Sorry for the wait! Visiting relatives in Branson, so I've been kinda busy.
Chapter 25:
I was glad Legolas wasn't here to see me; I was a mess.
"I'm sorry I'm reacting this way." I sniffed. Wiping my face with the back of my hands. "I just can't handle this."
"You will handle it, Aedinil, because you must." Gandalf said, drying my eyes with the hem of his sleeve.
Suddenly, I realized how silly I must look. Boromir was holding one of my hands, and Pippin was holding the other.
Gandalf was drying my eyes, and Faramir stood close by, holding a glass of water in case I was thirsty or something.
I stood up, straightening my posture.
"We have to do something." I said. "We have to get them back, somehow, and wake them up and---"
"We must bide our time." Gandalf said.
"Bide our time? Gandalf, that's my family in there!"
"Aedinil, I know. But this is not something to be rushed into. Our actions must be carefully planned; none of us must act rashly."
I sighed, wringing my hands, an old nervous habit.
"Maybe I could snap them out of it.", I said, brainstorming. "If I commanded them to. Or if I commanded her to---"
"I'm sure Zaida has placed spells around herself against your powers, Aedinil." Boromir said. "She won't make the same mistake as last time."
"You're right." I sighed. "But what about the others? They can't be immune, can they?"
"There's only one way to find out, isn't there?" Pippin said, the first time he'd spoken in a while.
"Look, I'm small. I may not be the bravest, or the strongest of us, but I'm really hard to see. I could help somehow. I'm not sure how, but---"
"You hobbits are amazing." Faramir said, shaking his head incredulously.
"Yes, Peregrin Took." Gandalf said thoughtfully. "I just might have a task for you…"
Pippin gulped, looking nervous.
"All those years of climbing trees in the Shire might finally pay off." Gandalf said, and smiled at Pippin. "How do you feel about lighting the beacon of Amon Din?"
~Break~
I didn't want to go to bed in the room I'd been given. The guys were so lucky. Gandalf and Pippin had a room together, and Boromir and Faramir had a room together. I was all alone, due to the fact that I was female.
I wanted to be around people.
The impatience was killing me! What Gandalf was saying made sense; this was like a chess game. A very high-stakes chess game.
Needless to say, I'd never been very good at chess.
Gandalf said he had a plan; I just had to trust that it would work. I hated this; I hated waiting, I hated pretending that everything was alright.
I opened the door to the room. It, like the rest of Minas Tirith, was gloomy and made out of stone.
Someone had left a candle burning for me, I assumed it was a maid, and I couldn't bring myself to blow it out.
There was also a nightgown on the bed, which I changed into.
I laid down, still clutching the hilt of my sword. It made me feel a little better, knowing that I was prepared to fight at any moment.
I leaned over the side of the bed and grabbed one of the books Legolas had brought from Earth for me.
It was Shakespeare again, and I flipped through the plays, trying to find Hamlet. I was in the mood for something dysfunctional and dreary.
I skipped to the parts where Ophelia was going crazy; it was my favorite part.
There was a knock on the door.
"If you're not a treacherous elf-sorceress, come in." I said.
The door creaked open and in came my mother, who was holding a tray that had a chalice and bread and cheese on it.
"I thought you might be hungry." she said, and set the tray on my bedside table.
"Like I'd eat or drink anything you gave me. Just get out of here. I have no desire to talk to you."
Venom coated my words and I tightened my grip on my sword hilt.
"My darling," she said, her voice soft and effeminate, nearly comforting. "I only wished to speak with you."
"Well, I don't wanna talk to you. Wait, scratch that. I do wanna talk to you. Yeah, that's right. I do need to talk to you. You need to release everyone from whatever spell they're under."
"Spell? I don't know what you mean."
"You know very well what I mean. And you're gonna let them go."
She laughed.
"Like you have any power over me."
She stood up straighter, looking like she was preparing herself for a fight.
"You have your sword; I am unarmed. Kill me, if you want. This is the perfect opportunity."
She stared at me a moment.
"Well? You could end many of your troubles right this instant."
I didn't move; I couldn't move.
What she was asking wasn't possible.
"I see now. You're to weak to do it." she said with a smile.
"I'm not weak." I said. "I'm strong. Stronger than you know, and I suppose I have you to thank for that. Losing you at that young age, taking care of a grieving father, practically raising Matthew by myself, working a job to keep food on the table; all those things chiseled me, hardened me into who I am."
Zaida smiled knowingly at me, and I was struck with a really sick realization.
"You wanted me to have to do all those things. To grieve, to take on responsibility I was too young to handle, to grow up too fast…""Earth is a weak place; I needed you to be strong, for when I brought you here."
I could feel my face grow hot.
"You are freaking sick, you know that? Get out of my room, or I will stab you."
She seemed unimpressed by my threat, and looked me in the eyes again, doing that creepy freezy thing that made it to where I couldn't move.
She caressed my face with her cold hand.
"I never stopped loving you, Aedinil. I took you to Earth so you could be raised away from here, away from judgment and danger. I even made sure that you had a father. And I left because I had to go back. I had to. Saruman made me leave."
Her fingers moved from my face, down my arm, and she grabbed my hand, pressing it to her lips.
She paused when she noticed the ring on my finger.
A cruel smile lit up her face.
"This ring bears the crest of the house of Thranduil. Could it be that you've captured the heart of dear Prince Legolas?"She laughed.
"You charming little vixen…" she murmured approvingly.
"Let me go." I said, using my powers. Big surprise, it didn't even phase her this time.
She did, however, release her hold. She seemed amused at my paltry attempt.
"So, my dear, this is enough bantering. It's time I got down to the meat of why I came to speak with you. I need you to join my cause."
"Never. This is becoming redundant, Zaida."
"Very well." she sighed. "It's such a disappointment, really. If you came to my side, I could release your loved ones from the spell and guarantee you and your dear Princeling an eternity of happiness."
"What are you talking about?"
"There is no certain future here, not for you two, anyway. Even if you can defeat Sauron the Great, there will be no happiness for you."
"What are you talking about?" I repeated, disturbed.
"You are my daughter, darling. And it doesn't matter how your odd little Fellowship regards you---you will be hated among the other elves, for your parentage. And also, you are nothing like any of the others, because of where you were raised. His parents won't accept you, certainly. And even if you both live among humans, do you think there will be any solace there? You're elves, my dear, and no one trusts what is different. But if you both went to Earth…"
"Don't say anything else." I said through clenched teeth. "Get out. I honestly don't care if I never saw you again."
"Ah, but you couldn't kill me. There must still be some affection for your poor mother somewhere in your heart, Aedinil. I will see you in the morning." she said, and walked out my door, leaving me to face yet another sleepless night.
I took a deep breath, bottling up everything. I know it wasn't the healthiest thing to do, but I didn't feel like I could muster up any more tears or anxiety at the moment. I just felt numb.
A few minutes later, there was another knock on my door.
"I don't care if you are my mother, you're not getting in again."
The knock came again.
"Go away, Zaida!" I said, and the door opened anyway. It was Faramir.
"Are you alright? I heard voices, and…"
He cast his eyes away from me, since I was in a nightgown.
"My mother came in to talk with me. But I'm alright." I pasted on a smile, trying to lighten the situation.
"Though I highly doubt I'll ever get any sleep now."
"My lady, would you like me to sit up with you until you fall asleep? I could read to you even. Or---"
"That's not necessary." I said.
"But I insist. What kind of brother would I be if I let you stay up all night?"
I handed him Gone with the Wind, since I knew he couldn't read the earth letters and would not have to read aloud to me. He needed sleep more than I did, I was sure.
He surprised me by actually being able to read it.
"The runes are a little strange, but the are similar enough to hobbit letters to be deciphered." he said.
Great. He was a nerd.
He opened to the first page.
"Where's Boromir?" I asked.
"He's sleeping so peacefully I decided not to wake him." Faramir answered. "Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught up in her charm, as the Tarleton boys were…"
I fell asleep when he got to the part about the barbecue.
~Break~
There was no official punishment for Gandalf having Pippin light the beacons, so Zaida had to get creative.
She had Denethor send Boromir and Faramir to Osgiliath, to try and reclaim territory that Orcs had taken.
"Please don't go." I begged Boromir. "This is crazy. You'll be killed, Boromir, and Faramir, too! Please!"
"I must obey my father." he said softly.
"But he's obviously not himself at the moment! Don't go! Tell him, Gandalf!"
Gandalf sighed.
"Boromir is right. They cannot disobey."
"Why not?"
"Because, disobedience to the Steward is punishable by death. And with Zaida at the helm, you can be sure that that's what will happen." Boromir said tartly. "I'd rather face an entire legion of Orcs than that spellbinder."
"Let me come, too." I said. "Please. I'll go crazy here, and you guys will need another sword."
"No, Aedinil. You are needed here." Gandalf said, then eyed Pippin, who looked ready to volunteer. "And don't you even think about asking, Peregrin Took. You are needed here as well."
Darn it, the old guy was always right! I really wanted to go, but I'd probably just end up slowing them down. And, when the battle reached the city, they'd need me.
~Break~
"I'm hungry." Pippin said to me.
We were on the fourth level, in a little public courtyard, sulking. I was trying not to think how basically everyone I cared about was either
a.) under a spell,
b.) traversing Mordor, or
c.) preparing for an eminent battle.
Boromir and Faramir were gone, and Gandalf was trying to talk with Denethor, so we were left with nothing to do.
"Me too, Pip. But for now, it's only lembas."
"But I saw a market!"
"When?"
"When we were walking. And there's no way Zaida could've put potions in any of that food. She didn't even know we were going to be on the fourth level."
"True. And Gandalf gave us some gold pieces. We could get something."
Pippin grinned.
"Finally. I thought I was going to die of starvation!" he said this so dramatically that it made me smile.
The market was built into the face of the cliff, like most buildings, but it had more windows, and let in more light. It wasn't crowded; nobody seemed to be out today. They were all sulking over the soldiers going to Osgiliath. Was there a single family that didn't have someone gone?
The market was full of delicious looking food. That was the first thing I noticed.
The second thing I noticed was the wicked glare the shopkeeper was giving us. He was a middle aged man with a peg leg, and he had a big knife out, peeling an apple.
"What are you?" he asked, looking suspicious.
"I'm an elf. And this is my friend, Pippin. He's a hobbit."
"Hmph." he said, and went back to his apple.
I shrugged, and Pippin and me set about to gathering up things to eat.
I grabbed a loaf of rye bread when I heard a small child squeal.
I whipped around to see the shopkeeper hit a little girl across the knuckles with a leather strap.
"Sir! Unhand that girl!" I grabbed her and pulled her towards me.
"She was stealing, and I'd advise you keep your elf nose out of this."
"What was she taking? I'll pay for it."The girl looked up at me, her brown eyes heavy with tears, her face red. She was no older than seven, and she was much too thin.
"Thank'ee, ma'am." she said softly, and held on to my skirt.
The shopkeeper held up a piece of meat.
"She had this under her shirt."
"Well, I'm not buying that for her." I said, disgusted. It was little more than fat, and was starting to turn green around the edges.
"Give me a big slab of something good. The best of whatever you have."
I rattled my bag of coins in the man's face. He got me the meat I asked for, and I also went around, buying some other things that the girl wanted. Things like quinoa, bread, cheese, and some spices.
Pippin and me helped her carry these things to her home.
She told me her name was Kirim, and that she lived nearby with her mother and two younger brothers. Her father had gone with the men to Osgiliath; her three older brothers had already been killed in battles.
Pippin's stomach rumbled.
"Don't worry, Pip, we'll eat soon. Just as soon as we get all this stuff to Kirim's."
He nodded, and looked over fondly at the little girl.
"What are you?" she asked us curiously. Man, that question was getting old fast!
"I'm a hobbit." Pippin explained. "And Aedinil is an elf."
"An elleth, if you wanna get technical." I added.
"You both talk funny." she said, but not rudely. She was just a kid, after all.
When we got to her house, her mother was in the doorway, nursing a baby.
"Kirim, who are these people and why have you brought them here? Did you get in trouble?"
She looked at us suspiciously, but her hungry eyes seemed to light up at the food we had in our arms.
"They saved me from old goodman Basil." Kirim said, still holding on to my skirt.
"I told you not to get caught." her mother chided. "We're much obliged, to you. Last time she got caught the welts on her hands didn't heal for weeks."
I cringed.
"We brought some food, if you need it." Pippin offered.
"No, sir." the woman shook her head. "We don't accept charity, though your offer is kind."
"Fine, then." I said. "As payment, you could cook lunch for us. Nothing elaborate or anything. We're actually very hungry. The food at the palace is…unsatisfactory."
"You fear poison?" she asked knowingly, gesturing for us to come inside.
We followed her in, and noticed another boy, probably four, playing with rocks on the floor.
"Long have the nobles of Minas Tirith been cautious of poisoning. You are both guests of the Lord Denethor, yes? It is said that he keeps strange company nowadays. Not that either of you are strange..." she explained, lighting a fire in a hearth. She poured water out of an urn into a cauldron, which she placed over the fire, and began inspecting what we'd brought from the store.
"I hope stew is alright?" she asked.
"Anything is just fine." Pippin answered, and his stomach growled again.
"This is Aedinil, an elf, and Pip is called a hobbit." Kirim said to her mother.
"I could tell you two were something besides human. These are certainly strange times, when the stories of old come to life." she cast a smile at us.
"I appreciate your generosity. We've been living on rats. Ever since old Basil raised the prices on food, there is hardly anyone who can afford it, what with our men not working right now."
"You mean there are other families who are starving?"
"Of course, Lady. We are in a war, and it is not the rich who suffer when things are scarce."
I got an idea.
"Pippin, wanna go back and pay old Basil a visit?"
"You mean prolong lunch that much more?"
"Yes. Ma'am, is there anyway you could round up all the families around here?"
"For what reason, Lady?"
"I'm gonna buy everything in Basil's store and divide it up amongst everyone. Why should everyone starve while there's food in the city?"
"It would cost a fortune---"
"I have the gold. What better cause could I spend it on? Come on, Pippin."
It was an afternoon that the people of Minas Tirith didn't forget for a long time. I don't think Basil, the storekeeper, ever forgot it, either.
Amid all these important battles and things that I was missing out on, it felt good to lend a hand, to help people. It took my mind off of everything, if only for a little while.
More soon! Please review!