Ari opened her eyes slowly but couldn't make out much of anything in the darkness that now engulfed the dank cell. Someone was running a cool rag over her face, neck and arms.
"You're awake?" Stranger's acute hearing picked up on the subtle change in her breathing for he could not see her eyes in the darkness.
"Yeah…" Ari coughed and hissed in pain. "What I wouldn't give for morphine right now."
"What is 'phine' and why would you want more of it?"
"No…not 'phine'….Morphine…one word." She breathed heavily. "It's a drug in my world…a powerful painkiller."
"I imagine you would." Ari shuddered and dealt with the imminent pain that rippled through her body. "You burn with fever."
"Yeah, tell me something I didn't know." Ari moved to sit up but was held down by Stranger's strong hand.
"You need plenty of rest. We can talk later when you're feeling better." Stranger pulled the cloth over her face again but ceased when she again shuddered violently and whimpered. "Miss?" He set the shallow bowl aside and brushed a hand across her heated brow.
"Ari. My name is Ari." Her teeth chattered and her whole body tensed; like the string of a bow ready to fire. "No more 'miss'."
"Well, Ari. Close your eyes…rest if you can." He heard her sniff and a sob escaped her lips.
"It hurts so bad…." She gasped. "Oh God this hurts so bad." She felt him raise her shirt up and place a warm hand against her injured side.
"I wish there was more I could do for you."
"Thanks for trying." The pain continued to pulse through her and it took Ari almost an hour to fall back asleep.
Stranger sat by Ari's side for days. Her face was a pale, sickly, yellow gray. Her eyes were surrounded by red and purple rings and her lips were thin and white. The few times she opened her eyes they were dull and disoriented, and often times of lucidity brought with it a bout of vomiting. Stranger bathed her brow during the day when she was hottest and covered her with his cloak at night when the damp chill was at its worst. He napped occasionally during the day when he could find time. His only concern was helping her get over the illness that wracked her body. Once she was well, they could formulate a plan for escape. As it was, he was observing the habits of their guards.
On the morning of the fifth day of their capture, Ari opened her eyes and felt Déjà vu brush over her. She was staring at moldy, black brick.
"How are you feeling?" The voice brought her attention to Strangers face and she slowly heaved a sigh.
"Like crap." His hand rested lightly on her forehead.
"The fever has broken…but you'll still need to rest some before you can get up and move about." He said. "I wish I had access to the outside…I could find herbs to make a poultice for you…"
"I'll survive." Ari said dryly. "I usually do."
"Well, it's good to see you awake." The man smiled at her but she could not muster one to return to him. "Are you hungry? The guards should be bringing some food by shortly."
"How would you know that?" Ari was shocked to hear something slide across the floor and Stranger quickly got up to retrieve it. "What was that?"
"Our supper…." Stranger sat down and looked at the tray. There was a large bowl of soup and some bread that they were obviously meant to share….either they were meant to share it or they thought Ari was dead and he was the only one left in the cell….and they wanted him fattened up. He rolled his cloak up behind Ari's head and got her into a half seated position against some of the rocks. It was uncomfortable for Ari, but at least she could eat easier.
"What is that…" Ari could have sworn something moved in the soup bowl.
"Soup, obviously." Stranger said with a smile. "What else could it be?"
"Slime from the black lagoon…..Something they scraped off the bottom of a boat? I dunno, but that's the nastiest soup I've ever seen."
"Well, it doesn't exactly taste as bad as it looks." Stranger said laughing. Ari knew she had to eat and slowly opened her mouth when Stranger directed a full spoon towards her mouth.
If I puke, it's all on him….not exactly the best 'thank you' I could ever come up with, but if he's gonna make me eat this stuff….
It had no taste….and the texture, though leaving much to be desired wasn't so bad that she couldn't stomach it. Stranger fed her more than half the bowl and handed her a chunk of bread with which to follow it.
"My name is Arianna Carver." Ari said as Stranger finished off the soup.
"I know."
"You do?"
"You told me several nights ago, when you were under the fever."
"Oh." Had he told her his name? She felt bad about not knowing his name and for referring to him as Stranger in her head. "So how long was I out?"
"About five days."
"FIVE DAYS!" Ari coughed…the outburst wasn't accepted well by her body and she stared incredulously at Stranger. "You've got to be kidding me."
"No."
"So for five days you've been sitting here tending me, when you could have been trying to escape." Strangers gray eyes settled on hers.
"I believe you are going to be of great use in getting out of here…I'll not leave a key resource behind. Besides, in five days I figured out the patterns of the guards." He gestured over to a series of rocks on the floor. "When the light crosses these rocks here, is when the sun generally rises. These here signify our morning meal being brought to us. And this one lunch. This third stone, here—is when they check us in the afternoon. The door in the bottom slides open but nothing comes through it. They look around the room from the door and then leave again. And then this one here….this is when the sun sets.
"So we just had lunch?"
"Yes." Ari nodded. This guy knew what he was doing. Good…she didn't have to drag an incompetent out of the cell. "But you should rest more. Until you have all your strength back, you'll be of little use."
"Thanks for your vote of confidence." Ari relaxed back against her rock bed and was soon asleep.
In Isengard, Eomer was just waking up himself.
"Welcome to the world of the living." The aged wizard said smiling down on him. "How are you feeling?"
"Not well….but I suppose I should feel spectacular considering I'm not dead." Eomer grunted as he looked up at the wizard.
"Yes…I suppose that is true." The man laughed. "I shall bring you food and something to drink if you wish it."
"Aye…and send Ari in…I'd like to speak with her."
"Who?" The wizard stopped at the door and looked at the man in bed. He'd so hoped that in the two weeks the man had been unconscious that he was finally better.
"Arianna….where is Arianna?" Eomer asked as he tried to sit up but the wizard was back at his side in a moment.
"Sir, no woman was brought with you…only a dozen men of your battalion who had been injured." Eomer's face paled. "I will send one of them in and they can tell you what has happened." The wizard disappeared and soon one of the young lieutenants was standing in Eomer's door.
"Good Day M'lord."
"No pleasantries…just tell me where Ari is."
"Well sir, she went off after the creatures with the rest of the men. They were headed towards Lorien." Eomer sat back and listened to the man relay all that had happened. A commotion outside caught their attention and the young lieutenant went to the window. "It is Maleth m'lord…and the rest!" The man left the room quickly to bring Ari to Eomer, but was shocked to see the woman absent from the badly injured ranks. Maleth limped towards the man.
"Where is Lord Eomer? Is he well?"
"Aye sir, he just awoke today and was asking for Lady Ari….where is she?" When Maleth shook his head sadly the young lieutenant hung his head. "Lord Eomer will not be pleased…."
"Aye….keep the men down here…I shall make my report to him."
Maleth entered the room covered in the grime of battle and travel. It had taken them more than a week to return to Isengard with a slow pace dictated by the injured, he being one of them. Each day in the saddle had been a painful experience for Maleth. When Eomer saw him enter his heart quickened.
"Maleth…it is good to see you."
"Aye, and it is good to see you as well, my lord." Maleth did not make eye contact at first. Suddenly the man burst out. "I'm so sorry My Lord….So sorry…"
"What is it Maleth? What has happened?" Eomer's heart raced and despite the pain in his shoulder and back he sat up and made to get out of bed. "Where is Ari?"
"She's---She's gone sir." Maleth shook his head and raised tear filled eyes to his lord. "She was taken by the creatures into Lorien Woods…."
"And you didn't go after her?" Eomer thundered at the man standing before him.
"Sir, few of the men came away unscathed….we had to return…we need reinforcements and time to heal." Maleth limped forward and for the first time Eomer realized the man was injured. He watched as Maleth grimaced and knelt slowly beside him. "We need King Aragorn's help….Eldarion is also in those woods. Please, forgive me?" Maleth asked bowing his head. Eomer put his hand on Maleths bent gray head.
"I forgive you. Get yourself some rest. We must get word to Aragorn immediately."
"Do we have weapons?" It was late…moonlight filtered through the grate high in Ari's and Stranger's cell.
"I have a small boot dagger that none of them found." The man produced it. "Not much of a weapon, but a tool."
"And my screwdrivers and lots and lots of chain…."
"Aye…." Silver light fell over Ari's face crossed by heavy black lattice worked stripes. "What is out that window?"
"I don't know…I can't climb walls."
"Well…tomorrow we find out."
