"What took you so long, ranger?" a hoarse, yet scratching voice called out to her. Avari let a sigh of relief flow from her mouth, putting her sword back in its sheath.
"Lle naa haran e nausalle. (You're a king in your imagination.)" Avari said, returning back a rather shrill call. "Yet your head is empty, orc." The orc threw his hood back in anger, his eyes gleaming a dark luminaire of Sauron's light. Giving a forceful kick to his horse, it neighed wildly for a moment, then rode hard and quick to Avari.
As soon as the orc had reached her, he was taken fiercely by a unseen force. Jumping from his horse, he grabbed the arm of the ranger, trying to inflict as much pain as an orc his size could; Avari slightly flinched but let no expression of pain slide by her face.
"You smell like a human, Avari." he said grimly.
"What are you doing here, Gaanon?" Avari replied, looking away from him. Serge stirred uneasily as Gaanon came closer.
"I was sent from Isengard; bringing word from Lord Sauruman." Gaanon paused for a moment, making a disgusting face to Sereg. Avari shifted swiftly, jumped lightly from her friend, and stood to face Gaanon. Giving Sereg a quick pat, she nodded him away; giving her and the roc some time to talk.
"Talk quickly and silently: the Wraiths are near, I think." she said in a low voice. Her whole appearence and tone had changed now that she was alone with the beast from Isengard.
"My Lord is restless, I can tell. He waits for you to return with news of them. Why have you been so late in coming?" Gaanon said, rather eyeing Avari suspiciously.
"I have been held. Delayed you shall return word to him."
"I shall return?" Gaanon said, an evil grin spreading across his black and dirtied face. Suddenly, the grin disappeared and an angry, flustered expession sketched its way into Gaanon.
"I shall return! You dare order me!" Reaching out his long arm, he smacked Avari across the face, leaving her with his grimy handprint. Quick as light, she pulled two hidden, short, white knives from pockets stitched into her cloak. Grabbing Gaanon from the neck she pulled his face close to the daggers. Playfully, Avari drew on the orc's facing, causing him to quake with fear.
"Forgive me, Lady Ranger!" he managed to choke out. Slowly, she released him from her grip.
"But," he purposed, "I am not sorry for slapping you. You seriously believe I shall take back word to Sauruman, Sauruman the White! Take back word to him that you have been DELAYED! I would be tortured in his delight for your foolishness! Called many names!"
"Son of Snakes! Cowardly dog! Feast of wolves! Gate bird! Many more names, not so pleasant!" Gaanon paused for breath, then began again. "I refuse to return to my Lord, telling him you were delayed and need more time."
"So be it." Avari said quietly, drifting into her own thoughts as the orc continued.
"You must come back to Isengard: talk with Sauruman himself."
"I cannot." Avari replied calmly. "I have embarked on a quest, known only to me, Sauruman, and the Grey Company."
"Death to the friends of the Grey Company!" Gaanon exclaimed. "And death comes to its leader, the wizard.....oh!" Gaanon stumbled over words as he searched for what name sent chills and shivers through him.
"Gandalf!" Avari finished for him, now deeply concerned.
"Oh yes! Gandalf the Grey! The Grey Pilgrim!" Gaanon laughed out. "A wizard indeed! Barely stood a chance against Sauruman! Well, now he has payed much that he owed for defying my Lord."
"What?" Avari said slowly, trying to take everything in at once.
"You have not heard? Oh yes! How could you? You've been away for so long, I suppose no one bothered to tell you! All have forgotten you!"
"I hope they have...." Avari said under her breath. Gaanon paused, studying her for a moment, then began again.
"I don't know the entire event, but he is prisoner last I saw. Prisoner of Sauruman. Prisoner of Isengard! He tried to stand against Lord Sauruman and was defeated. From what I have gathered before I left, my Lord was going to go to him at the top of the ring of the tower of Isengard where he lay weary, and offer him a choice! The fool, I first said! Of course, quietly to myself, but the fool he was indeed!"
"Would he appreciate knowing that one of his most loyal orcs were talking foul about him?" Avari interrupted, a sly smile coming to her face.
"Would he appreciate knowing that one of his most faithful humans was purposing delaying herself for some unknown reason, from the original business that was intended for her to carry out?" Gaanon replied sickly. Avari signaled him to continue and he did.
"He was to give the wizard," at that word, "wizard", Gaanon chuckled; quite amused that Gandalf was considered a wizard. "two choices: one was to join with us, with Sauruman, with Sauron, and help overtake Middle Earth and all of its pathetic races. Or he was to have immediate death. Whether he has went to him yet, I do not know."
"He has Gandalf prisoner? An omen of bad news indeed....." at that, Gaanon perked up. He now was very alert.
"Bad news? What do you mean?" he asked inquisitively. Suddenly, his breathing heavied and he let her not answer.
"Son of snakes! You were to betray us all, weren't you? You disgust me, human!" he spat at her and quickly drew a sword in which he hid behind him.
"No! Though Gandalf was my friend, I am under Sauruman's order, worm!" she yelled, drawing out her own weapon as quick as light. The orc was blinded in the eyes by the beauty as it blazed.
"Return to Isengard. If you do not pass me in getting there, I will let Sauruman know we have a spy within our league." Gaanon said with disgust, turning away from Avari to head back to his horse.
"Trust me," Avari called aloud, running forth to Gaanon. "You will not pass me." And with those words, she brought her blade down upon the orc. A shrill cry of pain he let out as she dug her sword further into him. Black blood streamed down from his wound as he fell before her. He looked up at her and gave her one last warning.
"Death to all friends of the Grey Company!"
A/N: Sorry to end it here, but I must! LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT CHAPTER COMING VERY, VERY SOON! Also, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! Thank you! ^_^
"Lle naa haran e nausalle. (You're a king in your imagination.)" Avari said, returning back a rather shrill call. "Yet your head is empty, orc." The orc threw his hood back in anger, his eyes gleaming a dark luminaire of Sauron's light. Giving a forceful kick to his horse, it neighed wildly for a moment, then rode hard and quick to Avari.
As soon as the orc had reached her, he was taken fiercely by a unseen force. Jumping from his horse, he grabbed the arm of the ranger, trying to inflict as much pain as an orc his size could; Avari slightly flinched but let no expression of pain slide by her face.
"You smell like a human, Avari." he said grimly.
"What are you doing here, Gaanon?" Avari replied, looking away from him. Serge stirred uneasily as Gaanon came closer.
"I was sent from Isengard; bringing word from Lord Sauruman." Gaanon paused for a moment, making a disgusting face to Sereg. Avari shifted swiftly, jumped lightly from her friend, and stood to face Gaanon. Giving Sereg a quick pat, she nodded him away; giving her and the roc some time to talk.
"Talk quickly and silently: the Wraiths are near, I think." she said in a low voice. Her whole appearence and tone had changed now that she was alone with the beast from Isengard.
"My Lord is restless, I can tell. He waits for you to return with news of them. Why have you been so late in coming?" Gaanon said, rather eyeing Avari suspiciously.
"I have been held. Delayed you shall return word to him."
"I shall return?" Gaanon said, an evil grin spreading across his black and dirtied face. Suddenly, the grin disappeared and an angry, flustered expession sketched its way into Gaanon.
"I shall return! You dare order me!" Reaching out his long arm, he smacked Avari across the face, leaving her with his grimy handprint. Quick as light, she pulled two hidden, short, white knives from pockets stitched into her cloak. Grabbing Gaanon from the neck she pulled his face close to the daggers. Playfully, Avari drew on the orc's facing, causing him to quake with fear.
"Forgive me, Lady Ranger!" he managed to choke out. Slowly, she released him from her grip.
"But," he purposed, "I am not sorry for slapping you. You seriously believe I shall take back word to Sauruman, Sauruman the White! Take back word to him that you have been DELAYED! I would be tortured in his delight for your foolishness! Called many names!"
"Son of Snakes! Cowardly dog! Feast of wolves! Gate bird! Many more names, not so pleasant!" Gaanon paused for breath, then began again. "I refuse to return to my Lord, telling him you were delayed and need more time."
"So be it." Avari said quietly, drifting into her own thoughts as the orc continued.
"You must come back to Isengard: talk with Sauruman himself."
"I cannot." Avari replied calmly. "I have embarked on a quest, known only to me, Sauruman, and the Grey Company."
"Death to the friends of the Grey Company!" Gaanon exclaimed. "And death comes to its leader, the wizard.....oh!" Gaanon stumbled over words as he searched for what name sent chills and shivers through him.
"Gandalf!" Avari finished for him, now deeply concerned.
"Oh yes! Gandalf the Grey! The Grey Pilgrim!" Gaanon laughed out. "A wizard indeed! Barely stood a chance against Sauruman! Well, now he has payed much that he owed for defying my Lord."
"What?" Avari said slowly, trying to take everything in at once.
"You have not heard? Oh yes! How could you? You've been away for so long, I suppose no one bothered to tell you! All have forgotten you!"
"I hope they have...." Avari said under her breath. Gaanon paused, studying her for a moment, then began again.
"I don't know the entire event, but he is prisoner last I saw. Prisoner of Sauruman. Prisoner of Isengard! He tried to stand against Lord Sauruman and was defeated. From what I have gathered before I left, my Lord was going to go to him at the top of the ring of the tower of Isengard where he lay weary, and offer him a choice! The fool, I first said! Of course, quietly to myself, but the fool he was indeed!"
"Would he appreciate knowing that one of his most loyal orcs were talking foul about him?" Avari interrupted, a sly smile coming to her face.
"Would he appreciate knowing that one of his most faithful humans was purposing delaying herself for some unknown reason, from the original business that was intended for her to carry out?" Gaanon replied sickly. Avari signaled him to continue and he did.
"He was to give the wizard," at that word, "wizard", Gaanon chuckled; quite amused that Gandalf was considered a wizard. "two choices: one was to join with us, with Sauruman, with Sauron, and help overtake Middle Earth and all of its pathetic races. Or he was to have immediate death. Whether he has went to him yet, I do not know."
"He has Gandalf prisoner? An omen of bad news indeed....." at that, Gaanon perked up. He now was very alert.
"Bad news? What do you mean?" he asked inquisitively. Suddenly, his breathing heavied and he let her not answer.
"Son of snakes! You were to betray us all, weren't you? You disgust me, human!" he spat at her and quickly drew a sword in which he hid behind him.
"No! Though Gandalf was my friend, I am under Sauruman's order, worm!" she yelled, drawing out her own weapon as quick as light. The orc was blinded in the eyes by the beauty as it blazed.
"Return to Isengard. If you do not pass me in getting there, I will let Sauruman know we have a spy within our league." Gaanon said with disgust, turning away from Avari to head back to his horse.
"Trust me," Avari called aloud, running forth to Gaanon. "You will not pass me." And with those words, she brought her blade down upon the orc. A shrill cry of pain he let out as she dug her sword further into him. Black blood streamed down from his wound as he fell before her. He looked up at her and gave her one last warning.
"Death to all friends of the Grey Company!"
A/N: Sorry to end it here, but I must! LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT CHAPTER COMING VERY, VERY SOON! Also, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! Thank you! ^_^