:) You didn't think I'd actually leave a cliffhanger that big like that did you? Well here's the deal. I am posting chapter 33 during my 'break' so that means I'm taking Tuesday off too. So, enjoy the chapter, have a good weekend and check out my blog for a picture of Viggo Mortensen and I:)
Chapter thirty-three
Carry the Blessed Home
"Hello you've reached Gwen Mosé. I'm out working at Camp right now and probably doing something really, really fun. Leave a message and I'll get back to you! Love you lots!"
With a frustrated sigh Kisha hung up her cell phone. She had been dialling Gwen's cell phone for fifteen minutes and every time there was no answer. Kisha had been listening in with the walkie-talkie when she heard frantic cries of 'They've taken Beren!' or 'I watched them grab Thuringwethil and Sauron!' After Gwen said that everyone should turn off the walkie-talkies, Kisha began calling Gwen's cell with no luck. The staff that remained at the camp began to get worried. Maglor and Celegrom had already declared that they were going into the woods to find out what happened. They took off within five minutes and Kisha was pretty sure that whoever, or whatever, was in the woods had already grabbed them.
After an hour of waiting Kisha told everyone to gather in the living room of Lammoth. She thought it would be safer if everyone were together. Kisha began pacing back and forth.
"Knock it off! You're making me nervous!" Gilrean shouted.
Kisha huffed.
"I'm sorry I'm just really nervous myself."
"Well maybe we should go in there and find out what's happened," Lúthien offered.
Kisha shook her head.
"Not a good idea, if they capture all of us then how will we escape? Our main concern is of the campers. Let's just wait until nightfall and then do something."
"We'll not take the four-wheelers right?" Arien asked.
Kisha nodded.
"Right. No four-wheelers. They'll be able to hear it."
"Yes, but who's they?"
Kisha shrugged and sat down.
"I don't know. I just don't know."
--
Time and memory seemed to fade back in. The pain was the first thing that hit her. She vaguely remembered the arrows flying through the woods and what she did remember made her wince. For a brief second she thought she was dead but she knew death shouldn't hurt as much as this did. She moved her hand and felt to see if the arrows were still in but found that she couldn't move her hands.
Damn, they must be bound. This sucks.
She opened her eyes slowly and saw that Manwë was across from her. His hands were bound behind his back and his face shown an expression of concern. His eyes widened when he saw that Gwen was okay.
"Gwen! How in the name of Ilúvatar…" he trailed off. He didn't want to finish the sentence.
Gwen looked down and saw that the arrow in her chest was still there as was the one in the shoulder. She then realised the one in her back and her leg was still there too. Manwë's face seemed to pale as he looked at the arrows.
"Damnit, stupid arrows. Stupid captors. I mean really, you get hit with four bloody arrows and they still bind your hands! Bloody frickin hell!" she ranted. She then realised that it hurt to talk and to breathe and that she must have at least one broken rib if not more.
"Why are you not dead?" Manwë exclaimed.
"I asked Frodo if I could borrow his mithril coat. It's a good thing I did too. Though I know that three of the arrows are imbedded in my clothing but the fourth is in my leg. I wish I had mithril for down there too."
Manwë nodded and breathed a sigh of relief.
"They brought you in twenty-four hours ago. When I saw the arrows I couldn't believe it. I assumed that you were dead; I mean anyone would after watching someone for twenty-four hours not move with four arrows in them. When did you ask Frodo for his mithril coat?"
"Before we all took off on the search party. I pulled him aside in the arsenal and asked him for it. I told him that I had a bad feeling and that I thought it would be wise if I wore it. He said he didn't need it because he was staying at camp and so he let me borrow it."
"Well it's good to know that you're alive," Manwë replied.
Gwen nodded and then moved her head and looked around. The room was bigger then she thought. The walls were black, cold, and bare as was the floor. She saw the others bound about the room.
"You should have been awake when they brought Fëanor in here. Such heart in that Noldor. It took ten of them to subdue him. I was duly impressed."
Gwen smiled and nodded.
"Have you given thought to escape yet?"
Manwë nodded.
"Yes and every thought has ended badly. I've been thinking about it ever since I got here and I've come up with no solution."
Gwen sighed.
I'm quitting after this. I am going back to the Peg and I am going to get a simple job as a waitress and live a simple life and go back to Uni and become an elementary school teacher, she thought.
"Do you know what they did with our weapons?" she asked.
Manwë shrugged.
"I don't have the slightest idea."
Gwen's face darkened.
"That was my favourite gun and I'll be damned if I never see it again."
"Do you have a plan then?" Manwë asked.
Gwen thought for a moment and then remembered one of her favourite movies.
Thank you Lethal Weapon.
--
"Oh way to go moron! You almost had everyone free and then you insulted the leader! We're all going to die now for sure!" Morgoth exclaimed.
Sauron rolled his eyes.
"Well I didn't think that saying 'thank you' was a bad thing! I try to be polite for once in my life and this happens."
Morgoth, Thuringwethil, Sauron, and Tim had all been captured at around the same time and when they did Morgoth asked if they could be taken to the leader. They were granted this simple request and brought before him. There they asked what was going on and what these people wanted. It turns out that they were a group of people who wanted to get away from the outside world. They remained hidden from the public eye and yet from time to time they would go into towns at night and steal different items. They wandered through the woods of the world and they never stayed in one place for more then five years. If need be they could pack up their lives and leave in under an hour. They had been living in the wild like this since the early seventeen hundreds and so they had developed their own customs and norms but they could also assimilate into the norms of modern day society. Since they had been living in the woods they developed a keen sense of hearing and perfect eyesight. They could even see perfectly in the dark and sneak up upon their prey. Even though they lived off the land they could handle technology and their favourite item was the magic box that could transmit your voice to another location.
Sauron had then tried to plead with the leader to let everyone go and that they weren't after them. The leader began to think about it and decided that they could go but when Sauron replied with a 'thank you' he became furious and told his guards to lock them up. Now they were being taken to the prison and Morgoth was not happy. On the way to the cell they passed an archer walking towards the leader's tent. He was talking with another archer about the girl in the woods and the four arrows.
"Did you see how many it took to bring her down? Normally it takes one or two but really, that chick must have had heart."
The conversation continued but Morgoth and Sauron heard no more of it as they were out of earshot. Morgoth turned his head to one of the guards.
"Would you mind telling me whom they were talking about?" he asked.
The guard furled his eyebrows and then smiled in recognition.
"You mean the chick in the woods? The archers said they shot a girl four times with arrows before she dropped to the ground. They think her name was Gwen, that's the only female name they heard over your walkie-talkies. Why do you know her?"
Morgoth's face contorted into anger and his eyes blazed. Sauron dropped his jaw and Tim gasped.
"You lie! You son of a bitch! I'll kill you! I'll kill you all!" Morgoth roared.
He lunged at the guard and Sauron held him back.
"Morgoth stop! Don't do anything stupid. We still have to think about the others who have been captured!"
Morgoth, realising Sauron was right, settled down and the guard led them to the cell. He threw them in and the four of them hit the cell ground with a dull thunk. Morgoth rolled off his stomach and sat up. His face still blazed in anger and Sauron could tell he was plotting retribution in his head.
"Morgoth, maybe she's not…"
Morgoth flicked the comment off.
"Don't start. Just don't start with that bull shit. They are all dead," he glowered.
"Well then how are we going to get out of here?" Thuringwethil asked.
"I'm thinking," Morgoth replied.
He turned his back on them and began to plot.
--
Manwë heard a tiny pop and watched as Gwen's laboured face contorted into a horrible grimace. It appeared as if she was holding in a scream.
"Gwen? What are you doing?" Manwë asked.
She squinted her eyes closed and he watched as she slid her arms under her legs. She bit her lip when she passed over the only arrow that had actually made her bleed. After what seemed like an eternity she had her hands in her lap. He heard another pop and then watched as she tried to bite the rope that bound her off.
"How did you do that?" Manwë asked.
She removed the rope from her mouth.
"I pulled my shoulder out of place. Thank Ilúvatar it went back in."
"Did that hurt?" he asked.
She rolled her eyes.
"No, it felt as if a dozen angels lifted me onto a soft feather pillow and bathed me in chocolate. What the hell do you think?" she replied as she began biting at the ropes again.
"I am most definitely going to send you to the void after you die," he said.
She rolled her eyes and continued gnawing on the rope. She almost screamed when she broke through the rope and bit into her arm. She pulled her hands apart and undid the rest of her bonds. She then pulled the arrow out from her chest and tossed it aside. She pulled the one from her shoulder out and then reached around for the one in her back. After that she lifted her leg up and found that the arrowhead, and a small splintered shaft, were the only pieces left.
"You might want to leave that in until we get out of here," Manwë suggested.
Gwen sighed.
"Crap," she said and then looked up at Manwë "Well that was fun. Let's see you try that."
"You know I rather not bite my hand off thank you."
She was about to stand up and undo Manwë's bonds when the door of the cell opened up. A guard had been sent to dispose of the dead body in the prison cell and so he appeared startled when he saw the woman, who was supposed to be dead, sitting on the ground with the arrows strewn about her. He quickly yelled for backup and before long five more guards were at the prison cell. They discussed among themselves what should be done with her, as this seemed remarkable to them, and they decided to take her to the leader. They bound her hands again, this time a lot tighter, and led her from the cell. The door slammed shut and Manwë swore. Gwen had not yet undone his bonds and so he was going to have to try the 'popping the shoulder' out trick. He closed his eyes and got ready for his first attempt when he felt someone tapping him on the shoulder. He opened his eyes and saw that Maedhros was standing above him. He was smiling.
"How did you get your bonds off?" Manwë asked.
He shrugged.
"I'm one handed remember? They tried to make sure I wouldn't be able to escape but they didn't do a good job of it. Now bend over and I'll undo yours."
--
Ten minutes later everyone in the cell had their bonds off and they began thinking of a plan to get out. Fëanor paused in front of the cell door and through the door he could hear the sound of huge fire crackling.
Oh that can't be good…--
"Okay so do we all know the plan yet?" Sauron asked.
Thuringwethil and Tim nodded.
"Morgoth, recite the plan one last time just to make sure okay?"
"I am going to break down the prison door with brute strength thus surprising the guards. Then Thuringwethil and Tim are going to attack anyone who gets in the way and the three of us will prove as a distraction for Sauron as he goes to the leader and holds him hostage."
"I really don't think this is going to work," Tim commented.
Sauron shrugged.
"Well we have nothing else and we have to hurry. I heard a few of them talking when they were bringing us in here. They said that we would all be thrown into that bon fire tonight."
"You know we're all going to get killed here," Thuringwethil said.
Sauron thought for a moment. He drummed his pointer finger against his chin.
"You know you raise an excellent point. Since Namo is residing at the camp does that mean if we die we'll wander around his halls forever?"
Morgoth shrugged.
"Maybe it means we won't die."
"He's the dooms man of the Valar, not the grim reaper."
Tim sighed.
"Alright let's just get this over with and maybe it will work."
"Remember, I have dibs on killing anyone who's an archer," Morgoth reminded everyone.
Sauron, Thuringwethil, and Tim nodded and the four stood up. Morgoth positioned himself in front of the door.
"On the count of three…"
--
"Okay so maybe if we over run them it'll surprise them and we can get away and regroup," Beren suggested.
"It's worth a shot," Fëanor replied.
"It's better then sitting in this cell waiting for them to burn us alive," Fingon concluded.
"Right. Okay Aulë, Tulkas, Manwë, and Oromë, are you guys ready to break down the door?" Beren asked.
The four nodded.
"Okay then on the count of three…"
--
The two simultaneous breakouts occurred at the same time causing the captors to become confused. This sudden confusion gave both groups enough time to realise that the others were alive and that they too had escaped. Now they were a full group, sans Gwen, and they were ready to kill. The fighting seemed to be one-sided for a bit as Morgoth fought with extreme anger. Fëanor and the sons that went with them kicked major enemy booty and for a bit the group thought that they were going to win but then the enemy kicked up their attacks and within minutes they were surrounded by guards. Morgoth swore under his breath. He still looked extremely pissed off and Sauron knew that no circle of guards was going to stop him. Sauron also knew that, for the moment, Morgoth was biding his time and he knew that he was going to attack again soon.
"Damn and I really thought that was going to work," Sauron said.
Tim rolled his eyes.
"You know we never did get to the leader."
"Yeah that plan was riddled with problems," Thuringwethil replied.
Sauron sulked.
"Hey, I thought it was a good plan."
"And that's why you're an idiot," Morgoth added.
Sauron then pushed Morgoth.
"You take that back old man!"
Morgoth pushed Sauron back.
"Old man? I may be older then you but I'm millions of years ahead of your time!"
Sauron kicked him in the knee.
"You're getting slow!" he exclaimed.
Morgoth then tripped Sauron and he fell to the ground.
"Not as slow as you!"
Sauron grabbed hold of Morgoth's leg and he pulled him to the ground.
"Yes but I can still kick your arse!"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" bellowed a voice hidden among the enemy. The guards then parted like the Red Sea and the leader walked up to the group. He looked down at Morgoth and Sauron who had stopped trying to kill each other.
"You thought you could escape? We don't let anybody escape. This is our home and you have invaded it. Therefore you must all be thrown into the bon fire as a sacrifice to our great war god Morgoth."
Morgoth's eyes went wide and Sauron's jaw dropped.
"Did you say Morgoth?" Sauron asked.
The leader nodded.
"Yes, our ancestors found a tattered copy of our Holy Book in the wild one day. Most of the book was damaged beyond repair but the one passage that remained was of the Akallabêth and it spoke of human sacrifices led by Sauron the chief priest to Morgoth in his temple."
Manwë smacked himself in the head and rolled his eyes.
"This is insanity," he muttered.
"Silence! Now you must all go into the great fire!"
Morgoth and Sauron then got off the ground. Morgoth looked at Sauron and winked. Sauron then knew what to do. He took a step forward.
"Then how dare you treat us with this disrespect!" he roared.
The leader held his ground.
"What are you talking about?"
"Your god is here. He is walking among you and yet you imprison him and threaten to kill his holy entourage!"
The leader looked at Sauron sceptically. He crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Our god Morgoth is not among you."
"I am the chief priest Sauron and I command that you bow before Morgoth, your most holy god!" he said. He then took a step back and Morgoth took a step forward.
Morgoth crossed his hands in front of his chest and looked down on the leader. His eyes filled the leader with a kind of dread that he had not known before.
"I am indeed your god and I am most displeased!" he bellowed.
The leader took a step backwards.
"I, who made you as my people have disobeyed me! I will smite thee to the ground if thou dost not let my holy entourage go! You have dishonoured me!"
"How do we know you truly are our god?"
Morgoth, for the first time in his life, thanked Ilúvatar and the sick cosmic forces that allowed him to keep some of his power. He then rose to his full height and caused the ground to heat up. The leader and his people shook with fear and dropped to the ground in worship of Morgoth. Morgoth turned his head at Manwë and smirked. Manwë rolled his eyes and smacked himself in the head again.
"Now! You will let my holy entourage go least you be destroyed! Also, you have captured the holy children of my thought and imprisoned them! They must also be released at once!"
The leader sent his chief guard to see that the three hundred and fifty campers, plus the staff that was with them, were to be set free.
"You have also done me much pain by killing one of my own!" he exclaimed. His anger began to rise again. The leader looked at him with an expression of confusion on his face.
"We have not killed any of the ones we have captured," he replied.
"One of the guards told me that a woman was killed by four arrows!" he yelled. He was ready to slay this leader and everyone who followed him.
The leader then nodded in understanding.
"Yes, we thought she was dead. But she is alive! Bring her forth!" he exclaimed.
A few seconds later Gwen was led to the group kicking and screaming. She was wearing a white dress and had flowers strewn about in her hair. Morgoth's jaw dropped. He still wanted to kill the leader and his followers but now that he knew Gwen was alive, the anger began to lessen.
"Let me go damnit! I said let me go!" she roared.
Morgoth rolled his eyes.
"Oh most holy god, we have brought you a virgin for the sacrificial bonfire. We thought she would be perfect as she survived four arrows that pierced her body," the leader explained.
"Morgoth! Tell them to let me go!" Gwen shrieked.
Fëanor elbowed Gil-Galad in the ribs.
"I didn't know she was a virgin," he whispered into his ear.
Gil-Galad shrugged.
"I guess you learn something new every day."
Manwë turned around and hushed the two. They hunched their shoulders and stared at the ground.
"Oh most holy god! Won't you accept this sacrifice to you, my lord?" The leader asked.
Gwen gave Morgoth the death glare and Morgoth smirked.
"A virgin sacrifice did you say?"
Gwen's face contorted in anger.
"Morgoth I swear to Ilúvatar if you do not stop them then your arse is haunted."
"Accept the virgin sacrifice my lord!" the leader pleaded.
"You can not burn this fair maiden for she already is my Queen!" Morgoth announced.
Legolas stifled a laugh and Tulkas had to step on his foot to make him shut up.
The leader looked at Morgoth with a confused expression.
"Yes, that's right! Let go of my wife least I smite you. I will smite thee good!"
The guards that held Gwen quickly let go of her and they dropped to the ground in worship.
"Come here my beautiful Queen! Is thou alright?" Morgoth asked.
Gwen rolled her eyes and walked up to Morgoth. He gave her a huge hug and kiss and the leader looked on. Morgoth held her close.
"I thought you were dead. I heard a guard say the archers killed you," he said into her ear.
"No, I'm alright. I'm wearing mithril that Frodo lent me. Though I got an arrow head imbedded in my leg and it's killing me," Gwen replied.
He kissed her again.
"We can get that out but thank Ilúvatar that you're okay," he whispered.
Gwen smirked.
"Since when have you ever felt the need to thank him?"
Morgoth was about to reply when the leader began speaking.
"Oh great powerful god! Please do not smite us! We did not know she belonged to you!" he pleaded. He was now on his knees and begging.
"What shall we do to ask for forgiveness?"
Morgoth thought for a moment and then came up with the perfect answer.
"You are to leave these woods forever! For they have been walked on by the holy entourage! To show that I am not mad with thee, my children, I will place a most holy quest on thee. You are to search far and wide for the…"
He stumbled for a moment as he tried to figure out what they should look for. Gwen pulled his head down and whispered the perfect thing in his ear.
"You are to search for the Silmarils! They are beautiful gems of tree-light and they will bring you and your people much fortune."
The leader nodded.
"Oh great god! How are we to know when we find them?"
"The gems shine brightly and burn anyone unworthy of them! You will know it is them when you see it. Now leave this place at once!" he announced.
The leader nodded.
"Oh great god! Before we go on our quest may we kiss your gracious hand?"
This time Elrond let out a giggle and Aulë had to stamp on his foot. Morgoth nodded at this request, knowing that they would not leave until he granted them this simple thing. The leader and the royal guard lined up and each took their turn kissing Morgoth's hand. The leader then went to Gwen.
"Oh most holy Queen of the most powerful god! May I kiss the hem of your dress?"
Gwen looked at Morgoth and he nodded. She rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Yes thou may," she replied.
Tulkas and Sauron started to get the giggles and Oromë gave them the death glare. Morgoth noticed this and smiled. Sauron then frowned and shook his head. He mouthed the word 'no!' a few times but Morgoth took no head.
"Leader of my people, it would do me great dishonour if thou did not kiss the hand of Sauron, my chief priest!" Morgoth commanded.
The leader nodded and Sauron glared at Morgoth. He mouthed the words 'you are so dead when we get back to camp' but Morgoth just smiled back.
--
A full day had gone by and Kisha had started pacing back and forth in the living room again. They had not heard from anyone for over twenty-four hours and they were beginning to lose hope.
"Maybe they're on their way back?" Rosie Gamgee suggested.
Kisha shrugged.
"I don't know. But if they're not back in two hours I'm going out there."
--
The kissing of hands and hems ended after an hour and the group stood and waited as the leader and his followers packed up everything that belonged to them. The leader told Morgoth that the other captives had been set free and once everything had been packed they set off on their quest to find the Silmarils. Once they were out of vision and earshot Gwen quickly pulled the flowers from her hair.
"Oh my Ilúvatar these things itch!" she exclaimed.
Morgoth frowned.
"But my Queen, you look ravishing in them," he replied.
"Why are you wearing that Gwen?" Legolas asked.
Gwen finished pulling the flowers from her hair.
"They dressed me in this! Stupid attempted virgin sacrifice…" she muttered.
Morgoth gave Gwen a hug.
"But my Queen, thou looks stunning. I wish thee would dress like this more often," Morgoth said.
This time nobody stopped Fëanor, Tulkas, Legolas, and well the rest of the group, from their laughter.
"Seriously Morgoth, drop the god act it's getting creepy," Gwen said. "And watch the rib cage I think I have a cracked rib."
"You know that god act saved everyone's life," Morgoth replied.
Sauron continued to wipe his hand on his pants.
"My Ilúvatar, I can still feel their lips against my hand. You're dead Morgoth…"
"Yeah well at least they weren't kissing the hem of your dress," Gwen said.
"I'm not wearing a dress," Sauron stated.
"Can we just get back to camp?" Tulkas asked.
Morgoth elbowed Manwë.
"Did you see that? I have followers!"
Manwë gritted his teeth.
"A misguided following at best."
"Yes but a single question remains. How in the name of Ilúvatar did they know about Morgoth and Sauron from The Sil? Since they are here that means the original Arda is gone and replaced with a different one. These people should have been worshiping Morgatha if anything," Gwen said.
"Maybe it's the sick cosmic joke thing again," Legolas suggested.
Gwen shrugged.
"We'll debate about it with Kisha. But first can someone help me get this arrow out of my leg? It's really starting to hurt…"
--
Ten minutes later they had succeeded in pulling the arrow out of Gwen's leg. They then ripped off part of Gwen's dress and used it as a bandaged. After that was over they found the four-wheelers and Gwen's favourite gun. They headed back to camp. Along the way they came across Aragorn leading a group of campers back.
"Hey Aragorn, are you guys alright?" Manwë asked.
He nodded.
"Yes, though we were getting worried at the end. I thought we were going to be thrown into a bon fire as human sacrifices."
Gwen rolled her eyes.
"Nice dress Gwen. It reminds me of the one Willie wore in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," one of the campers commented.
Gwen sighed.
"Shut up."
"She's a bit testy. They almost used her as a virgin sacrifice," Manwë whispered.
"Yeah and she got attacked in the woods by archers. They put four arrows in her," Fëanor added.
"Really now?" Aragorn said.
Gwen rolled her eyes.
"I was wearing mithril alright? My chest bloody well hurts, I think I've cracked a rib and one of the arrows landed in my leg and it hurts like hell."
She then revved her four-wheeler.
"Let's just get back to camp eh?"
"Sure thing Queen of the most holy god," Sauron replied snickering.
Gwen glared at him.
"You're dead chief priest!"
--
Twenty minutes later they arrived back at camp. Kisha was waiting on the porch of Lammoth and she looked ready to go out into the woods. She seemed overjoyed when she saw them approach. The group parked the four-wheelers in the arsenal and Gwen put her gun back.
"Gwen what's up with the dress? You look like a virgin sacrifice to a heathen god," Kisha remarked.
Gwen let out a frustrated scream and went to her room to change.
"Who are you calling a heathen god?" Morgoth demanded.
Kisha furled her eyebrows.
"I'm guessing there's more to the story then a simple rescue mission."
Manwë nodded.
"Yes and the most holy Queen of the most holy god is most displeased," Sauron said.
"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" roared Gwen from inside Angband.