Me: *walks in dragging Link's Ball and Chain* -huff huff- I've done it readers -wheeze- I've broken through my writers block! -pant- How the heck do you carry this, Link? *collapses*
Link: Um... magic?
Aragorn: *pokes me with a stick* she is out cold.
Link: So... who does the disclaimer?
Aragorn: I will. *clears throat* Xelfi4ever does not own LOZ or LOTR.
Link: Enjoy!
Chapter Thirteen: They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard!
An Ura-kai sniffed the air, warily.
"What is it? What do you smell?" another asked.
"Man flesh," the Ura-kai spat, causing the rest of the group to look around in alarm.
"They have picked up our trail!" the first Ura-kai said. The other growled.
"Aragorn," Pippin whispered.
"Let's move!" the commander ordered. The group began running double-time once more and Pippin struggled to pry off his leaf-shaped brooch. He spat it on the ground, hoping that his friends would find it.
"Hurry!" Aragorn yelled back.
Legolas stopped, allowing Boromir, Link and Zelda/Sheik to run past him. "Come on, Gimli!" he called to the Dwarf.
Gimli, out of breath at the rear of the company, stopped and leaned on his ax. "Three days and a night's pursuit. No food, no rest, no sign of our quarry but which rocks can tell," he grumbled.
They ran along cliffs and leapt over rocks, tracking the Ura-kai that had kidnapped Merry and Pippin three days ago.
"Hey! Hello! Look!" Navi shouted. She whimpered in fright and shut-up as Zelda/Sheik threw some needles in the fairy's direction.
They kept running until they were in the welcoming shade of cliffs of rock. Legolas leapt up onto a rock as Aragorn bent down, having seen something shining green in the trampled grass. "Not idly do the leaves of Lorían fall," he said, holding up a leaf-shaped brooch.
"They may yet be alive," Legolas said from his rock. He went back to scanning the area.
Zelda/Sheik jumped up next to him, sticking to the wall, looking as well.
"Hoot! Hoot! Link my boy!" an owl called and landed on a rock mere inches from Legolas's face.
Legolas cried out in shock and lost his balance, falling backwards off the rock and hitting the ground with a groan. "Valar, I hope Gimli did not see that," he mumbled as he got up. He then glared at the owl.
Link snickered and Zelda/Sheik's eyes twinkled with laughter.
Boromir caught up after helping Gimli up, who had fallen and rolled down the hill a few seconds ago. "Why is there an owl on the rock?" he asked.
"I am Kaepora, I have come to give Link information," the owl introduced himself.
"Goddess no…" Link whispered, "Hide me!" He hid behind Gimli.
"Master Link, you are not fooling anybody," Aragorn said.
"Then you are not Link?" the owl asked, turning its head toward Legolas.
"No, my name is Legolas, Link is there," the Elf said, pointing to a box.
Zelda/Sheik rolled her eyes and leapt down from her perch, walked over to the box and threw it off.
Link jumped up, alarmed.
"How many times do I have to tell you, that doesn't work?" she said, annoyed.
"Fine," Link said, putting the box in his pocket.
"You are chasing after two hobbits," Kaepora started, "They have been captured by Ura-kai."
"Yes, Kaepora, we knew that already," Link stated, annoyed.
"If you look under that rock," Kaepora said, gesturing with his wing.
"Yes?" Link said, eyes shining.
"You will find some bugs."
"GYAHA!" Link yelled.
"You must hurry if you want to catch up with the hobbits," Kaepora continued, after Link's outburst.
"That's what we were trying to do until you interrupted us!" Link shouted.
"'Wouldyou-not-not-not-not-not-liketounhearwhatIdidn'tjustnotsay?" Kaepora asked, saying it at an inhumanly fast speed.
Silence fell over the group.
Zelda/Sheik broke the silence. "Yes," she answered.
The group held their breaths.
"…My name is-" Kaepora started.
"I guessed right, cheater! You said eight negatives, which means the correct answer is yes!" Zelda/Sheik yelled.
"You are right," Kaepora said, and flew off.
Before anyone could ask Zelda spoke. "Triforce of Wisdom," she said, pointing to herself. "Let's go."
"Aye, we have delayed long enough," Aragorn said, leading the way once more.
They kept running and rounded a bend and came upon rolling fields strewn with rocks.
"Rohan, home of the Horse Lords," Aragorn announced, once everyone caught up. He frowned. "There is something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures."
"I sense it as well," Zelda/Sheik said, turning into Zelda so she could better sense the presence. "Something sets its will against us."
They started down the rocks and Legolas ran ahead.
"Legolas, what do your Elf eyes see?" Aragorn yelled.
Legolas squinted. "The Ura-kai turn Northeast, they are taking the hobbits to Isengard!" the Elf yelled back.
"Saruman." As soon as Aragorn uttered that name, Zelda gasped as she located the evil presence.
"No, no," she moaned, falling to her knees and clutching her head.
"Zelda!" Link exclaimed, kneeling down beside her.
Zelda screamed as her mind was assaulted with images. Two towers, one black, one with a flaming eye on top. Dark armies massing, villages burning. She screamed again as a deep voice echoed in her mind.
"The world is changing. Who now has the power to stand against the armies of Isengard and Mordor? To stand against the might of Saron and Saruman. A union of the two towers. Together, my lord Saron, we will rule this, Middle Earth."
Zelda's eyes shot open, clouded and unfocused, staring off into the distance toward Isengard. She started struggling in Link's grasp, trying to follow the voice that called to her, welcomed her.
Legolas and Boromir helped Link hold her. "Zelda? Princess? Princess?" Link cried, shaking her. She clawed and fought, elbowing Legolas hard in the stomach. The Elf grunted, but still held onto her arms. Boromir's face got clipped by Zelda's boot as she lashed out at him with her legs. He gritted his teeth but held her still.
Aragorn knelt down beside Link. "May I?" he asked.
Link nodded and tightened his grip around Zelda's waist. He got head-butted in the chin.
Aragorn started speaking in Elvish. "Zelda, Lasto beth nîn, tolo dan nan galad," he whispered over and over again, hands on either side of her head.
"Use your Triforce, Master Link," Legolas instructed as Gimli took over holding Zelda's arms. He then joined Aragorn, voices merging as one, trying to purge the evil from Zelda's mind.
She screamed and yelled, clawing and fighting. "It is hopeless to resist me!" she spat in a deep voice. She screamed again and suddenly collapsed against Link, the combined efforts of Aragorn, Legolas and Link, purging Saruman from her mind.
"Princess?" Link asked, stroking her hair, softly.
"Gimli, go to my pack. Bring me the vial I keep in there," Aragorn commanded.
Gimli obeyed and came back with a vial of liquid.
Aragorn nodded his thanks and dripped some into Zelda's mouth.
"What happened?" Boromir asked.
"Saruman tried to get into her mind," Aragorn explained. "When she sensed his presence she fell into his trap."
"Damn him!" Link spat, clenching his fists. He gently lowered Zelda to the ground and straitened his tunic as he stood up.
"My friends, we can use this to our advantage!" Boromir exclaimed, standing up. "We could use this gift to see into Saruman's mind and-"
He was stopped as Link punched him in the nose, breaking it once more. "YOU PIECE OF BULBIN …" Link trailed off. "She could have died," he whispered, sadness replacing anger. He knelt down and picked up Zelda once more.
"It's true what Master Link says," Gimli spat. "Lady Zelda's life was on the line, and all you cared about was how we could use this against the enemy!"
Boromir rubbed his nose, shocked and saddened, saying nothing.
"Peace, my friends," Aragorn said. "She is alright now, that is all that matters."
The tension in the air was so thick you could shatter it with Link's ball and chain.
"I know not what she saw, but it must have been quite terrifying," Legolas said, trying to break the tension.
"I-I-I-I can tell you what I saw," Zelda whispered, opening her eyes.
"Princess, you're alright!" Link exclaimed, happily. He hugged her close. "Don't ever scare me like that again."
"I won't, help me up," Zelda said, blushing slightly.
"What did you see?" Aragorn asked as the rest of the Fellowship stood up, Link aiding Zelda.
"In time. But first, what in the name of the goddess happened to your nose, Boromir?" she asked. "It's bleeding again."
"That son of a Bulbin wanted to use your telepathy as a weapon against Saruman!" Link spat.
Zelda sighed and massaged the bridge of her nose. "So you punched him in the nose, again?"
"He deserved it, Lady Zelda," Gimli grumbled.
"Come over here and let me heal it, Boromir," Zelda said.
Boromir obeyed and sighed in relief as his nose was fixed once more.
"What did you see, my Lady?" Aragorn asked once more.
Zelda grew serious. "I saw dark armies massing, villages burning, people shouting, dying, crying for help, and of course, I heard Saruman. He called to me, beckoned to me. I tried to fight him but he was stronger then I thought. Then, a light shattered the images and I awoke. The two towers have been united," she finished, gravelly.
Aragorn swore.
"Link, I am still weakened from my ordeal, do you think you could send a message to Sheik to get the army over here at once?" Zelda asked.
"Sure," Link said. He closed his eyes and fell silent.
"What do we do now?" Gimli asked.
We keep following the Ura-kai, let's move!" Aragorn commanded. Zelda transformed into Sheik once more and the six started running again.
Me: Man, I just keep pouring in the annoying characters. First Navi then Kaepora! Thank you so much for putting up with my erratic update schedule, readers. Expect quicker story updates now that I've broken through my writer's block. School is finally winding down and I have more time to myself. Yay!
Legolas: In case you are wondering, readers, "Lasto beth nîn, tolo dan nan galad," means, "Hear my voice, come back to the light," in Elvish.
Me: Keep reading and please review! They really make my day! Also, don't forget to keep sending in truth or dares for the next bonus chapter! Two more left!
~Xelfi4ever