Bloodlines
Hot Water

Through the mischief of two Hobbits Rick discovers his family line travels further back than he could have imagined.

~~~~~~~

He sat within the dirt on the shore, his bare feet tickled once in a while by uprising waters that lapped at the grounds. Rick wondered also if the Hobbit's pants might be getting a decent bath, given the flow of water. From the camp he glanced over the fire they had built, thinking about Frodo and his quest. Such a task for so innocent a being. It occurred to him once more that this was a task more suitable for Men and these long-haired, grace filled Elves. Even Gimli was a force to be reckoned with, yet Hobbits nearly equaled in number to the more capable warriors. Rick had survived Hamunaptra, that alone was testimony to his skill. He could do this. But it wasn't his task.

"I see where you look," a voice inserted itself within his consciousness. Rick shook himself from his musings and met the gaze of the only other member of their party not attempting sleep. Boromir's brows were knit as if something troubled his thoughts. He too glanced to Frodo by the water, then back into the flames, leaning over his lap with arms crossed. "The quest wears upon him day by day. How so much can be expected of him by these Elves, I cannot fathom."

Rick inhaled at the agitated tone the other used. The sentiments mirrored his, but of course this warrior so like Ardeth had more personal reasons to worry. Taking a stick, the ex-Legionnaire swiped at the shifting flames a few times. "You think Frodo shouldn't be doing this," he surmised.

The Captain of Gondor shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "I give him full credit for bravery. He is a true testament to courage. Yet his place is not upon the battlefield." The fire danced within his hazel stare, glinting as he moved his eyes to Rick's. "I fear this quest may come to ruin if we continue on this course."

Lifting the now burning stick before him, Rick shrugged, watching the flames eat the wood. "He's got us," he said without certain conviction.

"That is true." Boromir inhaled deeply and a moment of silence came between them. Sam stirred on his bedroll that had been placed with that of his master's a little bit away from camp. The Lord of Gondor watched him settle, then lowered his voice. "He may die trying to get to Mordor. We may die as well. He should be back home, leaving us to this terrible deed. And what of the power we are letting slip through our grasp?"

Rick's gaze was mild. "Gandalf said none of us should use the Ring."

The eyes of the other man were intensely questioning the validity of that statement. He seemed almost uncertain of his own judgment, though there was a deep want locked within his countenance. "Using the Ring cannot be any worse than allowing Sauron to take it back. When we cross into Mordor all of us could fail, but his chances are even less than a warrior like you or myself."

Ahead Frodo shifted in his place. The Hobbit got to his feet and began walking, causing Rick to wonder if he had heard. He didn't turn or look at them as if he had, merely skirted the waters slowly. Maybe Frodo was thinking the same thing. Rick knew he would be. "What do you think we should do?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the subject of their conversation. Rick dropped the stick, whose flame had traveled low enough by now to singe his fingers.

Boromir watched him drop it into the fire. "I will heed this wisdom, for as long as I see it as such. But if the quest comes to failure I think you know what we should do." He looked up just as Rick did. "Do not let the Elf command us, Rick. He has a wisdom all his own and we dare not trust him to share the values of our kind, even if their leaders seem friendly. So says my father."

Leaning back on his hands, the ex-Legionnaire nodded. The cool air of night caused him to inhale deeply, filling him with a refreshed sensation that was all too fleeting. The Elves were a strange lot, that was certain. It did bother him to think of mistrusting Arwen or even Galadriel, but pretty faces had hoodwinked him before. The Elves were a powerful people and without having to be instructed in this world Rick surmised they had their own secrets and agendas. He wasn't quite sure what to make of Haldir. He was quiet and aloof.

At the side of camp a sudden, deep intake of air roused their curiousity. Sitting up and looking at the fire through half-lidded eyes, Sam yawned. "Where's Mr. Frodo gone to?" he murmured, scratching his arm.

Rick looked up, seeing the small shadow some ways away down shore. He pointed. "That way. Walking."

His attention snared quite completely, Sam got up and trailed off, muttering, "Gone off, has he? Not without me, he won't."

Boromir shared a smile with Rick, who was fighting off a reply to Sam's yawn. It didn't work and he found himself trapped by his own exhaustion. "I think if anything Sam could fight and beat the Dark Lord before letting anything happen to his friend. Mordor, beware."

"Indeed," Boromir agreed, looking at his bedroll speculatively.

It seemed a fair thought, but it died out quickly. All thoughts of sleep fled Rick's mind when he heard a crashing from the forest. The sound alarmed he and Boromir both and they turned, hands on weapons. A flutter of silvery-gold tipped them off when Haldir bounded from the shadows. He had the remnants of leaves in his mussed hair and dirt smudged across his armor. His expression was serious. "We have been sighted by Orcs! We must flee at once!"

The ex-Legionnaire drew his dagger, looking beyond the Marchwarden into the forest. "Ardeth?" he questioned, getting to his feet.

The Elf shook his head. "Captured. We must get Frodo to the eastern shore. All else is second."

Rick wasn't ready for that. The conversation he and Boromir had just had flitted through his thoughts rapidly and he took a step towards the woods. "You go, I'll save Ardeth."

Putting a hand on his shoulder, Haldir fixed him with a stern gaze. "Believe me, he is lost to us."

"You might not care, damn it, but I do!" Rick hissed in reply. He could feel his adrenaline rushing, filling him with the urgent need to fight. He couldn't leave Ardeth behind. He barely knew him, but couldn't leave him.

"I did what I could to save him," the Elf said low, softening his look, but none of the gravity disappeared. Rick tore his eyes away from the woods, listening as Boromir roused the sleeping Hobbits. "They were too many. Now the question comes to asking what it is you will do with that knowledge. Will you trust me when I say that though it troubles me, it is a lost cause? Or will you abandon your oath to Frodo and this world that is now yours?"

The ex-Legionnaire glared hard at the Marchwarden, who remained unimpressed, then looked to the woods. He could hear it now, shouting that closed in on their position. Shoving his dagger into its sheath, Rick swore and kicked the sand, then whipped around towards the boats. The Lord of Gondor already had the Ringbearer and Sam on a boat bound for the eastern shore. He was motioning the other two Hobbits along when the first of the Orcs burst through the trees, bounding with no intention of giving them any chance to escape.

There was no time to plan, nor time for Rick to use his gun—not that he was under any illusions that bullets would do anything except annoy the large Orcs heading his way. He held the blade in his hand steady, training his eyes upon those of one marking him as its target. Haldir already had his bow drawn, aiming and downing one, then another. It was happening too quickly. "Boromir!" he shouted, stumbling back as his foe struck down hard, hitting the dagger in his hands with a much larger blade. It hurt his hand, but O'Connell kept a firm grip on the dagger. Wincing, Rick muttered, "This is bad," and frowned into the grin that brought his enemy.

"You're right," it rasped, cocking its head and staring down with gleaming eyes. "This is bad. It's gonna get a lot worse."

"Run!" Rick heard Boromir shout, but he had no way of seeing who the Lord of Gondor was talking to and certainly no chance to run himself. The Orc jerked his long blade back and took a hard swing, then kicked the ex-Legionnaire in the side.

Groaning, Rick doubled over, but his eyes were on his enemy. Thinking it had the advantage the Orc raised his blade high and O'Connell took the advantage, driving his dagger into the creature's abdomen, then jerking it as far right as he could manage through such tough hide. It yelled out in pain, then fell to its knees. The ex-Legionnaire grunted and stood up, kicking the Orc's head. Two more began to advance towards him and Rick had the distinct impression this wasn't going to turn out very good.

~~~~~~~

He awoke with an absolutely mind killing headache. Before he could stop to consider his surroundings Ardeth let out a small groan and rolled from his back to his side. The dirt and grass beneath him was cool feeling, a soft comfort to his aching body. Then he remembered just why he was laying upon dirt and not sand. Cruel chatter filtered into his hearing as his senses slowly opened up to the world around him. They were terrible voices contrived of terrible existence, snarls and guttural words cutting the air in some dark conversation.

Ardeth forced his eyes to open and for a moment all was blurred by the pain-causing act. He had no way of knowing how much time had passed since his capture, but the vivid shade of dark purple painting the sky gave him a pretty good idea that at least the night had not passed away into morning yet. He inhaled a breath and forced himself to turn his head, then he stopped moving altogether. In the near distance he saw them, the looming figures of his evil captors. They were frightening in appearance, almost like some defiled beast created from many parts and built into some perverted likeness of mankind.

One of the smaller ones was bent over something on the ground, his face twisted in disdain. "Curse Elvish weapons," he muttered darkly.

A large beast sitting upon a log crossed his arms, watching his companion. He grunted. "We ain't leaving it there. Get it up."

The shorter snarled something angry, but the bigger was hardly impressed. Cracking his neck, he spat, "Why don't you pick it up?"

Pointing his finger, the larger of the two hissed, "Why not let the human pick it up, and let him gut you like a pig?"

Ardeth lay back, more than willing to agree with that advice. So they had not killed him yet. The Med-Jai stared at the canopy of trees above, weighing his options. He could see only four of these hideous beings, but that did not mean there weren't more. The Orc hovering over his sword would undoubtedly pick it up before he had the hope, should he decide to bolt for the weapon. He could chance the woods. He was weak and in pain, but if these beings were only a match for human speed he thought he had at least half a chance of making it far enough away to hide or find help.

He glanced towards the crude campsite again, cataloguing their interest in him. Oddly enough, they did not seem overly concerned. The very fact he had not been bound seemed very suspicious to him. Were they stupid or confident? Watching the shorter Orc grip the sword, then drop it and go for the larger that was now laughing, he wondered if perhaps he had been blessed with foolish captors.

But it was too late. The chance was lost when he saw two glittering blue eyes, pale and strikingly sinister watching him. "Quiet, you fools!" he spat, rubbing his fingers together reflexively, as if hungry. "Our guest is awake."

Ardeth lay very still, pretending he had no strength. He said nothing and waited for them to make another move. One of the deep, guttural voices of the Uruk-Kai barked, "Why don't we have a little dinner?"

He heard a hiss and tensed, debating on whether or not he should run or stand and fight. Footsteps shuffling in the dirt set him on edge. He waited in silence until he saw a dark face enter his field of vision. "This ain't one of the fair colored Men of the West." The Orc blinked in puzzlement, studying him.

The Uruk was not as impressed by that minor detail. "What's that got to do with anything? I'm hungry."

The Orc sneered at his companion, put kept his eyes on Ardeth. "If he's one of Sauron's, it won't serve us to kill him just yet. Particularly with so many questions." Those startling blue eyes glinted as they washed over the Med-Jai. "What you doing with an Elf weapon, Easterling?"

Ardeth scooted away instinctively, pausing when he saw the Orc's restless fidgeting increase. "I stole it," he answered automatically. It would be a dangerous game he played if indeed he could think fast enough on his feet to play it without getting killed.

"Stole it, did you? That why you were fighting with that dirty Elf back there?" growled the Uruk-Kai.

He looked across the way into two very hungry, very contemptuous eyes. The Uruk was fingering a dark blade. "I gained his trust. I was looking for information and tricked a few of the Westerners into helping me search for it."

"Yeah?" the Uruk asked in a mocking tone. "What sort of information?"

He did not have an immediate answer and the hulking monster knew it. His brows narrowed dangerously and Ardeth fumbled with his sparse knowledge. "They have a weapon…" he floundered, trying not to betray too much. He licked his lips and sat up with a hard frown. They were interested now, likely having been keeping an eye out for the Ring themselves. "But that is none of your concern. I report to no one but my superiors."

The large Orc nodded, looking no less distrustful and yet he said nothing of his suspicions. A terrible smile spread across his lips. "We are your superiors, in every way that counts. This changes nothing. We go to Isengard. I say the Dark Lord won't miss his soldier."

The Orc shook his head in annoyance, twisting his hands around the hilt of his dagger. He seemed almost willing to agree to that, for those eyes were like as a man's who had not eaten in weeks. But fear of the Dark Lord prevailed. "We ain't killing this one without getting to the bottom of this. If he's got information…"

"Bah!" the Uruk boomed, but did not stir from his place. "He's lying."

"But if…" the Orc insisted, not moving his gaze from the Med-Jai.

The large leader drew in a moist breath. "Yeah, shut your hole. We'll take him Saruman just so I can have the pleasure of running you through when he says you're wrong." He fixed his glare on Ardeth then. "You know which of the halflings carries this weapon?"

The question made Ardeth pause. They knew it was one of the Hobbits that carried the Ring, but not which. He wondered what else they knew, what else they could bait him with. Yet if it came between his life and those of the four little ones, he would not reveal any more than he had. "I do not know which, but they do carry it."

"Of course," he hissed, having expected as much. "And I suppose you have no idea where they might be headed?"

Ardeth was at a loss, knowing precious little of Middle-earth's geography. He played the game hard, but feared his end would come with this beast's impatience. He knew the Uruk would believe nothing he said. Still, to decline to answer would be to show weakness. If he were to have any chance at all he would have to remain alive and pray for the right moment. "They were debating themselves," he answered truthfully, recalling several suggestions made along the way. "The Dwarf wants his people to have it. The Elf wishes to hide it in the sea. The Men would have it taken to their own kind. I think they were heading towards one of the Western kingdoms."

His look suggested he knew the Med-Jai had won this round, but he would not be giving up anytime soon. The Uruk was bent on catching him in a lie and would prove to be the greatest threat along the way."

A skin was tossed at him. Ardeth looked down at it apprehensively, then reached for it, conscious of eyes on him. Opening it, he sniffed the drink and then took a swallow. He knew nothing of how he was expected to react, but it made no difference. He could not have pretended to like it if he had thought to before erupting into hard, hacking coughs. The black beasts of Sauron laughed at his struggle with the vile liquor. It threatened to choke him, but just as he thought he would pass out from the strain, the Med-Jai caught his breath. Glancing up at his Uruk-Kai enemy, he saw a dark grin.

But what would have been a visual battle of wills was dashed by distraction. Footsteps tramped through the woods, announcing the return of a body of Orcs. One single voice rang out among the crowd of swearing and snarling. "Let me go!" It was light and filled with fear. "You're hurting me!"

His heart sinking, Ardeth hardened his exterior and followed the trail of gazes towards the woods where a large Uruk-Kai exited, shoving a small form forward. When Pippin saw the Med-Jai, his eyes lit up and Ardeth frowned, but he knew he could not shake his head. The Hobbit missed the warning. "Ardeth? You're alive?" He was visibly relieved.

Biting his tongue, the Med-Jai glanced at the Uruk and thought, Not for long. The large Orc narrowed his eyes.

~~~~~~~

Author: Ruse – jedinineofnine@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: No infringement intended. Naseen and Salih are mine.
Feedback: Yes! By all means, my precioussss, lemme know how I'm doing!
Archive: Sure, just please let me know if you will, so I can stop by and see your site.

A/N: I'm alive! And continuing with the story, no less. I hope I still have an audience after forever. :O

NOTE: I reuploaded last chapter, so the end isn't wonky like ff.net made it appear, without the Elvish translations and so on.

Reviewers:

Encaitare – Thanks for reading and for having the care to review as much as you did. :) I'm so pleased you liked this so well! I know, the Legolas/Gimli friendship is missed. *sigh* I should have sent Gimli to Egypt too…that would have been funny, counting off mummies as they dropped. ;) Thank you also for reading and reviewing Mine to Cherish. I love Boromir and hate when people paint him as some big evil guy. ;) And yes, invading Elrond's rooms would be most fun. ;) Thanks. :)

Soul – Sorry! I know, I've been a bad writer. But I came back! *sob* ;) And looking forward to continuing on. Thank you muchly for reviewing!

Anna – Thanks for your reviews…as I answered your questions via email, if I remember right…and Encaitare also has answered some, I won't get into those, but I'm pleased you liked what you read. :) Thanks for your reviews…hope you return for more reading. :) Thanks for compliments on my characterization, I can but hope I get them right when I set out to write them. :)

Marcher – Thanks, my friend. Yes, I'm ever fond of exchanging characters and creating havoc. ;) Muahahaha. Glad you enjoyed so far. :D

Terreis – Aaw, sorry about Ardeth's dad. *wince* I'm ever one for creating havoc, as I said. ;) Sorry I took forever to update. :O

Dead-Girls-Watch – Thanks! Glad you enjoyed. :) I need to see if you've written anything of late…I'm so behind with everyone. :O

Sirithiliel – Thanks! I haven't decided where Aragorn is yet. ;) Nasty habit of mine, writing without a plan. Hope you enjoy!

Mommints – Lol..hungover. ;) Thanks for reading! I haven't decided if Aragorn reeeaally likes Evy or not. ;) Or for that matter, if Evy likes him or Legolas. :X Thanks for reading, my friend. Nice website!

Lulu Bell – Thanks! Sorry this chapter took even longer. ;) I promise I won't take months on the next one if everyone still wants to read more. :O *sob*

Karri – Thanks…I've got this fascination with bathroom scenes it seems, having written one into my Matrix story as well. :X ;) Bleh. Thanks for reading and for the review, my friend. :)

Starlight Kisses – I'm considering Evy/Legolas…haven't made up my mind. ;) *sigh* It's too hard! I love both he and Aragorn. :O Thanks!

Deana – Hehehe…thanks for asking me repeatedly to get off my duff. ;) I've been so bad about my stories. *sob* Thanks for the review, my friend. Means a bunch! As for Legolas trouble…hmm. I'll have to ponder that. ;)