Chapter Twenty One: On Unstable Women and a
Completely Random Tenth Doctor Reference
Author's Note: I'm using a new computer now, though, and it feels really weird having to add all of the names to Microsoft's dictionary again. It doesn't recognize Adonnenniel, Treebeard, Boromir, etc. But it does recognize Legolas and Gimli. I find that amusing. Did the person who created the Microsoft dictionary just decide to not include certain Lord of the Rings characters? I guess they were more of a Faramir person than a Boromir person, because it recognizes Faramir. And why does it recognize Aragorn but not Strider? This will bother me…
Brief Recap: Adonnenniel, Merry, and Pippin were captured by the Orcs. Legolas, Estela, Gimli, and Aragorn are tracking them down.
Random Quote: "...My first girlfriend turned into the moon."
"That's rough, buddy."
- Sokka and Zuko (Avatar)
When Adonnenniel woke, she was at first confused. She was aware of a sharp jostling movement, sending starbursts of pain through her body, and of a horrible stench that reeked of dried blood and rusting metal. She found herself reluctant to open her eyes, fearful of what she might see.
"Adonnenniel?" said a hushed and familiar voice.
"Pippin?" she mumbled groggily, slowly opening her eyes.
"What's going on?" she slurred confusedly. She looked past Pippin, and glimpsed Merry behind him. "What's wrong with Merry? He's got some blood on his face." As she said it, Merry stirred slightly.
"Hello," he muttered.
"You're hurt," Pippin whispered.
"I'm fine. It was just an act. See? I fooled you, too." A flicker of a smile appeared on Merry's face, then vanished as quickly as it had come. Adonnenniel was still confused. Where the heck are we? she thought frantically.
She lifted her head, and suddenly felt an intense throbbing in her wrists. She looked directly in front of her, and bit back a scream. The side of her face had been pressed into the back of an Orc's helmet, and her hands were bound tightly around the creature's neck. The shock of it sufficiently woke her up, and she became abruptly aware of her surroundings. Merry, Pippin, and her were being carried by a legion of Uruk-hai. On their right was a steep incline, to their left a towering mountain that sloped into the distance beneath their feet.
Suddenly, Adonnenniel felt the Orc carrying her begin to slow. There was a stirring in the group of Orcs in front of her. One of them had stopped, and appeared to be sniffing the air.
"What is it? What do you smell?" another Orc asked roughly.
"Man flesh," the first replied.
"They've picked up our trail! Let's move!" shouted the leading Uruk-hai. The Orcs took off at top speed, and Adonnenniel winced as the sudden movement sent jolts of pain down her body. The pain in her wrists and head intensified.
"It's Aragorn," whispered Pippin in wonder. "He's coming!" Adonnenniel watched as Pippin pulled off his Elven leaf brooch with his mouth from his cloak, and sent it falling to the ground.
They ran for three days with not a whisper of the Uruk-hai's trail. Estela felt fear pulsing through her, electrified by an implacable urgency to reach her sister. She barely noticed the landscape, swimming past them and merging into tumbles of dreary hills dotted with sporadic rock formations, and small streams flitting through the terrain. She was only aware of the wind in her ears, cool and clear, and the sun's warmth upon her face, hot and blinding.
It was a strange sensation, to be aware of things in only extremes. Her thoughts mirrored her physical awareness. They were icily focused and crystal clear, yet at the same time frightened and urgent. And that was all she felt for what seemed like years; a strange combination of fear and focus, that enabled her to just keep running.
In front of her, Gimli, Legolas, and Aragorn were moving just as speedily. Time seemed to blur into a meaningless haze of shapes and sounds, and the only time the foursome slowed their pace was when Aragorn suddenly spotted something on the ground. As the group came to an abrupt halt and gathered around where he stood, Estela was suddenly aware of a slow moving pain, starting in her leg muscles and moving upwards. The bruise on her arm throbbed painfully.
"What is it?" she asked, keen to start running again before her body could register the pain any further.
"It is one of their brooches," said Gimli, his voice tired but laced with hope.
"They may yet be alive." Legolas came to a stop next to Estela. He placed a hand on her arm, and she icily shrugged him off. She couldn't afford to become distracted by him right now.
"Less than a day ahead of us," Aragorn said. "Come, Gimli."
With that, they resumed their running, invigorated by this small piece of good news. After about an hour, they arrived at a brow of the hills looking downwards at the plains below, stretching out into the distance.
"The Uruks turn northeast," Legolas said, "They're taking the hobbits to Isengard! We must make haste if we are to intercept them before they reach their destination."
As their captors continued running, daylight began to slip away. Dusk gathered her skirts with a huff, as if disgusted with the happenings of the world, and darkness fell over the land. The sky was dreary and moonless. Mere stars lit the path of the Orcs, flickering their dim sheen light in the vast dark of the sky, like lanterns strewn through the ocean's surface. Slowly, the hills began to recede, making way for a flat grassy terrain. By nightfall, the Orcs had arrived at the outskirts of a forest. Their pace slowed, and then they came to a stop.
"We're not going any further until we've had a breather," grunted one of the Orcs, panting heavily.
"Get a fire going!" ordered another callously. Merry, Pippin, and Adonnenniel were unceremoniously deposited on the ground, near the edges of the forest. Adonnenniel gasped in pain as she landed sharply on her knee, and fell facedown.
"Are you alright?" Pippin asked worriedly. For his sake, Adonnenniel tried to smile. She succeeded in looking as if she had jaw lock.
"I'm fine," she whispered weakly. She rolled over, and leaned against the trunk of a tree. Pain shot through her knee, poignant and mind numbing. She wondered if she had dislocated it or something.
"Do you hear that?" Merry asked suddenly. Adonnenniel and Pippin went silent. After a moment, she heard a faint swooshing noise, accompanied by muffled and eerie whispering.
"What is that?" she asked, scared.
"It's the trees," said Merry. "Pippin, you remember the Old Forest, on the borders of Buckland? People used to say there was something in the water that made the trees grow tall….and come alive."
"Alive?" Pippin whispered, voicing the question Adonnenniel was wondering.
"Folk say they could talk to each other, and even move."
Despite the situation, Adonnenniel nearly snorted. "Talking trees? Okay, that's just a little too weird."
Suddenly, Merry gasped and looked at the huddle of Orcs. A fight had broken out amongst them. "They're distracted!" Merry said. "Let's go." They began inching towards the forest, praying their actions would go unnoticed by the Orcs.
No such luck.
Adonnenniel saw it first. An Orc had broken free from the fight, and was heading straight toward Pippin. "Look out!" she screeched, but it was too late. The Orc dragged Merry and Pippin closer to the battle, and then placed a foot over Pippin, pinning him to the ground.
"Go on, call for help," the creature said menacingly. "No one will hear you."
The Orc laughed as he lifted his blade—
And then fell face forward on the ground, skewered by a spear that protruded nastily from his stomach, coated in black blood and grime. Adonnenniel screamed and recoiled, backing away closer to the forest. She saw men on horses, mercilessly slaughtering the Uruk-hai. She saw Merry and Pippin hurrying after her, desperately trying to avoid the ensuing pandemonium. When they reached her, she suddenly found herself able to think clearly again.
"Come on! Get into the forest," she said hurriedly. She noticed with dim relief that their hands had somehow become unbound during the fight. Merry knelt down beside her and quickly untied her hands. They dashed into the recesses of the forest.
Estela felt strange. Her mind felt detached and light-headed, yet somehow bold and angry at the same time. And her body felt somehow too cold and too warm at the same time. It was a horrible combination.
"Estela," Legolas said, falling into step with her. "Your looks are pale. How are you faring?"
"I'm fine," she snapped. He looked hurt at her tone. "Sorry," she muttered. "I don't feel like myself."
"Extreme physical exertion can do that," Legolas said knowledgeably.
"No duh, Sherlock. Tell me something I don't know," she retorted, her voice laced with strain and anger.
"I only wished to help," he said in a placating tone.
"Oh, do stop sounding so patronizing all the time," she said indignantly. "I can take care of myself, Legolas." As she said it, she felt a sharp pain at the base of her head. She gasped involuntarily. Legolas gave her a piercing look, and Aragorn noticed.
"We can stop—" Aragorn started.
"No!" Estela said, raising her voice at him. A wave of dizziness swept over her, but she ignored it. "We're not stopping."
Legolas exchanged a glance with Aragorn, who looked like he was going to rebuke her again. Just then, Estela heard a deep rumbling that reverberated intensely in the ground. The sound was quickly followed by a legion of horses, riding in a roughly triangular formation.
"We will discuss this matter in a moment," he said to Estela, who bit back an angry retort.
"Riders of Rohan!" shouted Aragorn, stepping out into the open and heralding the legion of horsemen. "What news from the Mark?"
The Riders turned around, and headed toward them. In an instant, they were surrounded by a rough circle of horsemen, menacingly brandishing spears in their direction. Aragorn put up his hands in surrender. The leader of the horsemen glared at the group.
"What business does a Man, a Dwarf, and two Elves have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!" he demanded.
"You don't need to be so rude," Estela snapped. "We're just travelers." All the horsemen stared at her in shock. "What? Do women in Rohan not speak their minds?" She thought of Eowyn as she raised an eyebrow at the man she knew was Eomer.
"Calm yourself," Legolas whispered to her. "You are not acting like yourself."
"How does this elleth know we hale from Rohan?" Eomer asked sharply.
Aragorn opened his mouth to answer, but Estela interjected.
"You know, if you want to be all secretive about who you are, you might wanna try not putting Rohan's insignia on a humongous banner and carrying it around with you. It's sort of a dead give away," she pointed out bluntly.
"You have but seconds to identify yourselves!" Eomer said.
"Give us your name, horse-master," Gimli said in a placating tone, "And I shall give you mine." Eomer dismounted his horse and walked toward Gimli.
"I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground," he sneered.
In one swift motion, Legolas drew his bow and pointed it at Eomer's head. "You would die before your stroke fell!" The horsemen pointed their spears at Legolas, and Aragorn stepped between them, pointing Legolas' bow to the ground.
"Oh right, so now I'm the one who needs to calm down," Estela grumbled.
Aragorn ignored her. "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Gloin, and Legolas of the Woodland Realm. We are friends of Rohan and of Theoden, your King."
"Theoden no longer recognizes friend from foe." Eomer removed his helmet. "Not even his own kin. Saruman has poisoned his mind. My company is those loyal to Rohan, and for that, we are banished. The White Wizard is cunning. Everywhere his spies slip past our nets."
"We are no spies," Aragorn said. "We are tracking a legion of Uruk-hai who have taken three of our friends captive."
"The Uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night," Eomer said.
"There were two hobbits and a human girl with them. Did you see them?" Gimli asked.
"We left none alive," Eomer said. "We piled the carcasses and burnt them." He motioned to a large mound in the distance, emitting long swirls of spiraling smoke.
Estela felt faint. Her mind was scrambled and disoriented. Suddenly, a wave of uncontrollable anger washed over her. Forgetting how she knew the events that were to come, forgetting the danger her actions could put them in or change the course of the story, she shoved away rational thoughts and acted on pure instinct.
"You what?" she screeched at Eomer. "You left none alive? You idiot! What's your problem?" And then, without second guessing her impulses, she launched herself at Eomer.
But it was as if he had been expecting it. He grabbed her tightly around her wrists, forcing her away from him. She thrashed wildly in his grip. "Let me go you jerk! Why the hell did you leave none alive? You idiot!" Eomer eyed her warily.
"Why do you let an unstable woman travel in your company?" he asked them suspiciously.
"I'm not unstable," Estela shrieked.
"Please," Legolas interjected. "Ignore her. She is not in her right mind. We have been running three days nonstop, and she is not used to such harsh labor. I believe it is affecting her mind as well as her body. Her sister was one of those which the Uruk-hai took captive."
Eomer's gaze softened, and something like pity showed on his face. "Here," he said, gently pushing Estela toward Legolas. As soon as she felt herself enclosed in the circle of his arms, all her violent emotions seemed to drain away. She suddenly felt like a complete moron.
"Umm…Sorry," she said to Eomer. "I…I don't know what came over me." She felt Legolas' hold on her relax, but she didn't move out of his arms. They were holding her together, preventing her from slipping back into the violent abyss of her turbulent emotions.
"You have my condolences regarding your sister," he said gravely to Estela. It was with these words that she remembered the actual fate of the hobbits. She dimly wondered if her sister being with them would have changed the course of events in any way.
Eomer turned around. "Hasufel! Arod!" he beckoned. Two horses emerged from the group. "May they bring you better fortune than they did their former masters," Eomer said grimly, offering the horses to Aragorn.
"Thank you for your kindness." Aragorn inclined his head slightly.
Eomer mounted his horse. "Look for your friends. But do not trust to hope. It is forsaken in these lands." On that note, the horsemen rode off.
"Well, isn't he a cheery ray of sunshine," Estela muttered. The others looked at her oddly.
"Come," said Aragorn despondently, "Let us make haste. Perhaps some hope still lingers in the distance."
"Can you ride, Estela?" Legolas asked, pulling one of the horses towards them.
"Yes," she said shortly, mounting the horse herself before he could try to help her up. She grasped the reins tightly between her fingers. Legolas stared at her for a long moment, in which Gimli and Aragorn got onto the other horse.
"Well, get on," she urged. "Allons-y. We have to go. Legolas spared her an exasperated and dimly amused look before nimbly lifting himself on behind her. For a moment he looked as if he was going to argue about this arrangement, but then sighed and said nothing as Estela shot him an annoyed glance. He grasped her shoulders lightly as they took off at top speed.
As they rode, Estela felt that sense of urgency consuming her once more and blotting out any other thoughts or emotions. She rode swiftly, easily keeping pace with Aragorn and Gimli. She was barely aware of anything else except the wind whipping her face and the green blur of the landscape swimming past her as she rode.
Coming Up Next!
-An Ent dance party! (Just kidding. I'm just curious if anyone ever actually reads past the actual story…)
Author's Note: Do you want Adonnenniel and Estela to be reunited, and then stay together for the rest of the story? Or do you want them to go in separate directions, thus creating two different plot lines? I'll leave it up to you guys, because I can't decide. Honestly, either plot will be fun for me to write ^.^