Disclaimer: I do not own any of JRRT's characters, but I do own deeper
earth, Angela, her horse Nightling, the Mud mare, RoeInn the black, and
anything else not found in the books or movie.
"Explain to me why I should believe you, Mr. RoeInn." The black magician smiled kindly at this young human. "How many times must I mention poor Mr. Baggins illness? He calls continually for you, and I thought in his hour of need you would go for him."
Angela crossed her arms. "A very lame story. First of all, Bilbo would not call for me, and Frodo would know better than to take me from this life. I have college to think of, and a life to plan. Seeing him-dying, I just can't do it, Mr. RoeInn."
The magician nodded sympathetically. "I know you do not believe my story, but the truth you wouldn't. Frodo Baggins has agreed to go to Deeper Earth, where your demon friend wishes to see you again. He missed you when you didn't land."
Angela shuddered. "You are telling me that you are sending me to the pit?" RoeInn grinned cruelly. "Actually Deeper Earth sounds less primitive. It sounds as though there'd be a million demons there." Angela smiled back. "Then you are saying there aren't?" RoeInn the black continued to grin, but did not answer.
Angela threw her books down, and glared at RoeInn. "Give me a sign I am to follow this fool." She continued to glare. To Angela's perception, RoeInn morphed into a hobbit with dark brown hair. He looked at her sadly. "Why don't you believe me, Angie?" He immediately morphed back, and Angela knew he hadn't done that trick. She smiled. "All right, RoeInn. Lead me to your pit of despair."
Angela saddled her horse Nightling, and reluctantly let RoeInn ride Mud. "Are you sure I couldn't ride Nightling? We'd match so much more." Angela shook her head fiercely. "Nightling has been ridden only by me since she was sold to us 3 years ago. A yearling does not forget her mistress that quickly."
The pair raced for the edge of the field where Angela had fallen with Frodo a year before. "Sweet 16, is that the saying?" Angela glared at RoeInn, but more surprised than angry. "How'd you know?" RoeInn grinned. "Gave Frodo some nightmares about it when he woke up that age on this planet." Angela now glared at him, angry. "Make your pit and cast me into it."
Frodo waited hopefully by the hole in the cave he sat in.
Will she come?
Of course not.
Why would she?
Because she cares for me.
What put that idea in your head?
Probably RoeInn's brain fix.
Of course she hates me.
Does she hate me?
Frodo shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. As he did, he saw a light open in the hole above. He thought he heard Angela's voice mocking RoeInn.
She won't come. She never trusted strangers.
That's not true. She trusted you.
That's not the point, RoeInn doesn't look trustworthy.
Up above, Angela was mocking his black hole. "That's all you do? Just mutter under your breath, and a hole appears? I wonder, is this rigged?"
Frodo climbed the rock face. He had to explain to her why she was here. Then he saw them fighting.
SLAP! Angela pressed her hand to her cheek. She glared at Frodo, who clung scared to the wall. You're not three feet tall, her glance seemed to say.
Frodo burst up and started attacking RoeInn. RoeInn laughed, and with his staff, waved the two of them together, pointed it at the hole, and it sealed, leaving RoeInn's laughter in the high earth.
Frodo looked around. "Now what do we do?" Angela laughed. "I don't know. You're the one who invited me. Except you're supposed to be 144 and a dying hobbit." Both laughed. But then they heard it: the echo. An echo of their laugh, but it wasn't in their voices. It was in melting, oozing ones, burning, flaming voices.
"Come to us. You fools, you come to us!" Frodo and Angela just stared at each other, and they didn't laugh again that night.
"Explain to me why I should believe you, Mr. RoeInn." The black magician smiled kindly at this young human. "How many times must I mention poor Mr. Baggins illness? He calls continually for you, and I thought in his hour of need you would go for him."
Angela crossed her arms. "A very lame story. First of all, Bilbo would not call for me, and Frodo would know better than to take me from this life. I have college to think of, and a life to plan. Seeing him-dying, I just can't do it, Mr. RoeInn."
The magician nodded sympathetically. "I know you do not believe my story, but the truth you wouldn't. Frodo Baggins has agreed to go to Deeper Earth, where your demon friend wishes to see you again. He missed you when you didn't land."
Angela shuddered. "You are telling me that you are sending me to the pit?" RoeInn grinned cruelly. "Actually Deeper Earth sounds less primitive. It sounds as though there'd be a million demons there." Angela smiled back. "Then you are saying there aren't?" RoeInn the black continued to grin, but did not answer.
Angela threw her books down, and glared at RoeInn. "Give me a sign I am to follow this fool." She continued to glare. To Angela's perception, RoeInn morphed into a hobbit with dark brown hair. He looked at her sadly. "Why don't you believe me, Angie?" He immediately morphed back, and Angela knew he hadn't done that trick. She smiled. "All right, RoeInn. Lead me to your pit of despair."
Angela saddled her horse Nightling, and reluctantly let RoeInn ride Mud. "Are you sure I couldn't ride Nightling? We'd match so much more." Angela shook her head fiercely. "Nightling has been ridden only by me since she was sold to us 3 years ago. A yearling does not forget her mistress that quickly."
The pair raced for the edge of the field where Angela had fallen with Frodo a year before. "Sweet 16, is that the saying?" Angela glared at RoeInn, but more surprised than angry. "How'd you know?" RoeInn grinned. "Gave Frodo some nightmares about it when he woke up that age on this planet." Angela now glared at him, angry. "Make your pit and cast me into it."
Frodo waited hopefully by the hole in the cave he sat in.
Will she come?
Of course not.
Why would she?
Because she cares for me.
What put that idea in your head?
Probably RoeInn's brain fix.
Of course she hates me.
Does she hate me?
Frodo shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. As he did, he saw a light open in the hole above. He thought he heard Angela's voice mocking RoeInn.
She won't come. She never trusted strangers.
That's not true. She trusted you.
That's not the point, RoeInn doesn't look trustworthy.
Up above, Angela was mocking his black hole. "That's all you do? Just mutter under your breath, and a hole appears? I wonder, is this rigged?"
Frodo climbed the rock face. He had to explain to her why she was here. Then he saw them fighting.
SLAP! Angela pressed her hand to her cheek. She glared at Frodo, who clung scared to the wall. You're not three feet tall, her glance seemed to say.
Frodo burst up and started attacking RoeInn. RoeInn laughed, and with his staff, waved the two of them together, pointed it at the hole, and it sealed, leaving RoeInn's laughter in the high earth.
Frodo looked around. "Now what do we do?" Angela laughed. "I don't know. You're the one who invited me. Except you're supposed to be 144 and a dying hobbit." Both laughed. But then they heard it: the echo. An echo of their laugh, but it wasn't in their voices. It was in melting, oozing ones, burning, flaming voices.
"Come to us. You fools, you come to us!" Frodo and Angela just stared at each other, and they didn't laugh again that night.