A/N: I'm SO sorry for not updating sooner. My laptop that I write this story in; well, I'm sorry to say that it died. Bows head in mourning. I couldn't update it because my Dad was sending it in to the Geek Squad (lol) to get it fixed, and we didn't have time to get this file off of the hard drive. Sadly, my laptop will take at least 700 to fix, and my Dad will NOT pay for it. (But really, who would!) But my parents DID agree to get me a brand new laptop! The downside is that I have to pay for half of it, but that's okay. The good thing is, I'm back!
Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR, but I do own Lilka and Cadan.
I did use some quotes from (the book)FOTR in this chapter, so if you think some of the things the characters say seem a BIT familier, you'll know! Heh,
Shoutouts:
my-fool-of-a-took: I'm glad you liked it. :D Oh yes, I thought your hobbit friend's name was Matt, but I wasn't sure. Hi Matt! heehhee... Oh yes, I know what it feels like to be called a nerd for liking LOTR, but I that's okay, most of my friends put up with my rambleings. lol Thanks for the review!
Piraticia: Yeah, Cadan and Lilka's 'reuion' will come pretty soon... I hope. lol, I do have it planned out though. I'm not going to do any more POV's for Cadan until they meet up again. Then I'll have him tell the story to Lil. ;) At times it's very hard to do a guy's POV, since, obviously (lol), I'm not a guy. What DOES go through their minds all day? lol Thanks for the review!
DayDreaming Turtle: Oh, don't worry, I WILL NOT make her a Mary-Sue. I'm thinking of doing a parody of a MS sometime soon though... Ya know, so bad that it's funny. lol. Yeah, I did more POV's this time too. Hopefully I'll do that more and more. :D Thanks for the review!
mjeleon: Like I said to Piraticia, I don't think I'll do Cadan's POV until Lilka and him meet up again, but thanks for the suggestion anyway:D lol, don't worry, no sword-fighting for Lilka. That would be VERY out-of place. Especailly if she defeats the wraiths. lol. Thanks for the review!
Okay, on the the 6th chapter!
Chapter 6:
Lilka's POV:
Strider comes back to the camp with Frodo and Merry right behind him. After some discussion, all of them seem terribly worried.
All day when we were walking, Pippin, Merry and I went over some words in their language over and over again. I know it's going to take some time to drill them into my head, but that's okay. I'm making progress and that's all that matters, isn't it?
I sit down and rest my back against the thick earth wall. We've almost camped in a little hollow of ground, like a chunk of it was taken out, just for us. It's very sheltered, so it's nice.
Strider, Frodo, and Merry have just gotten back from exploring, (at least, I think they were exploring) they might have gone to the top of this huge hill, perhaps. They all have worried expressions on their faces. Everyone has gathered around Strider and are talking with him earnestly. I sigh and I wish I knew all of their language, I'm always confused about what's going on all the time.
I take out Lord of the Rings again, and decide to read it. It's helped me with some of my boredom so far, besides, Strider and the others are talking soseriously I dare not botherthem.
I turn to the first chapter, and begin to read.
I look up after a couple of chapters to see the hobbits gathering some firewood and hurriedly making a fire. They have the most worried expressions I've ever seen. I catch Merry's arm as I go by.
"Merry?" I ask him uncertainly, something is wrong, very wrong.
Merry just shakes his head and runs off to gather more wood. Frodo is trembling slightly, Pippin looks confused, Sam looks scared but trying not to show it, Merry looks very frightened, Strider, extremely concerned.
What is going on?
Pippins' POV:
I shiver and scoot closer to the fire we just made. Nothing seems to warm my cold body this night.
Maybe it's because I know that tonight we may very well run into those black riders.
I can feel the dread slowly creeping into my heart and mind. It is driving me to insanity. I need someone to talk, to get this off my mind. Lilka and I tried to do some more words together, but she seemed worried, too. She couldn't concentrate for long, so we gave up, and now her nose is in a book.
It's a strange-looking book; it has no pictures on it, just a blue cover with some strange writing on the cover. So that must be what her written language looks like. I'm sorry tosay that the writing is not very pretty, like howBilbo or Frodo writes;her written languagelooks blunt and big.
I reach in my pack and try to find another blanket… anything to keep me warm. I don't find anything. I sigh and scoot as close as I can to the fire.
"Strider, please, tell us something. A tale of old, or one of the journeys you have made… anything. "I say nervously. I can feel my hands start to shake. Something definitely will happen tonight.
Strider smiles gently and proceeds to tell us about Rivendell, and the beauty of it; of the elf twins, Elladan and Elrohir, and his misadventures with them. He tells about Mirkwood and his elf-friends there, and of some of his trips of the wilderness. We share many a laugh and I feel my uneasiness slowly disappear.
Lilka glances at us every once in awhile and I see a hint of a mixture of hurt and envy in her face. I do wish she could understand us, so then she would not feel left out.
"Tell us of Gil-galad." Merry says abruptly.
"I know of Gil-galad, and so does Frodo, for it concerns us closely." Strider says softly.
Merry and I look at Frodo, who is staring at the fire silently.
"I know only the little that Gandalf has told me," Frodo says without looking at us. "Gil-galad was the last of the great Elf-kings of Middle-Earth. Gal-galad is Starlight in their tongue. With Elendil, the Elf-friend, he went to the land of-"
"No!" Strider interrupts suddenly. "I do not think that story should be told now with the servants of the Enemy at hand."
He says something else, but I can't hear it. Servants of the Enemy… That phrase is echoing in my head over and over, and the dread comes rushing back into my heart and the nervousness and shakiness returns also. I shiver, but this time not from the cold.
"I will tell you of Tinuviel." Striders' voice interrupts my thoughts and he closes his eyes and softly chants.
I can feel myself relax as his lovely poem floods through my mind, about an elven maiden and a mortal man who fall in love. Oh, it's beautiful. The memory of the Black Riders fade from my mind as I close my eyes and try to imagine Tinuviel the elven fair. I bet she was very pretty. I should like to have met her.
I can feel Lilka slowly relax also. The tension has been building up on us for quite some time.
Strider then proceeds to tell us the whole story of Beren and Tinuviel. While he is talking I glance up at the moon, it is rising now. It's very late. Maybe, just maybe nothing will happen tonight…
Lilka's POV:
Striders' song-thing was so pretty. While he starting chanting I started to relax and feel better; but now that he has stopped, I feel scared, more than scared, actually. I'm not sure what would make me feel like this; I felt scared when I fell into this place, but that was nothing compared to this. This is a slow, but awful feeling of dread and horror. What could be causing this?
A couple of minuets ago Merry and Sam walked away from the fire, and I haven't seen them since. Why am I so worried about them? What could possibly happen?
Suddenly Sam and Merry come rushing back to us. Sam says something and seems awfully frightened, Frodo springs up on his feet and asks them something, and they answer. I catch a few words here and there, but nothing that can make any sense.
I can see Striders' face getting pale with worry. I almost want to scream in frustration, what the heck is going on? Strider says something hurriedly, and Pippin pulls me alongside him to the fire, he sits down and motions me to sit next to him. Our backs are to the fire, now. I see Pippin's face, twisting with fear and confusion. I grab his hand and hold on tightly, he comforted me when I was freaked; now it's my turn.
For a long time we just sit here, nothing happening at all. Pippin starts squirming a bit, and Frodo looks like he's ready to burst.
Suddenly, Strider and Pippin say something at the same time; I look at Pippin and see his face pale: to almost whiteness. I give his hand a squeeze, but all he does is point a trembling finger to the edge of the clearing. I gulp and stare at what I see; no, almost feel; Four dark figures, darker than dark, are behind the bushes, just standing there! The fear that's been inside of me all night suddenly explodes into torrents of terror and dread, almost madness. It only gets worse when they advance towards us.
I want to back up, but the fire is behind me, I clutch Pippins' hand like mad and scoot as close to the fire as I can.
I try to gasp, but I can't breathe! Hardly at all, I struggle and gulp for air, but it's like the terror is squeezing out everything, even my breath itself. I start quivering from the fear. Oh, it hurts me!
"No, stay away from me, stay away from me!" I try to say, but not even a squeak comes out of me.
The figures are so close I can almost touch them, then I feel it; one of them is looking at me, searching my very soul! I shake my head, no, no, no, no…
Black terror takes over my thoughts.
Sam's POV:
I gulp as I see the riders almost appear out of nowhere. "Frodo…" I whisper as I shrink to Frodo's side. I promised Gandalf that I would protect Mr. Frodo; how ever can I now?
They start to come towards us, and Lilka begins breathing heavily, and her face gets as white as the moon itself, she starts shaking like mad, she mouths some words no one can understand and then falls to the ground. Almost the same thing happens to Merry and Pippin, only some difference between them. I can feel my heart beating almost out of control as I clutch at Frodo's arm frantically.
Frodo closes his eyes, as if trying to ward off some sort of temptation or the pull of someone. Almost all my fear disappears for my worry for him. He reaches his hand into his pocket, and searches for something in it. He grabs something in it, and disappears.
Disappears!
No! He put on the Ring! A black rider rushes past me, and I can almost hear Frodo's voice crying out strange words.
"Frodo!" I yell, but he doesn't answer.
"Mr. Frodo!" I yell again, I try to stand up, but the fear overtakes me again, and I fall back down. Immediately Strider grabs two burning logs from the fire and starts fighting with the riders! How can he be so brave? He sets the cloaks of two riders on fire, and then moves on the other two. They scream their awful, terrifying scream and run back down the embankment. I cover my ears and try to stand up again. This time I can, and run to where I last heard Frodo's voice.
I trip over a log, but it's when I look down at it when I realize that it's not a log, but Frodo.
"Mr. Strider! Over here!" I call to him frantically.
Frodo looks awful, as pale as can be, with a wound in his shoulder. I gasp and stroke his hair gently. "Mr. Frodo… Wake up." I whisper.
"Oh Frodo…" Strider comes up behind me and kneels down, feeling Frodo's face for fever. "I'll return shortly. Hurry! Pick him up and lay him by the fire." With that he runs down the embankment.
I glare in his direction. What a help to us he is! Is this where he will abandon us? I knew we couldn't trust him! But I do as Strider said anyway and drag Frodo by the fire and cover him with his and my blanket.
I turn and just notice Pippin and Merry. Merry is holding Pippin and they are both sobbing hysterically. Not for fear of Frodo, but from the fear they experienced. I can feel the fear knotting up inside my stomach, but I ignore it. Mr. Frodo needs me. I won't be letting him down.
"What- What h-happened?" Pippin asks after a long while, between hiccups.
"Mr. Frodo's been hurt: By the Black Riders!"
"The Black Riders!" Merry crawls over to Frodo. "Oh no… Frodo…" He touches his chest gently, feeling for a heartbeat. "He's still alive." He says, relived. A small sound comes from behind us and he gasps and turns around. It's nothing, just a bird. He turns back around shakily. "I guess the Riders gave us a scare, eh, Pip?"
Pippin only nods and puts his arms around his knees. "I want to go back home." He whimpers.
"Oh Pip, it's all right. Frodo will recover. We will get to Rivendell all right, you'll see." Merry says, pulling Pippin into a warm embrace. Pippin nods again and buries his head in Merry's arms.
Lilka moans and I whirl around. She is lying on the ground, just stirring. Her face is still just as pale, and she's still trembling from fear. She doesn't make any move to get up.
"You watch Frodo for a minuet Merry. I need to see to Ms. Lilka."
Merry nods and I inch towards her.
"Ms. Lilka?" I shake her gently. Her eyes open wide, and she does the worst thing imaginable: She screams.
"No! Lilka! Ssshh!" I clap a hand over her mouth and she struggles, her screams now muffled.
She stops for a moment, searching my face, as if she knows me, but doesn't know exactly who I am.
"Lilka, be quiet now, the Riders are gone. You'll be all right…" I say soothingly as I help her sit up.
As she sees the faces of Merry, Pippin, and Frodo, her face shows recognization, and she gives me a look that says "I'm sorry". I smile and help her over to the fire.
She sits down and hugs her knees to her chest, staring at Frodo with wide eyes. I wonder if she has ever seen someone hurt like this before. I know I haven't seen something like this, except for some household accidents with my siblings back at home.
About ten minuets later, Frodo's eyes shoot open.
"Where is he! Where is the pale king?" He asks wildly.
Lilka jumps in fear at the noise, and Merry and Pippin crawl over to Frodo.
"Frodo!" Pippin says his voice full of relief.
"What- wha happened?" Frodo asks weakly, seeing that he is now out of danger.
"Oh Mr. Frodo, you'll never believe it!" I start to tell him all that happened, in every detail, the Black Riders, Strider fightin' them off...
"And now Strider is gone and he is…. who knows where now…" I concluded
I can tell Frodo is trying to concentrate on the words I am saying, but he's too weak and hurt. He needs medicine, but what kind?
Suddenly something comes crashing through the bushes. I quickly draw the sword I got from the Barrow-wrights'caveand stand over Frodo. I won't let a Black Rider hurt him ever again.
To my surprise, that 'something' is Strider. He quickly stoops over Frodo and examines his wound.
"I am not a Black Rider, Sam, 'nor in league with them. I have been trying to discover something of their movements; but I have found nothing. I cannot think why they have gone and do not attack again. But there is no feeling of their presence anywhere at hand." Strider says quietly.
I slowly put my sword back in its sheath and sit back down.
Lilka, Merry and Pippin are looking at Frodo with huge, frightened eyes.
"Oh Strider… It hurts so much…" Frodo whispers softly.
"Just stay awake, Frodo. Tell me what happened." Strider says gently and soothingly.
Frodo slowly starts to tell his side of the story, softly and shakily at first, but with each word becoming stronger.
After he is finished, Strider looks troubled.
"Merry, Pippin, draw some water up to boil, then bathe the wound with it." He says urgently, standing up and drawing me aside, and kneeling down so we can see face-to-face.
"I think I understand things better now…" He says quietly, "There seem only to have been five of them. Why they are all not here at once, I do not know, but I don't think they expected for us to fight back. They have gone away for the time being. But they will return when they are sure that we cannot escape their grasp. You see, they believe that Frodo has a deadly wound that will subdue him to their will." He spat on the ground is disgust, "We shall see…"
Mr. Frodo… dead? I can feel tears coming to my eyes and my throat close in with sobs.
"Don't worry, Sam." He lays a comforting hand on my shoulder. "You must trust me now. I know you don't, or have ever trusted me. But you must now. I promise you, I will not let Frodo sink into evil and despair. I swear to you, I will not."
Suddenly I notice something about Strider that I have never seen before. His face is full of not mysteriousness and a suspiciousness that I have noticed about him all this journey, but a sincerity and genuine concern. I nod my head, for the first time, really trusting him.
Strider smiles. "Good. Thank you, Master Samwise. Now, I must go. I knowof something that grows in the woods that will help Frodo. I must go get it before it is too late. Guard him well while I am away!"
And with that… He's gone.
A/N: Okay, that's it for the 6th chappie, I hope you all liked it! Review please, and let me know if there are any mistakes or anything. Suggestions are always welcome. ;)
And if you guys are wondering why I didn't even have Lilka fight the wraiths just a LITTLE, is because she is from Earth, and personally, Middle Earth has alot scarier creatures (like, the Ringwraiths! heh) than in plain, old boring earth. So she is bacically scared out of her wits. Just clearing that up for everyone. ;)
