I know this story hasn't been updated in forever! My apologies, but I had a mild case of writer's block which turned into a bad one. Things have been quite busy here at the castle too. I know that's no excuse for updating, and I am truly sorry to leave you all hanging on the edge of a cliff. To make up for my procrastination I made this chapter quite long.
NOTICE: This will probably be the last post for a while because I'm heading off to Europe this week and will be gone for three weeks. Don't worry I won't abandon everyone…I'm hoping to take some time on the flight over the work on chapter 12.
Anyway, happy reading and once again, thank you for the reviews! :)
The Plot Thickens
Gimli choked on his pipe smoke. "You are right, laddie." Everyone else stared at Legolas for a whole minute and the room fell deathly silent.
"It belongs to Susan?" Aragorn confirmed, looking hard upon Legolas.
"It does." Legolas nodded a serious expression in his eyes.
"What does it mean?" Gimli asked as another ring of gray smoke floated up from his wooden pipe.
Suddenly, Pippin clambered up on the table, reaching for the arrow. He jerked it out of the dark wood, and speculated the shaft closely.
"Peregrin Took! What do you think you're doing?" Gandalf reproved sharply.
"There is a message attached to the arrow." He announced, ignoring Gandalf's reprimand.
"I shall take that." Gandalf requested, holding out his hand. Pippin sheepishly handed over both the memo and the shaft to the wizard.
"What does it say?" Merry questioned as Pippin sat back down next to him.
Gandalf was quiet for a moment and everyone waited anxiously to hear what the note said. Slowly, Gandalf started speaking in a grave tone. "We have the Queen of Gondor and the foreigner. You are in our grasp. Turn over the kingdom or all shall be lost."
Everyone sat there in shocked silence. This is what the mysterious enemy wanted?
"Let them come!" Gimli roared, jumping up on his podgy legs. "They will learn to fear the axe of Gimli, son of Gloin."
"Who could have drugged Aragorn, Arwen, and Susan?" Merry asked innocently.
"That is an excellent question." Aragorn crossed his arms. "We now know that Susan isn't behind this trickery."
"The question is; how did the enemy get Susan's bow and arrows?" Gandalf spoke quietly to himself.
"She told me a few days ago that they were missing, but I have no idea how our foe would get a hold of them." Legolas told him. Then he narrowed his eyes. "Who would have the knowledge, whit, and position to execute this plan?" He puzzled, lost in thought.
"It would have to be someone that had extensive information about the citadel, our plans, and he would have to have connections with someone inside of the castle to make his scheme succeed." Aragorn paced the length of the table.
Gandalf looked around the room, "Be wary of what you say, and who you trust. Keep watch for suspicious behavior or strange activities, particularly around the castle. Keep a weapon near you at all times and be on the alert." He advised.
Suddenly a guard burst into the chamber. He was leading a weary man that was dressed in the apparel of Rohan. The man stumbled as he walked and appeared exhausted.
"Begging your pardon, milord, but this man has ridden many miles to seek information on an urgent matter." The guard interrupted, making a hasty bow.
Aragorn motioned the rider to come forward as the guard left the room. "On what matter have you come to inquire?"
"King Elessar, I have been sent by Eomer, King of Rohan to ask about a certain young lady that has gone missing on behalf of her brothers." The man told them, bowing deeply.
While he spoke, Merry pulled out a chair for him to sit in and a servant brought him a flagon of wine. Sitting heavily in the chair, he tried to catch his breath.
"Who is the young lady of whom you speak?" Aragorn queried, raising an eyebrow.
"The lady is Queen Susan of Narnia." The rider responded after he refreshed himself with the ruby colored wine.
Merry eyes went wide and Pippin gasped. The others in the room listened closely and focused their attention on the rider.
"You say that her brothers are searching for her?" Aragorn stepped closer to the man.
"Yes milord, High King Peter and King Edmund of Narnia." He nodded. "Do you know where she is at present?"
"Unfortunately, we do not know where she is now. Evil has befallen us and both Queen Arwen and Queen Susan have been kidnapped." Aragorn replied, solemn.
The rider's eyes went wide. "So it is true! There really is a Queen Susan; I doubted that there was even such a person."
"Doubted!" Merry exclaimed, offended. "Lady Susan is the most dazzling woman in the entire realm!"
"Yes, she is very wise too!" Pippin added, nodding his head vigorously.
"I have to disagree!" Gimli bellowed, hitting the table with his stout hand. "Lady Galadriel is certainly the wisest and most radiant in the realm!"
"I should say not!" Pippin looked snubbed. "Queen Susan is definitely the fairest."
"Yes!" Merry cheered.
"Merry! Pippin! Be quiet and leave your foolish thoughts in your head." Gandalf spoke quickly, ending the debate before it got out of hand.
"Fairest indeed," Gimli snorted. Merry and Pippin shot him a foul glare.
"My apologies, I did not mean to offend anyone." The man expressed his regret. Then he stood. "I shall return presently to transport the message of the Queen's disappearance to King Eomer, High King Peter, and King Edmund."
"I shall deliver the information." Gandalf offered. "Shadowfax will carry me swiftly and you are weary. I wish to speak to Eomer and meet these Narnian kings."
"What about Arwen and Susan, Gandalf? How do you think we should proceed?" Aragorn asked with a concerned look.
"Going to Rohan may answer some questions. We should begin preparing for battle. We do not know how strong our enemy is. I shall notify Eomer and advise him to gather his troops. While I am near Isenguard, I shall inform Master Treebeard of the coming war as well." He started heading for the door. "Look for my coming in a fortnight! Farewell!"
Gandalf strode down to the stables, leapt on Shadowfax, and rode at all haste.
--
Meanwhile in the council room, everyone started to disperse. Gimli left grumbling about the earlier argument, Aragorn took Susan's arrow; going to attend to the rider's accommodations, and Legolas left without a word.
Merry and Pippin sauntered out of the council hall and into the main corridor. Both of them walked together in a sad silence. Soon they found themselves peering out one of the huge arched windows. They rested their arms on the low sill and gazed out over the plains.
"I miss Susan." Pippin sighed, laying his chin on his arms.
"So do I." Merry said softly.
"I wonder who kidnapped her and Arwen." Pippin spoke to himself, and then he turned to Merry. "Who do you think we are up against?"
"I don't know…" Merry thought hard. Suddenly he perked up, "I bet we could find out." He smiled slyly.
"We could?" Pippin looked inquisitive. "How?"
Merry rubbed his hands together. "We could gather clues and facts about Susan's disappearance."
Pippin started catching on, "Ah! You mean we could be detectives?"
"Yes," Merry grinned mischievously.
""You can be Inspector Brandybuck and I can be Detective Took." Pippin said proudly, straightening up.
"Now we need things that will help us." Merry stated, looking thoughtful. "We will need our Elven cloaks to conceal us if necessary. Another thing that we need is something to write our notes on…"
An hour later the two hobbits were ready to begin their investigation. They looked quite peculiar in their cloaks, for they had their hoods drawn up over their heads and they whispered to each other.
"What should we do first?" Pippin asked, peeking out from under his hood.
"We should go and see if we can find any clues in the dining room where Aragorn, Arwen, and Susan dined." Merry proposed.
Soon they were in the dining room hunting for anything that might lead them to Susan and Arwen. After about half an hour Pippin sighed, "I can't find anything Inspector Brandybuck!"
"Keep looking. We're bound to find something." Merry commanded with determination in his voice.
A while later they plodded out of the room. "I can't believe we didn't find one clue!" Merry groaned, and nearly ran smack into Legolas.
"Clue?" The Elf stopped. "Are you searching for something?"
"We're looking for Susan!" Pippin piped up.
Merry smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand, "You don't go blabbing our top secret work to everyone!" He hissed.
"Are you now?" Legolas seemed interested.
"Yes." Merry admitted. Legolas turned to leave.
"Wait!" Pippin shouted. "Could you help us?"
Merry's face went tight. He didn't want help from Legolas! He wanted to search for Susan just with his friend.
Legolas spun around. "I'm sorry, but I promised to meet Gimli in the armory."
"Oh." Pippin looked downcast.
Merry breathed a sigh of relief, "Alright, well I guess we will see you later!"
Legolas waved a farewell and disappeared around the corner.
"I think we should examine Susan's arrow and the message. Let's go find Aragorn." Merry suggested. He turned and took off trotting down the hall.
Soon, they were sitting side by side in the castle's quiet library. Merry was turning the shaft around in his hand and telling details for Pippin to write down.
"After we write down what the message says, why don't we go to the council room to see if there are any hidden clues?" Merry said.
Pippin nodded, still scratching his quill pen away on the yellowed parchment. A few minutes later, they were in the council chamber searching for anything out of the ordinary.
"This is where the arrow hit the table, but where was it shot from?" Pippin concluded, scrawling the information down.
"It has to have been shot from above. If you remember when the arrow hit the table it stuck up. If it had been shot from this level, it would have been more parallel." Merry explained.
"Then the arrow must have been shot from the balcony!" Pippin exclaimed, pointing towards the back of the large room.
"Right!" Merry jumped off the table and ran towards the balcony. Pippin, who was not far behind, took the large, marble steps two at a time. Reaching the top of the stair, they became puzzled.
"How could anyone get up here without the guards or someone else seeing them?" Pippin furrowed his brow.
"I don't know." Merry was stumped. "I'm sure there is no other way to get up here."
Still baffled, they started scrutinizing every inch of the terrace. The balcony had a wide floor with a railing surrounding the edge. An enormous window graced the center of the wall. Hanging on it were heavy, thick, dark blue curtains that were embroidered with gold designs.
Pippin was behind the curtain when he gasped, "Merry! Look at this!" Merry dashed up and saw Pippin holding a thick, old looking rope.
"I wonder what it does." Pippin pondered out loud.
"Pippin! Don't pul-" but it was too late.
The rope came down, and a muffled scraping noise was heard. Merry groaned, but then a look of astonishment swept across his face.
"Pippin…look!"
--
When Lucy awoke, she couldn't remember where she was. She was lying on something soft and warm. Her groggy mind soon recalled all the events that had happened in the past two days.
She recalled the battle, saving the wounded, and now, after a day of traveling, they had reached the heart of the Golden Wood.
At the moment she was lying on a comfortable bed in a pavilion near a bubbling brook. A lovely, calm breeze floated into the airy tent. The tent fabric fluttered and a lone bird chirped in the distance.
Lucy rolled over as the tent flap opened. A young Elf entered with a light pink gown. She had light blond hair and silvery eyes. "Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel would like you to come and see them."
"Oh." Lucy said as she got out of bed. "What's your name?"
"I am Arriah, milady." She said as she helped Lucy get into the flowing gown.
Lucy looked down to admire the gorgeous dress. It had little glittery beads along the v-neckline. The sleeves were so long that they brushed the floor, and the skirt billowed out around her. An elegant, thin sash completed the outfit; tying in a bow at the back.
"This is beautiful." Lucy murmured as Arriah adjusted the bow.
"It looks quite stunning on you Queen Lucy." She agreed.
"You don't have to call me by my title. Lucy or Lu is fine with me." She blushed.
"I shall call you Lucy then." Arriah smiled as she brushed Lucy's fine hair.
When Lucy had finished getting ready she turned to the Elf and curtsied. "Thank you Arriah."
"You're welcome." She beamed. "Come with me. I will show you to Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel."
They walked side by side through the lush grass in the quiet forest. Lucy gazed upon her surroundings in awe. She couldn't help but stare at the huge trees or the charm of the tiny flowers of various colors that grew almost everywhere.
A few minutes later Arriah led her into a room were Celeborn and Galadriel sat. As soon as they entered, the Lord and Lady of the wood rose. Arriah was dismissed and Lucy said farewell.
"Queen Lucy," Galadriel addressed her, giving her a warm smile. "We would like to formally welcome you to Lothlórien and would like to present you with a gift for your service on the battle field."
"There is no need for that. I was just trying to help." Lucy said modestly.
"You saved many of our Elven warriors that had been poisoned. You gave your cordial freely and served selflessly." Galadriel stated. "For that, it is our great pleasure to present you with this Elven cloak to show our gratitude towards you."
They both stepped close to Lucy and Celeborn draped the cloak across her shoulders. It was made of an olive green material and felt like silk, but was made of a durable cloth. The cloak was fastened by a small, delicate gold clasp.
"Thank you. It's lovely." Lucy breathed, running the smooth cloth between her fingers.
Galadriel told her about how the cloak could make her blend into her surroundings. She talked about how it kept you warm at night and cool on hot days.
"Lady Galadriel, do you know when we shall start looking for my sister? Do you know where my brothers are?" Lucy asked.
"You're sister was last seen in Minas Tirith; a city to the east. You're brothers are in Edoras. Gandalf shall let them know about your sister's disappearance and take them back to Minas Tirith. We shall leave for the city as soon as Elrond arrives from Rivendell." Galadriel informed her.
All the information was a bit confusing to Lucy because she wasn't familiar with Middle Earth, but she nodded. "Thank you."
--
It took everything in me to stifle the scream that rose to my lips, but instead of screaming, I set my jaw and rose to meet my foe.
The bulky shape moved into the bright light revealing his identity. I nearly sighed with relief when I saw that it was a young man about my age. Thank Aslan he is not an orc! I can't bear those creatures!
The man looked a bit older than me. He had a brawny figure and you could tell he had extensive training with a sword because his forearms were toned with bulging muscle. Curly, black hair hung loosely around his face and fell past his broad shoulders. He wore strange armor that I could not even guess what origin it came from. His skin was dark, like those of Calormen. What were most frightening about him were his eyes. They were dark brown, but appeared almost black.
As he stepped towards me, he seemed to carry himself with an imprudent air. An uncanny sense of dread pricked the back of my mind, but I held myself erect with a dauntless expression on my face.
"What have we here," he sneered, "A young lady trying to look gallant?"
My jaw stiffened. How dare he talk to me in such a manner! "What do you want with us?" I narrowed my eyes, giving him a defying glare.
Ignoring me, he unlocked the door and strode into the cell.
"I said; what do you want with us?" I repeated firmly, trying to keep any weakness out of my voice.
Smirking he answered. "The fear in your voice betrays you."
"Fear?" I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms.
He smiled sinisterly. "You may think yourself valiant, but I can see right through you…coward."
"I am but a coward; am I?" My voice grew as did my confidence. "I guess that's why you had to sedate us to be able to kidnap us in the dead of night."
"Do not deride me." He warned, drawing near.
"And do not insult me or you shall pay for your mockery." I countered.
"Might I remind you, my lady, that you are my prisoner?" He spat sarcastically, becoming irate.
"Might I remind you that the sovereigns of this world, and of another, are seeking us?" I stated boldly. "You shall be exposed and much punishment will befall you and your people."
"Be quiet, wench!" His hand flew up and hit the side of my face. "I shall not tolerate such ridicule."
I took a step back as the blood rushed to my cheek. "If this is the way you treat your people, thank Aslan I am not one of them."
"Aslan?" He looked confused. I had caught him off guard, but only for a moment.
"Yes, he's like Eru." I enlightened him with a triumphant look.
"You must be Queen Susan." He remarked. "We are not followers of Eru, or as you call him, Aslan."
"I am indeed Queen Susan the Gentle of Cair Paravel in the beautiful land of Narnia." I reacted formally.
"Gentle?" He laughed cruelly. "That is quite becoming of you." His tone dripped with disdain.
When he quit his snickering I inquired, "Might I inquire of our location?"
"Where we are is not of your concern." He responded quickly.
"Tell me, who might you be?"
"I am Prince Araakk." He lifted his chin proudly.
"Prince?" My curiosity was peaked. "Prince of what?"
"You ask too many questions." His face darkened. "There are many duties I have to attend to."
Abruptly he turned, unlocked the iron door, and left.
That was quite interesting. I sank back against the wall, exhaling. Now I know who my captor is…if only I knew where we were. Only then, could I try to devise an escape route. I guess we shall wait to see what the coming days bring.
--
Sam and Frodo were sitting outside on the stone steps of the castle after lunch. It was a bright, clear day, and the wind that blew stiffly by ruffled through their hair.
"Sam?" Frodo said with his chin resting on the back of his hand.
"Yes Mr. Frodo?" Sam looked at him.
"Why don't you like Peter and Edmund?" Frodo inquired, staring at some sturdy horses that were grazing beyond the city's gate.
"It's not that I don't like them. I just don't trust them yet." Sam explained simply. "Especially Edmund, there is something…queer about him."
"Oh Sam," Frodo chuckled, glancing at him.
Suddenly a screech pierced the lazy afternoon atmosphere. Sam and Frodo covered their aching ears as a massive shadow flew over them. Huddling together, an old fear stormed into their minds. Frodo clutched his chest as his heart jumped from the pain that shot through his body. Clenching his eyes shut, he tried to block out the memory of the night at Amon Sul.
--
"What is wrong?" Eomer demanded the boy to speak.
"Come, milord! There is a fell beast on the air!" He shouted his face stricken.
Eowyn, Faramir, and Eomer immediately rose from their seats and hastened outside. To their dismay, they found a giant beast hovering over Edoras. A few archers were shooting towards the creature, but it flew away before a single arrow could find its mark.
Eowyn cringed, remembering her skirmish with the Witch King at Pelenor. Then she spotted Frodo and Sam. Running over to them she said, "Are you all right?"
They both turned to look at her; their faces ashen. Sam nodded weakly. Just then, Peter and Edmund ran up.
--
Peter and Edmund ran out of their room and dashed down the stairs. They reached Eomer and the rest of the group as the beast flew away.
"What was that?" Edmund asked, shielding his eyes to see if he could recognize the creature as it departed.
"It is a Nazgul; a winged beast that once carried the Witch King and his comrades." Eomer replied.
"Why would he fly away without trying to destroy something?" Peter asked.
"He was likely a spy for the enemy." Eomer spoke. "Halindin, keep the guards on alert and notify me of any more foul activities."
"Yes, milord," bowing he walked away to give orders to the sentinels.
"Enemy?" Neither Peter nor Edmund knew there was a foe at hand.
"Yes." Eomer said. "Come, I shall speak to you about the matter."
Peter, Edmund, Eomer, and Faramir retreated to a secluded room in the fortress. Upon sitting down, Eomer dismissed the servants and guards. When the four were seated, Eomer began.
"Lately, information has been reported about wicked creatures that have begun roaming the country. We have dispatched more than a thousand orcs in the past month. The servants of Sauron are regrouping. Someone once more as risen and bade the orcs to band together."
"Who is this someone?" Edmund was intrigued.
"We know not." Eomer stated. "We are seeking to find out who is behind this movement, but have come up empty."
"Maybe the rider you sent to Minas Tirith will bring some news." Peter suggested, stroking his scanty beard.
"I guess the best thing would be to wait and see what the rider brings back." Edmund concurred.
--
Galadriel walked through the hushed wood. Small, forest animals scampered through the green grass wishing their friends good evening. The trees quietly whispered among themselves as the Elf Queen found a peaceful area to rest. Galadriel turned to face the west.
--
Elrond stood upright near a window, gazing into the east. The setting sun made vibrant colors dace across the mountainsides, and the waterfall gushed contentedly in the distance. The birds settled down and began to prepare for nightfall.
The golden evening was peaceful, but Elrond felt restless. His dreams of late had turned dark, and peril was foreseen in the near future.
--
Things stir in the east. An evil is rising once again. Elrond heard Galadriel's voice echo through his mind.
You cannot ignore the dreams you have had as of late.
My dreams have turned foreboding, but they are mysterious and perplexing. Elrond admitted.
I know of what you speak, for they have also entered my mind. Many things have happened in the east. I have been given reports about evil regrouping; orcs, Nazgul, and goblins. A strong band of orcs attacked Haldir's troop a few days ago. We are beginning to see new signs of evil. Some has gone ill at Minas Tirith.
Ill?
Two things have occurred. Four monarchs have arrived from beyond the world. One helped Legolas and Gimli escape a band of orcs on the border of Fangorn. They took her to Minas Tirith. Her brothers have entered the realm in search of her, for she was missing in her own world. They have come in peace and are now in Edoras. Their other sister, the youngest of the four, has been called by Eru to help her siblings. She is here with me.
A great evil has befallen us. Arwen and one of the foreign Queens have vanished.
Do you know where Arwen and the foreign Queen are?
No one knows who has taken them nor does anyone know where they are. A dark storm is coming. I have foreseen a great battle, for which we must be prepared. Bring your forces to Lothlórien; from here we shall march to Minas Tirith.
We march at dawn.
Elrond turned sharply and went to organize his warriors with all haste.
--
Rabadash's black horse streaked across the grassy valley of the Southern part of Narnia like lightning. He had received the messenger from Cair Paravel a few days ago. Leaving Tashbaan the moment he got the message about Narnia's Gentle Queen's disappearance. He took a group of soldiers to help with the search, and was going to meet Peter and Edmund in the Western forest.
At the tournament a few weeks ago, he had been enthralled with Susan's beauty and grace. He thought she had been the most magnificent lady he had ever met, and he wished to pursue for her hand in marriage.
The next morning Rabadash arrived at Peter and Edmund's camp. When the Calormen soldiers entered the camp, they found everyone rushing around and many looking pale.
"Good centaur!" Rabadash called to a gray, dappled centaur. "Could you tell me where the High King Peter and King Edmund are?"
The centaur trotted up. "May I ask who you are and why you have come?" He said cautiously.
"I am Prince Rabadash, hailing from the great city of Tashbaan in Calormen. I and my men have come to assist you in search of Queen Susan the Gentle." He responded nobly.
"Ah! You are welcome Prince Rabadash." The centaur bowed.
"Thank you. Now tell me, good centaur, where are the Narnian kings?" He inquired, sifting his weight in the black saddle.
An anxious look swept across the centaur's face. "We do not know. They went missing a few hours ago and we cannot find them."
Rabadash's eyes filled with concern. "We must make haste to find them!" Then he started barking orders to his men. "My good centaur can you assemble the company?"
"Of course, milord," he turned and cantered away.
Less than an hour later, Rabadash had taken over command of the search team and had everyone looking for the Narnian royals. The search company felt much better having a real leader directing them, for they had no clue what course to take until Rabadash had arrived.
That evening, Rabadash went with a small group to the nearby mountains. Soon they found a narrow gully. Entering the canyon, Rabadash stopped and spun his horse around. "We shall search here. Two hours from now we will meet in this exact spot."
Everyone spread out in different directions. Rabadash continued up the gorge for a few minutes. The sun was still fairly high in the sky, but the light in the canyon was fading fast. Using his keen eyes, he scanned the rocky hillside. Deeper into the ravine, he spotted a large cave entrance about half way up the mountain.
Leaping from his stallion, he took off on foot towards the cavern. After about a half an hour of toiling up the steep incline, he reached the grotto. Taking a deep breath, he unleashed his scimitar. Stepping into the cool cave, he let his eyes adjust to the dim light.
The cavern had a broad floor, high ceiling, and was dry. Nothing but the wind whistling across the entrance could be heard.
Plunging deeper into the cave, Rabadash found that the passage got darker and narrower. Abruptly, he came upon a fork in his road. Which way should I go? He pondered on that thought. Finally, he decided to go right.
The path to the right was twisty, but stayed level. Rabadash crept around each corner trying hard to remain silent. In the back of his mind, he wondered if some wild animal or creature lay in the depths of the cavern. His nurse, when he was a child, had told him many stories about dark magic and demons that resided in the lands of Archenland and Narnia. He still wasn't sure if they were true, but didn't want to take any chances.
Strangely, the path began to get wider. Up ahead he thought he saw a light flickering. Sneaking like a shadow along the ground, he traveled further. He soon saw that he had not mistaken the light. When he came to the source he found a glimmering torch; marking another passage. He thought it quite bizarre that a torch burned in the middle of a cave.
Suddenly, there was a shout. "Halt! Who goes there?"
--
Sorry, I didn't mean for this chapter to be a cliffy! Reviews are like galloping towards a log in a flat pasture! :)