Rings and Medallions

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the obvious, the rest belongs to JK Rowling and JRR Tolkien.

Authors Note: Sorry about the lateness for this, but school and various other duties had me tied up. Enjoy!

Thanks to me wonderful friend and beta, Paladin Steelbreaker.

Chapter Fourteen

Eowyn didn't really know what to think. Not only had her brother been banished from Rohan, but Harry and young James had both insisted to escort her to Meduseld that evening to 'make sure nothing happened to her' according to them. Well, something was happening to her: she was being more and more convinced of the fact that one Harry Potter-Sparrow was completely and utterly insane. Not long after leaving the Locker, James had asked why people wanted to take over the world in the first place, and somehow that had evolved into a discussion between the uncle and nephew.

"You see James," Harry was saying at the moment. "I really don't think that those evil Dark Lords think things through before starting their invasions."

James blinked. "Uncle Harry, I think most of them expect people to stand up to them."

"I wasn't talking about that!" the green-eyed pirate exclaimed and threw his hands up in the air. "You're not listening to me, lad."

"What were you talking about then?" Eowyn asked before she could stop herself.

"Paperwork!" came the reply.

It was so quiet that both James and Eowyn could've sworn they heard the stars move across the sky.

"Excuse me!" the White Lady demanded.

Harry looked at them both. "Ye mean to tell me ye 'ave never even considered just how much paperwork there's got to be involved in ruling the world! Just think 'bout it! With those amounts o' paperwork it's no wonder that all the Dark Lords are defeated in the end! They either get really stressed and/or really bored o' doin' paperwork, make a mistake in their plannin' and the good guys win in no time!"

"But Uncle Harry, I think most Dark Lords have other people working for them that take care of the paperwork." James pointed out.

The older pirate shook his head. "No, no, no! If that were true then it'd be those people who ruled the world and not the Dark Lord himself!"

"No one could manage such huge amounts on their own, Uncle Harry! The Dark Lord's got to have an inner group of helpers whom he trusts."

"James, Dark Lords don't trust anyone. It's all a matter on how you look at it really. Like the old question: who came first, the chicken or the egg? Or: why did the chicken cross the road?"

Eowyn blinked. "Why did the chicken cross the road?" she echoed. Where did all these insanities come from!

Harry scratched his head. "Well, according to a terrorist named Saddam Hussein, it was a unprovoked act of rebellion, which justified the dropping of 50 ton toxic, torturous acid on said chicken."

The White Lady of Rohan blinked again and decided to keep far away from the green-eyed pirate in the future, and only communicate to him through Dora and the two redheaded twins that worked in the stable. Captain Harry Potter-Sparrow could very well be the last hope for Rohan in these days of depression, but she didn't care at the moment. She was only trying to save her sanity; it wouldn't last long in the company she was currently keeping, and who would then keep Rohan from falling into the hands of the enemy?

James on the other hand, just shook his head with a grin. "You are totally insane, Uncle Harry."

Harry smirked and ruffled the boy's hair. "I am, aren't I?" his smirk turned into a grin as James protested on the treatment of his hair, and pushed his uncle's hand away. Harry opened his mouth to make another remark which would – undoubtedly – turn out to be totally insane as well, but stopped suddenly.

"Uncle Harry?" James asked hesitantly and became even more worried as Harry mentioned for him to be quiet. Eowyn noticed the green-eyed man had stopped and walked back to them. She stopped beside the young lad and sent the boy a questioning look. James only shrugged his shoulders, and the two of them watched as Harry seemed to strain to hear something.

"Shit!" Harry shook his head and without warning grabbed both Eowyn and James and started running through the narrow streets.

"What is going on?" Eowyn demanded as she picked up her dress with one hand, the other was still caught in Harry's strong grip.

"Grima's men are following us," came the short reply.

James' eyes widened slightly at that. "U-Uncle Harry…"

Harry didn't reply. They could now hear the sound of several men chasing them, and up ahead they could see the shadows of another group coming straight towards them. Apparently one of those men held a torch, and their shadows were flickering madly on the walls of the houses.

'This cannot be allowed to develop into a long chase,' Harry thought to himself as he watched the shadows flicker. 'James and Eowyn are not up for it. Damn it all!' he knew what he had to do, and at the next opportune moment he pushed Eowyn and James into a dark, small blind alley between two of the houses. He took off his coat and handed it to James, before handing his pistol to the lad and the pouch with the medallions as well.

"U-Uncle Harry?" James' voice was weak and scared, his eyes worriedly watching the elder man.

"It's alright, lad," Harry replied with a smile. "I haven't had a good chase in years."

"W-what?" Eowyn stuttered. She was standing deeper in the alley with James between her and the only exit. "What do you mean to do?"

"OVER HERE!" the shouts of the approaching men came closer and closer.

Harry looked back at the two people in the alley. "James, take care of those for me, aye? Lady Eowyn, please take care of James, and don't trust Cecil Darling at any costs." He looked around again and stepped away from the mouth of the alley.

James took a step forwards. "But Uncle Harry-"

"THERE HE IS!" the men had finally spotted Harry in the darkness.

"GET HIM! GRIMA'S ORDERS!"

"Keep to the Code, James." Was all Harry said before he ran off.

Eowyn wasted no time in dragging Jams further into the alley, and together they crutched down, covered themselves with Harry's dark coat and listened to the sound of men shouting and running by. Then came the sound of swords clashing together, cursing, shouts of surprise and finally silence. James was shaking in Eowyn's embrace, his face hidden in her shoulder as he was trying to hide his tears. Even Eowyn was shocked, and she tightened her hold on the ten-year-old. They would wait for another while before finishing their trek up to Medusled. The green-eyed pirate captain's sacrifice would not be in vain.

Severus looked up at the dark sky as he continued riding at the head of the group of outlaws. He was seriously starting to worry. He had followed Lord Éomer's instructions and had attacked any group of orcs or wild men he had come across in Rohan. However, Éomer was only the Potion Master's temporary superior. As soon as Harry sent news or an order, Severus would put those as his main priority, no matter if they went against previous orders made by King Theoden's nephew.

'However, therein lies the problem,' the ex-Death Eater thought to himself as he brought his gaze down form the skies. 'I haven't heard from Potter in a worryingly long time. It isn't like him to not send letters – some of them I know he sends just to annoy me.' He was brought out of his thoughts at the sound of many riders approaching. The other's in his company gripped their swords or their spears, getting ready in case Wormtongue had sent out his men to capture them. Severus himself readjusted his grip on the spear he was carrying and every muscle in his body tightened, ready for battle.

But as the riders came closer and were easier to see, the little band of outlaws relaxed and let loose their breath. It wasn't Wormtongue's men, nor was it a group of warg-riding orcs come to slaughter them. It was another group of more-than-likely outlawed men, and at the head of them rode none other than Lord Éomer himself.

Quickly lowering his spear, Severus bowed his head respectfully as Éomer came up beside him. "My Lord Éomer. It is good to see you in these times, and especially all the way out here."

Éomer nodded back. "I am glad I finally found you, Severus. I have good news and bad news, but both must be shared as we ride. My scouts discovered a party of Uruk-hai travelling towards Isengard, and I have every intention to make sure they never reach their accursed destination."

Severus nodded and let the younger man set the direction and the pace. He rode beside the blond man, and behind him he could hear Éomer's group easily mixing up with his own smaller one, and even some quiet chatter between friends that met up again. "You said you had news, My Lord?" he inquired after a while in silence.

"As you have probably already deducted, Severus, I have been outlawed as well. These men with me are those still faithful to Rohan which joined up with me as I travelled in search for you," the Third Marshalk of the Riddermark began. "I can only hope that Eowyn will manage to keep Wormtongue from the throne and herself – and I thank the gods that Captain Potter-Sparrow arrived at the time he did."

One of the best spies of the Order of the Phoenix was honestly shocked. Sure, he had received letters from Potter, but never had the damn pirate disclosed his place of residence. For all Severus had known, the green-eyed man had still been in Rivendell.

Watching the black-haired man from the corner of his eye, Éomer had to hide a smile. As far as he knew very little had managed to shock the man riding beside him, but this seemed to have done the trick for Severus was actually gaping slightly. Even if it passed quicker than one could say 'Uruk-hai', it had been there nonetheless, and it had been fun shocking the other man. 'Must remember to thank the good captain for this,' Éomer thought to himself as Severus finally got over his shock.

Severus turned to Éomer. "Harry is in Rohan!" he asked, then cursed himself for asking such an obvious question.

"Indeed, and the captain asked me to bring you a message. One that I think you will enjoy to hear, my friend." Éomer smiled. "He said that Ana sends her love."

For a long time the group rode on mostly in silence towards the looming shadow of the Fangorn Forest. Occasionally someone at the back would whisper something, but otherwise everything was silent except the sounds of the hoof beats. Severus' thoughts were no longer on strangling Harry Potter-Sparrow for not telling him where he was going or was planning to go, but rather on Anamaria. That sassy, wild pirate-wench who had elbowed her way into his life and actually managed to stay there for more than a week or two.

'I fear that we are in way over our heads this time, Ana,' the ex-spy thought. 'This whole thing with Middle-Earth is far bigger than we two could have ever imagined.'

Whilst he had been thinking a scout had joined the group and was giving his report to Éomer. After listening to the younger man, Éomer turned to Severus. "Haithán tells me that the orcs have stopped right at the edge of the forest for rest. There aren't too many of them, and it will be easy to sneak up on them as there seems to be a dispute going on between the orcs and the Uruk-hai. Are your men ready?"

Severus cast a quick look behind them. Every single man was ready and armed to the teeth. They were silent and serious, just waiting for the order to attack. "I believe they all are, My Lord."

Éomer nodded and grabbed his spear. "Good, then let us attack."

It was on times like these that Severus sent a thought of thank-you to his departed mother who had insisted that he learned how to wield a sword and a spear amongst other weapons. He readied his spear and as they thundered into the enemy's camp, he took aim and hurled the spear through an orc that seemed to be bending over something further off from the rest of its companions. It was a perfect hit, and it marked the start of the following fight. The attack had started so quickly and had surprised the orcs and Uruk-hai so thoroughly that the creatures thought they were attacked by the vengeful ghosts of Fangorn Forest for a second. However, the ugly creatures managed to put themselves together and started attacking the riders as they passed.

Several times during the following fight Severus thought he heard shouts of 'Merry' and 'Pippin' amongst the screams of the orcs and the riders. However, he threw it from his mind and concentrated on not being killed by the now-panicking orcs and Uruk-hai. His horse reared and as he swung his sword to smite down another enemy, he could have sworn he heard a decidedly non-orcish voice yell in surprise and fright before his horse got down on all fours again and the fight continued.

Harry wasn't sure how much time had passed since he had been captured, nor did he know if Eowyn and James had managed to get away. All he knew was that he was hanging by his wrists in the middle of a cold and damp dungeon, and that the manacles were biting into his skin painfully. He was bloodied and bruised and his clothes were ripped all over. His shirt was practically nonexistent, though his pants and boots hadn't sustained much damage. Other chains and manacles hung all along the rough walls of the dungeon, some with prisoners – dead or barely alive – still hanging in them. The smell was terrible, and on a table by the entrance laid numerous torture equipments, some of which Harry had gotten to know pretty well.

Grima's band of followers came into the dungeon almost like clockwork, either to torture him or some other poor prisoner. And Wormtongue himself had also come down into the dungeon to try to make Harry talk. The little traitor was surprisingly alike Norrington in that regard, asking the same questions over and over, and not giving up even when Harry had refused to answer said questions just as many times as they had been asked – and then some.

Once he had even been visited by Saruman. The wizard had tried to break through Harry's mental defences, and although his defences had been weak, Harry had thrown so man unimportant thoughts towards the foreign presence inside his head, that Saruman had retreated. Harry imagined that the traitorous wizard was slightly dizzy due to the speed he had sent his thoughts at. Perhaps the old coot had even gotten a headache. Well, the green-eyed pirate could only hope. However, that little trick had left Harry even weaker than before, and now he concentrated all his power to keep Saruman out of his head.

That was another thing. He hadn't used his magical powers to keep the fact that there were wizards other than the istari running around Middle-Earth and foiling the Dark Lord's plans. At first he had thought that it would be easy to escape from the dungeon, but Wormtongue's men kept him so thoroughly beaten and weakened that it would be impossible without the help of magic. So Harry had decided to hang on (excuse the pun), and weather it out until help arrived.

'Well, that help better be arrivin' soon 'cause I dunno how much more I can take,' the pirate thought to himself, and it was true. He could feel the black, soothing unconsciousness creeping up on him faster and faster, and he knew that as soon as he left the conscious world, that Saruman would start attacking his mind again, and this time actually get through his defences.

Once again he had no idea how much time passed, but vaguely he heard the sounds of a scuffle from the stairs that led out of the dungeon, then the metal door had been flung up with a bang, and the hurried tramping of feet coming down the uneven stone steps followed. By now darkness had taken over his vision completely, and he only heard indefinable shouts and gasps. Then the chains which had been holding him up were slacked and he fell into waiting arms, which then – with the help of other arms – lifted him onto something that could only be a stretcher.

A voice sounding suspiciously like Aragorn telling him he was going to be alright was the last thing Harry heard before darkness claimed him completely.

There, done. Please tell me what you think!

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