She Said All the Right Things
Chapter Three: Water Hot, Temper Hot
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings.
A/N: From now on the chapters will be a little longer. Also, i'll try to update regularly. I have other fics too, though, so I may a bit slow for awhile. Enjoy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A knock on the door caused the four hobbits to jump. Merry hoped it was not a slaver, or he may have to kill him. He was finding it hard to restrain himself from brutally murdering all the monsters that had invaded his home. Saruman and that disgusting worm Grima would pay for what they were doing. Merry glanced at Frodo, who nodded, though reluctantly. Merry stood and went to the door, opening it a little to see who it was. The slave.
"You? But...where is that slaver? Did you get hurt?" he asked, letting her in. She stepped past him, quietly whispering in his ear.
"You nearly got me discovered, Merry. Why did you do it?" she asked, quiet. He was confused.
"Do what?" he asked. She turned, glaring at him.
"Ask me if I was Estella in front of Jalen? There is a warrant on that name. Estella Bolger is wanted on accounts of theft, murder, and refusal to obey the laws. If she is found she'll be hung immediately, in front of all of Hobbiton to see. My name is Dolly of Brockenborings. Call me nothing else." she said, seriously. Merry's eyes grew wide.
"Estella? Is it really you?" he said, in shock. She signaled for him to be quiet.
"I said do not mention that name! I told you twice that I am Dolly of Brockenborings. Why must you always be so loud?" she said, serious. He faltered a bit under her deadly gaze.
"This is 'Stella? It can't be..." Pippin whispered. She turned, a little grin on her face.
"If it isn't Peregrin Took, at his best. I daresay, I wish to wear such garments. I have changed a lot in thirteen month, with things being as they are. And Frodo...you spoke to Jalen with more hatred I thought you to possess. What has happened?" she asked, inquisitive. They all glanced at each other warily.
"It is a long story, Dolly. You need a bath and some decent food, before we even begin our tale. Draw a bath and wash the filth from your fair white skin." Frodo said, smiling kindly.
Sam nodded. "She looks like death, Mr. Frodo. Elbereth only knows how she's still alive." he said, after she left the room. Merry sighed, sitting down and putting his head in his hands.
"This is all my fault...I should have let her come. I was so hateful and rude toward her..." he cried, distressed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Estella was not used to the concept of baths anymore. It had been too long since she had gotten one. The water caused her cuts to sting and burn; she cursed Saruman for infecting their home with his poison. She lay in the tub, hot water and strawberry bubbles covering her skeletal body. Her family and friends had once called her 'heavy', but never again. She hadn't eaten much at all in the months of slavery.
The pack she had brought with her contained a clean dress, simple blue cotton. She climbed out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her, then looked in the mirror. Her reflection was horrifying, and she looked away in disgust. She wondered what the others thought of her. Merry. Jalen would notice her absence, and if he found her, it was the noose for them all. She would never let it happen. She put her clean dress on, and underclothes, and went down the hall to the dining area.
When Merry saw her, she vaguely resembled that beautiful lass he had so rudely left thirteen months ago. Tears stung at his eyes, threatening to fall.
"I daresay, I shan't eat much. I'd vomit. My stomach won't hold as much as it used to. But I feel I could drink an entire lake, with my thirst. I may well vomit it up as well, but I am famished." she said, smiling.
She sat down across from Merry; he avoided her calculating gaze. It was rather unsettling. He sighed, wishing he hadn't left her to this.
"You left me, Merry. I told you I felt something horrible would happen, but still you left. I knew you'd go with Pippin and Frodo to wherever it was you were all going, but I just wanted to know. Any secret is safe with me, you knew it." she said, her voice quavering with rage. He was speechless.
"If you'd have come, you'd have suffered far more than you did here." he said, finally.
"You know nothing! Once again you think only of yourself! I don't even know if my family still lives. I was thrown in the lockholes for a month, with only one cup per day to drink, and nothing to eat. I was beaten, overworked, humiliated...while you were off on your mysterious "adventure"! Now you come back expecting a welcome from me? I will not oblige. You left me for dead." she said, cold and uncaring. Merry had tears in his eyes; they spilled over.
"Estella...why must you always insist on arguing with me? Your quick tongue shall get you into trouble. You must try to understand...our "adventure" was not fun. Nor was it a game. There was death, pain, sadness, fear, and loneliness. I nearly died, and I have grown much since I left. Can you not see it?" he wept. She glared at him still.
"I said call me Dolly. Are you deaf? When I look at you, Merry, I want to cry and hug you, tell you how happy I am that you're back. But I can't. I am no longer the sweet girl you left, I am cold and hard as stone. How many times do you think I nearly died? At least three. I've been stabbed, beaten, and starved near death." she said, cooling off a little.
"Dolly, he has been through more than you can imagine. He helped save Middle-Earth from Sauron, from death and misery. If not for him then things would have been much different, and most likely far worse than they were." Frodo explained, quiet. She stared around at them.
"Yet you still have told me nothing. Sauron, of course, I know from tales. But he was destroyed in the Second Age, by the Last Alliance. He had risen again?" she asked, curious. All problems between herself and Merry seemed dissolved for now. They began their story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: To all you people who read my stories: I am so incredibly sorry! My *evil* mother is disconnecting the internet as of tomorrow, so I won't be able to post until May, at least. She says I need to stay away from the computer. I can go to the library and read fics, and review, but they don't allow you to upload things there. So, I am soooooo sorry! I'll post this chappie, and chappie 4, and when I come back, I'll have loads of new stuff for you! Bunches of chappies of wonderful romance, and angst, and drama...lol. Well, namarie to you all for awhile....*sob*
Chapter Three: Water Hot, Temper Hot
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings.
A/N: From now on the chapters will be a little longer. Also, i'll try to update regularly. I have other fics too, though, so I may a bit slow for awhile. Enjoy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A knock on the door caused the four hobbits to jump. Merry hoped it was not a slaver, or he may have to kill him. He was finding it hard to restrain himself from brutally murdering all the monsters that had invaded his home. Saruman and that disgusting worm Grima would pay for what they were doing. Merry glanced at Frodo, who nodded, though reluctantly. Merry stood and went to the door, opening it a little to see who it was. The slave.
"You? But...where is that slaver? Did you get hurt?" he asked, letting her in. She stepped past him, quietly whispering in his ear.
"You nearly got me discovered, Merry. Why did you do it?" she asked, quiet. He was confused.
"Do what?" he asked. She turned, glaring at him.
"Ask me if I was Estella in front of Jalen? There is a warrant on that name. Estella Bolger is wanted on accounts of theft, murder, and refusal to obey the laws. If she is found she'll be hung immediately, in front of all of Hobbiton to see. My name is Dolly of Brockenborings. Call me nothing else." she said, seriously. Merry's eyes grew wide.
"Estella? Is it really you?" he said, in shock. She signaled for him to be quiet.
"I said do not mention that name! I told you twice that I am Dolly of Brockenborings. Why must you always be so loud?" she said, serious. He faltered a bit under her deadly gaze.
"This is 'Stella? It can't be..." Pippin whispered. She turned, a little grin on her face.
"If it isn't Peregrin Took, at his best. I daresay, I wish to wear such garments. I have changed a lot in thirteen month, with things being as they are. And Frodo...you spoke to Jalen with more hatred I thought you to possess. What has happened?" she asked, inquisitive. They all glanced at each other warily.
"It is a long story, Dolly. You need a bath and some decent food, before we even begin our tale. Draw a bath and wash the filth from your fair white skin." Frodo said, smiling kindly.
Sam nodded. "She looks like death, Mr. Frodo. Elbereth only knows how she's still alive." he said, after she left the room. Merry sighed, sitting down and putting his head in his hands.
"This is all my fault...I should have let her come. I was so hateful and rude toward her..." he cried, distressed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Estella was not used to the concept of baths anymore. It had been too long since she had gotten one. The water caused her cuts to sting and burn; she cursed Saruman for infecting their home with his poison. She lay in the tub, hot water and strawberry bubbles covering her skeletal body. Her family and friends had once called her 'heavy', but never again. She hadn't eaten much at all in the months of slavery.
The pack she had brought with her contained a clean dress, simple blue cotton. She climbed out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her, then looked in the mirror. Her reflection was horrifying, and she looked away in disgust. She wondered what the others thought of her. Merry. Jalen would notice her absence, and if he found her, it was the noose for them all. She would never let it happen. She put her clean dress on, and underclothes, and went down the hall to the dining area.
When Merry saw her, she vaguely resembled that beautiful lass he had so rudely left thirteen months ago. Tears stung at his eyes, threatening to fall.
"I daresay, I shan't eat much. I'd vomit. My stomach won't hold as much as it used to. But I feel I could drink an entire lake, with my thirst. I may well vomit it up as well, but I am famished." she said, smiling.
She sat down across from Merry; he avoided her calculating gaze. It was rather unsettling. He sighed, wishing he hadn't left her to this.
"You left me, Merry. I told you I felt something horrible would happen, but still you left. I knew you'd go with Pippin and Frodo to wherever it was you were all going, but I just wanted to know. Any secret is safe with me, you knew it." she said, her voice quavering with rage. He was speechless.
"If you'd have come, you'd have suffered far more than you did here." he said, finally.
"You know nothing! Once again you think only of yourself! I don't even know if my family still lives. I was thrown in the lockholes for a month, with only one cup per day to drink, and nothing to eat. I was beaten, overworked, humiliated...while you were off on your mysterious "adventure"! Now you come back expecting a welcome from me? I will not oblige. You left me for dead." she said, cold and uncaring. Merry had tears in his eyes; they spilled over.
"Estella...why must you always insist on arguing with me? Your quick tongue shall get you into trouble. You must try to understand...our "adventure" was not fun. Nor was it a game. There was death, pain, sadness, fear, and loneliness. I nearly died, and I have grown much since I left. Can you not see it?" he wept. She glared at him still.
"I said call me Dolly. Are you deaf? When I look at you, Merry, I want to cry and hug you, tell you how happy I am that you're back. But I can't. I am no longer the sweet girl you left, I am cold and hard as stone. How many times do you think I nearly died? At least three. I've been stabbed, beaten, and starved near death." she said, cooling off a little.
"Dolly, he has been through more than you can imagine. He helped save Middle-Earth from Sauron, from death and misery. If not for him then things would have been much different, and most likely far worse than they were." Frodo explained, quiet. She stared around at them.
"Yet you still have told me nothing. Sauron, of course, I know from tales. But he was destroyed in the Second Age, by the Last Alliance. He had risen again?" she asked, curious. All problems between herself and Merry seemed dissolved for now. They began their story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: To all you people who read my stories: I am so incredibly sorry! My *evil* mother is disconnecting the internet as of tomorrow, so I won't be able to post until May, at least. She says I need to stay away from the computer. I can go to the library and read fics, and review, but they don't allow you to upload things there. So, I am soooooo sorry! I'll post this chappie, and chappie 4, and when I come back, I'll have loads of new stuff for you! Bunches of chappies of wonderful romance, and angst, and drama...lol. Well, namarie to you all for awhile....*sob*