello," Kiri repeats.

"What are you?"

"Human."