"Be careful, if there is anything down here we will not wish to alert it to
our presence."
"It! We're not talking about an IT, its Pip were talkin about"
"Hush, keep your voice down!"
Moving along cautiously Merry let his fingers trail across the cold stonewalls, it had been *his* bright idea after all to come traipsing down in to the lower levels looking for his cousin. *They might call us at any second, saying they've found him* *Don't think that* *Why not? It's probably true, First Sam then Pip then Aragorn.who knows who'll be next*
"Shush"
Merry heard the whisper just before walking in to the back of the old wizard.
"Meriadoc I think some of your cousin's clumsiness is rubbing off on you!"
Looking forward in the dark Merry could just make out the bright eyes of Gandalf the White staring at him keenly.
"Sorry, I didn't feel you stop"
"Well I certainly felt you stop"
Sighing softly Gandalf turned around to peer down the main corridor that lead of in to the labyrinth that made up the cellars, dungeons and vast libraries of Minas Tirith. Down here some of the most precious and ancient writings of old were stored, along with some more dangerous items.
"What's wrong?"
Looking down Gandalf met Merry's look, his eyes were still innocent despite the war that they had seen and the shadows they had passed in to. *Something they all have in common* he mused.
"Nothing, I am trying to decide which direction to take first, it will take many hours the scour these rooms, I am trying to make out which way would save us the most time and."
"Stop, did you see that?"
Standing suddenly Gandalf turned to where Merry's finger pointed. In the murk and gloom he could see little. Turning back to Merry he saw it. A pale blue shimmer glanced out from under one of the doors in the distance, fading and reappearing, glowing.
"I believe we have may have found something."
Grasping his staff tighter Gandalf started toward the light, feeling his spirits buoy with every passing step. He had only a few doors left before he would reach the main door when suddenly feeling very alone he turned around. Outlined against the dim light from above Merry stood where he had left him.
"Merry?"
"Don't go down there."
"Merry.?"
"Please, come back."
"Merry what is."
"Gandalf!"
Merry's shout echoed through the still halls. Feeling ice slide down his spine Gandalf the White made to turn around but fear held him in place.
"Gandalf we have to leave now!"
Despite everything his feet would not move,
"Gandalf NOW!"
Seeing the wizard stand still Merry let out a whimper and turned and ran up the stairs, his feet thudding on the worn stone. Alone completely Gandalf felt the cold of the North settle around him, it froze his fingers and settled deep in to his bones, breathing out he could make out by the dim light his breath fog in the air. Gently a breath whispered past his ear playing with his hair, gripping his staff tighter Gandalf the white turned around. The sight before him took his breath away. Standing several paces in front of him stood Pippin, in his hands he held a large glass ball, the ball glowed and throbbed. Staring out of it was a large blue eyes wreathed in blue flame, the cold emanated from that. The air around the ball glittered with tiny frozen dust bits. The eye was not what turned Gandalf the White's heart to Ice. Looking down in to Pippin's eyes he saw they were white, blank, his mouth smiled but it was with cruelty not friendship.
"Peregrin?"
He felt shock run through him at the sound of the tremor in his voice.
"Pippin?"
Still he smiled coldly, not a hint of recognition gleamed out of those frozen eyes.
"He cannot hear you!"
At the sound of that voice Gandalf spun around.
"I said he cannot hear you."
Standing before him, blocking his way to the stairs stood the small figure of Frodo Baggins, one time Ringbearer. On his face was a cold smile, mocking, confident. His cheeks were warm and rosy, his eyes bright and clear, he looked no different from the day Gandalf had come back for the birthday party of Bilbo Baggins, as if the Ring had never happened.
"But it did didn't it."
"What?"
"Happen, the Ring did happen."
Steeling himself Gandalf looked behind him, Pippin still stood there, the glass ball.no, not glass ball.Palantir, clutched in his hands.
"Well done my old friend, you have managed to recognise one of the most recognisable items in all of Middle Earth, you wits are still sharp I see."
Frodo's voice rang through the air, clear. He leaned comfortably against one of the heavy pillars, arms crossed and his smile broader then before.
"What has happened here? How have you managed to corrupt him so easily, it is almost as if he is not here anymore."
Frodo's head twitched, his eyes flicked down and back up again, meeting Gandalf's.
"I have not corrupted him, I am showing him leadership, and Uncle Bilbo always said that Pippin needed a little leadership, someone to take care of him. Well, I am."
"Not Peregrin, Frodo.I have never spoken to you Sauron, and until now I have had no desire to."
"My dear Gandalf what are you talking about? I am Frodo. Sauron is resting at the moment, his little games are now about playing with other people's heads, you see we have come to an agreement, one that will profit both of us, but it seems, alas, poor Sauron is not what he used to be, all evil schemes and small ploys to annoy those who have hurt him. I plan something grander, something more worthy of him. It seems that joining the ranks of the undead shadow forces of Morgoth has reduced him, Again, to the rank of Lieutenant."
Gandalf watched the creature in front of him as it continued to speak. He had seen the effect Sauron's spirit had on Frodo's body and voice. None of that was present, all that was there were the same features, mannerisms of a young innocent hobbit, whose only wish was to be loved.
"You are right. Sauron is not here."
The hobbit sighed sadly and walked toward the wizard, reached out a hand toward him and smiled.
"Gandalf can I ask you something?"
Reaching down Gandalf took Frodo's hand in his own, and felt the coldest blackest sensation race through his body, as he looked at Frodo again, he saw the imprint of Sauron, standing behind him, a tall black Lord leaning over Frodo. Almost protecting him. As consciousness raced passed him the last words he heard were Frodo's.
"For one so wise as you are tell me, what in all of Arda made you believe me?"
And then he laughed, a rich honest sound that echoed in the vaults.
All of the time Peregrin Took stood and watched, a small tear sliding down his face before freezing on his cheek and the Eye pulsed stronger.
"It! We're not talking about an IT, its Pip were talkin about"
"Hush, keep your voice down!"
Moving along cautiously Merry let his fingers trail across the cold stonewalls, it had been *his* bright idea after all to come traipsing down in to the lower levels looking for his cousin. *They might call us at any second, saying they've found him* *Don't think that* *Why not? It's probably true, First Sam then Pip then Aragorn.who knows who'll be next*
"Shush"
Merry heard the whisper just before walking in to the back of the old wizard.
"Meriadoc I think some of your cousin's clumsiness is rubbing off on you!"
Looking forward in the dark Merry could just make out the bright eyes of Gandalf the White staring at him keenly.
"Sorry, I didn't feel you stop"
"Well I certainly felt you stop"
Sighing softly Gandalf turned around to peer down the main corridor that lead of in to the labyrinth that made up the cellars, dungeons and vast libraries of Minas Tirith. Down here some of the most precious and ancient writings of old were stored, along with some more dangerous items.
"What's wrong?"
Looking down Gandalf met Merry's look, his eyes were still innocent despite the war that they had seen and the shadows they had passed in to. *Something they all have in common* he mused.
"Nothing, I am trying to decide which direction to take first, it will take many hours the scour these rooms, I am trying to make out which way would save us the most time and."
"Stop, did you see that?"
Standing suddenly Gandalf turned to where Merry's finger pointed. In the murk and gloom he could see little. Turning back to Merry he saw it. A pale blue shimmer glanced out from under one of the doors in the distance, fading and reappearing, glowing.
"I believe we have may have found something."
Grasping his staff tighter Gandalf started toward the light, feeling his spirits buoy with every passing step. He had only a few doors left before he would reach the main door when suddenly feeling very alone he turned around. Outlined against the dim light from above Merry stood where he had left him.
"Merry?"
"Don't go down there."
"Merry.?"
"Please, come back."
"Merry what is."
"Gandalf!"
Merry's shout echoed through the still halls. Feeling ice slide down his spine Gandalf the White made to turn around but fear held him in place.
"Gandalf we have to leave now!"
Despite everything his feet would not move,
"Gandalf NOW!"
Seeing the wizard stand still Merry let out a whimper and turned and ran up the stairs, his feet thudding on the worn stone. Alone completely Gandalf felt the cold of the North settle around him, it froze his fingers and settled deep in to his bones, breathing out he could make out by the dim light his breath fog in the air. Gently a breath whispered past his ear playing with his hair, gripping his staff tighter Gandalf the white turned around. The sight before him took his breath away. Standing several paces in front of him stood Pippin, in his hands he held a large glass ball, the ball glowed and throbbed. Staring out of it was a large blue eyes wreathed in blue flame, the cold emanated from that. The air around the ball glittered with tiny frozen dust bits. The eye was not what turned Gandalf the White's heart to Ice. Looking down in to Pippin's eyes he saw they were white, blank, his mouth smiled but it was with cruelty not friendship.
"Peregrin?"
He felt shock run through him at the sound of the tremor in his voice.
"Pippin?"
Still he smiled coldly, not a hint of recognition gleamed out of those frozen eyes.
"He cannot hear you!"
At the sound of that voice Gandalf spun around.
"I said he cannot hear you."
Standing before him, blocking his way to the stairs stood the small figure of Frodo Baggins, one time Ringbearer. On his face was a cold smile, mocking, confident. His cheeks were warm and rosy, his eyes bright and clear, he looked no different from the day Gandalf had come back for the birthday party of Bilbo Baggins, as if the Ring had never happened.
"But it did didn't it."
"What?"
"Happen, the Ring did happen."
Steeling himself Gandalf looked behind him, Pippin still stood there, the glass ball.no, not glass ball.Palantir, clutched in his hands.
"Well done my old friend, you have managed to recognise one of the most recognisable items in all of Middle Earth, you wits are still sharp I see."
Frodo's voice rang through the air, clear. He leaned comfortably against one of the heavy pillars, arms crossed and his smile broader then before.
"What has happened here? How have you managed to corrupt him so easily, it is almost as if he is not here anymore."
Frodo's head twitched, his eyes flicked down and back up again, meeting Gandalf's.
"I have not corrupted him, I am showing him leadership, and Uncle Bilbo always said that Pippin needed a little leadership, someone to take care of him. Well, I am."
"Not Peregrin, Frodo.I have never spoken to you Sauron, and until now I have had no desire to."
"My dear Gandalf what are you talking about? I am Frodo. Sauron is resting at the moment, his little games are now about playing with other people's heads, you see we have come to an agreement, one that will profit both of us, but it seems, alas, poor Sauron is not what he used to be, all evil schemes and small ploys to annoy those who have hurt him. I plan something grander, something more worthy of him. It seems that joining the ranks of the undead shadow forces of Morgoth has reduced him, Again, to the rank of Lieutenant."
Gandalf watched the creature in front of him as it continued to speak. He had seen the effect Sauron's spirit had on Frodo's body and voice. None of that was present, all that was there were the same features, mannerisms of a young innocent hobbit, whose only wish was to be loved.
"You are right. Sauron is not here."
The hobbit sighed sadly and walked toward the wizard, reached out a hand toward him and smiled.
"Gandalf can I ask you something?"
Reaching down Gandalf took Frodo's hand in his own, and felt the coldest blackest sensation race through his body, as he looked at Frodo again, he saw the imprint of Sauron, standing behind him, a tall black Lord leaning over Frodo. Almost protecting him. As consciousness raced passed him the last words he heard were Frodo's.
"For one so wise as you are tell me, what in all of Arda made you believe me?"
And then he laughed, a rich honest sound that echoed in the vaults.
All of the time Peregrin Took stood and watched, a small tear sliding down his face before freezing on his cheek and the Eye pulsed stronger.