It was Darrel, a grendel-hating norn, who broke the silence. "What did you come here for?" he asked Urg, as he took Annemarie into the kitchen. "Why are you leading them, and why do you have Annemarie? Why is Annemarie covered with bruises?"
"It wasn't my choice," Urg said, "They had to leave the island, and I had to carry Annemarie. She could very well walk, could she?" he said.
"What makes you think we'll believe your lies?" Darrel demanded. "Grendels wouldn't help norns back to the garden. They'd more likely eat them." he said, narrowing his eyes.
"Grendels don't eat norns. You should know that," Urg said. Darrel raised his hand to slap the grendel.
"Stop!" Annemarie whispered loudly. "Darrel, Urg was helping. Believe him. He's not here to hurt anyone." Annemarie gasped for breath.
"Bu-" Darrel started.
"No more, Darrel," Annemarie whispered, and fell asleep.
Darrel's eyes narrowed once again. "You can stay in the cage above the garden for the night, until Annemarie can explain. And don't think I don't know how she got those bruises." he said, forcing the grendel into a cage. The cage rose high above the ground. Urg could almost see the grendel tree. He shuddered. If Figgrah knew where he was...
Annemarie felt better the next morning, and could walk and talk again. "Darrel, get him out of that cage!" she said sharply. The cage lowered, and Urg was released.
"Explain, Annemarie, why I should let this grendel live," Darrel said.
"He saved us. The grendel leader would surely have killed us. Urg came into the caves at night, and took us out. The leader found him. I told him Urg took us out to be beaten. Then he made Urg beat me," Annemarie said.
"How do you know he's not a spy? Or just trying to capture us all? He must go, and go NOW. I don't care what this grendel leader does to him. It'll be the death of all of us. The grendels wiped out our species once, and I won't let them do it again!" Darrel cried, slapping Urg. "GO BACK TO YOUR ISLAND! IF you come back to norn territory, you'll die, be sure of that!"
Urg stumbled back, then turned and ran. He had no choice. He'd die no matter what now. He turned and walked slowly toward the lift to the trees, with little hope that he'd live.