Disclaimer: Dr. T owns LOTR! I own everything else.
I STAND ALONE
Naurglahad kept her eyes closed. In the air, she could smell fire, but it wasn't burning on wood as if at a campsite. She sensed it like it was being pressed against her. The feeling would've have been comforting to her cold, wet, shivering body if it hadn't been backed up by a coat of steel plates. She still kept her lids shut, now trying to recall what had happened after…no…did that happen? Was she…no, that wasn't right. Or…yes…that was it.
She had swam to the bottom of the lake in pursuit of finding Legolas, when from behind her, there came a low rumbling sound, like thunder rolling over green hills and pastures. Not daring to turn around to face it, she attempted to take cover in an opening passage that seemed to lead into a cave. She had near reached a decent hiding place, until something had snatched her ankle. Its' grip was much too strong for her to wriggle out of, and suddenly, her head had smashed into a rock. She fainted.
Her fingers now slightly trembling on a flat, smooth surface, confirmed that she was out of the water, and helpless in the hands of whoever. Her eyes eased open.
A great dragon with blackened brown leathery skin and jet-black wings was curled up next to her. It was not sleeping. The dragon had angled its' head at Naurglahad, forcing her to look directly into two luminous green orbs. The eyes. It raised its' long-neck and looked down at her with pity and shame, occasionally flicking its' reptile tongue. Then, it spoke in Dragon tongue, a language that Naurglahad could speak and understand.
"Daughter, daughter," it sighed near aggravation, "You can be quite pitiful in so many situations… how do you do it? And stop wearing that…human disguise. It disgusts me. This cave is large enough for you to transform."
"Do I have to?" she mumbled instinctively as she reached for an invisible chain around her neck. She groped at it for a few moments before she unhooked the clasp. In a shock of sparks, her complexion became much darker. It was hard to notice the details of her face because she had immediately changed form after that. She closed her eyes again as she felt her morphs begin. She could feel her body become larger and her head lengthening. Fangs sprouted from gums and her tongue thinned, as it became super sensitive. As a new skin ran along her limbs, new members burst from her joints: razor-like crests and wings.
She blinked. The world had become like an old photograph. Fuzzy and without colors. However, it made vision better. She could sense even the tiniest life form, crawling along the shores of a nearby puddle. She could strongly smell that puddle. Every last insignificant drop that fell from the roof of the cave. She could hear each puddle like a speeding bullet, racing with gravity to meet its fellow molecules that had gathered together with the life form.
Naurglahad had taken her true form: a dragon.
She flicked her sensitive tongue at her venom pasted fangs inside her mouth. She was immune to her own deadly poison. Then, after beating her wings slightly, she looked down. Her feet were no longer there. Instead, two padded paws covered in copper scales glinted up at her. Yard long silver talons with an alabaster texture burst from her toes. Upon further inspection of her claws, she realized that she was long overdue for nail filing.
"I cannot understand why you enjoy being a puny, unintelligent, useless mortal human." grumbled Onikunshu, "Why did you choose that worthless form for your mission? So you can attract those stupid elves that you follow around?"
"No, sir!" replied Naurglahad frantically, "Not at all! Not at all!"
"Then you wouldn't mind destroying them, would you?"
"I…I…"
Naurglahad couldn't answer. She had no extreme grudges against them and the other elves, nor affections of favor whatsoever…or did she? The Apocalypse between both sides began. She was annoyed with Elenwe. No, he was a good friend. Elrond nagged too much. But he was always wise. Thranduil was a wimp. Yet he was incredibly generous with her with letting her stay in Mirkwood, considering how suspicious wood-elves usually are. Wethrinaer was evil. But that was cool. She hated Legolas. She stopped right there. There were no direct oppositions to that point, or none that she wanted to admit.
"If I didn't know any better," drawled Onikunshu, "Then I would say that you are becoming fond of these elves. Elenwe Pilininge*, and Legolas Greenleaf in particular."
"I will poison them if you want me to!" Naurglahad burst out. She would've clapped a hand to her mouth if she had any.
"You have forgotten already, haven't you? You told me that elves are immune to poison. Are you trying to fool me?"
"No! No! It just slipped my mind!"
"Then you must tether your thoughts so that they do not slide away."
"Yes, sir."
"Good. As I was saying, you are near falling to the feet of those two elves. They are in the way. I want them dead as soon as possible. Assassinate them. You're good at that. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Now change back into your human form, and I will put you back with the elves. I've made sure that they're together."
~*~
Elenwe stumbled out of the lake and staggered along the pebble shore. He immediately proceeded up the dirt hill to search for Legolas. Then, just as he reached the top of the hill something had swooped down on him picked him up by his collar and took of into the air. It was too dark to see what had ambushed him, but he sensed that it was an enormous creature with large claws and wings. The beast carried him over the lake, and then dove down below the surface of the water. The beast flung him into a passage inside a rock. Elenwe spun in the current, but managed to control his motion and swam toward the nearest surface.
"There's another one!" hollered a deep, raspy voice.
"Elenwe!" called another.
Elenwe looked around blindly. He couldn't see where he was. Only a paper lantern with a dying light was visible in front of his face. Swimming around the surface, he reached a wall. He was directly grabbed by the arms, and hoisted out of the water.
The dwarves draped another blanket about Elenwe's shoulders. Legolas came to his side and spoke to him.
"Are you alright, Elenwe?"
Elenwe shivered and nodded. More dwarves came and helped him to his feet and leaned him on a rock next to Legolas. Then, something else came flying out of the water like a fired missile. It splashed out of the water and landed painfully in a crippled huddle in a flowing stream. The thing was instantly identified as Naurglahad.
She moaned. "Owww…damn that hurt…"
The dwarves and Legolas came to her. Naurglahad slowly looked up at each of them.
"Who the hell are you short people?" she asked, sounding disoriented.
"Ignore her," sighed Legolas, picking Naurglahad up and semi-dragging her next to Elenwe.
"I only…" whispered Naurglahad, "Only remember…throwing that water balloon upstairs…and then daddy whacked us with the paddle for tossing it up on his head…I cried for one hour straight before…I…fell…alseeep."
Naurglahad began snoring quietly after that. Some of the dwarves chuckled, while others shook their heads and slapped their foreheads. Just as Legolas was about to let her go, Naurglahad turned over and murmured so that only he could hear.
"You're warm. Did you know that?" After that, she hugged him.
~~~~~~
* Pilininge in Elvish is 'flying arrow'. I did that on purpose. hee hee heh...-_-
I STAND ALONE
Naurglahad kept her eyes closed. In the air, she could smell fire, but it wasn't burning on wood as if at a campsite. She sensed it like it was being pressed against her. The feeling would've have been comforting to her cold, wet, shivering body if it hadn't been backed up by a coat of steel plates. She still kept her lids shut, now trying to recall what had happened after…no…did that happen? Was she…no, that wasn't right. Or…yes…that was it.
She had swam to the bottom of the lake in pursuit of finding Legolas, when from behind her, there came a low rumbling sound, like thunder rolling over green hills and pastures. Not daring to turn around to face it, she attempted to take cover in an opening passage that seemed to lead into a cave. She had near reached a decent hiding place, until something had snatched her ankle. Its' grip was much too strong for her to wriggle out of, and suddenly, her head had smashed into a rock. She fainted.
Her fingers now slightly trembling on a flat, smooth surface, confirmed that she was out of the water, and helpless in the hands of whoever. Her eyes eased open.
A great dragon with blackened brown leathery skin and jet-black wings was curled up next to her. It was not sleeping. The dragon had angled its' head at Naurglahad, forcing her to look directly into two luminous green orbs. The eyes. It raised its' long-neck and looked down at her with pity and shame, occasionally flicking its' reptile tongue. Then, it spoke in Dragon tongue, a language that Naurglahad could speak and understand.
"Daughter, daughter," it sighed near aggravation, "You can be quite pitiful in so many situations… how do you do it? And stop wearing that…human disguise. It disgusts me. This cave is large enough for you to transform."
"Do I have to?" she mumbled instinctively as she reached for an invisible chain around her neck. She groped at it for a few moments before she unhooked the clasp. In a shock of sparks, her complexion became much darker. It was hard to notice the details of her face because she had immediately changed form after that. She closed her eyes again as she felt her morphs begin. She could feel her body become larger and her head lengthening. Fangs sprouted from gums and her tongue thinned, as it became super sensitive. As a new skin ran along her limbs, new members burst from her joints: razor-like crests and wings.
She blinked. The world had become like an old photograph. Fuzzy and without colors. However, it made vision better. She could sense even the tiniest life form, crawling along the shores of a nearby puddle. She could strongly smell that puddle. Every last insignificant drop that fell from the roof of the cave. She could hear each puddle like a speeding bullet, racing with gravity to meet its fellow molecules that had gathered together with the life form.
Naurglahad had taken her true form: a dragon.
She flicked her sensitive tongue at her venom pasted fangs inside her mouth. She was immune to her own deadly poison. Then, after beating her wings slightly, she looked down. Her feet were no longer there. Instead, two padded paws covered in copper scales glinted up at her. Yard long silver talons with an alabaster texture burst from her toes. Upon further inspection of her claws, she realized that she was long overdue for nail filing.
"I cannot understand why you enjoy being a puny, unintelligent, useless mortal human." grumbled Onikunshu, "Why did you choose that worthless form for your mission? So you can attract those stupid elves that you follow around?"
"No, sir!" replied Naurglahad frantically, "Not at all! Not at all!"
"Then you wouldn't mind destroying them, would you?"
"I…I…"
Naurglahad couldn't answer. She had no extreme grudges against them and the other elves, nor affections of favor whatsoever…or did she? The Apocalypse between both sides began. She was annoyed with Elenwe. No, he was a good friend. Elrond nagged too much. But he was always wise. Thranduil was a wimp. Yet he was incredibly generous with her with letting her stay in Mirkwood, considering how suspicious wood-elves usually are. Wethrinaer was evil. But that was cool. She hated Legolas. She stopped right there. There were no direct oppositions to that point, or none that she wanted to admit.
"If I didn't know any better," drawled Onikunshu, "Then I would say that you are becoming fond of these elves. Elenwe Pilininge*, and Legolas Greenleaf in particular."
"I will poison them if you want me to!" Naurglahad burst out. She would've clapped a hand to her mouth if she had any.
"You have forgotten already, haven't you? You told me that elves are immune to poison. Are you trying to fool me?"
"No! No! It just slipped my mind!"
"Then you must tether your thoughts so that they do not slide away."
"Yes, sir."
"Good. As I was saying, you are near falling to the feet of those two elves. They are in the way. I want them dead as soon as possible. Assassinate them. You're good at that. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Now change back into your human form, and I will put you back with the elves. I've made sure that they're together."
~*~
Elenwe stumbled out of the lake and staggered along the pebble shore. He immediately proceeded up the dirt hill to search for Legolas. Then, just as he reached the top of the hill something had swooped down on him picked him up by his collar and took of into the air. It was too dark to see what had ambushed him, but he sensed that it was an enormous creature with large claws and wings. The beast carried him over the lake, and then dove down below the surface of the water. The beast flung him into a passage inside a rock. Elenwe spun in the current, but managed to control his motion and swam toward the nearest surface.
"There's another one!" hollered a deep, raspy voice.
"Elenwe!" called another.
Elenwe looked around blindly. He couldn't see where he was. Only a paper lantern with a dying light was visible in front of his face. Swimming around the surface, he reached a wall. He was directly grabbed by the arms, and hoisted out of the water.
The dwarves draped another blanket about Elenwe's shoulders. Legolas came to his side and spoke to him.
"Are you alright, Elenwe?"
Elenwe shivered and nodded. More dwarves came and helped him to his feet and leaned him on a rock next to Legolas. Then, something else came flying out of the water like a fired missile. It splashed out of the water and landed painfully in a crippled huddle in a flowing stream. The thing was instantly identified as Naurglahad.
She moaned. "Owww…damn that hurt…"
The dwarves and Legolas came to her. Naurglahad slowly looked up at each of them.
"Who the hell are you short people?" she asked, sounding disoriented.
"Ignore her," sighed Legolas, picking Naurglahad up and semi-dragging her next to Elenwe.
"I only…" whispered Naurglahad, "Only remember…throwing that water balloon upstairs…and then daddy whacked us with the paddle for tossing it up on his head…I cried for one hour straight before…I…fell…alseeep."
Naurglahad began snoring quietly after that. Some of the dwarves chuckled, while others shook their heads and slapped their foreheads. Just as Legolas was about to let her go, Naurglahad turned over and murmured so that only he could hear.
"You're warm. Did you know that?" After that, she hugged him.
~~~~~~
* Pilininge in Elvish is 'flying arrow'. I did that on purpose. hee hee heh...-_-