Judgement Chapter Eight
Gabby struggled not to run away again. He kept giving her those funny looks, like he knew she was uncomfortable. Quiet and mysterious was one thing Gabriel would never be able to master. She couldn't help but wear her heart on her sleeve when it came to any opinion. Most people found it irritating back home, here in Middle-Earth, it was a blessing. They couldn't believe a woman could be so brave as to disagree with the King of Gondor, and win. Her leg twitched as Legolas neared her. She was sitting Indian-Style on the ground in front of a fire. He bent and sat next to her when a small voice carried out of the woods.
"Merry! Who are they?" it was clearly Pippin. Gabby leapt to her feet, happiness at being saved from Legolas evident in her eyes.
"Pip! It's us, Gabby and Legolas!" she shouted into the woods. A squeal emitted from the trees and two small figures sprang from the dark into her outstretched arms. Pippin didn't stay happy for long however.
"Oh Gabby! You have to help us find Diamond!" he cried desperately. His eyes searched her face as worry and fury swept it.
"What happened?" she asked in a very calm tone. Her eyes narrowed on Pippin. His voice wouldn't work under her careful observation.
"She was kidnapped by a renegade band of orcs three days ago!" Merry finally managed to say over Pippin's stuttering babble. Gabby's eyes bulged and she leapt to her feet.
"Where do you think they're headed?" she questioned hastily. She stood poised, ready for whatever may come.
"Mordor." the sullen word choked from Pippin's body before he collapsed into tears. "We were gonna name him Meriadoc, or even that funny gir's name Diamond had picked out!" he sobbed.
"What was it?" Gabby asked, knowing the answer. She let a small smile cross her lips as he tried to pronounce the name.
"Mo-neek?" Merry tried after several attempts by Pippin.
"She is crazy. Naming a Middle-Earth kid Monique." Gabby said before quickly packing all of her things back into her packs.
Legolas cursed the beings who had taken Diamond away, but also cursed them for the worst timing in history. She was very close to her birth-giving, and he was finally taming the elf before him. She told him once, that someone told her she reminded him of a character in a book, named Alanna. Her nickname was Lioness Rampant, and that she was. No one, in Legolas's opinion, could be more suited to that title. Gabby quite disagreed. She was not brave to anyone at all. In her mind, she saw her friends and family shunning her for her cowardly ways. It was most the opposite here.
"At this point, the people I least want to see are a group of Gorillas." she joked. No one there got it of course. She didn't bother to explain.
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"Come on, Molly! We have to keep moving, they're only a mile in front of us!" Virginia whined. Molly groaned but kept moving. They had gotten word only a week before that Gabriel was alive. They were already on the road and figured that they would meet her on the way to Diamond's rescue. After all, Pippin and Merry were on the road to Mordor that could also take one to Mirkwood.
"I'm coming, but why'd did I have to carry the cookware?" she glared at Sam. He grinned at her and scurried past as she raised the largest skilley threateningly. Frodo laughed and punched Sam in the arm.
"What is the word I seek that you call each other?" he asked innocently.
"Wuss." Virginia said impaciently.
"Cheer up miss, only one more mile before you put that rapier to use!" Sam said gleefully. Molly's only hope was that the orcs were planning a type of raid, and not a killing type of takeover.
The fighting was brutal and the orcs were many. With a cry Virginia looked back to see four people jump out from the little cover there was out in the Dead Marshes. Legolas, Gabby, Merry, and Pippin were there. Molly winced as the quartet went to work. Blood and death littered the field. Pippin went straight for the ropes that bound his wife. When she was free, she lent her own twist on the fight. Karate was a little above the orcs and the hobbits were very impressed. Arrows fell short of their targets as Gabby leapt into the clearing, her daggers whirling. Molly watched an arrow soar overhead and land at Merry's feet. The new target was him. A sort of fury built up inside her as she ran towards the hobbit. An arrow flew high in the air and plunged into Molly's heart. She fell short of her goal as the fighting continued. Her last thoughts were; ~War and love are so pointless.~ The last orc was killed by none other than Gabby. She turned to profess their victory when she noticed the small circle around Molly's body. She somehow kept the tears back in her throat as she lifted the bleeding corpse to her shoulder.
"Come on then, let's keep it moving." she choked out. She carried the body as far away from the field as she could before finding a grassy knoll. At the foot of the knoll, they buried Molly. Her eyes were so dead, Gabby felt no pain as she looked at those eyes. She hardly believed that such a cold looking face, had ever breathed life. Her thoughts turned to England, was Molly dead there too? She allowed everyone to rest even though everyone kept a weary eye on her. She wasn't going to kill herself, honestly!
~Flashback~
Molly leapt gracefully off the raft and into the water. They swam smoothly over to the pontoon boat. This was no ordinary pontoon boat either. It was twenty-six feet long, sat nineteen, and had an inboard outboard motor. In other words, the engine of a speed boat, the body of a Volkswagon Bus. They tubed and skiied and sang songs around the campfire, then Gabby ran away for the first time.
~End of Flashback~
A new name was added to the list that night. The list now included, Erin, Chris, and Molly. She hated herself.
"Hey." Virginia said. Her eyes were red and irritated. She grinned weakly at her cousin before burrowing her face under Gabby's chin and sobbing. Gabby threw her arm absently over Virginia's shoulder and held her. Legolas watched this angrily. He blamed himself for Molly's death, after all, he should have killed the archers first, they were the only ones they were having trouble with! He kicked himself mentally. A sad but sweet note reached his ears.
"Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see!"
Virginia and Gabby were singing very loudly in a very sad tone. Tears rolled down their cheeks and pooled in their laps, but they didn't care, Molly was dead, and they were stuck trying to wash the blood off their hands. Gabby was sick of it by now. Death was unreal to her. ~The inner eye sees the bliss of solitude.~ Gabby reminded herself. ~But sometimes you need your friends.~ she mused.
"OW!" Diamond cried quite suddenly. A pool of liquid was at her feet as she tried to figure out what was wrong. "Gabby! My water broke!" she shrieked at her friend frantically. Gabby stumbled to her feet as she wiped her tears away. She gathered Diamond into her arms and rushed off into the woods. Three hours later she returned with a little boy in her arms along with one wiped hobbit. "Meriadoc." was all she could manage to say. Merry beamed at Pippin who beamed at his wife who just kind of stared off into space.
~A waterfall takes life, and gives it.~ Gabby thought as she looked into the little boy's eyes. They were constantly changing color at this stage of life. She didn't doubt that the child's eyes were going to be green just because of the way he looked so much like Pippin. She began to remember Molly again but she thought, this time, someone could help her through it. She looked at Legolas meaningfully as he rose to speak.
"We must get the child to Rivendell to be blessed and then back to the Shire." he announced. Virginia threw a weak glance at her cousin.
"We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz!" they began and skipped off in the direction of the Shire.
Author's Note: A lot of obscure music songs thrown in. I didn't write any of the songs featured today. In fact I don't really own anything that's written up there except for Gabby, Lisa, little Merry, Molly, Colin, Jemma, Steve, and Chris. Tune in next chapter for the arrival of the baby in Rivendell, and the hardest thing Gabby has ever said, revealed!
Gabby struggled not to run away again. He kept giving her those funny looks, like he knew she was uncomfortable. Quiet and mysterious was one thing Gabriel would never be able to master. She couldn't help but wear her heart on her sleeve when it came to any opinion. Most people found it irritating back home, here in Middle-Earth, it was a blessing. They couldn't believe a woman could be so brave as to disagree with the King of Gondor, and win. Her leg twitched as Legolas neared her. She was sitting Indian-Style on the ground in front of a fire. He bent and sat next to her when a small voice carried out of the woods.
"Merry! Who are they?" it was clearly Pippin. Gabby leapt to her feet, happiness at being saved from Legolas evident in her eyes.
"Pip! It's us, Gabby and Legolas!" she shouted into the woods. A squeal emitted from the trees and two small figures sprang from the dark into her outstretched arms. Pippin didn't stay happy for long however.
"Oh Gabby! You have to help us find Diamond!" he cried desperately. His eyes searched her face as worry and fury swept it.
"What happened?" she asked in a very calm tone. Her eyes narrowed on Pippin. His voice wouldn't work under her careful observation.
"She was kidnapped by a renegade band of orcs three days ago!" Merry finally managed to say over Pippin's stuttering babble. Gabby's eyes bulged and she leapt to her feet.
"Where do you think they're headed?" she questioned hastily. She stood poised, ready for whatever may come.
"Mordor." the sullen word choked from Pippin's body before he collapsed into tears. "We were gonna name him Meriadoc, or even that funny gir's name Diamond had picked out!" he sobbed.
"What was it?" Gabby asked, knowing the answer. She let a small smile cross her lips as he tried to pronounce the name.
"Mo-neek?" Merry tried after several attempts by Pippin.
"She is crazy. Naming a Middle-Earth kid Monique." Gabby said before quickly packing all of her things back into her packs.
Legolas cursed the beings who had taken Diamond away, but also cursed them for the worst timing in history. She was very close to her birth-giving, and he was finally taming the elf before him. She told him once, that someone told her she reminded him of a character in a book, named Alanna. Her nickname was Lioness Rampant, and that she was. No one, in Legolas's opinion, could be more suited to that title. Gabby quite disagreed. She was not brave to anyone at all. In her mind, she saw her friends and family shunning her for her cowardly ways. It was most the opposite here.
"At this point, the people I least want to see are a group of Gorillas." she joked. No one there got it of course. She didn't bother to explain.
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"Come on, Molly! We have to keep moving, they're only a mile in front of us!" Virginia whined. Molly groaned but kept moving. They had gotten word only a week before that Gabriel was alive. They were already on the road and figured that they would meet her on the way to Diamond's rescue. After all, Pippin and Merry were on the road to Mordor that could also take one to Mirkwood.
"I'm coming, but why'd did I have to carry the cookware?" she glared at Sam. He grinned at her and scurried past as she raised the largest skilley threateningly. Frodo laughed and punched Sam in the arm.
"What is the word I seek that you call each other?" he asked innocently.
"Wuss." Virginia said impaciently.
"Cheer up miss, only one more mile before you put that rapier to use!" Sam said gleefully. Molly's only hope was that the orcs were planning a type of raid, and not a killing type of takeover.
The fighting was brutal and the orcs were many. With a cry Virginia looked back to see four people jump out from the little cover there was out in the Dead Marshes. Legolas, Gabby, Merry, and Pippin were there. Molly winced as the quartet went to work. Blood and death littered the field. Pippin went straight for the ropes that bound his wife. When she was free, she lent her own twist on the fight. Karate was a little above the orcs and the hobbits were very impressed. Arrows fell short of their targets as Gabby leapt into the clearing, her daggers whirling. Molly watched an arrow soar overhead and land at Merry's feet. The new target was him. A sort of fury built up inside her as she ran towards the hobbit. An arrow flew high in the air and plunged into Molly's heart. She fell short of her goal as the fighting continued. Her last thoughts were; ~War and love are so pointless.~ The last orc was killed by none other than Gabby. She turned to profess their victory when she noticed the small circle around Molly's body. She somehow kept the tears back in her throat as she lifted the bleeding corpse to her shoulder.
"Come on then, let's keep it moving." she choked out. She carried the body as far away from the field as she could before finding a grassy knoll. At the foot of the knoll, they buried Molly. Her eyes were so dead, Gabby felt no pain as she looked at those eyes. She hardly believed that such a cold looking face, had ever breathed life. Her thoughts turned to England, was Molly dead there too? She allowed everyone to rest even though everyone kept a weary eye on her. She wasn't going to kill herself, honestly!
~Flashback~
Molly leapt gracefully off the raft and into the water. They swam smoothly over to the pontoon boat. This was no ordinary pontoon boat either. It was twenty-six feet long, sat nineteen, and had an inboard outboard motor. In other words, the engine of a speed boat, the body of a Volkswagon Bus. They tubed and skiied and sang songs around the campfire, then Gabby ran away for the first time.
~End of Flashback~
A new name was added to the list that night. The list now included, Erin, Chris, and Molly. She hated herself.
"Hey." Virginia said. Her eyes were red and irritated. She grinned weakly at her cousin before burrowing her face under Gabby's chin and sobbing. Gabby threw her arm absently over Virginia's shoulder and held her. Legolas watched this angrily. He blamed himself for Molly's death, after all, he should have killed the archers first, they were the only ones they were having trouble with! He kicked himself mentally. A sad but sweet note reached his ears.
"Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see!"
Virginia and Gabby were singing very loudly in a very sad tone. Tears rolled down their cheeks and pooled in their laps, but they didn't care, Molly was dead, and they were stuck trying to wash the blood off their hands. Gabby was sick of it by now. Death was unreal to her. ~The inner eye sees the bliss of solitude.~ Gabby reminded herself. ~But sometimes you need your friends.~ she mused.
"OW!" Diamond cried quite suddenly. A pool of liquid was at her feet as she tried to figure out what was wrong. "Gabby! My water broke!" she shrieked at her friend frantically. Gabby stumbled to her feet as she wiped her tears away. She gathered Diamond into her arms and rushed off into the woods. Three hours later she returned with a little boy in her arms along with one wiped hobbit. "Meriadoc." was all she could manage to say. Merry beamed at Pippin who beamed at his wife who just kind of stared off into space.
~A waterfall takes life, and gives it.~ Gabby thought as she looked into the little boy's eyes. They were constantly changing color at this stage of life. She didn't doubt that the child's eyes were going to be green just because of the way he looked so much like Pippin. She began to remember Molly again but she thought, this time, someone could help her through it. She looked at Legolas meaningfully as he rose to speak.
"We must get the child to Rivendell to be blessed and then back to the Shire." he announced. Virginia threw a weak glance at her cousin.
"We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz!" they began and skipped off in the direction of the Shire.
Author's Note: A lot of obscure music songs thrown in. I didn't write any of the songs featured today. In fact I don't really own anything that's written up there except for Gabby, Lisa, little Merry, Molly, Colin, Jemma, Steve, and Chris. Tune in next chapter for the arrival of the baby in Rivendell, and the hardest thing Gabby has ever said, revealed!
