A Tale from Middle Earth
A/N: I had a dream about the dog in the Return of the King being a Human under a curse, so I decided to write, er, type it down. Just goes to show you how strange my mind is, 'cause the dog is only in like three seconds of the movie when it walks by in the background while Aragorn and Gandalf are talking in Theoden's palace-type-thing.
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Liana was just waking up when she heard hoof beats. Her eyes snapped open, and she quickly got to her feet and loped over to the window to see who it was. She stood on her hind legs and placed her front paws on the windowsill, peering out into the early morning light and trying to make out the rider. She lifted her nose and sniffed the wind. A familiar smell drifted towards her, and a small whine escaped her throat before she caught herself. Good dogs don't whine, Liana thought firmly. But then her Master dropped off Hortho and started coming towards the palace, and Liana couldn't resist letting out a small bark. "Aralan! You're home!"
Aralan stopped when he saw his dog at the window. "Liana! Come here, girl!" he said, kneeling. Liana practically knocked herself over getting to the front door, then she tore out of the small cottage and towards Aralan, knocking him over in her excitement.
"You're finally home!" Liana said, but it was all a mixture of barking and tail-wagging to her Master. She stuck her nose in his side when he rumpled her ears, inhaling his familiar scent. Horses, other people, sweat...blood. Liana whimpered and backed off, avoiding Aralan's hand. He frowned, reaching out to touch her again. Liana rolled over onto her back in a submissive posture, shivering when he gently stroked her.
"Liana, why are you afraid of me? I'm the same person I was a month ago, and twenty years before that!" His face got a hurt look on it as Liana avoided his hand a third time.
"You smell like death," Liana told him. But he couldn't understand her. She was just a dog to him, not a Human. But she really was Human. He didn't know it, but she was.
Twenty years before, Liana had been a three-year-old princess. Her father, the King of a small province that was very secluded from the rest of Middle Earth, had gone off to try to defeat a band of marauding Orcs, but he'd been killed. The news had nearly killed Liana's mother, but the Queen had pulled herself together and stood strong for her people, assuming the throne. Less than a month after that, a White Wizard had come to the castle and killed the Queen. Liana, little more than a baby, had run at the Wizard, hitting him and screaming at the tops of her lungs. The Wizard had grunted in surprise when her little fists came into contact with his legs, then muttered a few words under his breath. Liana sat down, hard, and let out a scream of surprise only it had come out as a yelp; Liana was now a dog.
"A puppy you'll stay until someone figures it out," the White Wizard had said, then he'd disappeared. Liana had curled up next to her dead mother and fallen asleep. One of the help had found her a few hours later, sleeping next to the fallen Queen. The servant had picked Liana up, cuddling her against his chest, while raising the alarm. Then he'd left to go home, taking the puppy/princess with him. He'd had no idea who she was, only that she was terrified.
After walking into his home, he'd set Liana on the floor. "Aralan, I have a gift for you!" he'd said. A young boy of about five had barreled into the room, his three year old sister not far behind.
"A puppy!" Aralan had cried, dropping to his knees before the frightened Liana. He'd stroked her gently, making her relax and curl up in his lap, while his father watched with a smile. The King suggested naming the puppy Liana, in honor of the young princess who had disappeared. "Liana's a nice name," Aralan had said, and Liana she'd stayed.
Aralan's father had smiled as Aralan gently rumpled Liana's ears. "Treat her right, young man, and she'll grow up to be your best friend, loyal and loving."
That night, Aralan had taken Liana into his room and set her on the bed. She curled up next to the sleeping boy, still somewhat scared but realizing that the young boy truly cared about her. Aralan's father had entered the room, smiling at the sight of his son with his puppy curled up against his chest. Then he'd gently moved Liana to Aralan's feet. "That's where a good dog belongs, Liana," the father had said, smiling and petting her. "At her Master's feet. Take good care of him," he'd added before leaving.
Liana had grown up with Aralan and his little sister, Sérëdhiel (Sare-ay-thee-ell). Her name meant Peaceful in Elvish, and translated as Selena in Human. However, Sérëdhiel was anything but peaceful. She had a fiery temper that Liana grew used to, since the young girl treated her well and loved her. Aralan's father, Vicno, loved to watch his children play with the baby dog. Lantia, his wife, would sit on a bench in the front yard and supervise, to make sure that no one got hurt, especially Liana. Lantia had Elven ancestry, which was why she'd given four of her five children Elvish names. Vicno liked the way the Elven language rolled off his tongue, so he didn't mind.
Many years passed. Vicno and Lantia both died. Vicno was first, killed in a battle against hill-trolls. Lantia succumbed to grief less than three months later. Aralan was automatically man of the house, the role falling hard onto his barely twenty-year-old shoulders. Liana was seventeen at the time, and Aralan had already expressed shock at her long-life.
"You're seventeen today, Liana," he'd said. "Yet you act as if you're three or four."
"That's because I'm really only seventeen in Human years," Liana had replied, knowing full-well that he could not understand her. Her Speech was a mixture of tail-wagging and barking to him.
Sérëdhiel had stood by her brother, staying in the house to take care of their two brothers and sister who were all under fifteen at the time. Her job wore her down, but she never complained. But when a young man made her his wife, she had to leave the house. Dûrion and Urûvion, the twins, went to live with Aralan's cousin Lathie. Faelwen, the oldest at fourteen, volunteered to work at the palace as a hired hand, to bring some money. Aralan allowed her to do this, and almost immediately she caught the fancy of a stable-hand. Five years later, she'd married the man, leaving Aralan with no one to take care of. The relief had been almost evident on his face.
Aralan had been gone a month, visiting Sérëdhiel in Rohan, and now he had finally returned, smelling of death. Finally, it seemed to dawn on him. "Of course, I smell like Orc! I ran into a small party on the way home," he told Liana. Even though the Orcs had been defeated two years prior, they still had an occasional problem with marauding bands now and then.
"Yes," Liana said matter-of-factly, "Death. Blood. Orc."
Aralan laughed. "Well, I'll go change clothes and make you more comfortable. I would hate to have my dog, my loyal companion, afraid of me." Liana followed him to his room, where he removed his protective leather vest. Liana backed away from it, as it smelled very strongly of Orc, a foul stench. Then he unlaced his shirt and shrugged out of that, throwing it into the corner. Liana could wait no longer. She launched herself at her Master, placing her paws on his chest and sticking her nose into his side. She inhaled deeply, cherishing his Scent. "Is that better, Liana?" he asked, rumpling her ears.
"Yes, you smell like you again," Liana said, licking his cheek. Aralan laughed, then pulled on another shirt.
"Let's go to the kitchen, shall we? I need to eat. Then we'll take a nice, long walk." Aralan led the way to the kitchen and grabbed a piece of jerky, sitting at the table and watching Liana closely. She very politely looked away from the food, although she wanted it very badly. She'd learned long ago that she got more food by not begging than by begging. Aralan laughed. "Do you want some?"
Liana put her paw on Aralan's knee, barking a "Yes!"
Aralan broke some meat off and handed it to her. Liana ate it delicately, as befit a lady. She may be in the form of a dog, but she knew she was Human. The only thing was, no one else did. After finishing the morsel, she lay down and put her chin on her paws, closing her eyes and inhaling her Master's Scent. It was so good, like sweat, outside and horses all mixed together. She sighed.
"What's wrong, Liana?" Aralan asked, smiling down at his dog.
"Nothing," Liana said, her tail thumping against the packed dirt floor of the small cottage. "I'm just fine." She smiled, panting.
"You know, I think I've changed my mind. How would you like to go to Gondor, instead of just going on a long walk?" Aralan asked. Liana sat up abruptly. Gondor? "I have an uncle who lives in Gondor, Minis Tirith to be exact. Would you like that?"
"Yes, oh yes!" Liana said, placing her paw on Aralan's knee. Her tail was swishing on the floor, showing her excitement. To Aralan, it was just excited barking, but he got the general idea.
"I thought you might," he said. "Well, let me pack my things and we'll go!" Liana followed her Master around as he gathered various items that she saw no use for, but she was sure there was one. Finally, Aralan was ready to go. "All right, Liana, let's go," he said, smiling at her. Her heart thumped happily.
Liana followed Aralan outside, where he mounted Hortho and turned towards Gondor. Hortho pulled at the bit, fighting to run. Aralan loosened the reigns, and Hortho took off. Liana took off after him, stretching out and running as quickly as she could to keep up. She lived for these moments, being able to run full out and be free. It was as close to heaven on earth as you could get. After a few minutes, Aralan slowed Hortho down and turned in the saddle. Liana was loping along behind him, tongue lolling out of her mouth, and she was gasping. "Sorry, girl," he said.
"It's okay," Liana replied.
"What I wouldn't give for a rabbit or two tonight," Aralan muttered to himself, turning to face forward again and nudging Hortho into a trot. "Rabbit stew would be nice."
Liana made a mental note of his statement, and when he stopped for the night she ran off. Aralan called after her, but she ignored him. There was a hint of something foul on the air, but Liana ignored it. There was a much stronger scent: rabbit. Raising her snout to sniff the wind, Liana adjusted her path and spotted the rabbit. She stopped at once. Sneaking up slowly until she was a few feet away, Liana pounced. The rabbit had, however, heard her and was now running off. Liana darted after it, quickly catching and killing it. It was a fat, juicy smelling thing, and Liana imagined just how happy Aralan would be to have it.
Trotting back into camp with her head held high, Liana laid the rabbit triumphantly at her Master's feet. "Look what I got you," she said proudly.
"Why, Liana!" Aralan said, surprised. "How on earth did you know I wanted a rabbit?"
"You told me, silly," Liana said, her voice slightly chastising. "Don't you remember?" Telling him so made no difference, though, because she was still just a dog to him.
Aralan couldn't understand her, so he just rumpled her ears. "Good dog. I'll get these cooked up in no time." He crouched over the fire for a while, then went to tie Hortho out with a picket-line while the stew cooked. Liana sat by the flames, inhaling the scent of rabbit cooking.
Finally, it was ready. Aralan ladled out a large bowl for himself, than a smaller bowl for Liana. "Because you were a good dog today," he said, placing it in front of her. "You deserve a treat." Liana ate it slowly, because it was hot, then licked the bowl clean and placed it in the pot of boiling water. "Liana," Aralan started, his eyes wide, "Did you just put your bowl in the-?" Liana nodded. "I always knew you were smart," Aralan said in a whisper. He tugged on one of her ears, an affectionate gesture that wasn't her favorite but one that she put up with anyway.
After dinner, Aralan stretched out on his bedroll and went to sleep. Liana curled up at his feet, as she always did. It was her way of honoring Vicno. She fell asleep quickly, having physically exhausted herself with all the running that day. The next morning, the hint of foul air was definitely stronger. Liana laid her ears flat against her head as she raised her nose to the wind, sniffing hard. Orc. She followed the smell away from the campsite, and Aralan, to see what the Orcs were doing. They were close, too close for comfort. Less than two miles away. There were twelve of them, seven lounging next to a fire and two preparing what looked like a spit. Three more guarded a small bundle near the edge of their camp.
Liana squinted at the bundle, recognized the form of a young boy, and high-tailed it back to Aralan. He was just mounting Hortho. "Aralan!" she said urgently. "Come on!" she grabbed his stirrup in her teeth and gently tugged towards the Orc campsite. "Hurry, they've got a boy and they're going to roast him!"
Either because Hortho could understand her or because Aralan recognized the urgency of her barking, her Master turned to follow her. She pulled on his pants leg. He dismounted, following his dog. Liana was running back and forth between the camp and her Master, hoping and praying that Aralan would not be to late to save the boy. Aralan was hesitant at first, until he sniffed the smoke from the Orc's fire. Then, drawing his sword softly, he crept forward. His eyes narrowed as he saw the boy, and he calmly stepped into the camp. This alarmed Liana. That was not the plan she had in mind.
The Orcs didn't notice Aralan until he walked up to the one nearest the fire and nonchalantly chopped its head off. The other eleven turned to stare in shock at the lone Man standing in their campsite with a drawn, bloody sword. For a long moment, no one moved. Then all eleven Orcs jumped to their feet and drew their own weapons. Liana launched herself at the closest one and locked her jaws around its throat, killing it as quickly as she could. The Orc-blood was bitter against her tongue and burned her throat, but she grimly turned to a second. After killing that one, she managed to kill a third before Aralan took out his ninth.
Aralan walked over to the young boy, who was hiding his face in terror. "Shh, it's all right," Aralan said, his voice low. "We're not going to hurt you. We're taking you to Gondor, all right?" The boy nodded, and Aralan helped him stand. The boy's face abruptly whitened, and he sat down again, nursing his leg. It was bent at an odd angle, and Liana felt a pang of pity for him. "It's broken," Aralan said, then picked the boy up and turned to Hortho, who had followed them. Setting the boy in the saddle, Aralan started to mount himself. Then Liana caught another whiff of something foul.
"More Orcs!" Liana howled, putting her head down and getting between the smell and her Master. The Orcs wouldn't harm him if she had anything to do about it.
Aralan watched her for a second, then dismounted and slapped Hortho's rump. "Take the boy to Minas Tirith," Aralan said to the horse. "Keep him safe and bring back help." Hortho galloped off towards Gondor with the young boy holding on grimly. Turning, Aralan re-drew his sword just as four more Orcs came into the clearing. For a second, they simply stared at their dead comrades. Then they noticed Aralan and obviously put two and two together. The Orc in the lead snarled and drew its sword, the other three following suit. Aralan whirled and stuck his sword through the lead Orc's brain, killing him very effectively. Liana jumped at the second while Aralan took on the other two.
After the quartet of Orcs was dead, Liana was about to relax. Then she heard the soft sound of a bow being drawn back. Turning, she leaped at the fifth Orc hiding behind a tree. The horrid thing was training an arrow on her Master, who turned as she moved. The Orc let fly just as Liana hit into it. Liana turned in horror to see Aralan falling to his knees, the arrow embedded in his chest. Her vision clouded and she killed the Orc in a fit of anger.
Running to Aralan's side, she licked his face. He was unconscious, crumpled in an untidy heap on the ground. Liana sat, then laid down beside him, resting her head on his chest, which rose and fell slowly with each gasping breath. "Aralan," Liana said, nudging his shoulder with her nose. "If you die, I'll kill you." She pulled out the arrow, dropping it to the side, and inspected the wound. To her eyes, it didn't look as bad as she first thought. It had gone in sideways, probably because Aralan had turned to see what she was doing. It didn't seem to have hit any vital organs. She hoped. She sank back down beside him and curled up.
Liana must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she knew, there were four riders in the clearing. She didn't trust them, leaping to her feet and running between them and her Master. She'd already let him get shot, she wasn't going to let him be taken by four strange people. Her head lowered, and her ears flattened against her skull as she bared her teeth at the riders.
They looked uncertainly at each other, then one of the braver ones hesitantly stepped forward. "It's all right, puppy," he said, stretching his hand out. Liana snapped at his fingers, aiming to miss, and he yanked his hand back. "Now what?" he asked his companions.
Aralan groaned behind Liana, and she shot back to his side, sitting beside him and nosing his cheek. His hand slowly rose to stroke her side. "Liana," he whispered hoarsely.
The first rider noticed the movement. "Sir, call of your dog! We're here to help."
Aralan coughed, then complied. "Liana, let them help me."
Liana immediately backed away, letting the four riders help her Master. She now recognized a fifth horse in the group as Hortho, who had followed instructions and brought help back. Looking at her Master, she loped back to him. One of the riders had wrapped a makeshift bandage around the wound and was helping Aralan stand. Another had picked up the arrow and was holding it up.
"Did you pull this out yourself, sir?" he asked.
Aralan shook his head. "I think Liana did," he said, smiling at his dog. She sat proudly and held her head high. "Look at her, she must have."
Liana laughed, then said, "Of course I did, why do you doubt it?"
Aralan rumpled her ears, then managed to mount Hortho. The four riders grouped around him and all five started toward Minas Tirith. Liana followed at a distance, not about to let Aralan out of her sight. It was her fault that he'd gotten hurt in the first place, as she'd not paid enough attention to the Orcs. She should have sniffed the fifth, but she hadn't. She knew beating herself up about it wouldn't change anything, but she couldn't help berating herself. It's all my fault, she thought angrily. All mine. My fault that he might die, my fault that he's hurt. She sighed behind the five riders, then stretched out to catch up to them.
Keeping pace with them until they reached Minas Tirith, she kept a careful eye on Aralan. His eyes were a little glassy, but that was probably from the pain. He hunched over, uncharacteristically heavy in the saddle. The four riders took Aralan to a doctor, then left him in the apothecary's very capable hands. They also tried to remove Liana, but she would not budge. They finally just left after she snapped at the one who had grabbed her collar and had been pulling her away.
"That is a loyal dog," he had said, wringing his hand and smiling at her. "No reason why she can't stay, right?" he'd beckoned for the other three to follow him from the tent. Aralan was unconscious again, the apothecary having dosed him with something to put him to sleep while he worked on the wound. Liana sat by Aralan's side, licking his face whenever he coughed.
Please don't die, she thought fiercely at him. Please don't die and leave me here. The apothecary finally left half an hour later, having bound the wound with herbs to keep it from getting infected and bandaged it securely. Aralan woke up a few minutes after the man had vacated the premises. His hand slowly lowered to stroke Liana's head. She licked the back of it and gently nudged it with her nose.
"Why did you stay, Liana?" he asked in a soft voice. "Why did you stay when other dogs would have run?"
"Because you're my Master and I love you," Liana replied.
Aralan looked at her strangely, pushing himself up on one arm. "And that's another thing, you always seem to react to me. It's almost as if you're answering me, but I can't understand you. And you put your bowl away last night, most dogs wouldn't do that. You are without doubt the smartest dog I have ever seen, the most loyal, the most trusting. And I love you because of it, Liana," he finished.
Liana shivered. That was the first time in twenty years she'd been with him that Aralan had said that he loved her. Her fur prickled, and she licked his face. Aralan went back to sleep, and Liana curled up beside the cot and closed her eyes as well.
When she woke in the morning, she felt different. As in cold. That wasn't good, she had a fur coat precisely for that, to keep her warm. She shouldn't be cold. She stretched, then sat up and promptly realized why she was cold. She had no fur. Or paws, for that matter, she noted absently as she inspected her hands. Her fingers were long and delicate, the nails smooth. Feeling her head, she found that she had a lot of hair and that it was the same color that her fur had been. However, it was only as she was looking down at her long legs that she remembered she was naked. She hurriedly grabbed an extra blanket and wrapped it around herself. "What happened?" she asked herself. The sound of her own voice made her jump.
Unfortunately, it also woke Aralan. His eyes snapped open, and his hand automatically went to touch Liana. He sat up when she wasn't there. "Liana?"
"Yes?" Liana replied.
Aralan looked at her strangely. "Liana's a dog," he said slowly, obviously confused.
"Technically, she was. But before she was a dog, she was a Human princess that was placed under a spell by a White Wizard. I don't know what his name was. But anyway, I was Liana as a dog and now I'm Human again, I don't know how."
"B-but," Aralan stammered, looking very confused, "Liana...well, that would explain why she always seemed to understand me, I guess," he finished, seeming to accept the fact.
"It would," Liana agreed.
The apothecary came back in, holding a young boy. Liana recognized him as the one they'd rescued, and Aralan smiled. The apothecary returned the smile. "This is my son," he said, nodding at the little boy. "When he didn't come home a day ago, we feared the worst. You saved him, and for that we are grateful."
Aralan shook his head. "I only did what any other man would do."
"Where is that dog?" The apothecary asked. "I heard that she helped save Jaiden, but I haven't been able to find her."
Aralan and Liana looked at each other. "Oh, she wasn't really a dog," Aralan said vaguely. "She was a shape-shifter. This is her," he gestured at Liana, who blushed and looked down. "She also probably saved my life. If I hadn't turned when I did..." Aralan's voice trailed off suggestively. The apothecary thanked her heartily, then left to tend to another patient. "You really did save me, Liana," Aralan added.
Liana blushed harder. "And it's all my fault that you got hurt in the first place. I should have sniffed that Orc, but I didn't." She pulled her knees up to her chest, clasped her arms around them and promptly burst into tears. "I promised your Father that I'd take good care of you and then I went and let you get shot by an Orc I should have known was there! It's all my fault," she repeated softly, burying her face in her knees.
Aralan seemed surprised by her outburst. "It's not all your fault, Liana," he said helplessly. "If I'd been paying more attention, I would have seen the Orc as well." Liana stubbornly ignored him. He sighed. "Look, Liana," he said, reaching out to touch her hair, "I don't care about what happened in the past. There's nothing we can do about it except forgive and forget. I've already forgiven you, although there was nothing to forgive, and now we are both going to forget it ever happened."
Liana raised her face, then shook her head. "We're not going to be able to. There will always be a scar and that'll remind you and then you'll hate me!" Blushing again, she lowered her face once more.
Aralan pushed himself up on one elbow, looking at Liana contemplatively. "So that's what this is all about," he said after a minute. "You think that because I got hurt, I'll hate you?" Liana nodded into her knees. "Never, Liana," Aralan reassured her. "I might have gotten hurt, but as I keep saying, you also saved me. That's what counts most. Now forget about it or I really will hate you."
Hesitantly, Liana lifted her head from her makeshift dress. "All right," she said. Then, noticing that he was half-way sitting up, she shifted onto her knees and pressed him back down into a reclining position. "But if you don't rest, you'll never heal and you'll die," she insisted firmly. With a chuckle, Aralan closed his eyes and went to sleep.
The apothecary's wife came in a few minutes later with a dress for Liana. The apothecary must have told her that the now-Human woman needed one. Kyra smiled at Liana, whispering so that she wouldn't wake Aralan. "I've brought you something more practical than a blanket," she said.
Liana smiled back. "Thank you," she whispered in return.
Kyra helped Liana put the dress on,then made a small exclamation of surprise. "Why, it's a perfect fit! Very flattering on you, too, I might add. This one never fit me right, so you can just have it."
"If you don't mind," Liana said uncertainly.
"Oh, pish-posh. Of course I don't mind. Now you just make sure your young man stays asleep and doesn't get up, all right?" Kyra smiled knowingly at Liana, who blushed very hard.
"He's not my young man," she said hastily. "Rather, I was his dog. I'm not sure what I am, now."
Kyra made a noise that showed she didn't believe Liana, then left to fix dinner. Liana thought over the older woman's last words, then over the past twenty years. She loved Aralan, of course, but she wasn't quite sure how. She definitely loved him as a dog loves her master, but was it more than that? She watched him sleeping, his face relaxed and peaceful. It was a nice face, she had to admit. Long brown hair fell in loose waves to his shoulders, and although his eyelids covered his eyes, Liana knew that they were a nice hazel-brown color. Her own eyes, from what she could remember, were a strange gray-green.
As if the weight of her gaze were waking him up, Aralan's eyes fluttered open for a second before closing again. He was still in the half-asleep stage, and Liana knelt next to him to try to get him to stay asleep. "Liana?" he asked woozily.
"Shh, I'm here," she replied. The pain medicine had probably worn off. "It's all right, go back to sleep." She smiled as his eyes closed again.
Several days passed as Aralan started to recover. He wasn't allowed to leave the tent, so Kyra took Liana sight-seeing. It was the first time she'd been to Minas Tirith, and the beauty of the city surprised her. She could see some areas where the stone looked newer, and she remembered hearing Aralan say that the city had been hit hard during the War for Middle Earth. She and Kyra became good friends, as Kyra was only a few years older than her. Liana herself was twenty-three, as best she could remember. She enjoyed Kyra's company immensely, and the older woman gave her some good tips on keeping her knee-length hair tamed.
Liana never went more than a couple miles from where Aralan was recovering. She wanted to be able to get to him quickly if something should happen. On the fourth day, she returned to see Aralan trying to stand. She rushed to his side and glared at him. "You're not healed yet. You lay right back down this instant, do you hear?" When Aralan just regarded her with amusement, she placed one hand on her hip and pointed at the bed with the other. "Now."
Aralan snorted, but her tone left him no wriggle room. He sat back down on the bed, but refused to recline. "I'm tired of sleeping, Liana, I've done nothing but sleep for four days!"
"I don't care, you're not going to get up until I say so." Liana glared at him.
Aralan glared back. "My, you turned out to be bossy, didn't you?"
His voice carried a sort of accusation that hurt Liana immensely. "I'm a Princess, I was born bossy!" she yelled back. "You have no right to speak to me that way and I'm tired of arguing with you about this!" Her vision started to blur, but she refused to let the tears out.
"I don't care if you are a Princess, I'm older than you and you have no right to boss me! You've only been Human for four days, why should I listen to you?" His hazel-brown eyes stared into hers, and she stared defiantly back.
"Because I care, that's why!" Liana burst out. "If anything happens to you, I'll die! I promised your father I'd take care of you and I aim to keep that promise!"
Aralan started to say something, then stopped. Cocking his head, he said something different. "You're just doing this for my father?"
Liana shuffled uncomfortably. "Not just for your father," she muttered.
"Then for who?" Aralan's eyes dared her to lie to him, and she knew that if she did, he'd know at once.
"Well, I really, really, don't want you to die," Liana said in a soft voice. "If you died, I think I'd die, too. I was with you for twenty years and I never let anything happen to you, because I promised I wouldn't. I did my best to make sure you stayed out of trouble. But I have to admit, it wasn't only because I promised I'd keep you safe."
"Why else?" Aralan was obviously intrigued.
Liana opened her mouth, but stopped before she said anything. "I can't tell you," she said at last.
"You can't," Aralan repeated. He seemed hurt by this. "Well, who am I to pressure the great Princess into talking? If you don't want to tell me, then by all means, keep it to yourself." He sank onto the cot, rolled over and put his back to Liana.
Liana stared at him for a brief second, then she stormed outside. Sitting on a stone bench not far away, she dropped her chin onto her hands and fought the urge to cry. "I can't do this," she murmured to herself. Tears blurred her vision again, and this time she let them loose, burying her face in her hands. She heard footsteps coming toward her. Her hearing seemed to be much more sensitive then ordinary Humans, probably because she had been a dog for so long. The apothecary was coming back. Liana didn't move from her spot on the bench. When the apothecary saw her, he smiled.
"How's he doing, Liana?"
Liana smiled back. "Pretty well, I think. You might want to check on him to make sure, though." With a slight chuckle, the apothecary disappeared inside the tent. Liana watched his form moving behind the wall of the tent and shook her head. Men.
Suddenly, the apothecary came outside the tent and beckoned her inside. "Liana," he said in a low voice, "there's something you should know."
Fear rushed through her. "About Aralan?"
The man nodded. "Yes. Listen, I don't think it's life-threatening, but there's something about that wound that bothers me. Come here, I'll show you." The doctor grabbed Liana's arm and pulled her closer to Aralan. Moving the folds of cloth away from the arrow wound, he reached out to touch the corner of the hole. "See how this piece of skin is turning red?" Liana nodded. "I'm pretty sure that the arrow was poisoned, Liana. The redness is an after-effect of the Orc-brew."
Liana fell to her knees beside the now-unconscious Aralan. "He's not going to die?"
The doctor shrugged. "It's too early to tell, but if I can't figure out what the Orcs used for their potion, there is a good chance that it'll take much longer for him to recover. As I said before, I seriously doubt it's life-threatening. Yet."
Liana glanced at the man before returning her gaze to the wound. She gently ran her fingers over the gash in Aralan's chest, exploring the wound with her fingertips. Aralan gasped slightly but didn't regain consciousness. "You're sure it's poison?"
"Yes."
Pressing her lips together, Liana raised her head to look at the doctor. "If you can't find the cure?"
The apothecary crouched beside her and rested his hand on her shoulder. "If I can't find the cure, he'll probably be sickly for the rest of his life. The poison will run its course and disappear, but the effects will last much, much longer. He'll be more prone to sickness, and probably won't be able to live alone. Liana, this isn't a life-threatening development. The poison will not kill him. If it was going to, he'd be dead by now. The effects of the poison, however, just might."
Liana rose, then turned to the doctor/apothecary. "What do I have to do to find what was used in this poison?"
The doctor smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that."
A day later, Liana rode out of Minas Tirith on Hortho. "I know you can't understand me anymore," she muttered to the horse as they tore over the prairie in front of the city, "but I need you to fly." The horse neighed in answer, and Liana nudged him into a full-out gallop. A brown leather pack was slung across her chest, meant to carry a sample of the poison and/or ingredients used in the poison. All Liana had to do was find the bodies of the Orcs and get the sample.
This was, however, more easily said than done. Although dogs are incredibly adept at finding things, their memories are somewhat lacking. Liana wracked her brain for information about the direction they'd come from. Finally, she very fuzzily recalled that she might have come from the West. Turning that way, she did her best to retrace her steps. As she rode, she prayed that she'd be able to find the poison. The doctor had said that time was running out for the effects of the poison to be stopped. She didn't remember it taking this long to reach Minas Tirith.
Then Hortho reared and, surprised, Liana fell off. There, squarely in the horse's path, was a dead Orc. Liana smiled as she recognized teeth marks on the things throat. Turning, she explored the clearing a little until she found the archer-Orc. Five days in the sun hadn't done much for their smell, as they were starting to rot, but she found a pouch around the dead Orc's waist. There was a small vial in the pouch, and she stuck that in her leather pack. There were no ingredients in the pouch beside a sprig of little white flowers, which she put in her pack anyway.
Straightening, she froze as she heard a sound. Liana made her way carefully back to Hortho, trying not to step on anything that might give away her position. The horse had shied away from the dead Orcs and was now trotting up the path, forcing Liana to follow.
A twig snapped to her right, and she whirled. Her eyes widened, and a small scream escaped her throat as she saw another Orc staring back at her. It grinned evilly and pulled out its sword. Liana leapt back in terror, as she was unarmed. The Orc swung the blade, which clipped Liana's side, and she staggered back even farther. Heat spread from the wound, and Liana guessed that the blade had been poisoned, probably with the same stuff the arrow had been poisoned with. Turning again, she ran up the path as quickly as she could. She had to make it back to Hortho before she collapsed. The poison was already weakening her. The Orc followed, obviously believing that it could catch her before she could catch the horse.
But Hortho surprised her by doubling back and rearing, then driving his hooves into the Orc's chest. The horrid thing crumpled beneath the superior weight of the horse, and Hortho drove his hooves into its head. Liana hugged the horse, then managed to mount. Pulling her hand from her side, she saw that it was covered in blood. She put her hand over the wound again, then turned Hortho back towards Minas Tirith and nudged him into a gallop once more.
Twenty minutes later, she cantered up the streets and stopped in front of the apothecary's tent. Weakened by the wound, and the poison, she fell from the horse.
When she woke again, she was laid flat on a cot, and it was dark. She started to sit up, but someone reached out and pressed her back down. "Relax, Liana, you've been out for nearly a week."
"Aralan," Liana murmured, closing her eyes. "You're safe. You're not dead."
Aralan chuckled. "Of course I'm not dead. Listen, about what happened before. You remember, the fight?" Liana nodded, unwilling to talk. Aralan took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Liana. I shouldn't have snapped at you, you were only looking out for me like you've always done. Are you really a Princess?"
Liana nodded. "Yes, the only heir to the throne of Bronander. I understand it's under a different ruling family now?"
"Yes. You wouldn't have liked ruling that place anyway, Liana, the people are rowdy and easily dissatisfied." Aralan smiled at her.
Grinning back, Liana shrugged. "I wasn't looking forward to ruling, anyway. I don't think I'm suited to it."
Aralan's smile grew. "No, you're not."
Liana coughed. "So what happened while I was out?"
"Well, after you got back, Xyras found you unconscious on the ground and brought you into the tent. He found the little vial of poison in your pack, and he got to work on the antidote at once." It turned out that Liana had very little resistance to the poison, and it grew to the same effects it had on Aralan in a quarter of the time. Xyras, the doctor/apothecary, had finally found the antidote, but when he administered it, it took much longer than he expected to heal her. "I woke up right away, but you've been out the past five days," Aralan finished. "I've been waiting for you to regain consciousness so I could thank you."
"No thanks needed, Aralan," Liana said at once, embarrassed by the thought of Aralan sitting by her for five days. She hoped she didn't drool in her sleep or something like that.
"You say some very strange things when you're asleep," Aralan said suddenly. "Something about not knowing how to dance and being forced to clean dishes?"
Liana's eyebrow cocked. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Aralan smiled again. "Of course you don't, you were asleep." He cleared his throat. "You said something interesting last night," Aralan started. "About me dying."
Liana shot up, but Aralan gently pushed her back down again. "What? What did I say?"
"'Aralan, if you die, I'll kill you,'" Aralan said, "I believe were the words you used."
A blush warmed her face. "I said that-?"
Aralan cut her off. "And then you said something else that was very interesting." Liana braced herself for something that had made him angry. He regarded her contemplatively. "Don't look like I'm going to smack you, I'm not. You just said something along the lines of 'If he dies, I'll kill myself.'"
More heat crept into her cheeks. Thank goodness if was night. "You're kidding?"
"No. Now why would you say a thing like that, Liana?" Aralan's eyes bored into hers. "And why the charming blush? It's very becoming."
Oh, would the earth just open and swallow her up! Anything was better than this, anything! "Well, uh, umm..." Liana said.
"Well?" Aralan smiled gently at her, encouraging her to continue. "Should I just speculate?" Anything except that! Maybe she could talk her way out of this one.
"You say strange things when you're asleep, too, Aralan, I think it's normal. Please don't ask what, because I don't remember, but I do know that they're strange." Liana crossed her fingers and hoped he'd drop it.
"But why, Liana?" No such luck.
"Fine, if you must know, it's because I...because I...I can't, Aralan."
Aralan dropped to his knees beside her bed and looked her straight in the eye. "Yes, you can. If I have to drag it out of you." Liana felt her eyes widen at the quiet threat in his voice, but then closed her eyes in a refusal to talk. "You're driving me to it, Liana. I didn't want it to be this way." Liana stubbornly pressed her lips together. With a sigh, Aralan bent over and gently kissed her. Liana's eyes flew open, and she felt herself reacting to his kiss without thinking about it. Aralan pulled away. "Ah, so that's why," he said in a soft tone of voice, his fingers stroking her face so gently that it felt like snowflakes on her cheeks.
Liana blushed again, rolling over. She hid her face, trying not to cry, so mortified was she. A soft sob escaped her throat before she could stop it. Why me? She thought to herself. Why me?
Aralan perched on the edge of her cot and put his hand on her shoulder. "It's nothing to be ashamed about, Liana. Emotions are a powerful thing, you're going to have to learn that. But it's entirely natural and right to feel that way." Liana lost it, and the tears started rolling down her face. Thankfully it was hidden. "Don't cry, please," Aralan begged. The slight shudder of her body must have given her tears away.
"I can't help it, I don't know why I'm crying!" Liana sobbed. "You didn't do anything to make me want to cry, so why am I crying!?"
Aralan knew. "You don't want to admit your feelings. If it helps, I feel the same way about you." Liana shrugged. Aralan reached down to touch her face. "I love you, Liana. I always have and I always will. I even loved you as a dog, although a little differently up until the last few months. And it would make me ever so happy if you'd marry me."
Liana rolled over to face the young man. "Only if you truly mean it," she said in a voice barely above a whisper.
Aralan didn't say anything, just bent over and kissed her again. And Liana found that words were needless.
: : :
There is it. Finished. And don't you dare tell me I ruined it! I made up my own characters and set them in Middle Earth. If you hated it, tell me so in a NICE way. And I mean it. Profanity in reviews/PM's will be reported as abuse and flames will be used to roast marshmallows over. If you liked it, wonderful! Tell me that as well. Also, I'd like pointers on what I could improve on in my writing, but please, please, please be nice about it!
Disclaimer: Elvish names came from , an Elvish name translation site.