Disclaimer: Nope, Lotr is not mine and never will be.
Corruption
Chapter Eleven - All Hope is Lost
**
Galadriel's form lay lifeless on the grimy floor of one of the many prison cells in the dungeons of Barad-Hur. She was dressed in a plain, undecorated peasant dress and her golden hair was dark with sweat and grime. She had been in the cell for two days, and had not woken since she had been cast into the filthy cell. Outside the cell door, Sauron pulled the food slot back and peered into the darkness. Seeing that Galadriel was the same as she had been the numerous other times he had checked on her, he slammed the slot cover back in place angrily and stalked back to his chambers.
**
Lightening flashed and thunder cracked above the heads of the defenders of Helm's Deep. Each man had the unpleasant feeling of failure twisting in their stomachs as the faced the lights of the army of Isengard.
The elves of Lothlorien and Rivendell stood proudly, their eyes scanning the ranks of the enemy, searching for weaknesses. Legolas and Gimli stood together on the upper wall. A final fork of lightening flashed above them before the rain began to fall. The cold rain trickled down Gimli's back making him shudder involuntarily.
Aragorn stalked the ranks miserably, offering half-hearted advice to the nervous men. He was still deep in grief for Arwen, but his grief was slowly beginning to be replaced by anger. When he wasn't trying to encourage the nervous men, his eyes would linger on the approaching army, hatred burning in his eyes. Whenever he began to approach the elves, he would hesitate, the retreat back among the ranks of the men.
**
Eowyn sat among the women and children, which were in the caves. The two hobbits Frodo and Sam accompanied her, trying to get the gloomy looks off the faces around them by telling the Rohirrim stories of the Shire, their homeland. Every now and then, Eowyn would creep up the doorway, which separated the Keep from the caves and peer out, hoping to see anything, but there was nothing except the rain and thunder. After she had checked for the fourth time, she sat on a step and placed her head in her hands. She wasn't allowed to fight and she felt useless.
"It's more embarrassing for us, miss." Sam had said heartily when she shared her feelings with the young hobbit. "We're supposed to be a part of the war, and now we have been cooped up inside like little children."
Eowyn offered a small smile at Sam's words.
"Thank-you, Sam" She said quietly, her pale blue eyes troubled.
**
When Galadriel awoke, her head ached with a terrible pain. She sat up from where she lay and took in the darkened surroundings.
Trapped..
Alone..
Galadriel tried to ignore the mounting fear, but it was a bitter struggle, which left her exhausted.
"Elves should never be put in captivity." She mumbled to herself, seeking comfort in the sound of her own voice. It was strained and her throat hurt terribly with every spoken word. She stood slowly, nearly falling back down in the process, her legs weak with the lack of use. Galadriel held onto the dirty wall for support and took some experimental steps around the cell and she kept walking until she got the feeling back in her legs.
When Sauron next flicked the food slot back, he was surprised and pleased to see that he couldn't see Galadriel.
"My love," He cooed, unlocked and opening the door, "You must be-"
The hard thump of Galadriels fist broke him off and sent him sprawling. As he struggled to get up, Galadriel skipped out the door, not pausing to shut and lock the door. The thought had crossed her mind, but she was desperate to breathe the fresh air again.
Several guards tried to stop her as she ran through the halls, desperately searching for an exit, but she was too determinated to get outside to let them stand in her way. Her legs hurt with the sudden use, but Galadriel knew she could rely on them to get her out of the hellhole she was imprisoned in. She picked up several sword wounds, but none of them were deep enough to stop her from running.
She finally reached the front doors and yanked them open, gulping down the foul air. She nearly gagged, but steadied herself and kept running, out into the ravaged landscape that lay before her.
She was desperate, not stopping to think clearly. She saw the black gates, tiny specks in the distance, but she ran towards them anyway. Behind her, an angry Sauron approached on his steed. He wasn't about to let her get away with this.
**
Merry and Pippin shifted uneasily. They were following the army of Saruman, but the two hobbits thought that Treebeard was going much to slow.
"Isn't there some way that we could get around them?" Merry asked for the third time. Pippin sighed unhappily.
"Now, now." Treebeard rumbled, speaking in a slow, steady voice. "Mustn't be hasty, little hobbit."
Merry pulled his hair in frustration; he wasn't taking the journey well. The story, as the pair had managed to get from Treebeard, was that this particular army was marching to Helm's Deep, the retreat of the Rohirrim. As far as Merry and Pippin knew, the King of Rohan, the land of the Horse- Lords, was supposed to be at Helm's Deep along with all of Rohan's people.
"Do you think Strider could be at this Helm's Deep?" Pippin asked Merry, pulling his cousins hands away from his hair. "You'll go bald." He warned.
Merry waved Pippin away and leant against Treebeard. "Maybe. We don't even know if he's alive."
"I think he is." Pippin said to Merry, watching his cousin's face.
"Good for you, but it's unlikely." Merry mumbled. He was clearly not in the best of moods.
"Be grumpy and pessimistic, then." Pippin shot back, sick to death of Merry's grumbles. "I happen to like having something to look forward to, even if it's unlikely."
**
King Theoden squinted into the distance, trying to count the numbers. He turned to Faramir, son of the current Steward of Gondor. "How many did you say there were?"
"Ten thousand." Faramir replied. He looked overtired, his usually bright eyes looked dull. His father was ill, and he had recently learned of his older brother's death. Even the thought of war wearied him, and he was in no state to fight.
He had been unpleased with Aragorn's reaction to him. He had just looked away, almost in disgust. It had been in his mind to strike the man, but he knew that he was bound to show respect to the future king of his country.
"Be gentle." The niece of King Theoden had said to Faramir, sensing his anger. Faramir looked at the woman and had been silenced by her mysterious beauty. There was deep-set pain in her blue eyes, and her reassuring smile didn't even touch them. "He has lost a loved one, the one that was to be his wife. His grief is deep, it had made him unwell."
Faramir turned away from the old king and went to join his rangers. He didn't know why, but he had had a feeling that had lead Faramir to Helm's Deep and away from the borders of Mordor. His rangers were unsettled, looking uneasily at each other.
"I do not know why I have lead you here." Faramir said in a tired voice, looking each one of his rangers in the eye. "You may leave, if you wish. Go now, before it is too late."
But no-one broke rank. His men stood silently and looked at their leader. One man came forward and gave a small bow to Faramir.
"We are loyal to you, and to our country, Faramir." He said in a careful voice. "We will not abandon you here."
Faramir smiled and sighed in relief. He closed his eyes and swallowed, not knowing what to say next.
**
Legolas watched the approaching ranks, confusion in his face.
"I thought there were ten thousand.." He said, more to himself than anyone else.
"There is, isn't there?" Gimli answered, jumping to try and see above the high wall. The rain still fell, leaving huge puddles around Gimli's feet. He shivered and looked at his friend.
"There is a lot less, I would say around five thousand." Legolas mused; his intelligent eyes scanned the army before him. "They are nearly here, are we well enough prepared?"
Gimli shrugged and resumed his jumping, splashing Legolas in the process.
"Oh do stop that!" Legolas said good-naturedly. "I'll get you a box if you insist on seeing the action, but let me warn you, it is about as interesting as watching the leaves on a tree grow!"
**
Galadriel had barely gone forty steps before Sauron caught up with her. He reached down and grabbed a large handful of her hair, pulling her onto the horse with him. Galadriel fought furiously, ignoring the pain she felt when some of her golden hair was torn from her scalp.
Sauron pulled the horse to a halt and dismounted, dragging Galadriel with him. They both landed on the hard ground with a crack, Galadriels arm breaking from the strain of Sauron's weight. She bit her lip so hard that it began to bleed, a drop of blood trickled down her chin as she fought to free herself from Sauron's hold.
"Stop! STOP!" Sauron roared, reluctant to use violence on her. He considered a spell, but knew too much magic could drive even the most powerful mad.
Galadriel stopped, and watching Sauron carefully. She looked wild; her hair was tangled and fell across her face, hiding her expression. Her arm was bent at an odd angle and her chest heaved as she fought to catch her breath.
"Yu must let me see the forest!" Galadriel whimpered as Sauron grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her towards him. "You must, you have to.." She closed her eyes and bit her lip again, sending a fresh dribble of blood over her chin.
"I will promise what you wish," Sauron began, and Galadriels head shot up, shock in her cool blue eyes. "But only if you promise me one thing.."
**
The army of Saruman came to a halt at the walls of Helm's Deep. Legolas watching carefully as the assumed leader of the Uruks came forward, a long pole in his hand. The rain was pouring more freely now, the coldness spreading to the bones of the nervous men.
The sound of elven bows being drawn was barely heard over the rain, but the Uruk certainly heard it. He began to scream in the Black Tongue, the vile, poisonous words drowned out the sound of the rain. Elves and men cringed against the sound of the venomous language and watched warily as the Uruk lifted his huge pole up.
An eerie silence fell over the two armies, as a white mist began to swirl around the top of the pole. It began to form a face, the face of an elf..
Bowstrings twanged and the Uruk was struck a hundred different times by the arrows of the angry elves. His pole fell with him, carrying the image of Galadriel's bloodied, scarred face with it.
**
"My Lord, there the commander of the Easterlings would like to see you, if it pleases you, my Lord."
Sauron jerked his head up, his ride after Galadriel had somewhat annoyed him and he was in a foul mood.
"Why?" He demanded of the Uruk who stood before him.
"He says that he has a great gift for you." The Uruk replied, keeping his eyes on the floor. Sauron smiled at that, it made him feel important that he could make a creature so great and powerful as an Uruk fear him.
"A gift" Sauron repeated, stroking his chin thoughtfully. He remained silent for a moment, and then looked up at the Uruk.
"Alright, bring him in then." He ordered and returned to his seat. He had been reading a book, which was odd for him. He had decided that he needed to relax; the whole ring business was really starting to get to him.
The commander of the Easterlings entered Sauron's study a short while later, a serious look upon his face.
Outside, a roar was let up, the roar of the many races allied with Mordor. Sauron frowned and crossed to the window and peered out. The armies were pumping their arms, smiles on their ugly faces.
"Tell me, commander" Sauron said, not turning to face his visitor. "Why is it that they, the armies of Mordor, are happy, when I am not?"
The commander began to reply, but Sauron whirled around to face him and the sight of his face was enough to silence him.
"My ring is very close." He said quietly, and began to draw nearer to the commander.
"Y-yes" He stammered and withdrew his hand from his pocket. His hand held a small, silk covered box with elvish inscription on it.
"Where did you get the box?" Sauron asked, his voice barely hiding his excitement. Finally, finally his ring had returned to him.
"From an old fool. Looked like a wizard, dressed in white."
"Saruman." Sauron said darkly, anger welling up inside him.
The commander held a shaking hand forward, but then withdrew it.
Sauron looked up sharply and glared. "What is the problem?" He asked through gritted teeth.
"I want to guarantee the safety of my people." He stammered, holding the box tightly.
Sauron sighed and looked over the commander's shoulder to where his guards stood at their posts. He gave a slight shrug and they nodded in reply. Sauron smiled and looked at the commander and raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, yes, very clever. Of course. But what you don't realize is that I'm not very patient."
Behind the commander, the two door guards had pulled out a crossbow each and were fitting deadly looking arrows.
"I could guarantee the safety, but," Confusion crossed the face of the commander as Sauron gave a short, sharp nod. Two efficiently aimed arrows buried deep into the commander's back and the tips protruded from his chest.
"Why would I want to do that?" He finished and walked over the commander's corpse, picking up the box on the way. He opened it, saw his ring, and then closed it again. As he passed the guards, he looked to one of the guards and nodded towards the body.
"See that he is hung from the walls, get rid of the arrows. Show them what happens to traitors."
"But he didn't betray you!" An angry voice cried and Sauron turned around, surprised to see Galadriel. She had only been sleeping in the next room and had just woken to the sound of the two men's voices.
"No," Sauron said, turning away from Galadriel. "But I say he did, so he did. No one else needs to know." To the guards, he added. "Make sure she doesn't escape, again." And exited the room, the elvish box deep in the pockets of his robe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wow! I'm so incredibly sorry that I've been so lazy! You have my permission to be angry with me! (But not too angry!) I have no excuse, I'm just lazy. Please review! Please??
I'm not finished with this fic yet. I had a brainwave and so now I know how it ends and everything!
Corruption
Chapter Eleven - All Hope is Lost
**
Galadriel's form lay lifeless on the grimy floor of one of the many prison cells in the dungeons of Barad-Hur. She was dressed in a plain, undecorated peasant dress and her golden hair was dark with sweat and grime. She had been in the cell for two days, and had not woken since she had been cast into the filthy cell. Outside the cell door, Sauron pulled the food slot back and peered into the darkness. Seeing that Galadriel was the same as she had been the numerous other times he had checked on her, he slammed the slot cover back in place angrily and stalked back to his chambers.
**
Lightening flashed and thunder cracked above the heads of the defenders of Helm's Deep. Each man had the unpleasant feeling of failure twisting in their stomachs as the faced the lights of the army of Isengard.
The elves of Lothlorien and Rivendell stood proudly, their eyes scanning the ranks of the enemy, searching for weaknesses. Legolas and Gimli stood together on the upper wall. A final fork of lightening flashed above them before the rain began to fall. The cold rain trickled down Gimli's back making him shudder involuntarily.
Aragorn stalked the ranks miserably, offering half-hearted advice to the nervous men. He was still deep in grief for Arwen, but his grief was slowly beginning to be replaced by anger. When he wasn't trying to encourage the nervous men, his eyes would linger on the approaching army, hatred burning in his eyes. Whenever he began to approach the elves, he would hesitate, the retreat back among the ranks of the men.
**
Eowyn sat among the women and children, which were in the caves. The two hobbits Frodo and Sam accompanied her, trying to get the gloomy looks off the faces around them by telling the Rohirrim stories of the Shire, their homeland. Every now and then, Eowyn would creep up the doorway, which separated the Keep from the caves and peer out, hoping to see anything, but there was nothing except the rain and thunder. After she had checked for the fourth time, she sat on a step and placed her head in her hands. She wasn't allowed to fight and she felt useless.
"It's more embarrassing for us, miss." Sam had said heartily when she shared her feelings with the young hobbit. "We're supposed to be a part of the war, and now we have been cooped up inside like little children."
Eowyn offered a small smile at Sam's words.
"Thank-you, Sam" She said quietly, her pale blue eyes troubled.
**
When Galadriel awoke, her head ached with a terrible pain. She sat up from where she lay and took in the darkened surroundings.
Trapped..
Alone..
Galadriel tried to ignore the mounting fear, but it was a bitter struggle, which left her exhausted.
"Elves should never be put in captivity." She mumbled to herself, seeking comfort in the sound of her own voice. It was strained and her throat hurt terribly with every spoken word. She stood slowly, nearly falling back down in the process, her legs weak with the lack of use. Galadriel held onto the dirty wall for support and took some experimental steps around the cell and she kept walking until she got the feeling back in her legs.
When Sauron next flicked the food slot back, he was surprised and pleased to see that he couldn't see Galadriel.
"My love," He cooed, unlocked and opening the door, "You must be-"
The hard thump of Galadriels fist broke him off and sent him sprawling. As he struggled to get up, Galadriel skipped out the door, not pausing to shut and lock the door. The thought had crossed her mind, but she was desperate to breathe the fresh air again.
Several guards tried to stop her as she ran through the halls, desperately searching for an exit, but she was too determinated to get outside to let them stand in her way. Her legs hurt with the sudden use, but Galadriel knew she could rely on them to get her out of the hellhole she was imprisoned in. She picked up several sword wounds, but none of them were deep enough to stop her from running.
She finally reached the front doors and yanked them open, gulping down the foul air. She nearly gagged, but steadied herself and kept running, out into the ravaged landscape that lay before her.
She was desperate, not stopping to think clearly. She saw the black gates, tiny specks in the distance, but she ran towards them anyway. Behind her, an angry Sauron approached on his steed. He wasn't about to let her get away with this.
**
Merry and Pippin shifted uneasily. They were following the army of Saruman, but the two hobbits thought that Treebeard was going much to slow.
"Isn't there some way that we could get around them?" Merry asked for the third time. Pippin sighed unhappily.
"Now, now." Treebeard rumbled, speaking in a slow, steady voice. "Mustn't be hasty, little hobbit."
Merry pulled his hair in frustration; he wasn't taking the journey well. The story, as the pair had managed to get from Treebeard, was that this particular army was marching to Helm's Deep, the retreat of the Rohirrim. As far as Merry and Pippin knew, the King of Rohan, the land of the Horse- Lords, was supposed to be at Helm's Deep along with all of Rohan's people.
"Do you think Strider could be at this Helm's Deep?" Pippin asked Merry, pulling his cousins hands away from his hair. "You'll go bald." He warned.
Merry waved Pippin away and leant against Treebeard. "Maybe. We don't even know if he's alive."
"I think he is." Pippin said to Merry, watching his cousin's face.
"Good for you, but it's unlikely." Merry mumbled. He was clearly not in the best of moods.
"Be grumpy and pessimistic, then." Pippin shot back, sick to death of Merry's grumbles. "I happen to like having something to look forward to, even if it's unlikely."
**
King Theoden squinted into the distance, trying to count the numbers. He turned to Faramir, son of the current Steward of Gondor. "How many did you say there were?"
"Ten thousand." Faramir replied. He looked overtired, his usually bright eyes looked dull. His father was ill, and he had recently learned of his older brother's death. Even the thought of war wearied him, and he was in no state to fight.
He had been unpleased with Aragorn's reaction to him. He had just looked away, almost in disgust. It had been in his mind to strike the man, but he knew that he was bound to show respect to the future king of his country.
"Be gentle." The niece of King Theoden had said to Faramir, sensing his anger. Faramir looked at the woman and had been silenced by her mysterious beauty. There was deep-set pain in her blue eyes, and her reassuring smile didn't even touch them. "He has lost a loved one, the one that was to be his wife. His grief is deep, it had made him unwell."
Faramir turned away from the old king and went to join his rangers. He didn't know why, but he had had a feeling that had lead Faramir to Helm's Deep and away from the borders of Mordor. His rangers were unsettled, looking uneasily at each other.
"I do not know why I have lead you here." Faramir said in a tired voice, looking each one of his rangers in the eye. "You may leave, if you wish. Go now, before it is too late."
But no-one broke rank. His men stood silently and looked at their leader. One man came forward and gave a small bow to Faramir.
"We are loyal to you, and to our country, Faramir." He said in a careful voice. "We will not abandon you here."
Faramir smiled and sighed in relief. He closed his eyes and swallowed, not knowing what to say next.
**
Legolas watched the approaching ranks, confusion in his face.
"I thought there were ten thousand.." He said, more to himself than anyone else.
"There is, isn't there?" Gimli answered, jumping to try and see above the high wall. The rain still fell, leaving huge puddles around Gimli's feet. He shivered and looked at his friend.
"There is a lot less, I would say around five thousand." Legolas mused; his intelligent eyes scanned the army before him. "They are nearly here, are we well enough prepared?"
Gimli shrugged and resumed his jumping, splashing Legolas in the process.
"Oh do stop that!" Legolas said good-naturedly. "I'll get you a box if you insist on seeing the action, but let me warn you, it is about as interesting as watching the leaves on a tree grow!"
**
Galadriel had barely gone forty steps before Sauron caught up with her. He reached down and grabbed a large handful of her hair, pulling her onto the horse with him. Galadriel fought furiously, ignoring the pain she felt when some of her golden hair was torn from her scalp.
Sauron pulled the horse to a halt and dismounted, dragging Galadriel with him. They both landed on the hard ground with a crack, Galadriels arm breaking from the strain of Sauron's weight. She bit her lip so hard that it began to bleed, a drop of blood trickled down her chin as she fought to free herself from Sauron's hold.
"Stop! STOP!" Sauron roared, reluctant to use violence on her. He considered a spell, but knew too much magic could drive even the most powerful mad.
Galadriel stopped, and watching Sauron carefully. She looked wild; her hair was tangled and fell across her face, hiding her expression. Her arm was bent at an odd angle and her chest heaved as she fought to catch her breath.
"Yu must let me see the forest!" Galadriel whimpered as Sauron grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her towards him. "You must, you have to.." She closed her eyes and bit her lip again, sending a fresh dribble of blood over her chin.
"I will promise what you wish," Sauron began, and Galadriels head shot up, shock in her cool blue eyes. "But only if you promise me one thing.."
**
The army of Saruman came to a halt at the walls of Helm's Deep. Legolas watching carefully as the assumed leader of the Uruks came forward, a long pole in his hand. The rain was pouring more freely now, the coldness spreading to the bones of the nervous men.
The sound of elven bows being drawn was barely heard over the rain, but the Uruk certainly heard it. He began to scream in the Black Tongue, the vile, poisonous words drowned out the sound of the rain. Elves and men cringed against the sound of the venomous language and watched warily as the Uruk lifted his huge pole up.
An eerie silence fell over the two armies, as a white mist began to swirl around the top of the pole. It began to form a face, the face of an elf..
Bowstrings twanged and the Uruk was struck a hundred different times by the arrows of the angry elves. His pole fell with him, carrying the image of Galadriel's bloodied, scarred face with it.
**
"My Lord, there the commander of the Easterlings would like to see you, if it pleases you, my Lord."
Sauron jerked his head up, his ride after Galadriel had somewhat annoyed him and he was in a foul mood.
"Why?" He demanded of the Uruk who stood before him.
"He says that he has a great gift for you." The Uruk replied, keeping his eyes on the floor. Sauron smiled at that, it made him feel important that he could make a creature so great and powerful as an Uruk fear him.
"A gift" Sauron repeated, stroking his chin thoughtfully. He remained silent for a moment, and then looked up at the Uruk.
"Alright, bring him in then." He ordered and returned to his seat. He had been reading a book, which was odd for him. He had decided that he needed to relax; the whole ring business was really starting to get to him.
The commander of the Easterlings entered Sauron's study a short while later, a serious look upon his face.
Outside, a roar was let up, the roar of the many races allied with Mordor. Sauron frowned and crossed to the window and peered out. The armies were pumping their arms, smiles on their ugly faces.
"Tell me, commander" Sauron said, not turning to face his visitor. "Why is it that they, the armies of Mordor, are happy, when I am not?"
The commander began to reply, but Sauron whirled around to face him and the sight of his face was enough to silence him.
"My ring is very close." He said quietly, and began to draw nearer to the commander.
"Y-yes" He stammered and withdrew his hand from his pocket. His hand held a small, silk covered box with elvish inscription on it.
"Where did you get the box?" Sauron asked, his voice barely hiding his excitement. Finally, finally his ring had returned to him.
"From an old fool. Looked like a wizard, dressed in white."
"Saruman." Sauron said darkly, anger welling up inside him.
The commander held a shaking hand forward, but then withdrew it.
Sauron looked up sharply and glared. "What is the problem?" He asked through gritted teeth.
"I want to guarantee the safety of my people." He stammered, holding the box tightly.
Sauron sighed and looked over the commander's shoulder to where his guards stood at their posts. He gave a slight shrug and they nodded in reply. Sauron smiled and looked at the commander and raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, yes, very clever. Of course. But what you don't realize is that I'm not very patient."
Behind the commander, the two door guards had pulled out a crossbow each and were fitting deadly looking arrows.
"I could guarantee the safety, but," Confusion crossed the face of the commander as Sauron gave a short, sharp nod. Two efficiently aimed arrows buried deep into the commander's back and the tips protruded from his chest.
"Why would I want to do that?" He finished and walked over the commander's corpse, picking up the box on the way. He opened it, saw his ring, and then closed it again. As he passed the guards, he looked to one of the guards and nodded towards the body.
"See that he is hung from the walls, get rid of the arrows. Show them what happens to traitors."
"But he didn't betray you!" An angry voice cried and Sauron turned around, surprised to see Galadriel. She had only been sleeping in the next room and had just woken to the sound of the two men's voices.
"No," Sauron said, turning away from Galadriel. "But I say he did, so he did. No one else needs to know." To the guards, he added. "Make sure she doesn't escape, again." And exited the room, the elvish box deep in the pockets of his robe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wow! I'm so incredibly sorry that I've been so lazy! You have my permission to be angry with me! (But not too angry!) I have no excuse, I'm just lazy. Please review! Please??
I'm not finished with this fic yet. I had a brainwave and so now I know how it ends and everything!