Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or settings or places in Lord
of the Rings. Or in this fic (unless I decide to make random guest
appearances or something.. I assure you, that won't happen.)
Corruption
Chapter Three - Gone to Ruin
Galadriel, once the fair Lady of Lorien, sat alone. She was devastated.
She had seen close friends and fellow elves killed by the horrid hand of Sauron. Silvery tears constantly flowed down her cheeks now. She was powerless against Sauron's power, she knew it.
On his sudden arrival to Lothlorien, he had cast a spell on the Lady, restricting her to only a small part of her power. She was furious at this and spent most of her time alone trying to get it back.
She drew in a haggard breath and stood. She had decided to look into her mirror.
She walked the well-known path, taking in the beauty of the trees around her. She was thankful that Sauron had not decided to destroy this part of her home. She felt she would be completely won over if he did.
She descended the stairs slowly. Memories of bringing the Ring-Bearer here flooded her tortured mind. She remembered his innocence and his confusion at first to what he had seen.
A smile lingered on her lips, the first in a long time. She picked up the ewer and filled it with water.
As she emptied the ewer, another memory, this time of Sauron's threat to "see" Arwen again. She shivered and looked into the mirror.
Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli still pursued the troop of Uruk-Hai that had taken Merry and Pippin, but were torn between saving their two companions and aiding Lothlorien.
Merry and Pippin were still with the Uruk-Hai, but unhurt.
Frodo and Samwise were trying their best to get to a place that seemed impossible to the both of them.
A new image came to the surface of the mirror. One of blackened ground and a few dead tree stumps where Lothlorien once was. One of the members of the Fellowship being caught, the One Ring being returned to Sauron. Galadriels breath caught in her throat. Another image came of the ones close to her being captured and forced to work a life of slavery, of death. Galadriel pulled away and closed her eyes, suppressing violent sobs.
"It is what will come to pass if you shall back away and let Sauron wreck havoc on Lothlorien." She told herself firmly. She walked away from her mirror, the held back tears wet on her face.
Merry and Pippin were still held on the backs of the two Uruks that had first taken them. Pippin was barely awake, his eyes kept fluttering closed, but the images that lay beneath his eyelids were enough to keep him awake.
Suddenly, the Uruk-Hai troop came to a halt. Someone at the front had smelt something. "What is it?" One of the Uruk-Hai asked.
The other sniffed the air again. "Man-flesh" He replied.
Pippin's attention was caught by the Uruks reply. "Aragorn." He whispered to himself.
After a moments thought, he tugged away at his elvish brooch with his teeth, and keeping a wary eye on those around him, he dropped the brooch into the grass, hoping Aragorn would find it.
The pace was quickened after the scent of Aragorn had been smelt. Pippin was so tired he could hardly keep his eyes open. He kept an eye out for Merry, hoping they would be able to talk soon.
Aragorn lay with his ear to the ground, his eyes closed, and his ears listening to the faint rumble of the Uruks footfalls. "They've quickened their pace." He said to himself and looked up to the plains ahead. "They must have caught our scent."
He looked back at his other two companions. "Hurry!" He cried and ran ahead, still clinging to the hope that they could catch them.
Behind him, Legolas turns to call back to Gimli. "Come on, Gimli!"
Gimli paused and leaned on his axe, out of breath. "Three days' and nights' pursuit. No food. No rest. No sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell. And haunting dreams threatening to slow us." Legolas looked back at Gimli, a smile playing on his lips. "Come on, Gimli. We'll find them yet."
Images of war, death and pain shot through Frodo's head causing him to wake up. He gasped out and gripped the ring that lay beneath his shirt on a silver chain. Beside him, his trusty friend, Samwise lay snoring, wrapped up in his own sleep, having his own dreams.
Frodo sat up and looked around. They had come to rest in the middle of what seemed endless rocky terrain. He rubbed his aching neck, and not for the first time on his quest, wished he were back at Bag End in his own, comfortable bed.
His fragmented thoughts came back to his dream. Not the first of that kind to come to him while he slept, he wondered what they could mean. Usually, he had nightmares of the Nazgûl and of the Eye, but recently, dreams of a war in Lothlorien had been troubling his sleep.
The night before, he had had a disturbing dream about his wise, old friend Gandalf. The memory of him brought Frodo to tears. He sniffed, wiped his eyes on his sleeve and lay back down to rest, hoping he could sleep peacefully, without dreaming.
Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli were running. Harder and faster this time, hoping to gain on the Uruk-Hai, hoping to find some proof that their search for the two Hobbits was not in vain.
Legolas had just turned around to check if Gimli was keeping up when Aragorn stopped suddenly and picked up Pippin's elven brooch from the ground. His heavy heart was lightened with the hope that they made still be alive.
"Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall." Aragorn said more to himself than anything.
Legolas stopped and turned to Aragorn and saw the elven brooch in his hands. "They may yet be alive." He said. "And less than a day ahead of us!" Aragorn said, a note of excitement in his voice.
That night, another dream haunted the minds of the Fellowship.
"I am getting sick of this pointless death." Sauron tittered, stroking the hilt of his sword. "I wish you would accept my offer for it would be such a waste of life to completely destroy this wondrous forest you call your home."
Galadriels face was not tear stained, as it had been the past few nights. It was not filled with sorrow and sadness. There was something else that burned in the fire of her heart that one could not firmly place their finger on.
"Something of mine has gone missing." Sauron said, taking a step closer to the Lady and placing his hand on her arm.
"Is that my problem?" Galadriel snapped, pulling back, revealing her anger.
"No," He said, shaking his head slowly as if thinking her reply over in his mind.
"But I think you know where it is."
Corruption
Chapter Three - Gone to Ruin
Galadriel, once the fair Lady of Lorien, sat alone. She was devastated.
She had seen close friends and fellow elves killed by the horrid hand of Sauron. Silvery tears constantly flowed down her cheeks now. She was powerless against Sauron's power, she knew it.
On his sudden arrival to Lothlorien, he had cast a spell on the Lady, restricting her to only a small part of her power. She was furious at this and spent most of her time alone trying to get it back.
She drew in a haggard breath and stood. She had decided to look into her mirror.
She walked the well-known path, taking in the beauty of the trees around her. She was thankful that Sauron had not decided to destroy this part of her home. She felt she would be completely won over if he did.
She descended the stairs slowly. Memories of bringing the Ring-Bearer here flooded her tortured mind. She remembered his innocence and his confusion at first to what he had seen.
A smile lingered on her lips, the first in a long time. She picked up the ewer and filled it with water.
As she emptied the ewer, another memory, this time of Sauron's threat to "see" Arwen again. She shivered and looked into the mirror.
Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli still pursued the troop of Uruk-Hai that had taken Merry and Pippin, but were torn between saving their two companions and aiding Lothlorien.
Merry and Pippin were still with the Uruk-Hai, but unhurt.
Frodo and Samwise were trying their best to get to a place that seemed impossible to the both of them.
A new image came to the surface of the mirror. One of blackened ground and a few dead tree stumps where Lothlorien once was. One of the members of the Fellowship being caught, the One Ring being returned to Sauron. Galadriels breath caught in her throat. Another image came of the ones close to her being captured and forced to work a life of slavery, of death. Galadriel pulled away and closed her eyes, suppressing violent sobs.
"It is what will come to pass if you shall back away and let Sauron wreck havoc on Lothlorien." She told herself firmly. She walked away from her mirror, the held back tears wet on her face.
Merry and Pippin were still held on the backs of the two Uruks that had first taken them. Pippin was barely awake, his eyes kept fluttering closed, but the images that lay beneath his eyelids were enough to keep him awake.
Suddenly, the Uruk-Hai troop came to a halt. Someone at the front had smelt something. "What is it?" One of the Uruk-Hai asked.
The other sniffed the air again. "Man-flesh" He replied.
Pippin's attention was caught by the Uruks reply. "Aragorn." He whispered to himself.
After a moments thought, he tugged away at his elvish brooch with his teeth, and keeping a wary eye on those around him, he dropped the brooch into the grass, hoping Aragorn would find it.
The pace was quickened after the scent of Aragorn had been smelt. Pippin was so tired he could hardly keep his eyes open. He kept an eye out for Merry, hoping they would be able to talk soon.
Aragorn lay with his ear to the ground, his eyes closed, and his ears listening to the faint rumble of the Uruks footfalls. "They've quickened their pace." He said to himself and looked up to the plains ahead. "They must have caught our scent."
He looked back at his other two companions. "Hurry!" He cried and ran ahead, still clinging to the hope that they could catch them.
Behind him, Legolas turns to call back to Gimli. "Come on, Gimli!"
Gimli paused and leaned on his axe, out of breath. "Three days' and nights' pursuit. No food. No rest. No sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell. And haunting dreams threatening to slow us." Legolas looked back at Gimli, a smile playing on his lips. "Come on, Gimli. We'll find them yet."
Images of war, death and pain shot through Frodo's head causing him to wake up. He gasped out and gripped the ring that lay beneath his shirt on a silver chain. Beside him, his trusty friend, Samwise lay snoring, wrapped up in his own sleep, having his own dreams.
Frodo sat up and looked around. They had come to rest in the middle of what seemed endless rocky terrain. He rubbed his aching neck, and not for the first time on his quest, wished he were back at Bag End in his own, comfortable bed.
His fragmented thoughts came back to his dream. Not the first of that kind to come to him while he slept, he wondered what they could mean. Usually, he had nightmares of the Nazgûl and of the Eye, but recently, dreams of a war in Lothlorien had been troubling his sleep.
The night before, he had had a disturbing dream about his wise, old friend Gandalf. The memory of him brought Frodo to tears. He sniffed, wiped his eyes on his sleeve and lay back down to rest, hoping he could sleep peacefully, without dreaming.
Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli were running. Harder and faster this time, hoping to gain on the Uruk-Hai, hoping to find some proof that their search for the two Hobbits was not in vain.
Legolas had just turned around to check if Gimli was keeping up when Aragorn stopped suddenly and picked up Pippin's elven brooch from the ground. His heavy heart was lightened with the hope that they made still be alive.
"Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall." Aragorn said more to himself than anything.
Legolas stopped and turned to Aragorn and saw the elven brooch in his hands. "They may yet be alive." He said. "And less than a day ahead of us!" Aragorn said, a note of excitement in his voice.
That night, another dream haunted the minds of the Fellowship.
"I am getting sick of this pointless death." Sauron tittered, stroking the hilt of his sword. "I wish you would accept my offer for it would be such a waste of life to completely destroy this wondrous forest you call your home."
Galadriels face was not tear stained, as it had been the past few nights. It was not filled with sorrow and sadness. There was something else that burned in the fire of her heart that one could not firmly place their finger on.
"Something of mine has gone missing." Sauron said, taking a step closer to the Lady and placing his hand on her arm.
"Is that my problem?" Galadriel snapped, pulling back, revealing her anger.
"No," He said, shaking his head slowly as if thinking her reply over in his mind.
"But I think you know where it is."