Author's note: Life's annoying. I got a Two Towers DVD yesterday and
watched most of it in the evening. I decided to watch the rest this
morning. I was FIVE MINUTES from the end when I had to go to school. The
subtitles on the DVD are hilarious since they kept getting them wrong. My
favourite is I think Gomes telling Sneedle he's made of love. Saruman kept
being called Solomon, and since they're the people that write our maths
practice papers I think it explains a lot.
***
Rion froze in the doorway, trembling uncontrollably. Everything his father had told him about dragons came back to him in those few moments. They were vicious beasts, very clever and very difficult to kill. They could kill in an instant even from great distances.
And now he was standing right in front of one!
Rion's instinct was to flee, to run before it woke up, but he found his legs wouldn't obey his commands. And beside him Ari stood calm and confident, as though she was unaware of the danger she was in.
Then the dragon lifted its head. He turned and fixed his eyes on the two standing in the doorway. Rion knew that even if he ran now it would be too late. One blast of fire from that mouth and he would be dead in an instant.
"Welcome, Prince Eldarion," the dragon said, shocking Rion almost out of his fear for a moment. Then the dragon bowed his head, slightly, almost respectfully. Of all the things that had happened to Rion since the hunting trip this was probably the most incredible. "Come forwards," the dragon continued.
It wanted to eat him! Rion stayed where he was, paralysed with fear, unable to move forwards and unable to run. Ari leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Are you frightened?" in the same tone Rion had used in the garden. Rion wanted to answer that he was, but stubborn pride wouldn't let himself be seen as weaker than a girl.
He took a few cautious steps forwards, aware only of the dragon's gaze burning into him. He should have listened to Mir. He should have believed that Ari wasn't to be trusted, and now she had led him to his death.
"I see I was right in my choice of gift," the dragon said. Rion wondered for a moment was it meant, but Ari had said something about the circlet being a gift from Traag. He'd never heard of a dragon giving away any of its treasure before.
"The circlet?" Rion stammered.
The dragon nodded. "King Ramel said that you would need a token of your royalty. I chose green stones because green seems to suit most elves."
"You speak to the king?" Rion managed to ask, wondering why the dragon wasn't killing him yet.
"Occasionally," the dragon replied, "but he does not often have the time to visit me, so it is his children I see most often. Ariessa and Lisben." Rion wondered who Lisben was, but didn't dare ask.
"Do all part elves shake so much?" the dragon asked Ari, with what was probably the closest a dragon could get to a smile.
"Only when they're scared," Ari replied, walking fearlessly into the room.
"Don't worry, your highness," the dragon said to Rion, "you're too skinny to eat." Ari smiled at that, but Rion was too terrified. The dragon's reassurance was anything but comforting.
"Why do you fear me, your highness?" the dragon asked, "I have not attempted to harm you."
"You're a dragon," Rion replied, his voice trembling as much as his body, "a creation of Morgoth."
The dragon shook its great head. "Morgoth had not the power to create life, only Iluvator has that power. Morgoth could only corrupt what already existed." Rion was sickened to hear the name of the creator spoken by such a beast as this, and he frowned at the dragon's reply, wondering how the Balrogs had come into being. Surely none of the creations of Eru were anything remotely like those demons. Besides, what the dragon had said didn't mean what Rion had said wasn't true.
"Morgoth corrupted things that were once good and pure," the dragon continued, "as orcs were once elves so dragons came into being, but surely, there would still remain some potential for good."
Rion would have laughed at the absurdity of that statement but for something his father was fond of saying: never laugh at live dragons. Apparently a friend of his had coined that saying.
"By the same argument," Rion said, "there would be good orcs."
"Perhaps there are. But any orc that showed signs of kindness or compassion would be thought of as weak and killed, so the world will never see the evidence of them." Rion's first thought was that it was absurd. His second thought was that while it was incredibly unlikely, there might be chance be an orc who was good.
"So you're trying to tell me that you're good?" Rion asked.
"I am telling you that. Whether you believe it or not is your decision."
"A dragon cannot be good."
"Would you judge a human boy by his parents. If you knew his parents to be murderers, would you assume the boy to be one also."
"No, of course not."
"Then you are judging me by different standards to the way you would judge your own race."
Of course he was. There were no similarities between dragons and humans, so why should he judge them the same? Rion turned to Ari to see what she would say. She was shaking, but unlike Rion, her shaking was from silent laughter.
"Surely a good man would not let his judgement be swayed by prejudice," the dragon went on.
"It's not prejudice to know that all dragons are evil."
"No, it's ignorance. Just because you have never encountered a dragon who could be swayed with reason, do not assume that one does not exist."
"If there was such a thing as a good dragon, people would know about it," Rion protested.
"The people here know," the dragon countered, "and because they do not travel widely, their tale cannot spread." Rion opened his mouth to respond, but found he really had no idea what he could say to that.
As the argument continued, Rion got the feeling he was losing. It didn't help that he'd never considered the possibility there might be a dragon here, and was still shaken by the thought, unable to form cohesive arguments.
As the time past, Rion's shaking grew less. If the dragon were going to kill him, it would have done so by now. Or was it playing with him? Putting him off his guard to increase the pleasure of the kill? Rion was still doubtful he would get out of that cavern alive.
"We should probably go," Ari said at last, as there was a lull in the argument, "Thank you for sparing us some of your time, Traag."
"It is always a pleasure, your highness," Traag replied, bowing his great head. "It was also a pleasure to meet you, Prince Eldarion."
"And you," lied Rion, trying to be polite.
Ari led Rion back along the tunnel, and Rion found he had to lean heavily on the wall as they went, for his trembling legs didn't want to support him. It seemed to take forever to reach the entrance, and Rion expected at any moment for fire to roast them from behind. But they did reach the entrance, and the daylight coming through the open door brought some comfort to him.
It was raining heavily, but Rion wanted to get as far away from the dragon as possible, so they set off anyway. Ari walked beside him, in silence for a time. After a while though she spoke.
"Traag has dwelt peacefully with our people for as long as our history tells. He has never harmed any person."
"You think a dragon can shed his nature as a snake sheds his skin?"
"No one has known Traag to do harm. He has the trust of all country."
"Then you are fools." Rion attempted to hurry his pace down the path, but his foot skidded in a patch of mud. His arms flung out instinctively, and he grabbed hold of Ari. A moment later they were both rolling and tumbling down the steep slope. They ended in a muddy heap, with Rion lying across Ari. He looked down at her. She was breathing slightly harder that usual. The smears of dirt served only to accentuate her fair skin and the cold wind had turned her cheeks to a beautiful rose. As Rion looked down at her, desire held him for a moment.
"Your highness?" The spell was broken as the soldiers reached them. They each scrambled up, neither meeting the other's eye. Rion wasn't sure which was the more disturbing, the fact that a dragon lived here, or that he had been about to kiss the daughter of his captor.
***
Author's note: Chapter twelve of a romance story and there is finally some hint of romance. Anyone else think I'm a bit slow?
***
Rion froze in the doorway, trembling uncontrollably. Everything his father had told him about dragons came back to him in those few moments. They were vicious beasts, very clever and very difficult to kill. They could kill in an instant even from great distances.
And now he was standing right in front of one!
Rion's instinct was to flee, to run before it woke up, but he found his legs wouldn't obey his commands. And beside him Ari stood calm and confident, as though she was unaware of the danger she was in.
Then the dragon lifted its head. He turned and fixed his eyes on the two standing in the doorway. Rion knew that even if he ran now it would be too late. One blast of fire from that mouth and he would be dead in an instant.
"Welcome, Prince Eldarion," the dragon said, shocking Rion almost out of his fear for a moment. Then the dragon bowed his head, slightly, almost respectfully. Of all the things that had happened to Rion since the hunting trip this was probably the most incredible. "Come forwards," the dragon continued.
It wanted to eat him! Rion stayed where he was, paralysed with fear, unable to move forwards and unable to run. Ari leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Are you frightened?" in the same tone Rion had used in the garden. Rion wanted to answer that he was, but stubborn pride wouldn't let himself be seen as weaker than a girl.
He took a few cautious steps forwards, aware only of the dragon's gaze burning into him. He should have listened to Mir. He should have believed that Ari wasn't to be trusted, and now she had led him to his death.
"I see I was right in my choice of gift," the dragon said. Rion wondered for a moment was it meant, but Ari had said something about the circlet being a gift from Traag. He'd never heard of a dragon giving away any of its treasure before.
"The circlet?" Rion stammered.
The dragon nodded. "King Ramel said that you would need a token of your royalty. I chose green stones because green seems to suit most elves."
"You speak to the king?" Rion managed to ask, wondering why the dragon wasn't killing him yet.
"Occasionally," the dragon replied, "but he does not often have the time to visit me, so it is his children I see most often. Ariessa and Lisben." Rion wondered who Lisben was, but didn't dare ask.
"Do all part elves shake so much?" the dragon asked Ari, with what was probably the closest a dragon could get to a smile.
"Only when they're scared," Ari replied, walking fearlessly into the room.
"Don't worry, your highness," the dragon said to Rion, "you're too skinny to eat." Ari smiled at that, but Rion was too terrified. The dragon's reassurance was anything but comforting.
"Why do you fear me, your highness?" the dragon asked, "I have not attempted to harm you."
"You're a dragon," Rion replied, his voice trembling as much as his body, "a creation of Morgoth."
The dragon shook its great head. "Morgoth had not the power to create life, only Iluvator has that power. Morgoth could only corrupt what already existed." Rion was sickened to hear the name of the creator spoken by such a beast as this, and he frowned at the dragon's reply, wondering how the Balrogs had come into being. Surely none of the creations of Eru were anything remotely like those demons. Besides, what the dragon had said didn't mean what Rion had said wasn't true.
"Morgoth corrupted things that were once good and pure," the dragon continued, "as orcs were once elves so dragons came into being, but surely, there would still remain some potential for good."
Rion would have laughed at the absurdity of that statement but for something his father was fond of saying: never laugh at live dragons. Apparently a friend of his had coined that saying.
"By the same argument," Rion said, "there would be good orcs."
"Perhaps there are. But any orc that showed signs of kindness or compassion would be thought of as weak and killed, so the world will never see the evidence of them." Rion's first thought was that it was absurd. His second thought was that while it was incredibly unlikely, there might be chance be an orc who was good.
"So you're trying to tell me that you're good?" Rion asked.
"I am telling you that. Whether you believe it or not is your decision."
"A dragon cannot be good."
"Would you judge a human boy by his parents. If you knew his parents to be murderers, would you assume the boy to be one also."
"No, of course not."
"Then you are judging me by different standards to the way you would judge your own race."
Of course he was. There were no similarities between dragons and humans, so why should he judge them the same? Rion turned to Ari to see what she would say. She was shaking, but unlike Rion, her shaking was from silent laughter.
"Surely a good man would not let his judgement be swayed by prejudice," the dragon went on.
"It's not prejudice to know that all dragons are evil."
"No, it's ignorance. Just because you have never encountered a dragon who could be swayed with reason, do not assume that one does not exist."
"If there was such a thing as a good dragon, people would know about it," Rion protested.
"The people here know," the dragon countered, "and because they do not travel widely, their tale cannot spread." Rion opened his mouth to respond, but found he really had no idea what he could say to that.
As the argument continued, Rion got the feeling he was losing. It didn't help that he'd never considered the possibility there might be a dragon here, and was still shaken by the thought, unable to form cohesive arguments.
As the time past, Rion's shaking grew less. If the dragon were going to kill him, it would have done so by now. Or was it playing with him? Putting him off his guard to increase the pleasure of the kill? Rion was still doubtful he would get out of that cavern alive.
"We should probably go," Ari said at last, as there was a lull in the argument, "Thank you for sparing us some of your time, Traag."
"It is always a pleasure, your highness," Traag replied, bowing his great head. "It was also a pleasure to meet you, Prince Eldarion."
"And you," lied Rion, trying to be polite.
Ari led Rion back along the tunnel, and Rion found he had to lean heavily on the wall as they went, for his trembling legs didn't want to support him. It seemed to take forever to reach the entrance, and Rion expected at any moment for fire to roast them from behind. But they did reach the entrance, and the daylight coming through the open door brought some comfort to him.
It was raining heavily, but Rion wanted to get as far away from the dragon as possible, so they set off anyway. Ari walked beside him, in silence for a time. After a while though she spoke.
"Traag has dwelt peacefully with our people for as long as our history tells. He has never harmed any person."
"You think a dragon can shed his nature as a snake sheds his skin?"
"No one has known Traag to do harm. He has the trust of all country."
"Then you are fools." Rion attempted to hurry his pace down the path, but his foot skidded in a patch of mud. His arms flung out instinctively, and he grabbed hold of Ari. A moment later they were both rolling and tumbling down the steep slope. They ended in a muddy heap, with Rion lying across Ari. He looked down at her. She was breathing slightly harder that usual. The smears of dirt served only to accentuate her fair skin and the cold wind had turned her cheeks to a beautiful rose. As Rion looked down at her, desire held him for a moment.
"Your highness?" The spell was broken as the soldiers reached them. They each scrambled up, neither meeting the other's eye. Rion wasn't sure which was the more disturbing, the fact that a dragon lived here, or that he had been about to kiss the daughter of his captor.
***
Author's note: Chapter twelve of a romance story and there is finally some hint of romance. Anyone else think I'm a bit slow?