The Mysteries of Lake Esgadol
Legolas leapt nimbly up onto the ledge, squinting into the darkness of the night. A massive blue lake was stretched out before him, as if it was straining meet the edge of the world. It glimmered eerily in the moonlight, and the elf turned away.
"Aragorn!" he called out to his friend, who was lingering at the base of the hill. "I think we've reached Lake Esgadol!"
"Excellent!" the ranger yelled back, sprinting up the mound. "We only have a few more leagues to go until we reach Mordor."
"Aye!" a rough voice called from ahead of them. "I can nearly see the smoke from that blasted city rising in the skies now!"
"Ah Gimli, I bet you can hardly wait for the chance to use your axe against those Uruk-Hai," Aragorn grinned.
"Stubborn dwarves… always thinking of violence…" Legolas sniggered.
"Ay, but ye know that the dwarves have always been better fighters," Gimli snapped. "Ye elves spend too much time pampering yer little pointed ears off." Legolas opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by Aragorn.
"Look!" He hissed, pointing towards the mass of black water below them. Rings rippled in soft patterns across the water directly beneath them. "I think someone may be watching us," he murmured, gently sliding down the slope to meet the icy liquid. "Come, let's investigate."
Legolas and Gimli took off after him, taking great care not to make any sound. They trotted along the perimeter of the lake until a splash shattered the fragile silence. Legolas whipped out his bow and fired some shots towards the ripples. A great shriek echoed out as a torrent of water sprayed out from the lake and just as quickly receded, revealing the most enchanting creature that the group had seen on their journey. She looked like a mermaid, apart from long, slender wings that glimmered like crystal. A fluid tail sparkled with tiny flecks of diamond as she slowly turned to face the trio, her face contorted in pain. She drew an arrow out of her side, and waved her hand over the gash. Light danced around the wound and wove new skin across it, completely healing the injury.
"Why did you shoot at me?" she said quietly, turning her big blue eyes towards Legolas.
"I… I am sorry!" Legolas sputtered, flushing with shame and embarrassment. "We thought an enemy was spying on us."
"Oh," she said, her voice as soft as the night air that surrounded them. "Perhaps I might explain myself." She hovered over to a bolder and gently set herself down. "My name is Firi. I am the princess of the Númenae, the sprites of water and light. Our kingdom is underneath these waters," she said, gesturing toward the lake. "My father, King Mormacil, thought someone might have been trespassing on our territory… so he sent me to take a look."
"Mormacil…" Aragorn muttered. "I have heard the name before. Isn't he in league with Sauron?"
"Yes," Firi answered, "Although I myself am not. I think I am the only person in my race who has not given in to the forces of evil," she sighed. "But who are you? Why have you come here?" she questioned.
"I am Aragorn, Ranger of the North," Aragorn said, bowing. "And these are my friends – Prince Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood and Sir Gimli of Moria." The elf and the dwarf each bowed and muttered their greetings. "We are just passing through on our own business." Aragorn continued. "Might we stay the night here, on your shores?"
"Of course," Firi answered. She flexed her wings and rose gracefully into the air, buzzing gently. "But I must get back to my quarters. My father will be wondering where I disappeared to. Namárië, my friends," she whispered, and lowered herself into the black inkwell that was Lake Esgadol.
"Namárië," the travelers echoed. Slowly, they gathered up their belongings and settled down to camp out the night. Aragorn quickly started a fire and they huddled around it, watching the long tongues of flame crackle and dance.
All of a sudden, large waves started lapping at the shores and dark clouds gathered above them in the night sky. With a roar, a group of Númenae soldiers, lead by their king, burst out of the waters. They carried no weapons, but wore on their faces masks of loathing that would stop an Uruk-Hai in its tracks. The wanderers jumped to their feet, and Gimli grabbed his axe. With a bellow, he hurled it at the Númenae king, who deftly caught it in the air before it could do him any harm. With a glare, the king signaled his army to enclose on the trio. The Númenae warriors waved their hands in front of them, creating bright ribbons of light that started to twist and swirl. The travelers swayed as the powerful weapons blinded them. Firi sprung out of the lake, gasping, and cried, "Daddy, STOP!" just as her friends fell to the ground with heavy thuds – unconscious.
King Mormacil quickly bound them with rope and wove bubbles of light around the wanderers' heads, encompassing them in orbs filled with air. He dragged their limp bodies to the shoreline and flung them into the lake without a care. Soldiers could be seen catching them and drawing them deeper into the lake.
Firi flew in front of King Mormacil, outraged.
"Why are you doing this?" she cried, tears filling her eyes. "You can't take them as prisoners! They are my friends!"
"Friends?" Mormacil sputtered. "You consider these creatures your friends? Firi, don't you realize that they are assisting in the destruction of the One Ring? They are helping the halflings!"
"At least they're doing something right," Firi muttered. Her father did not seem to hear her, and continued his rant.
"They are our enemies!" he roared. "As servants of Sauron, it is our duty to terminate any opposition who has the misfortune of wandering across our territory." He gave an evil grin, showing hideous pointed teeth. Firi gave him one last glare and dove into the lake, sobbing. Fine, she thought fiercely. If my father won't let them go… I will free them myself. Firi swam down into the mass of black water, passing statues covered in green algae. She whirled past the guards of the palace and through the golden hallways of her home. Diving into her room and slamming the door behind her, Firi began to devise a plan.
Firi rose at dawn. Tired but motivated, she quietly glided through the corridors, making sure to avoid any guards who would be patrolling the area. She sank deeper and deeper towards the bottom of the palace, where the dungeons were located. She quietly flew into the cylinder-shaped draining chamber that led to her friends, and quickly closed the door. She drained the water in the small room and skillfully wove a key out of light, which unlocked the dungeon door. Large thunks acknowledged the presence of large bolts being lifted and turned at her touch, and echoed out into the darkness.
"OY!" a voice screamed above her. "OO IS THAT IN THERE?"
"Oh no!" Firi wheezed. "The guards!" she dove into the dungeon chamber and swiftly slammed the door behind her, weaving tight ropes of light across it, making it impossible for anyone below royal status to enter. She turned around and gasped at what she saw.
Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli were bound from head to toe in tight ropes. They could only grunt and squirm at her, as they were also gagged. Firi skillfully undid the ropes on each of her companions and removed their gags. Her friends wheezed and coughed, but jumped up when they heard a loud banging on the door.
"OPEN UP!" A voice screeched. "WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE, PRINCESS!"
"Come," Firi hissed, weaving the same orbs of light that her father had around the travelers' heads. Once she was done, she mustered up all of her strength and, with a screech, blasted through the wall of the dungeon with a force that even her father could not have conjured. Water rapidly began pouring into the dungeon.
"Good really does reign over evil," Aragorn said, grinning. Firi gave a quick smile back, but hastily pushed her friends out the massive gash in the wall into the lake, just as the guards, accompanied by King Mormacil, burst through the door.
"GO!" Firi yelled. Her friends gave her one last glance, and soared up towards the surface of the lake.
"Firi!" the maiden turned around to face the voice of her father. "I am very disappointed in you." Mormacil crossed his arms and glared at her. Firi glared back.
"Well, I am very disappointed in you as well," she retorted. "I'm disappointed with this whole race! Why did you have to succumb to evil? Why did you take the easy way out?" she trembled with anger, and Mormacil stepped back as he saw fiery orbs of light start to gather in Firi's hands. "This is a sign of weakness, Father," Firi bellowed, "and I will not tolerate it!" She hurled the fire at her father and dashed out through the opening in the wall, swimming up to the surface of Lake Esgadol, never to be seen by a member of the Númenae again.
Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli reached the top of the mountain range just north of Lake Esgadol. Heaving with exhaustion, they collapsed on the mossy ground.
"Thank heavens we got out of there," Legolas sighed. "If it wasn't for Firi, I don't know what we would have done."
"Ahrg," Gimli grumbled. "I knew there was something fishy about that lake."
"Yes, it's a good thing Firi had a kind heart," Aragorn said, ignoring Gimli. "We would have been doomed otherwise."
"I wonder what happened to her?" Legolas said, puzzled.
The wanderers gazed silently at the morning sky until Gimli shouted, "Look!" He pointed to the peak of the mountain. A faint glimmer danced around it, leaving streaks of light hovering in the air.
"I think Firi is fine," Aragorn grinned. "It seems she has found a place of her own." The travelers gathered up their things and, with enlightened hearts, continued on to face the looming darkness that was Mordor.