Risa wasn't exactly certain forever afterwards how she got into Mordor with so little trouble. Once she'd reached what she was certain to be the border, a desolate, black-looking country, she'd hugged Wilwarin and thanked her for her service, draped her somewhat tattered shawl over the mare, and told her to go back to Rivendell, as something told her her elf-friend would be more than a little angry at her. And that guy in grey, as well. Then she'd set off, sneaking in the shadows, which was no mean feat. After all, she'd torn out of Rivendell in nothing more than a shimmery, silvery chemise-like garment, some essentially useless little slippers, the shawl, and a greenish-brown cloak she'd lifted from the stables. Her only weapon was the knife, which she'd originally found near her bed. She suspected it belonged to her elf-friend. And her greatest burden was that damn ring. How it had gotten into Cowie in the first place, she didn't know, but she had a few suspicions, and none of them were pleasent. She just had to find the other three, and somehow get all of their asses out of Mordor, preferably alive and in one piece. The only problem was she had no idea where to look.
Why had it been so easy to get in? Shouldn't she have run into something by now? Orcs? Dragons? Goblins? A balrog, perhaps? Shelob, even, though she shivered at the thought. I have a very bad feeling about this, she thought for about the thousandth time, continuing her sliding gait in the shadows. At least there were a lot of shadows.
*****
So this is it, Zoe thought dismally, staring blankly at the blackness in front of her. Amitie was sitting close beside here, glaring somewhere to the left. Micah was still essentially unconcious, but he kept mumbling inane things and begging for Haldir. If only the elves were here, Zoe's thoughts continued. Somehow, some way, I'm sure they could get us the hell out of this pit. But sadly, the last she'd seen of Haldir and Naira, they'd been either knocked out or dead. She hoped only knocked out.
Another one of the freaky growling-noises echoed from somewhere, and Zoe shivered. She didn't know what was down there with them, but it didn't sound too pleasent. She just hoped it was big enough and kind enough to snap necks quickly. She sincerely doubted it. Zoe knew it was pretty much hopeless. They were going to die. She'd imagined fires, car accidents, school shootings, cancer, plane crashes, drive-bys, food poisoning, murder, all sorts of various death scenarios, but never had she ever imagined this. Only a miracle can save us now, she admitted silently, getting ready to break into tears and bawl on Amitie. And then, as if by some answered prayer, she got her wish. A rope fell from above and landed squarely in front of her with a "plop."
Zoe blinked a few times, hardly believeing her eyes. She reached out and touched the rope gingerly, then gasped. It was real! She blinked again and rubbed her eyes, and then tilted her head back to see where this mysterious and much-needed rope had come from. There was definitely a figure kneeling at the edge of the pit, grinning and waving. She looked like an elf, but it wasn't Naira. Of course, in that funky red light, her hair could have been any color, but somehow... Zoe gasped. But it couldn't be... could it?
"Risa!" Zoe yelled, jumping up so fast she knocked Amitie over in her haste.
"Shhh!" Her friend called back. "Hurry up and climb out! We have to get out of here!"
"Micah's zonked!"
"Then wake him up, or tie him to the rope, just hurry!"
Zoe nodded and Amitie sprang into action, and, in a few seconds that took an eternity, the three captives were sprawled at the top of the pit, exhausted.
"Risa! How did you find us!" Zoe cried, hugging her friend tight. Risa looked alright. Her braids had come loose and her hair fell in tangled waves everywhere, and she was smudged in dirt and her pretty dress was torn, but she looked alright.
"Farnz! You're not crazy!" Amitie cried, also hugging her. Risa grinned faintly.
"It come and goes... literally. Now let's try and get away from this awful place before it comes again!"
"Aw, Farenel!" Micah mumbled, hugging her, too.
"Oh, guys, I thought I'd never find you! But we gotta get out of here," Risa said, sounding suspiciously teary. Amitie nodded. "Right. Let's go," Micah said, and they all started off, following Risa's lead, keeping to the multiple shadows and walking as quietly as possible.
They didn't get far.
"What the hell!" Amitie shrieked, for she was the first to see them.
"Orcs," Risa said with no little fear, and as if with one mind, they all started running. Zoe had never been so terrified. There were thses really freaky, zombie-ish monsters everywhere they went, shouting at them in a very scary language, chasing them and popping out in front of them and beside them, and they all three just kept running and running and running as fast as they could, Amitie was swearing, Micah was silent, Risa was swinging a rather mean-looking knife she'd got from somewhere, and Zoe was on the verge of crying. All she knew was she wanted to get away from this awful place and never return. She was so busy thinking, she didn't even stop running until Amitie shouted a warning and grabbed the back of her cloak, pulling her backwards before she could fall forward.
"Lovely," Micah said drily behind her as the four stood stalk-still and stared down. They were on some sort of cliff above what appeared to be a lake of fire, like in hell or something. It was not a heartening sight.
"I think we lost the orcs, " Amitie said breathlessly, turning to look behind. She froze, and her face went completely horrified. "R-Risa!" She gasped in a fearful whisper, reaching around to tug on the redhead's cloak. Zoe turned too, and felt her stomach drop to her feet. Micah was standing stiff as a board, his skin ghostly white. Then Risa turned, too, and Zoe thought she was going to pass out for a moment.
They're the ones who kidnapped us! Zoe grabbed Micah's arm and stood in mute terror. Nine of them, she realized by quick count. Tall and clad in black, with wicked-looking blades drawn, advancing on them.
Risa was the only one who didn't seem to be afraid anymore, in sharp contrast to the moments before. Instead, she seemed grimly triumphant as she stood and backed up, closer and closer to the edge of the cliff and the churning molten rock below.
"Risa! Watch out!" Zoe shrieked, but Risa didn't seem to listen. She pulled something out from under her cloak and held it in her hand, something small and grey...
"I love you guys, " Risa said softly, smiling at them while they watched her in complete disbeleif.
"I want you to run as fast as you can. Head west, if you can find the way. Don't stop until you reach Minas Tirith. You'll know it by the tall, white towers, and the silver pennants. Good people live there, and I'm sure they'll help you get to Rivendell. elrond will protect you, there. Don't think, just run. Goodbye."
And with that, and a glare at the black riders, she spread her arms, closed her eyes, and stepped backwards, falling from view over the edge of the cliff.
"NOOOOOOOOO!" Zoe yelled, only vaguely aware that Micah was holding her back. "NOOO! RISA!" She shrieked, and started sobbing as Micah and Amitie dragged her back and away, and the riders let out a shrill, ghostly chorus of hisses and shrieks.
"Risa!!!" She sobbed again, just as she got a familiar feeling in her chest, a slight tingling of the hairs on the back of her head.... there was a sound like a huge clap of thunder, and she was enveloped in a soothing white light, and began spinning into oblivion.
Why had it been so easy to get in? Shouldn't she have run into something by now? Orcs? Dragons? Goblins? A balrog, perhaps? Shelob, even, though she shivered at the thought. I have a very bad feeling about this, she thought for about the thousandth time, continuing her sliding gait in the shadows. At least there were a lot of shadows.
*****
So this is it, Zoe thought dismally, staring blankly at the blackness in front of her. Amitie was sitting close beside here, glaring somewhere to the left. Micah was still essentially unconcious, but he kept mumbling inane things and begging for Haldir. If only the elves were here, Zoe's thoughts continued. Somehow, some way, I'm sure they could get us the hell out of this pit. But sadly, the last she'd seen of Haldir and Naira, they'd been either knocked out or dead. She hoped only knocked out.
Another one of the freaky growling-noises echoed from somewhere, and Zoe shivered. She didn't know what was down there with them, but it didn't sound too pleasent. She just hoped it was big enough and kind enough to snap necks quickly. She sincerely doubted it. Zoe knew it was pretty much hopeless. They were going to die. She'd imagined fires, car accidents, school shootings, cancer, plane crashes, drive-bys, food poisoning, murder, all sorts of various death scenarios, but never had she ever imagined this. Only a miracle can save us now, she admitted silently, getting ready to break into tears and bawl on Amitie. And then, as if by some answered prayer, she got her wish. A rope fell from above and landed squarely in front of her with a "plop."
Zoe blinked a few times, hardly believeing her eyes. She reached out and touched the rope gingerly, then gasped. It was real! She blinked again and rubbed her eyes, and then tilted her head back to see where this mysterious and much-needed rope had come from. There was definitely a figure kneeling at the edge of the pit, grinning and waving. She looked like an elf, but it wasn't Naira. Of course, in that funky red light, her hair could have been any color, but somehow... Zoe gasped. But it couldn't be... could it?
"Risa!" Zoe yelled, jumping up so fast she knocked Amitie over in her haste.
"Shhh!" Her friend called back. "Hurry up and climb out! We have to get out of here!"
"Micah's zonked!"
"Then wake him up, or tie him to the rope, just hurry!"
Zoe nodded and Amitie sprang into action, and, in a few seconds that took an eternity, the three captives were sprawled at the top of the pit, exhausted.
"Risa! How did you find us!" Zoe cried, hugging her friend tight. Risa looked alright. Her braids had come loose and her hair fell in tangled waves everywhere, and she was smudged in dirt and her pretty dress was torn, but she looked alright.
"Farnz! You're not crazy!" Amitie cried, also hugging her. Risa grinned faintly.
"It come and goes... literally. Now let's try and get away from this awful place before it comes again!"
"Aw, Farenel!" Micah mumbled, hugging her, too.
"Oh, guys, I thought I'd never find you! But we gotta get out of here," Risa said, sounding suspiciously teary. Amitie nodded. "Right. Let's go," Micah said, and they all started off, following Risa's lead, keeping to the multiple shadows and walking as quietly as possible.
They didn't get far.
"What the hell!" Amitie shrieked, for she was the first to see them.
"Orcs," Risa said with no little fear, and as if with one mind, they all started running. Zoe had never been so terrified. There were thses really freaky, zombie-ish monsters everywhere they went, shouting at them in a very scary language, chasing them and popping out in front of them and beside them, and they all three just kept running and running and running as fast as they could, Amitie was swearing, Micah was silent, Risa was swinging a rather mean-looking knife she'd got from somewhere, and Zoe was on the verge of crying. All she knew was she wanted to get away from this awful place and never return. She was so busy thinking, she didn't even stop running until Amitie shouted a warning and grabbed the back of her cloak, pulling her backwards before she could fall forward.
"Lovely," Micah said drily behind her as the four stood stalk-still and stared down. They were on some sort of cliff above what appeared to be a lake of fire, like in hell or something. It was not a heartening sight.
"I think we lost the orcs, " Amitie said breathlessly, turning to look behind. She froze, and her face went completely horrified. "R-Risa!" She gasped in a fearful whisper, reaching around to tug on the redhead's cloak. Zoe turned too, and felt her stomach drop to her feet. Micah was standing stiff as a board, his skin ghostly white. Then Risa turned, too, and Zoe thought she was going to pass out for a moment.
They're the ones who kidnapped us! Zoe grabbed Micah's arm and stood in mute terror. Nine of them, she realized by quick count. Tall and clad in black, with wicked-looking blades drawn, advancing on them.
Risa was the only one who didn't seem to be afraid anymore, in sharp contrast to the moments before. Instead, she seemed grimly triumphant as she stood and backed up, closer and closer to the edge of the cliff and the churning molten rock below.
"Risa! Watch out!" Zoe shrieked, but Risa didn't seem to listen. She pulled something out from under her cloak and held it in her hand, something small and grey...
"I love you guys, " Risa said softly, smiling at them while they watched her in complete disbeleif.
"I want you to run as fast as you can. Head west, if you can find the way. Don't stop until you reach Minas Tirith. You'll know it by the tall, white towers, and the silver pennants. Good people live there, and I'm sure they'll help you get to Rivendell. elrond will protect you, there. Don't think, just run. Goodbye."
And with that, and a glare at the black riders, she spread her arms, closed her eyes, and stepped backwards, falling from view over the edge of the cliff.
"NOOOOOOOOO!" Zoe yelled, only vaguely aware that Micah was holding her back. "NOOO! RISA!" She shrieked, and started sobbing as Micah and Amitie dragged her back and away, and the riders let out a shrill, ghostly chorus of hisses and shrieks.
"Risa!!!" She sobbed again, just as she got a familiar feeling in her chest, a slight tingling of the hairs on the back of her head.... there was a sound like a huge clap of thunder, and she was enveloped in a soothing white light, and began spinning into oblivion.