Cirith Ungol
Disclaimer: I haven't put one of these handy things on yet. Well, sad to say it, but only Alana and her animal companions, (Niltincoiel, Nilcoire) are mine.
Sam and Alana slipped through the tiny opening in the Black Gates and slipped into the dark, smelly land of Mordor. Though they had finally gotten through, the heavy-hearted companions did not throw their hands up and cheer, instead Sam collapsed to the ground and wept bitterly, raining the thirsty land with his tears. Alana, now filled past the brink with grief silently let her tears well up and fall from her eyes.
"Come, Sam. There is still hope. Someone took Frodo's body, let us at least give him a funeral." Alana said, wiping her tears with the arms of her shirt.
Sam suddenly lifted his head to the heavens and listened. The sounds of angry orcs rose to his ears, but above all he heard a familiar wail.
"Mister Frodo!" He cried, standing quickly. He motioned to Alana, and they started towards a large, black tower. He slipped inside the large door, and Alana followed, seeing many dead orc bodies.
"They don't get along with anyone, do they?" Alana commented. Sam however didn't reply and instead started up a staircase.
Alana sighed and followed him, and suddenly heard Sam begin to sing:
**In the western lands beneath the Sun
The flowers may rise in Spring,
The trees may bud, the waters run,
The merry finches sing,
Or there maybe 'tis cloudless night,
And swaying beeches bear,
And Elven-stars as jewels bright,
Amid the branching hair.
Though here at journey's end I lie
In darkness buried deep
Beyond all towers strong and high
Beyond all mountains steep
Above all shadows rides the Sun
And Stars for ever dwell
I will not say the day is done,
Nor bid the Stars farewell.
Beyond all towers strong and high… **
Sam's voice stuttered and he again listened. It sounded as though someone was trying to answer Sam's song. Instead Alana heard footsteps. Heavy orc footsteps.
** "Ho la! You up there, you dunghill rat! Stop your squeaking or all come up I'll come up and deal with you! D'you hear?"** The voice said gruffly.
The orc was quiet for a second. "Well I'll come and see what you're up to." the sound of hinges creaking and then the voice again. "Now you be quiet! You don't got too much time to live in peace anyway, but ya don't want the fun to start now! There's a reminder for you!" The sound of a cracking whip alerted Sam and he ran up the steps like a cat.
There were some loud thumps, and them an orc's scream, before a large, ugly orc fell down the hanging ladder and he was obviously dead. He was also missing a hand.
Alana went up the ladder quickly and found Sam shaking a barely covered, (but obviously naked) Frodo. Walking closer to him, Alana could see a whip-weal running down his side.
"Frodo?" Alana asked, stepping hesitantly forward. Frodo, to her amusement, suddenly became very self-conscious and tried to cover himself with a rag he had been laying on.
"He'll be okay." Sam said, evidently relived.
Alana giggled at Frodo's scarlet face, (which was hard to pick out with the scarlet light.)
"Don't worry Frodo!" Alana giggled a bit harder, thinking of what she was about to say, "No matter how diligent I am, I've seen worse than naked men. Elves aren't that concealed people. They all swim and bathe in the nude, in the open, pretty much." it was true. Elves all bathed and swam in a lagoon by the palace grounds, and so the inhabitance of Mirkwood had seen the opposite gender naked before.
Frodo stood, but wrapped the cloth about his waist anyhow, still not liking having a *young* and impressionable girl seeing him without clothes.
"Well, Mister Frodo, I think I shall go find you some clothes. You can't be going around the Black Lands with naught but your skin on!"
"Sam they took everything! Everything! Don't you understand Sam! The quest has failed!" Frodo cowered on the floor with his head bowed.
"Well, not everything, Mister Frodo. You have forgotten that you lent me Sting. And you gave me the Light. But, pardon me, Mister Frodo, I took it. I have it around my neck now."
"What? You have it here? Sam you're a marvel!" Frodo's face suddenly changed, as if a mist had filled his eyes. "Give it to me! You can't have it!"
"Now, now Frodo." Alana said as Sam handed over the ring.
The mist seemed to clear, and Frodo realized what happened. "Oh Sam." he murmered, hugging his friend.
"Now, Mister Frodo, I shall go find you clothes. You're going to be wearing orc trousers, but it won't kill you." Sam got up and left the area, down the ladder, murmering a password to Alana as he went by.
"What was that?" Frodo asked as he slipped on the ring's chain.
"We shouldn't let anyone up here unless they say 'Elbereth'. No orc would say that." Alana pulled up the ladder and sat down to wait.
***
"Elbereth!" A hiss came from below.
Alana dropped the ladder down and up came Sam, holding a bag filled with clothes.
"All that it for Frodo? You'll smother him!" Alana exclaimed, seeing the giant bag.
"No. All of us are wearing orc clothes." Sam put down the bag and began pulling out clothes, handing Alana over-clothes and an orc cloak.
"I am NOT wearing orc clothes!" Alana hissed, allowing her feminine side to step out a bit.
"We will all look like perfect little orcs. It'll be a bit warm though, for we can't leave our other clothes here." Sam slid on his clothes, and laughed as Alana wrinkled her nose in disgust with her new apparel.
Slipping out of the tower was easy, and they began down the road.
"You know my father would have a good laugh at this." Alana grumbled as she looked at her clothes, and reached up on her hairline stuffing the last strands of hair that stuck out back under her helmet. "My, daughter," he'd say, "was an complementary orc for a few days!"
"We don't have to worry about tomorrow, though," Alana continued, "for it probably won't come."
R/R! PLEASE READ: I need to find an Elvish dictionary so that I can write something. Please help me! It will help A LOT!
Please also note that all things marked with ** come straight from Book Six, Chapter One, The Tower of Cirith Ungol, in ROTK.