+++++++++++++++++++Interlude+++++++++++++++++++
Taking Place Between and During the Recovery of the Nameless Child
Saruman & Sauron
The White Wizard blinked stupidly, staring down in shock at the silver wood arrow sticking out of his chest. Sunk into his body up to the middle point of the shaft, the stiff, white swan feathers fletching the arrow were stained with blood dribbling from between his lips. He stared down for a long moment, then looked up into eyes like the wild forest, framed by dark golden lashes, full of righteous anger.
Her bow was drawn taut, and another silver-tipped, swan-fletched arrow was aimed at his chest.
Saruman jerked awake, gasping as he woke in his frigid sweat. His coal black eyes burned as his gaze swept around the room, searching for her, her, that vicious creature with the swan-fletched arrows that stung silver. But she wasn't there. There was nothing and no one there.
He wandered for a long while through the halls of Orthanc, down through the corridors until he found the front doors, and strode slowly out, gazing around. The bruised and battered sky bled in sickening greens, yellows, reds, and purples. The air stank of burning ozone and blood. Beneath the White Hand's feet, the earth shrieked and writhed in agony.
The land was dying. The land burned with pain and poison. The red death he'd poured into the Entwash was working. Perfect.
"You have done well, Saruman," the Shadow of the East hissed, the grating knife of a voice scraping from the inside of the palantir and carving its way into the wizard's brain. He tried to feel pleased, but the jagged pain made it difficult. Still, he was pleased with the shrieking of the earth.
"Thank you, my lord."
"But do not grow arrogant, White Wizard. Your doom is close if you do not face it and destroy it while it is small and insignificant. Beware the Swan Princess, Saruman. She will kill you when the time comes if you do not kill her first."
And the connection snapped, with a vicious force that snapped the wizard's head back and knocked him to his knees. Something warm and wet touched his upper lip, and he caught a trickle of blood on his fingertips when he touched them to his nose. Demonic black horses galloped through his brain, smashing it into pieces of pain.
The Swan Princess? What did Sauron mean? The Swan Princesses, the Princesses of Dol Amroth, were no more! Ivriniel had married out of the family, and was the dumpiest, silliest creature any of the noble families had birthed in generations. Finduilas was dead these past years, dead birthing the last son of the Steward of Gondor. Celewyn had no Dol Amroth blood and was only Imrahil's wife.
There were no Swan Princesses. There was no threat.
oo8oo8oo8oo
And we have the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed.
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