And Drink To Me Yet
Chapter 9 - Blood for the Globe
"Pippin," Legolas whispered, "take Waen back to our rooms. Gimli and I will join you shortly, once all this clears up."
The tall Elf gestured around the frenzied Hall. After Merry's outburst, Aragorn and Arwen had exchanged a meaningful glance, the meaning of which was lost on Pippin. Then Aragorn had calmly requested the aid of Elf and Dwarf in finding a highly valued possession of his which had apparently been misplaced. While Legolas and Gimli pledged their assistance, the Hall had filled with attendants, all apparently searching for whatever Aragorn and Merry had eluded to. In the confused crowd that grew swiftly about him, Pippin lost sight of Merry. Draug as well, he noted, had completely disappeared.
Pippin nodded at his friend's request, and lead Waen from the room. He was glad to get away from all the noise and chaos. As the doors to the Great Hall swung shut behind them, the frantic sounds became muffled. After a moment of passing through the halls, the noises had completely disappeared.
"You know," he muttered softly to the girl as they walk, "they're probably looking for what you took."
Silence was her only response, and in that silence they continued on to their rooms.
Pippin paused at the door. It was slightly open, making him frown. He was sure he had seen Waen pull it closed as they dashed off... From the slightly puzzled look on her face, he could tell she was thinking along the same lines. Cautiously, Pippin drew his sword, glad that he still carried it with him. He noted that Waen had likewise managed to produce a dagger from some inner folds of her robes. They slowly approached the door, hardly daring to breath in the thick silence that enveloped them. After a moment's hesitation, Pippin threw the door wide and entered the room, woodland friend at his side.
At first he thought that the room was empty. He lowered his sword, glancing around. Waen caught his shoulder and indicated the window. It was the one she often sat in these past few days, strumming her lute absently or favoring the others with a song of her people. Now Pippin noticed that the curtains were stirring. A long slender hand reached around them. As it drew the curtains back, the scowling countenance of Draug was revealed.
Pippin let out a sigh of relief as he advanced toward the prince, saying plainly, "You gave us quite a start, leaving the door ajar as you did!"
"I'm sorry if I startled you." Draug's voice was softer than Pippin had expected, and when he looked up he saw that Draug's scowl was gone. Instead the young prince wore a tired, slightly overwhelmed expression. Pippin softened his own manner, and saw that Waen had done the same. She approached Draug, a pleasant smile gracing her lovely features.
Her voice was as soft as Draug's had been. "Did you wish to speak with us or with our companions, Highness?"
"Yes," he glanced between them, then somewhat nervously toward the door. Once assured that it was closed, his dark eyes locked on Waen. "I know what it is you took."
Pippin was sure that he must of flinched when Draug said this, but he noted that Waen did not. She appeared mildly puzzled, saying in a steady voice, "I don't understand what you mean."
"You know very well what I mean!" Draug's voice seemed, for the first time Pippin had ever heard, slightly aggressive, and he saw Waen start to step back before she checked herself.
"If you mean," her voice was soft, "what I think you mean, then I'm not giving it back."
For a second Draug looked ready to slap Waen, but the second passed quickly and he turned away from them. Pippin exchanged a look with the young woman, and nodded to her. She took a step forward, reaching out her pale hand and lightly resting it on Draug's shoulder. Draug jumped when she touched him, half-turning as if he expected to see someone else. After marking that it was only Waen, the young prince turned once again toward the window, stormy eyes wandering across his father's kingdom.
Pippin stepped forward, leaning against the window beside Draug. For a moment they stood in silence, gazing out at the rolling plains and hills of Gondor. Pippin's thoughts turned to the object Waen had stolen. Yes, it had been stealing, no matter how you looked at it. And stealing was wrong. They would, then, return it to Aragorn. Only, if they did that, he would remain Elessar...
Waen's voice broke Pippin's thoughts off along with the silence. "Your Highness, please listen to me. It was wrong to take what I took from its rightful owner, I know, but I did so for a good cause."
Draug's voice no longer held an aggressive or angry edge; it seemed on the contrary quite weak, "And what might that 'good cause' be, Lady Darkwind?"
"I thought it would help your parents. Your siblings. You yourself, m'lord."
He laughed bitterly, and Pippin thought that a glitter of pain could be seen in his dark eyes. "You thought, you say..."
"Was I wrong to think so?" Waen frowned, as if she hadn't even contemplated the idea.
"Yes." Draug looked around at her again, and Pippin was sure of the glitter in the prince's eyes now. It was fear, and Pippin could tell that Waen saw it. Her hand tightened slightly on Draug's shoulder, and she cast her eyes aside. Draug continued in the soft voice he had used before. "You've only made my father mad. That can only make matters worse.
When Waen spoke again, her voice sounded almost plaintive. "What should I do, then?"
Now it was Draug who turned aside, eyes still holding an unnamed dread in them. "Return what you have taken."
"No!" Pippin said, almost angrily. Both of the young folk looked up at him, confused by his sudden outburst into the conversation. "No," he said again, "Waen's not giving it back. It's what's at the bottom of Merry's problems, and I intend to see it destroyed!"
"Do you, Master Hobbit?" Draug raised an eyebrow.
"Yes!" Pippin shot back, feeling his temper growing, "And I should think it's the root of your problems as well, and that you'd help me!"
Waen's hand left Draug's shoulder, and she rummaged around in one of her pockets. From it she pulled a smooth round object, a crystal globe that appeared dark and empty. Yet even as Pippin gazed at it, he fancied that a light began to glow in its center, and he was suddenly seized with fear. He had gazed long ago into this very palantìr, and could still feel its haunting effects. He turned from it, once again looking out of the window.
Draug also had turned from the palantìr. His voice now whispered softly to Pippin. "I would see it destroyed as well. But with the turning of the Ages, and the end of the War of the Ring, the laws of the Seeing- Stones have changed."
"Changed?" Waen wrapped the globe once again in her robes, a shiver running down her spine.
"There is but one way to destroy a palantìr," Draug's whisper replied, "and that is by means of a mortal sacrifice."
((oOo! Sacrifice! This will be exciting! Convenient, though, eh, that it's a 'mortal' sacrifice? This automatically safeguards my pretty Waen! Yey!! And Legolas too, I suppose, so Greenleaf fans won't stop reading! Double yey!! Anyway, I have pretty much decided who is going to sacrifice themselves to destroy the Seeing-Stone.... IF it is going to get destroyed... *forshadowing~like* But, I would like to know who my lovely readers would like to see die. The candidates are Aragorn, Gimli, Merry, and Pippin, with the -wildcards- Aglareb, Alataestel, and Draug. The royal children are half-mortal, right? So dude! I could kill one of them!! Bwah hah ha!!!!! *evil evil* Anyway, just include who you think should be sacrificed in your review. And a review, of course. -.-"))
Chapter 9 - Blood for the Globe
"Pippin," Legolas whispered, "take Waen back to our rooms. Gimli and I will join you shortly, once all this clears up."
The tall Elf gestured around the frenzied Hall. After Merry's outburst, Aragorn and Arwen had exchanged a meaningful glance, the meaning of which was lost on Pippin. Then Aragorn had calmly requested the aid of Elf and Dwarf in finding a highly valued possession of his which had apparently been misplaced. While Legolas and Gimli pledged their assistance, the Hall had filled with attendants, all apparently searching for whatever Aragorn and Merry had eluded to. In the confused crowd that grew swiftly about him, Pippin lost sight of Merry. Draug as well, he noted, had completely disappeared.
Pippin nodded at his friend's request, and lead Waen from the room. He was glad to get away from all the noise and chaos. As the doors to the Great Hall swung shut behind them, the frantic sounds became muffled. After a moment of passing through the halls, the noises had completely disappeared.
"You know," he muttered softly to the girl as they walk, "they're probably looking for what you took."
Silence was her only response, and in that silence they continued on to their rooms.
Pippin paused at the door. It was slightly open, making him frown. He was sure he had seen Waen pull it closed as they dashed off... From the slightly puzzled look on her face, he could tell she was thinking along the same lines. Cautiously, Pippin drew his sword, glad that he still carried it with him. He noted that Waen had likewise managed to produce a dagger from some inner folds of her robes. They slowly approached the door, hardly daring to breath in the thick silence that enveloped them. After a moment's hesitation, Pippin threw the door wide and entered the room, woodland friend at his side.
At first he thought that the room was empty. He lowered his sword, glancing around. Waen caught his shoulder and indicated the window. It was the one she often sat in these past few days, strumming her lute absently or favoring the others with a song of her people. Now Pippin noticed that the curtains were stirring. A long slender hand reached around them. As it drew the curtains back, the scowling countenance of Draug was revealed.
Pippin let out a sigh of relief as he advanced toward the prince, saying plainly, "You gave us quite a start, leaving the door ajar as you did!"
"I'm sorry if I startled you." Draug's voice was softer than Pippin had expected, and when he looked up he saw that Draug's scowl was gone. Instead the young prince wore a tired, slightly overwhelmed expression. Pippin softened his own manner, and saw that Waen had done the same. She approached Draug, a pleasant smile gracing her lovely features.
Her voice was as soft as Draug's had been. "Did you wish to speak with us or with our companions, Highness?"
"Yes," he glanced between them, then somewhat nervously toward the door. Once assured that it was closed, his dark eyes locked on Waen. "I know what it is you took."
Pippin was sure that he must of flinched when Draug said this, but he noted that Waen did not. She appeared mildly puzzled, saying in a steady voice, "I don't understand what you mean."
"You know very well what I mean!" Draug's voice seemed, for the first time Pippin had ever heard, slightly aggressive, and he saw Waen start to step back before she checked herself.
"If you mean," her voice was soft, "what I think you mean, then I'm not giving it back."
For a second Draug looked ready to slap Waen, but the second passed quickly and he turned away from them. Pippin exchanged a look with the young woman, and nodded to her. She took a step forward, reaching out her pale hand and lightly resting it on Draug's shoulder. Draug jumped when she touched him, half-turning as if he expected to see someone else. After marking that it was only Waen, the young prince turned once again toward the window, stormy eyes wandering across his father's kingdom.
Pippin stepped forward, leaning against the window beside Draug. For a moment they stood in silence, gazing out at the rolling plains and hills of Gondor. Pippin's thoughts turned to the object Waen had stolen. Yes, it had been stealing, no matter how you looked at it. And stealing was wrong. They would, then, return it to Aragorn. Only, if they did that, he would remain Elessar...
Waen's voice broke Pippin's thoughts off along with the silence. "Your Highness, please listen to me. It was wrong to take what I took from its rightful owner, I know, but I did so for a good cause."
Draug's voice no longer held an aggressive or angry edge; it seemed on the contrary quite weak, "And what might that 'good cause' be, Lady Darkwind?"
"I thought it would help your parents. Your siblings. You yourself, m'lord."
He laughed bitterly, and Pippin thought that a glitter of pain could be seen in his dark eyes. "You thought, you say..."
"Was I wrong to think so?" Waen frowned, as if she hadn't even contemplated the idea.
"Yes." Draug looked around at her again, and Pippin was sure of the glitter in the prince's eyes now. It was fear, and Pippin could tell that Waen saw it. Her hand tightened slightly on Draug's shoulder, and she cast her eyes aside. Draug continued in the soft voice he had used before. "You've only made my father mad. That can only make matters worse.
When Waen spoke again, her voice sounded almost plaintive. "What should I do, then?"
Now it was Draug who turned aside, eyes still holding an unnamed dread in them. "Return what you have taken."
"No!" Pippin said, almost angrily. Both of the young folk looked up at him, confused by his sudden outburst into the conversation. "No," he said again, "Waen's not giving it back. It's what's at the bottom of Merry's problems, and I intend to see it destroyed!"
"Do you, Master Hobbit?" Draug raised an eyebrow.
"Yes!" Pippin shot back, feeling his temper growing, "And I should think it's the root of your problems as well, and that you'd help me!"
Waen's hand left Draug's shoulder, and she rummaged around in one of her pockets. From it she pulled a smooth round object, a crystal globe that appeared dark and empty. Yet even as Pippin gazed at it, he fancied that a light began to glow in its center, and he was suddenly seized with fear. He had gazed long ago into this very palantìr, and could still feel its haunting effects. He turned from it, once again looking out of the window.
Draug also had turned from the palantìr. His voice now whispered softly to Pippin. "I would see it destroyed as well. But with the turning of the Ages, and the end of the War of the Ring, the laws of the Seeing- Stones have changed."
"Changed?" Waen wrapped the globe once again in her robes, a shiver running down her spine.
"There is but one way to destroy a palantìr," Draug's whisper replied, "and that is by means of a mortal sacrifice."
((oOo! Sacrifice! This will be exciting! Convenient, though, eh, that it's a 'mortal' sacrifice? This automatically safeguards my pretty Waen! Yey!! And Legolas too, I suppose, so Greenleaf fans won't stop reading! Double yey!! Anyway, I have pretty much decided who is going to sacrifice themselves to destroy the Seeing-Stone.... IF it is going to get destroyed... *forshadowing~like* But, I would like to know who my lovely readers would like to see die. The candidates are Aragorn, Gimli, Merry, and Pippin, with the -wildcards- Aglareb, Alataestel, and Draug. The royal children are half-mortal, right? So dude! I could kill one of them!! Bwah hah ha!!!!! *evil evil* Anyway, just include who you think should be sacrificed in your review. And a review, of course. -.-"))