I really want to thank all of my reviewers and I think It works best to
throw a disclaimer in this story somewhere. I suck with the non-ability to
remember things (Like disclaimers). Well here it is:
I do not own this,
Sam I am,
Eowyns NOT mine
nor is Spam.
So please don't kill me
and don't fill me,
full of lead,
As some might do, geez.
Sam I am.
I am Sam.
I like my wallet where it is,
damn!
I am not worthy,
so don't sue me.
All for you Tolkien.
I love you.
Good bye.
***
Faramir pulled his sword out of his sheave quicker than I could follow and motioned for Amaden to stand up slowly, "Don't you dare touch her. I don't want a hair on her hair touched or I will personally remove all of yours and some other things as well."
Amaden stood up with a look of positive fury on his face. "Do you dare threaten me? I don't suppose that you might be hiding an army behind that door?" He pointed behind Faramir.
Faramir blanched, "This wasn't part of the agreement when I signed on with you."
My jaw dropped. "What? And might I ask what exactly was the agreement, friend?"
Amaden bent down to give me a hand up, "Faramir do you always have to do everything at the wrong time? Hemoratoire Whenthen!" It sounded like a foreign curse in a different language. He looked at me with dangerous emerald eyes, anger not directly focused at me but still as dangerous as a deadly poisonous snake, "Persistence can get you killed. I have killed enough people for it, anyway. You might want to consider shutting your mouth for just a little while and listening instead."
"So tough." I stated in a whisper through gritted teeth. In my mind I told him, 'So tough, Guardian. You think you are so great don't you?'
Amaden looked to Faramir to give an explanation, "I heard you clattering down the hall with all that money in your pocket. By the sounds of it it seemed as if you were not a trained tracker so I automatically assumed that you were foe to us. That is why you saw me protecting Lady Eowyn on the floor."
There was an embarassed nod from Faramir but I got a bit angry at this answer, "Wait a minute you do not think that I could defend myself? I have a sword. I am the best swordsmaster in Rohan. You cannot doubt my abilities!" There I went again. Even though I was sure that this gruff elf was better than me I was bragging. Woe. Woe. Woe.
"Well Lady Malady. If I was to assume that anyone who was loud was unskilled it might have been the last mistake I made. Think about it. I will not argue with you anymore tonight. Let us go eat."
***
The dining hall that we first set up camp in was now dimmer in light than it had been when Amaden had dragged me off. The central light source had dimmed itself in what I assumed was a natural setting. The light seemed slightly orange in color like it would during sunset hours as it streamed out of the large globe in the center of the room. The 'sun'. Gandalf was pouring over some sort of book with rusty metal bindings and he looked up at us inconspicuously as we entered with a slight smile gracing his lips that was meant for only me. It seemed as if there was a secret intention to it, but I did bot understand what it was for. Gandalf looked back down at his book as if nothing had happened and he continued to read.
"Well the food maybe a little on the cold side but I can fix that for you."Faramir said with a grin trying to mend his miscalculations of ten minutes past. "It is surprising what this old kitchen has in it. I would be delighted to hear the history of it since it seems to be lacking a present set of occupants in it besides us."
I smiled, "Aliens, Faramir, creatures from another planet came here and set up a base on Middle Earth."
Faramir held the back of his hand to my forehead. "Are you sure you are feeling well?" He looked up at Amaden with a fierce look on his face, "I swear that if you did any thing to her to mess with her head or bend her will or anything like that I will personally make sure that you do not wake up in the morning. Feed yourself, the remains of dinner is on the counter. The hearth is already aflame and ready. Excuse me while I go hide in the corner and bang my head against the wall for my stupidity."
Amaden just nodded to him and headed into the kitchen nearly silhouetted by the light of the hearth. Frustratingly I forced myself to ignore my hunger pains as I chased after Faramir's receding form to a corner of the dimly light dining room. I was going to try and get some information out of him.
"Faramir, don't be like this. It isn't often that I see you so unhappy. What has happened? What aren't you telling me? You don't have to worry about Amaden. He won't hurt me. For some reason I trust him, I hate him with all my passion but I still happen to admire and trust him." I sat down next to my friend clasping his hands in mine.
Faramir stared down at his knees avoiding my eyes. His forehead knotted up in a furious pain as if someone had died or broken his heart. He didn't speak to me.
My, have I been stupid. Maybe I shouldn't be nagging him. I am not the only one with problems. I just want to know what they are! Maybe I can help him some how. Oh I hate to see him like this.
I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and whispered to him gently, "Don't be like this. Tell me what is wrong. I am here for you. You don't need to be so silly about it. Have I ever let you down in all our years together, friend? What I need to know now is what is happening here. I need your help so that I can be prepared to face what ever is coming to me. Frankly, Faramir I am afraid. I don't say it often but I really am afraid. What is going to happen to me? I have heard only half truths and lies and thick silence since I got pulled into this. I do not know if I am going to survive this if I do not even know what awaits us at the end of this wild goose chase." It was my turn to look at my knees. I had finally said it. I had said it with out alluding and with out sarcasm. I had told Faramir the truth and now I expected him to do the same for me.
I received the most unexpected response from my opening-up. Faramir smiled at me. It was a sad smile, heart rendingly sad, but it was genuine smile all the same. "Do not worry, Eowyn. I will make sure that you get through this in one piece. Or no more than two." He smiled impishly and ran his finger down the bridge of my nose, affectionately. "But I do not think that it is my place to tell you what your mission is. At the moment though I do not care. Amaden hasn't been very fair to you in all this. I think that you deserve to be given some respect," He crinkled his eyes up, "And I don't see any reason why you shouldn't know." He paused it seemed, just to reconsider for a second before with his hand still in mine and facing me more squarely he braced to tell me and face the consequences.
"Can't be good can it?" I said watching all his body signals to see what he was thinking.
"No really it isn't. We are," He drew in his breath, "We are going back to Rohan." He paused again. I knew that he would start stuttering if he didn't. It was his trademark since we were little to start stuttering in difficult predicaments.
"Nearly as bad as Mordor." I gulped my anger back down my throat. Simmering. I didn't want to blow up at Faramir. I couldn't. He didn't deserve to have me get angry at him. It wasn't his fault.... except that he came with us knowing this. He knew that he was going to be pulling me back to Grima and he even tagged along! He was bringing me back to that Snake. Did he have any idea what the Snake threatened to do to me if I returned? I didn't even want to think about it. I shuddered and then scowled at Faramir, patience forgotten I might as well have already decided to rip his face off and eat it.
"Eowyn." Faramir started trying to fix things up. "Eowyn." He started again with pain in his normal looking brown eyes.
He wasn't as good looking as his brother, Boromir, but he had always been my best friend. I could not allow myself to hurt him. No matter what he is doing to me, I would not hurt him. His intentions are not bad ones. I nearly went to embrace him, to tell him that I did not doubt him but I didn't. I turned to listen to his response instead.
He continued. "Eowyn, I isn't as it seems. I do not want you to get hurt in this.-"
Thank you mister obvious, hurry up and continue.
"-But Eowyn, it is for the best. I don't know if you know this, but Grima the Wormtongue is an agent of Mordor. He is working against us, gaining power in the heart if the land of men with unknown intentions. He is a spy trying to find information on what we are doing and he is trying to poison the king. Not just poison him but control him. Weaken him. Use him as a pawn."
"I knew this already. What can I do about it?"
"Let me finish. We know what he is doing! A maid who cleans both Grima and Theoden's rooms had noticed some suspicious things going on. More than just manipulating by words is going on."
"He is right." A sinister voice sounded from behind me. I turned around to see an Amaden who looked down right angry at the two of us next to a still smiling Mithrandir. Amaden stood over me like a tower of doom, and I thought that he would smack me but I didn't cower. "Grima has been using two potions. A mind controlling potion that slows the activities and consciousness of your father called perdis, which consists of matter from over seas, and a slow acting poison called Duentral which can be found in only Mordor as it has been banished from all other places."
Mithrandir, always to the point said, "Our job for you is for you to get into the inner sanctum of Wormtongue and retrieve these potions."
"What?" I glared at them but then thought of my father, and my glare became far less menacing, "Fine. I am sure, knowing that pervert that I can find a way in. How will I get out again?"
Faramir smiled, "It is dangerous indeed, but I am sure that we can find a way to help you out in that department. The people of Rohan are getting more and more uncomfortable with Wormtongue. They loathe him but they are afraid of him. We are positive that if they knew what we were doing that we could cause a revolt giving us time to go in and help you get out while Grima and his cohorts are busy with the regular people."
Mithrandir sat down next to Faramir and I, "Do not forget that Wormtongue has many spies everywhere. I am sure that there are spies even in the midst of the farmers. To be sure that Wormtongue is not made aware of our conspiracy we can only tell the most trusted and let them create the support groups for us with their better knowledge of what is going on. This is a dangerous job we have for you but you need to cooperate with us."
Amaden was the only person to remain standing. He looked down at us all, "We need to try it though. If this does not work then Grima will be allowed to build and develop Sauron's defenses cutting off our only defenses at surviving this war."
I stood up and looked Amaden right in the eye. My arms were folded defensively over my chest but I did not allow him to make me feel small... like a child. "Why me? Why not someone else with a little more experience? Why me of all people?"
His face darkened, "The answer to that should be simple, "You know him. You know Rohan. He wants you. He wants you more than anything. You are the only person who could get into his bedroom. You are therefore the only person who could fetch the potions. And for the least obvious of the reasons you need training for the future. You are stuck with me kid. You need to get used to that fact."
I sunk back down on to my chair. It was a hard chair but it was better than to stand.
***
Reviews please. I loved this chapter! Oh yes.. Plot comes in the plot goes out. Through my head and out my mouth. Or fingers should I say? Well I hope that things have cleared up for you some. This may not be so AU after all.
I do not own this,
Sam I am,
Eowyns NOT mine
nor is Spam.
So please don't kill me
and don't fill me,
full of lead,
As some might do, geez.
Sam I am.
I am Sam.
I like my wallet where it is,
damn!
I am not worthy,
so don't sue me.
All for you Tolkien.
I love you.
Good bye.
***
Faramir pulled his sword out of his sheave quicker than I could follow and motioned for Amaden to stand up slowly, "Don't you dare touch her. I don't want a hair on her hair touched or I will personally remove all of yours and some other things as well."
Amaden stood up with a look of positive fury on his face. "Do you dare threaten me? I don't suppose that you might be hiding an army behind that door?" He pointed behind Faramir.
Faramir blanched, "This wasn't part of the agreement when I signed on with you."
My jaw dropped. "What? And might I ask what exactly was the agreement, friend?"
Amaden bent down to give me a hand up, "Faramir do you always have to do everything at the wrong time? Hemoratoire Whenthen!" It sounded like a foreign curse in a different language. He looked at me with dangerous emerald eyes, anger not directly focused at me but still as dangerous as a deadly poisonous snake, "Persistence can get you killed. I have killed enough people for it, anyway. You might want to consider shutting your mouth for just a little while and listening instead."
"So tough." I stated in a whisper through gritted teeth. In my mind I told him, 'So tough, Guardian. You think you are so great don't you?'
Amaden looked to Faramir to give an explanation, "I heard you clattering down the hall with all that money in your pocket. By the sounds of it it seemed as if you were not a trained tracker so I automatically assumed that you were foe to us. That is why you saw me protecting Lady Eowyn on the floor."
There was an embarassed nod from Faramir but I got a bit angry at this answer, "Wait a minute you do not think that I could defend myself? I have a sword. I am the best swordsmaster in Rohan. You cannot doubt my abilities!" There I went again. Even though I was sure that this gruff elf was better than me I was bragging. Woe. Woe. Woe.
"Well Lady Malady. If I was to assume that anyone who was loud was unskilled it might have been the last mistake I made. Think about it. I will not argue with you anymore tonight. Let us go eat."
***
The dining hall that we first set up camp in was now dimmer in light than it had been when Amaden had dragged me off. The central light source had dimmed itself in what I assumed was a natural setting. The light seemed slightly orange in color like it would during sunset hours as it streamed out of the large globe in the center of the room. The 'sun'. Gandalf was pouring over some sort of book with rusty metal bindings and he looked up at us inconspicuously as we entered with a slight smile gracing his lips that was meant for only me. It seemed as if there was a secret intention to it, but I did bot understand what it was for. Gandalf looked back down at his book as if nothing had happened and he continued to read.
"Well the food maybe a little on the cold side but I can fix that for you."Faramir said with a grin trying to mend his miscalculations of ten minutes past. "It is surprising what this old kitchen has in it. I would be delighted to hear the history of it since it seems to be lacking a present set of occupants in it besides us."
I smiled, "Aliens, Faramir, creatures from another planet came here and set up a base on Middle Earth."
Faramir held the back of his hand to my forehead. "Are you sure you are feeling well?" He looked up at Amaden with a fierce look on his face, "I swear that if you did any thing to her to mess with her head or bend her will or anything like that I will personally make sure that you do not wake up in the morning. Feed yourself, the remains of dinner is on the counter. The hearth is already aflame and ready. Excuse me while I go hide in the corner and bang my head against the wall for my stupidity."
Amaden just nodded to him and headed into the kitchen nearly silhouetted by the light of the hearth. Frustratingly I forced myself to ignore my hunger pains as I chased after Faramir's receding form to a corner of the dimly light dining room. I was going to try and get some information out of him.
"Faramir, don't be like this. It isn't often that I see you so unhappy. What has happened? What aren't you telling me? You don't have to worry about Amaden. He won't hurt me. For some reason I trust him, I hate him with all my passion but I still happen to admire and trust him." I sat down next to my friend clasping his hands in mine.
Faramir stared down at his knees avoiding my eyes. His forehead knotted up in a furious pain as if someone had died or broken his heart. He didn't speak to me.
My, have I been stupid. Maybe I shouldn't be nagging him. I am not the only one with problems. I just want to know what they are! Maybe I can help him some how. Oh I hate to see him like this.
I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and whispered to him gently, "Don't be like this. Tell me what is wrong. I am here for you. You don't need to be so silly about it. Have I ever let you down in all our years together, friend? What I need to know now is what is happening here. I need your help so that I can be prepared to face what ever is coming to me. Frankly, Faramir I am afraid. I don't say it often but I really am afraid. What is going to happen to me? I have heard only half truths and lies and thick silence since I got pulled into this. I do not know if I am going to survive this if I do not even know what awaits us at the end of this wild goose chase." It was my turn to look at my knees. I had finally said it. I had said it with out alluding and with out sarcasm. I had told Faramir the truth and now I expected him to do the same for me.
I received the most unexpected response from my opening-up. Faramir smiled at me. It was a sad smile, heart rendingly sad, but it was genuine smile all the same. "Do not worry, Eowyn. I will make sure that you get through this in one piece. Or no more than two." He smiled impishly and ran his finger down the bridge of my nose, affectionately. "But I do not think that it is my place to tell you what your mission is. At the moment though I do not care. Amaden hasn't been very fair to you in all this. I think that you deserve to be given some respect," He crinkled his eyes up, "And I don't see any reason why you shouldn't know." He paused it seemed, just to reconsider for a second before with his hand still in mine and facing me more squarely he braced to tell me and face the consequences.
"Can't be good can it?" I said watching all his body signals to see what he was thinking.
"No really it isn't. We are," He drew in his breath, "We are going back to Rohan." He paused again. I knew that he would start stuttering if he didn't. It was his trademark since we were little to start stuttering in difficult predicaments.
"Nearly as bad as Mordor." I gulped my anger back down my throat. Simmering. I didn't want to blow up at Faramir. I couldn't. He didn't deserve to have me get angry at him. It wasn't his fault.... except that he came with us knowing this. He knew that he was going to be pulling me back to Grima and he even tagged along! He was bringing me back to that Snake. Did he have any idea what the Snake threatened to do to me if I returned? I didn't even want to think about it. I shuddered and then scowled at Faramir, patience forgotten I might as well have already decided to rip his face off and eat it.
"Eowyn." Faramir started trying to fix things up. "Eowyn." He started again with pain in his normal looking brown eyes.
He wasn't as good looking as his brother, Boromir, but he had always been my best friend. I could not allow myself to hurt him. No matter what he is doing to me, I would not hurt him. His intentions are not bad ones. I nearly went to embrace him, to tell him that I did not doubt him but I didn't. I turned to listen to his response instead.
He continued. "Eowyn, I isn't as it seems. I do not want you to get hurt in this.-"
Thank you mister obvious, hurry up and continue.
"-But Eowyn, it is for the best. I don't know if you know this, but Grima the Wormtongue is an agent of Mordor. He is working against us, gaining power in the heart if the land of men with unknown intentions. He is a spy trying to find information on what we are doing and he is trying to poison the king. Not just poison him but control him. Weaken him. Use him as a pawn."
"I knew this already. What can I do about it?"
"Let me finish. We know what he is doing! A maid who cleans both Grima and Theoden's rooms had noticed some suspicious things going on. More than just manipulating by words is going on."
"He is right." A sinister voice sounded from behind me. I turned around to see an Amaden who looked down right angry at the two of us next to a still smiling Mithrandir. Amaden stood over me like a tower of doom, and I thought that he would smack me but I didn't cower. "Grima has been using two potions. A mind controlling potion that slows the activities and consciousness of your father called perdis, which consists of matter from over seas, and a slow acting poison called Duentral which can be found in only Mordor as it has been banished from all other places."
Mithrandir, always to the point said, "Our job for you is for you to get into the inner sanctum of Wormtongue and retrieve these potions."
"What?" I glared at them but then thought of my father, and my glare became far less menacing, "Fine. I am sure, knowing that pervert that I can find a way in. How will I get out again?"
Faramir smiled, "It is dangerous indeed, but I am sure that we can find a way to help you out in that department. The people of Rohan are getting more and more uncomfortable with Wormtongue. They loathe him but they are afraid of him. We are positive that if they knew what we were doing that we could cause a revolt giving us time to go in and help you get out while Grima and his cohorts are busy with the regular people."
Mithrandir sat down next to Faramir and I, "Do not forget that Wormtongue has many spies everywhere. I am sure that there are spies even in the midst of the farmers. To be sure that Wormtongue is not made aware of our conspiracy we can only tell the most trusted and let them create the support groups for us with their better knowledge of what is going on. This is a dangerous job we have for you but you need to cooperate with us."
Amaden was the only person to remain standing. He looked down at us all, "We need to try it though. If this does not work then Grima will be allowed to build and develop Sauron's defenses cutting off our only defenses at surviving this war."
I stood up and looked Amaden right in the eye. My arms were folded defensively over my chest but I did not allow him to make me feel small... like a child. "Why me? Why not someone else with a little more experience? Why me of all people?"
His face darkened, "The answer to that should be simple, "You know him. You know Rohan. He wants you. He wants you more than anything. You are the only person who could get into his bedroom. You are therefore the only person who could fetch the potions. And for the least obvious of the reasons you need training for the future. You are stuck with me kid. You need to get used to that fact."
I sunk back down on to my chair. It was a hard chair but it was better than to stand.
***
Reviews please. I loved this chapter! Oh yes.. Plot comes in the plot goes out. Through my head and out my mouth. Or fingers should I say? Well I hope that things have cleared up for you some. This may not be so AU after all.
