"Honor and Courage"
by The Merry Prankster
COMING ATTRACTIONS!!
Chapter 8: Victory in Middle Earth
'Chapter 8: Victory in Middle Earth' has been written and is waiting its final editing before being posted. It is currently over sixty-four pages long and chronicles the march to the Black Gate and the Final Battle. Needless to say, with its current length, the Battle scene will be both long and detailed.
For the record, this chapter will draw from both the book and the movie. Scenes and quotes from Return of the King will be cited by the page number from Tolkien's book.
To the readers who have requested the update, I just want to say that the story is still active. It's just that there has been a lot going on with closing out the school year (I am a teacher after all) and moving from elementary school to high school (Back to teaching high school). Finally, there's the fact that the Battle scene grew to take up a large portion of the chapter. Expect to see Dena, Karen, and the girls see some action while saving the wounded. Then there is that one little promise Mike makes to his father about staying out of the main battle. Will he do as he was told? This and many other questions will be answered in the final version.
Since most of my readers have been waiting ever so patiently, here's a preview of what will be found in the upcoming Chapter. Read and enjoy.
The Merry Prankster
Army of Men Campsite
Road to Mordor
1840 hours
March 20, 3019
(Middle Earth)
The march to Mordor was long and the terrain was monotones. Several of the teens had noticed that Mike was no longer cracking jokes and becoming way too serious for his own good. Earl, Erica, Dena, and Reggie got together and decided that they would soon clear up this problem at the next campsite.
Mike had finished making his rounds around the camp when he noticed Earl sitting near the fire with a bag of some beef sauce. Walking over, he asked, "What are you doing?"
"Nothing," a grinning Earl replied as he tried to hide the bag
An equally evil grin came of the other boy's face. "Why am I having flash backs to the Friday before spring break and the jerks on the football team, particularly, around lunch time?"
"Well someone has to get you guys to lighten up." Erica replied from behind the teen.
"Okay, so who gets to be the sick man?" asked the teen. "And who is the eater? More importantly, who is the target?"
There were others listening and one girl became very interested in what was about to occur. The word target peaked the interest of another teen that walked over. "Did I hear target?" Reggie said joining the conversation.
"Well you were the main target but I am thinking those Guards who work for that LORD." Erica answered, "Anyone else is fair game."
Mike nodded, "Okay, I'll be the sick guy. Earl you get to have dinner."
"What do you want Eric and me to do?" Reggie questioned wanting in on the fun.
"I got the MAP's recon saucer taping everything." Erica giggled. "Keep gramps busy or else he might give us away."
"On it" Reggie said as she was off the distract Gandalf
"And just what are you planning Laddy?" Gimli questioned the young prince.
Mike turned around and gave the dwarf his best innocent look. "Oh nothing," answered the teen as he began leading his buddy towards the fire. The new prince walked over and asked the Gondorans if he could sit down.
The Gondorans moved aside and the teen asked, "What are you guys eating?"
The two Gondorans looked at each other. Finally, one decided to answer the teen. "We are eating our rations for the day." one of the guards replied
Mike looked over and began to act sick, "Oh God, I should not have had that MRE. I don't feel so well."
Gimli decided to stick around and observe from a safe distance. The dwarf thought for a moment before commenting to Erica, "Why do I have I feeling a need to go out on patrol or something?"
The girl grinned and answered, "Go ahead I am taping it."
"So it's going to be that bad..." Gimli laughed as he watched from afar. Finally, the dwarf decided to take action and walked up to the men. "The Laddy looks like he's going to loose his dinner." Gimli remarks as he walks up towards them
The guards looked at the prince and then at their food, they dropped and rush to his aid. "Are you alright prince of Rohan." one asked
That was the cue for the second member of this band of Merry Pranksters to act. Earl rushed to the scene and handed the other boy a paper bag. Mike took and made like he had just puked his guts out. He closed the bag and handed it back to Earl, "Thanks, you're a life saver." Earl nodded and asked Mike, "Did you eat supper?"
Mike nodded, "Yeah, I had the beef burrito but I couldn't keep it down."
Earl turned and looked at his friend, "You had the last Beef Burrito and you didn't give me any." To the amazement of the others he pulled out a fork, "Well I'll show you!" The teen then put the fork in the bag and pulled out a brown, soggy mess and began eating it.
Mike raised an eyebrow and asked, "You want some salt with that?"
Several of the warriors present immediately ran off to empty their stomach contents
Gandalf, Aragorn, and Legolas had been speculating the Ringbearer's progress to Mount Doom when the King of Men suggested that they look in on the teens. "I have this nagging feeling that the boys are up to something," mused the White Wizard. They walked over to the last known location and spotted Reggie, Erica, and Gimli looking at something. Without a word, the trio walked up behind the girls. "I take it Earl and Mike are up to their usual?" The White Wizard asked as he heard the distinctive sound of various people throwing up.
"Oh Gramps, I don't know what you are talking about." Reggie said with a big grin.
Mike and Earl weren't paying attention to Gandalf and Reggie. Instead, they concentrated on their prank. The new prince then pulled out a matching fork, "You know this might taste better the second time it goes down." and grabbed a bite.
"Nah, pepper would be nice." Earl said as Mike began to take a bite.
The teens were enjoying watching the Gondorans get sick when they noticed the victims look at something over their shoulders. Mike took another bite and turned around. His hand dropped as he noticed Aragorn and Legolas standing, "Uh Hi guys. When did you get here?
"Since you started your prank," Aragorn firmly replied than asked, "So what did you use for contents of the bag?"
"Aragorn and I used deer meat mussed with rice when we did it," Legolas replied with a smile
Mike turned to the king and answered, "We mixed a beef burrito MRE and water." The teen looked at the looks he was getting from the grown ups and added, "So I take it you saw everything,"
Aragorn tried to keep his stern expression but finally broke into a wide grin. "Yes, we did. However, I should warn you that prank is one of the oldest know to men."
"And elves," added Legolas with a quick nod.
Earl, ignoring the looks he was receiving, looked over to the two grownups and asked, "Want a bite?"
Off to the side, Gandalf smiled and told his grand daughter, "Your plan worked. Michael's spirits has been lifted."
Reggie nodded, "That's what we intended all along Grandpa."
by The Merry Prankster
COMING ATTRACTIONS!!
Chapter 8: Victory in Middle Earth
'Chapter 8: Victory in Middle Earth' has been written and is waiting its final editing before being posted. It is currently over sixty-four pages long and chronicles the march to the Black Gate and the Final Battle. Needless to say, with its current length, the Battle scene will be both long and detailed.
For the record, this chapter will draw from both the book and the movie. Scenes and quotes from Return of the King will be cited by the page number from Tolkien's book.
To the readers who have requested the update, I just want to say that the story is still active. It's just that there has been a lot going on with closing out the school year (I am a teacher after all) and moving from elementary school to high school (Back to teaching high school). Finally, there's the fact that the Battle scene grew to take up a large portion of the chapter. Expect to see Dena, Karen, and the girls see some action while saving the wounded. Then there is that one little promise Mike makes to his father about staying out of the main battle. Will he do as he was told? This and many other questions will be answered in the final version.
Since most of my readers have been waiting ever so patiently, here's a preview of what will be found in the upcoming Chapter. Read and enjoy.
The Merry Prankster
Army of Men Campsite
Road to Mordor
1840 hours
March 20, 3019
(Middle Earth)
The march to Mordor was long and the terrain was monotones. Several of the teens had noticed that Mike was no longer cracking jokes and becoming way too serious for his own good. Earl, Erica, Dena, and Reggie got together and decided that they would soon clear up this problem at the next campsite.
Mike had finished making his rounds around the camp when he noticed Earl sitting near the fire with a bag of some beef sauce. Walking over, he asked, "What are you doing?"
"Nothing," a grinning Earl replied as he tried to hide the bag
An equally evil grin came of the other boy's face. "Why am I having flash backs to the Friday before spring break and the jerks on the football team, particularly, around lunch time?"
"Well someone has to get you guys to lighten up." Erica replied from behind the teen.
"Okay, so who gets to be the sick man?" asked the teen. "And who is the eater? More importantly, who is the target?"
There were others listening and one girl became very interested in what was about to occur. The word target peaked the interest of another teen that walked over. "Did I hear target?" Reggie said joining the conversation.
"Well you were the main target but I am thinking those Guards who work for that LORD." Erica answered, "Anyone else is fair game."
Mike nodded, "Okay, I'll be the sick guy. Earl you get to have dinner."
"What do you want Eric and me to do?" Reggie questioned wanting in on the fun.
"I got the MAP's recon saucer taping everything." Erica giggled. "Keep gramps busy or else he might give us away."
"On it" Reggie said as she was off the distract Gandalf
"And just what are you planning Laddy?" Gimli questioned the young prince.
Mike turned around and gave the dwarf his best innocent look. "Oh nothing," answered the teen as he began leading his buddy towards the fire. The new prince walked over and asked the Gondorans if he could sit down.
The Gondorans moved aside and the teen asked, "What are you guys eating?"
The two Gondorans looked at each other. Finally, one decided to answer the teen. "We are eating our rations for the day." one of the guards replied
Mike looked over and began to act sick, "Oh God, I should not have had that MRE. I don't feel so well."
Gimli decided to stick around and observe from a safe distance. The dwarf thought for a moment before commenting to Erica, "Why do I have I feeling a need to go out on patrol or something?"
The girl grinned and answered, "Go ahead I am taping it."
"So it's going to be that bad..." Gimli laughed as he watched from afar. Finally, the dwarf decided to take action and walked up to the men. "The Laddy looks like he's going to loose his dinner." Gimli remarks as he walks up towards them
The guards looked at the prince and then at their food, they dropped and rush to his aid. "Are you alright prince of Rohan." one asked
That was the cue for the second member of this band of Merry Pranksters to act. Earl rushed to the scene and handed the other boy a paper bag. Mike took and made like he had just puked his guts out. He closed the bag and handed it back to Earl, "Thanks, you're a life saver." Earl nodded and asked Mike, "Did you eat supper?"
Mike nodded, "Yeah, I had the beef burrito but I couldn't keep it down."
Earl turned and looked at his friend, "You had the last Beef Burrito and you didn't give me any." To the amazement of the others he pulled out a fork, "Well I'll show you!" The teen then put the fork in the bag and pulled out a brown, soggy mess and began eating it.
Mike raised an eyebrow and asked, "You want some salt with that?"
Several of the warriors present immediately ran off to empty their stomach contents
Gandalf, Aragorn, and Legolas had been speculating the Ringbearer's progress to Mount Doom when the King of Men suggested that they look in on the teens. "I have this nagging feeling that the boys are up to something," mused the White Wizard. They walked over to the last known location and spotted Reggie, Erica, and Gimli looking at something. Without a word, the trio walked up behind the girls. "I take it Earl and Mike are up to their usual?" The White Wizard asked as he heard the distinctive sound of various people throwing up.
"Oh Gramps, I don't know what you are talking about." Reggie said with a big grin.
Mike and Earl weren't paying attention to Gandalf and Reggie. Instead, they concentrated on their prank. The new prince then pulled out a matching fork, "You know this might taste better the second time it goes down." and grabbed a bite.
"Nah, pepper would be nice." Earl said as Mike began to take a bite.
The teens were enjoying watching the Gondorans get sick when they noticed the victims look at something over their shoulders. Mike took another bite and turned around. His hand dropped as he noticed Aragorn and Legolas standing, "Uh Hi guys. When did you get here?
"Since you started your prank," Aragorn firmly replied than asked, "So what did you use for contents of the bag?"
"Aragorn and I used deer meat mussed with rice when we did it," Legolas replied with a smile
Mike turned to the king and answered, "We mixed a beef burrito MRE and water." The teen looked at the looks he was getting from the grown ups and added, "So I take it you saw everything,"
Aragorn tried to keep his stern expression but finally broke into a wide grin. "Yes, we did. However, I should warn you that prank is one of the oldest know to men."
"And elves," added Legolas with a quick nod.
Earl, ignoring the looks he was receiving, looked over to the two grownups and asked, "Want a bite?"
Off to the side, Gandalf smiled and told his grand daughter, "Your plan worked. Michael's spirits has been lifted."
Reggie nodded, "That's what we intended all along Grandpa."
