The sword glinted in the bright sunlight, the deadly edge resting against
Elrond's throat.
"If you are so eager to kill me, why not do it?"
Aragorn stood strong, his stance a fighting one, the muscles in his arm bulging through the rich clothes he wore. Straining forward he pushed Anduril tighter against the delicate skin. Looking deeper in to his eyes Elrond saw conflict, as if Aragorn were fighting with some deeper urge locked inside.
*look at him, he stands proud under your sword, mocking your strength and superiority over him. He will not rest until he has Gondor as his own kingdom, now that we have been displaced he no longer sees a threat to the lives of his elves. He will seek to displace you and put the bitch Elf queen you want to marry in your place. He will destroy the race of Men, in the way he has always wished. The elves have been leaving these shores to regroup and build a great army that you could not overthrow. With your forces in disarray he will destroy you, forcing you in to servitude, making you in to the weaker race that he sees you as*
"No."
*Aragorn, you know I have never misled you thus far. Why would I start now? Now I am where I am I can help you, lead you, steer you clear of all those who would harm you. I can help you*
"No, I do not need your help, I do not desire it"
Elrond watched as Aragorn continued a conversation with the voice in his head. It was as Gandalf had feared, when Aragorn had come in to contact with Sauron through the Palantir somehow it had weakened Aragorn without him knowing it, leaving him open to assault.
*Look at him Aragorn, would you have him as your leader? Your King? Your Sovereign?*
Aragorn's eyes brightened then and in one swift move he re-sheathed his sword and looking in to the eyes of Lord Elrond he spoke clearly for his friend and the voice to hear.
"I would gladly have him as my leader, my King and my Sovereign at any time."
Reaching out Elrond grasped Aragorn's hand.
"Welcome home."
Smiling he turned away,
"How is our patient?"
At that moment one of the servants walked in, her arms full with wood, without making a sound she hurried over to the fireplace and dropped the wood in to the grate and began arranging it. Feeling his blood run cooler Aragorn stepped over to the girl, who quickly moved away. "Forgive me, I did not mean to speak so sharply to you. Thankyou." The girl looked up to meet his eyes, and turned away quickly. "Will ye still be needing the fire lit Sire?"
"Thankyou, but no . I will light it later."
Ducking her head she hurried out of the room, meeting the other girl on the way up, struggling with a large copper bath.
"Abbeth, Don't hurry about it, I think the pain of the last days has worn his temper short a little."
Sighing as she put the tub down Abbeth looked toward her friend.
"Well, if that is all it is going to take for us to feel the brunt of his temper, life hasn't changed much since the old Master's time." **********************************************************
Deep below the city Gandalf felt life return to his limbs, sitting cross legged in front of him of the floor sat Frodo, looking up at him with a curious expression written on his face.
"So many thoughts locked away in so small a place, however do you keep them in order?"
Reaching up he brushed his hand across his head, the throbbing filling his skull like the pounding of drums.
"But, then you are more talented that we, aren't you? You managed to stop us before we could do any real damage to the natural order of things."
"You say We"
Frodo stopped and tilted his head to one side quizzically, standing suddenly he looked deep in to Gandalf's eyes. For seconds there was nought but silence, and those eyes.
*what is he looking for?*
Smiling Frodo moved away and sat back down again.
"My dear Gandalf I look for nothing from you, I already have the knowledge that I need, I am sorry I suddenly feel the need to."
A whimper from the corner stopped Frodo mid sentence. Huddled in the corner clutching a large glass ball was Pippin, his face a blue hue where the light from the ball reflected. In it the large Blue Eye glowed out, fixed on Gandalf. Looking over to Frodo Gandalf saw something in his eyes, a glimmer of his own nature and temperament. Taking the second for his own Gandalf sprung out of the chair and hurried over to Pippin's side, knocking the ball from his hands he swept Pippin up and head for the door. Pip clutched tightly to Gandalf's robes burying his head in their thick folds. Brushing his hands through his hair Gandalf did his best to comfort him. *He is freezing* he thought in horror. Up ahead the stairwell glimmered with a murky light, marking the way out for them. As they drew closer, Gandalf's feet clattering as they hit the flagstones, he saw the light flicker and die. The stairwell become a liquid black space which writhed and moved. Pippin let out a scream and scrambled to get away.
"You won't escape that way my old Friend"
Stopping he clutched tight to Pippin who was trying desperately to get away from the protection he offered, eyeing the portal before him he saw it flex and move, almost as if it were trying to become something. As the movement grew in intensity Pippin let out one final scream and broke away, running in any direction just to get away. Feeling the air grow cold and dry Gandalf tried to get his body to move away, run as Pippin had, but no matter how hard he pushed, his limbs would not answer and stayed glued to the spot.
"If I were you, I would not stand there for too long, you are to tempting for them not to notice you"
The voice came from behind him, Frodo's voice, feeling something akin to hatred Gandalf fought to remind himself that this was not Frodo, he was not speaking, it was Sauron and Sauron alone.
"Gandalf? Are you listening to me? You may have fallen in to shadow once but this time you may not be able to find your way out again."
Hearing those words he remembered hearing something similar spoken to him only days ago, but by someone else? Suddenly the air seemed to freeze around him and time drag to a stop. Looking closer to the doorway Gandalf watched the rippling darkness grow thick and slow. It began to make something, a face. A beautiful but sad face, who's eyes were large and pleading, whispering words he could not hear Gandalf felt his blood freeze in his body. The face melted away to reveal another, equally as tragic and sorrowful and then that too melted to become another and another and another until they melted in to one larger face. That face held no sorrow or pity. The eyes were large and cold, malevolence shone out, sheer wickedness and cruelty and Gandalf knew that this was the face of the one who had condemned those others to suffering and torture.
"See Gandalf, see. See him and welcome him.Master"
Before terror could truly grip him Gandalf knew him, and knew him in all of his guises.
"Morgoth"
"If you are so eager to kill me, why not do it?"
Aragorn stood strong, his stance a fighting one, the muscles in his arm bulging through the rich clothes he wore. Straining forward he pushed Anduril tighter against the delicate skin. Looking deeper in to his eyes Elrond saw conflict, as if Aragorn were fighting with some deeper urge locked inside.
*look at him, he stands proud under your sword, mocking your strength and superiority over him. He will not rest until he has Gondor as his own kingdom, now that we have been displaced he no longer sees a threat to the lives of his elves. He will seek to displace you and put the bitch Elf queen you want to marry in your place. He will destroy the race of Men, in the way he has always wished. The elves have been leaving these shores to regroup and build a great army that you could not overthrow. With your forces in disarray he will destroy you, forcing you in to servitude, making you in to the weaker race that he sees you as*
"No."
*Aragorn, you know I have never misled you thus far. Why would I start now? Now I am where I am I can help you, lead you, steer you clear of all those who would harm you. I can help you*
"No, I do not need your help, I do not desire it"
Elrond watched as Aragorn continued a conversation with the voice in his head. It was as Gandalf had feared, when Aragorn had come in to contact with Sauron through the Palantir somehow it had weakened Aragorn without him knowing it, leaving him open to assault.
*Look at him Aragorn, would you have him as your leader? Your King? Your Sovereign?*
Aragorn's eyes brightened then and in one swift move he re-sheathed his sword and looking in to the eyes of Lord Elrond he spoke clearly for his friend and the voice to hear.
"I would gladly have him as my leader, my King and my Sovereign at any time."
Reaching out Elrond grasped Aragorn's hand.
"Welcome home."
Smiling he turned away,
"How is our patient?"
At that moment one of the servants walked in, her arms full with wood, without making a sound she hurried over to the fireplace and dropped the wood in to the grate and began arranging it. Feeling his blood run cooler Aragorn stepped over to the girl, who quickly moved away. "Forgive me, I did not mean to speak so sharply to you. Thankyou." The girl looked up to meet his eyes, and turned away quickly. "Will ye still be needing the fire lit Sire?"
"Thankyou, but no . I will light it later."
Ducking her head she hurried out of the room, meeting the other girl on the way up, struggling with a large copper bath.
"Abbeth, Don't hurry about it, I think the pain of the last days has worn his temper short a little."
Sighing as she put the tub down Abbeth looked toward her friend.
"Well, if that is all it is going to take for us to feel the brunt of his temper, life hasn't changed much since the old Master's time." **********************************************************
Deep below the city Gandalf felt life return to his limbs, sitting cross legged in front of him of the floor sat Frodo, looking up at him with a curious expression written on his face.
"So many thoughts locked away in so small a place, however do you keep them in order?"
Reaching up he brushed his hand across his head, the throbbing filling his skull like the pounding of drums.
"But, then you are more talented that we, aren't you? You managed to stop us before we could do any real damage to the natural order of things."
"You say We"
Frodo stopped and tilted his head to one side quizzically, standing suddenly he looked deep in to Gandalf's eyes. For seconds there was nought but silence, and those eyes.
*what is he looking for?*
Smiling Frodo moved away and sat back down again.
"My dear Gandalf I look for nothing from you, I already have the knowledge that I need, I am sorry I suddenly feel the need to."
A whimper from the corner stopped Frodo mid sentence. Huddled in the corner clutching a large glass ball was Pippin, his face a blue hue where the light from the ball reflected. In it the large Blue Eye glowed out, fixed on Gandalf. Looking over to Frodo Gandalf saw something in his eyes, a glimmer of his own nature and temperament. Taking the second for his own Gandalf sprung out of the chair and hurried over to Pippin's side, knocking the ball from his hands he swept Pippin up and head for the door. Pip clutched tightly to Gandalf's robes burying his head in their thick folds. Brushing his hands through his hair Gandalf did his best to comfort him. *He is freezing* he thought in horror. Up ahead the stairwell glimmered with a murky light, marking the way out for them. As they drew closer, Gandalf's feet clattering as they hit the flagstones, he saw the light flicker and die. The stairwell become a liquid black space which writhed and moved. Pippin let out a scream and scrambled to get away.
"You won't escape that way my old Friend"
Stopping he clutched tight to Pippin who was trying desperately to get away from the protection he offered, eyeing the portal before him he saw it flex and move, almost as if it were trying to become something. As the movement grew in intensity Pippin let out one final scream and broke away, running in any direction just to get away. Feeling the air grow cold and dry Gandalf tried to get his body to move away, run as Pippin had, but no matter how hard he pushed, his limbs would not answer and stayed glued to the spot.
"If I were you, I would not stand there for too long, you are to tempting for them not to notice you"
The voice came from behind him, Frodo's voice, feeling something akin to hatred Gandalf fought to remind himself that this was not Frodo, he was not speaking, it was Sauron and Sauron alone.
"Gandalf? Are you listening to me? You may have fallen in to shadow once but this time you may not be able to find your way out again."
Hearing those words he remembered hearing something similar spoken to him only days ago, but by someone else? Suddenly the air seemed to freeze around him and time drag to a stop. Looking closer to the doorway Gandalf watched the rippling darkness grow thick and slow. It began to make something, a face. A beautiful but sad face, who's eyes were large and pleading, whispering words he could not hear Gandalf felt his blood freeze in his body. The face melted away to reveal another, equally as tragic and sorrowful and then that too melted to become another and another and another until they melted in to one larger face. That face held no sorrow or pity. The eyes were large and cold, malevolence shone out, sheer wickedness and cruelty and Gandalf knew that this was the face of the one who had condemned those others to suffering and torture.
"See Gandalf, see. See him and welcome him.Master"
Before terror could truly grip him Gandalf knew him, and knew him in all of his guises.
"Morgoth"