Here I am, agains!
DISCLAIMER:Nothing's changed, don't own.
Huge thank you to all those who reviewed last chapter, it made me feel very good to know you guys care. :) Everyone else, please, please, PLEASE review. My inner writer lives off of reviews. Without them, she dies. Don't let her die, please review!
"Thurin, wake up. Come on, we got to get moving soon."
Esgalnoron shook me, prodded me, even growled at me, but it was all in vain. There was no way I was getting up. I felt like I had jumped in front of the riders of the Rohirrim, getting trampled underfoot.
Esgalnoron was getting frustrated.
"Thurin, come on."
I squeezed my eyes closed tighter.
"Ow! Esgalnoron! What was that for!" I squealed, jolting up immediately.
He smiled smugly.
I rubbed the section of my forearm which he had nipped regretfully.
"It always works."
I growled.
"Why did you feel the need to wake me up so early anyway? They are still asleep."
"Because I wanted us to be on our guard, up and alert. It will also give us time to think up how to escape."
"What if we never escape?"
"Don't be ridiculous, Thurin. Of course we will."
"How is your arm?"
I probed it lightly, and Esgalnoron winced.
"Not too bad."
I frowned.
"I wish Da were here..."
"It will be fine. Right now, we must think up a way to escape."
"What do you suggest?"
"We could draw our knives on them unawares, hey, maybe we could do that right now."
I suddenly realized how easy it would be to escape, until I tried to reach my boot and discovered that the binding around my waist restrained me. I sighed.
Esgalnoron sighed.
"What do you suggest, Thurin?"
"Well, perhaps we could hurl our bodies at them, knock them out, and so escape?"
"No, they will be holding weapons. And even if they don't chop us to pieces, we'll probably break a few bones. I do not need any more at the moment, thank you. Maybe when we are walking I could kick up my boot, you could catch it, throw me my knife-"
He coughed, before continuing: "-and then I could cut your bonds and you could get your knife-"
"Hold up. All that time we are grabbing knives and kicking boots, they can react. No, we need something better.
Aha! Oh, I got it! Since you're coughing like that, I could say that you have a deathly illness, and that you are dying, and that I must fetch a special weed that only I know to cure you."
"They won't buy it. And anyway, they hate me, why would they care?"
"I will say: Because if I cannot cure him soon, you will catch it too! And die!"
"And then?"
"Then, um, I'm not quite sure..."
"Come on, prisoners! Hurry up!"
The leader was awake. Luckily he had been sleeping far away enough not to catch our whispered words, but still, now we could not finish our master-plan.
"Untie them from that tree, hurry. We need to get moving."
I moaned inwardly and glared outwardly as we were cut from our bonds and led forward, hands still tied.
I walked forward slowly, ankles wailing in pain. I noticed Esgalnoron's arm was swelling, and everywhere the bandage did not cover was black-and-blue.
"Walk faster, you miserable excuses for men!" The tan-haired man growled, pushing me roughly forward.
I shot him the death glare(ala Thorongil)before obeying, picking up my pace.
::::::::::::::::::
As the sun began to go down and the shadows lengthened, I decided it was time to put our plan into action.
Cough. I mouthed to Esgalnoron. Unfortunately, I am really bad at mouthing.
He gave me a confused look.
Cough!
He cocked his head, but continued walking.
COUGH!
Now he looked worried about my health.
I put my elbow over my mouth and made a soft choking noise.
Finally he understood.
He coughed, loudly.
They took no notice.
The cough became a hacking one, and I gasped loudly.
"What's the matter you two? Keep moving!" The leader growled indignantly.
"You must untie me! My friend has a terrible illness and will die if I cannot find a certain herb!"
The men looked unimpressed.
"What is this illness called? We don't believe you."
I was trapped. I smiled awkwardly, I my mind raced.
I said the first thing that came into my head.
"Lothlorien."
The men looked impressed.
Esgalnoron winced visibly.
I shot him a 'and you think you could've done better?' look, before turning back to our captors.
"Very deadly. I must find the herb immediately."
"Why does this herb look like? We could find it, besides, why do we care about your friend?" The tan-haired man growled menacingly.
"Um, you see, I would tell you what it looks like, except I am not very good with your language, there are no words I now in it that can tell you."
Esgalnoron laid his head in his functioning hand in a gesture of defeat.
The men were too focused on me to notice.
"Let him die, we'll still have you."
"Ah, but if we don't heal him, you will catch it(it is very contagious), and die."
Esgalnoron coughed painfully for added effect.
The leader looked worried.
"All right, go and look for it, but Tarn will accompany you. Tarn?"
The tan-haired man, apparently called 'Tarn' grabbed my wrists, cut them free, and escorted me into the woods around us, one hand clenched tightly around my arm.
"Well? Find it."
I gulped.
"Um, it is a very rare herb, I must use my magical mysterious potentially dangerous Ranger senses to find it, so I would recommend taking a few steps back, and releasing your grip.
Tarn looked like he was about to disagree, but then Esgalnoron coughed loudly and long-sufferingly from the clearing he and the leader were waiting and he quickly took a step back, releasing me.
I placed my second and third finger against my nose and forehead, closing my eyes and trying to act magical. Tarn seemed convinced.
I hovered around, occasionally placing my ear to the ground, appearing to be listening intently for something.
Tarn began to look impatient.
"Aha! I have sensed its presence, you must close you eyes, or you shall be blinded by the light of the stars which shall be unleashed when I call it forth."
Tarn closed his eyes.
I whipped my knife from my boot, grabbed his arms, and placed the blade at his neck.
We were out of sight from the leader and Esgalnoron so I yelled: "I've found it! Everyone, quick! Come, help me pull it up!" The leader broke through trees, dragging Esgalnoron behind him.
He froze as he saw us.
"Don't move or I slit Tarn's throat." My voice dangerously low, I never broke eye-contact with the quaking man.
He didn't move.
"Release my companion. Now."
The leader turned around, and began fumbling with the knots of rope.
He was taking far too long.
Suddenly he whirled around, blade drawn, rushing towards me.
I rolled away, and he stuck his companion, Tarn, instead.
Tarn howled with rage, leaping up, drawing his own blade, and engaging in a duel-to-the-death with his leader.
I jumped up and sprinted away, dragging poor Esgalnoron behind me.
"Grab some weapons!" I cried as we ran through the clearing in which the leader had laid all of our things. I snatched up our packs in one arm, and a few weapons in the other.
"Run backwards! Don't stop!" Esgalnoron choked, trying his best to sprint(backwards) with his hands tied behind his back, and a broken arm to boot.
"WHAT?!"
"Just do it!"
We sprinted(backwards)for ten minutes straight, barely breathing, our hearts in our throats.
We stopped as we came to a tiny stream of water and sank down on the bank.
"You alright?" Esgalnoron gasped, cradling his arm forlornly.
"Yes. Gullible idiots, they're so scared of us they will believe anything."
Esgalnoron snorted.
"Where did Lothlorien come from? Rainor would murder you if he found out that was the best answer you could come up with."
My face reddened.
"Humph. I just remembered it from when Amathron was reviewing maps with us last week. How Heledhion asked what Lothlorien was, and the lecture on the forest that followed. The name struck me as interesting. I doubt you could've done better."
Esgalnoron shook his head.
"And where did running backwards come from? I nearly died about twenty times."
"Last time I was in Rohan, Uncle showed it to me. I thought it was a good escape tactic, so I remembered it."
"What does it even do?"
"Confuses your enemies. It makes them think you've gone the other way, instead of the path you've actually taken."
"Interesting. So, what now?"
"Start walking."
I moaned.
Esgalnoron managed to pick himself up, then extended his hand.
I took it, glaring all the while, as if this was all his fault.
He just smiled amiably, tugged my hair playfully, and started walking.
::::::::::::::::::
"So, how do we know we are headed in the right direction?"
"We don't. We hope that sometime we will find something: a village, a person, maybe even another Ranger."
"We're doomed."
"You're hopeless, Thurin."
"I know. Let's keep going, if you please."
And so began our journey.
:::::::::::::::::
"I'm telling you, I hear water!"
"It's only the wind!"
"There's a river nearby, come on!" I grabbed Esgalnoron's left wrist(the good one)and began dragging him towards the sound of running water.
He sighed, but made no objections.
"I told you! Look, finally, we may bathe."
"Yes, I suppose you were right."
We stripped off our Ranger's garb, leaving nothing beneath but our undergarments.
"Ah, this is nice." Esgalnoron sighed pleasantly as he washed his arm.
"Yes, I agree." I gurgled as I pushed a sopping blanket of long, raven hair from my face.
"We must dry ourselves and hurry on soon, there could be Orcs in these woods."
"Or there might not be. Anyway, they would get us whether we were in the water or out. The woods get dryer, this might be the last river we find for awhile."
::::::::::::::::::
"There is something wrong about this place, Thurin. Where are all the animals? The trees are so sparse..." Esgalnoron whispered anxiously as the morning sun broke out across the woods, more than a week later.
He was right, something about this part of the woods was all wrong.
"Look! Smoke! Maybe there is a fire, maybe a Ranger-camp!" I gulped excitedly, pointing out a small tower of smoke rising above the trees.
"Be careful, there's no telling what it could be."
"Come on!"
We picked our way cautiously through the sparse woods, searching for the home of the fire.
And we found it.
"A small town. Do you think they like Rangers?"
"Probably not, let us investigate."
"Stop! Proceed no further! Rangers? We don't need your sort in this town." The watchman growled, pointing his pole at us threateningly.
"We come in peace. We are tired and hungry, we only wish to stay a night or two."
The watchman looked as if he was about to protest, but then he noticed the swords hanging at our belts, the bows on our shoulders.
"All right, but don't try anything, and leave soon."
We nodded before flitting in, trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible.
Still, we received many suspicious glares as we hurried through the streets, trying to find a tavern or inn.
"Look! Over there, it says: The straggly Vulture, tavern and inn."
We crept in, slipped into seats in the corner, and ordered a breakfast.
"Hey! You're Rangers! You don't belong here!" A large, red-faced man yelled at us, waving his mug angrily.
I glanced at Esgalnoron nervously.
"Take no notice of him, be peaceful."
"You listening to me? I said you don't belong here, and I mean it!" The man rose from his seat, and walked over to us. He was enormous. A few other men rose as well, backing him.
"What do we have here? Is this one a female? Ooh, I didn't know they came in females." A particularly evil looking one smirked, taking my chin roughly between his fingers.
Esgalnoron's eyes turned to slits.
"What pretty hair you have, Ranger-maiden." He ran his other hand through my hair.
"A kiss, maybe? We'll get rid of the other one, but I could keep you." He grinned evilly, his already tight skin stretching to the breaking point.
Esgalnoron leapt up, his chair clattering to the ground behind him.
"Get your hands off her." He voice dripping anger, he stared hard at the man, willing him to let go.
The little creature just stood there, smiling, not removing his grip.
"I said, get your hands OFF HER!" Esgalnoron swung his left fist at the man, getting hime square across the face. As the man reeled to the side, the big fellow grabbed Esgalnoron, while two others grabbed me.
"You, Rangers, are under arrest. This was a very peaceful tavern before you came along."
With that, they dragged us off to their ridiculously small dungeons.
::::::::::::::::::
"I think that we have to work on my man-disguise."
"Yes, good idea. Luckily, we'll have quite a long time to think about it, seeing as we have no friends here."
There was a bitter silence.
"Esgalnoron, why did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Punch him."
"Your Da would have killed him, he was lucky it was only me. Besides, I couldn't stand him touching you. Now, try to rest a little. And if you can't, try to think of how to get us out of here."
"Alright. But it's day."
"I know. Try to rest anyway."
"This one really is all your fault."
Esgalnoron snickered, but it was ruined by a loud cough.
"Believe what you want, Thurin."
What will happen next? Where is this town? Is Esgalnoron ill? Will they ever escape? I have a feeling they haven't seen the last of those Ranger-hating men, but we'll see!
Please Review, don't let me die!
~Thurin