Legolas Greenleaf: Agent of MESS
:::::::::::::::::::
Disclaimer: Legolas Greenleaf and associated characters belong to JRR Tolkien. Legolas' appearance belongs to Orlando Bloom in a wig. The James Bond concept was created, or at least best used by Ian Fleming. A few odd characters and moments belong elsewhere.
Author's Notes: I've taken some liberties with the structure of Orthanc. I know what it's meant to be like, but they changed it in the film anyway. Just go with it. Thanks for all my reviewers; new this time: Ebenn1 and ldy imladris! I write it for you readers, so let me know if it's appreciated. Thanks to Julia again for beta'ing it. Even if she takes her own sweet time about it.
:::::::::::::::::::
Chapter 6. The Morning After
Greenleaf's first thought on waking with an aching head and fuzzy mouth was "must have been a good evening." Then he remembered.
"Oh hell," he muttered, sitting upright, "not a good evening. Must have been something in the brandy." He squinted, looking around. Everything swam before his eyes, until he rested his head against the wall for a moment to settle it. The walls were bare black stone, and the door thick metal with a small grill in it. Same sort of dungeon cells that were found all over Middle Earth. There were even some like this in Mirkwood, though those were a bit damper and mouldier round the edges.
Standing, he walked somewhat unsteadily to the door and peered out through the grill. A window further down the curving corridor outside let in light and afforded a narrow view of the enchanted view outside. Greenleaf could see that he was some way further down the tower than he had been previously, just below tree level. Not that they were real trees. He frowned, realising that the trees had probably been cut down to make room for whatever Saruman was doing up there. Gazing left, all that was visible was a wall curving out of sight. But to the right Greenleaf could see a guard leaning against the wall. He didn't look particularly awake, and his eyes, half-closed, stared at the hypnotically swaying tree-images outside.
Greenleaf smiled, a plan forming in his mind. He began to sing softly an old Elvish lullaby, keeping his voice just within the level of hearing. The guard's eyelids drooped further, until they were completely shut. He slid slowly to the floor, not waking as his back scraped down the stone wall. When he lay still, snoring quietly with his head on one side, Greenleaf stopped singing. Pulling a lockpick from the collar of his robe, he set to work on the door and soon had it open. Stepping out, he shut it behind him. The more time before his escape was discovered the better.
"Sleep well," he said offhandedly to the snoozing guard as he walked past. The man merely grunted and continued to snore.
The corridor ran all around that level of the tower, encircling the prison cells in the centre. Walking round, it didn't take Greenleaf long to find the doorway onto the stairs. Listening carefully first to see if anyone was coming and hearing no one, he began making his way down them as quietly as possible. The tower had a fairly complex structure, he concluded. The stairway appeared to spiral all the way round the interior of the tower, with the rooms inside that. There was probably an awful lot of stairs and a good many levels. It could take ages to find what he was looking for. Besides, G had said that backup would probably arrive from Elrond, and the more people involved, the shorter the search. But if the backup hadn't arrived by the time Greenleaf returned to Edoras, then he would have to continue alone. Time was of the essence if Saruman really did know why he was there.
Passing a window as he descended, Greenleaf saw that he was on ground level. Taking a moment, he stared out onto Isengard, willing his eyes to see past the spells Saruman had placed. Once you knew they were there you could see through them, particularly with Elven eyesight. The trees and greenery faded away, revealing the devastation beneath. The ground was stripped and bare. Great holes yawned widely, vomiting black smoke. Listening intently, Greenleaf could hear hammering, marching and machinery, sounding distant through Saruman's silencing spell.
The stairs continued on down, going underground. Greenleaf took another look round, then followed them, listening all the while for anyone behind or in front of him. He never particularly liked being beneath the ground too deep or too long. For now he just intended to get a look at what Saruman seemed desperate to hide, to gain more of an idea of what he would face. The steps became rougher cut the further down he went and Greenleaf was careful to watch his footing.
Suddenly, he walked into a wall of sound. Momentarily disorientated, he stumbled and grabbed at the wall to stop himself falling. The noise was deafening, particularly as he had been listening intently to silence just before. It was shouts and roars, hammers and metal. Adjusting to it after the initial shock, Greenleaf realised that he had just passed the bounds of Saruman's silencing spell. The din was part of what he was trying to hide and, judging by the volume, it was very close. Even more cautiously now that he couldn't easily have heard anybody approaching, he crept on. He went round the spiral of the stairs once more, and then he saw it.
A vast army of orcs was toiling away round great furnaces, making their own style of weapons and armour. Each time a piece was completed it was thrown onto a pile, landing with a crash. Looking closer, Greenleaf could see that these weren't just ordinary orcs, they were Uruk-Hai, the foul crossbreed far better suited for battles. As he gazed past the grunting workers he saw, far over the other side of the cavern, great egg-shaped globules. Even as he watched, one ripped open and a slime-bedecked creature crawled out; a newborn Uruk-Hai. Greenleaf was instantly revolted, realising that Saruman had been breeding these monstrosities.
Deciding that he had seen enough, he hurried back up the stairs, away from the heat and the stench. With gratitude he passed back through the silence barrier, as his legs took the stairs three at a time. Ground level was soon reached, and he stopped at the window. Only to duck back as Saruman strode past the outside. The wizard was on his way back from the gate, an angry look on his face. Greenleaf heard the door, which was just around the curve, slam open and slam shut. Crouched on the window sill, cut all the way through the wall, he hoped that the wizard would go upstairs. His prayers were answered, and Saruman's footsteps receded out of hearing and up the tower. With his customary Elven speed, Greenleaf sped along the remaining corridor. He slipped out of the door, closing it carefully behind him. The courtyard was quickly circumnavigated, running along the edges of the few outbuildings, bringing him to the stables.
The guard and the groom were sitting in one of the far stalls, playing cards. Greenleaf's knives, bow and quiver sat on a stool opposite Shadowfax's stall. Walking silently across the stable floor, the Elf picked them up, redistributing them about his person. He then eased the bolt on the stall door, sliding it carefully back.
"Snap!" Nobby suddenly yelled. Fred grumbled.
"Best of fifteen?" he asked. Greenleaf held his breath, waiting.
"Go on then," Nobby agreed. There was the rustling of cards being shuffled. "You're such a poor loser."
Greenleaf led Shadowfax out, spreading hay beneath his hooves to muffle the sound. There was nobody in the courtyard, but Greenleaf hurried, knowing that Saruman could be watching from any of the windows. The gates were, of course, shut, but not locked.
"Careless," Greenleaf muttered, opening it. At which point, a shout came from the tower.
"Guards! You fools! He's at the gates!" Saruman's face, framed in an open window, was apoplectic. Fred and Nobby came running out of the stable, Nobby with his cards still in his hand. They were too late. Greenleaf had swung himself up onto Shadowfax's back and urged the horse into a gallop. There was no hope of pursuit.
Not for the first time, Greenleaf thanked the Valar for Shadowfax's speed. No other horse in Saruman's stable -and there weren't many- could match it. Grass blurred beneath as the horse raced on. Raising his eyes to the scenery now that he knew it was enchanted, Greenleaf could see that the river was in fact dammed. A huge structure between the mountains held the water captive, allowing the merest trickle through. The mountains themselves and the hills still looked beautiful, despite the rot spreading from Isengard. Greenleaf cursed Saruman as he rode for blemishing the landscape. He's probably even taken trees from Fangorn to burn in his furnaces, he thought angrily.
It was a fairly long ride from Isengard to Edoras, so once Greenleaf was sure that he wasn't followed he slowed Shadowfax's pace, not wanting to tire the horse. Even at what was slower for Shadowfax they still went fast, and it was not long before they were on the North-South road heading through the Westfold. The sun gleamed on the fortress of Helm's Deep as they passed, identifying the grey stone building among the grey stone mountains. Shortly after this, they approached another lone rider on the road, dressed in the garb of a Ranger. Greenleaf, curious, pulled Shadowfax in to keep pace with the lone Ranger's horse as they drew alongside. The Ranger turned his head to identify his new companion. His face was mostly hidden by a hood, though the chin that protruded sported a beard, leading to Greenleaf's surprise when the stranger greeted him with "Mae Govannen."
The Elf responded in kind before asking, "But you are not of the Elves. Why do you speak in our tongue?"
The Ranger laughed. "It is obvious that you are of the fair folk, so I greeted you according. For myself, I have spent much time, particularly in my earlier years, among the Elves of Rivendell." With a smile, he pulled back his hood, revealing a handsome weather-beaten face surrounded with shoulder-length brown hair. His eyes, though serious and grey, held some of the light of life. "My name is Aragorn."
"Greenleaf. Legolas Greenleaf."
"Then it is you I have come to assist!" Aragorn exclaimed. "Elrond sent me, on the orders of G."
Greenleaf was shocked by this news. He had expected Elrond to send one of his Elves, not a man. Men were weak, foolish. He would have to watch him, to make sure he didn't ruin everything. Men had a tendency to be erratic, unreliable and impetuous. But maybe, Greenleaf thought, this one can actually read a map, unlike many. Him being a Ranger and all. He decided to test this.
"You must have been travelling for some time," he said, "which way did you come?"
"South from Rivendell, following the Misty Mountains on the west side," Aragorn replied, "then I joined this road south of Dunland. Fairly easy going, though it'd have been faster with a beauty of a horse like yours." He looked at Shadowfax appreciatively, and then a thought struck him. "Where have you come from this morning? You don't seem to have been in Edoras last night."
Greenleaf raised an eyebrow. "Do I look that bad?"
"Oh no, just slightly . . . rumpled. And you're wearing, if I'm not mistaken, a formal tunic, so you were out last night."
Despite himself, Greenleaf was impressed. "Good deduction," he said with a slight grin. "I got invited to dinner with Saruman. He decided he wanted me to stay the night."
It was Aragorn's turn to be surprised, though he didn't hide it as well. "He suspects you?"
"That was my conclusion, yes, when I woke up locked in a cell. He probably recognised me from our little tussle in Rivendell."
"I knew about that. Is there anything else I need to know? Did you find anything out last night?"
"I found out a lot."
:::::::::::::::::::
Heh. "Hi ho, Silver, away!"
:::::::::::::::::::
Disclaimer: Legolas Greenleaf and associated characters belong to JRR Tolkien. Legolas' appearance belongs to Orlando Bloom in a wig. The James Bond concept was created, or at least best used by Ian Fleming. A few odd characters and moments belong elsewhere.
Author's Notes: I've taken some liberties with the structure of Orthanc. I know what it's meant to be like, but they changed it in the film anyway. Just go with it. Thanks for all my reviewers; new this time: Ebenn1 and ldy imladris! I write it for you readers, so let me know if it's appreciated. Thanks to Julia again for beta'ing it. Even if she takes her own sweet time about it.
:::::::::::::::::::
Chapter 6. The Morning After
Greenleaf's first thought on waking with an aching head and fuzzy mouth was "must have been a good evening." Then he remembered.
"Oh hell," he muttered, sitting upright, "not a good evening. Must have been something in the brandy." He squinted, looking around. Everything swam before his eyes, until he rested his head against the wall for a moment to settle it. The walls were bare black stone, and the door thick metal with a small grill in it. Same sort of dungeon cells that were found all over Middle Earth. There were even some like this in Mirkwood, though those were a bit damper and mouldier round the edges.
Standing, he walked somewhat unsteadily to the door and peered out through the grill. A window further down the curving corridor outside let in light and afforded a narrow view of the enchanted view outside. Greenleaf could see that he was some way further down the tower than he had been previously, just below tree level. Not that they were real trees. He frowned, realising that the trees had probably been cut down to make room for whatever Saruman was doing up there. Gazing left, all that was visible was a wall curving out of sight. But to the right Greenleaf could see a guard leaning against the wall. He didn't look particularly awake, and his eyes, half-closed, stared at the hypnotically swaying tree-images outside.
Greenleaf smiled, a plan forming in his mind. He began to sing softly an old Elvish lullaby, keeping his voice just within the level of hearing. The guard's eyelids drooped further, until they were completely shut. He slid slowly to the floor, not waking as his back scraped down the stone wall. When he lay still, snoring quietly with his head on one side, Greenleaf stopped singing. Pulling a lockpick from the collar of his robe, he set to work on the door and soon had it open. Stepping out, he shut it behind him. The more time before his escape was discovered the better.
"Sleep well," he said offhandedly to the snoozing guard as he walked past. The man merely grunted and continued to snore.
The corridor ran all around that level of the tower, encircling the prison cells in the centre. Walking round, it didn't take Greenleaf long to find the doorway onto the stairs. Listening carefully first to see if anyone was coming and hearing no one, he began making his way down them as quietly as possible. The tower had a fairly complex structure, he concluded. The stairway appeared to spiral all the way round the interior of the tower, with the rooms inside that. There was probably an awful lot of stairs and a good many levels. It could take ages to find what he was looking for. Besides, G had said that backup would probably arrive from Elrond, and the more people involved, the shorter the search. But if the backup hadn't arrived by the time Greenleaf returned to Edoras, then he would have to continue alone. Time was of the essence if Saruman really did know why he was there.
Passing a window as he descended, Greenleaf saw that he was on ground level. Taking a moment, he stared out onto Isengard, willing his eyes to see past the spells Saruman had placed. Once you knew they were there you could see through them, particularly with Elven eyesight. The trees and greenery faded away, revealing the devastation beneath. The ground was stripped and bare. Great holes yawned widely, vomiting black smoke. Listening intently, Greenleaf could hear hammering, marching and machinery, sounding distant through Saruman's silencing spell.
The stairs continued on down, going underground. Greenleaf took another look round, then followed them, listening all the while for anyone behind or in front of him. He never particularly liked being beneath the ground too deep or too long. For now he just intended to get a look at what Saruman seemed desperate to hide, to gain more of an idea of what he would face. The steps became rougher cut the further down he went and Greenleaf was careful to watch his footing.
Suddenly, he walked into a wall of sound. Momentarily disorientated, he stumbled and grabbed at the wall to stop himself falling. The noise was deafening, particularly as he had been listening intently to silence just before. It was shouts and roars, hammers and metal. Adjusting to it after the initial shock, Greenleaf realised that he had just passed the bounds of Saruman's silencing spell. The din was part of what he was trying to hide and, judging by the volume, it was very close. Even more cautiously now that he couldn't easily have heard anybody approaching, he crept on. He went round the spiral of the stairs once more, and then he saw it.
A vast army of orcs was toiling away round great furnaces, making their own style of weapons and armour. Each time a piece was completed it was thrown onto a pile, landing with a crash. Looking closer, Greenleaf could see that these weren't just ordinary orcs, they were Uruk-Hai, the foul crossbreed far better suited for battles. As he gazed past the grunting workers he saw, far over the other side of the cavern, great egg-shaped globules. Even as he watched, one ripped open and a slime-bedecked creature crawled out; a newborn Uruk-Hai. Greenleaf was instantly revolted, realising that Saruman had been breeding these monstrosities.
Deciding that he had seen enough, he hurried back up the stairs, away from the heat and the stench. With gratitude he passed back through the silence barrier, as his legs took the stairs three at a time. Ground level was soon reached, and he stopped at the window. Only to duck back as Saruman strode past the outside. The wizard was on his way back from the gate, an angry look on his face. Greenleaf heard the door, which was just around the curve, slam open and slam shut. Crouched on the window sill, cut all the way through the wall, he hoped that the wizard would go upstairs. His prayers were answered, and Saruman's footsteps receded out of hearing and up the tower. With his customary Elven speed, Greenleaf sped along the remaining corridor. He slipped out of the door, closing it carefully behind him. The courtyard was quickly circumnavigated, running along the edges of the few outbuildings, bringing him to the stables.
The guard and the groom were sitting in one of the far stalls, playing cards. Greenleaf's knives, bow and quiver sat on a stool opposite Shadowfax's stall. Walking silently across the stable floor, the Elf picked them up, redistributing them about his person. He then eased the bolt on the stall door, sliding it carefully back.
"Snap!" Nobby suddenly yelled. Fred grumbled.
"Best of fifteen?" he asked. Greenleaf held his breath, waiting.
"Go on then," Nobby agreed. There was the rustling of cards being shuffled. "You're such a poor loser."
Greenleaf led Shadowfax out, spreading hay beneath his hooves to muffle the sound. There was nobody in the courtyard, but Greenleaf hurried, knowing that Saruman could be watching from any of the windows. The gates were, of course, shut, but not locked.
"Careless," Greenleaf muttered, opening it. At which point, a shout came from the tower.
"Guards! You fools! He's at the gates!" Saruman's face, framed in an open window, was apoplectic. Fred and Nobby came running out of the stable, Nobby with his cards still in his hand. They were too late. Greenleaf had swung himself up onto Shadowfax's back and urged the horse into a gallop. There was no hope of pursuit.
Not for the first time, Greenleaf thanked the Valar for Shadowfax's speed. No other horse in Saruman's stable -and there weren't many- could match it. Grass blurred beneath as the horse raced on. Raising his eyes to the scenery now that he knew it was enchanted, Greenleaf could see that the river was in fact dammed. A huge structure between the mountains held the water captive, allowing the merest trickle through. The mountains themselves and the hills still looked beautiful, despite the rot spreading from Isengard. Greenleaf cursed Saruman as he rode for blemishing the landscape. He's probably even taken trees from Fangorn to burn in his furnaces, he thought angrily.
It was a fairly long ride from Isengard to Edoras, so once Greenleaf was sure that he wasn't followed he slowed Shadowfax's pace, not wanting to tire the horse. Even at what was slower for Shadowfax they still went fast, and it was not long before they were on the North-South road heading through the Westfold. The sun gleamed on the fortress of Helm's Deep as they passed, identifying the grey stone building among the grey stone mountains. Shortly after this, they approached another lone rider on the road, dressed in the garb of a Ranger. Greenleaf, curious, pulled Shadowfax in to keep pace with the lone Ranger's horse as they drew alongside. The Ranger turned his head to identify his new companion. His face was mostly hidden by a hood, though the chin that protruded sported a beard, leading to Greenleaf's surprise when the stranger greeted him with "Mae Govannen."
The Elf responded in kind before asking, "But you are not of the Elves. Why do you speak in our tongue?"
The Ranger laughed. "It is obvious that you are of the fair folk, so I greeted you according. For myself, I have spent much time, particularly in my earlier years, among the Elves of Rivendell." With a smile, he pulled back his hood, revealing a handsome weather-beaten face surrounded with shoulder-length brown hair. His eyes, though serious and grey, held some of the light of life. "My name is Aragorn."
"Greenleaf. Legolas Greenleaf."
"Then it is you I have come to assist!" Aragorn exclaimed. "Elrond sent me, on the orders of G."
Greenleaf was shocked by this news. He had expected Elrond to send one of his Elves, not a man. Men were weak, foolish. He would have to watch him, to make sure he didn't ruin everything. Men had a tendency to be erratic, unreliable and impetuous. But maybe, Greenleaf thought, this one can actually read a map, unlike many. Him being a Ranger and all. He decided to test this.
"You must have been travelling for some time," he said, "which way did you come?"
"South from Rivendell, following the Misty Mountains on the west side," Aragorn replied, "then I joined this road south of Dunland. Fairly easy going, though it'd have been faster with a beauty of a horse like yours." He looked at Shadowfax appreciatively, and then a thought struck him. "Where have you come from this morning? You don't seem to have been in Edoras last night."
Greenleaf raised an eyebrow. "Do I look that bad?"
"Oh no, just slightly . . . rumpled. And you're wearing, if I'm not mistaken, a formal tunic, so you were out last night."
Despite himself, Greenleaf was impressed. "Good deduction," he said with a slight grin. "I got invited to dinner with Saruman. He decided he wanted me to stay the night."
It was Aragorn's turn to be surprised, though he didn't hide it as well. "He suspects you?"
"That was my conclusion, yes, when I woke up locked in a cell. He probably recognised me from our little tussle in Rivendell."
"I knew about that. Is there anything else I need to know? Did you find anything out last night?"
"I found out a lot."
:::::::::::::::::::
Heh. "Hi ho, Silver, away!"