Chapter 17

Terrico woke up again a few days later. This time, she was fully healed. She tried to sense Legolas, but failed. She left her room and spied Gandalf and Gimli asleep on either side of the door. Terrico smiled. She noted that Frodo was also asleep, his room door was shut. Terrico took her staff and pouch belt and left Bag End. She headed for Aragorn's camp. It was still early dawn when she left. She looked to the rock face and saw Legolas hanging there, but she also saw a white cat near him. She immediately started to run. She stopped at Aragorn's camp. She slipped through the maze of tents and sleeping guards to where Sealeaf and Balen were. She woke up Balen, but motioned for him to be silent. The image of Legolas hanging injured on the rocks gnawed at her. Balen got up silently. Terrico got on his shoulders just as she had in battle and rode toward the mountains. She knew that Driikk had set Legolas up there to lure her there. It had worked, but she planned to let him think he had her mind, when she had actually just separated from her body, a practice normally not used by sorcerers, but one that they all knew. She planned to draw out her own magic slowly, knowing that without her mind and spirit in it, her body could not regenerate magic, but flesh wounds healed instantly. She was mildly surprised when Driikk jumped out in front of her. He spoke as though he already controlled her. "Have you come to give yourself up? It should be obvious to you, witch, that I am more powerful than you." To a Sorceress, being called a witch (who are much lower in status and power than sorcerers, witches are more like peasants) is a major insult. Terrico took it in stride and responded, "No, I came to demand the return of the elf in your custody." Driikk laughed. He knew Legolas had already escaped, but also knew that no one else had seen him on the rock but Terrico, and that she had not seen him escape. "Remove the charm on your neck, and I will free him." Terrico fingered her amulet. "And if I refuse?" Driikk stifled a laugh, "He will die a slow, painful death in my mines, far from the light and woods he loves." Terrico knew this was a fate worse than death to any elf. "Do you promise to free him?" Terrico's fingers slipped around the chain that held the amulet. She thought momentarily of Legolas, "So long as you are never hurt, my love, I will risk all." Driikk nodded and promised that he would free Legolas. Terrico slipped off the chain and amulet. Driikk used a mind-control spell before she had a chance to separate mind from body. Balen knew what had happened, but Driikk took him over as well. Terrico dropped her staff. Driikk ordered her and Balen to go into the caves. They did so without question. Deep in her now black mind, Terrico cried out, "Legolas, forgive me!"