I do not own Lord of the rings or any of its characters….. chapter 13……..
Chapter 13: inside Mordor
"Wake up." A voice floated above Alexia's head. It was young. Opening her eyes she spotted a boy around sixteen above her. "Good you're awake."
"Where am I?" She tried to sit up but her head spun and she went back down.
"You're on an Oliphant. It'll take you awhile to get used to the moving." He said. His face was the only thing showing. He had been one of the people wearing the face masks. "Who are you?"
"My name is Arik. Here put this on quickly." He stuffed something into her hands. It was strange clothing like his. Taking off her cotehardie she pulled the heavier tunic on over her elvish one and pulled the trousers on over her own. And discarded her boots for the ones he gave her.
"They can't know your female." He hissed starting to wrap a scarf around her head. He then handed her a long leather tunic that came down to mid-thigh. It was boiled leather as to protect her. The hood he gave her came up over the scarf and could be pulled down. Tucking her braid into her elvish tunic she looked at him for approval, not wanting to find out why she shouldn't be female.
"Good, but when you're around the commander pull your scarf over your nose. " He demonstrated with his, "Like this."
"Where are we going?" Her voice shook.
"You should know. Who went off in your family? A brother or a lover? I can't believe you got away with it. I mean Commander Alaric would have noticed you immediately if you had been on this Oliphant."
"Just answer me." Her eyes drilled into him.
"Mordor." Her heart skipped a beat.
"That fall must of hit you harder than I thought." He stood up and pushed back the curtain that led to the rest of the Oliphant compartment. Following Arik Alexia found her self in a ten by ten room with twenty others. They all wore similar clothing and had the head wrap on. The only one who stood out was a man completely covered in tattoos and wore only a pair of trousers and a vest. His ears were gaged by large bones.
"Arik who is that?" He gave her a weird look. "That's the commander. Normally he's steering the Oliphant but he's taking a lunch break."
"Evil taking a lunch break, who would of thought." Alexia thought to herself.
"Come on let's get some food." Arik pulled her along to a few bags. Inside he pulled out a loaf of flat bread. He went and sat back near the curtain that they had walked out of. There was one curtain for each of the men around the room. Up towards the top of the room were gaps in the taunt suede that was the walls. The sky was dark out side but only with storm clouds.
"Eat." Arik commanded. Pulling down the scarf she began to eat the bread. It was dry and stale but eatable. Sitting there feeling the floor move from beneath her some how calmed her racing heart.
"So what tribe are you from?" Thankfully she had her mouth full so she couldn't answer. Thinking fast she tried to remember anything Gandalf had told her about the Haradrim.
"You must be from the Corrs," Arik said. She nodded remembering one of the bigger tribes.
"That would explain the eyes. You must have some Gondrian in you." He smiled a brilliant white smile. "So you didn't say who you were."
"Alexia." She said honestly.
"Interesting name, how old are you?" His questions kept coming.
"Eighteen." She raised an eyebrow at his inquisitiveness. A horn blew outside silencing any more questions.
"Come, we must get on the outside." He pulled her elbow to the ladder and helped her get a hand hold on the outside of the Oliphant. Her breath once again hitched at the sight of Mordor. The dark skies and red clouds were ominous. But instead of being atop the hill out side the gate she was already past it. Pulling the scarf up she held on for dear life to the side of the Oliphant compartment. To fall would mean falling to where the orcs could get her.
A high platform was next to the gate and the commander drove the Oliphant to it. There the men got off. Arik helped her get off and get down the platforms rickety siding. Climbing down she saw a camp that seemed to be for the Haradrims. The ground was only six feet away when an ugly orc pulled her down by her ankle. "Faster slug."
"Come on," Arik said to her. "He wants you to move faster."
"You understand him?"
"Of course his body language gave it away." Arik said. "The black speech is difficult and most men can never learn it." Alexia was then happy she hadn't said anything back to the orc. "Arik, what about my glaive?"
"It's still on the Oliphant. Don't worry no one has their weapons, they have to stay on the Oliphant until the time is right."
"Time is right?"
"Alexia, how much do you remember? The questions you are asking me could get you found out." Arik said harshly.
"I remember my tribe, and my name and that's it."
"This is going to be a long two weeks." He rolled his eyes. Inside her own head Alexia was agreeing with him.
Short chapter but there is only so much I can write right now.