Sorry for delay in updating. Been "researching". Wouldn't want to upset anymore LotR fans by getting "Ring" details wrong. But I can only do my best. Gonna carry on my own merry ickle way regardless. :)
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"Our friends will come for us," Merry shouted. "You'll see, and you'll be sorry."
"Thats what I am counting on," laughed Saruman. "Why else would I keep you alive?"
The Hobbit sat back down in their cell in silence. Maybe they wouldn't come to save them. The destruction of the ring had to come first. Hopefully they would still be alive when it was done. Merry was beginning to doubt it. What was the life of two lowly Hobbits worth compared to the whole of Middle Earth? He just hoped it was quick and not too painful. His eyes fell on Pippan trying to sleep in the corner. Poor Pippan. Merry thought back over all the times he had dragged his friend into mischief. Maybe he did not always need to be dragged, but Pippan would always follow Merry's lead and never once did he complain. Even on their journey to this hell, Pippan never once blamed his friend. He was his best friend, and Merry had dragged him into possibly their last adventure. He wondered what the others were doing. Were they even still alive? Maybe they were dead, but if they were, Saruman would have the ring in his possession and it was obvious that he didn't. Before they had been thrown in here, Merry had seen the Orc army growing from the mud of the earth. He had heard Saruman talking, to himself he thought. He had a plan, that much was obvious, and the ring was a huge part of it. What it was, was anyone's guess.
He stood and looked around their cell more carefully now. There had to be a weakness, a way for them to escape. Orcs were many things, but smart was not one of them. Add to that Merry's cunning ways of always manoveuring out of any situation and trap, and freedom didn't look so impossible. There was a small window. Maybe small enough for them to crawl through if they squeezed. But for now, he needed sleep too. It didn't look like torture or death was on the cards for now anyway. He curled up beside Pippan and was soon asleep.
Saruman sat staring into the lidless eye, watching what it was showing him. He saw the group sleeping under the trees. The eye focussed in on the woman. She looked so peaceful sleeping there. Saruman was quick to notice the gleam of gold on her finger. So Sauron was calling a woman, and a very beautiful one. He admired his master's taste, but what was so special about her? He sat back in his chair, closing his eyes. For almost 2,000 years Sauron had lurked in the Mirkwood woods and now his time to return was drawing near. He couldn't help but wonder at the wisdom of Sauron trusting a woman to deliver the ring, deliver Sauron's freedom. Saruman could almost taste the power.
Faith tossed and turned in a very uneasy sleep. Her dreams were filled with a voice whispering for her to come home. She saw herself standing on the edge of a dark woods. She could see the ring on her finger glowing. Words were appearing around it, but she couldn't read them. She saw herself walking into the woods. Branches snagged her clothing and hair, but she walked on, the voice commanded her to. She walked deeper into the darkness until she reached a clearing. There she saw the eye again. It was bigger than before. She saw fleeting images in its depths. Xander was screaming as something bit him. Aragorn fighting off creatures unlike any demon she'd ever seen before. The others were nowhere to be seen. Then she saw herself.
"Noooooooo," she screamed.
"Faith? Wake up."
She opened her eyes and saw Xander's brown ones staring back down into hers. They were filled with such emotion. He really did care for her, she realised. She felt bad as she remembered how badly she had treated him. She didn't resist as he took her in his arms and held her close. Silent tears slid down her cheeks as he rocked her, whispering that everything was alright.
Aragorn watched them from the shadows, his fingers still caressing Arwen's pendant. He acknowledged his feelings for the girl, Faith, but deep down he knew he would always be Arwen's. She was his first love and his only love. Nothing could nor would ever come between them. Not time, not distance. Nothing. Soon this would be over and he'd be back in Rivendell, back in Arwen's arms. Silently he slipped back into the darkness.
Gimli opened one eye and also watched them. They were up to something and he would find out what it was and he would stop it. Aragorn was fooled and deceived by their act, but he was a Dwarf and no-one fooled a Dwarf. He closed his eye and returned to his slumber. He would need his rest for when they made that move.
Only the Hobbits sleep through it. Sam deep in his dreams of the girls back in the Shire and how they would be fighting over him when he returned a hero. Frodo was dreaming of Gandalf. He was smiling and telling him how proud he had made him. Frodo reached out his hand to touch him, but his hands went right through him. Gandalf vanished in a mist. He saw himself running, trying to find his old friend, but all he heard was a voice taunting him, telling him he would fail Gandalf. That he would fail Middle Earth. Then he saw the eye.
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"Our friends will come for us," Merry shouted. "You'll see, and you'll be sorry."
"Thats what I am counting on," laughed Saruman. "Why else would I keep you alive?"
The Hobbit sat back down in their cell in silence. Maybe they wouldn't come to save them. The destruction of the ring had to come first. Hopefully they would still be alive when it was done. Merry was beginning to doubt it. What was the life of two lowly Hobbits worth compared to the whole of Middle Earth? He just hoped it was quick and not too painful. His eyes fell on Pippan trying to sleep in the corner. Poor Pippan. Merry thought back over all the times he had dragged his friend into mischief. Maybe he did not always need to be dragged, but Pippan would always follow Merry's lead and never once did he complain. Even on their journey to this hell, Pippan never once blamed his friend. He was his best friend, and Merry had dragged him into possibly their last adventure. He wondered what the others were doing. Were they even still alive? Maybe they were dead, but if they were, Saruman would have the ring in his possession and it was obvious that he didn't. Before they had been thrown in here, Merry had seen the Orc army growing from the mud of the earth. He had heard Saruman talking, to himself he thought. He had a plan, that much was obvious, and the ring was a huge part of it. What it was, was anyone's guess.
He stood and looked around their cell more carefully now. There had to be a weakness, a way for them to escape. Orcs were many things, but smart was not one of them. Add to that Merry's cunning ways of always manoveuring out of any situation and trap, and freedom didn't look so impossible. There was a small window. Maybe small enough for them to crawl through if they squeezed. But for now, he needed sleep too. It didn't look like torture or death was on the cards for now anyway. He curled up beside Pippan and was soon asleep.
Saruman sat staring into the lidless eye, watching what it was showing him. He saw the group sleeping under the trees. The eye focussed in on the woman. She looked so peaceful sleeping there. Saruman was quick to notice the gleam of gold on her finger. So Sauron was calling a woman, and a very beautiful one. He admired his master's taste, but what was so special about her? He sat back in his chair, closing his eyes. For almost 2,000 years Sauron had lurked in the Mirkwood woods and now his time to return was drawing near. He couldn't help but wonder at the wisdom of Sauron trusting a woman to deliver the ring, deliver Sauron's freedom. Saruman could almost taste the power.
Faith tossed and turned in a very uneasy sleep. Her dreams were filled with a voice whispering for her to come home. She saw herself standing on the edge of a dark woods. She could see the ring on her finger glowing. Words were appearing around it, but she couldn't read them. She saw herself walking into the woods. Branches snagged her clothing and hair, but she walked on, the voice commanded her to. She walked deeper into the darkness until she reached a clearing. There she saw the eye again. It was bigger than before. She saw fleeting images in its depths. Xander was screaming as something bit him. Aragorn fighting off creatures unlike any demon she'd ever seen before. The others were nowhere to be seen. Then she saw herself.
"Noooooooo," she screamed.
"Faith? Wake up."
She opened her eyes and saw Xander's brown ones staring back down into hers. They were filled with such emotion. He really did care for her, she realised. She felt bad as she remembered how badly she had treated him. She didn't resist as he took her in his arms and held her close. Silent tears slid down her cheeks as he rocked her, whispering that everything was alright.
Aragorn watched them from the shadows, his fingers still caressing Arwen's pendant. He acknowledged his feelings for the girl, Faith, but deep down he knew he would always be Arwen's. She was his first love and his only love. Nothing could nor would ever come between them. Not time, not distance. Nothing. Soon this would be over and he'd be back in Rivendell, back in Arwen's arms. Silently he slipped back into the darkness.
Gimli opened one eye and also watched them. They were up to something and he would find out what it was and he would stop it. Aragorn was fooled and deceived by their act, but he was a Dwarf and no-one fooled a Dwarf. He closed his eye and returned to his slumber. He would need his rest for when they made that move.
Only the Hobbits sleep through it. Sam deep in his dreams of the girls back in the Shire and how they would be fighting over him when he returned a hero. Frodo was dreaming of Gandalf. He was smiling and telling him how proud he had made him. Frodo reached out his hand to touch him, but his hands went right through him. Gandalf vanished in a mist. He saw himself running, trying to find his old friend, but all he heard was a voice taunting him, telling him he would fail Gandalf. That he would fail Middle Earth. Then he saw the eye.
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