Author: Alasia Moonstalker
Legalese: I don't own anything LOTR, but I do own the three girls.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Humor
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Three insane girls fall through the History Class floor into Middle Earth. One has an unbreakable guitar, the second a multitude of cigarette lighters and is a disorganized pack rat, and the third is sarcastic and has no respect for authority.
DownUnder
Chapter Seven:
For two days Haley shut herself in her room. The only person allowed in or out was Corrie, who only delievered the other girl's meals. By the time those two days had passed Theoden had ordered the city empty to travel to Helms Deep. Corrie had immediately confronted Aragorn and said they were going as fighters, as they were already to far into this to be the damsels in distress now.
Haley woke on their final day in Edoras feeling slightly empty, but better than she had in months. She'd been completely cried out, and she'd dressed and thrown her hair up, strapping her sword around her waist, and pulling on her backpack. She'd folded up her cloak and put it in her pack, her sweater tied around her waist.
She left the room and entered the hall, much to the surprise of everyone there. She looked around for a moment before moving over and sitting down next to Legolas, who greeted her with a nod, somehow intuned to her change in mood. He didn't quite know what to say to this new version of the Haley he'd come to think of as friend. Gimli said a hearty hello, and Aragorn had nodded, saying nothing. She'd eaten a roll before leaving the hall to track down her horse. Aragorn and Legolas following.
"Are you alright mellon?" Legolas asked as the three left the golden hall to head for the stable. Haley beamed her friend a smile.
"I'll be alright."
"Are you sure?" Aragorn asked. "You seem much more solemn than usual."
"Boromir's death hit me a little harder than I thought it would." Haley said, not looking at either man as she set about brushing and saddling Edaen. "There's been a lot of loss in my life recently, and I needed a good, girl like cry. I'll be fine once we get out on the road."
And she was.
* * *
Karen Upchurch didn't quite know what to make of Ents. They'd spent an evening sharing stories and songs before heading for Entmoot. There Karen, Merry and Pippin found themselves trying to amuse themselves while the Ents held their meeting. Karen had ended up teaching Merry and Pippin both 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' and 'I Spy' before she'd fallen asleep. When she woke the Ents were done talking. Treebeard stepped forward.
"We have just agreed."
"Yes?" Merry asked.
"I have told your names to the ent moot and we have agreed: you are not Orcs." Said Treebeard.
"Well that's good news." Said Pippin.
"And what about Saruman? Have you come to a decision about him?" Demanded Merry.
"Now don't be hasty, Master Meriadoc."
"Hasty? Our friends are out there. They need our help! They cannot fight this war on their own." Merry exclaimed. Karen snorted.
"War, yes. It affects us all. But you must understand, young hobbit. It takes a long time to say anything in old entish, and we never say anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say."
Treebeard returned to the Entmoot then, and Karen sighed. She pushed down the uneasy feeling that had suddenly welled up within her. She needed to do something about all of this. It wasn't fair!
* * *
It took all of Haley's willpower not to burst out laughing. Corrie was trying to explain the concept of flight to Legolas, but it wasn't reaching the elf, who looked rather confused. He strongly belived that if one was meant to fly, he would have been born with wings. Haley couldn't really disagree, as she hated to fly, but the fact that Legolas didn't understand something so simple as flight - okay, it wasn't simple. She wasn't an engineer, she didn't know how to make an airplane go - was extreemly funny.
She looked around to find that Aragorn was starting to look annoyed, and from what she'd learned, and annoyed Aragorn wasn't eactly a good thing.
"Hey, Cor?" She called. Corrie turned in her saddle.
"Yes'm?"
"Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?"
Corrie let out a loud laugh. "Not at all! It could be carried!"
"What? A swallow carrying a coconut?"
Haley asked, screwing her face into a comical expression of confusion.
Corrie laughed and said the next line.
* * *
"The ents cannot hold back this war. We must weather such things as we have always done."
"How can that be your decision?" Merry asked Treebeard. Karen a little surprised that the fun loving Hobbit could be so serious.
"This is not our war." Sighed Treebeard.
"But your part of this world! Aren't you? You must help. Please. You must do something." Merry exclaimed.
"You are young and brave, master Merry. But your part in this tale is over. Go back to your home."
Merry turned and stalked away, followed by Pippin and Karen. Pippin looked thoughtful. "Merry, let's just go home. Back to the Shire. This world's to big for us."
"The fire's of Isengard will spread." Merry sighed out, looking at Pippin with sad eyes. "It will reach home. There won't be a Shire Pippin."
Karen sighed. "That's it. You two are depressing me. Think of something to do about this, 'cause I'm not giving up, even if I have to storm Isengard all by myself, by God, I'll take that assclown down if it's the last thing I do!"
* * *
"What's to the south?" Pippin asked.
"Isengard."
Pippin's eyes lit up. "Wait! Turn around, take us south!"
"What? Why?" Treebeard asked. Karen stared up at Pippin from her perch below the two Hobbits.
"Yes. Exactly!" Exclaimed Pippin, looking excited. "If we go south we can slip past Saruman unnoticed. The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm. It's the last thing he'll expect."
Hmmmm. That doesn't make sense to me. But then, you are very small. Perhaps you're right. South it is then. Hold on, little Shirelings - and you miss Karen. I always like going south. Somehow it feels like going downhill."
"Are you mad? We'll be caught!" Merry hissed at Pippin.
"And if they catch us, they will crush us, grind us into tiny little pieces, and blast us into oblivion." Karen quoted, looking over at her friends. They stared at her with wide eyes. She sighed. "I really hope you know what you're doing Pippin, cause I haven't got the slightest clue - and if I die, you're the first one I'm coming after."
