Ina opened her eyes. She blinked a few times, and knew where she was. She turned over, but she was alone. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, no, the room was indeed empty. She looked to the window, it was quite light. She got up and dressed.
She left the room and stepped into the corridor, only to leap backwards as a crack echoed around the smooth stone walls, followed by a horrific scream. Ina trembled. She took a deep breath and stepped back out into the long, curving corridor. She could hear sounds like footsteps, but they sounded far off and got no louder while she stood at the door. Cautiously she began to move in what she thought was the opposite direction from the one the scream had come from. No sense in getting mixed up in a wizard's business.
She sensed she was getting higher, it seemed that the corridor spiralled upwards to the summit of the tower. She was some distance from Grima's rooms, counting doors as she went so as not to get lost in this endless, curved corridor of black stone, when she heard the sound again. That hideous crack and then a crying, wailing sound that raised the hairs on the back of Ina's neck. She pressed herself against the wall, and realised the sound of heavy, panicked breathing seemed to be coming from the nearest open door. She edged towards it, and heard the wizard's cruel voice.
"Now...I have indulged you in your failure, Worm. You are fast outliving your usefulness." Ina could hear a sound like rough cloth scraping along the floor. She edged nearer still.
"Master! Master I will do anything!" came Grima's anguished voice. "Please, hurt me no more! I will do anything to serve you master!" Ina peered around the doorpost. Saruman was standing with his back to the door, with Grima grovelling at his feet. Neither man could see her.
Ina could almost hear Saruman's cruel smile when he spoke next. "Anything? Dear Wormtongue, I am not sure you realise what it is you promise." He pointed the tip of his staff at Grima, and the kneeling man yelped, covering his face with his hands. The wizard laughed. "Very well Worm. I will accept your offer. Prove your loyalty to me." When there was no reply Saruman prodded Grima with the end of his staff. There was a crack and a smell of burning. "Yes!" Grima shrieked. "Yes master, thank you, anything..." He began to cry.
Ina had had enough. She turned and ran back the way she had come, frantically counting doors until she reached Grima's rooms. She quietly closed the door behind her and lay shaking on the bed for quite some time.
Saruman turned slowly to look at the empty doorway. He smirked and looked back to Grima. "Kill her." Grima's eyes opened wide with fright. "Kill...kill whom, my Lord?" Saruman's smirk deepened. "You know perfectly well whom, Worm. Take your little knife that you conceal so badly and cut her throat." He turned and swept from the room. Grima watched him go with hate in his pale blue eyes.
Ina slept. She did not stir as the door creaked open, and Grima crept softly in. He came into the room skulking low to the ground, clutching his shoulder and trembling.He looked at Ina and his hands shook. He reached to the knife that was semi-hidden in his robes. He began to keen under his breath, little sing-song melodies and sounds. He approached the bed. Ina lay peacefully, her hair spread in a fan over the rough quilt. She looked soft and vulnerable in sleep. Grima's humming became frantic and strained. He drew his knife from its sheath. It made a faint ringing sound and Ina stirred. The blade shook. He moved closer, and reached out to brush a stray lock of hair from Ina's neck. She stirred again and Grima's humming gave way to a strangled wail. Ina opened her eyes.
She looked from Grima's panicked expression to the knife, and her eyes widened. She tried to sit up, but Grima pushed her down onto the bed. She screamed and he clamped a hand over her mouth, but she was strong and could fight him. They tussled and eventually by luck more than anything else Grima managed to get his knife to her throat. She froze, looking down at the blade as it scraped the skin of her throat. Grima breathed angrily between his teeth and looked at her. His face was purple with rage, the veins on his temples stood out. He looked into her eyes and saw the fear in them.
Grima went limp. He took a step back and the knife clattered to the floor. He put his hands to his face and sank to the floor, wailing thinly under his breath. Ina sat on the bed, panting, out of breath. She was torn between sympathy and fear.
Grima whispered something Ina couldn't hear clearly. He said it again. "My master...he told me...he made me..." Ina understood. She began to rise when a voice from the doorway made them both look up in terror.
"You have failed once again, Worm. You will be punished." Saruman stepped into the room. He looked around with disdain. He evidently never set foot in Grima's quarters if it could be avoided. He looked at Ina, and her heart turned to ice.
Saruman advanced on her, and reached out, his thin white fingers groping for her neck.The last thing she saw was Grima, horror stricken but powerless standing behind his master.
She left the room and stepped into the corridor, only to leap backwards as a crack echoed around the smooth stone walls, followed by a horrific scream. Ina trembled. She took a deep breath and stepped back out into the long, curving corridor. She could hear sounds like footsteps, but they sounded far off and got no louder while she stood at the door. Cautiously she began to move in what she thought was the opposite direction from the one the scream had come from. No sense in getting mixed up in a wizard's business.
She sensed she was getting higher, it seemed that the corridor spiralled upwards to the summit of the tower. She was some distance from Grima's rooms, counting doors as she went so as not to get lost in this endless, curved corridor of black stone, when she heard the sound again. That hideous crack and then a crying, wailing sound that raised the hairs on the back of Ina's neck. She pressed herself against the wall, and realised the sound of heavy, panicked breathing seemed to be coming from the nearest open door. She edged towards it, and heard the wizard's cruel voice.
"Now...I have indulged you in your failure, Worm. You are fast outliving your usefulness." Ina could hear a sound like rough cloth scraping along the floor. She edged nearer still.
"Master! Master I will do anything!" came Grima's anguished voice. "Please, hurt me no more! I will do anything to serve you master!" Ina peered around the doorpost. Saruman was standing with his back to the door, with Grima grovelling at his feet. Neither man could see her.
Ina could almost hear Saruman's cruel smile when he spoke next. "Anything? Dear Wormtongue, I am not sure you realise what it is you promise." He pointed the tip of his staff at Grima, and the kneeling man yelped, covering his face with his hands. The wizard laughed. "Very well Worm. I will accept your offer. Prove your loyalty to me." When there was no reply Saruman prodded Grima with the end of his staff. There was a crack and a smell of burning. "Yes!" Grima shrieked. "Yes master, thank you, anything..." He began to cry.
Ina had had enough. She turned and ran back the way she had come, frantically counting doors until she reached Grima's rooms. She quietly closed the door behind her and lay shaking on the bed for quite some time.
Saruman turned slowly to look at the empty doorway. He smirked and looked back to Grima. "Kill her." Grima's eyes opened wide with fright. "Kill...kill whom, my Lord?" Saruman's smirk deepened. "You know perfectly well whom, Worm. Take your little knife that you conceal so badly and cut her throat." He turned and swept from the room. Grima watched him go with hate in his pale blue eyes.
Ina slept. She did not stir as the door creaked open, and Grima crept softly in. He came into the room skulking low to the ground, clutching his shoulder and trembling.He looked at Ina and his hands shook. He reached to the knife that was semi-hidden in his robes. He began to keen under his breath, little sing-song melodies and sounds. He approached the bed. Ina lay peacefully, her hair spread in a fan over the rough quilt. She looked soft and vulnerable in sleep. Grima's humming became frantic and strained. He drew his knife from its sheath. It made a faint ringing sound and Ina stirred. The blade shook. He moved closer, and reached out to brush a stray lock of hair from Ina's neck. She stirred again and Grima's humming gave way to a strangled wail. Ina opened her eyes.
She looked from Grima's panicked expression to the knife, and her eyes widened. She tried to sit up, but Grima pushed her down onto the bed. She screamed and he clamped a hand over her mouth, but she was strong and could fight him. They tussled and eventually by luck more than anything else Grima managed to get his knife to her throat. She froze, looking down at the blade as it scraped the skin of her throat. Grima breathed angrily between his teeth and looked at her. His face was purple with rage, the veins on his temples stood out. He looked into her eyes and saw the fear in them.
Grima went limp. He took a step back and the knife clattered to the floor. He put his hands to his face and sank to the floor, wailing thinly under his breath. Ina sat on the bed, panting, out of breath. She was torn between sympathy and fear.
Grima whispered something Ina couldn't hear clearly. He said it again. "My master...he told me...he made me..." Ina understood. She began to rise when a voice from the doorway made them both look up in terror.
"You have failed once again, Worm. You will be punished." Saruman stepped into the room. He looked around with disdain. He evidently never set foot in Grima's quarters if it could be avoided. He looked at Ina, and her heart turned to ice.
Saruman advanced on her, and reached out, his thin white fingers groping for her neck.The last thing she saw was Grima, horror stricken but powerless standing behind his master.