Chapter 2
"All behold from afar the dragon maiden, now become a Buddha"
:: :: ::
"What made you change your mind" Aragorn asked, peering warily into the dark cave the creature had bid them enter. Evidently a water course had once run through it, for the at the mouth of the cave was a wide, gravelly riverbed, a pathetic little trickle being all that still flowed of the river.
"Curiosity is my downfall," she replied, holding her lantern high so he could see to make his way among the rocks, "It has been many years since strangers got this far into the forest, and all who have done so did it because of what lies at its heart."
"What do you mean by that?"
Before he was answered, there came a gasp behind them as one of the hobbits lost his footing and plunged a leg into the icy cold stream that flowed beside them. They were now well inside the mouth of the cave, the drip of water could be heard from all sides and their furtive voices echoed around the vastness of the cave. The light of the lantern showed strange forms of rock rising from the ceiling and floor, and once when he looked up at the low roof, Frodo could see hundreds of thin, needle like points of rock fixed above his head. Shivering with the thought of what would become of them if there was an earthquake, Frodo moved quickly on, wrapping his cloak tightly around himself to keep out the damp cold of the cave.
Climbing deftly over the rocky floor, and threading her way round the rocky protrusions, the creature led them to a rough path, where the floor was smoother. Pausing by a natural alcove in one of the stone pillars, she took the taper from her lantern and with it lit what seemed a bowl of oil in the alcove. Light flared up and Legolas could see they had entered a vast chamber of the cave, around the edges ran a deep stream, which lapped at the rocky beaches. Further ahead he could just make out what he judged to be an immense underground lake. Just ahead of them was a clearing in the stalagmites and stalactites, and here seemed to be some sort of makeshift camp.
"Make yourselves at home" entreated the creature, as she made her way around the cave lighting other torches. "You can light a fire there without risk of smoking us out, there's a natural vent in the rock."
Boromir watched her until she disappeared behind a rock then leaned forward and whispered to Aragorn conspiratorially "Are you sure we are safe in the bowels of the earth with this thing?"
"She looks harmless enough to me, and if she does turn nasty, there are more of us than of her." Chimed in Gimli, stroking his axe.
"Let us hope our numbers will be enough, for she disarmed Aragorn with no great effort" Legolas replied grimly. The others looked disbelieving and turned to Aragorn for conformation or denial. He gave neither, simply surveying the cave with a haggard look on his face.
Boromir felt a prickle between his shoulders, and turned around to see the creature behind him, leaning nonchalantly against a rough stone pillar. She was holding her basket, now full of bread, and had changed her short, white shift into a long, bell-sleeved dress, still with her veil wound around her waist like a sash.
The creature regarded him inscrutably for a moment. Then, she dipped her hand into the nearest oil burner and withdrew a palmful of the flaming liquid, there was a collective gasp of horror and surprise. She tipped it onto the hearth. A merry fire began to crackle.
"How…" Began Pippen.
"Come, we have gotten off to a bad start and have not even discovered each other's names. Let us all sit down and eat a meal together and forget our cares and fatigue."
With that she sat down on the rocky floor and set about preparing a meal. The others looked at each other and sat down too.
"I am Boromir, these hobbits are Merry, Pippen, Sam and Frodo."
"I am Aragorn."
"I am Gimli son of Gloin, and this is Legolas." Each nodded amiably at their introduction and was met by a bright smile from the creature.
"And you, little maid," continued Gimli, who was much better spirited for the ale he had been supplied with. "Do you have a name? What do your friends call you?"
"My friends," she answered, handing around large terracotta bowls of broth, "call me all manner of names. But you can call me Dainagon if you wish."
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Dainagon!" Cried Merry, his mouth full of bread.
"I'm glad to know you, Merry. Now eat up, there is plenty of food and you are making up for lost time!"
The hobbits did not need to be told twice and immediately set about decimating the food Dainagon had prepared like a plague of locusts. A whirl of laughter and conversation erupted, as the travelers quenched their thirst for food, ale and good company. Their voices echoed around the water cave and their shadows danced against the ceiling in the firelight.
"…and then, no, listen to THIS, and then- I threw my axe at his head! Cleaved his skull like a melon!" there were appreciative roars of laughter, the loudest from Gimli himself, "As I live and breathe, it took at least half an hour to pry the thing back out!"
This opened the floodgates for each of the travellers to contribute their own tall tales, and laugh in derision at each others. It was a few hours later, when they were engrossed in Legolas's elf lore, that they heard a distant piping from an opening in the rock, which echoed around the cave so shrilly that Legolas cringed against the harsh noise in his heightened hearing. Dainagon, who apart from the odd encouraging comment, had kept quiet during most of the discussion, now sprang to her feet.
"I am called." She murmured "I must go."
"Let us all go back up into the world and see the stars." Suggested Legolas " we are much stronger now and have been in the earth too long."
The others apart from Gimli, who had much enjoyed the comforts of the rocky hole, were suitably enthusiastic, and the whole troop made the way to the surface, lead by Dainagon and Aragorn, who had forgotten their bad beginning and were talking animatedly about the healing properties of foxglove.
Stepping back up to the surface of the world, they were met with a beautiful clear starry sky and the pale moon beaming down on them.
"This sight is tonic to an elf" breathed Legolas rapturously to no one in particular.
Silently Dainagon took his arm and lead him to the edge of the hill. Below them, the glassy surface of a large lake reflected the brilliance of the sky with breathtaking opulence. Delighted, Legolas glanced at Dainagon at his side, and noticed that something in the distance had caught her eye. Following her gaze, he could just see beyond the forest a crumbling, gothic mansion and a light burning furtively at the top of the tallest tower.
"The Princess' house" Dainagon explained, seeing he had noticed her gaze.
"Princess? Of what?"
She contemplated him for a moment before answering solemnly "She is the heir of an empire in the east that choose not to make themselves known to the people of this land." She broke her austerity with a quick smile before sinking down onto the soft grass. "Now why don't you tell me something about yourself, and what possible insanity drove you this far into the East?"
:: :: ::
While Legolas was describing the fellowship's journey to Dainagon (skirting the issue of their purpose), the rest of the fellowship had found themselves a comfortable spot to sit and enjoy their pipes and the ale they had brought from the cave. Sam had handed around some fruit he had stolen from Dainagon earlier (he had yet to be convinced she was not a witch and had no scruples in taking whatever he could get, which explained a very fine fur cloak, much too tall for him, which was now in his possession). Boromir was attempting to teach Pippen to fence, with Merry and Gimli puffing their pipes and guffawing loudly at Pippen's efforts. Aragorn was polishing his sword and Frodo was sitting apart from the group, trying to distract himself by making a daisy chain. He was suddenly awakened from his daydream by a low grunt and became aware of a shadow behind him.
"Don't move an inch, little pigling, or I'll slice that curly head from your shoulders." Rasped the shadow. Frodo flinched away from the sharp blade he could feel at his throat, but a callused hand gripped his neck tightly. "Get up slowly… that's right, my plump little troll… this way…"
Frodo moved as he was directed in a daze, only aware of the knife, the hand and the weight round his neck.
"Now" his attacker grunted, when they were a little distance from the camp, "lead me to the nymph."
"What?!" Frodo exclaimed quizzically.
"The girl, the witch, the child who brought you to this place. Where is she?"
"I don't know." The knife dug in threateningly "Well, I think she went in that direction."
"All behold from afar the dragon maiden, now become a Buddha"
:: :: ::
"What made you change your mind" Aragorn asked, peering warily into the dark cave the creature had bid them enter. Evidently a water course had once run through it, for the at the mouth of the cave was a wide, gravelly riverbed, a pathetic little trickle being all that still flowed of the river.
"Curiosity is my downfall," she replied, holding her lantern high so he could see to make his way among the rocks, "It has been many years since strangers got this far into the forest, and all who have done so did it because of what lies at its heart."
"What do you mean by that?"
Before he was answered, there came a gasp behind them as one of the hobbits lost his footing and plunged a leg into the icy cold stream that flowed beside them. They were now well inside the mouth of the cave, the drip of water could be heard from all sides and their furtive voices echoed around the vastness of the cave. The light of the lantern showed strange forms of rock rising from the ceiling and floor, and once when he looked up at the low roof, Frodo could see hundreds of thin, needle like points of rock fixed above his head. Shivering with the thought of what would become of them if there was an earthquake, Frodo moved quickly on, wrapping his cloak tightly around himself to keep out the damp cold of the cave.
Climbing deftly over the rocky floor, and threading her way round the rocky protrusions, the creature led them to a rough path, where the floor was smoother. Pausing by a natural alcove in one of the stone pillars, she took the taper from her lantern and with it lit what seemed a bowl of oil in the alcove. Light flared up and Legolas could see they had entered a vast chamber of the cave, around the edges ran a deep stream, which lapped at the rocky beaches. Further ahead he could just make out what he judged to be an immense underground lake. Just ahead of them was a clearing in the stalagmites and stalactites, and here seemed to be some sort of makeshift camp.
"Make yourselves at home" entreated the creature, as she made her way around the cave lighting other torches. "You can light a fire there without risk of smoking us out, there's a natural vent in the rock."
Boromir watched her until she disappeared behind a rock then leaned forward and whispered to Aragorn conspiratorially "Are you sure we are safe in the bowels of the earth with this thing?"
"She looks harmless enough to me, and if she does turn nasty, there are more of us than of her." Chimed in Gimli, stroking his axe.
"Let us hope our numbers will be enough, for she disarmed Aragorn with no great effort" Legolas replied grimly. The others looked disbelieving and turned to Aragorn for conformation or denial. He gave neither, simply surveying the cave with a haggard look on his face.
Boromir felt a prickle between his shoulders, and turned around to see the creature behind him, leaning nonchalantly against a rough stone pillar. She was holding her basket, now full of bread, and had changed her short, white shift into a long, bell-sleeved dress, still with her veil wound around her waist like a sash.
The creature regarded him inscrutably for a moment. Then, she dipped her hand into the nearest oil burner and withdrew a palmful of the flaming liquid, there was a collective gasp of horror and surprise. She tipped it onto the hearth. A merry fire began to crackle.
"How…" Began Pippen.
"Come, we have gotten off to a bad start and have not even discovered each other's names. Let us all sit down and eat a meal together and forget our cares and fatigue."
With that she sat down on the rocky floor and set about preparing a meal. The others looked at each other and sat down too.
"I am Boromir, these hobbits are Merry, Pippen, Sam and Frodo."
"I am Aragorn."
"I am Gimli son of Gloin, and this is Legolas." Each nodded amiably at their introduction and was met by a bright smile from the creature.
"And you, little maid," continued Gimli, who was much better spirited for the ale he had been supplied with. "Do you have a name? What do your friends call you?"
"My friends," she answered, handing around large terracotta bowls of broth, "call me all manner of names. But you can call me Dainagon if you wish."
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Dainagon!" Cried Merry, his mouth full of bread.
"I'm glad to know you, Merry. Now eat up, there is plenty of food and you are making up for lost time!"
The hobbits did not need to be told twice and immediately set about decimating the food Dainagon had prepared like a plague of locusts. A whirl of laughter and conversation erupted, as the travelers quenched their thirst for food, ale and good company. Their voices echoed around the water cave and their shadows danced against the ceiling in the firelight.
"…and then, no, listen to THIS, and then- I threw my axe at his head! Cleaved his skull like a melon!" there were appreciative roars of laughter, the loudest from Gimli himself, "As I live and breathe, it took at least half an hour to pry the thing back out!"
This opened the floodgates for each of the travellers to contribute their own tall tales, and laugh in derision at each others. It was a few hours later, when they were engrossed in Legolas's elf lore, that they heard a distant piping from an opening in the rock, which echoed around the cave so shrilly that Legolas cringed against the harsh noise in his heightened hearing. Dainagon, who apart from the odd encouraging comment, had kept quiet during most of the discussion, now sprang to her feet.
"I am called." She murmured "I must go."
"Let us all go back up into the world and see the stars." Suggested Legolas " we are much stronger now and have been in the earth too long."
The others apart from Gimli, who had much enjoyed the comforts of the rocky hole, were suitably enthusiastic, and the whole troop made the way to the surface, lead by Dainagon and Aragorn, who had forgotten their bad beginning and were talking animatedly about the healing properties of foxglove.
Stepping back up to the surface of the world, they were met with a beautiful clear starry sky and the pale moon beaming down on them.
"This sight is tonic to an elf" breathed Legolas rapturously to no one in particular.
Silently Dainagon took his arm and lead him to the edge of the hill. Below them, the glassy surface of a large lake reflected the brilliance of the sky with breathtaking opulence. Delighted, Legolas glanced at Dainagon at his side, and noticed that something in the distance had caught her eye. Following her gaze, he could just see beyond the forest a crumbling, gothic mansion and a light burning furtively at the top of the tallest tower.
"The Princess' house" Dainagon explained, seeing he had noticed her gaze.
"Princess? Of what?"
She contemplated him for a moment before answering solemnly "She is the heir of an empire in the east that choose not to make themselves known to the people of this land." She broke her austerity with a quick smile before sinking down onto the soft grass. "Now why don't you tell me something about yourself, and what possible insanity drove you this far into the East?"
:: :: ::
While Legolas was describing the fellowship's journey to Dainagon (skirting the issue of their purpose), the rest of the fellowship had found themselves a comfortable spot to sit and enjoy their pipes and the ale they had brought from the cave. Sam had handed around some fruit he had stolen from Dainagon earlier (he had yet to be convinced she was not a witch and had no scruples in taking whatever he could get, which explained a very fine fur cloak, much too tall for him, which was now in his possession). Boromir was attempting to teach Pippen to fence, with Merry and Gimli puffing their pipes and guffawing loudly at Pippen's efforts. Aragorn was polishing his sword and Frodo was sitting apart from the group, trying to distract himself by making a daisy chain. He was suddenly awakened from his daydream by a low grunt and became aware of a shadow behind him.
"Don't move an inch, little pigling, or I'll slice that curly head from your shoulders." Rasped the shadow. Frodo flinched away from the sharp blade he could feel at his throat, but a callused hand gripped his neck tightly. "Get up slowly… that's right, my plump little troll… this way…"
Frodo moved as he was directed in a daze, only aware of the knife, the hand and the weight round his neck.
"Now" his attacker grunted, when they were a little distance from the camp, "lead me to the nymph."
"What?!" Frodo exclaimed quizzically.
"The girl, the witch, the child who brought you to this place. Where is she?"
"I don't know." The knife dug in threateningly "Well, I think she went in that direction."
