Huzzah! Chapter two is now up! For all my lovely, patient readers and reviewers, I am so sorry for not updating earlier, but exams have pretty much dragged me under.
But because you've all been so nice, I decided to update one more time. I don't think I'll be able to update again for a couple of weeks (please don't kill me) but I promise it'll be good.
Oh yes, and sorry if the scene isn't accurate, I've not seen LOTR for ages (must watch it soon) so yeah. And oh yes, you MUST tell me if you don't like what happens in this chapter. If you disagree I can always change it.
Anyway, less talk, more reading. Let's roll!
Chapter 2 ~
The pirate crew swiftly trudged up the hill, panting as they gained height up the steep incline. Ochre coloured leaves masked their heavy footfalls as they darted between the tall slender trees and through alternating strips of shade and fading sunlight. They passed strange crumbling ruins of gritty grey stone resembling flights of cracked stairs, decaying pillars and even a head sunken deep into the forest mud, its face chiselled by the weather.
As they ran higher up the hill, the sound of battle intensified. The ringing clang and clash of steel and the occasional animalistic grunt grew louder and louder. They were now even close enough to hear the dirt scuffed up by a frenzy of rapid feet.
"Why are we even going up here anyway?" asked Elizabeth between pants, a disgruntled frown on her face. "We can't just throw ourselves into a fight. It could be dangerous!"
"Aye, but that's the fun of it!" Barbossa retorted with a grin.
"But we don't even know who's fighting who?" Elizabeth pressed.
"We'll find out in a minute, lass" said Gibbs, cocking his pistol. The others quickly drew their weapons, ready for impact.
The crew staggered to a halt as the hill suddenly dipped down into a shallow ditch which created a clearing in the forest. They gasped and froze in unison.
In the middle of the clearing a lone man stood with a long blade gleaming in the weak sunlight, roaring as he parried blows and hacked into the meat of his foes. The foes in question were tall, brutish beats as ugly as sin, and although humanoid were anything but that. They growled as they lunged out their flat iron blades at the sandy-haired warrior, dark blood spewing from their wounds as the man fought back fiercely. A slender ivory horn swung at his hip, cloven in two.
There was a moment's hesitation before Barbossa let out a coarse shout and half-ran half-staggered down the slight slope, followed after a second's delay by Will and Elizabeth and the rest of the crew.
The ugly creatures stopped in their tracks, temporarily stunned by the new human force, as did the warrior but only for a heartbeat before he resumed the fight. He flinched at the strange crack of pistols as their bullets streaked from the barrels and smashed through the Uruk's rough hide, amazed when they fell down instantly as if struck by lightning.
Elizabeth plunged her sword into the nearest Uruk-hai which squealed as it died, then swivelled around to block a blow from another. Their swords clanged on impact and she gritted her teeth against the monster's great strength, and gasped when her opponent savagely pushed her back and swiped at her. It just about missed her, but the blade scraped her stomach and left a thin line of red. She was about to block a new attack, but with a flash of fear she found the blade was coming at her too fast to block- till saved by Will, who stabbed it from behind. Elizabeth nodded weakly at Will, and he returned the action, before turning around and scouring the area for more foes.
A ferocious roar from the trees alerted them to the presence of yet more reinforcements. A stout man with a thick ginger beard came rushing from the dappled forest, swinging his huge axe; two tall men were hot on his heels, one slicing into Uruks with his long sword, the other firing arrows into the fray.
Within a few seconds of fierce fiery combat, the Uruks were mown down, the few survivors fleeing into the woods with angry snarls. The stout man laughed a short sharp chuckle as the last Uruk faded into the trees.
The crew stood panting deeply amid the corpses of the Uruks, their adrenaline-fuelled blood rushing in their ears as their rapid hearts eventually slowed down. Barbossa wiped a smudge of sweat from his brow and readjusted his askew hat.
"Well, not bad fer a first day past World's End" he chuckled. The smile then died on his lips when he and the crew found themselves face to face with the other men, all of which had the weapons trained on them.
Silence dispelled all noise like a candle snuffed out as the two very different groups of people absorbed each other's appearances.
The man who at first had been fighting alone had strawberry-blond hair and a slight beard, his blue eyes glinting with suspicion but lingering with pain. He was finely dressed in a long dark blue jerkin and crimson shirt, with gauntlets bearing the emblem of a tree on his wrists.
At his side was a slightly taller and older man, dark haired and ruggedly handsome despite being covered with sweat and black blood. His grey-blue eyes were calm yet vigilante as he took in the crew.
Bearing a fine pale bow was a beautiful man, his ears curiously pointed, his chin clean-shaven unlike the other men. Long silky blond hair that was braided sloped down his back. Elizabeth suppressed a gasp, and Will's jaw twitched. Apart from the colour of his eyes and hair, this man looked remarkably like the blacksmith.
The shortest of the group clutched his axe tightly, his dark eyes set deep into his gruff face. His armour was elaborate and appeared very heavy.
Lastly, there were two, new unlikely figures. Their size would have given the impression that they were children, but their faces told otherwise as even though they were young, they were defiantly adults. They both had light brown curly hair and wore no shoes, their bare feet lightly dusted with hair. They stood a few feet back from their companions, but had their short daggers drawn.
Finally, the tense silence was broken and the dark-haired man spoke. "Who are you, and what allegiance do you follow?" he asked, his voice soft but firm.
Barbossa glanced at his crew. Gibbs shrugged and his hand instinctively went for his rum-filled water skin. The others didn't know what to say either.
Barbossa scowled. Why do I have to do everythin'? he thought.
"Me name is Captain Barbossa," he said carefully. "And this 'ere be me crew. As for allegiance, we follow none but our own."
The stout man gripped his axe tighter still. "Spies of Sauron, I suspect."
"We aren't spies" protested Barbossa, raising his sword. "We're naught but honest pirates who've lost their way."
"Pirates!" said the bowman, turning to his companion. "Do you think they could be Haradrim from the south, or Corsairs?"
The finely dressed man shook his head. "No, I do not think so. I have seen Haradrim forces before, and these people appear nothing like them. Though I could be wrong." He narrowed his eyes.
"We don't mean you any harm," Will quickly said. "If we were your enemies, then why would we have helped you?"
"Who are you then?" said the sandy haired man. "Speak quickly!"
"Allow me to explain" said a new voice.
All heads turned to watch Tia Dalma melt from the trees. It was only then that the crew of the Pearl realised that she had not been present in the skirmish. She strode noiselessly to both of the groups, dark eyes gleaming. Some strange presence emanated from her, smelling of sorcery and something mysterious, like mist over the sea.
The stout ginger-bearded man muttered something that sounded like "witch" to the bowman, who nodded very slightly.
"We are nat from dis world," Tia Dalma explained. "But from a world beyand."
"Aman?" whispered the bowman.
Tia Dalma shook her head. "No, somewhere farther, some place not on any map. Ya see, all worlds meet in one way or anoter. By mistake, we ave fallen into yars."
"That's what I said!" Barbossa said, but a sharp glance from the voodoo lady silenced him.
She turned to face the other group. "We are friends, and we mean ya no harm."
The dark haired man stared at her for a long moment, then slowly nodded. He sheathed his sword and looked at the Black Pearl's crew. "Very well. We shall take your story to be true, and you are out friends, for now. But you are still strangers in our land, and so can not be trusted."
The stout man snorted and leaned heavily on his huge axe, and the finely dressed man didn't look too convinced but lowered his weapon.
"Thankee, fer not killin' us" said Barbossa, stiffly nodding.
The swordsman smiled faintly, but then stiffened and turned to face the sandy-haired man. "Boromir, Frodo said you attempted to take the Ring. Is this true?"
His companion lowered his head and drew back in shame. "I- I couldn't resist it!" he stammered shakily. "Aragorn, I swear I tried not to, I would never have hurt Frodo. But its power held too great a control over my mind… please forgive me."
The man known as Aragorn was about to reply, when Boromir interrupted him. "Frodo! Where is he?"
"I let him go" said Aragorn.
He would have said more if Elizabeth hadn't just cried out in pain, clutching her stomach. With a soft gasp, she withdrew her fingers and found them wet with glistening ruby-red blood. She moaned and her knees buckled beneath her.
"Elizabeth!" Will said, catching her before she hit the forest floor.
Suddenly, whilst everyone was distracted, there was a muffled twang and a sharp hiss as an arrow punched through the air that was aimed at Boromir…
Cliff hanger! Yeah, sorry if my writing isn't up to very good standard. But I hope you enjoyed it!
