Hi everyone! This is my first LoTR fic, so don't expect that much, Ok? Took me a while to think up an idea for this one, but I think I've got the whole thing pretty much planned out.
Allright that's actually I lie, this might include a bit of improvising, but I've been a member of ff.net for over a year (under a different name though), so I think that I've pretty much got the gist of how to write these things, I'm not perfect, but I try.
Anyway, I'm up to chapter 2 now. Not bad going really.
Of course, I do need help with these things, so any suggestions about what should happen would be appreciated by me a lot. Also, if you want any character (created by you, or even you) in this fic, don't hesitate to ask. I'd be more than glad to put anybody in (I've done it before). Anyway, here's my first effort. R&R please, thanks.
Note: I've had one or two people who might want to be a part of the fic, so, either leave me a name to put in, or email me if you want a more detailed character. And put more information in, like whether to kill you off after a while, if you're a good guy or a baddie, what species etc…
Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to EL. Don't ask why.
Greater Evasion
Part two, First combat"So it was that the evaders went off into the horizon, mainly in good spirits on that fateful evening, but nothing could prepare ourselves for what had come next in the mountains as we attempted to shadow the fellowship of the ring."
From the diary of Anomen Redwood, hobbiton press.
Ulli Runecarver snarled. It was three days since the evaders had set out on their quest. But so far that elf 'Fell', or whatever he said his family name was, had only succeeded in getting them completely lost in the mountains. They had encountered nothing for days, save the odd deer or stag. No sign of intelligent life at all. He gripped his Axe tightly and ruffled his beard. By all that was holy, it was cold. If he was some weedy elf like Fell (or half-elf, or whatever he claimed to be), he might've collapsed from exhaustion. Not him though. He suddenly felt an icy blast that wracked his bones with numbing pain. He gritted his teeth and looked up. By Vela, no, that elven fool had driven them into to the heart of a blizzard.
"Allright. Everyone stop!" Fell's voice shouted distantly, despite the fact that they were no more than a metre away from each other. "We'll make camp here!" Ulli thankfully lay down his sack of food and light weapons, but kept hold of his axe. He pushed his helmet over his face to stop the lashing ice from blinding him as he fought to help the others put up the tent.
When the tent was made, the evaders clambered inside and tried to keep warm. Fell tried to say something to Ulli but the howling of the wind blew his words away.
* * * *
"Ulli you idiot can't you hear me?" Adolphus Fell yelled. Ulli looked at him in a puzzled way, and indicated that he could hear nothing due to the wind.
"You must be able to hear me Ulli! One of the tent pegs has come loose I think. I'll just go out and put it back" He clambered up and ran out to find the rogue tent peg.
Outside, Adolphus could see that the blizzard had got far worse. His skin was stung by the snow that lashed all around him, the wind threatened to deafen him. Never had he seen such a ting before. 'Sorcery'. He thought. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something. He gasped in utter shock. If this mountain had it bad, he dreaded to think about the other one.
It was as if the blizzard was hanging over the other mountain. The power it generated seemed to be pulling the mountain apart, or at least creating a full-scale avalanche. He dreaded to think what would happen to anyone on that mountain.
"Foul sorcery indeed." He muttered. But he couldn't think why any wizard might want to destroy the tranquillity on that mountain. Unless there was an annoying band of adventurers of rampaging horde of goblins, or…" He suddenly felt very sick. Of course! The fellowship must've been on the mountain. That's why a wizard might've tried to destroy it. He ran to the tent.
"Ulli!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, so loud that he could even hear himself over the blizzard. "Anomen! Bongo! Drondee! Come on! Something terrible's happened!"
The tent flap was thrown up and the evaders crawled out. Weapons drawn. Ulli Runecarver stared at the collapsing snow on the mountain.
"Hell's teeth, what dishonourable magics doomed the tranquillity on that mountain?" Ulli snarled. He picked up his huge double-sided battle-axe. The Dwarven Runes that Ulli had carved into it in his days when he wasn't exiled glowed brightly. Adolphus Fell could see that meant that magic was at work here from the Rune Axe's radiant light. Ulli growled and effortlessly sliced his Axe through the air. "Come out little wizard!" He bellowed, "My axe thirsts!"
The mountain continued to collapse for a few minutes. Then, all of a sudden. It stopped. The blizzard around them stopped. If it was not for the devastating scene in front of them, the mountain range would've appeared completely normal. Untouched by the blizzard. For a minute, the evaders just stared. Fell, looked around. The evaders had different ways of showing their shock. The hobbits, bongo and Drondee were shivering with fear and their eyes darted around nervously. Anomen Redwood had his fists clenched, he was staring icily at the devastated mountain. He looked strangely neat. His brown hair and goatee beard and his stubbly moustache were tidy and undisturbed. His silvery armour looked as shiny and as bright as ever, as was his single bronze earring. His one-handed studded warhammer caught the sun's rays and brightly reflected them, still hanging from his side in its sheath. Ulli Runecarver was different. He tightly gripped his axe. His beard was white with the snow caught in it. His splint mail armour was dulled. Although his facial expression seemed much the same as Anomen's. He appeared to be in deep thought.
* * * *
Anomen Redwood finished staring at the mountain, contemplating what fate had befallen the fellowship of the Ring. He shook his head and in one swift movement, one-handily pulled his warhammer out of it caught it and span it around his finger before he assumed a tight grip on it. He sadly remembered the school where he had learnt to fight. In the city where he was forced to flee from. Seeing this. Ulli Runecarver waved his Axe around even more to show his was ready for anything, and Adolphus Fell drew his sword even quicker than Anomen had drawn his hammer. Perhaps to show that he was just as good as him. Perhaps not. Bongo and Drondee Templewob nervously drew their short swords as well. Anomen had his doubts about letting them fight.
"Right." He said. "Let's go. We head towards the mountain."
"Or what's left of it." Ulli muttered.
An hour later, it was getting dark. Anomen decided that they had better find shelter. And soon. It wasn't worth travelling into the night. It would've just complicated things. And made them too tired for when (or if) any chance for combat arrived. Half an hour on, he saw something.
"What's that?" He called to the others.
"Looks like a cave." Fell answered. The evaders stopped.
"Well." Anomen said. "How about it?" It seemed like the ideal place to set up camp.
It was swiftly agreed that the cave would make their camp for the night. They all clambered in. What happened then made them all a lot more wary.
The runes on Ulli's axe burst into light. This did two things. Firstly, it warned them that unnaturally dark magic was at work. But it was suspected that it was the far off Wizard trying to further stop the fellowship's progress. But secondly, it illuminated the entire cave.
Anomen gasped. It was almost one of natures wonders. The thing was massive. Three metre long stalactites hung down from the ceiling and stalagmite's of a similar length protruded up from the floor. Natural tunnels led into the darkness. Despite the urge to explore, it was agreed that they'd make camp in the main part of the cave.
* * * *
Drondee Templewob woke to strange sounds in the night. The axe that lay be Ulli's sleeping form grew brighter. Drondee got up and listened. If he trusted his sense of hearing. He could've sworn that he heard on oddly high voice moaning.
"Sooooooo cold…"
Drondee almost screamed in terror and kicked every one of the evaders until they awoke.
"What?" Said Ulli.
"There's… something… there…" Ulli snatched up his Axe.
"What is it hobbit?"
Fell listened. Although he hated to admit it, being a half-elf had its advantages. He could hear the moaning quite well. Being a Dwarf, so could Ulli.
"Magically given voice." Fell said. "Whatever that thing is, it can't speak without magic, perhaps it can't even exist without it."
Suddenly. The moaning stopped. Drondee heard a faint rattling. Then something that sounded like a very light person walking towards them. They had scrapey footsteps, like somebody walking on dry leaves. The creature then said something. It echoed into the large section of the cave where the evaders were. It was clear that the thing was in the tunnels.
"Wait… Yes… So warm… So much flesh… so warm…"
Ulli snarled and gripped his Axe. Anomen and Adolphus drew their weapons in the lightning-fast ways they'd done before.
"So… That… thing… was originally cold, now its near us its warm, it doesn't have flesh, its voice is magical and it doesn't seem to have much of a choice whether it lives or not…"
"Animated skeleton." Fell said simply. "It makes perfect sense."
After Drondee realised what an animated skeleton was, he realised that, like Adolphus Fell had said, very logical. The thing was cold and had a magical voice – that seemed right as it had no flesh and it had no way of speaking normally as its vocal systems were long gone. Also it didn't seem too happy. Well, he wouldn't be happy if his eternal rest was disturbed by vile sorcery. Causing him to walk the Earth in a completely different state than when he left it. It wasn't much of a life – or much of an undeath, he thought. Being neither living or dead didn't seem too appealing to him.
Suddenly the thing emerged from the gloom. It was hunched over but its head was looking up at them. The grinning skull was almost taunting. It scraped along the floor in painfully short steps. Its ribcage rattled. The brainless thing seemed oblivious to the fact that it was walking towards its second death.
Despite the pathetic slowness of the creature, Drondee could see that its effect alone had done damage. Bongo seemed paralyzed with fear, fell and Anomen had white fear-filled faces. Even Ulli looked disturbed. As it got closer, he could hear the creature make a talking to itself.
"Tonight we will dance." It said, "Dance and rub. Dance and rub and Sing. Dance and rub and sing and eat."
Ulli flexed his Axe. With a swift motion the skeleton launched itself forwards and Bongo. The hobbit screamed and leapt back, flailing his sword. The creature launched its hands towards him. With one last desperate action, Bongo lashed out. Luck was on his side, and he cleanly separated the things skeletal hands from its arms. The skeleton stopped automatically, then tried to bludgeon Bongo with what was left of his arms. With legendary hobbit-speed, Bongo clambered back. Ulli waved his axe and in one second crushed the creatures rib cage with his axe. Adolphus' blade took off the skeleton's legs and before it had hit the ground, Anomen had crushed in its skull with his hammer. The magic holding together what little was left of the thing's bone joints seemed to cease once the head had been destroyed, and the thing collapsed entirely.
"This place is cursed." Muttered Ulli. "We must leave at once." They turned around and nervously made for the cave entrance leading out. Drondee noticed a definite drop in the temperature. He shivered and pulled his cloak around him. Or maybe it was just the fear.
But as they neared the entrance, they noticed something standing in front of it. The evaders stopped and stared at the new threat.
"It was twice as tall as Adolphus Fell, and Twice as well built as Ulli Runecarver. Drondee supposed that the thing had once been human, but had grown to be much more than one. Or much less. It was garbed head to foot in black plate mail. The helmet was as black as the armour and despite the untidy makeshift visor of chainmail draped from the bottom of the helmet. The hobbit could tell that the face behind it was skeletal. Its eyes glowed bright green. In one hand it held an incredibly large two-handed sword, black like the armour. When it spoke, its voice came out like there were three speaking, it echoed around the cave. It was deep, yet high like the skeletons at the same time.
"Greetings adventurers. I am Krell." The thing spoke. "Thousands of years ago I served the dark master of the ring. Now I have arisen, as soon he will. I have waited Eons for this. Now… Now I am stronger than I ever was!"
"You defiantly smell that way!" Ulli boomed suddenly. The thing's green eyes settled on the Dwarf.
"Dwarf. One defiant moment will cost you an eternity in suffering. Once you have been slain I will devour your soul. Then you will know the true meaning of pain."
"Right now I'm learning the true meaning of boredom!" Ulli said casually, "Do you intend to prattle on all day or how about you come over here and die?" He brandished his axe.
"Normally I would slay you where I stand, but in my undeath… My greater force, I have learnt that not everyone has the right to fight me. You will all surely die. But be it by my hand is a different matter."
"What do you mean, grave-scum?" Ulli said. Drondee had no idea just how mad this Dwarf was.
"Rest assured that you will not be able to leave here until you get past me." Krell continued calmly. "However I will give my minions a sporting chance first." As he spoke, the entrance caved in. Krell didn't even blink at his power. That is if he could blink. Drondee felt sick. They were trapped. "I see…" He looked at the scattering of the skeleton's bones, "That you have met my personal army that I trained up when I was mortal. They were buried with me after the great Lord was defeated by the Alliance of Elves and Men, we were sealed in this tomb, but I have broken free as my master's power grows strong. Yes… I see that Barr-rrhh is no longer with me. He was from the distant corners of middle Earth, hence his impenetrable name. He seemed willing to join me when mortal. Less willing when I raised him but he did my bidding… He needed to kill you if he wants to keep his soul so he needs to devour yours, it nourishes his own. I believe that my minions rub out your souls and eat them, then they celebrate. But I do not care. Barr-rrhh evidently failed but others may succeed. You see, there is another exit deep in the cave. To get there, you will have to fight through my skeleton legions, solve puzzles, dodge traps and then kill me, of course. I hate to destroy all thoughts of helplessness, and I do like a little game. It will end my way in the end though." Echoey laughter rang around the room. Drondee realised the meaning of the words that Krell's skeleton had said. Of course, it wanted to rub out their souls and eat it. The celebrations would account for the dancing and singing.
"Anyway, I digress." Krell said almost politely, "I must leave you now. Most likely we will never meet again, but on the off-chance that you will get to me. I may see you later." Andd with that, Krell faded into thin air.
Ulli roared out a Dwarven curse at Krell. The hobbits sat down, dejected.
"Well." Said Bongo. "This is the end."
"Shut up, hobbits!" Ulli roared. "We can get out of this one. We know that we are an able band. We can do this."
Although the Dwarfs point seemed a forlorn hope. The other group members looked up at him in respect. This was a Dwarf that feared nothing.
Suddenly. The moaning started again. But from much more voices.
"SOOO COLD!" Shaped were appearing from the gloom. Many clutched rusty weapons and wore tattered armour. The evaders formed a circle. They were surrounded but they wouldn't give in.
"This is it lads." Ulli shouted. "The coming of the storm."
END OF PART 2
Hmm, that didn't go very well. But I think I'm beginning to realise who I'm writing about. They're not a bunch of improvised strangers any more. Ah well. Try to R&R please. Thanks.