A/N - Love you, Ver. 'Specially since I think you're the only one reading this. So why am I posting it and not just emailing it to you? Gah, I don't know. Maybe someone else will wander in and I can bore them to death. One or two more chapters, and I'm done, and can go work on my Mercedes Lackey fics, or that HP plot bunny that attacked me this morning...
Well, I've already dedicated the story, but I'll dedicate this chapter to a batch of rum cookies...
Hint, hint.
------ Chapter 2: In which a plot begins to develop, Jackie wakes up and the Ring has a role-----------
Jackie woke to a splitting headache and a rocking boat. She opened her eyes and was promtly blinded by the bright sun overhead. Growning, she closed them again.
A rustling from near her feet, and a voice. "See? She's not dead!"
"You're just lucky," came another voice from near her elbow.
"I didn't hit her that hard!" She blinked her eyes open again, blearily focusing on the two figures leaning over her.
"Waz wit th' midgets?" she slurred.
One of the blurry figures looked at the other. "What did she say? Was that even in common?"
The other figure glared. "Did you understand her?"
"No, that's why I asked you!"
"If she's saying words we can't understand, she's probably speaking another language!"
A deep chuckle came from behind her. "She was speaking common well enough last night, if with a strange accent."
Jackie twisted around, her vision swimming at the sudden motion. Kneeling at the front of the little boat was the big man she'd tried to stick. She reached for her switchblade, then realized one of these... people ... probably had it.
"Who are you?" chirped one of the little guys that'd been arguing.
"Pip! Be polite!" hissed the other. Then louder, "Are you feeling alright now? How's your head?"
"Yeah, I guess I'm alright. My head hurts."
"So," started the first miget, "I'm Pippin, and this is my cousin, Merry." He slung an arm around the other midget and both grinned. "He's Boromir," Pippin pointed at the man steering the boat.
"Wierd names. Wierd boat. Wierd people,"she muttered. "I'm Jackie."
-!-
Jackie lay curled up in Boromir's cloak, leaning against a tree trunk, still feeling a bit dazed. She had eaten what was offered her. The two short guys in the boat were nice enough, and so was the big guy, even if the guy was a bit gruff. The scruffy man hadn't tried to approach her, or speak to her except to tell her they'd be taking her along until they found somewhere safe. Perferably with someone who knows what the hell is going on, she thought.
The other two midgets hadn't spoke to her, and were now curled up across the fire. The blond guy with the pointy ears... she didn't know what to make of him. He tried to talk to her, but she just stared blankly and he went away. Pippin had said something about him being an elf, but hadn't been able to make sense of her confused question concerning short people who made cookies.
Whatever he was, he seemed to hang pretty close to the short bearded guy... she was fairly sure they were both gay.
Everyone but the blond man were asleep around the fire. Blondie was off somewhere else; he'd left around sundown and she hadn't seen him since. One of the anti-social midget's ... hobbit's... whatever's collar had fallen open, and she could see something glinting in the firelight. A necklace, and a heavy gold ring.
-!-
Jackie asked Pippin about it the next morning. He told her it was powerful, an artifact of evil. And then he cheerfully told her that they were on a quest to destroy it.
Expensive surely, but powerful? Items don't have power, possession of them does. But somehow, she felt her conviction fade whenever she saw the ring...
A/N - See? plot is developing! Short plot, but it's a plot!
Well, I've already dedicated the story, but I'll dedicate this chapter to a batch of rum cookies...
Hint, hint.
------ Chapter 2: In which a plot begins to develop, Jackie wakes up and the Ring has a role-----------
Jackie woke to a splitting headache and a rocking boat. She opened her eyes and was promtly blinded by the bright sun overhead. Growning, she closed them again.
A rustling from near her feet, and a voice. "See? She's not dead!"
"You're just lucky," came another voice from near her elbow.
"I didn't hit her that hard!" She blinked her eyes open again, blearily focusing on the two figures leaning over her.
"Waz wit th' midgets?" she slurred.
One of the blurry figures looked at the other. "What did she say? Was that even in common?"
The other figure glared. "Did you understand her?"
"No, that's why I asked you!"
"If she's saying words we can't understand, she's probably speaking another language!"
A deep chuckle came from behind her. "She was speaking common well enough last night, if with a strange accent."
Jackie twisted around, her vision swimming at the sudden motion. Kneeling at the front of the little boat was the big man she'd tried to stick. She reached for her switchblade, then realized one of these... people ... probably had it.
"Who are you?" chirped one of the little guys that'd been arguing.
"Pip! Be polite!" hissed the other. Then louder, "Are you feeling alright now? How's your head?"
"Yeah, I guess I'm alright. My head hurts."
"So," started the first miget, "I'm Pippin, and this is my cousin, Merry." He slung an arm around the other midget and both grinned. "He's Boromir," Pippin pointed at the man steering the boat.
"Wierd names. Wierd boat. Wierd people,"she muttered. "I'm Jackie."
-!-
Jackie lay curled up in Boromir's cloak, leaning against a tree trunk, still feeling a bit dazed. She had eaten what was offered her. The two short guys in the boat were nice enough, and so was the big guy, even if the guy was a bit gruff. The scruffy man hadn't tried to approach her, or speak to her except to tell her they'd be taking her along until they found somewhere safe. Perferably with someone who knows what the hell is going on, she thought.
The other two midgets hadn't spoke to her, and were now curled up across the fire. The blond guy with the pointy ears... she didn't know what to make of him. He tried to talk to her, but she just stared blankly and he went away. Pippin had said something about him being an elf, but hadn't been able to make sense of her confused question concerning short people who made cookies.
Whatever he was, he seemed to hang pretty close to the short bearded guy... she was fairly sure they were both gay.
Everyone but the blond man were asleep around the fire. Blondie was off somewhere else; he'd left around sundown and she hadn't seen him since. One of the anti-social midget's ... hobbit's... whatever's collar had fallen open, and she could see something glinting in the firelight. A necklace, and a heavy gold ring.
-!-
Jackie asked Pippin about it the next morning. He told her it was powerful, an artifact of evil. And then he cheerfully told her that they were on a quest to destroy it.
Expensive surely, but powerful? Items don't have power, possession of them does. But somehow, she felt her conviction fade whenever she saw the ring...
A/N - See? plot is developing! Short plot, but it's a plot!
