~*~* A/N: All rightie. This is another chapter. :-D Enjoy! *~*~
Strider furrowed his brow as Ringathradiel paused ahead of them, crouching to the ground and sniffing once again. She straightened, and then turned to the men, speaking in a hushed tone.
"When I give the signal, you sneak in. I have to create a diversion," she said, glancing about, taking another sniff of the air. "The Luinalation does not take kindly to men free in their midst. Therefore, you must run quickly, and hide underneath the first building you see. I will find you soon after."
"What sort of a diversion?" Strider was asking, and then Ringathradiel sniffed the air, a sly grin crossing her face.
"This kind," she said, and sprinted off in one direction. Soon after, they heard the cries of orcs, and Ringathradiel was soon seen running back, a band of nearly a dozen orcs directly behind her. Immediately, the guards left their posts when they saw the orcs, and Ringathradiel's cry could be heard.
The Fellowship began running into the city. They saw a large hut, a foot or so off the ground upon stilts. They dove underneath it, the larger men making certain that the Hobbits were well hid. They listened, hearing the clang of swords, and soon saw the guards approach their posts, covered in black orc's blood.
"Worthless Saurcal," said one guard, glaring at Ringathradiel. She sheepishly crept back into the city. Glancing around, she caught Strider's eye, mouthing the word "stay", and circling the hut once more. The city was very empty, for it was past dark and most were resting inside their huts. She gave the signal for the men to follow her, and they crept silently behind her. Walking for several yards, she approached a large hut, and opened the door, ushering them in.
"Ringathradiel?" came the female voice from another room, and the dirty human's eyes grew wide.
"Yes, Rinatarien, it is I," she replied, and entered the room adjacent to the one they were in. The men heard hushed whispers, then a cry of disbelief from the other girl. She entered the room, with Ringathradiel in tow. She had long blonde hair, and was not as dirty as Ringathradiel. Her expression was one of disbelief, and of anger.
"Ringathradiel! Men? Free, in our midst? This is unacceptable," she said accusingly. "What if Galenavarien, or even Minyalonnwen, was to find out? We would both be killed."
"They are on a quest," Ringathradiel insisted, "And there were orcs, hundreds of them. I could smell their filth. What was I to do, leave them there?"
"You should have killed them on sight," said Rinatarien with a scowl. "That is what any respectable Lostlotiel or Lhunwilyaiel would have done."
Ringathradiel glared back at her friend, crossing her arms. "Look upon them, Rinatarien. They bear tokens of the Lady of the Wood."
Rinatarien turned to the men, and inspected them. "Do you, indeed, have the blessing of the Lady?"
Strider nodded, as did Boromir, Gimli, and Legolas.
"Then we shall help you," Rinatarien said with a soft sigh, and shook her head. "Very well, Ringathradiel, you show them to their rooms and make them a meal."
Ringathradiel guided them to several rooms at the end of the hall.
"The smaller ones, the Halflings, shall have to share beds, for we haven't enough for all," she said slowly, her head down. She opened four doors, and ushered them in.
"I will prepare a dinner," she said, and turned. The men looked at each other, and gathered in one room, carrying on a hushed discussion.
"The Luinalation," said Legolas, his voice soft and amazed. "I did not think they existed, and now I am here."
"If we were women, it would be a wondrous thing," agree Aragorn, and shook his head. "We are lucky that we stumbled upon a merciful woman. Any other would have killed us without a thought."
Ringathradiel and Rinatarien spoke, quietly, in the kitchen, as Ringathradiel cooked for the men.
"If we are caught with them," said Rinatarien, brushing her blonde hair back over her shoulder, "We will be put to death, or imprisoned."
"That wouldn't be so different than our status now, would it?" asked Ringathradiel, her eyes full of anger, as she chopped at vegetables. "We are practically slaves here."
Rinatarien glanced about, her eyes showing shock. "Speak not like that, Ringathradiel."
"We are slaves," insisted the other girl louder, her hair still browned with dirt from her day's work. "We are slaves of the Saurlhachien and the Lostlotiel. How can we ever hope for happiness, when we are spat upon and called that wretched name.. Saurcal."
They were interrupted as Strider stepped out, glancing to and fro.
"What do you seek?" asked Rinatarien, her arms across her chest.
"The Hobbits seek a drink," he said quietly.
"Hobbit?" asked Ringathraidiel, glancing up from her cooking.
"Halflings, you probably call them," he responded, and approached them. "And I seek to thank you, for I, too, sensed the great Orc armies' approach."
Ringathradiel waved this off, and nodded toward a large chest. "There is ale there. Dinner will be ready within the hour."
Strider furrowed his brow as Ringathradiel paused ahead of them, crouching to the ground and sniffing once again. She straightened, and then turned to the men, speaking in a hushed tone.
"When I give the signal, you sneak in. I have to create a diversion," she said, glancing about, taking another sniff of the air. "The Luinalation does not take kindly to men free in their midst. Therefore, you must run quickly, and hide underneath the first building you see. I will find you soon after."
"What sort of a diversion?" Strider was asking, and then Ringathradiel sniffed the air, a sly grin crossing her face.
"This kind," she said, and sprinted off in one direction. Soon after, they heard the cries of orcs, and Ringathradiel was soon seen running back, a band of nearly a dozen orcs directly behind her. Immediately, the guards left their posts when they saw the orcs, and Ringathradiel's cry could be heard.
The Fellowship began running into the city. They saw a large hut, a foot or so off the ground upon stilts. They dove underneath it, the larger men making certain that the Hobbits were well hid. They listened, hearing the clang of swords, and soon saw the guards approach their posts, covered in black orc's blood.
"Worthless Saurcal," said one guard, glaring at Ringathradiel. She sheepishly crept back into the city. Glancing around, she caught Strider's eye, mouthing the word "stay", and circling the hut once more. The city was very empty, for it was past dark and most were resting inside their huts. She gave the signal for the men to follow her, and they crept silently behind her. Walking for several yards, she approached a large hut, and opened the door, ushering them in.
"Ringathradiel?" came the female voice from another room, and the dirty human's eyes grew wide.
"Yes, Rinatarien, it is I," she replied, and entered the room adjacent to the one they were in. The men heard hushed whispers, then a cry of disbelief from the other girl. She entered the room, with Ringathradiel in tow. She had long blonde hair, and was not as dirty as Ringathradiel. Her expression was one of disbelief, and of anger.
"Ringathradiel! Men? Free, in our midst? This is unacceptable," she said accusingly. "What if Galenavarien, or even Minyalonnwen, was to find out? We would both be killed."
"They are on a quest," Ringathradiel insisted, "And there were orcs, hundreds of them. I could smell their filth. What was I to do, leave them there?"
"You should have killed them on sight," said Rinatarien with a scowl. "That is what any respectable Lostlotiel or Lhunwilyaiel would have done."
Ringathradiel glared back at her friend, crossing her arms. "Look upon them, Rinatarien. They bear tokens of the Lady of the Wood."
Rinatarien turned to the men, and inspected them. "Do you, indeed, have the blessing of the Lady?"
Strider nodded, as did Boromir, Gimli, and Legolas.
"Then we shall help you," Rinatarien said with a soft sigh, and shook her head. "Very well, Ringathradiel, you show them to their rooms and make them a meal."
Ringathradiel guided them to several rooms at the end of the hall.
"The smaller ones, the Halflings, shall have to share beds, for we haven't enough for all," she said slowly, her head down. She opened four doors, and ushered them in.
"I will prepare a dinner," she said, and turned. The men looked at each other, and gathered in one room, carrying on a hushed discussion.
"The Luinalation," said Legolas, his voice soft and amazed. "I did not think they existed, and now I am here."
"If we were women, it would be a wondrous thing," agree Aragorn, and shook his head. "We are lucky that we stumbled upon a merciful woman. Any other would have killed us without a thought."
Ringathradiel and Rinatarien spoke, quietly, in the kitchen, as Ringathradiel cooked for the men.
"If we are caught with them," said Rinatarien, brushing her blonde hair back over her shoulder, "We will be put to death, or imprisoned."
"That wouldn't be so different than our status now, would it?" asked Ringathradiel, her eyes full of anger, as she chopped at vegetables. "We are practically slaves here."
Rinatarien glanced about, her eyes showing shock. "Speak not like that, Ringathradiel."
"We are slaves," insisted the other girl louder, her hair still browned with dirt from her day's work. "We are slaves of the Saurlhachien and the Lostlotiel. How can we ever hope for happiness, when we are spat upon and called that wretched name.. Saurcal."
They were interrupted as Strider stepped out, glancing to and fro.
"What do you seek?" asked Rinatarien, her arms across her chest.
"The Hobbits seek a drink," he said quietly.
"Hobbit?" asked Ringathraidiel, glancing up from her cooking.
"Halflings, you probably call them," he responded, and approached them. "And I seek to thank you, for I, too, sensed the great Orc armies' approach."
Ringathradiel waved this off, and nodded toward a large chest. "There is ale there. Dinner will be ready within the hour."