Okay enjoy the chapter. :)
Chapter thirty-six
Storm of the Blades
Gwen had enough time to put a reasonable amount sickness drugs in each ice cream container, throw the left over tubes away, and then go to the Great Lawn. The two were still going at it and Gwen poked Manwë on the shoulder.
"What's going on?" she asked naively.
He shrugged.
"I haven't the slightest idea. The two started fighting all of a sudden and they haven't stopped. I really don't want to have to break it up but if it persists then I will."
Gwen rolled her eyes.
Wow, when they go at it they go at it.
Gwen heard a fist connecting with someone's head.
"You bloody bastard! I taught you everything you know and this is how you treat me?" Morgoth roared.
Sauron kicked Morgoth in the balls and Gwen could hear him wince.
"Sauron! Morgoth! Knock it off least I pop a cap in yer arses!" Gwen roared.
"Well that was a delicate blending of modern and Older English," Kisha remarked.
Sauron and Morgoth stopped fighting. Sauron smiled and stood up while Morgoth remained on the ground.
"I can't believe you kicked me in the balls," Morgoth wheezed.
Sauron shrugged.
"Sorry mate," he replied as he extended his hand to help him up.
"You know, I rather not know what that was about," Ilmarë remarked.
"I'm sure it had something to do with the male ego and male bonding," Manwë replied.
The two Dark Lords shrugged.
"Come on. Let's have ice cream!"
--
"Gwen this was such a good idea. The campers are having a grand old time and the staff really seems to like ice cream," Kisha exclaimed above the Battlelore CD. She ate another spoon of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream and smiled.
Gwen smiled back and ate from a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. She had decided to buy her own pint just in case she forgot which ones had the drugs.
The party had been going strong for about twenty minutes and Gwen began counting down the time until the bathrooms would be used to the fullest. Morgoth made his way through the crowd to Gwen.
"How much longer?" he whispered into her ear.
"Ten minutes," Gwen replied.
He smiled.
"Excellent. You know this did work," he said.
"Don't count your chickens before they hatch," Gwen warned.
She dipped her spoon again and took another bite. The party continued onward and a little after a half hour in the first person started to feel a bit queasy. This person, who happened to be Fëanor, ran from the Great Hall and towards Lammoth. Gwen smiled at Morgoth and gave him the thumbs up. He smiled back and ate another spoon of his special untainted pint.
Five minutes after Fëanor left the Great Hall; countless other's followed him. Pretty soon it was only Gwen and Morgoth in the Great Hall eating untainted ice cream and dancing to Battlelore.
"That was perfect," Morgoth said as the two set their ice creams down and sauntered out of the Great Hall. They could see the lines for the bathroom and a few opted to use the woods.
"You do know that once they feel better we're going to get a talking to from Manwë," Morgoth warned.
Gwen nodded.
"Oh I know. But this is totally worth it."
He nodded in response.
"Oh yes definitely."
"MORGOTH WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" roared Manwë from Lammoth.
He rolled his eyes.
"Why do they always assume it's me?" he said.
Gwen shrugged.
"Because most of the time it is you."
Morgoth thought about it for a moment and then nodded.
"Yes, I guess you're right."
--
Gwen spat into the sink for the fiftieth time.
"Move over it's my turn to spit," Morgoth complained as blood dribbled down his chin.
"I didn't think that much blood could come from one talk with the Valar."
Morgoth nodded and spat into the sink.
"You'd be amazed."
"You know I thought they'd be angrier then that," Gwen commented.
"I think they still feel a bit queasy. I'm sure we'll get another talk in a half hour or so," Morgoth replied. He used his shirt to wipe the blood from his chin.
After the drugs wore off Manwë and the other Valar gave Gwen and Morgoth a talking to that compared to nothing else. They realised that it was them who had did it when they found the two sitting on the Great Hall's steps laughing. Now the two were locked in the infirmary and trying to get 'cleaned' up.
"I wonder when they'll be back," Gwen said.
Morgoth shrugged.
"I don't know but what I do know is that I'm not looking forward to another talk."
Gwen nodded.
"Me neither."
Gwen looked around the infirmary and found that the back window looked wide enough for someone to get through. Gwen walked over to the window and looked down. It was maybe a ten-foot drop. Morgoth came up behind her.
"What are you thinking?" he asked.
"Well we could escape."
Morgoth shrugged.
"Okay, fine with me. I'll jump down first," he offered as Gwen opened the window.
He pulled himself through the window and jumped down. Gwen heard a snap as a bear trap snapped around Morgoth's ankle. She watched his face turn into a horrible grimace and then he let out a terrible cry that could rival the one in Lammoth. Gwen shook her head and sighed. She should have known this could happen. She then heard snickering and saw Manwë and Tulkas step out from the woods.
"Okay that went too far! I think the blades are touching bone!" Morgoth screamed as he tried to get the thing off his leg.
"Yes and what you and Gwen did took things too far as well. Call it even," Manwë replied.
Tulkas looked up at Gwen who was still standing in front of the window.
"You can jump down if you like," he offered.
Gwen shook her head.
"No that's okay. I'm sure there's another bear trap down there somewhere."
"I'll catch you," Manwë offered sincerely as he held out his arms to her.
Gwen nodded and sighed.
"Oh I'm going to regret this," she exclaimed as she jumped from the window into Manwë's arms. Instead of landing in his arms, however, she hit the ground with a thud. Luckily she did not land on the other bear trap. She winced and stood up.
"Darn, and she was a few inches from the second bear trap," complained Tulkas.
Morgoth rolled his eyes and tried to get the trap off his leg.
"Would one of you mind helping me here? I swear to Ilúvatar that the blades are touching my leg bones and it's most uncomfortable!"
"Not it," Tulkas exclaimed. Manwë then said the same thing a second after Tulkas. Gwen limped over to Morgoth.
"Fine, I'll do it. This is going to hurt okay? So don't blame me."
Morgoth nodded and Gwen knelt down. She bit her lip and gripped the bear trap with both hands and yanked the bear trap open. Morgoth yelled out in pain and gripped his leg.
"Aw come on, it shouldn't hurt that much," Manwë said with a smirk.
"I mean honestly, you've done worse to others," Tulkas replied.
Morgoth glared at them.
"Shut up."
Gwen helped him up.
"Well I think they've learned their lesson," Manwë said.
"Hey, at least Morgoth doesn't have far to walk to the infirmary," Tulkas offered.
--
"Hold still! I won't be able to get the dirt out if you don't hold still!" Gwen commanded.
She had finally succeeded in getting Morgoth up the stairs and in the infirmary and as she tried to get the grime and small rocks from his wound, he kept twitching.
"Yeah well you get a trap around your leg and then tell me not to move!"
"Well it won't go any faster if you don't settle down!"
"I'm trying here!"
Gwen rolled her eyes and finished getting the small rocks out of his leg. She then grabbed the roll of bandages and rolled it around his leg.
"I can't believe they used a bear trap," Morgoth said wincing.
"Hey, I'm just surprised they didn't kill us."
"You know, you could have thought of an exit strategy," Morgoth complained.
"You never think of one," Gwen countered.
"Oh shut up."
Gwen glowered.
"Don't take that tone with me," she warned.
Morgoth raised his eyebrows.
"Oh yeah?"
Gwen stood up and went to the door.
"Hey, aren't you going to help me get down the stairs?" Morgoth asked.
"No."
Morgoth sighed.
"Okay look, I'm sorry alright? Now please help me down the stairs."
Gwen smiled and turned around.
"How do I know you're being sincere?"
Morgoth smiled and motioned for her to come closer. When she was close enough to touch he pulled her in for a kiss.
"Does that work?"
--
"Gwen, I can't believe you did that," Kisha said as Morgoth and Gwen walked into the living room of Lammoth.
Gwen smiled and shrugged.
"Well yesterday was so boring and so I wanted to spice things up a bit," Gwen confessed.
Manwë entered into the living room holding a plunger.
"The toilets seem to be backed up and we've only got one plunger," he handed it to Gwen.
Morgoth furled his eyebrows.
"Well what am I going to use?" he asked.
Manwë shrugged.
"Be creative."
--
The rest of the day was spent unclogging the toilets, though Gwen and Morgoth only did that job. The rest of the staff enjoyed a peaceful night on the porch of Lammoth and sipped ice tea. The campers, on the other hand, had their own agenda that night and in the living room first floor Mordor, they gathered. It was a tight fit, and all three hundred and fifty of them fit. There was barely enough room to move, some had to sit on laps, but the important thing was everyone was there.
"Alright everyone! May I please have everyone's attention?" a camper by the name of Becka demanded.
The living room blotter dulled to a murmur and Becka began.
"It's time for a change! Today we all suffered a great injustice at the hands of Morgoth and Gwen and we need to act! We must do something to them as the rest of the staff practically let them off."
A hand in the back shot up.
"Yes but I heard Morgoth got his leg stuck in a bear trap and now the two have to unclog every toilet here," Vesper explained.
Becka nodded.
"It's not enough. More must be done!"
"Well then what will we do?" Gabrielle asked. She was sitting on one of the couches in the back of the living room.
"That's what we're here to discuss. We must think of something that we can do to them. Did it feel good to have to use the bathroom every twenty seconds or so? No! That's why we must do something!" Becka exclaimed.
There were shouts of agreement in the living room.
"So, does anyone have any ideas of what we can do?" Becka asked.
The noise in the living room came to a stand still.
"Anything?"
A singular hand rose in the middle of the crowd.
"I might have an idea," the camper said timidly.
--
The cool late summer breeze danced upon Gwen's face and tickled her nose. She sneezed and fell back to sleep. It was about an hour later, when she heard the sound of birds chirping next to her ear, when she finally opened her eyes. For a second she had no idea where she was and it took a few seconds to realise that she was in the middle of the woods and tied, very tightly, against a tree. She also then saw that Morgoth was tied to the opposite tree. He seemed to be just waking up as well.
"Remind me how we got out here?" Morgoth said.
Gwen would have shrugged if she could have moved her shoulders.
"I haven't the slightest idea. All I remember is some of the campers offered me a milkshake," Gwen replied.
Morgoth nodded.
"Yeah, I remember the same thing."
Gwen swore.
"Damnit, it was the Left Behind trick. I should have seen that coming," Gwen exclaimed.
Morgoth cocked an eyebrow.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked.
Gwen sighed.
"There was a book series called Left Behind that I had to read for a theology class when I was in University. It was about the end of the world. Frankly it was a bit boring and there were so many books but one scene towards the end of the series took place in a jail. The prisoner was offered a milkshake and it was drugged and so she passed out. I can't believe I fell for the milkshake trick," Gwen explained.
"It's okay. I'm sure we'll get out of this…somehow."
Gwen tried to move her arms and found that they were tied very tightly behind the tree. She looked down and saw that her mid-section and her knees were tied as well. The same fate seemed to have befallen Morgoth as well.
"Yeah I don't see a way out of this one," Gwen said.
"Do you think that yelling out 'help' repeatedly for a while would help?" Morgoth suggested.
Gwen shook her head.
"Look around, can you see any markers? No. We're far from camp and yelling is not going to help."
"So, are you suggesting that we're pretty much screwed?"
Gwen nodded.
"Pretty much."
--
Breakfast in the dining hall went by peacefully and none of the staff could figure out why. The campers all seemed smug and there were no arguments at the table. Kisha finished a bowl of muesli and wiped the milk from her upper lip.
"Why is it so peaceful in here?" she said.
Aragorn, who was finishing a piece of bacon, shrugged.
"It feels like we're missing someone in here," he said.
Kisha nodded.
"Yes, I have the same feeling."
Some of the campers snickered at their tables as they finished breakfast.
"Something is amiss," Manwë said.
"They are missing," Namo announced.
A few more campers snickered and Kisha cocked an eyebrow.
"Who's missing?" she asked.
"Gwen and Morgoth."
Kisha looked up and down the staff table and sure enough the two were not eating with them.
"Well where could they have gone?" she asked.
Becka smiled at her fellow campers at her table and they silently giggled.
"Maybe they went for a walk in the woods?" suggested Frodo.
"Morgoth's not a morning person. I don't think even Gwen could get him out of bed early in the morning for a walk," Sauron replied.
At the mention of 'woods' a few of the campers couldn't hold in the laughter anymore and now the staff knew something was definitely amiss. Kisha whirled around in her chair.
"Alright, what's going on!" she demanded.
Becka shrugged.
"Why I haven't the slightest idea Miss. Day."
--
"It's been four hours…." Morgoth complained.
"And thirty-two minutes," added Gwen.
"My nose itches."
"Shut up, so does mine."
"I have to go to the bathroom," Morgoth said.
At his comment Gwen began laughing hysterically. After five minutes of pure, genuine laughter Morgoth began questioning Gwen's sanity and began to think that she would have never lasted in Middle-earth.
"Are you alright Gwen?"
Tears of laughter slid down her face as she continued to laugh.
"It's just…so ironic…bathroom…" she managed to spit out between spews of laughter.
Morgoth rolled his eyes.
"Great, I'm stuck against a tree and across from an insane woman."
"I'm not insane! And couldn't you tear yourself from the tree? Aren't you supposed to be really strong?"
Morgoth shrugged.
"I ate too many moon pies."
Gwen would have thrown up her arms in disgust if she could.
"Sorry, I just really like moon pies."
--
Kisha, Manwë, Fëanor, Aragorn, Tulkas, and Sauron stood idly in front of the door of Angband.
"So, who wants to open the door?" Sauron asked.
"Not it," Tulkas, Manwë, Kisha, Aragorn, and Fëanor chimed.
Sauron rolled his eyes.
"Fine, I'll open the door. Jeeze," he said as they all took a step back.
He took a deep breath in and opened the door. He had expected to see Gwen and Morgoth in the same bed and still asleep but what greeted him was an empty bedroom. He saw two spilled milkshakes on the ground but that was about it.
"They're not here," Sauron concluded.
Kisha stepped into the room.
"Well where could they be?"
"I think the campers have something to do with this," Tulkas replied.
Kisha bent down and slid her finger across the spilled milkshakes. She then sniffed her finger.
"I think the milkshakes have something to do with it," Kisha concluded.
She wiped her finger on her jeans.
"Do you think they were poisoned?" Fëanor asked.
Kisha nodded.
"Yes. Okay I'm going to the central stereo system and sending out a message. I want you lot in the Great Hall got it?"
They nodded though they had no idea what type of message Kisha would send out. Kisha then left Lammoth and walked to the central stereo system. She plugged in the microphone.
"May I have everyone's attention please? Would all campers who have read the Left Behind series please report to the Great Hall. I repeat: all campers who have read the Left Behind series please report to the Great Hall. Thank you."
--
"Gwen, it's been eight hours. I don't even think they know we're gone yet," Morgoth complained.
Gwen sighed.
"This sucks. I've survived two attempted robberies, an evil killer demon, a phantom, a flood, an ice storm, a weekend with you, Sauron, and Thuringwethil, and countless other events and I'm going to die stuck to a tree."
"If it's any consolation the phantom was actually Sauron."
"Thanks Morgoth. That makes me feel a lot better."
Off in the distance the two could hear child-like crying. Gwen raised an eyebrow and tilted her head towards the direction of the sound.
"Did you hear that?" she asked Morgoth.
He nodded as the crying started again. It appeared to be getting closer. Gwen strained her neck as she looked through the trees. She then saw a child of about four or five slowly walking through the woods. Gwen rolled her eyes.
"This is getting more and more like a bad fan-fic if you ask me," she mumbled.
"What's a fan-fic?" Morgoth asked.
"I'll show you a few when we get back okay?"
"Okay."
Gwen could now see that the child was maybe fifteen feet away. She now knew the child was female, as she wore an old tattered dress. She called out to the girl.
"Little girl?"
The child seemed startled when she looked up. The girl seemed so familiar to Gwen but she couldn't place it. The girl took a step back from fright, even though the two were tied to a tree.
"Don't be afraid child," Gwen said soothingly. She smiled warmly at the girl.
The little girl took a few more steps towards Gwen.
"That's a good girl. What's your name?" Gwen asked calmly.
The child did not want to answer and Gwen knew she was ready to turn around and run away.
"It's okay. Nothings going to hurt you. My name's Gwen what's yours?"
"Lalaith."
Gwen smiled. She then knew why she knew the name. Lalaith was the daughter of Húrin and Morwen. She had supposedly died from plague around First Age 472.
"That is such a beautiful name. How old are you Lalaith?"
"Three."
Gwen's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She looked too tall to be three.
How can a three year old survive in the woods for this long? She had to have arrived when the Northern Lights appeared in the sky and that was weeks ago.
"How long have you been out here?" Gwen asked.
Lalaith thought for a moment and shrugged.
"Mommy put me to bed and she seemed sad 'cause I was sick. Then I went to sleep and woke up here."
She had died after Morwen put her to bed. Ilúvatar sent us an angel.
"When did mommy put you to bed?"
"Last night."
Gwen nodded. She knew Lalaith could not have spent all these weeks in the woods alone and survive. She glanced over at Morgoth and then back at Lalaith.
"Lalaith, do you think you could help me get these ropes off? Then we can get you some food and fresh clothes," Gwen said warmly.
"I want my mommy," Lalaith replied.
Gwen nodded.
"I know, maybe we can help you find her okay?"
Lalaith nodded and Gwen smiled even though she hated lying to the little girl. She knew that Morwen and Húrin were not at Camp Glingal. Lalaith took a step closer to the tree and Gwen smiled again.
"That's a good girl," she said.
--
There were maybe forty campers in the Great Hall after Kisha made her announcement. Once they had all settled down Kisha walked to the front of the Great Hall.
"Okay listen up. Morgoth and Gwen are missing and we found two drugged milkshakes. Where are they?" she demanded.
A few of the campers sniggered, some shrugged, and Becka raised her hand.
"What does this have to do with Left Behind?"
"You know perfectly well. In Left Behind one of the characters was drugged with a milkshake. Who has done this? Where are they?"
Becka smiled.
"We were just trying to get back at them for the prank," she replied.
"We already punished them for that!" Kisha exclaimed.
"Where are they?" Manwë demanded.
Becka shrugged.
"They're in the woods somewhere tied against a tree."
"Where?" Manwë continued.
Becka shrugged again.
"I don't know. It was dark when we did it okay?"
Kisha sighed and turned to Manwë.
"We need to start a search party. I swear this is the fiftieth time I've had to do this. Get the ones who know how to use the four-wheelers out into the woods okay?"
He nodded and left. Kisha turned her attention back to the campers.
"If they are hurt at all you will be in so much trouble."
"Why?" Becka asked. "You do things to each other all the time."
There was a murmur of agreement with Becka between the campers.
"Yes well that's because we can!" Fëanor exclaimed. "Unless you have some need for revenge against Morgoth because he stole the Silmarils from you then yes, you may do this kind of stuff to them but if you have not then lay off."
Kisha nodded.
"Fëanor's right. The things the staff do to each other only goes so far. We don't actually try to kill each other. Tying Gwen and Morgoth to a tree in the middle of Ilúvatar knows where goes way too far. They could be dead!"
"We just wanted to get revenge," Becka replied.
Kisha nodded.
"I know, but don't let this happen again got it?"
"Got it."
--
Lalaith had succeeded in undoing enough of Gwen's bonds so Gwen could get the rest off. When Gwen was free from the tree she and Lalaith helped Morgoth.
"Thank you very much Lalaith," Gwen said.
She smiled as the final knot holding Morgoth to the tree came undone. He stepped from the tree and stretched.
"Thank you. My legs were starting to crap right about then."
"Are you going to help me find my mommy now?" Lalaith asked.
Gwen nodded but inside she sighed. How was she going to tell little Lalaith that her mom and dad were not at camp?
The three of them then started out to actually find the camp again. Gwen had no idea how far out they were. After an hour of walking Lalaith seemed to get tired.
"Would you like me to carry you?" Gwen asked.
Lalaith nodded and Gwen picked the little girl up. Lalaith yawned and rested her head on Gwen's shoulder. Gwen patted the back of her head and started singing an old bedtime lullaby and after five minutes Lalaith was asleep in Gwen's arms.
--
"Have you found them yet?" Kisha asked as she held the walkie-talkie close to her lips. She had been commanding the search party from inside the Great Hall for about an hour now with no sign of them. Every single four-wheeler had left the arsenal in the search and not even a single strain of hair or a piece of cloth that might have ripped from their clothes was found. Kisha had begun to grow impatient and nervous at the same time. Being lost in the woods was one thing, but tied to a tree with no hope of escape was another.
"Nothing yet Kisha but we're trying," Manwë replied.
Kisha sighed and she put the walkie-talkie back to her lips.
"Well try harder."
"What do you expect us to do? Start calling out 'Morgoth! Gwen! Are you there?' fifty million times and just hope to Ilúvatar someone will answer?" Fëanor replied sarcastically.
"Maybe we'll find the leader and his people," Tulkas commented.
Manwë laughed over the walkie-talkie.
"If that's the case then we'll have no trouble finding them."