A.N: I'm baaaaaaaack! WHEE! After having to dance the Jitterbug in gym class today, I felt strangely inspired to update... -crickets chirp- Yeah, I thought so too. Anything else? Hm... let's see. Oh!
Disclaimer: I do not own LOTR, although I would love to. Alas, that is only a dream. I also wish to own Pippin's scarf. Don't ask why... I think it's because I love him and that Pippin and I are a lot alike in the clueless department.
Be sure to review!
~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{
Chapter Eighteen: Fire! Fire! Fire!
"Swordsmanship? A lady does not learn swordsmanship. Why would you request to do such a thing?" Gimli said.
"Excuse me? Don't you guys remember that I'm not a lady? Besides, there are other women who know how to use a sword. Look at the shieldmaidens of Rohan!" Meryl gestured wildly as she spoke.
"Do you wish to tell us the reason for this request?" Legolas asked...
"I'm getting bored around here. Learning how to use a sword around here will occupy my time."
"There is another reason for your request," Aragorn said quietly. "Will you tell us? Or do you wish to keep it to yourself?"
Meryl's eyes darkened and she stared at the ground. "When Laeras tried to take me last night, I fought as hard as I could, but he overpowered me. If I had known how to fight, with my hands or my sword, I may have been able to protect myself better." She looked at Aragorn, tears filling her eyes. "Please, I don't want to make that mistake again."
"You do know that I will be leaving on the morrow, Meryl," Aragorn said wearily. "I will not be able to teach you. I will have to ask Elladan and Elrohir to instruct you on how to use the sword. And if you come and visit Arwen and I in Gondor, maybe I will carry on your training."
Meryl's eyes grew wide. "Really?"
Aragorn nodded. "I agree with you when you say that you need to learn to use the sword."
He was suddenly thrown into a huge hug. "Oh my gosh. Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!" Meryl said in one long breath. "You have no idea how relieved I feel."
"I can guess," Aragorn choked. "May I please breathe?"
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Meryl released the King of Gondor and stepped away. He made a huge show of actually being able to breathe, but stopped after she threatened to punch his lights out.
Legolas cleared his throat softly, to catch everyone's attention. "If you will be learning swordsmanship, Meryl, I must say that it would be fitting that you learn to use a bow also."
"You mean it?" Meryl asked, her grass-green eyes dancing with happiness.
Legolas nodded, and almost the exact second he did, he found himself in the same situation that Aragorn was in only a few moments before. He now understood why Aragorn made the show of not being able to breathe. Meryl had the hugging strength of a bear, and the Elf would know. In his youth, he had been separated from his hunting party, and without any weapons. It was just his luck when he encountered a bear.
"Meryl, air would be a comfort," he managed to say.
The teenage girl stopped hugging the Elf and stepped away, embarrassed. "Sorry, I got carried away again."
"It is no problem," Gimli replied. "They got what was coming to them."
Meryl laughed. "I agree, Master Dwarf."
******************************************************************
Meryl found herself back inside her room, when Liselle rushed angrily outside and literally dragged the girl in by her ear. All the while, she was scolding her about picking the lock and leaving the room. Dae followed behind them.
The teenage girl was sitting in bed, livid with anger and humiliation. As she was being dragged away, she was certain that she heard Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas laughing. Her ear ached horribly and she winced. Liselle had a very strong grip.
The handmaiden stood in front of Meryl, arms crossed. Her weight was on her left foot, while she tapped the floor with her right. "Would you care to explain to me why you left your room?"
"I wanted to show the guys that I didn't have to stay in bed anymore," Meryl replied angrily.
Liselle raised her eyebrows. "'The guys?'"
Meryl rolled her eyes. "Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli."
"Why not show them when they come to your room to visit? We do not need you to overexert yourself and spend two more days in bed."
"You're not my mother," Meryl muttered under her breath.
"I may not be your mother, but I still am your superior. Do not think that I will not go and speak to Lord Elrond about this."
Meryl goggled at her. How did she know what she had said? Oh, that's right. That damn Elven hearing ability. She narrowed her eyes. "I don't have to stay in bed anymore. You can't make me."
"On the contrary, my lady-" Meryl's eyes narrowed at that address. "-Lord Elrond came to speak with me earlier today. He instructed me to keep you in your room at least until tomorrow evening. Then you may leave your room whenever you desire."
"So you're saying that I have to stay here for at least one more day? As in twenty-four hours?"
"I suppose that is the case."
There was silence, and then... "YEEHAW!" Meryl cried, throwing her hands up into the air. "Freedom!"
Although Liselle was expecting this sort of reaction, she was still quite surprised. She raised her eyebrows and said, "I shall be right back." She left the room.
"Go right ahead," Meryl said. "It's not like I'll be leaving anytime." The second sentence she said was with sarcasm, for she had realized that she still had to stay in bed, even though she would be out in two days.
Liselle returned a short while later, carrying another basin full of water, but this time soap frothed at the top. "I have your clothes in here. They need to soak for a while to get the stains out. What have you been doing these past few days? Every time you get your clothes washed, there is always a tear or a stain."
Meryl grinned and shrugged. "Hey, what can I say? I never expected to fall out of a tree, or..." her voice trailed away. She mustered her strength and continued, "or being the victim of an attempted kidnapping." Her voice broke as she said that.
"Oh honey," Liselle sat on the bed in front of Meryl and hugged her tightly. "Just cry as much as you need. Do not fret, I am here."
Meryl released the tears that she had held back all day. She cried for Brian, being stuck in bed for so long, Dae being attacked, and for being in Middle Earth in the first place. She wept into Liselle's shoulder, and the handmaiden patted the girl's back and whispered soothing words.
******************************************************************
Legolas bid his farewell to Aragorn and Gimli at the archery ranges, before starting the short trip to Meryl's room. He wanted to go and see how she was doing after her handmaiden had come out to the field and had pulled her back inside by the ear. He wondered how long a lecture she was going to get for this time around. When he was young, lectures from his nurse could go on for over an hour.
He turned from the main corridor and went down the private hallway. He wove his way around various servants and Elves before turning the final corner that led to Meryl's room. He went to the door, preparing to knock, when he heard something coming from the room. It was somebody crying. Not just somebody, it was Meryl.
He was about to open the door when he heard Meryl speak, "Liselle, I was so scared. If I hadn't fallen out of the tree, I could have been able to run. I could have escaped."
Liselle? Her handmaiden was still in there?
"Shh, it is all right. You are safe now. Lord Elrond will make sure that nothing happens to you."
"Liselle, he tried... he tried to kill me." The girl's voice cracked as she spoke these words.
The Prince's eyes grew hard. He had known that, and the thought of Meryl's beat up body when they had found her made his blood boil angrily. No living being had to go through that sort of suffering. Meryl had seen enough to last her a lifetime. He steeled himself and wished violently that he could make Laeras pay for what he had done.
He heard sniffling, and then, "Liselle? I'm lucky to have friends like you and the others."
"You are not the only one who is lucky."
"What do you mean?" Meryl asked.
"We are lucky to have you in our lives, as well. Since you came, things have definitely brightened up a bit, although you can be a nuisance to the lord. When you refused to have Lord Elrond examine you, I have not seen anyone anger him like that in some time, and that was when Lords Aragorn, Elladan, and Elrohir were very young."
He smiled and remembered how furious the Elven lord was when he went in search of Arwen. He also agreed with what Liselle had said. It was not chance that Meryl had come to Rivendell. What her purpose here was, he did not know. Only the Valar could tell. He turned around and went down the hallway to the large library, where he knew there was a large tome that could divert his attention for a while.
******************************************************************
Evening fell, and everybody went to bed. Laeras quietly crept down the deserted corridor, blazing torch in hand. A bundle of rags was clutched in his other hand. Drips of cooking oil would spatter the floor at random points as he walked.
He stopped in front of a large door. His target slept peacefully inside. Grinning, he began to rub the oil-soaked rags on the door until it glistened in the torchlight. He then stuffed the rags underneath the door and held his torch to them.
The fire gradually began to consume the rags. Laeras hung around until flames began to lick the door. He dashed silently away, an evil smile painted on his face.
{May the eternal flames burn and consume your soul, Lady Meryl.}
******************************************************************
Gimli sat up in bed. He had just had a terrible dream. He closed his and tried to calm himself down. He listened to the soothing sound of nightbirds singing, and felt the calming darkness surround him. The smell of smoke from his forge invaded his nostrils.
Wait. He sniffed the air. Smoke? He was in Rivendell, not at his home under the mountain. He opened his eyes and glanced at the hearth. No fire blazed there.
Quickly he jumped out of bed and threw open the door. He was met by a wall of smoke.
"Fire!" he yelled.
Covering his nose and mouth, he ran across the hall as fast as his short legs would allow him to and began pounding on the door.
"Legolas! Wake up lad! There's a fire!"
Moments later, the door opened and Legolas leaped out, dressed only in his sleeping attire. He quickly scanned the area and pointed down the halls. "It is down there," he said. "Gimli, go and wake everybody up and tell them to evacuate. I will try and tame the fire."
"But-"
"Go!"
Gimli nodded and ran down that halls, yelling and pounding on doors. Legolas ran the opposite direction, in hopes of putting out the fire, or at least lessening its strength.
******************************************************************
Meryl was awakened by numerous licking. The air felt hot. "Dae," she grumbled and pulled the covers over her head.
Her dog whined and jumped on the bed. He crawled underneath the covers and again tried to rouse his mistress. This time, by licking the bottoms of her feet.
Meryl pulled the covers from her head, meaning to scold her dog. "Dae! What are y-" her sentence was interrupted when she began coughing.
Her eyes widened as she realized what was going on. Smoke was filling the room and a fire was blazing on the door that led outside. That escape route was cut off.
While she had slept, the fire had spread from where it originated, to the chairs and snaked its way across the floor to the window. The washroom was untouched at the moment.
{My things! My pictures!} her mind screamed. {I need to get my purse!}
Coughing, Meryl slid out of bed and knelt on the floor. Wild thoughts ran through her mind as she frantically tried to remember what to do in such a situation.
{Smoke rises, so stay on the floor,} she thought.
Her hand snaked into her pillowcase and grabbed the many things she had hidden in there. She then crawled across the room, picking up her purse and uncovering the many things she had hidden around her room. She stuffed them into her purse and tried to get to the door, but it was blocked by flames.
{Crap, if all exits are cut of, what do you do?} her head whipped this way and that until her eyes rested on the washroom door. It hadn't been touch by flames yet, so it may provide safe harbor for at least a little while.
"Dae!" she called hoarsely. The dog was at her side in an instant. "Come," she commanded as she began crawling to the washroom. With her cast clunking on the floor, she made her way across the floor as fast as she could. In a few moments, she and Dae were in the washroom. Closing the door behind them, Meryl leaned against it.
{What do I do now?}
******************************************************************
Legolas ran down the hall. It was mainly filled with smoke, but the flames flared in the distance. On the way, he would pound on people's doors and tell them to evacuate. When he knocked on the twins' door, they refused to leave, but instead joined him. When they came upon Aragorn's door, Arwen answered and said that he had already left a while ago, and the she herself was just leaving. They left her and ran on.
A shadow of fear began to grow in the corner of Legolas's mind. He had a feeling that he knew who was in the fire. His thoughts were answered when they stopped in front of the blazing fire. Aragorn was already there, throwing water onto Meryl's flaming door.
"Ai, Elbereth!" cried Elrohir. "Not her!"
Legolas's heart echoed the same thing.
******************************************************************
Meryl scanned the room, searching for anything useful. "I wish I had a fire extinguisher," she told Dae. "That would be useful right about now."
Her eyes fell upon the washbasin that Liselle had bought into the washroom before. Her already-worn clothes still floated in the soapy water. Without another thought, Meryl grabbed the basin and kicked open the door that led to her bedroom. She was greeted by flames that were as tall as she was.
She had no choice but to close the door. Tears of frustration streamed down her cheeks. "Dae, come," she said. She got onto her knees and set the basin in front of her. Pushing the basin, with small amounts of water sloshing over the sides, she made her way to the window. When she reached it, she stood up. Somehow, the fire had traveled around the washroom, for flames danced around the window.
"I know that this is gonna hurt," Meryl groaned, coughing. Balancing the washbasin in the crook of her right arm, she wound up and punched the window. It broke, sending splinters of wood everywhere. She gasped at the pain that ran through her hand.
Her knuckles were bleeding a little heavily, but she ignored them. She transferred the basin to her left arm, and pulled out a soaked tunic. She placed onto the windowsill, covering and killing the flames. Quickly she threw her purse out the window, to save the items that was inside.
Dae barked and Meryl glanced down at him. He was panting, and she mentally slapped herself for being such an idiot. Dae was smaller than she was, so he would have smaller. Hence, they would fill with smoke faster.
Coughs from inhaling the smoke racked Meryl's body, but she knelt down and set the washbasin on the floor. She straightened and peered out of the widow. There was a four-foot drop; Dae would survive the fall.
She bent over and pulled out her soggy breeches. She then tied them onto Dae, to prevent his fur from burning. Using the last reserves of her strength, she picked the year-old dog up. Her knees buckled underneath his weight, and he squirmed violently, protesting to be put down.
The smoke stung Meryl's eyes, and they watered terribly. She leaned over the windowsill and dropped Dae. Howling the whole way down, the Lab landed safely on the ground. Instantly he sprang up and dashed out of sight, Coughing, Meryl cried for help.
There was a cracking noise above her head, and Meryl quickly pushed herself away from the window. She fell heavily on her back, just when the window collapsed in flame.
Her only escape was cut off. She began crying. She'd never make it out. She was going to die in this burning inferno; she was going to die without telling the others the truth. She was going to die as a liar. Her mind tried to convince her heart that it was better this way, but was shot down. As she wept, the smoke finally overcame her and she passed out.
~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{~}~{
Whew! That was fun to write. Be sure to review and make me feel loved! And a note to Platy: If you don't update in a hurry, I'll kidnap Jack... or I'll settle with depriving him of all of his rum! ^^ Also, a note to Raven: SPLEEN!
By the Lion's Mane,
Leo