Author: Arinya
Rating:R
Summary: Sam is forced to retell all the things that happened after the Fellowship had succeeded in destroying the Ring. All the members of the Fellowship have their own problems. Darkness returns, and Love struggles to conquer all. But as the problems mount up to a peak, can they survive? And can Sam bear telling his audience the true story?
Chapter Twenty Eight: Old Friend
Andon-Great
Angayasse-misery
Gandalf roused Sam who blinked sleepily, and started to roll up his blanket. Gandalf smiled, and helped the hobbit put on his pack with all the cooking utensils hanging from it. Sam got on his faithful steed as Gandalf mounted his.
"Fast riding is required Samwise. I'm sure Dane would love to try to beat Shadowfax...again"
Sam sighed, but grinned.
"He can try Gandalf sir, but I don't think a pony will ever beat your horse"
"You are a wise hobbit" said Gandalf fondly, and they set off on their third day of traveling.
After a few more days, they reached Rivendell. Dane was quite indignant. His short pony legs were no match for Shadowfax, yet he had tried the entire journey. Sam lectured his pony on how he had to take care of himself and not run himself out trying to out run the king of horses. Dane snorted, but trotted to a nearby streambed. Gandalf got off Shadowfax, making a slight thump sound on the springy turf.
"We can walk from this point. Shadowfax will look after Dane"
They walked into Rivendell, a place of ruin they clearly saw. The gates were gone, run down. Gandalf pursed his lips, a sign of worry. Sam apprehensively let a breath out, but continued walking.
"Just where is this palantiri Gandalf sir?"
"Underneath your feet Samwise...ahhhh, I believe the entrance is nearby"
Gandalf stepped over another run down door and came into Elrond's library. He walked around, tapping the end of his staff against the floor. Sam looked at Gandalf funny.
"It's quite simple Sanwise, I'm checking for a hollow sound"
"Ahh" said Sam, suddenly enlightened.
Gandalf continued tapping his staff until there was a conk conk sound near the third bookcase.
"Here is it..."
He began to mumble something while using the tip of his staff as marker for the books.
"Is that a riddle?" asked Sam
"Oh yes...Elrond never told me the answer...don't worry" said Gandalf reassuringly.
"What is it?" asked Sam
"Ontop of dwarven beds are books of red, a step backwards would bring you to what you seek, if only endings were happier, and the great star had not died...then things would not be the way they seem" Gandalf said.
Sam thought over it.
"Dwarven beds, stone, that was easy..erm...Books of red...books of red...I know this"
"You do?" asked Gandalf, turning around.
"Something Bilbo told Mr. Frodo once-"
"Bilbo? Why he's the one who composed the riddle for Elrond" said Gandalf slightly loudly.
"Books of red, books of red" Sam kept repeating to himself, he saw Gandalf's sword.
Something clicked.
"War..." he whispered.
"What?" asked Gandalf.
"War...books of red are books of war...blood...a step backwards would bring you to what you seek, backwards in time. If only endings were happier, and the great star had not died...Gandalf, I'm stuck"
"The Great Star. The Great Star, why of course! Gilgalad! Elrond has described the First War of the Ring"
Gandalf quickly skimmed titles until he came to one, instead of pulling the book out, he pushed it in.
"Andon Gilgalad's angayasse"
The bookcase slid over without a sound, revealing a stone passageway. Sam's eyes widened for a brief moment, he then followed Gandalf down the stone steps, wondering what he would find.
Gandalf himself, along with his staff emitted a soft white glow. They didn't need to walk far until they came to torches that lighted a trail. He pointed his staff towards one unlighted torch, it erupted into fire and the ones after that one also lit up rapidly.
"Wow" said Sam.
"It's nothing much, come along now" said Gandalf lightly, and he started down the path.
After about three hours of walking, they came to a heavy looking door. Gandalf pushed the door open and they came into a circular room. The walls were covered with scallop-like shells. Pillars of amythest and alabaster surrounded the center pedestal which held a small black orb.
"A palantiri" said Sam in awe.
Gandalf stepped into the ring, and Sam followed him.
"Sir, I think this was too easy" said Sam, looking around.
"Yes...it is" said Gandalf.
He did not put his hands on the palantir, rather put a white cloth over it.
"Sam, I need you to carry it"
Sam tip-toed and caught the palantiri with his small hands. Lifting it, he settled back on his heels.
"Well now, that wasn't too hard, was it?" asked Gandalf.
"No"
Suddenly there was a loud clatter. The two whirled around. All the shells on the wall had fallen off and water started to pour in at an accelerated rate.
"Elrond, you clever-" said Gandalf.
"Gandalf, I can't swim!" said Sam.
Sam clung onto the palantiri and Gandalf as the water rose to waist level. Then the pillars started to fall apart. The amythest parts of them crashing into the water, then the marble. Gandalf narrowly avoided a mass of rock and gem. The water level rose twofold from the rocks and Gandalf now held Sam in one arm.
"If you would do something now sir, it would help alot!"
Gandalf raised his staff.
"Waters of the Elves, and Wood, listen to me! Turn the tide back to your beds and valleys. Cast yourselves away from this place!"
The water seemed reluctant to obey, slowly reversing its flow back into the openings it came from. Sam sighed in relief. But his eyes widened as something long and scaly slid out from a opening.
"Gandalf, what is that?"
"A draik worm...an almost mature draik worm"
He gripped his staff tighter.
The draik slithered to them in the declining water. It was at least five feet long with obsidian scales covering its whole body. It had a webbed crest and both sides of it s head, and one down its back. The draik stood on its hind legs now, stretching its long, thin black arms. The eyes were yellow, and pure white curved teeth sharply contrasted with the rest of its body.
It stood there for a moment, then flicked its tonuge.
"Wizard, you have changed" he croaked out in a scratchy voice.
Sam eyes widened.
"Gandalf! It's talking to you!"
"Yes I know Samwise"
"You will die. I offered you friendship and you locked me away. For my childhood you will pay. For my eair-lords grief in losing their only son, you will pay with your blood. And when I bathe in your blood, I will be stronger. Then I shall be able to kill all of your kin, and the ones you love"
"There is no need for this!" said Gandalf.
The draik's tail whipped dangerously and lept forward. Gandalf smacked it away with his staff, the draik quickly jumped off the wall and landed onto Sam.
"Ahhhh!" he yelled and hugged the palantiri.
The draik growled and screeched. Gandalf threw the draik off with his free hand. It was surprisingly resilient and kept coming back to try and now gouge the wizard's eyes out. Gandalf made a shaft of bright light to come into the room. The draik shrank away and grew angry. The yellow eyes slowly turning blood red. It crouched in the corner, and waited.
"What's it doing?" whispered Sam.
"...getting angry Samwise, very angry"
The draik opened its mouth, Sam saw the rows of curved, sharp, shining teeth inside and gulped.
"Cover your ears!" shouted Gandalf.
The draik shrieked, a high pitched scream ran through Rivendell. Sam's hands clapped over his pointy ears as he held onto the palantiri with his teeth.
"Aaargg!" he could still hear it.
The draik screamed louder, and louder, until the walls started to shake, then snapped it's jaw quickly, opening it again, and belched fire at them.
"Auhhh!"
Sam dropped the palantiri into one hand and saw that Gandalf had wrapped his cloak around the both of them. He smelled something foul.
"Oil?"
"Yes, and flame" said Gandalf.
Part of his cloak was on fire and Sam tried to put it out.
"Why don't you just shoot him Gandalf, or something!"
"It is a part of magic as I am...I am not allowed to take part in the destroying of a good creature of lore, even one as malicious as this draik"
"Good creature?! He wants to kill you! And bathe in your blood and-" Sam rambled.
"Samwise!" yelled Gandalf for the hobbit to silence himself.
Gandalf grunted and cast off his cloak.
"Begone lizard! Go back to haunting the icy waters you came from!"
The draik growled and spurted out flame on oil again. This time it slid off the shield that Gandalf had created.
"Now" said Gandalf, danger edging his voice.
The draik began to shriek again, jumping up and down, then at Gandalf. Gandalf grunted and twirled his staff around, throwing the draik into one of the many small trap openings. It screamed and then worked at getting itself into the tunnel and swimming away.
"I will drench my claws in your blood one day Wizard..." They heard the draik hiss as he went away.
Gandalf sighed, and picked up his soiled cloak as Sam tried to catch his breath."I never knew Elves could do that" said Sam, regarding the trap.
"Neither did I, Elrond had some tricks up that sleeve...let's go now, don't want to find anymore draiks, do we?"
"No no!" said Sam quickly and they ran out of the chamber
As Gandalf and Sam emerged into Elrond's library, Sam looked back at the concealed door they had just exited.
"Was the draik really a good creature?"
"It was...once"
Gandalf folded his cloak and held it under one arm while looking over a desk with many papers on it.
"How do you know?" asked Sam, trying to look at whatever Gandalf was looking at. Gandalf looked up at Sam
"His name was Gualtinnu, Dusk howl, but now the name Raugtinnu, Dusk Demon, seems to fit better. I had caught him once while hiding the palantiri. Good natured beast he was, tried to follow me back out, but I kept him in there. I hadn't realized at the time, that he would be locked underground. All those years must have made him a hateful creature"
Gandalf rolled up a sheet of parchment and tucked it into a pocket. Sam was left wondering what it was while Gandalf pulled him out of Rivendell.