((3rd March, T.A 2941))
It was cold. I was lying on something hard and very uncomfortable. I rolled onto my back and flicked my long hair out of my eyes, trying to remember where I was. The sky above me was grey and clouds heavy with rain threatened to release their load at any moment. But there was something other than damp in the air. A horrible smell close to rotting fruit or sewage lingered about me, although I couldn't tell from where it came. I sat up and looked around properly. I seemed to be lying on the barren earth on the top of a hill. In front of me was a steep drop into a thick forest. Behind me rose a ruined fortress, dark, eerie and apparently deserted. The place gave me the creeps, but seen as it might rain at any second I decided to head in and see if I could find some shelter for the night.
Upon entering, I realised that the structure was in a worse state than I had thought. Most of the walls had crumbled, and even some of the debris was turning to dust. There were some towers that still stood and had at least partial roofs remaining, but I didn't trust the integrity of any of them enough to venture inside. I was also constantly having to retrace my steps as some corridors had become blocked by rubble, while in some places there were gaps in the walls. A couple of times I thought I heard whispers or footsteps, but I put it down to an over active imagination.
Soon it began to get dark, and it was then that I began to regret my choice of cover as I had yet to find any fuel for a fire. I came to another large structure that appeared mostly intact, and this time I decided to see what was inside. Hesitantly, I passed through the opening and into almost complete darkness. I stood for a moment, allowing my eyes to adjust, before I could make out two sets of stairs. The one leading upwards was broken in places and crumbling, while the one heading down seemed secure. Judging by that, I thought the best option was to go down.
The darkness grew as I went down, as did the horrible smell and my unease. I quickly decided to turn back around and head to the surface while I could still see, but suddenly there was fire light behind me and the sound of multiple footsteps running towards me from below. Terror building, I ran up the stairs taking two at a time. In my haste, I managed to slip and was scrambling to my feet when I was roughly yanked up. Something that I could only describe as a goblin or troll grabbed my arm and began dragging me up the stairs and out of the building. More of them followed behind us, while outside was now swarming with them.
"Tharkto!" One shouted from a bridge of shorts, and suddenly we changed directions and began following. I struggled against this thing, but it had a firm grip and all I managed to do was create a nice bruise.
I was dragged through a labyrinth of corridors and across bridges spanning dark chasms until we came right to the far edge of the ruin where it fell away to a steep cliff. I was thrown roughly to the floor in front of a set of stairs leading up to what used to by either a window or door. This remaining archway was leaning to one side and looked about to collapse, but I suspected that it had been like that for ages and would stay like it for a while yet. I heard whispered voices around me, and I began whipping my head around to find their source. I noticed that the things had backed off, leaving only one particularly pale one and one other with me before the archway.
When I turned back to the arch I found the shadow of a man standing there; but it was more than a shadow, it appeared almost solid darkness. It walked towards me down the steps and I began backing away slowly, only to be kicked in the back by one of those things. I yelped in pain and slumped forward. Remaining on the ground, I watched the feet of the shadow come closer and closer, fear building in me with each step.
"Nargzab honat-to." said a voice in front of me, I assume from the shadow, and I was suddenly pulled upright by my hair from behind. "Lozudurkh... Bato kalauz-ishi."
I was roughly dragged to my feet once more and led away. The things swarmed about me jeering as I past, trying to grab at my hair only to be yanked back by another. I was taken to one of the towers and led down a set of stairs. We entered a system of tunnels and cellars, each of them filled with food or weapons or tools. Eventually, we came to a corridor with a series of strong looking doors. I was taken to the furthest one, where the door was opened and I was pushed inside. I fell hard to the floor once more, landing heavily on my side. Pain erupted there as I felt cold metal clamp shut around my ankle.
I didn't try to sit up until I heard the door slam shut. I watched as the light from under the door disappeared as those things left me there in pitch black that deepened by the second. I crawled to the back of the cell, leaning against the wall as I prayed this was just a dream; the pain in my side told me otherwise. I don't know how long I sat there, whether I dosed or slept or remained awake. Time had little meaning. No food or water was brought, the only light came once when I was brought a long, flowing black dress to wear.
At some point, I began to hear whispers. At first I thought I was dreaming, then I thought I was beginning to go mad in the darkness and becoming delusional. But the whispers where there, for one reason or another. Quiet and insistent. Of one voice, yet of many. I didn't understand what they were saying, and yet I did.
"Dorozg-u izish" Surrender to me.
"Kullat ashûk." You are alone.
"Aarûrz latub kulizub." Soon you will be mine.
My head snapped up as the door was opened, my eyes burning at the sudden light. I shrunk back, trying my hardest to become a part of the wall behind me as two of those things came into my cell. One stood in the doorway, and I noted it was the pale one from before, while the other advanced and stood right in front of me. He removed the chain from my ankle and yanked me upright, before throwing me into the await grasp of the other one.
"Snaag…" the pale one said, brushing a hand over my cheek. I jerked back wide eyed only from him to sneer and roughly grab my arm in a vice like grip, pulling me down corridor after corridor. The only thought going through my mind then was that this couldn't be good.
((20th April, T.A 2941))
I awoke to find my body aching all over with no memory of anything that had happened since I had been first dragged from my cell. I had no idea how much time had passed, if any at all, or even if I was still in the same place as before. I looked around and found that I was no longer completely underground, but in what appeared to have been the original jail. Three of the walls around me were stone, but one was entirely made of crude iron bars forming a door. There appeared to be thorned vines everywhere, all of which were at least as thick as my arm. The most disturbing part however was that I shared my cell with two skeletons, and there was no way of telling just how long they had been there.
Suddenly, I could hear hurried movement and I quickly backed as far away from the door as possible, noticing for the first time that I was no longer chained. I looked down to check and saw something that brought with it some painful memories of my time as a prisoner so far. On my left hand was a silver ring set with what looked to be a snowflake obsidian. Images of one of those creatures forcing it onto my hand came into mind, and then my body ached even more as I remembered pain beyond imagining coursing through me until I knew nothing else.
I went to take the ring off, but movement drew my attention away from it. A tall man dressed completely in grey with grey hair had just rushed passed my cell. I stood quickly, but froze again as something else sped past after him. Conflicted, I walked quietly to the door of my cell to see if I could watch what was going on before I decided if this man could help me.
I saw the man stop at the end of my corridor as it appeared to branch off, and then suddenly the other thing threw itself at the man and they went tumbling down another corridor. I heard sounds of a scuffle and then a man's voice chanting something as they ceased. Apparently the thing was also a man as I heard another voice speak in conversation with the first, although I was too far away to make out what was said.
"Hello?" I called, deciding that this was my chance to get away from there. "Hello! Please, help me!"
I heard movement and the end of a wooden staff came into view at the end of my corridor, followed by the man in grey and the other man, who was at least half the first man's height. They walked towards me, the one in grey seeming suspicious as he checked each cell until he came to stand in front of mine. He made sure to stay back from the door, clearly not trusting anything in this place.
I got a proper look at him for the first time. He was quite tall with long dishevelled grey hair and beard, with long grey robes covered in dirt and mud. In his hand was a wooden staff, while there was a sword at his side. The other man was in rags and also had unruly gray hair and beard. Angular tattoos covered the upper part of his face and nose.
"Please," I begged. I saw him make up his mind and step forward. I quickly stepped back as he used the end of his staff to bash open the door.
"Come, we must leave." he said as I left my cell. "Stay close."
We began to make our way through the ruins, hopefully towards the bridge that would get us safely away. While we hurried across bridges and through the crumbling corridors, the two men spoke quietly to each other. I caught a few words here and there, although I was busy keeping an eye out for goblins. Some of the names seemed familiar, although I could place none of them. I suppose I could have asked if I'd been thinking straight, but that would have to wait until we were in better circumstances and I wasn't still afraid for my life.
"Azog the Defiler had come." I heard the shorter one say as we came to a stop. I could see that he appeared to be remembering something and I suddenly realised that he must have been kept here as I was. I thought how lucky I had been that the man in grey had turned up when he had otherwise I would likely have ended up a shell like him.
I saw the expression on the man in grey change, dread appearing in his features. He took the other man's hand and brought it for him to see, revealing that one of his fingers was partially missing. "They took it." the second man said.
"The last of the seven." said the first man. I saw him look around as I tried to think why this all now seemed very familiar.
What would they have taken from his finger? Well, that could only be a ring. One of seven rings... Azog, the Defiler, he must be one of those goblin, orc things. Orcs... seven rings...
"Have you kept them safe, Gandalf, the map and the key?" I heard the second man ask.
"Gandalf..." I breathed, and then looked up at the men as the answer came to me. "Gandalf the Grey. Oh my gods, this can't be. But this is... Oh my gods, I'm in Middle-Earth."
"Thorin must not go near Erebor. No one must enter that mountain." said the second man, who I now realised must in fact be a dwarf.
The dwarf began to run off, and Gandalf and I quickly followed him through the winding corridors. "He is waiting for them." he said. "They are in league, the dragon and the One. Hurry, we must hurry!"
Suddenly, from nowhere came the huge white orc that I remembered from when I first arrived in this place, and I know knew his name to be Azog. He hit Gandalf full force in the stomach and sent him sprawling across the ground as the dwarf and I stood there and watched in horror. He laughed as Gandalf tried to sit up, clearly winded, and started talking to him in Black Speech. Gandalf stood as the orc advanced slowly on him and held him at bay with his staff.
"Where is he? Where is your Master?" he asked, and received a reply in Black Speech. I, however, really wished that he hadn't asked even though I didn't understand the answer.
Suddenly, there was a flash of light from the end of his staff. While the orcs were disorientated, Gandalf quickly grabbed the dwarf and I and plunged us back into the maze of corridors. I heard a yell behind us and then barking as wargs began chasing us. We came to a bridge and as the dwarf and I crossed, Gandalf turned and used magic to bring down part of a structure overhanging it. I heard it fall with a few dog like whimpers as we carried on running. It appears any luck I had was about to run out as we turned the next corner we came face to face with a black mass of pure darkness. It began speaking to Gandalf in Black Speech as the dwarf and I coward behind him, but it appeared that he was not going to forget my presence lightly.
"Did you really think you can escape your true fate that easily?" asked a voice like velvet inside my head. "He cannot save you from yourself."
"Tell Thorin I loved him. Will you do that? Will you tell my son that I loved him?" asked the dwarf.
"You'll tell him yourself." replied Gandalf.
"It is too late." he said.
From the blackness, tendrils of darkness shot forth and picked up the dwarf. I tried to hold onto him, but he was pulled away with such force that I thought my arm would be pulled out of the socket. I then clung tightly to Gandalf, fearing that I would be next, but a bubble of light appeared around us, keeping the darkness at bay. It clearly wasn't going to last forever as when the darkness began to push it started to shrink. Eventually, it pushed so hard that the bubble was lost and Gandalf staggered back. I quickly tried to support him and he brought the bubble back once more to keep the darkness at bay.
The darkness pushed and pushed, and eventually the bubble broke again. This time, before Gandalf had chance to bring it back, the darkness turned into an eye, the pupil of which was a man made of fire. I recognised him as the shadow from before and began backing away in fear as he came towards us. I watched as the staff Gandalf held aloft began to disintegrate, leaving us both completely at the shadow's mercy. But this time, I knew who my jailer was; Sauron. He picked us both up, leaving me suspended in thin air as he held Gandalf against a wall. Everything crumbled away beneath us at his power. My body erupted in pain like I'd never felt before in my life, although as it did I remembered that I had felt it before. I was helpless to do anything, suspended and in such pain that I knew little else. I tried to fight it, to stay awake and do something to get away, but in the end my body and mind gave in...
Translations:
Tharkto! - Bring her!
Narggzab honat-to - I want to see her
Lozudurkh - Finally
Bato kalauz-ishi - Lock her in a cell
Snaag - Soft/Gentle/Weak
Speech Key:
Normal = Common Speech/Westron
Bold = Black Speech (mainly used by orcs or other things of Morgoth or Sauron)
Italics = Elven languages (Sindarin or Quenya)
Bold Italics = Another language I'm not telling you yet :D
Underlined = Not a language, but still something I'm not telling you yet :)