'Katy? Katy! How the hell did this happen?'
'Beth! I don't know!'
By wriggling against my bonds, I could turn just enough to see her. She was tied to a post identical to mine, faggots of twigs being piled up against the base by what I thought were trolls, but could have been, well, anything.
'What are we going to do?'
'I don't know!'
'Why aren't Merlin and Mordred back?'
'I don't know!'
But there wasn't time to ask any more questions even if the answer was always the same, as a shadowy figure was walking towards us in a long dark robe, his head covered with a hood. He waved his arms and the trolls stopped piling flammable wood around us, which was good, but I suspected this change of mood might only be temporary. The figure stood in front of us. From the darkness of the hood, all I could see was one huge blue glowing eye. I liked eyes of all colours, I could even tolerate bloodshot . . . yes, I liked eyes of all colours . . . except glowing. And in the singular.
Long bony fingers started to push the hood back, and I didn't think I was going to like what was revealed. I wasn't wrong. The glowing eye was set in the centre of a forehead belonging to gaunt pale face, the hairless head large in comparison with the rest of the body clothed in a dirty robe. But my first thoughts weren't about his sartorial elegance, more about the fact that he appeared to be responsible for Katy and I being tied to what looked like were about to become our funeral pyres.
He studied us both. 'So, you are the witches.'
'Witches?' I said. 'Oh no. We're not witches, we're just . . . women.'
'So you deny you have healing powers?'
He kind of had me there. Not through any fault of my own, they'd just appeared when I'd arrived at The Crossed Swords Inn. 'Who's asking?'
'My name is Sorvad.' I looked across at Katy and she shook her head. I looked back and waited. He seemed a bit annoyed that his name hadn't struck fear and awe into us. 'I said, "My name is Sorvad".'
'Sorry, but it doesn't mean anything to me. To us. Who exactly are you?'
He roared loudly and the trolls trembled and cowered from his voice. I would have myself if I hadn't been tied quite so firmly to a stake.
'Why has nobody heard of me?' he bellowed. 'I am Sauron's brother!'
'Oh I've heard of him!' I said. I would have clapped if I'd been able to move my arms. 'Big glowy eye and all that.'
'That was MY idea. Look! Look!' And he pointed at his own face. He definitely had one very glowy eye. 'He stole that and now no one ever thinks of me, do they? Do they?' he said, his voice rising to a crescendo.
He appeared to be waiting for an answer. 'Er no, no they don't. Sorry. But I'm not quite seeing what this actually has to do with us.'
'Because you are witches. If I kill you, then the whole of the Shire and Camelot will know who I am.'
'Actually, I don't think they will. We're not witches, so all you'll do is upset a few people, annoy a few more and, compared with what your brother has planned-'
'What does he have planned, witch?'
'My name is Beth. I am not a witch. And I suggest you ask your brother about his plans.' I didn't mean to get snappy, but my arms were beginning to ache and it wasn't very comfortable standing here while I had to placate somebody's ego. Somebody who had obviously had problems of a fraternal nature.
'We're not on speaking terms,' he muttered, eye slightly less glowy.
'Well burning us really isn't going to help.'
'I'll be the judge of that.'
'Why do you think we're witches anyway?' Katy asked.
'Well you're here,' Sorvad replied.
'That doesn't make us witches.'
'You must have some kind of magic to survive the Dark Tower.'
'Well we don't.'
'And then there's your ring,' he said, looking back at me.
'My ring?' I glanced down at my engagement ring. My beautiful sapphire blue Elven engagement ring that Gwaine had chosen for me and I adored. Except it was glowing a bright ruby red. 'What the . . .?'
'That is an Elven stone of Wishall. It is magical. I have heard of its powers but not seen one before.'
'It is my engagement ring.'
'You are betrothed, witch?'
'Will you STOP calling me witch! My name is Beth. And yes. To Sir Gwaine of Camelot.' I was hoping the name would mean something, but immediately regretted that.
'A fine knight and a noble man. I shall look forward to seeing his grief when he finds the charred remains of your body.'
That thought was simply too much to bear. 'If I was a witch, do you really think I'd be standing here like this doing nothing?'
That simple logic appeared to confuse Sorvad, but it didn't help his mood. 'Silence!'
'Why? What are you going to do, kill me?'
'Silence!' he roared again.
'Sauron and Sorvad. Your parents must be SO proud. Anyway, if Sauron is a wizard, doesn't that make you one?'
I'd obviously hit a nerve as his single blue eye began to glow with a ferocity we'd not seen before. 'NO!' he bellowed and I was beginning to think I really should have kept my mouth shut. Not for the first time. He stepped towards me and I thought he was going to hit me, but instead he reached towards the ring, even though I clenched my fingers to prevent him removing it. This was my engagement ring and I was not giving it up for anyone. Even Sauron's scary brother. I could feel its glow now, not burning, just a kind of magical vibration.
'I will take that,' he said, stretching his fingers towards me.
It was then that the first arrow struck the troll nearest me immediately behind Sorvad. Then the second. And soon they were flying from all directions and trolls were falling left and right. Sorvad took the cowardly but sensible decision to hide behind me as a troll staggered forwards and collapsed at my feet, an arrow protruding from his back. An elven arrow.
'Legolas!'
He jumped down from the trees and bowed to me. 'My lady.' He was quickly joined by a dozen other elves who grabbed hold of Sorvad.
'Am I glad to see you! How did you know we were in trouble?'
'The ring called us.'
'The ring? My ring?'
'Yes, it summons us when it senses its owner is in danger.' He took a knife from his belt and started to slice through the bonds.
'Well, I never knew that,' I said, looking down at it now my hands were free. It had returned to its normal sapphire blue.
'I think Gwaine was hoping you would never need to. There, you're free.'
I turned around and hugged him. He hugged me back until Katie called over. 'Erm, Beth?'
'Sorry!' I released Legolas and he released Katy.
'Where can they put him?' he asked.
'In the basement,' Katy said.
The elves took Sorvad into the dark tower, but they turned left down the steps to and we climbed up to the main room. I poured some wine for myself, Katy and Legolas.
'So what happened?' Legolas asked as we sat.
'I arrived two days ago,' I replied. 'To discuss wedding plans.'
'Merlin and Mordred were called away yesterday,' Katy added. 'Although . . .'
'You think it was a ruse to get you ladies alone?' Legolas asked.
'Well . . .' Katie and I glanced at each other. 'There was a message arrived that a naiad was in grave danger, that her spring had been deliberately blocked and she was close to death.'
'So they both went?'
'We kind of insisted that they did.' I added. 'We . . . I wanted to discuss the wedding with Katy without the two men tutting and huffing and sighing. I . . . I thought we'd be OK.'
'So did I!' Katy protested. 'The tower has been quiet for months. There was no reason to suggest it was a trap.'
'So what do we do with Sorvad now?' I asked.
'Gandalf is on his way. He'll know what to do with him,' Legoals said.
'I'd never heard of him. He wasn't . . . known in our world. Not like his brother. Were you close by then? To arrive so soon?'
'Not so far away. Boromir and Aragorn should arrive soon, we were merely the advance party.'
'The ring has such an impact?'
'My lady, rings are very important in this land, and Sir Gwaine wanted the best protection for you.'
Hearing his name made me miss him all the more. 'Have you seen him?'
'Not for a week. He and Percival were guarding the southern pass to keep it open.'
'He was well when you saw him?' I asked anxiously.
'Missing you, my lady, but well.'
'You would know if . . .?'
'Yes, Beth, he is safe. I would know if any harm had befallen any of them.'
This awareness of the elves took some getting used to, especially in the absence of mobile phones, but it appeared to be reliable. 'Wait, you said the southern pass?'
'Yes.'
'No! It's too dangerous. Sauron is watching it.'
'How do you know this?'
'I just know.'
'Then I must get word to them.'
'Frodo and the others? Where are they?'
'They are still in Rivendell. We were about to leave when . . .' and he nodded towards my ring.
I had the sudden realisation that I could have seriously jeopardised the ring quest. If I hadn't come here to discuss wedding plans, if I hadn't insisted Merlin and Mordred both went to answer the naiad's call for help, then we wouldn't have been here alone and vulnerable, and Legolas wouldn't have had to come and rescue us, they could have left on the south pass with Gwaine and Percival's help . . . and not have to try the snowy pass through the mountains, or risk the mines of Moria, with Gandalf meeting the Balrog . . .
I didn't know what I could and couldn't influence, but there had to be something I could do to help the quest, and I would find out what it was.
