Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings in any way, shape, or form, any
quotes that might appear from other films.
Chapter 19 - The Setup
"Down you go," Black said, "watch your step."
Aragorn and Legolas tumbled into the underground storage room, still bound and gagged.
"If you get hungry there's plenty of nice, friendly cockroaches crawling around. Don't be afraid to help yourselves," Black told them before she slammed the door. "Get to work!" she ordered the others.
"Can I go down?" Red asked a few hours later.
"No," Black said curtly.
"Pleeeaaaaseeeeeee." Red whined.
"No."
"Fine," Red pouted. "I guess you'd rather Blue go check on them, then?" she added slyly. Black's head shot up. "I'll just go get her, shall I?" Red took a step toward Blue.
"No, no," Black chirped. "I definitely do not want to give her that kind of opportunity." She glanced anxiously at Blue. "Go ahead," she relented, "but be quick about it!"
Red clapped her hands together giddily and giggled. She hopped over to the cellar and went down.
"Hello, prisoners," she chuckled. "Hehe, this is fun. We've never had captives before." She sat on the ground opposite the man and Elf, looking like some innocent child with her legs crossed 'Indian-style' and her eyes wide.
"Oh, what's this?" she asked, scooting closer to Aragorn in order to finger a bright silver jewel hung around his neck. He pulled away at her touch. "Who gave you that?" Red asked. "Wait, silly me, I have to take out the gag for you to talk." She removed the cloth and repeated the question. "I know someone had to have given it to you, because I would have remembered something like that. And if you did have it before, chances are, I'd probably have taken it by now. Oh, Elvish. I hear those are very nice."
Aragorn said nothing, but leaned farther away from the pickpocket.
"It goes well with your eyes," Red went on, "but-" she yanked the necklace off, "you won't have those much longer, so you won't be needing it anyway."
"What?" Aragorn stuttered.
"Yeah," said Red with her utmost sense of causality, "Black does that occasionally-takes people's eyes. Just when they've seen somethin' they shouldn't have, though." Red delighted in the nervous squirms and straightening of her two captives. "Only joking!" she said when she could no longer contain her laughter. "But she might cut out your tongue."
"I've finished those barrels Green started," Blue said. "May I please go down now?"
"No," Black told her shortly.
"Why not?"
"Your record's against you. Every time you've gone near that Elf something happens which only complicates things further."
"But you let Red go down, and she hasn't done any work!"
"Is she still down there?" Black looked up from her work.
"Yes!" Blue exclaimed.
Black threw down her hammer and went over to the cellar, mumbling something under her breath. She hauled the door open and went in.
"So then, get this!" Red laughed, "The guy actually thinks I'm the Queen!"
Black cleared her throat.
"Oh, hello," said Red cheerily. "I was just telling them about that one time, when that guy-the one with the gold tooth, you know? Anyway, I was just telling them how he actually thought I was this really powerful Queen and."
"Yes Red," Black interrupted. "I'm familiar with the story. I was there, after all."
"Yeah," Red sighed, "that was great."
"Would you mind re-surfacing while it's still daylight?" Black asked.
"But I'm telling them a story," Red protested.
Black narrowed her eyes. "I think you're finished with it."
"But."
"You have work to do."
"Can't it wait?" whined Red.
"I don't care when you start, but I will expect it to be done by tomorrow, even if it means you work all night."
"Fine," Red said, rising and stomping up the steps.
"What did she tell you?" Black asked once Red was out of earshot. Neither Elf or Man responded. "Humph," she grunted as she replaced the gags Red had removed.
"Don't know what you told them," Black said as she exited the cellar, "but they sure shut up hard."
"Probably hate her for trying to kill them," Blue whispered.
"That, and the fact they're terrified she might cut out their tongues," Red replied.
"What?"
Red giggled. "I told them she'd cut out their tongues if they said anything she didn't like."
"She doesn't really, does she?" Blue asked.
"No," Red assured her, "at least I don't think so. She's threatened to do it to me tons of times, but she never has."
"Oh," Blue gulped slightly.
"What are we going to do about the two Inconveniences?" Black asked the group on the eve of their planned heist.
"We could hit them over the head," Red suggested. "I know that works, I've gotten hit over the head often, and I can never remember anything."
"But we can't hit them too hard," Blue interjected. "They might get seriously hurt."
"Sounds good to me," said Black. "Green? Any objections?"
"No," Green answered. "Where I come from we would just dump 'em off on some barren, deserted island in the middle of the ocean, but hitting them on the head works too."
"Where do you come from?" Blue asked.
"Pirate," Green answered.
"Oh, right," Blue nodded, trying to give the impression she knew where Pirate was.
"It's settled then," Black said with a clap of her hands. "We hit them on the head, they remember nothing, but they still live. Everybody's happy! We leave at dusk."
Blue was hurriedly untying Legolas and Aragorn.
"You've got to get out of here," she said in a hushed voice. "Just start running and don't look back." She shoved them up the stairs.
Legolas turned to Blue, grabbed her face and kissed her passionately. Her hand curled around his shirt, pulling him close for the moment's time, returning it before breaking away and shoving him hard in the chest.
"Go," she gasped. He looked back at her, his eyes full of sorrow, and whispered 'I love you' before turning and fleeing with Aragorn.
"Forgive me," Blue whispered to herself as the two neared the edge of the clearing.
Just as they were entering the protection of the surrounding trees, they both suddenly and violently went flying backward.
Red and Black stepped out from behind two large trunks and looked over the two fallen captives, each holding a thick wooden board.
"Did it work?" Red asked.
Blue came rushing up as the Elf and man struggled to sit up, rubbing their heads.
"Legolas," she said.
The Elf opened his eyes.
"I am so sorry," she whispered in Elvish. "Pretend not to remember me. If you want to live, please, act like you remember nothing."
"What?" Legolas said in a daze.
"Good boy," Blue muttered. "I got nothing," Blue said to Red and Black.
"Are you sure?" Black asked skeptically, "I swear we didn't hit them hard enough."
"They landed flat on their backs!" Blue said.
"All right," Black relented, tossing the board away. "Tie them up and leave them here."
"Tie them up?" asked Blue in disbelief. "You erased their memories, isn't that enough?"
"Only temporarily," Black answered. "Now just get going! We don't have much time. Follow Red, I'll take care of things here and catch up."
Red and Green headed into the woods, while Blue continued to stare at Black.
"Now!" Black ordered, and she shoved the blue woman after the other two.
When Blue had finally disappeared, Black stooped down to tie Aragorn and Legolas to a tree trunk.
"I know you remember everything," Black told Legolas as she wound a thick cord about his body. "Don't worry, Fairy-boy," she said softly, "I will return your Water-child to you, in time."
Legolas looked quizzically into the women's dark hood as she rose to her feet.
Black then turned her back to him in order to face the stump-sprinkled clearing she had made with the other thieves. She raised her arms and held her palms out. A faint, orange light began to swirl around her fingers. It grew, swirling faster and faster, until the woman had a small ball of fire spinning in her hand. Then with a quick flick of her wrist, she sent it flying at the grass in the center of the small clearing. It quickly caught fire, and the flames moved swiftly to cover the clearing.
The woman watched the pyre in an odd sense of calm as it neared the taller, outer trees. The woman somehow seemed to be controlling the fire so that it would not go beyond that tree line. When Black felt the fire had thoroughly charred the clearing to make it appear as though a wild fire or the like had merely been there, she waved her arms dramatically about in the air, and the flames diminished.
She turned briefly to the man and Elf tied to the tree, both of whom were thoroughly shocked, and bowed. "Ta!" she said as she too disappeared into the trees.
Chapter 19 - The Setup
"Down you go," Black said, "watch your step."
Aragorn and Legolas tumbled into the underground storage room, still bound and gagged.
"If you get hungry there's plenty of nice, friendly cockroaches crawling around. Don't be afraid to help yourselves," Black told them before she slammed the door. "Get to work!" she ordered the others.
"Can I go down?" Red asked a few hours later.
"No," Black said curtly.
"Pleeeaaaaseeeeeee." Red whined.
"No."
"Fine," Red pouted. "I guess you'd rather Blue go check on them, then?" she added slyly. Black's head shot up. "I'll just go get her, shall I?" Red took a step toward Blue.
"No, no," Black chirped. "I definitely do not want to give her that kind of opportunity." She glanced anxiously at Blue. "Go ahead," she relented, "but be quick about it!"
Red clapped her hands together giddily and giggled. She hopped over to the cellar and went down.
"Hello, prisoners," she chuckled. "Hehe, this is fun. We've never had captives before." She sat on the ground opposite the man and Elf, looking like some innocent child with her legs crossed 'Indian-style' and her eyes wide.
"Oh, what's this?" she asked, scooting closer to Aragorn in order to finger a bright silver jewel hung around his neck. He pulled away at her touch. "Who gave you that?" Red asked. "Wait, silly me, I have to take out the gag for you to talk." She removed the cloth and repeated the question. "I know someone had to have given it to you, because I would have remembered something like that. And if you did have it before, chances are, I'd probably have taken it by now. Oh, Elvish. I hear those are very nice."
Aragorn said nothing, but leaned farther away from the pickpocket.
"It goes well with your eyes," Red went on, "but-" she yanked the necklace off, "you won't have those much longer, so you won't be needing it anyway."
"What?" Aragorn stuttered.
"Yeah," said Red with her utmost sense of causality, "Black does that occasionally-takes people's eyes. Just when they've seen somethin' they shouldn't have, though." Red delighted in the nervous squirms and straightening of her two captives. "Only joking!" she said when she could no longer contain her laughter. "But she might cut out your tongue."
"I've finished those barrels Green started," Blue said. "May I please go down now?"
"No," Black told her shortly.
"Why not?"
"Your record's against you. Every time you've gone near that Elf something happens which only complicates things further."
"But you let Red go down, and she hasn't done any work!"
"Is she still down there?" Black looked up from her work.
"Yes!" Blue exclaimed.
Black threw down her hammer and went over to the cellar, mumbling something under her breath. She hauled the door open and went in.
"So then, get this!" Red laughed, "The guy actually thinks I'm the Queen!"
Black cleared her throat.
"Oh, hello," said Red cheerily. "I was just telling them about that one time, when that guy-the one with the gold tooth, you know? Anyway, I was just telling them how he actually thought I was this really powerful Queen and."
"Yes Red," Black interrupted. "I'm familiar with the story. I was there, after all."
"Yeah," Red sighed, "that was great."
"Would you mind re-surfacing while it's still daylight?" Black asked.
"But I'm telling them a story," Red protested.
Black narrowed her eyes. "I think you're finished with it."
"But."
"You have work to do."
"Can't it wait?" whined Red.
"I don't care when you start, but I will expect it to be done by tomorrow, even if it means you work all night."
"Fine," Red said, rising and stomping up the steps.
"What did she tell you?" Black asked once Red was out of earshot. Neither Elf or Man responded. "Humph," she grunted as she replaced the gags Red had removed.
"Don't know what you told them," Black said as she exited the cellar, "but they sure shut up hard."
"Probably hate her for trying to kill them," Blue whispered.
"That, and the fact they're terrified she might cut out their tongues," Red replied.
"What?"
Red giggled. "I told them she'd cut out their tongues if they said anything she didn't like."
"She doesn't really, does she?" Blue asked.
"No," Red assured her, "at least I don't think so. She's threatened to do it to me tons of times, but she never has."
"Oh," Blue gulped slightly.
"What are we going to do about the two Inconveniences?" Black asked the group on the eve of their planned heist.
"We could hit them over the head," Red suggested. "I know that works, I've gotten hit over the head often, and I can never remember anything."
"But we can't hit them too hard," Blue interjected. "They might get seriously hurt."
"Sounds good to me," said Black. "Green? Any objections?"
"No," Green answered. "Where I come from we would just dump 'em off on some barren, deserted island in the middle of the ocean, but hitting them on the head works too."
"Where do you come from?" Blue asked.
"Pirate," Green answered.
"Oh, right," Blue nodded, trying to give the impression she knew where Pirate was.
"It's settled then," Black said with a clap of her hands. "We hit them on the head, they remember nothing, but they still live. Everybody's happy! We leave at dusk."
Blue was hurriedly untying Legolas and Aragorn.
"You've got to get out of here," she said in a hushed voice. "Just start running and don't look back." She shoved them up the stairs.
Legolas turned to Blue, grabbed her face and kissed her passionately. Her hand curled around his shirt, pulling him close for the moment's time, returning it before breaking away and shoving him hard in the chest.
"Go," she gasped. He looked back at her, his eyes full of sorrow, and whispered 'I love you' before turning and fleeing with Aragorn.
"Forgive me," Blue whispered to herself as the two neared the edge of the clearing.
Just as they were entering the protection of the surrounding trees, they both suddenly and violently went flying backward.
Red and Black stepped out from behind two large trunks and looked over the two fallen captives, each holding a thick wooden board.
"Did it work?" Red asked.
Blue came rushing up as the Elf and man struggled to sit up, rubbing their heads.
"Legolas," she said.
The Elf opened his eyes.
"I am so sorry," she whispered in Elvish. "Pretend not to remember me. If you want to live, please, act like you remember nothing."
"What?" Legolas said in a daze.
"Good boy," Blue muttered. "I got nothing," Blue said to Red and Black.
"Are you sure?" Black asked skeptically, "I swear we didn't hit them hard enough."
"They landed flat on their backs!" Blue said.
"All right," Black relented, tossing the board away. "Tie them up and leave them here."
"Tie them up?" asked Blue in disbelief. "You erased their memories, isn't that enough?"
"Only temporarily," Black answered. "Now just get going! We don't have much time. Follow Red, I'll take care of things here and catch up."
Red and Green headed into the woods, while Blue continued to stare at Black.
"Now!" Black ordered, and she shoved the blue woman after the other two.
When Blue had finally disappeared, Black stooped down to tie Aragorn and Legolas to a tree trunk.
"I know you remember everything," Black told Legolas as she wound a thick cord about his body. "Don't worry, Fairy-boy," she said softly, "I will return your Water-child to you, in time."
Legolas looked quizzically into the women's dark hood as she rose to her feet.
Black then turned her back to him in order to face the stump-sprinkled clearing she had made with the other thieves. She raised her arms and held her palms out. A faint, orange light began to swirl around her fingers. It grew, swirling faster and faster, until the woman had a small ball of fire spinning in her hand. Then with a quick flick of her wrist, she sent it flying at the grass in the center of the small clearing. It quickly caught fire, and the flames moved swiftly to cover the clearing.
The woman watched the pyre in an odd sense of calm as it neared the taller, outer trees. The woman somehow seemed to be controlling the fire so that it would not go beyond that tree line. When Black felt the fire had thoroughly charred the clearing to make it appear as though a wild fire or the like had merely been there, she waved her arms dramatically about in the air, and the flames diminished.
She turned briefly to the man and Elf tied to the tree, both of whom were thoroughly shocked, and bowed. "Ta!" she said as she too disappeared into the trees.