She Said All the Right Things
Chapter One: Identity Crisis
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings.
A/N: First chappie! I broke my tradition of really short first chapters and long chapters after that. In fact, this one is much longer than the second chapter, which is less than 400 words. This is 800 something, lol. Enjoy!
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Estella Bolger watched Merry and his friends come up the road on ponies. When the slave driver noticed she had stopped working, she was whipped and, tears in her eyes, she turned away from them and continued to pull up weeds. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw her slaver go up the the four hobbits on ponies and question them. She could hear every word clear as day.
"What are your names and what business do you have here?" the man asked. His name was Jalen. Frodo, who led the group, looked at him with no emotion in his eyes.
"This is my home, I have every right to do as I wish here, and these are my friends. They have the same right as everyone else. Now if I may ask...who are you and why do you enslave my fellow hobbits?" he asked, a sharpness in his voice that Estella had never heard in the usually calm Frodo Baggins. She looked down at herself. Dirt and grime coated her flesh from weeks without bathing, and her dress was tattered and in ruins. Her hair was matted and dirty beyond help, and her usually pale white skin would be stained a darker color. All her once beautiful jewelry had been confiscated, and she felt like a worthless wretch. Merry would not even recognize her, she was sure of that. And if he did, she would surely run, because she was too ashamed of herself to let him look upon her in such a state.
"We are under orders from Saruman to enslave these miserable wretches and set fire to the land. And as for the four of you...wearing the strange garb that you wear...I can see that you would like to cause trouble. I suggest you rethink your foolishness; Saruman is powerful, and he will make sure you are punished." Jalen said, sneering.
"Saruman is nothing! His staff is broken, he is powerful no more. I should know...I was there. As was my friend Pippin here." Merry said, his hand on the hilt of his sword. The man laughed.
"Surely you don't think to try and kill me? There are hundreds of us here...you will never liberate your Shire. Never. Leave this place, or be forced into slavery with the rest of the disgraceful wretches." he said, amused.
Estella listened to all this, and heard Merry's voice. Still the same voice...that voice that had made her laugh so much over the years. Had they even noticed her yet? Or were they too busy with the vile man?
"Slave, bring some water. I'm thirsty." Jalen laughed. She was reluctant, but filled a canteen of water from the pump and brought it to him, her eyes avoiding those of the hobbits that now were before her. She bowed to Jalen, and turned to leave, when a voice stopped her.
"Stay where you are. You don't have to listen to him any longer." the voice belonged to Pippin. She looked up a bit and saw that he was clothed in something amazing...blue cloth, and a silver tree embroidered across the chest. he had a sword at his side, and she could tell he was a knight of some sort, somewhere. But she knew nothing of the outside world, so she knew not where he had been bestowed that honor.
"Jalen is my master...if I do not serve him he'll have me hung. So many have already been hung...upon the party tree." she explained, quiet. A hand met her face, and she winced, in pain.
"Do not speak out of turn, slave. Get back to work!" he yelled, outraged.
"Mr. Frodo...don't she look familiar?" Sam asked, quiet. Merry had his eyes fixed on her. Frodo nodded.
"E-estella?" he managed to say, hoping that he was wrong and that this tattered, abused, starved thing was not the sweet, kindly girl he had left 13 months ago. She stopped, and turned. Looking straight up into Merry's eyes, she let a single tear slip down her face.
"I-I am sorry, sir, but I don't know this Estella you speak of. Perhaps she was hung? Many were, and if she is anything like you then that's where she went. My name is Dolly. Dolly of Brockenborings. I was led here by a group of men. Excuse me...if I do not get back to work then I'll be beat." she said, emotionless. He stared hard at her, then nodded.
Back at her appointed job, she bent down and began to pull up weeds again. Her hands were cut and sore, and stained from grass and other things. She was used to this, she had been a slave for months. Fatigue was a normal thing, as was hunger and thirst, and she had grown used to it. When she turned again, the four hobbits were gone.
Chapter One: Identity Crisis
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings.
A/N: First chappie! I broke my tradition of really short first chapters and long chapters after that. In fact, this one is much longer than the second chapter, which is less than 400 words. This is 800 something, lol. Enjoy!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*
Estella Bolger watched Merry and his friends come up the road on ponies. When the slave driver noticed she had stopped working, she was whipped and, tears in her eyes, she turned away from them and continued to pull up weeds. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw her slaver go up the the four hobbits on ponies and question them. She could hear every word clear as day.
"What are your names and what business do you have here?" the man asked. His name was Jalen. Frodo, who led the group, looked at him with no emotion in his eyes.
"This is my home, I have every right to do as I wish here, and these are my friends. They have the same right as everyone else. Now if I may ask...who are you and why do you enslave my fellow hobbits?" he asked, a sharpness in his voice that Estella had never heard in the usually calm Frodo Baggins. She looked down at herself. Dirt and grime coated her flesh from weeks without bathing, and her dress was tattered and in ruins. Her hair was matted and dirty beyond help, and her usually pale white skin would be stained a darker color. All her once beautiful jewelry had been confiscated, and she felt like a worthless wretch. Merry would not even recognize her, she was sure of that. And if he did, she would surely run, because she was too ashamed of herself to let him look upon her in such a state.
"We are under orders from Saruman to enslave these miserable wretches and set fire to the land. And as for the four of you...wearing the strange garb that you wear...I can see that you would like to cause trouble. I suggest you rethink your foolishness; Saruman is powerful, and he will make sure you are punished." Jalen said, sneering.
"Saruman is nothing! His staff is broken, he is powerful no more. I should know...I was there. As was my friend Pippin here." Merry said, his hand on the hilt of his sword. The man laughed.
"Surely you don't think to try and kill me? There are hundreds of us here...you will never liberate your Shire. Never. Leave this place, or be forced into slavery with the rest of the disgraceful wretches." he said, amused.
Estella listened to all this, and heard Merry's voice. Still the same voice...that voice that had made her laugh so much over the years. Had they even noticed her yet? Or were they too busy with the vile man?
"Slave, bring some water. I'm thirsty." Jalen laughed. She was reluctant, but filled a canteen of water from the pump and brought it to him, her eyes avoiding those of the hobbits that now were before her. She bowed to Jalen, and turned to leave, when a voice stopped her.
"Stay where you are. You don't have to listen to him any longer." the voice belonged to Pippin. She looked up a bit and saw that he was clothed in something amazing...blue cloth, and a silver tree embroidered across the chest. he had a sword at his side, and she could tell he was a knight of some sort, somewhere. But she knew nothing of the outside world, so she knew not where he had been bestowed that honor.
"Jalen is my master...if I do not serve him he'll have me hung. So many have already been hung...upon the party tree." she explained, quiet. A hand met her face, and she winced, in pain.
"Do not speak out of turn, slave. Get back to work!" he yelled, outraged.
"Mr. Frodo...don't she look familiar?" Sam asked, quiet. Merry had his eyes fixed on her. Frodo nodded.
"E-estella?" he managed to say, hoping that he was wrong and that this tattered, abused, starved thing was not the sweet, kindly girl he had left 13 months ago. She stopped, and turned. Looking straight up into Merry's eyes, she let a single tear slip down her face.
"I-I am sorry, sir, but I don't know this Estella you speak of. Perhaps she was hung? Many were, and if she is anything like you then that's where she went. My name is Dolly. Dolly of Brockenborings. I was led here by a group of men. Excuse me...if I do not get back to work then I'll be beat." she said, emotionless. He stared hard at her, then nodded.
Back at her appointed job, she bent down and began to pull up weeds again. Her hands were cut and sore, and stained from grass and other things. She was used to this, she had been a slave for months. Fatigue was a normal thing, as was hunger and thirst, and she had grown used to it. When she turned again, the four hobbits were gone.