Disclaimer: I own Iskalistari/Vicky, Feaelena/Kristy, and Beleglas. All
others are Tolkien's
Chapter VII
Creature Found
"Three!" The threesome pounced on the unsuspecting creature that had, until a minute ago, lain so wearily on the boulder. Even before they had been able to get a firm grip on its spry arms and legs, it somehow managed to jump up, suddenly became a wriggling, writhing mass of moving skin and bones. After the creature had pulled its arm out of her grasp, Iskalistari had managed to grab the arm again. As she held onto it with all of her might, she could feel its wiry muscles flexing almost unnoticeably as it pulled, and strained, and wrenched. Aragorn put forth his hand, and grabbed the wild thing's neck. It turned out to be a terrible decision. Almost immediately, the beast turned in its flesh as a normal person might in loose-fitting clothing. With no hesitation, the creature sunk its sharpened teeth into Aragorn's ungloved hand, immediately drawing forth ruby blood. Aragorn groaned in pain, but did not release the beast's neck. With his other hand, he reached out and caught its free arm. Gandalf quickly took some rope that Aragorn had brought, and tied the thing's arm and legs together. "Is it good rope?" Gandalf asked, quickly finishing his task of binding the monstrosity. "I made it myself, so it should hold; though its not of Elven make." Aragorn replied, taking his bleeding hand from the beast's mouth. "Now what?" Iskalistari asked, leaning against the same rock that the thing had been laying upon until just a moment ago. "We shall question him, then seek someone to hold him in captivity." Gandalf replied, leaning on his staff, just as tired as the others. "We could take him to Thranduil." Aragorn suggested, "I know Legolas, his second son, well, and do not doubt that Thranduil will consent if a reward is offered." Aragorn tore a piece of cloth from the leg of his pants, and bound the bleeding gash in his hand. Iskalistari shuddered. 'Ugh! Blood!' She thought. Gandalf leaned over the mass of living bones and skin. "Creature, who are you?" He asked. The thing was softly weeping. "They don't know what's wrong, do they Precious? No...They don't understand the awful hurtses...GOLLUM! GOLLUM!" It coughed Aragorn and Gandalf looked up at each other, both fearing the same thing. Aragorn quickly reached out and turned the thing over so that its back would be showing. Iskalistari felt a wave of nausea sweep over her. The thing's back was torn and mangled and it was oozing puss and blood. She had to turn away. She couldn't bear the sight. "They got him first..." Gandalf murmured angrily. "By the Valar, now what?" Aragorn shouted. The Enemy always seemed to be one step ahead of whatever they might do, or plan to do. "To Mirkwood." Gandalf sighed. The thing sobbed, then coughed its 'gollum' rack again. "Gollum's not riding with me." Iskalistari scoffed. Gandalf chuckled, "'Gollum'? Eh? I believe he was once called Smeagol, but Gollum will do." "He's still not riding on the same horse as me, whatever his name is."
--
Feaelena slipped soundlessly between the dense trees, her feet shod in light moccasins instead of the heavy, clunking boots that other races wore. She peered over her shoulder, and hearing soft footsteps only a small way behind her, put forth a new spurt of speed. 'Why can't Beleglas have a swarm of suitors like Legolas?' She thought angrily as she ducked under a low limb, and continued running. After a while Feaelena smiled, thinking that she had out run Beleglas, and stopped running. She stood in the quiet for a moment, then she heard someone breathing close to her. She stiffened, and prepared to dash away, with not heed for silence. She breathed then mentally whispered, 'On your mark...' The thing near her moved. 'GO!' Her mind shouted at her, and she did. She ran as fast as she could, and for an Elf, that is quite speedily. As she ran she noticed that the thing was keeping up with her, and actually threatening to overtake her. Feaelena felt an icy hand of dread reach up and clutch her insides.
Feaelena looked horizontally to her right, where she heard the sound, but could see nothing other than the trees flying by.
Feaelena then looked forwards again, just in time to see three horses and riders, but too late to change her course before she plowed head-first into the first, a person with long, graying hair. Knowing that she could neither swerve to miss the rider, nor stop, her mind made a split-second decision, and she felt her knees dropping her two or three inches, then suddenly extending again. Automatically her arms moved back behind her side, then she thrust them forwards, adding what lift she could scrape together in hopes of clearing the rider's head. Feaelena felt herself clear the horse's head, and pulled herself into a ball as tightly as she could. She somehow managed to clear the rider's head, but did not have so much luck with the rider's hat. It flew into the air as soon as Feaelena had touched it. Feaelena landed clear of the horse, and she nearly crumpled to the ground. Her insides were jelly, and her knees melting away like the butter in the summer sun. The hat that she had knocked from the rider's head, floated neatly down onto her head. "Hold on one moment, if you please!" The first rider shouted, jumping from his horse, and walking towards Feaelena. "My apologies sir! I did not see you coming until I could not have altered my course in any other way." "That it my hat." The apparently very old man replied, taking the pointed hat from Feaelena's head, and replacing it on his own. "Forgive us," The second rider said, getting off of his horse, "but would you know were Prince Legolas is?" Feaelena was about to tell him that she had no idea, when Legolas walked forth from behind the trees, laughing merrily. "Was it you that I heard?" Feaelena stormed. "Yes-" Legolas began, but he was quickly cut off by Aragorn. "Legolas, I must see your father. It is a matter of some urgency." Legolas nodded, then, with a quick 'Follow me', led them towards the gates.
--
"No, absolutely not!" Thranduil stormed, "Not unless the Valar send roses from the heavens instead of rain shall I ever accept such a vile creature into my care!" The Gollum creature had been released onto the floor, and was sobbing to itself in a curled ball. Iskalistari wrinkled her nose at the wretch. It was terribly vile to look upon, and its odor was worse than its appearance. She could not blame the king in the least for not taking the brute. "It is of the greatest importance that you take him!" Gandalf said abstinently, "Should you not keep him from mischief, it may end in the downfall of us all." Thranduil grunted, though he neither accepted nor declined. "Thranduil..." Legolas said slowly. "Father...?" A look of softness seeped into the old king's eyes, but he immediately closed them and sighed. "Fine. Do what you wish. Leave him here if thus you desire. I shall give orders to care for him, and he will not die." Thranduil added a quick 'soon' under his breath, but it was neither meant nor heard. "Thank you, Thranduil, on behalf of all of my order." Gandalf sighed, inclining his head in respect. "Very well," Thranduil said moodily, "be off, and do not return until you may rid me of the beast." With a final bow, Aragorn, Gandalf, and Iskalistari left the room. "Thank you, father." Legolas said quickly. "Be off." Thranduil said quickly, and with a snap of his fingers, two guards came forth and to take Gollum down to a cell. When Legolas and Feaelena had left, the king sighed. Legolas reminded him so much of his wife. He may have received his own golden hair, but there their physical similarities ended. The rest was purely his wife, though he and his son's tempers were most definitely similar.
Chapter VII
Creature Found
"Three!" The threesome pounced on the unsuspecting creature that had, until a minute ago, lain so wearily on the boulder. Even before they had been able to get a firm grip on its spry arms and legs, it somehow managed to jump up, suddenly became a wriggling, writhing mass of moving skin and bones. After the creature had pulled its arm out of her grasp, Iskalistari had managed to grab the arm again. As she held onto it with all of her might, she could feel its wiry muscles flexing almost unnoticeably as it pulled, and strained, and wrenched. Aragorn put forth his hand, and grabbed the wild thing's neck. It turned out to be a terrible decision. Almost immediately, the beast turned in its flesh as a normal person might in loose-fitting clothing. With no hesitation, the creature sunk its sharpened teeth into Aragorn's ungloved hand, immediately drawing forth ruby blood. Aragorn groaned in pain, but did not release the beast's neck. With his other hand, he reached out and caught its free arm. Gandalf quickly took some rope that Aragorn had brought, and tied the thing's arm and legs together. "Is it good rope?" Gandalf asked, quickly finishing his task of binding the monstrosity. "I made it myself, so it should hold; though its not of Elven make." Aragorn replied, taking his bleeding hand from the beast's mouth. "Now what?" Iskalistari asked, leaning against the same rock that the thing had been laying upon until just a moment ago. "We shall question him, then seek someone to hold him in captivity." Gandalf replied, leaning on his staff, just as tired as the others. "We could take him to Thranduil." Aragorn suggested, "I know Legolas, his second son, well, and do not doubt that Thranduil will consent if a reward is offered." Aragorn tore a piece of cloth from the leg of his pants, and bound the bleeding gash in his hand. Iskalistari shuddered. 'Ugh! Blood!' She thought. Gandalf leaned over the mass of living bones and skin. "Creature, who are you?" He asked. The thing was softly weeping. "They don't know what's wrong, do they Precious? No...They don't understand the awful hurtses...GOLLUM! GOLLUM!" It coughed Aragorn and Gandalf looked up at each other, both fearing the same thing. Aragorn quickly reached out and turned the thing over so that its back would be showing. Iskalistari felt a wave of nausea sweep over her. The thing's back was torn and mangled and it was oozing puss and blood. She had to turn away. She couldn't bear the sight. "They got him first..." Gandalf murmured angrily. "By the Valar, now what?" Aragorn shouted. The Enemy always seemed to be one step ahead of whatever they might do, or plan to do. "To Mirkwood." Gandalf sighed. The thing sobbed, then coughed its 'gollum' rack again. "Gollum's not riding with me." Iskalistari scoffed. Gandalf chuckled, "'Gollum'? Eh? I believe he was once called Smeagol, but Gollum will do." "He's still not riding on the same horse as me, whatever his name is."
--
Feaelena slipped soundlessly between the dense trees, her feet shod in light moccasins instead of the heavy, clunking boots that other races wore. She peered over her shoulder, and hearing soft footsteps only a small way behind her, put forth a new spurt of speed. 'Why can't Beleglas have a swarm of suitors like Legolas?' She thought angrily as she ducked under a low limb, and continued running. After a while Feaelena smiled, thinking that she had out run Beleglas, and stopped running. She stood in the quiet for a moment, then she heard someone breathing close to her. She stiffened, and prepared to dash away, with not heed for silence. She breathed then mentally whispered, 'On your mark...' The thing near her moved. 'GO!' Her mind shouted at her, and she did. She ran as fast as she could, and for an Elf, that is quite speedily. As she ran she noticed that the thing was keeping up with her, and actually threatening to overtake her. Feaelena felt an icy hand of dread reach up and clutch her insides.
Feaelena looked horizontally to her right, where she heard the sound, but could see nothing other than the trees flying by.
Feaelena then looked forwards again, just in time to see three horses and riders, but too late to change her course before she plowed head-first into the first, a person with long, graying hair. Knowing that she could neither swerve to miss the rider, nor stop, her mind made a split-second decision, and she felt her knees dropping her two or three inches, then suddenly extending again. Automatically her arms moved back behind her side, then she thrust them forwards, adding what lift she could scrape together in hopes of clearing the rider's head. Feaelena felt herself clear the horse's head, and pulled herself into a ball as tightly as she could. She somehow managed to clear the rider's head, but did not have so much luck with the rider's hat. It flew into the air as soon as Feaelena had touched it. Feaelena landed clear of the horse, and she nearly crumpled to the ground. Her insides were jelly, and her knees melting away like the butter in the summer sun. The hat that she had knocked from the rider's head, floated neatly down onto her head. "Hold on one moment, if you please!" The first rider shouted, jumping from his horse, and walking towards Feaelena. "My apologies sir! I did not see you coming until I could not have altered my course in any other way." "That it my hat." The apparently very old man replied, taking the pointed hat from Feaelena's head, and replacing it on his own. "Forgive us," The second rider said, getting off of his horse, "but would you know were Prince Legolas is?" Feaelena was about to tell him that she had no idea, when Legolas walked forth from behind the trees, laughing merrily. "Was it you that I heard?" Feaelena stormed. "Yes-" Legolas began, but he was quickly cut off by Aragorn. "Legolas, I must see your father. It is a matter of some urgency." Legolas nodded, then, with a quick 'Follow me', led them towards the gates.
--
"No, absolutely not!" Thranduil stormed, "Not unless the Valar send roses from the heavens instead of rain shall I ever accept such a vile creature into my care!" The Gollum creature had been released onto the floor, and was sobbing to itself in a curled ball. Iskalistari wrinkled her nose at the wretch. It was terribly vile to look upon, and its odor was worse than its appearance. She could not blame the king in the least for not taking the brute. "It is of the greatest importance that you take him!" Gandalf said abstinently, "Should you not keep him from mischief, it may end in the downfall of us all." Thranduil grunted, though he neither accepted nor declined. "Thranduil..." Legolas said slowly. "Father...?" A look of softness seeped into the old king's eyes, but he immediately closed them and sighed. "Fine. Do what you wish. Leave him here if thus you desire. I shall give orders to care for him, and he will not die." Thranduil added a quick 'soon' under his breath, but it was neither meant nor heard. "Thank you, Thranduil, on behalf of all of my order." Gandalf sighed, inclining his head in respect. "Very well," Thranduil said moodily, "be off, and do not return until you may rid me of the beast." With a final bow, Aragorn, Gandalf, and Iskalistari left the room. "Thank you, father." Legolas said quickly. "Be off." Thranduil said quickly, and with a snap of his fingers, two guards came forth and to take Gollum down to a cell. When Legolas and Feaelena had left, the king sighed. Legolas reminded him so much of his wife. He may have received his own golden hair, but there their physical similarities ended. The rest was purely his wife, though he and his son's tempers were most definitely similar.