Disclaimer: What do you think I'm going to say? Hummm? I don't own any of Middle Earth, or any of Tolkien's characters. Saru, Pantorii and Thyatira are mine though, as is Nikinan.
Authors' Note: Please bare in mind that all of this story is technically taking place in Elvish, not Westron, or one of the other languages of Middle Earth, unless it is specified that they are speaking in another tongue.
Tenshiamanda, yes they are in another world. Please don't be too confused. They (Gimli, Glorfindel and Legolas) simply THOUGHT they were in Middle Earth, but were proved wrong. Give Saru a break though :-) (please), he's a lot younger than even Gimli.
Gimli der Zwerg, welcome back.
Treehugger, I love cliff hangers... as long as I'm not the one having to live with them while reading the story. :-)
Jevvica, I'm glad you like it. As for hiding it, I just rescued it from a Pantorii. :-)
Dance for Life. Chapter 6.
Gimli felt a distinct sense of dejavù as he twisted his hands on the hilt of the battle ax. Legolas narrowed his eyes trying to see exactly what they were up against, and Glorfindel attempted once again to call up his power, without success.
Saru also watched the huge dark form's circling, but unlike when the Pantorii had decided to kill their captives, he seemed to have no fear of this new menace. In fact he seemed delighted by it, he raced to the edge of the ledge and with a whoop began waving his arms wildly. Legolas lept forward and grabbed the youngster back from the terrible drop, and only with Glorfindel's help did he succeed in quieting the child's yells.
"What are you doing?" he gasped. "Have you gone mad?" Glorfindel obviously was having similar thoughts.
Saru was furious. He hissed something through Glorfindel's hand and even though the words were muffled, both Elves cringed back from the sounds of the Black Speech.
Legolas shook the dark haired lad, and whispered angrily "What ails you? Why have you..."
The huge form resolved into a Dragon plummeting toward them. In the heat of the moment Saru got free of the older Elves and dashed forward again, placing his body between Gimli and the approaching horror. Great claws reached out of the darkness, and wind buffeted them, then all was silent.
"What just happened?" Gimli asked quietly. Both Glorfindel and Legolas where staring at the now empty spot where Saru had stood with identical looks of blank dismay. Neither of them, for all their years, could understand what had possessed their young companion to draw attention to himself as he had done. Legolas dropped to his belly and peered over the lip of the shelf they were on, but the moon was behind the cliff and it cast a black shadow on the world below them.
Glorfindel moved to stand beside Legolas' prone body and Gimli joined them. "One would almost think that all the Dragon wanted was Saru." the Elf-Lord commented.
"Perhaps we should rest, and see in the morning what can be done to salvage this situation." Legolas added, glancing at Gimli to discover his opinion on the matter.
"An excellent idea, Master Elf." the Dwarf responded. "Though I would have thought, perhaps, you Elves would want to sing now, to raise your spirits." The Dwarf moved back away from the drop-off, and seated himself. Legolas sighed softly and came over and joined him on the hard stone. Glorfindel laughed softly, but the sound was not as merry as it could have been, and it saddened the Dwarf to hear it. The Elf-Lord seated himself with his legs dangling over the edge of their ledge, and began to sing, softly.
Gil-galad was an Elven king,
of him the Harpers sadly sing,
the last whose Realm was fair and free,
between the mountains and the sea.
He broke of, shaking his head, and laughed again, "I cannot seem to think of any song, save those that tell of sorrow, Master Dwarf."
"Well then, what if this?" And in his gravel-y, but not unpleasant voice he chanted out a rollicking Dwarf song about the Elder Days when Moria had been a great kingdom, translating it as best as he was able into the Elven tongue. Soon Legolas, with his light tenor, was attempting to join in the chorus and Glorfindel had lept to his feet, dancing gracefully. In the end Gimli was unable to chant more for he was laughing too hard, and Legolas, since he did not know the words, simple made some up. Glorfindel pulled Legolas to his feet, and they danced and sang while Gimli roared with laughter, and tried to join them, only to fall over again.
They did not worry about Saru at that moment, because they knew that they would be able to do nothing for him until the moon came over the edge of the cliff, or the sun rose. Just as the moon was nearing the lip of the mountain above them, clouds began to gather, the sky darkened completely, and soon rain began to fall. Not in a wild storm, but a steadily soaking downpour. The companions lifted their faces to the moisture and drank as well as they where able.
They were taking their ease, Gimli leaning against the cliff, Legolas beside him, and Glorfindel once again perched on the edge of the rock-shelf, when the Elf-Lord spoke. "We have been here almost a full day now. What more do we know of this land we find ourselves in?"
The rain was steady and refreshing, the sound of it's fall was soothing. "We know that an Orcish kingdom lies to the North, and an Elvish one is westward." Gimli's breathing was growing heavier, but he listened to the Elves speaking even as sleep tried to claim him.
"Yes, and we know that the creatures that captured us are Pantorii..."
"That for some reason, judging by Saru's response, don't normally attack Dwarves." Gimli roused himself enough to interject.
"These Pantorii netted me with something, the child called a crys-net, and it seems to prevent me from using the power within me."
"And Saru was wearing one also. He said that 'I am not defenseless even wearing a crys-net'. Or something to that effect."
"Do we know anything else?" All three thought hard. Then Legolas said suddenly. "Yes. We do. Saru was glad to see the Dragon."
Gimli and Glorfindel turned to look straight at the Prince of Mirkwood. But both, when they thought about it, had to agree with his observation, Saru had gone mad but had indeed been glad to see the Dragon. But why?
"This ax is not Dwarf crafted." Gimli suddenly commented. "Although the workmanship is magnificent."
Glorfindel leaned over, a frown tugging at his brows. "You are right. The style reminds me of the blades forged by the Noldor Lords in Valinor."
"And Pantorii is a word in 'Guynyan'." Legolas looked rather proud of remembering that tidbit. "Who or what is a Guynyan, and where is Guynya, if Guynyan's inhabit it?"
"What think you, son of Gloin?" Glorfindel turned to the Dwarf who had lain down again, after his observation about the weapon. "Have you any more..." He trailed off, with a quiet laugh, for the Dwarf was snoring, and was not listening.
"I will watch first, my Lord." Legolas said softly. Glorfindel nodded, once, and curled up with his back to the cliff wall, and let his mind drift into Elven dreams.
Authors' Note: Please bare in mind that all of this story is technically taking place in Elvish, not Westron, or one of the other languages of Middle Earth, unless it is specified that they are speaking in another tongue.
Tenshiamanda, yes they are in another world. Please don't be too confused. They (Gimli, Glorfindel and Legolas) simply THOUGHT they were in Middle Earth, but were proved wrong. Give Saru a break though :-) (please), he's a lot younger than even Gimli.
Gimli der Zwerg, welcome back.
Treehugger, I love cliff hangers... as long as I'm not the one having to live with them while reading the story. :-)
Jevvica, I'm glad you like it. As for hiding it, I just rescued it from a Pantorii. :-)
Dance for Life. Chapter 6.
Gimli felt a distinct sense of dejavù as he twisted his hands on the hilt of the battle ax. Legolas narrowed his eyes trying to see exactly what they were up against, and Glorfindel attempted once again to call up his power, without success.
Saru also watched the huge dark form's circling, but unlike when the Pantorii had decided to kill their captives, he seemed to have no fear of this new menace. In fact he seemed delighted by it, he raced to the edge of the ledge and with a whoop began waving his arms wildly. Legolas lept forward and grabbed the youngster back from the terrible drop, and only with Glorfindel's help did he succeed in quieting the child's yells.
"What are you doing?" he gasped. "Have you gone mad?" Glorfindel obviously was having similar thoughts.
Saru was furious. He hissed something through Glorfindel's hand and even though the words were muffled, both Elves cringed back from the sounds of the Black Speech.
Legolas shook the dark haired lad, and whispered angrily "What ails you? Why have you..."
The huge form resolved into a Dragon plummeting toward them. In the heat of the moment Saru got free of the older Elves and dashed forward again, placing his body between Gimli and the approaching horror. Great claws reached out of the darkness, and wind buffeted them, then all was silent.
"What just happened?" Gimli asked quietly. Both Glorfindel and Legolas where staring at the now empty spot where Saru had stood with identical looks of blank dismay. Neither of them, for all their years, could understand what had possessed their young companion to draw attention to himself as he had done. Legolas dropped to his belly and peered over the lip of the shelf they were on, but the moon was behind the cliff and it cast a black shadow on the world below them.
Glorfindel moved to stand beside Legolas' prone body and Gimli joined them. "One would almost think that all the Dragon wanted was Saru." the Elf-Lord commented.
"Perhaps we should rest, and see in the morning what can be done to salvage this situation." Legolas added, glancing at Gimli to discover his opinion on the matter.
"An excellent idea, Master Elf." the Dwarf responded. "Though I would have thought, perhaps, you Elves would want to sing now, to raise your spirits." The Dwarf moved back away from the drop-off, and seated himself. Legolas sighed softly and came over and joined him on the hard stone. Glorfindel laughed softly, but the sound was not as merry as it could have been, and it saddened the Dwarf to hear it. The Elf-Lord seated himself with his legs dangling over the edge of their ledge, and began to sing, softly.
Gil-galad was an Elven king,
of him the Harpers sadly sing,
the last whose Realm was fair and free,
between the mountains and the sea.
He broke of, shaking his head, and laughed again, "I cannot seem to think of any song, save those that tell of sorrow, Master Dwarf."
"Well then, what if this?" And in his gravel-y, but not unpleasant voice he chanted out a rollicking Dwarf song about the Elder Days when Moria had been a great kingdom, translating it as best as he was able into the Elven tongue. Soon Legolas, with his light tenor, was attempting to join in the chorus and Glorfindel had lept to his feet, dancing gracefully. In the end Gimli was unable to chant more for he was laughing too hard, and Legolas, since he did not know the words, simple made some up. Glorfindel pulled Legolas to his feet, and they danced and sang while Gimli roared with laughter, and tried to join them, only to fall over again.
They did not worry about Saru at that moment, because they knew that they would be able to do nothing for him until the moon came over the edge of the cliff, or the sun rose. Just as the moon was nearing the lip of the mountain above them, clouds began to gather, the sky darkened completely, and soon rain began to fall. Not in a wild storm, but a steadily soaking downpour. The companions lifted their faces to the moisture and drank as well as they where able.
They were taking their ease, Gimli leaning against the cliff, Legolas beside him, and Glorfindel once again perched on the edge of the rock-shelf, when the Elf-Lord spoke. "We have been here almost a full day now. What more do we know of this land we find ourselves in?"
The rain was steady and refreshing, the sound of it's fall was soothing. "We know that an Orcish kingdom lies to the North, and an Elvish one is westward." Gimli's breathing was growing heavier, but he listened to the Elves speaking even as sleep tried to claim him.
"Yes, and we know that the creatures that captured us are Pantorii..."
"That for some reason, judging by Saru's response, don't normally attack Dwarves." Gimli roused himself enough to interject.
"These Pantorii netted me with something, the child called a crys-net, and it seems to prevent me from using the power within me."
"And Saru was wearing one also. He said that 'I am not defenseless even wearing a crys-net'. Or something to that effect."
"Do we know anything else?" All three thought hard. Then Legolas said suddenly. "Yes. We do. Saru was glad to see the Dragon."
Gimli and Glorfindel turned to look straight at the Prince of Mirkwood. But both, when they thought about it, had to agree with his observation, Saru had gone mad but had indeed been glad to see the Dragon. But why?
"This ax is not Dwarf crafted." Gimli suddenly commented. "Although the workmanship is magnificent."
Glorfindel leaned over, a frown tugging at his brows. "You are right. The style reminds me of the blades forged by the Noldor Lords in Valinor."
"And Pantorii is a word in 'Guynyan'." Legolas looked rather proud of remembering that tidbit. "Who or what is a Guynyan, and where is Guynya, if Guynyan's inhabit it?"
"What think you, son of Gloin?" Glorfindel turned to the Dwarf who had lain down again, after his observation about the weapon. "Have you any more..." He trailed off, with a quiet laugh, for the Dwarf was snoring, and was not listening.
"I will watch first, my Lord." Legolas said softly. Glorfindel nodded, once, and curled up with his back to the cliff wall, and let his mind drift into Elven dreams.