Disclaimer: I don't own these little bundles of joy, nor do I own lord of
the rings.
In the Shadows
Chapter five – Prisoner
**
I cannot believe that I am sharing a prison cell with Aragorn, Prince Legolas, and the dwarf Gimli. This is the last place I hoped we would meet! They have been quite welcoming; they have probably tired of each other.
I can tell by the smell that they have been here a long time. The guards have not returned I have estimated that I've been here a good three days. The cell is quite large and very dimly lit. I only used the light stone for the first few minutes of my being here, and then I extinguished the light so I could adjust to the gloom.
Within minutes of being in the cell, I was shivering and wet. The floor is damp and the walls are wet with water from an unknown source. I asked the others of this.
"This prison cell is built under a lake." Aragorn replied gruffly, sounded annoyed at having been disturbed. 'Disturbed from what?' I wondered, refusing to let myself anger. 'Disturbed from the deep darkness and horrors of your own mind?'
"It's a trap." He went on, not looking up. "You think, since you are in the deepest, darkest dungeon, that no one will notice you if you escape. That is true, since most people sent here are doomed to die so no one ever checks on them, but the prison cell is designed to keep people in, or kill them if they escape."
"You've learnt a lot." I commented.
Legolas looked up and looked me in the eye. "You hear a lot of things down here." The look in his eyes made me shiver, and that movement caused my whole body to start shaking with the cold. We sat in silence, and I had only just arrived.
"The world is dim outside." I said quietly, hoping to start conversation again. The silences that stretch here are unnervingly quiet. They contrast to the silences held with Tarí, as they were comfortable, as we knew each other well.
There was no reply to my comment, except for a rumble form Gimli. Soon after, I heard snores and realized that he was asleep. I looked at the other two but Aragorn was stroking a necklace he wore and Legolas was staring at the ceiling, his mouth moving. I watched him for a while and realized that he was counted the bricks in the ceiling above.
"I've seen the White Lady." I said into the silence to find comfort in the sound of my voice. "She is well."
This attracted some attention; Aragorn looked up and searched my face. "Is she really?"
I nodded my reply. Aragorn looked at me for a little longer, then he put his head down and closed his eyes. I heard his breathing slow and heard him fall into a fitful slumber.
"Mae govannen, Legolas" I said sarcastically to the silence. "Well met, indeed." My mother would have killed me for speaking so to royalty, but I was so fed up of these sulking silences. I was, and still am, sick of this world.
**
This morning I told my story to whoever would listen. Gimli listened for most of it and growled occasionally in anger when I told of the bad parts. I told them all about Bereth and the other elves. I made them listen to our journey with the Uruk-Hai and how they treated us. My voice caught in my throat when I came to my torture and spoke no more.
There was a short silence. Again I felt uncomfortable and shivered slightly, looking around.
"And?" Someone asked quietly. I looked up to see Legolas' keen eyes finding me through the darkness. "What happened then?" Aragorn asked, startling me. I stared back at them in shock.
"Pardon me," I said after the shock had subsided. "I did not think you were listening."
"We were" Gimli rumbled, sounding rather irritated. "Now finished the story, we're impatient to hear the end! Forgive us for not making it known that we were listening, sitting 'round with these two louts makes you do it."
I smiled and heard Aragorn snort. I could just make out Legolas hitting Gimli playfully on the arm and heard Gimli's protest. I was glad someone still had a sense of humour.
I found the light stone and turned away from them, light the stone with a touch of magic and showing them the scars on my back. I heard Aragorn and Legolas inhale sharply. Gimli rumbled something but I could not catch it.
"What else did they do?" Legolas asked me, urging me to go on. I did not want to trouble them, but found myself caught in the stern gazes of the three travellers.
"They—" I faltered, looking at them again. "They broke my legs." I felt an old ache start as soon as I mentioned my legs. I stood up, leaving the stone on the ground, and started pacing the cell. "They are cruel to my kind," I muttered, half to myself. My gaze found Legolas for a second and he looked away. "But they are not savage. They respect their dead and are loyal to those they serve."
Gimli snorted. "Hardly likely." He grumbled. Aragorn sighed and stood up, stretching his arms upwards. I could hear the bones in his back crack with the effort. He yawned, shook his head and came over to me.
"I am sorry for the rude introduction." He said, placing a hand on my cheek and pressing his forehead against mine. "You have been through a lot, yet you are still strong." He released me and studied me closely. "You know of how we came to be here?" He asked. "I feel it is our turn to tell a tale."
I took a seat and moved the light stone closer to the others so I could make out their faces. I was shocked at how tired and weary they looked. I hadn't studied their faces closely when I first arrived, but when I had the chance, it was disturbing. I had seen the three travellers before when they passed through Lórien whilst on their journey to the Land of Shadows. Then, they looked tired, but in a different sense. They had looked healthy and nearly cheerful, compared to what they are now.
"You heard of the War of Helm's Deep." Aragorn stated, and I nodded in reply. The war was common knowledge.
"Yet you only know an observers view. An observer who came after the war and reported what destruction he saw around him. The war was awful. We expected to win, after news came that half the numbers of Saruman's army had been destroyed, but it was not so.
Aragorn paused and looked at Legolas, then Gimli. They said nothing, only stared at the cell floor in front of them.
"We received assistance from the elves." I stiffened, I knew what would come next and even though I already knew the elves sent by Elrond of Rivendell has perished, I did not want to hear the news again.
"Haldir lead them, he was killed." Aragorn said, with no emotion in his voice. "Forgive my callousness, I have recounted this story many times to the mouth piece of Sauron who wishes to hear the story again and again, purely for his own amusement."
"I knew the manner of Haldir's death," I said shakily, emotion welling up inside of me. Haldir and I were friends, not as close as others I knew of, but close enough for his death to hurt deeply. "The Uruk-Hai commander took me for questioning, Haldir's helmet was in his tent. I saw his death."
The three travellers looked confused.
"You must be mistaken," Legolas said, his voice hoarse from silence. "Haldir wore no helmet to battle. It must have been the helmet of another elf."
I was bewildered by this news and could not think of an explanation for what I had seen and what they were telling me.
"It WAS Haldir!" I protested, standing to pace the cell. "I felt it was him, I felt him die!" The pain came back to me then suddenly, my lungs contracted and I could hardly breathe. I gasped and held a hand out to the wall to steady myself.
Aragorn came over and helped me stand. "Relax, it will pass." It did, but only when I could forget the screams I had heard in Haldir's vision. I felt tired after remembering the vision and slumped to the floor. I felt extremely dizzy and could feel myself losing consciousness.
"It could not have been Haldir's helmet." Aragorn said, his voice sounding far away. "You must have been mistaken."
I couldn't understand why I would make such a mistake, but as my vision weakened, the words 'Sauron the Deceiver' floating across my thoughts.
**
When I regained sight, the cell was dark and the travellers were conversing quietly. "You think she's gone mad?" Gimli rumbled in the dark. I listened carefully to Legolas and Aragorn's comments as they were talking very quietly.
"How could she have 'seen' Haldir's death?" Aragorn wondered out loud. I felt like screaming, did these people not know of elven gifts? Surely Legolas would!
"She could have dreamt it?" Legolas offered. Gimli snorted. "No, she's seeing things, either that or someone's messing with her head."
I remembered thinking of Sauron making me see Haldir in the vision and wondered if he could have something to do with it.
"There are elven gifts," Aragorn said quietly. I could see him, out of the corner of my eye, glancing in my direction to see if I was awake. "Rare gifts of foresight and other mental abilities, but they have not been seen in any elven offspring since the births of Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel."
"No," Legolas disagreed, I felt like cheering. "Gifts such as those are kept to family knowledge only, some corrupt elves like to use the gifts for their own use. It is possible that she has a gift, but unlikely."
Aragorn then held a finger to his lips. "She's awake" I heard him mutter.
"How much have you heard?" He asked me directly. I knew there was no point in pretending I was still asleep so I rolled over and sat up.
"I'm not mad." I said firmly, before standing to stretch my legs out. "I do have a gift, passed down from my mothers cousin." I said defensively.
"Well that explains a lot," Aragorn said. "But who is this cousin of your mothers?" I looked at Legolas, hoping to see recognition in his eyes.
"Guess." I said, angry that none of them had seen the resemblance between Galadriel and I. When no one offered a name, I huffed and sent a powerful mental image of the Lady into their minds. There was an instant silence that would have made me shiver if I wasn't so worked up.
"Fine" I said angrily, turning away. "I'm going for a walk, let me know when you want to talk." I stormed to the farthest reaches of the cell and sat facing the corner, feeling like a naughty elven child being punished.
**
This silence is unforgiving. I have spent DAYS in royal court that have been for interesting that this cell. I can see why Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli were so quiet when I first arrived. No one has come down here since I arrived four days ago. My stomach rumbles from time to time, but I am used to feeling hungry.
"Food comes once weekly" Gimli stated, hearing my stomach groaning in hunger.
"How do you tell which is day and night?" I mumbled through my knees, which my head was resting on.
"Legolas notes light difference and sound difference and marks the passing days on the wall over there."
I felt foolish and still do. I have been very self involved the past day and haven't thought of anyone but myself. It is misery being locked in here. I don't know how they can stand it! I have never been held prisoner before and the lack of fresh air is making me so sad.
I have a strong feeling that I will rot down here, even though my dreams tell me otherwise.
Sauron the Deceiver.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello! Sorry, once again, for the lack of updates. I seriously thought that I had this one posted, but I found, to my horror, that this chapter hadn't even been completed!
Hey! Blame it on limited internet and computer access! Please R and R?
In the Shadows
Chapter five – Prisoner
**
I cannot believe that I am sharing a prison cell with Aragorn, Prince Legolas, and the dwarf Gimli. This is the last place I hoped we would meet! They have been quite welcoming; they have probably tired of each other.
I can tell by the smell that they have been here a long time. The guards have not returned I have estimated that I've been here a good three days. The cell is quite large and very dimly lit. I only used the light stone for the first few minutes of my being here, and then I extinguished the light so I could adjust to the gloom.
Within minutes of being in the cell, I was shivering and wet. The floor is damp and the walls are wet with water from an unknown source. I asked the others of this.
"This prison cell is built under a lake." Aragorn replied gruffly, sounded annoyed at having been disturbed. 'Disturbed from what?' I wondered, refusing to let myself anger. 'Disturbed from the deep darkness and horrors of your own mind?'
"It's a trap." He went on, not looking up. "You think, since you are in the deepest, darkest dungeon, that no one will notice you if you escape. That is true, since most people sent here are doomed to die so no one ever checks on them, but the prison cell is designed to keep people in, or kill them if they escape."
"You've learnt a lot." I commented.
Legolas looked up and looked me in the eye. "You hear a lot of things down here." The look in his eyes made me shiver, and that movement caused my whole body to start shaking with the cold. We sat in silence, and I had only just arrived.
"The world is dim outside." I said quietly, hoping to start conversation again. The silences that stretch here are unnervingly quiet. They contrast to the silences held with Tarí, as they were comfortable, as we knew each other well.
There was no reply to my comment, except for a rumble form Gimli. Soon after, I heard snores and realized that he was asleep. I looked at the other two but Aragorn was stroking a necklace he wore and Legolas was staring at the ceiling, his mouth moving. I watched him for a while and realized that he was counted the bricks in the ceiling above.
"I've seen the White Lady." I said into the silence to find comfort in the sound of my voice. "She is well."
This attracted some attention; Aragorn looked up and searched my face. "Is she really?"
I nodded my reply. Aragorn looked at me for a little longer, then he put his head down and closed his eyes. I heard his breathing slow and heard him fall into a fitful slumber.
"Mae govannen, Legolas" I said sarcastically to the silence. "Well met, indeed." My mother would have killed me for speaking so to royalty, but I was so fed up of these sulking silences. I was, and still am, sick of this world.
**
This morning I told my story to whoever would listen. Gimli listened for most of it and growled occasionally in anger when I told of the bad parts. I told them all about Bereth and the other elves. I made them listen to our journey with the Uruk-Hai and how they treated us. My voice caught in my throat when I came to my torture and spoke no more.
There was a short silence. Again I felt uncomfortable and shivered slightly, looking around.
"And?" Someone asked quietly. I looked up to see Legolas' keen eyes finding me through the darkness. "What happened then?" Aragorn asked, startling me. I stared back at them in shock.
"Pardon me," I said after the shock had subsided. "I did not think you were listening."
"We were" Gimli rumbled, sounding rather irritated. "Now finished the story, we're impatient to hear the end! Forgive us for not making it known that we were listening, sitting 'round with these two louts makes you do it."
I smiled and heard Aragorn snort. I could just make out Legolas hitting Gimli playfully on the arm and heard Gimli's protest. I was glad someone still had a sense of humour.
I found the light stone and turned away from them, light the stone with a touch of magic and showing them the scars on my back. I heard Aragorn and Legolas inhale sharply. Gimli rumbled something but I could not catch it.
"What else did they do?" Legolas asked me, urging me to go on. I did not want to trouble them, but found myself caught in the stern gazes of the three travellers.
"They—" I faltered, looking at them again. "They broke my legs." I felt an old ache start as soon as I mentioned my legs. I stood up, leaving the stone on the ground, and started pacing the cell. "They are cruel to my kind," I muttered, half to myself. My gaze found Legolas for a second and he looked away. "But they are not savage. They respect their dead and are loyal to those they serve."
Gimli snorted. "Hardly likely." He grumbled. Aragorn sighed and stood up, stretching his arms upwards. I could hear the bones in his back crack with the effort. He yawned, shook his head and came over to me.
"I am sorry for the rude introduction." He said, placing a hand on my cheek and pressing his forehead against mine. "You have been through a lot, yet you are still strong." He released me and studied me closely. "You know of how we came to be here?" He asked. "I feel it is our turn to tell a tale."
I took a seat and moved the light stone closer to the others so I could make out their faces. I was shocked at how tired and weary they looked. I hadn't studied their faces closely when I first arrived, but when I had the chance, it was disturbing. I had seen the three travellers before when they passed through Lórien whilst on their journey to the Land of Shadows. Then, they looked tired, but in a different sense. They had looked healthy and nearly cheerful, compared to what they are now.
"You heard of the War of Helm's Deep." Aragorn stated, and I nodded in reply. The war was common knowledge.
"Yet you only know an observers view. An observer who came after the war and reported what destruction he saw around him. The war was awful. We expected to win, after news came that half the numbers of Saruman's army had been destroyed, but it was not so.
Aragorn paused and looked at Legolas, then Gimli. They said nothing, only stared at the cell floor in front of them.
"We received assistance from the elves." I stiffened, I knew what would come next and even though I already knew the elves sent by Elrond of Rivendell has perished, I did not want to hear the news again.
"Haldir lead them, he was killed." Aragorn said, with no emotion in his voice. "Forgive my callousness, I have recounted this story many times to the mouth piece of Sauron who wishes to hear the story again and again, purely for his own amusement."
"I knew the manner of Haldir's death," I said shakily, emotion welling up inside of me. Haldir and I were friends, not as close as others I knew of, but close enough for his death to hurt deeply. "The Uruk-Hai commander took me for questioning, Haldir's helmet was in his tent. I saw his death."
The three travellers looked confused.
"You must be mistaken," Legolas said, his voice hoarse from silence. "Haldir wore no helmet to battle. It must have been the helmet of another elf."
I was bewildered by this news and could not think of an explanation for what I had seen and what they were telling me.
"It WAS Haldir!" I protested, standing to pace the cell. "I felt it was him, I felt him die!" The pain came back to me then suddenly, my lungs contracted and I could hardly breathe. I gasped and held a hand out to the wall to steady myself.
Aragorn came over and helped me stand. "Relax, it will pass." It did, but only when I could forget the screams I had heard in Haldir's vision. I felt tired after remembering the vision and slumped to the floor. I felt extremely dizzy and could feel myself losing consciousness.
"It could not have been Haldir's helmet." Aragorn said, his voice sounding far away. "You must have been mistaken."
I couldn't understand why I would make such a mistake, but as my vision weakened, the words 'Sauron the Deceiver' floating across my thoughts.
**
When I regained sight, the cell was dark and the travellers were conversing quietly. "You think she's gone mad?" Gimli rumbled in the dark. I listened carefully to Legolas and Aragorn's comments as they were talking very quietly.
"How could she have 'seen' Haldir's death?" Aragorn wondered out loud. I felt like screaming, did these people not know of elven gifts? Surely Legolas would!
"She could have dreamt it?" Legolas offered. Gimli snorted. "No, she's seeing things, either that or someone's messing with her head."
I remembered thinking of Sauron making me see Haldir in the vision and wondered if he could have something to do with it.
"There are elven gifts," Aragorn said quietly. I could see him, out of the corner of my eye, glancing in my direction to see if I was awake. "Rare gifts of foresight and other mental abilities, but they have not been seen in any elven offspring since the births of Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel."
"No," Legolas disagreed, I felt like cheering. "Gifts such as those are kept to family knowledge only, some corrupt elves like to use the gifts for their own use. It is possible that she has a gift, but unlikely."
Aragorn then held a finger to his lips. "She's awake" I heard him mutter.
"How much have you heard?" He asked me directly. I knew there was no point in pretending I was still asleep so I rolled over and sat up.
"I'm not mad." I said firmly, before standing to stretch my legs out. "I do have a gift, passed down from my mothers cousin." I said defensively.
"Well that explains a lot," Aragorn said. "But who is this cousin of your mothers?" I looked at Legolas, hoping to see recognition in his eyes.
"Guess." I said, angry that none of them had seen the resemblance between Galadriel and I. When no one offered a name, I huffed and sent a powerful mental image of the Lady into their minds. There was an instant silence that would have made me shiver if I wasn't so worked up.
"Fine" I said angrily, turning away. "I'm going for a walk, let me know when you want to talk." I stormed to the farthest reaches of the cell and sat facing the corner, feeling like a naughty elven child being punished.
**
This silence is unforgiving. I have spent DAYS in royal court that have been for interesting that this cell. I can see why Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli were so quiet when I first arrived. No one has come down here since I arrived four days ago. My stomach rumbles from time to time, but I am used to feeling hungry.
"Food comes once weekly" Gimli stated, hearing my stomach groaning in hunger.
"How do you tell which is day and night?" I mumbled through my knees, which my head was resting on.
"Legolas notes light difference and sound difference and marks the passing days on the wall over there."
I felt foolish and still do. I have been very self involved the past day and haven't thought of anyone but myself. It is misery being locked in here. I don't know how they can stand it! I have never been held prisoner before and the lack of fresh air is making me so sad.
I have a strong feeling that I will rot down here, even though my dreams tell me otherwise.
Sauron the Deceiver.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello! Sorry, once again, for the lack of updates. I seriously thought that I had this one posted, but I found, to my horror, that this chapter hadn't even been completed!
Hey! Blame it on limited internet and computer access! Please R and R?