Ina was afraid. Orthanc was black and menacing, and quite alien to her eyes. Isengard was a wasteland, and orcs leered at them from their work near the roadside. Grima's arms around her kept her warm, but they could not make her feel safe. There were not a league from the tower now, and its sheer size made Ina feel very vulnerable. She looked up, searching for something, she knew not what. From an upper balcony she thought she saw a flash of white, but it was gone almost as soon as she had noticed it. Her fear turned to dread.
They rode to a small outbuilding, which seemed to be in use as a makeshift stable for Lyg. Ina tried not to notice the squalor, but her horse instinct was appalled. She dismounted. No horse should be kept in such conditions. She quieted her mind by imagining how she would improve things after she took up residence here. The thought of living in this bleak place made her blood run cold.
And then she remembered Edoras. The snide glances, the people who looked from the corners of their eyes. All of the times she had been shunned, been snubbed openly and humiliated subtly. The families who would not allow their children to take up a job at the stables if it meant working for "that Dunlending wench". No-one wanted her in Edoras. Her skill with the horses would be missed, but there were plenty of young stablehands who would be capable of taking her place. Very soon people would forget. Ina would not be missed. Here at least one man wanted her, and that was better than a warm bed, and horses as her only friends.
She turned to him questioningly and he inclined his head towards the door. She moved hesitantly and he guided her through, one arm at her waist. They crossed the barren earth to the black steps of Orthanc. Ina's steps faltered as she saw what awaited them at the top. A tall man, clad in shining white and with white hair and beard of equal purity. He held in his hand a long black staff, cruelly spiked at the end like the tower of Orthanc itself and topped with a shining white globe of crystal.
This was the wizard Saruman, Grima's master.
He looked as cruel as his reputation, and he turned to Grima, raising his eyebrows in question. Grima's fear was apparent, but Ina was determined not to show her nervousness to this man, and hiding her feelings was her great talent. Grima ascended the steps to stand in front of Saruman.
"Master...this girl is a servant from Rohan, from Edoras, and she can tell us much of the capital, she can tell us of the things which only servants know..." he said, and continued in this vein, making excuses for bringing a girl from Rohan into his master's presence. As he spoke Saruman's smile increased, until the wizard raised a hand and Grima fell silent.
"Exactly what, Wormtongue, would you ask of me?" he said. Ina registered the foul nickname with a tiny surge of anger, but kept her face blank and her features calm.
Grima hesitated. "I thought that this girl could be of use to us...to you, master, if we kept her here. I would question her for you, and we could learn more of how to crush the Rohirrim entirely..."
Saruman nodded. "And where is she to sleep, Worm? Am I to give over another room of my tower to a prisoner such as she?"
Grima's mouth opened and shut soundlessly. "I thought, my Lord, I would request, that she be quartered with me..."
He seemed to be half his usual height when speaking to his master, and at this point he cowered down even lower, as if he expected a blow, but Saruman only smiled evilly and looked at Ina.
"So it is that way, Worm? You have found a woman who will tolerate you! Or perhaps you took her by force? No, do not tell me, I do not wish to know. But Worm, this one has dark hair like you. What has happened to that golden haired maiden you desired so terribly? Would she not have you?" Grima looked away. "No." said Saruman, relishing the damage his words were doing. Ina looked at her feet. She wished fervently that she was brave and she could defend him, but her fear was too great.
"I do not imagine that she would." continued the wizard. His manner became businesslike." Take her away, Worm, and do with her what you will. But keep her in your quarters and out of my sight, if she strays into other areas of my tower I will take steps." He turned and went through the doors of the tower.
Grima looked back at Ina, and she hurried up the steps to his side. She put her arms around him and together they entered Orthanc.
Grima's three rooms were small and cold. The walls, ceiling and floor were made of the same black stone, and all that his bedroom contained was a small bed and a trunk, both hewn from some black wood. They entered, and Grima shut the door before sitting down on the bed. He looked at Ina, and his eyes seemed beseeching while at the same time cruel and hard.
"Did I take you by force?" he asked suddenly and almost harshly. Ina looked back at him and said nothing. His face contorted. "Well? Is that how it was?"
"My Lord knows for himself that it was not." Ina said in her quiet voice. "Why does he need to question me? Can he not believe the evidence of his own memory?" This seemed to strike a nerve; Grima flushed red and looked away for a moment. Ina was abashed. Perhaps he could not.
"I mean to say, my Lord, that you did not take me by force." she moved towards him. "I came of my own free will. I would not be here if I did not want to be." she was standing over him, and he looked up at her with his strange, frightened expression. He took her wrists and pulled her down onto the bed. She sat next to him, and he reached up to take out the pins that held her neat bun in place. A wave of dark brown hair fell past her shoulders, and she lay back as he leaned over her, his long black hair hanging over his face He gently brushed a strand of her hair away from her face and kissed her.
They rode to a small outbuilding, which seemed to be in use as a makeshift stable for Lyg. Ina tried not to notice the squalor, but her horse instinct was appalled. She dismounted. No horse should be kept in such conditions. She quieted her mind by imagining how she would improve things after she took up residence here. The thought of living in this bleak place made her blood run cold.
And then she remembered Edoras. The snide glances, the people who looked from the corners of their eyes. All of the times she had been shunned, been snubbed openly and humiliated subtly. The families who would not allow their children to take up a job at the stables if it meant working for "that Dunlending wench". No-one wanted her in Edoras. Her skill with the horses would be missed, but there were plenty of young stablehands who would be capable of taking her place. Very soon people would forget. Ina would not be missed. Here at least one man wanted her, and that was better than a warm bed, and horses as her only friends.
She turned to him questioningly and he inclined his head towards the door. She moved hesitantly and he guided her through, one arm at her waist. They crossed the barren earth to the black steps of Orthanc. Ina's steps faltered as she saw what awaited them at the top. A tall man, clad in shining white and with white hair and beard of equal purity. He held in his hand a long black staff, cruelly spiked at the end like the tower of Orthanc itself and topped with a shining white globe of crystal.
This was the wizard Saruman, Grima's master.
He looked as cruel as his reputation, and he turned to Grima, raising his eyebrows in question. Grima's fear was apparent, but Ina was determined not to show her nervousness to this man, and hiding her feelings was her great talent. Grima ascended the steps to stand in front of Saruman.
"Master...this girl is a servant from Rohan, from Edoras, and she can tell us much of the capital, she can tell us of the things which only servants know..." he said, and continued in this vein, making excuses for bringing a girl from Rohan into his master's presence. As he spoke Saruman's smile increased, until the wizard raised a hand and Grima fell silent.
"Exactly what, Wormtongue, would you ask of me?" he said. Ina registered the foul nickname with a tiny surge of anger, but kept her face blank and her features calm.
Grima hesitated. "I thought that this girl could be of use to us...to you, master, if we kept her here. I would question her for you, and we could learn more of how to crush the Rohirrim entirely..."
Saruman nodded. "And where is she to sleep, Worm? Am I to give over another room of my tower to a prisoner such as she?"
Grima's mouth opened and shut soundlessly. "I thought, my Lord, I would request, that she be quartered with me..."
He seemed to be half his usual height when speaking to his master, and at this point he cowered down even lower, as if he expected a blow, but Saruman only smiled evilly and looked at Ina.
"So it is that way, Worm? You have found a woman who will tolerate you! Or perhaps you took her by force? No, do not tell me, I do not wish to know. But Worm, this one has dark hair like you. What has happened to that golden haired maiden you desired so terribly? Would she not have you?" Grima looked away. "No." said Saruman, relishing the damage his words were doing. Ina looked at her feet. She wished fervently that she was brave and she could defend him, but her fear was too great.
"I do not imagine that she would." continued the wizard. His manner became businesslike." Take her away, Worm, and do with her what you will. But keep her in your quarters and out of my sight, if she strays into other areas of my tower I will take steps." He turned and went through the doors of the tower.
Grima looked back at Ina, and she hurried up the steps to his side. She put her arms around him and together they entered Orthanc.
Grima's three rooms were small and cold. The walls, ceiling and floor were made of the same black stone, and all that his bedroom contained was a small bed and a trunk, both hewn from some black wood. They entered, and Grima shut the door before sitting down on the bed. He looked at Ina, and his eyes seemed beseeching while at the same time cruel and hard.
"Did I take you by force?" he asked suddenly and almost harshly. Ina looked back at him and said nothing. His face contorted. "Well? Is that how it was?"
"My Lord knows for himself that it was not." Ina said in her quiet voice. "Why does he need to question me? Can he not believe the evidence of his own memory?" This seemed to strike a nerve; Grima flushed red and looked away for a moment. Ina was abashed. Perhaps he could not.
"I mean to say, my Lord, that you did not take me by force." she moved towards him. "I came of my own free will. I would not be here if I did not want to be." she was standing over him, and he looked up at her with his strange, frightened expression. He took her wrists and pulled her down onto the bed. She sat next to him, and he reached up to take out the pins that held her neat bun in place. A wave of dark brown hair fell past her shoulders, and she lay back as he leaned over her, his long black hair hanging over his face He gently brushed a strand of her hair away from her face and kissed her.