Lurtz eyes trained on the old wizard, draped in white robes, alight with mean intelligence. Saruman looked creepily happy, and smiled at him, a tall hideous beast. He spoke of his army, the Uruk-Hai.
"They were once elves once. Taken by the Dark Powers, tortured and mutilated, a ruined and terrible form of life, and now, perfected. My fighting Uruk-Hai" Saruman spoke like a proud father of these soldiers. "Whom do you serve?"
Lurtz didn't need to answer. Saruman already knew, this creature could never be on another side. But he wanted to hear it, needed to hear his name spoken by his followers. "Saruman." Lurtz's voice was guttural and raspy.
Lurtz was armoured and armed, but not in the usual style. The little blue suited men, who had a resemblance to the common potato, had supplied them with proper armour and weapons, as long as they got to fight alongside them. It was a fair deal.
Lutrz was given huge, blue, breastplates, high blue boots, and a special helmet, much like the little men's helmets, ones that cover over the head, but can disappear into the back of the neck. At the back of the helmet was a small hole, which would supply Lurtz, and the Uruk-Hai, with sustenance. Then Lurtz was given two small weapons, blue once more, which had an L-shape, and Lurtz held it awkwardly. He, and the rest of the Uruk-Hai, hadn't been taught how to hold a gun properly yet.
One of the men patted Lurtz on the back. "We will teach you and the rest of your army to use the weapon." Lurtz grunted in reply.
The Uruk-Hai smeared white paint over their armour, a creepy ritual, and the white hand of Isengard is painted on bodies, faces, and armour. The blue-armoured men joined in.
"What are you?" Saruman was brave enough to ask. They may be comically small and wrinkly, but Saruman was old and wise, he knew never to underestimate, his enemies, and his allies. Allies are the ones who were most likely to betray.
"We are Sontarans. Sontar-har!" the other 'Sontarans' joined in with his chant. "Sontar-har! Sontar-har! Sontar-har!"
"Do you have many enemies?"
"Saruman, the whole universe is our enemy." One who called himself Commander Kaagh laughed at Saruman.
"And the universe shall be your enemy also." the woman who wore the Death Ring, as some are naming it, walked through the mass of Sontarans, strolled out. She wore a knee-length skirt, a tight waistcoat, and clickity-clackity high heels. She was well respected by the Sontarans. "My name is Mrs. Wormwood."
"How can this army fight the whole universe?"
Mrs. Wormwood grinned. "The army won't fight the universe, the universe shall come and fight them. And will be defeated by the greatest army that ever lived."
Saruman raised his eyebrows, but did not reply. Mrs. Wormwood was older than him, and in turn, he was less wise. He felt like a child talking to her.
"But it's not the universe we want to defeat," Mrs. Wormwood continued, "Our enemy is the greatest, most powerful, and ingenious creature in the universe."
"Who is our enemy, then?"
"A man who has no name. He only goes by 'the Doctor'. A silly name." Mrs. Wormwood looked angrily at Saruman, but she seemed glorious. She was so sure they would defeat the Doctor.
A man who goes by the Doctor must like irony, because there was no way he could ever patch up what he had done.
All those enemies he had made, all those who had come here to destroy him. There was no way he could get them now.
Saruman addressed the huge crowd of two-hundred of Uruk-Hai, and hundreds, maybe thousands, of Sontarans. Mrs. Wormwood and Commander Kaagh stood by his side.
"Hunt them down. Do not stop until they are found. You do not know pain. You do not know fear. You will taste man flesh." Saruman turned to Lurtz, and spoke coldly, "One of the Halflings carries something of great value… Bring him to me, alive and unspoiled. Kill the others."
Lurtz nodded, and joined the rest of the Uruk-Hai and Sontaran army, who were leaving Isengard. He ran to the top of the group, to lead them into battle. They ran fast and hard, their powerful legs sprinting through Isengard.
Lurtz knew they were going to win, but from what he had heard about the Doctor, he had a feeling in the back of his mind that they were going to fail, miserably. And that the whole of Isengard, the whole of the Uruk-Hai and the Sontarans, would be wiped out completely.
But the light and powerful gun in his hand reassured him.
The Doctor shall lose.
"Well!" the Doctor declared. "I am not very good at rowing." the Fellowship laughed half-heartily at the Doctor, as he clumsily tried to push the oar gracefully through the water. It made no effect.
"Doctor, you're holding the oar the wrong way." with that piece of wisdom from Legolas, the Doctor turned the oar so the paddle was in the water, and he was holding the handle. Nobody knew whether he was being thick on purpose, or he really did not know that the flat side was used to propel the little boat.
"Oh, I am so afraid to move on these little rickety things, they would just turn over on me." the Doctor shifted uncomfortably on his seat, as the boat rocked very slightly.
"You're not that fat, Doctor!" Gimli laughed as the Doctor stared at him in outrage.
"Oi! You can't say much, you...you ginger dwarf!" the Doctor even laughed at himself.
Sam whispered to Frodo, and Merry and Pippin laughed with each other, maybe at the Doctor, and Gimli and Legolas tried to teach the Doctor to row. Aragorn remained silent, looking ahead to the River Anduin.
"Do you like your daggers, Pippin and Merry?" the Doctor changed the subject, as the two heads shot up.
"Yes, very much!" the two produced their presents from the Lady Galadriel. "What did you get, Doctor?" Merry asked, putting his dagger back away.
"Just some of her large stocks of wisdom." the Doctor said, "But what she said really surprised me, I wouldn't have expected her to come out with it."
"What did she say?" Pippin lazily pushed the oar forward.
"Time can be rewritten." the Doctor whispered.
Frodo's head shot up, and his brow creased, he knew what the Doctor meant. Maybe whatever he saw in the basin could be changed. It might not happen.
"No, Frodo, not that. I think she meant something else. Something much worse than that." the Doctor smiled. "But I have no idea what it is."
Sam's eyes widened, but he said nothing. He knew better than to question Frodo on such matters, whatever happened last night was his business, and Sam respected that. But there was something niggling at the back of Sam's mind. If this thing that had gotten Frodo so excited was dangerous, shouldn't they tell the rest of the group? Mightn't it be important they knew of the extra dangers or enemies? These thoughts raced through his head, but he remained silent.
At least until Merry asked him what he got.
He presented the roll of strong, blue string. "She gave me strong, elven rope." Pippin snickered. "I am quite happy with it; actually, it is very practical."
The Doctor patted the rope. "You hold on to that, Sam, you might need it soon."
"What did you get, Gimli?" Pippin asked the dwarf, who had tuned out of the conversation.
"Oh, nothing much," Gimli seemed startled by the question. The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "She gave me a lock of her beautiful golden hair." Gimli said in a far away voice, looking nowhere in particular.
"What did you say about the horrible elven-witch of Lothlórien?" Legolas chuckled.
"Oh, shush, Legolas." Gimli scorned, but a smile already began to spread across his face, beneath his long red beard.
The Fellowship were already laughing at the now beetroot-red dwarf, Frodo was staring out to the lake.
May it be a light for you in a dark place, when all other lights go out.
Frodo still heard Galadriel's crystalline voice deep in his head. That vial of the light of Earendil was meant for him sometime in the future. He would need it when all else fails, when darkness prevails, he felt it inside him. Maybe he could have used it against the Vashta Nerada, they were scared of light, they were shadows.
Frodo really hoped he never had to use that vial.
"Ahh!" the Doctor exclaimed, as his wooden oar fell clumsily into the water.
"Doctor... How...? Never mind." Pippin chuckled, "You are very strange, but I didn't take you as clusmy."
The Doctor sighed, and looked into the deep water, then back at Pippin. "That's the thing. I didn't drop it into the water. It was pulled from my hands." The group looked at him disbelievingly. "I swear, it was!"
"There are no creatures in these waters that could have taken the oar from you, Doctor." Aragorn objected, but even he had doubts.
"Don't be silly Doctor, you're just seeing things." Gimli added, glancing at the water.
"I didn't see anything, Gimli, but I felt it. It wasn't trying to steal my oar, whatever it was, it was trying to steal me." the Doctor bent near the water. "Show yourself." he whispered to the water. "What are you hiding?"
Suddenly, all three boats began to rock, then were pulled towards the centre of the river. They were being tugged to something, but not gracefully.
"What's in the water, Doctor, what's there?" Frodo cried, moving into the middle of the boat, attempting to hide, staying away from the edges.
The Doctor shook his head, staring at the water, hoping to catch a glimpse of their attackers.
The sky began to unnaturally darken. The moon crossed over the sun, causing an early nightfall.
A black claw creeped up and clasped its fingers tightly around the edge of the boat, and slowly pulled itself up, then pulling the edge of the boat down. Other claws on that side began to pull down on the boats, bringing it into the water. Sam screamed as one grabbed his cloak, but he was pulled back by Frodo. Aragorn unsheathed his sword, but was called off by the Doctor.
The boats all tilted towards the water. They were all about to fall in, when the creatures began to pull themselves up onto the boats. They were about to emerge from the water, exposing themselves, when they pulled back. A shot ran out, and one of the creatures screamed in a high-pitch whine, and fell into the water with a clash. More of these creatures were hit. Some had time to get away into the water, but most had been killed. Their bodies did not float in the water.
The moon began to slowly rise past the sun, and the sky brightened again, day had returned.
The Fellowship sat awkwardly for a moment, the adrenaline from the sudden attack of those beasts still coursing in their viens, until someone on the bank laughed.
"Doctor! It is good to see you again." a little man, armoured in the blue uniform stepped out into the light.
"Kaagh..." the Doctor whispered. "I thought you were dead." he stood in the boat, shielding his face from the light, to get a good look at their saviour.
"So did I, Doctor. But then we came here." more of the same suited men emerged from their hiding places in the shadows. Some were small like Kaagh, but others were tall, and did not wear as much armor. The Uruk-Hai.
"How? Wha-What?" the Doctor stumbled. "How can Sontarans be here?"
Kaagh's helmet seemed to split in two. Inside was a little head, a potato head. Merry and Pippin held back their childish giggles.
"You may laugh, but I shall be the one laughing in victory. I shall be the one laughing at your dead bodies, lying on the ground." That shut up Merry and Pippin, momentarily.
"A little dark, even for you, Commander Kaagh." the Doctor shouted across the river.
Kaagh grunted, then barked some commands at the Uruk-Hai, and the Sontarans. Three tall Uruk-Hai ran through the river, to carry the boats in.
The three screamed out in horror, and were pulled down into the river. The Uruk-Hai didn't surface.
Kaagh sighed. "Idiots." he shouted at two Sontarans, who shot out two hooks, which held onto the boat, and slowly began to reel them in.
The Doctor sat uselessly on the boat, looking dazed and confused, staring at the floor of the boat. Aragorn grabbed his arm. "Doctor, you must do something, they will kill us the moment we get on shore."
The Doctor looked up at him, not really seeing, when a look of revelation crossed his face. He pulled Aragorn down and whispered in his ear. Aragorn frowned, then nodded. He crossed over to Gimli, and whispered into his ear. Gimli nodded, then told Legolas their new plan. The hobbits had no idea what was going on.
Gimli stood up and shouted at the Sontarans reeling them in, pointing behind them. The two leaped, and spun around. Gimli raised his two axes, and threw them at the little holes in the back of their neck. The two collapsed to the ground, and Aragorn and Legolas began to row furiously. The hobbits picked up on the plan, and did the same.
The Doctor pointed the sonic at the water, causing it to go dark and murky. The creatures in the river began to encircle the boat again, dragging it off, but in the direction of the rowing. They were leaving the Uruk-Hai at twice their usual speed. Kaagh shouted in anguish, and the Uruk-Hai shot at them with their Sontaran blasters, but they were already too far.
They passed the massive statues of the Gondorian kings of old, only seconds to admire them. The boats were whizzing past them at incredible speeds, they didn't need to row.
The Doctor didn't point the sonic screwdriver at the water, he left it dark. The creatures that had once attacked them before were now leading them to safety, on a narrow sand bank the other side of the lake. The boats were pushed up onto the bank, and the dark shapes the creatures made in the water disappeared.
The Fellowship crawled onto the beach, breathless and extremely confused. Every member looked at each other, and all had the tired, befuddled frown, except of course the Doctor who had already stood up and was walking around the edge of the forest dipping in at certain points.
"What just happened?"
"Well, that was an anti-climax!" the Doctor declared, rushing through the forest. "Maybe we can buy back our lost time." the Doctor bent down, and pulled away a branch. He let out an "Aha!" before bending down and reaching to a bush.
"What is it, Doctor?" Aragorn stepped towards the bush.
"Yum! Strawberries!" The Doctor handed Aragorn his cupped palm, tipping with the fruits. Aragorn knocked them out of his hand.
"Oi! What was that for?" the Doctor gathered the berried up again from the forest floor.
"Have you gone mad?" Gimli grumbled, but then bent down and picked up some berries.
"Gimli, that happened ages ago." he stood up and tossed some strawberries at Aragorn's face, who retaliated by catching them and stuffing them in his gob.
"Strawberries whiten teeth." the Doctor strolled out of the way of the others.
"And right now you need pristine white teeth." Merry rolled his eyes.
"No, right now I am very hungry."
My back arched in a sudden, painful spasm. The Fellowship continued to munch on their strawberries.
The next wave of pain tinged from my toes, and made its way through the rest of my body, completely bombarding my nerves in an unstoppable hell. I let a slight cry escape my lips, but Aragorn tossed it away as some strange bird. He could believe anything now.
Pains stabbed at my sides and chest as though it was being stabbed repeatedly, and it continued all around like it was making its way through me. I let out a louder screech. More than Aragorn heard it, and they shared suspicious looks. The Fellowship got up off the ground, brushing leaves off themselves. They threw the strawberries away. Some were scared, but of course the Doctor was very curious. I cursed myself when the pain had stopped, and crawled as much as I could off the beaten track when the energy was available, but it was hard to get off the beaten track when I was already well hidden.
Legolas already heard my hurry to scuffle away, and were following his ears. It was too late. They had found me.
I hadn't realised I was bleeding until the sticky red liquid was dripping down my cheeks. I froze. The blood wasn't just coming out of my nose, my cheeks smelt like iron.
I very slowly put my hands to my cheeks, and brought them back to stare at them. My eyes were blurred, sore, and probably bloodshot, but they focused in on my hand. It was covered in red.
I was crying blood.
Frodo was strangely excited by the hope of a new adventure, and he thought that whatever may be happening here was by something from Middle Earth.
I hid in a gaping hole beneath a tall tree, my breathing heavy and my body was numb with the aftershock of the pain. My eyes became overly blurry, and I was blinded. But I could still see through their eyes, and from their perspective, this was terrifying.
I hadn't heard my own thoughts or voice in months. They sounded pretty dull, everyone else's thoughts are so much more... realistic. I did not like the sound of my pounding and over-excited head.
I was well hidden beneath the leaves and undergrowth, but I left a long trail of wet blood on the ground, easily caught by the light. I heard the group gasped, but sighed when I knew there was no way to hide from them. The blood was like a perfect trail towards me.
I stepped out from under my cover, and looked into the eyes of a complete madman, who smiled at me. His smile was infectious; I smiled warmly back. Then I realised in my current state, that might seem fairly creepy.
They all gasped, and "Oh my goodness" escaped most of their lips. I knew how terrible I looked; I could see it in the reflection in their eyes.
I was pale, as white as three feet of snow, but deep red streaks fell down my face, always thickening, and my mouse-brown hair had what seemed like red highlights, framing my face. I put my hand, the clean one, on the back of my head, and it was gushing out too. My hands were smeared with my blood, but that was my own fault. The rest of me was dishevelled, overly thin, and extremely weak. I looked, and felt, brittle. My limp arms, tiny hands and drooped shoulders showed how tired I was. I had no idea how long I had been lying there, in my quiet pain.
The scene and my body gave me an almost evil yet innocent look. I bet M. Night Shaymalan would have a field day at the thought of me walking around in a tall forest, hunting down strong, brave men. As if I would be bothered to go after them. Effort of following them around, hidden in the dark all the time. Them I would be Gollum, and my 'my precioussss...' imitations were awful.
"Oh my... are you alright?" The tall, more feminine one of the group, with the long white-blond hair and prancy toes stood in front of me now. I stared coldly back into his pale blue eyes, letting my smile fade away.
"Alright?" I whispered. "You're asking me if I'm 'Alright'?" I built my anger and my sarcasm. "Eh, now, do I look like I'm bloody alright?" Ranting time. "I am covered in blood, and now the stuff has started pourin' outta me eyes, and I feel like every bit of me has been punched all over a hundred times, and now look what you're making me do." I sucked in my top lip as I shouted over a sudden rushing wind. "You're making me buh-loody faint!"
And with that, the rushing wind, the bright sky, the kind hearted elf and Time Lord, turned absolutely black.
I am very annoyed right now.
