Nov. 18, 2002
In the march with Merry and Pippin, Grishnakh led
the
Orcs of Mordor. He had a softer, more evil voice than the other orcs.
He
was short, crook-legged, very broad, with unusually long arms hanging
almost
to the ground. His arms were described as hairy and the hobbits
considered
his breath to be bad. He was quick to dodge Ugluk's attack and survive
when
others did not. Ugluk commented that Grishnakh seemed to know more than
he
should. Grishnakh knew of the Questioner as if he had been there during
such
work and may have heard something then. He knew the connection between
Gollum
and the Ring, immediately recognizing the gollum throat noise when
Pippin
used it.
He knew a nazgul waited at the bridge northwest of
them
on the east bank, and that they did not have to go through Isengard
with
such protection, and said so. His orders said the hobbits were not to
be
searched or plundered, but brought to Sauron.
Grishnakh was forced by the larger Orcs of Ugluk's
Isengarders
to cede leadership. But he waited until the hobbits were unguarded (see
Ugluk)
and stole them, probably for Sauron at first, but was egged on by Merry
and
then Pippin to think one of them had the Ring. He had to take them
farther
away to search them without being caught by his own men as well as
Ugluk's,
and take the prize for himself. When a rider came upon them suddenly,
Grishnakh
seemed about to kill the prisoners to prevent them from falling into
the
other side's hands, and was killed himself by the rider's spear.
Reference: Two Towers: "The Uruk-hai"
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