SUES AND SWORDS
Disclaimer: (elerian) ::speculatively:: I could *say* I own Lord of the Rings... but I would be lying, and I would also get myself killed by rabid fangirls.
2. Of Comatose Canon-Killers and Run-ins with Elves
Never-ending dark, twisting passages lasting forever, the steady constant drip of what was presumably water. Footfall, footfall, steps echoing in the cavernous emptiness surrounding them. How long? But time was no longer real, becoming an immaterial, fictitious theory. And where? But was there ever anything else besides this to give 'where' a meaning; was there a life before this endless maze?
Different. Sounds... not the same as before...? There was a before. Yes. And these were the sounds of feet not theirs--for Lan, alert as ever, had already stopped and moved to the side. Karine found herself acquiescing, unaware of any choice she might have. She heard a harsh whisper... Lan... Amelan Sena, a fierce look in her eyes--but worry there, too. Why does she worry? She shouldn't worry. Nothing was wrong... nothing... nothing at all...
~~~
Amelan knew very little about medicine, but she could tell that Karine was in shock. And rightly so, for she had been dropped on her head, after all. But when Lan began to hear footsteps, she panicked. Orcs were the least helpful thing she could have around at the moment. As she looked out of the small fissure she had tucked them into, she heaved a sigh of relief. 'It's just the fellowship. THE FELLOWSHIP!?! If we're behind them, the bridge will crack before we can cross!'
Lan watched as the fellowship passed. 'One... two... three, four... five... six, seven, eight... Come on, nine, come on... no nine! Which can only mean...' She grabbed Karine's arm and pulled her along in the path of the fellowship.
Going was hard, as Lan was trying to support Karine, watch the fellowship, and be sure they weren't being followed by those who would be... less than helpful. Eventually, she managed to limp with Karine out of the doors. She watched as the fellowship began to diminish, then gently shook Karine, attempting to wake her from her reverie.
"C'mon, Karine," Lan muttered, "snap out of it. We're safe now, pretty much, but if you want to sleep and feel better then you have to start walking independently."
Karine mumbled something unintelligible ending in a moan--Lan thought she'd been saying "Kim now," but what sense would that make? Not that being sensible was at the top of Karine's list of worries at the moment, but... Lan pulled her mind away from the distracting train of thought. "Karine, you need to help me on this. Wake up! Please, Karine, wake up!" She shook her limp companion slightly harder, heaving a relieved sigh when her eyes squinted shut before gradually opening.
"In this... not real... good fanfiction..." Karine trailed off.
"What?"
Karine's eyes focused, and she sat up. "Oh..." she said. "I was just thinking that no good author would do this to characters in a fanfiction."
"You wrote, or read, or... you used fanfic? Who were you?"
"I write." Karine's eyes began to lose their focus, and Lan feared she was going to go back into shock. "Aragorn's wife."
"What? I don't... oh God! I know that penname! You were the Sue among Sues! The ones in denial hated you and called you a ditzy sue, and the other sues worshipped your fingers and the madness they typed! There were entire stories devoted to your slow and painful death. What did I do to deserve this?"
Karine's face wore a perplexedly sleepy expression. She yawned absently. "What?"
"You took this universe, turned it upside down, dumped its contents on the floor, and put them back together all wrong. If you so much as come near anyone both important and canonical, I will gravely injure you. Sues with no fingers cannot type. Now, come on, I don't want you to pass out here. You can go unconscious a bit further on. As much as I despise your stories, I absolutely refuse to be responsible for your murder--for now."
As Lan finished, Karine's eyes widened in shocked surprise. "I--you want to--what--but *why*?"
Lan glared at her companion. "I really don't feel like explaining right now, but if we manage to travel a decent distance before sundown, I'll think about it. Now, get up, and let's get moving."
Karine dazedly staggered to her feet, swaying slightly. Lan breathed a sigh of relief when suddenly, Karine shuddered, so startling Lan that for a moment she couldn't move. She watched, horrified, as Karine's figure slowly crumpled, strength failing so rapidly Lan could nearly see it leaking out of her. Hearing Karine's harsh, rapid breathing, she spurred her body into action, kneeling beside her twitching form. And Karine had slipped back into unconsciousness, leaving Lan stranded. She desperately cast about for possible solutions... even in an Elven body, she would still be too heavy to carry, and she had no other options!
Slowly, Lan bent to lift the other's body, propping her shoulder up first, and then leaning to encircle her waist. She had lifted Karine to a standing position when, to her astonishment, Karine's feet began to move of their own volition--stepping forwards, propelling them on. Lan, shocked, moved into step beside her, supporting the sleepwalking elf easily. Gradually they fell into a weird rhythm and they moved onward, ever onward....
~~~
It was almost dark and far down the Celebrant that Karine's steady steps began to slow, and finally stopped. Lan wearily supported her to the shade of a tree, sinking down against the rough bark. She sighed, tipping her head back against the trunk to look up at the strange stars, all differently arrayed than those on the world she called home. Lan was suddenly sorrowful, lonely for someone to talk to. She began to reminisce about her friends. Had they all freaked out by now, or were they just beginning to realize that she was not coming back for a while? She could hear her friends' voices and their individual reactions. 'Emmagin would pretend she didn't care, but would be panicking in her head. Cryss would have... no, no, I'm not going to think about it. I refuse to start impersonating my various friends and crying. It won't get me any closer to home.' But the one thing that could not be resisted with sword or willpower was her own heart, and the crystalline drops that spilled down her cheeks until she slept.
~~~
She woke with a start, sitting up as she noticed that the sun was halfway to noon. "Crap! Karine, wake up!" She stood and shook the comatose canon-killer. "We need to leave NOW!" Karine stirred, blinked, closed her eyes against the sun, and held out her arms for assistance in rising to her feet. Lan helped her, and they walked off together.
As they walked, Karine began to go back to sleep in fits, waking as she stumbled. Soon, however, the loud rumbles of her stomach made sleep impossible. She had been hungry at home, and after a few days, it wasn't any better. She was just beginning to contemplate what grass would taste like when a miracle occurred--Lan sighted Lothlórien.
"Look, Karine! Lórien! Food, shelter, rest; everything we could hope for under one canopy. Just keep going. We'll get there soon!" She tried to sound enthusiastic, but the fatigue in her voice leached it all away. Knowing this, she opted just to plod on, with the hope that in hours or days, they would be safe. And the hope that the power that lived there could get her home.
~~~
"Lan? Lan, what was that? I thought I... heard... saw..." Karine drifted back into semi-consciousness. Lan sighed, shaking her head solemnly. So the glimpses of movement and the quiet rustling had not been her imagination. Only elves or rangers were as stealthy, and rangers were not often near Lórien. Elves, then--but why would they reveal themselves to her? She wasn't nearly as adept at tracking as they were at eluding trackers--Lan wasn't prone to deceiving herself about the magnitude of her skills (unlike some others she might mention). Probably unlike Karine the comatose canon-killer... But all this speculation got her no closer to the reason that skilled wood elves would allow themselves to be seen by an intruder on their land. Well, one who was soon to be, anyway, she amended; 'At least, I hope we'll reach the Golden Wood soon...'
The trees began appearing more and more frequently, as the flashes began to grow less. She marveled at the beauty of the trees, and began to walk with her head tilted upwards rather than looking around. Which was how she managed to walk straight into an elf.
~~~
A sudden jolt shook Karine sharply into wakefulness. She groggily lifted her head, opening her eyes to a pair of shockingly bright points, which she eventually realized were eyes. Blue eyes, actually, and very pretty, too. But violent-looking, somehow--Karine wondered why. With a sharp intake of breath, the being--elf from the ears--began to speak, slowly, in Westron.
"My name is Celerion. I have been assigned especially to search for a pair of unescorted alien elven ladies... However, Our Lady failed to mention that one of these would be of failing health, and the other of extreme exhaustion. We stall have to detain you." He raised a hand to forestall Lan's shocked protestations. "Detain is perhaps too harsh a term to use in this instance--we do not intend to harm you, and will care for you, but you must remain in relative confinement until the Lady Galadriel has...met with you as she wished, if you are indeed the ones she seeks, or until she has given notice that you are to be released."
"Celerion!" Another melodious elven voice rang through Lórien. Karine's sore eyes picked out the figure of an elf moving swiftly towards the trio. He arrived at last, bow and quiver secured against his back. "I see you have located our guests."
"Yes, Rúmil—their physical condition leads be to believe that we shall require more aid from others on this outpost." Karine, in her initial surprise at Rúmil's rapid arrival, had failed to notice that Celerion had switched to Sindarin; she somehow understood the Elvish equally well. "How shall we make our way over the Celebrant?" he continued.
"Were we to enlist another's help, we might each carry one across the ropes," suggested Rúmil. "I would suggest he cross over first and secure the ropes; aside from that, we might make the rest of the journey on our own."
"We would require another to take back the ropes in any case. Would you like to locate someone, or shall I?"
"I'm the swifter runner; I intend to fetch Taurefëa. He, too, is swift, and we will return shortly."
"All speed, then; I will inform these two of our plans." Rúmil seemed to vanish as he ran off, and Celerion turned to us. Now Lan held up her hand to forestall him.
"If the same is true of my friend, there is no need--we understand ever word you say." Lan's voice was tentative, as if she, too, had difficulty believing her near-miraculous ability. Karine had known a bit of Sindarin and a few words in Quenya, but how reliable can the Internet be? She pondered her new language as she slipped once more into dreams.
"...out into her dreamworld again," Lan murmured, automatically supporting Karine's sagging body. She gently touched her companion's forehead, noting the sheen of sweat and the increased heat radiating from her body. "The fever is worse."
Celerion did not appear to have heard. "How is it you speak our tongue, and with such grace as if you were born to it?" This aspect of the pair fascinated him. "Few there are who can master the written forms, fewer still who can pronounce the delicate words of our language, especially without instruction."
"I don't know! I don't even know how I got here in the first place, my friend here is steadily growing weaker from fever and sickness, and you question how we communicate! I was at first grateful I could speak with an ally... and now I am not so sure how great a blessing this is. At the moment my first priority is seeing Karine alive and safely through... whatever it is she's suffering from. So would you *please* leave off with the questioning until we're ...I don't know, safe and sound, protected from any danger?!" Lan was fairly shocked at her own violent reaction to the elf's curiosity, so it was no wonder he recoiled so sharply from her tirade.
"My most sincere apologies, Lady...?" Celerion's voice, startled yet gentle, calmed Lan slightly--enough that she could bring herself to respond.
She drew in a breath; let it out again, slowly. "Amelan. Amelan Sena. And this is Karine... Erisil. As you may have inferred." She smiled wryly. "I should be the one to apologize for my outburst. It was a complete..." She searched for the word. "Overreaction. I... I'm tired from our stressful journey, having to bear Karine's weight for a while in addition to my own. I'm afraid it's been too much." She smiled again, this time revealing the strain of their journey in the tightness of her mouth and the dullness of her eyes. "I suppose... I suppose we'll be alright soon..."
Celerion helped her lean back against a broad tree trunk, lifting Karine from her tired arms. "Rúmil will return soon, and we can start moving again. That should help keep you awake, should it not? Ah--yes, he is coming... alone?"
The last word was said in confusion, to himself, and Lan saw the first signs of worry in his eyes. Then Rúmil appeared, once again as if by magic, though this time Lan easily detected anger and worry in his face. "Trouble?" asked Celerion.
"Trouble! Yes. Orcs dare to set foot in our blessed woods, darkening the clear waters of Nimródel. How is it that the foul creatures are found in fair Lórien?" Anger tinged his voice dark and passionate.
"I could not say, Rúmil. With relevance to our mission, I presume none could be spared of the sentry force?"
"None (save those who were previously occupied) are absent, and all aid is needed. Celerion, we must return and aid our brothers!"
Celerion looked weary, weighing his options. "We cannot. What, then, of these two if we seek out the fight? Our course is clear. We must lead them to our Lady."
Rúmil bowed his head in a gesture of acknowledgment. "Again are you in the right. We cannot forsake our duty."
~~~
After further conversation, they decided that he (the swifter) was to run ahead and enlist the help of an elf stationed on the far bank to set up the rope bridges. Celerion (the stronger) would then bear each of the two travelers across in turn, and Rúmil would return to the fight as he had wished. Rúmil took off, running in a manner that struck Amelan as distinctly gazelle-like. Lan and her companion set off after him at a decidedly slower pace, due to Celerion's burden and Lan's fatigue. Suddenly the world shifted to an angle not intended for flatlands, and Lan found herself looking up into the eyes of a rather startled Celerion. She realized that she had collapsed onto his shoulder, and jerked upright hastily, turning her head away though the memory of his deep blue eyes and handsome face framed by silver-gold hair remained with her.
She straightened her shirt and proceeded to walk beside him without assistance, although they both knew she was apt to collapse again at any moment. She ignored the questioning glance sent her way, continuing to weave through the trees, refusing to accept any suggestion that she might be unable to walk on her own. She did not see the smile on Celerion's face, nor the shake of his head at her ridiculous determination to walk on.
~~~
As they approached the rope bridge, Lan realized that there was no way she could cross on her own. Although her sense of balance was usually excellent, she knew better than to assume she could stay well-balanced enough to cross the rail-less bridge so fatigued.
"Stay here, and I will come back for you," Celerion whispered as he walked by, still carrying Karine's limp form. Lan merely nodded, an action that nearly caused her to fall over (and which, had she been more aware, she might have realized was likely meaningless to the elf anyway). She watched as Celerion crossed the bridge with ease, admiring the grace with which he walked.
When he returned and lifted her, her heart gave a slight lurch and she smiled, but the smile faded as she thought to herself, 'what am I doing? The exhaustion is really getting to me... I would NEVER act this daft if I weren't about to pass out. HONESTLY!' But still, she relished laying her head against him as he stepped off the bridge. As he set her down, a dizzy spell overtook her and she collapsed again. Though she protested feebly that she would be fine, and could walk perfectly well on her own, he would not hear of it.
"Rúmil, would you mind accompanying me back to our Lady carrying ...Karine? It appears that both our ladies will need to be carried." Lan might have resented the remark but for the fact that she was perfectly happy to be carried by *this* elf.
"I suppose if it is necessary, I can. Though I shall miss the chance to return to my post..."
"Good. Amelan here is slightly heavier, but if she recovers soon enough to walk, I will be glad to allow you to aid in the defense of our wood," said Celerion thankfully.
Rúmil bent and lifted Karine, whose head lolled idly from side to side. Her eyes fluttered, opening gradually, misty and unclear--'still clouded by dreams,' thought Lan. The warmth and comfort that Celerion's strong arms provided proved too much for her willpower to fight, and soon she drifted into dreams herself.
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Authoresses' notes:
(dmr) This is going to be interesting. I will be sure to derive much amusement from our initial stumblings, especially given that the average velocity of a projectile is entirely determined in using the equation...
(elerian) la-la-la-la-la. la-la-la-la-la. I can't hear you talking smart-person talk, la-la-la-la-la.
(dmr) ::sticks tongue out::
(elerian) ::radiating angelic innocence::
(dmr) ::-_-;:: Well... anyways... review! We actually need a bunch of Elvish names... two girls and a guy, at the moment...
(elerian) We do?
(dmr) Of course! One for the healer, one for the--murmph!
(elerian) Well, don't *tell* them!
(dmr) ::glare::
(elerian) Eh... guess it's time to leave now... ^.^; Review! Review! Review! Wheeeee!!!