Inside the Beast
By tHe InSaNe OnE
AN- *kisses reviewers feet* Thank you for being so patient. Here is the next chapter of my story. It was supposed to be posted on Friday but then FF.net decided to start moving things and I couldn't post! *cries* Thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews......
Many thanks to shirebound for pointing out my mistakes in the last chapter. I am very sorry for all the typos and misspellings and other things. They were corrected but still, it was bad on my part.
How old is Aragorn in this story? Mid to late eighties...this is an event that Tolkien spoke of in the appendixes but didn't go into detail about.....SOOO, here I am writing about it ^_^.
Many thanks! Enjoy the chapter!
~*~
"Water in pool, is nice and cool," Sméagol sang happily, as he waded into the small lake as far as his bindings would allow. The water was soothing compared to the heat that that had yet to end. It was still radiating down from the evil, yellow orb in the sky, giving Sméagol no mercy. His skin was sore, for he was only used to traveling during the night and hiding in holes during the day. But, even as burned as he was, he wasn't even half as ill as the man.
His large eyes flickered over to his captor for a second. No, not close to as bad as the man. The man's face was a bright red color, and Sméagol knew that it wasn't just from the sun. The dark color beneath his eyes had spread, and it gave the man a haunted look. His skin, where it was not dark or red, was a pallid color. He trembled, and stumbled as they walked, and his eyes had acquired a glazed look. Sméagol knew what this meant, and so did the voice.
The man wasn't going to last much longer. Soon, escape would come.
But Sméagol was not sure if he wanted to leave the man all by himself. The voice insisted that it was the only way but something tugged at Sméagol's heart. The man had taken care of him, had been kind to him, and had been there for him. No one else had ever done that for him, with the exception of the voice. But the voice was not always kind. It had a deceitful, untrusting way about it that scared Sméagol sometimes. But the man seemed genuine. How could he leave the man?
"You mussst leave, precious. You do not havee to kill it, noosss," the voice cooed. "Nosss, do not kills it, just leavees it. It will die on itss own, yesss?"
Sméagol shuddered. "But he takessss cares of usss! He isss good to usss!"
"But he issss keeping us prisssoner, my precioussss! We do not want to be prisssoner," the voice argued, almost angry.
Sméagol ignored it for a second, spotting a large fish swimming close to him. He wiggled his long fingers in a worm like way. The scaled creature came closer, half in curiosity and perhaps, because it was a bit hungry. Sméagol waited patiently for it to swim right up to his hands and then, with lightning speed grabbed the slippery animal. Holding onto it tightly, he pulled it from the water and tossed it onto the shore. It flopped for a few seconds, before going limp.
Letting out a war whoop, Sméagol ran out of the water and crouched beside the fish, inspecting it carefully. Its eyes were bulging and its mouth opened and shut as it slowly suffocated. Sméagol grinned to himself, picked it up in his mouth. A good fish meant a good dinner. He slowly crawled over to the man, sat down then, he shook himself in a very dog like way, soaking his companion.
Aragorn scowled at Sméagol. The creature didn't pay any attention to him, however, for it was engrossed in its fish. Sighing, Aragorn slouched down onto the ground again. The water had felt good on his burning body, but he wasn't going to tell Sméagol. He couldn't let it know that he was weakening. It would use that to its advantage and would escape before he could do a thing.
But, even though he was hiding it, the fact was that Aragorn was getting weaker by the minute. His head hurt, and the rest of his body ached fiercely. A fire burned outside him but inside, he was freezing as though he had swallowed ice. Exhaustion had become so much a part of him that he barely realized that he was on the verge of collapsing. The hunger pains that had once bothered him had disappeared and the thirst that he had felt barely lingered.
"Eats some?" The question snapped him back to reality. Sméagol was looking at him with curiosity, a bit of fish in its hand.
"Nay, Sméagol, but you have my thanks," Aragorn responded, sitting up. The sun was going down, and they had to move on. Oh, how he wanted to just continue to lie there and sleep forever.
"Man iss sssure?" Aragorn turned to the creature and studied its eyes.
There was something he had realized about Sméagol when the creature had started being friendly. Sometimes, the goodness was genuine, and Sméagol really wanted to help. His eyes were innocent, large and eagerly awaiting praise and thanks. But other times, slyness replaced the innocence and eagerness was replaced by deceit. Now was one of those times. It was almost as though a totally different part of Sméagol had taken over the creature.
"Yes, I am sure," Aragorn replied, uncertainly. Gandalf had said that the creature as known as Gollum and yet, his other name was Sméagol. Perhaps, the gentle side was Sméagol and this other side was Gollum. "Come now, we are going."
His eyes focused on the horizon where the woods of Mirkwood were appearing. They had been lingering there all day, taunting the man. They never got closer, if anything, they moved further away. Aragorn shook his head to clear it. No, they were getting closer and he would be there by the next morning at the latest. Then, there was the two day travel to the palace of Thranduil and his job would be done.
Tugging on Sméagol's lead, he started his weary trudge once more.
~*~
Legolas Greenleaf laughed merrily at the bantering of his two friends. Bellmaethor and Saelmin were having another one of their famous arguments. The arguments themselves were known all through Mirkwood, mostly because of how they could be heard all over the forest; they were also known for their strange variety of topics. This one was no different from the others.
"Ah! But I do not need to be as fair as you to win Sell Amloth's heart!" Bellmaethor exclaimed, grinning provokingly at Saelmin. "After all, just look at my name, Bellmaethor! Strong warrior, my friend, and she will want a strong warrior for a husband."
"Well, I believe your parents misnamed you, oh strong one," replied Saelmin, unaffected by the other's comment. "Or am I wrong when I say that the last time we faced orcs, you ran away screaming like a little girl." Bellmaethor scowled deeply. "Besides, we both know that Amloth is an exceptional fighter. She doesn't need protection; she needs someone who can give her wisdom. Maybe like, me?" Saelmin, the wise one, smiled happily at Bellmaethor, the strong warrior.
"Oh, come now, we both know that she is very smart as well. Beautiful, smart, a warrior. She does not need someone to amplify her pretty features, or her intelligence. She needs someone who can understand her warrior side," Bellmaethor argued. "So, obviously, she needs me."
"Now, don't flatter yourself," Saelmin answered, sounding annoyed. A sly grin crossed his face all the sudden, and Bellmaethor gave him a strange look. Saelmin, the wise, turned around, shifting on his horse so he could speak to Legolas. "Perhaps we should ask you Legolas. What think you? The warrior or the smart one?"
Legolas rolled his eyes. "I think Amloth would castrate the both of you."
"WHAT?!" the two of them shouted in unison.
"Well," Legolas said, smiling at them. "Amloth is my good friend, and we've known each other a long time. When we were young, she swore that any man who tried to betroth her would......how did she put it? Oh, yes, 'loose his manhood painfully'. Beautiful, yes; smart, of course; warrior, most definitely. She is evil and dangerous, my friends. I think that she is better off on her own."
His two friends looked at each other, and identical looks of horror appeared on their faces. Legolas broke down laughing again, leaning helplessly against his horse. The beast turned its head, its eyes questioning its master's laughter. Legolas patted his nose, still giggling.
"I didn't know she was violent," Saelmin whispered to Bellmaethor.
"Neither did I!" Bellmaethor replied, his eyes huge.
"Perhaps we should stick to Arwen."
"I think so."
"Too late, my friends!" Legolas said, startling them. "She is already betrothed!"
Saelmin sighed exasperatedly. "We just can't win, can we?"
"No, you cannot. You two are always a step behind!" Legolas chuckled. "But, even if there was a chance that a maid would take interest in either of you, she would soon forget."
"And why is that?" Bellmaethor asked suspiciously.
"Because everyone knows I have twice your looks, I am ten times a better hunter and no one is as smart as me," the prince exclaimed, moving away quickly to avoid being swatted.
"Oh, of course, Legolas. You are the perfect model of what any elf should be," Bellmaethor said sarcastically. Legolas had a come back on his lips but was stopped by Saelmin.
Saelmin was looking off into the forest, his blue-grey eyes focusing on something in the distance. Pushing a few strands of blonde hair from his face, he turned to his companions.
"We are not alone," he commented grimly. "Something comes, and by its heavy footsteps, it is either a man or an orc."
Legolas tensed, turning his gaze towards the figure in the distance. He could not make it out clearly, for it was still far away. It walked like an orc, but what would an orc be doing traveling all alone?
"Let's see what this thing is!" Legolas faced his horse in the direction of the approaching creature. "ONWARD!"
"Are you crazy?" Bellmaethor questioned, as he followed both Saelmin and Legolas.
"Might be." Legolas grinned to himself. The thing was getting closer and closer and it was taking the shape of a man. Good, time to just scare the man out of the woods of Mirkwood and then, they could continue their ride home.
Saelmin rode in front of Legolas, mostly because it was his job to protect his prince and partially because he knew it annoyed his friend. Legolas scowled at his back, and stuck out his tongue childishly.
"Honestly, Saelmin, the more you treat me like a prince, the more I feel like a child," Legolas pouted, crossing his arms.
"I know!" Saelmin replied with a smirk. "That's why I do it!"
They soon rode up beside the stumbling human, and dismounting, they hid in the foliage. Legolas narrowed his eyes as the human limped on, completely unaware of their presence. This man dressed in the garb of a ranger, and yet, he acted like an untrained boy. A ranger would be on guard at all times, and would know that he was not alone.
"Who wants to greet our friend?" the prince asked, turning to the two beside him. Bellmaethor looked a bit frightened and Saelmir simply shrugged.
"I will, my lord," the wise one said, and he crept from his hiding spot. Legolas watched carefully as Saelmir skulked through the trees and finally jumped out in front of the man.
"Who enters the woods of the Elf King?" Saelmin demanded in his most blank and cool voice. His bow was loaded with a single arrow pointing directly at the man's head. The man stared for a few seconds and did not respond until.
"Do not let it hurtssss ussss!" A voice squealed, making both Saelmin and the man start. Saelmin released his arrow, and it flew just above the man's head. The man lurched backwards, and the hood of his cloak fell off, revealing a travel worn face. A creature slunk into view behind the man, and Legolas pondered how he could've missed it. It wasn't something someone would miss on a usual scan of the woods. He didn't ponder it long however, for the next thing he focused on was the man's face.
"Aragorn!" he cried, bursting forth from the bushes. Aragorn's slumped figure straightened slightly at the familiar voice.
"Legolas?" The look of utter bewilderment on the man's face showed that he was not all there. His eyes held a glazed look, and his face was flushed. Legolas pushed past Saelmin and pulled the man into a hug.
"Suil, nin mellon!" the elf cried, pulling out of the hug, his hands resting lightly on the man's shoulders. It shocked him how old Aragorn looked. "It has been a long time."
"Mae govannen, Legolas," Aragorn mumbled, his eyes still not showing comprehension. He was leaning heavily upon the elf as though he could not stand on his own. "Yes, very long."
Legolas had learned long ago what this meant. "You are not well."
"Legolas?" Bellmaethor questioned, desperately trying to get the prince's attention. Both he and Saelmin were staring at the same spot.
Legolas ignored his elven friend, his attention fully on Aragorn.
"Nay, I suppose not," Aragorn replied sleepily. A small, erratic giggle escaped his lips. "I never seem to be when I come here." And he laughed a bit more, his head bowed slightly. The laughter seemed to die rather quickly however, and soon Legolas found that Aragorn was crying. Legolas knew that the situation was worse than he had originally thought......
During this time period, both Bellmaethor and Saelmin had been trying to get their prince's attention. They both had repeated his name over and over, but Legolas seemed too absorbed with the ill human to pay attention to anyone else. They watched as he slowly lowered the man to the ground and started speaking softly to him. They waited for him to give some sort of acknowledgement to their presence. He didn't.
"LEGOLAS!" Saelmir yelled, giving into his utter exasperation and horrification. Legolas' head shot up immediately. Saelmir was not one to yell.
"What is it?" The prince asked with quite a bit of annoyance. Both Bellmaethor and Saelmin pointed mutely to the creature they had been taking in.
Legolas looked down at the gangly creature once more. It was cowering away from both of his other companions and huddling next to Aragorn. It was pale, and thin, looking as though it did not eat often or enough. Its wide golden eyes stared around, terror filling them. It was mumbling unceasingly about something or another, fiddling with Aragorn's tunic sleeve.
"What are you?" Legolas questioned, his worry giving his voice an edge.
"Do not lettsss them hurt usss, precious!" the creature sobbed, pulling harder on Aragorn's shirt. "Do not lettsss them."
"Legolas...." Legolas glance down at Aragorn. The man looked like he was trying to say something important but he couldn't find the words.
"Rest, my friend. You can tell me later," Legolas soothed, wondering why his friend had such a creature with him.
"But I must......." Aragorn paused closing his eyes. "I must talk to Thranduil....must finish...the job......Mithrandir said......." Slowly, he was passing into the land of unconsciousness. He reached out and grabbed Legolas' wrist, trying to focus. "Don't hurt Sméagol.......Gandalf...said........." But he did not manage to say another word and his hand fell limply to his side.
Legolas looked down at the creature called Sméagol wondering why on earth Aragorn would not want him to put it out of its misery. But, if Aragorn truly wanted it alive, then he would let it live.
"Yessss, don't hurtsss usss, elfsiees," Sméagol begged, cowering. "Lisssten, to the nice man, preciousss."
"Hush yourself, and we will leave you be," Legolas snapped, as he turned his attention back to his fallen friend.
He could not find any wounds other than for a rather deep cut in the man's left hand, and the bruising on his right. Aragorn seemed relatively alright. What could possibly make him so weak? Sick. That was it. Aragorn was ill. Legolas scowled unhappily, knowing that this was not a good thing. He knew very little about human illness and the healers at his home knew next to nothing.
"Are you sure we can't kill it?" Saelmin asked with disgust, using one of his daggers to poke at Gollum.
"No, bring it with us, but do not harm it," Legolas commanded. He removed the rope from around Estel's hand and grimaced. Slowly, he handed it to Saelmin. "We will see what this is about."
"My lord, what is wrong with him?" Bellmaethor asked tentatively, pity gracing his features as he looked at the human.
Legolas shifted Aragorn and slowly stood up. The man felt light in his arms, and if it was possible for his worry to grow any more, it did.
"Many things, Bellmaethor, many things," Legolas replied, walking back towards his horse. "Let's move away from here and find a place to set up camp. I get an ill feeling from this place."
He only wished he knew more.
~*~
TBC...
~*~
To My Reviewers:
Lina Skye- YOU! I have a bone to pick with you!! Urgh! You go and get me addicted to your fics and then decide that you have too much work to update often!! AIE! What am I supposed to do? *sniffles* They are so good and I am stuck here waiting like some crazy person. ^_~ But on a more serious note, they are good enough that I can wait. Yes, Aragorn does seem prone to not taking care of himself. Stupid ranger. ^_^ But things can only get better.....right? Thank you so much for your review!
Elizabeth Goode- *falls over* x_x.....OMG! It's YOU! Wow! That's so cool! You wrote one of my all time favorite fics! Ah! Thank you so much for your review! I feel so honored!
shirebound- Many apologies and many thanks. I went back and corrected all the things that you pointed out (and smacked myself for missing them when I went through it the first six times) and reposted the chapter. Thank you very much for that........I don't know how I could've missed them..... So, you liked that line? I was trying to put a bit of light hearted nature into the story. As you can see, I have a hard time torturing people without a bit of humor! ^__^ Still love your stories and can't wait for your next updates. Thanks so much for your review!
Mouse- ^_^ Well, you deserve the dedication! You put up with my other stories! You read them, you reviewed them, and you deserve dedications.....^_^ Mwahahaha..... Well, this story is continued as you wanted it to be! ^_^ Thanks for your review!
Emmithar- Ewww... a bacterial infection! Those are terrible... I don't usually get sick, so I am a wimp when I do manage to catch something. I've had the flu already this year (over Christmas break) and I was a baby during that. I had some sort of pneumonia related thing last summer and I had a reason to be a baby then... ^_^ But I'm getting better now. I hope you are too because you need to write more : P! ^_^ You deserve the dedication, nin mellon. You have faithfully read all my fics and I feel honored by it! As you can see, there will be more chapters to this story and Legolas will never let Aragorn live this down. ^_~ Mwahahahaha! ^_^ Well, keep writing, nin mellon! Take care, enjoy being well! Thanks for the review.
Elladan- Yes, it would've been too easy for Aragorn just to eat the fish. As you can see, Sméagol is still trying to get him to eat and is still having difficulties. ^_^ Can't make to many things easy for our hero.... It was my pleasure to read your stories! ^_^ You're an excellent writer and I cant wait until you post something new. Reviewing is the best part of reading for me. I like to talk. It's a family trait! ^_^ So, reviews are fun! Thank you very much for all the reviews that you give me! I am so honored!
HobbitsRFun- LoL! Yes, I suppose Elrond is mean, but what is going to happen in the end.....hmmm... Mwahahaha! Well, we will never know until that chapter rolls round, now will we! Gollum is fun. I think he's my favorite part of this story. I only wish I could portray him better. ^_^ Thank you for your review! I'm going to see if you posted.......
Melissa- ^_^ You could feel sorry for the both of them! Aragorn is all sick and he's probably on his death bed if you think about it! ^_^ I'd feel sorry for Sméagol, not Gollum. Gollum is too devious. Sméagol is just like a little lost child. ^_^ Hope you liked the chapter! Thanks for the review!
mbali- Well, he sort of had to have a heart, now didn't he? After all, he looked after Sam and Frodo through out the TTT. That shows, that deep down, there is some goodness in that little corrupted heart of his. And since that goodness could not just appear all of the sudden, I've decided it started when he was in the care of Aragorn! ^_^ Mwahaha. Thank you very much for your review!
Sue- ^_^ Yes, you are very demanding. You and Nili are two of the most demanding people I know! *sighs* You people ^_~. LoL. I judge Aragorn as a more compassionate type as well, but since he is sick, and he can't do anything to make Sméagol happy, he has to be a bit annoyed, right? Ah, the fallout between father and son....hmm, well, I'll tell you a secret. Since this takes place so close to Lord of the Rings, there is very little make up between Elrond and Estel. I will have a scene with them at the end, just before Aragorn takes off to the Shire. You will see then, nin mellon. Much apologies for how long this took. It was supposed to be up Friday and then all of the sudden, FF.net got weird again! Well, it's here now, and the next chapter is being written! Many thanks for the review and the demands.
Carrie- ^_^ Well, Aragorn has not slept for many a day or eaten for many a day, but he's sleeping now. Two Men and a Thorn Bush? Mwahaha, well, as you know, that one is being written. A few odd things have pushed their way into the story. Drunk twins, strange lines from Shakespeare, but hey, weird things make the world go 'round. I mean, fanfiction is weird, and I would die without it! LoL, thank you very much for your review! *sobs* I cried when I read "Remember"......
Kawaii BlueBear- ^_^ I am all better now! It's all thanks to your chicken soup and tea! Thank you very much for them! You like Sméagol too? Lot's of people like Sméagol....It makes me happy! ^_^ Thank you very much for the review! Post some more of your stories soon!
Nili- *giggles* Well, unfortunately, my mother would not let me stay home after I caught the plague. The chapter was written but I was unable to post it do to the stupidity of FF.net! *sighs* I wish I had known that it was going to shut itself down on the fourteenth.... that would've been too much to ask for though. Well, Aragorn has reached Legolas but it seems like the prince is unable to help him much..... *sighs* What a shame! *runs away screaming as Nili sicks Fred senior senior on her* AIE! Okay! SO MAYBE LEGOLAS CAN DO SOMETHING! *pats Gollum on the head* Now, now, no need for such violence......She's a reviewer. You must be nice to her! More of your story soon. Me demand. ^_^ Me thank for review.
Freakizimi- ^_^ I am glad you enjoy it, oh faithful reviewer of mine! ^_^ Thanks for the review! Hoped you enjoyed this chapter as well!
Alilacia- ^_^ You deserve to be amongst the dedicated people! Mwahahaha, ^_^ After all, you've read my stories and you deserve the glory! I am so happy when famous authors take time to read my works! Ehehe, I loved the Forbidden Pool seen! It's so cute. Well, Aragorn is in good hands now. Very sick, very tired but in good hands. ^_^ Hopefully, everything will turn out okay.....right? ^_^ I love Sméagol. He's so innocent and so easily controlled. I think that he is just mislead by the Gollum side of him. Misunderstood, mislead *hugs Sméagol* my poor baby. ^_^ Well, sorry to keep you waiting so long! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Kaeera- Mwahaha, yes much Aragorn angst. I enjoy Aragorn angst. Actually, I don't really know why I torture Elladan...It's just enjoyable. ^_^ You deserved to be mentioned, oh great reviewer and writer! EVERYONE GO READ KAEERA'S STORY!!! *coughs* Sorry for that strange lapse. So, French and German are worse? Italian is pretty bad in its own way. I think there are many forms of 'the'.... can't remember how many.... let's see (la, il, lo, l', las, los....the list goes on....). Maybe my teachers are wrong.....hmmm....mwahahaha, well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I am off to write the next one. Thank you very much for the review!
Anita- So, you're sick? You poor baby! *gives some chicken soup and Elrond* Get better soon. I wanna see the next chapter of your story! I think I would probably faint if someone threw a dead fish at me. I hate fish *shivers*. I'm really glad you liked the Sméagol/Gollum conversation. There should be more of that soon! ^__^ It's good to know I'm getting it right. ^_^ Mwahaha, thanks for the review!
Ciria- ^_^ Don't you love it when you get back and everyone has posted? I love it. Makes me feel loved! ^_^ Mwahaha. Well, this one has about two more chapters, I think. Not much more than that. ^_^ The next chapter of Two Men and a Thorn Bush should be up any day now. Soon as I finish writing it! Well, we will see who has truly won the battle between Sméagol/Gollum in the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Many thanks for the review!
Elwen- Star Maiden- ^_^ Here's your chapter Elwen! Hope you enjoyed it! Thank you for the review!
estelcontar- I will take it to the end! Do not worry, nin mellon, I have only given up on three fics in my entire life, which is pretty good for me! *grins evilly* ^_^ Thank you for the compliments and don't worry, the next chapter should be up more quickly!
Thanks for all the reviews! I'll go away now! ^_^
By tHe InSaNe OnE
AN- *kisses reviewers feet* Thank you for being so patient. Here is the next chapter of my story. It was supposed to be posted on Friday but then FF.net decided to start moving things and I couldn't post! *cries* Thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews......
Many thanks to shirebound for pointing out my mistakes in the last chapter. I am very sorry for all the typos and misspellings and other things. They were corrected but still, it was bad on my part.
How old is Aragorn in this story? Mid to late eighties...this is an event that Tolkien spoke of in the appendixes but didn't go into detail about.....SOOO, here I am writing about it ^_^.
Many thanks! Enjoy the chapter!
~*~
"Water in pool, is nice and cool," Sméagol sang happily, as he waded into the small lake as far as his bindings would allow. The water was soothing compared to the heat that that had yet to end. It was still radiating down from the evil, yellow orb in the sky, giving Sméagol no mercy. His skin was sore, for he was only used to traveling during the night and hiding in holes during the day. But, even as burned as he was, he wasn't even half as ill as the man.
His large eyes flickered over to his captor for a second. No, not close to as bad as the man. The man's face was a bright red color, and Sméagol knew that it wasn't just from the sun. The dark color beneath his eyes had spread, and it gave the man a haunted look. His skin, where it was not dark or red, was a pallid color. He trembled, and stumbled as they walked, and his eyes had acquired a glazed look. Sméagol knew what this meant, and so did the voice.
The man wasn't going to last much longer. Soon, escape would come.
But Sméagol was not sure if he wanted to leave the man all by himself. The voice insisted that it was the only way but something tugged at Sméagol's heart. The man had taken care of him, had been kind to him, and had been there for him. No one else had ever done that for him, with the exception of the voice. But the voice was not always kind. It had a deceitful, untrusting way about it that scared Sméagol sometimes. But the man seemed genuine. How could he leave the man?
"You mussst leave, precious. You do not havee to kill it, noosss," the voice cooed. "Nosss, do not kills it, just leavees it. It will die on itss own, yesss?"
Sméagol shuddered. "But he takessss cares of usss! He isss good to usss!"
"But he issss keeping us prisssoner, my precioussss! We do not want to be prisssoner," the voice argued, almost angry.
Sméagol ignored it for a second, spotting a large fish swimming close to him. He wiggled his long fingers in a worm like way. The scaled creature came closer, half in curiosity and perhaps, because it was a bit hungry. Sméagol waited patiently for it to swim right up to his hands and then, with lightning speed grabbed the slippery animal. Holding onto it tightly, he pulled it from the water and tossed it onto the shore. It flopped for a few seconds, before going limp.
Letting out a war whoop, Sméagol ran out of the water and crouched beside the fish, inspecting it carefully. Its eyes were bulging and its mouth opened and shut as it slowly suffocated. Sméagol grinned to himself, picked it up in his mouth. A good fish meant a good dinner. He slowly crawled over to the man, sat down then, he shook himself in a very dog like way, soaking his companion.
Aragorn scowled at Sméagol. The creature didn't pay any attention to him, however, for it was engrossed in its fish. Sighing, Aragorn slouched down onto the ground again. The water had felt good on his burning body, but he wasn't going to tell Sméagol. He couldn't let it know that he was weakening. It would use that to its advantage and would escape before he could do a thing.
But, even though he was hiding it, the fact was that Aragorn was getting weaker by the minute. His head hurt, and the rest of his body ached fiercely. A fire burned outside him but inside, he was freezing as though he had swallowed ice. Exhaustion had become so much a part of him that he barely realized that he was on the verge of collapsing. The hunger pains that had once bothered him had disappeared and the thirst that he had felt barely lingered.
"Eats some?" The question snapped him back to reality. Sméagol was looking at him with curiosity, a bit of fish in its hand.
"Nay, Sméagol, but you have my thanks," Aragorn responded, sitting up. The sun was going down, and they had to move on. Oh, how he wanted to just continue to lie there and sleep forever.
"Man iss sssure?" Aragorn turned to the creature and studied its eyes.
There was something he had realized about Sméagol when the creature had started being friendly. Sometimes, the goodness was genuine, and Sméagol really wanted to help. His eyes were innocent, large and eagerly awaiting praise and thanks. But other times, slyness replaced the innocence and eagerness was replaced by deceit. Now was one of those times. It was almost as though a totally different part of Sméagol had taken over the creature.
"Yes, I am sure," Aragorn replied, uncertainly. Gandalf had said that the creature as known as Gollum and yet, his other name was Sméagol. Perhaps, the gentle side was Sméagol and this other side was Gollum. "Come now, we are going."
His eyes focused on the horizon where the woods of Mirkwood were appearing. They had been lingering there all day, taunting the man. They never got closer, if anything, they moved further away. Aragorn shook his head to clear it. No, they were getting closer and he would be there by the next morning at the latest. Then, there was the two day travel to the palace of Thranduil and his job would be done.
Tugging on Sméagol's lead, he started his weary trudge once more.
~*~
Legolas Greenleaf laughed merrily at the bantering of his two friends. Bellmaethor and Saelmin were having another one of their famous arguments. The arguments themselves were known all through Mirkwood, mostly because of how they could be heard all over the forest; they were also known for their strange variety of topics. This one was no different from the others.
"Ah! But I do not need to be as fair as you to win Sell Amloth's heart!" Bellmaethor exclaimed, grinning provokingly at Saelmin. "After all, just look at my name, Bellmaethor! Strong warrior, my friend, and she will want a strong warrior for a husband."
"Well, I believe your parents misnamed you, oh strong one," replied Saelmin, unaffected by the other's comment. "Or am I wrong when I say that the last time we faced orcs, you ran away screaming like a little girl." Bellmaethor scowled deeply. "Besides, we both know that Amloth is an exceptional fighter. She doesn't need protection; she needs someone who can give her wisdom. Maybe like, me?" Saelmin, the wise one, smiled happily at Bellmaethor, the strong warrior.
"Oh, come now, we both know that she is very smart as well. Beautiful, smart, a warrior. She does not need someone to amplify her pretty features, or her intelligence. She needs someone who can understand her warrior side," Bellmaethor argued. "So, obviously, she needs me."
"Now, don't flatter yourself," Saelmin answered, sounding annoyed. A sly grin crossed his face all the sudden, and Bellmaethor gave him a strange look. Saelmin, the wise, turned around, shifting on his horse so he could speak to Legolas. "Perhaps we should ask you Legolas. What think you? The warrior or the smart one?"
Legolas rolled his eyes. "I think Amloth would castrate the both of you."
"WHAT?!" the two of them shouted in unison.
"Well," Legolas said, smiling at them. "Amloth is my good friend, and we've known each other a long time. When we were young, she swore that any man who tried to betroth her would......how did she put it? Oh, yes, 'loose his manhood painfully'. Beautiful, yes; smart, of course; warrior, most definitely. She is evil and dangerous, my friends. I think that she is better off on her own."
His two friends looked at each other, and identical looks of horror appeared on their faces. Legolas broke down laughing again, leaning helplessly against his horse. The beast turned its head, its eyes questioning its master's laughter. Legolas patted his nose, still giggling.
"I didn't know she was violent," Saelmin whispered to Bellmaethor.
"Neither did I!" Bellmaethor replied, his eyes huge.
"Perhaps we should stick to Arwen."
"I think so."
"Too late, my friends!" Legolas said, startling them. "She is already betrothed!"
Saelmin sighed exasperatedly. "We just can't win, can we?"
"No, you cannot. You two are always a step behind!" Legolas chuckled. "But, even if there was a chance that a maid would take interest in either of you, she would soon forget."
"And why is that?" Bellmaethor asked suspiciously.
"Because everyone knows I have twice your looks, I am ten times a better hunter and no one is as smart as me," the prince exclaimed, moving away quickly to avoid being swatted.
"Oh, of course, Legolas. You are the perfect model of what any elf should be," Bellmaethor said sarcastically. Legolas had a come back on his lips but was stopped by Saelmin.
Saelmin was looking off into the forest, his blue-grey eyes focusing on something in the distance. Pushing a few strands of blonde hair from his face, he turned to his companions.
"We are not alone," he commented grimly. "Something comes, and by its heavy footsteps, it is either a man or an orc."
Legolas tensed, turning his gaze towards the figure in the distance. He could not make it out clearly, for it was still far away. It walked like an orc, but what would an orc be doing traveling all alone?
"Let's see what this thing is!" Legolas faced his horse in the direction of the approaching creature. "ONWARD!"
"Are you crazy?" Bellmaethor questioned, as he followed both Saelmin and Legolas.
"Might be." Legolas grinned to himself. The thing was getting closer and closer and it was taking the shape of a man. Good, time to just scare the man out of the woods of Mirkwood and then, they could continue their ride home.
Saelmin rode in front of Legolas, mostly because it was his job to protect his prince and partially because he knew it annoyed his friend. Legolas scowled at his back, and stuck out his tongue childishly.
"Honestly, Saelmin, the more you treat me like a prince, the more I feel like a child," Legolas pouted, crossing his arms.
"I know!" Saelmin replied with a smirk. "That's why I do it!"
They soon rode up beside the stumbling human, and dismounting, they hid in the foliage. Legolas narrowed his eyes as the human limped on, completely unaware of their presence. This man dressed in the garb of a ranger, and yet, he acted like an untrained boy. A ranger would be on guard at all times, and would know that he was not alone.
"Who wants to greet our friend?" the prince asked, turning to the two beside him. Bellmaethor looked a bit frightened and Saelmir simply shrugged.
"I will, my lord," the wise one said, and he crept from his hiding spot. Legolas watched carefully as Saelmir skulked through the trees and finally jumped out in front of the man.
"Who enters the woods of the Elf King?" Saelmin demanded in his most blank and cool voice. His bow was loaded with a single arrow pointing directly at the man's head. The man stared for a few seconds and did not respond until.
"Do not let it hurtssss ussss!" A voice squealed, making both Saelmin and the man start. Saelmin released his arrow, and it flew just above the man's head. The man lurched backwards, and the hood of his cloak fell off, revealing a travel worn face. A creature slunk into view behind the man, and Legolas pondered how he could've missed it. It wasn't something someone would miss on a usual scan of the woods. He didn't ponder it long however, for the next thing he focused on was the man's face.
"Aragorn!" he cried, bursting forth from the bushes. Aragorn's slumped figure straightened slightly at the familiar voice.
"Legolas?" The look of utter bewilderment on the man's face showed that he was not all there. His eyes held a glazed look, and his face was flushed. Legolas pushed past Saelmin and pulled the man into a hug.
"Suil, nin mellon!" the elf cried, pulling out of the hug, his hands resting lightly on the man's shoulders. It shocked him how old Aragorn looked. "It has been a long time."
"Mae govannen, Legolas," Aragorn mumbled, his eyes still not showing comprehension. He was leaning heavily upon the elf as though he could not stand on his own. "Yes, very long."
Legolas had learned long ago what this meant. "You are not well."
"Legolas?" Bellmaethor questioned, desperately trying to get the prince's attention. Both he and Saelmin were staring at the same spot.
Legolas ignored his elven friend, his attention fully on Aragorn.
"Nay, I suppose not," Aragorn replied sleepily. A small, erratic giggle escaped his lips. "I never seem to be when I come here." And he laughed a bit more, his head bowed slightly. The laughter seemed to die rather quickly however, and soon Legolas found that Aragorn was crying. Legolas knew that the situation was worse than he had originally thought......
During this time period, both Bellmaethor and Saelmin had been trying to get their prince's attention. They both had repeated his name over and over, but Legolas seemed too absorbed with the ill human to pay attention to anyone else. They watched as he slowly lowered the man to the ground and started speaking softly to him. They waited for him to give some sort of acknowledgement to their presence. He didn't.
"LEGOLAS!" Saelmir yelled, giving into his utter exasperation and horrification. Legolas' head shot up immediately. Saelmir was not one to yell.
"What is it?" The prince asked with quite a bit of annoyance. Both Bellmaethor and Saelmin pointed mutely to the creature they had been taking in.
Legolas looked down at the gangly creature once more. It was cowering away from both of his other companions and huddling next to Aragorn. It was pale, and thin, looking as though it did not eat often or enough. Its wide golden eyes stared around, terror filling them. It was mumbling unceasingly about something or another, fiddling with Aragorn's tunic sleeve.
"What are you?" Legolas questioned, his worry giving his voice an edge.
"Do not lettsss them hurt usss, precious!" the creature sobbed, pulling harder on Aragorn's shirt. "Do not lettsss them."
"Legolas...." Legolas glance down at Aragorn. The man looked like he was trying to say something important but he couldn't find the words.
"Rest, my friend. You can tell me later," Legolas soothed, wondering why his friend had such a creature with him.
"But I must......." Aragorn paused closing his eyes. "I must talk to Thranduil....must finish...the job......Mithrandir said......." Slowly, he was passing into the land of unconsciousness. He reached out and grabbed Legolas' wrist, trying to focus. "Don't hurt Sméagol.......Gandalf...said........." But he did not manage to say another word and his hand fell limply to his side.
Legolas looked down at the creature called Sméagol wondering why on earth Aragorn would not want him to put it out of its misery. But, if Aragorn truly wanted it alive, then he would let it live.
"Yessss, don't hurtsss usss, elfsiees," Sméagol begged, cowering. "Lisssten, to the nice man, preciousss."
"Hush yourself, and we will leave you be," Legolas snapped, as he turned his attention back to his fallen friend.
He could not find any wounds other than for a rather deep cut in the man's left hand, and the bruising on his right. Aragorn seemed relatively alright. What could possibly make him so weak? Sick. That was it. Aragorn was ill. Legolas scowled unhappily, knowing that this was not a good thing. He knew very little about human illness and the healers at his home knew next to nothing.
"Are you sure we can't kill it?" Saelmin asked with disgust, using one of his daggers to poke at Gollum.
"No, bring it with us, but do not harm it," Legolas commanded. He removed the rope from around Estel's hand and grimaced. Slowly, he handed it to Saelmin. "We will see what this is about."
"My lord, what is wrong with him?" Bellmaethor asked tentatively, pity gracing his features as he looked at the human.
Legolas shifted Aragorn and slowly stood up. The man felt light in his arms, and if it was possible for his worry to grow any more, it did.
"Many things, Bellmaethor, many things," Legolas replied, walking back towards his horse. "Let's move away from here and find a place to set up camp. I get an ill feeling from this place."
He only wished he knew more.
~*~
TBC...
~*~
To My Reviewers:
Lina Skye- YOU! I have a bone to pick with you!! Urgh! You go and get me addicted to your fics and then decide that you have too much work to update often!! AIE! What am I supposed to do? *sniffles* They are so good and I am stuck here waiting like some crazy person. ^_~ But on a more serious note, they are good enough that I can wait. Yes, Aragorn does seem prone to not taking care of himself. Stupid ranger. ^_^ But things can only get better.....right? Thank you so much for your review!
Elizabeth Goode- *falls over* x_x.....OMG! It's YOU! Wow! That's so cool! You wrote one of my all time favorite fics! Ah! Thank you so much for your review! I feel so honored!
shirebound- Many apologies and many thanks. I went back and corrected all the things that you pointed out (and smacked myself for missing them when I went through it the first six times) and reposted the chapter. Thank you very much for that........I don't know how I could've missed them..... So, you liked that line? I was trying to put a bit of light hearted nature into the story. As you can see, I have a hard time torturing people without a bit of humor! ^__^ Still love your stories and can't wait for your next updates. Thanks so much for your review!
Mouse- ^_^ Well, you deserve the dedication! You put up with my other stories! You read them, you reviewed them, and you deserve dedications.....^_^ Mwahahaha..... Well, this story is continued as you wanted it to be! ^_^ Thanks for your review!
Emmithar- Ewww... a bacterial infection! Those are terrible... I don't usually get sick, so I am a wimp when I do manage to catch something. I've had the flu already this year (over Christmas break) and I was a baby during that. I had some sort of pneumonia related thing last summer and I had a reason to be a baby then... ^_^ But I'm getting better now. I hope you are too because you need to write more : P! ^_^ You deserve the dedication, nin mellon. You have faithfully read all my fics and I feel honored by it! As you can see, there will be more chapters to this story and Legolas will never let Aragorn live this down. ^_~ Mwahahahaha! ^_^ Well, keep writing, nin mellon! Take care, enjoy being well! Thanks for the review.
Elladan- Yes, it would've been too easy for Aragorn just to eat the fish. As you can see, Sméagol is still trying to get him to eat and is still having difficulties. ^_^ Can't make to many things easy for our hero.... It was my pleasure to read your stories! ^_^ You're an excellent writer and I cant wait until you post something new. Reviewing is the best part of reading for me. I like to talk. It's a family trait! ^_^ So, reviews are fun! Thank you very much for all the reviews that you give me! I am so honored!
HobbitsRFun- LoL! Yes, I suppose Elrond is mean, but what is going to happen in the end.....hmmm... Mwahahaha! Well, we will never know until that chapter rolls round, now will we! Gollum is fun. I think he's my favorite part of this story. I only wish I could portray him better. ^_^ Thank you for your review! I'm going to see if you posted.......
Melissa- ^_^ You could feel sorry for the both of them! Aragorn is all sick and he's probably on his death bed if you think about it! ^_^ I'd feel sorry for Sméagol, not Gollum. Gollum is too devious. Sméagol is just like a little lost child. ^_^ Hope you liked the chapter! Thanks for the review!
mbali- Well, he sort of had to have a heart, now didn't he? After all, he looked after Sam and Frodo through out the TTT. That shows, that deep down, there is some goodness in that little corrupted heart of his. And since that goodness could not just appear all of the sudden, I've decided it started when he was in the care of Aragorn! ^_^ Mwahaha. Thank you very much for your review!
Sue- ^_^ Yes, you are very demanding. You and Nili are two of the most demanding people I know! *sighs* You people ^_~. LoL. I judge Aragorn as a more compassionate type as well, but since he is sick, and he can't do anything to make Sméagol happy, he has to be a bit annoyed, right? Ah, the fallout between father and son....hmm, well, I'll tell you a secret. Since this takes place so close to Lord of the Rings, there is very little make up between Elrond and Estel. I will have a scene with them at the end, just before Aragorn takes off to the Shire. You will see then, nin mellon. Much apologies for how long this took. It was supposed to be up Friday and then all of the sudden, FF.net got weird again! Well, it's here now, and the next chapter is being written! Many thanks for the review and the demands.
Carrie- ^_^ Well, Aragorn has not slept for many a day or eaten for many a day, but he's sleeping now. Two Men and a Thorn Bush? Mwahaha, well, as you know, that one is being written. A few odd things have pushed their way into the story. Drunk twins, strange lines from Shakespeare, but hey, weird things make the world go 'round. I mean, fanfiction is weird, and I would die without it! LoL, thank you very much for your review! *sobs* I cried when I read "Remember"......
Kawaii BlueBear- ^_^ I am all better now! It's all thanks to your chicken soup and tea! Thank you very much for them! You like Sméagol too? Lot's of people like Sméagol....It makes me happy! ^_^ Thank you very much for the review! Post some more of your stories soon!
Nili- *giggles* Well, unfortunately, my mother would not let me stay home after I caught the plague. The chapter was written but I was unable to post it do to the stupidity of FF.net! *sighs* I wish I had known that it was going to shut itself down on the fourteenth.... that would've been too much to ask for though. Well, Aragorn has reached Legolas but it seems like the prince is unable to help him much..... *sighs* What a shame! *runs away screaming as Nili sicks Fred senior senior on her* AIE! Okay! SO MAYBE LEGOLAS CAN DO SOMETHING! *pats Gollum on the head* Now, now, no need for such violence......She's a reviewer. You must be nice to her! More of your story soon. Me demand. ^_^ Me thank for review.
Freakizimi- ^_^ I am glad you enjoy it, oh faithful reviewer of mine! ^_^ Thanks for the review! Hoped you enjoyed this chapter as well!
Alilacia- ^_^ You deserve to be amongst the dedicated people! Mwahahaha, ^_^ After all, you've read my stories and you deserve the glory! I am so happy when famous authors take time to read my works! Ehehe, I loved the Forbidden Pool seen! It's so cute. Well, Aragorn is in good hands now. Very sick, very tired but in good hands. ^_^ Hopefully, everything will turn out okay.....right? ^_^ I love Sméagol. He's so innocent and so easily controlled. I think that he is just mislead by the Gollum side of him. Misunderstood, mislead *hugs Sméagol* my poor baby. ^_^ Well, sorry to keep you waiting so long! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Kaeera- Mwahaha, yes much Aragorn angst. I enjoy Aragorn angst. Actually, I don't really know why I torture Elladan...It's just enjoyable. ^_^ You deserved to be mentioned, oh great reviewer and writer! EVERYONE GO READ KAEERA'S STORY!!! *coughs* Sorry for that strange lapse. So, French and German are worse? Italian is pretty bad in its own way. I think there are many forms of 'the'.... can't remember how many.... let's see (la, il, lo, l', las, los....the list goes on....). Maybe my teachers are wrong.....hmmm....mwahahaha, well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I am off to write the next one. Thank you very much for the review!
Anita- So, you're sick? You poor baby! *gives some chicken soup and Elrond* Get better soon. I wanna see the next chapter of your story! I think I would probably faint if someone threw a dead fish at me. I hate fish *shivers*. I'm really glad you liked the Sméagol/Gollum conversation. There should be more of that soon! ^__^ It's good to know I'm getting it right. ^_^ Mwahaha, thanks for the review!
Ciria- ^_^ Don't you love it when you get back and everyone has posted? I love it. Makes me feel loved! ^_^ Mwahaha. Well, this one has about two more chapters, I think. Not much more than that. ^_^ The next chapter of Two Men and a Thorn Bush should be up any day now. Soon as I finish writing it! Well, we will see who has truly won the battle between Sméagol/Gollum in the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Many thanks for the review!
Elwen- Star Maiden- ^_^ Here's your chapter Elwen! Hope you enjoyed it! Thank you for the review!
estelcontar- I will take it to the end! Do not worry, nin mellon, I have only given up on three fics in my entire life, which is pretty good for me! *grins evilly* ^_^ Thank you for the compliments and don't worry, the next chapter should be up more quickly!
Thanks for all the reviews! I'll go away now! ^_^