This is the story I thought my computer ate! *Dances and rejoices* So much
joy! So much thanksgiving! By this act the computer saved itself from being
dismantled into teeny tiny pieces. My conspiracy of the inanimate is that
they hate mankind (humankind) and seek to kill, destroy, frustrate and
annoy in any way possible. Which is why you should never trust a computer.
Does anyone agree with me?
Brianna rode, gasping at the foul stench of the unclean rider that forced her to ride with him. The ebony horse beneath them stretched fluidly as the ground was eaten up beneath its feet. It too was most unnatural, whilst conforming outwardly to the semblance of the animal named 'horse'. The Ring Wraith's armored arms stretched coldly around her frame, holding her tightly in a grip of Mordor steel. She cried a little, her tears running coldly down her cheeks as her mind continued on its path of remembrance and recrimination. Her fault, that her brother was dead. Her fault, that her betrothed was dead, even if he was not of her choosing. All of it, her fault. Must have been her, for who else had it been that they had come for?
It had been a sunny day; the sun shining and all had seemed well. Her 16th birthday party preparations were well under way. William, smiling and laughing as he teased her by holding her necklace above her head. Thomas, watching behind William, smiling too, but coldly, as if assessing a prize brood mare. Laughing at William and jumping for the necklace shining in the sun, as her feet were stained green by the grass. Mother and Father talking, smiling, watching William and her mock-fighting together. William, oh William, 20 years old and without a wife, her beloved elder brother. The other children of the village playing on the green with the adults watching, smiling fondly as the children played and gossiping with each other.
Then a sound of thin, tortured screaming and the thunder of hooves and unshod feet pounding the earth. Incomprehension turning to shock, then to sheer terror as the Ring Wraith and a band of Orcs appeared on the road over the rise leading into the village. William had turned to face them, and the Ring Wraith had cloven him in two. She had screamed and screamed as his warm salty blood sprayed her. The other villagers had snatched up their children and run, including Mother and Father who had other children to think about. Thomas had grappled with an Orc for an instant then fallen as several arrows raced hissing into him, sending gouts of blood fountaining into the air as he fell and cried out
"Brianna!" His brown haired head suddenly rolling in the dust, a stunned look upon his face. An orc picking it up, its fingers twined into his hair and shouting something unintelligible to its fellows. The necklace fell tarnished with red spots into her hands. It had been her birthday present from William, a thin silver chain supporting a lean silver stalking cat. Cats were her favourite creatures, and William had known. He always called her 'his little hunting cat'. The clasp was a small mouse holding an acorn; it looked so frightened of the cat on the front of the necklace. Then the Ring Wraith pausing in front of her and the Orcs crowding around. Her eyes wide with shock and still screaming, her face patterned with speckles of blood that cruelly mimicked the freckles on her face. Then the Ring Wraith sweeping her up onto the saddle of its terrible horse, and then riding and riding out of the entire world she'd ever known. Past the river Bree and the town she'd stayed at once on a shopping expedition with her parents. And here she was still riding with her unnatural guardian.
For, as surprising as it may seem, it had been a guardian to her. On the first night when they had stopped, she had slid to the ground whimpering from the pain of the Ring Wraith's armoured embrace and the unaccustomed riding. The one she thought to be the leader of the Orcs had reached for her, grinning evilly and displaying his fangs. The Ring Wraith had screamed eerily and slammed its sword down upon the ground between the orc and Brianna. The Orcs had retreated with sullen mumblings at this display of force by the Black Rider. She had looked up with wonder at the darkness within its cowl of black cloth. She had slept near the Ring Wraith, under its watchful eye as it guarded the party.
They had been riding for a month, and still she cried everyday. She was hungry too, due to the diet of hard, stale bread and the unidentified meat jerky, which she refused to touch. Occasionally there had been edible plants near their campsite and she had greedily eaten them, while the Orcs laughed. They were nearing to the borders of Mordor now, and Brianna was thin and wan. She was frightened of discovering what dark purpose had led to her capture and brought her to Mordor. She shivered in fear at the thought of what it might be. As a quarter elf, for one of her grandfathers had been Elvish, who knows what Sauron wanted with her.
Brianna rode, gasping at the foul stench of the unclean rider that forced her to ride with him. The ebony horse beneath them stretched fluidly as the ground was eaten up beneath its feet. It too was most unnatural, whilst conforming outwardly to the semblance of the animal named 'horse'. The Ring Wraith's armored arms stretched coldly around her frame, holding her tightly in a grip of Mordor steel. She cried a little, her tears running coldly down her cheeks as her mind continued on its path of remembrance and recrimination. Her fault, that her brother was dead. Her fault, that her betrothed was dead, even if he was not of her choosing. All of it, her fault. Must have been her, for who else had it been that they had come for?
It had been a sunny day; the sun shining and all had seemed well. Her 16th birthday party preparations were well under way. William, smiling and laughing as he teased her by holding her necklace above her head. Thomas, watching behind William, smiling too, but coldly, as if assessing a prize brood mare. Laughing at William and jumping for the necklace shining in the sun, as her feet were stained green by the grass. Mother and Father talking, smiling, watching William and her mock-fighting together. William, oh William, 20 years old and without a wife, her beloved elder brother. The other children of the village playing on the green with the adults watching, smiling fondly as the children played and gossiping with each other.
Then a sound of thin, tortured screaming and the thunder of hooves and unshod feet pounding the earth. Incomprehension turning to shock, then to sheer terror as the Ring Wraith and a band of Orcs appeared on the road over the rise leading into the village. William had turned to face them, and the Ring Wraith had cloven him in two. She had screamed and screamed as his warm salty blood sprayed her. The other villagers had snatched up their children and run, including Mother and Father who had other children to think about. Thomas had grappled with an Orc for an instant then fallen as several arrows raced hissing into him, sending gouts of blood fountaining into the air as he fell and cried out
"Brianna!" His brown haired head suddenly rolling in the dust, a stunned look upon his face. An orc picking it up, its fingers twined into his hair and shouting something unintelligible to its fellows. The necklace fell tarnished with red spots into her hands. It had been her birthday present from William, a thin silver chain supporting a lean silver stalking cat. Cats were her favourite creatures, and William had known. He always called her 'his little hunting cat'. The clasp was a small mouse holding an acorn; it looked so frightened of the cat on the front of the necklace. Then the Ring Wraith pausing in front of her and the Orcs crowding around. Her eyes wide with shock and still screaming, her face patterned with speckles of blood that cruelly mimicked the freckles on her face. Then the Ring Wraith sweeping her up onto the saddle of its terrible horse, and then riding and riding out of the entire world she'd ever known. Past the river Bree and the town she'd stayed at once on a shopping expedition with her parents. And here she was still riding with her unnatural guardian.
For, as surprising as it may seem, it had been a guardian to her. On the first night when they had stopped, she had slid to the ground whimpering from the pain of the Ring Wraith's armoured embrace and the unaccustomed riding. The one she thought to be the leader of the Orcs had reached for her, grinning evilly and displaying his fangs. The Ring Wraith had screamed eerily and slammed its sword down upon the ground between the orc and Brianna. The Orcs had retreated with sullen mumblings at this display of force by the Black Rider. She had looked up with wonder at the darkness within its cowl of black cloth. She had slept near the Ring Wraith, under its watchful eye as it guarded the party.
They had been riding for a month, and still she cried everyday. She was hungry too, due to the diet of hard, stale bread and the unidentified meat jerky, which she refused to touch. Occasionally there had been edible plants near their campsite and she had greedily eaten them, while the Orcs laughed. They were nearing to the borders of Mordor now, and Brianna was thin and wan. She was frightened of discovering what dark purpose had led to her capture and brought her to Mordor. She shivered in fear at the thought of what it might be. As a quarter elf, for one of her grandfathers had been Elvish, who knows what Sauron wanted with her.