AN: Whoa! Another Chapter! I have to apologize as well as this chapter was written while I was on a caffeine high and so I cannot promise how good/bad it will be. I don't know if I will keep up with this uploading pace, but I will try!
Thank you to everyone who review this story, I really like reading them and they inspire me to keep writing. Also thank you to everyone who has favourited and follow this story.
It's simple, I speak Gibberish
Its official, this sucks. Rosalie thought gloomily. The riders had spent most of the night gathering Orcs and tossing them into a massive pile before setting them alit. They had tied Rosalie's hands together, a dirty rag tied around her mouth. Many of the men were avoiding her like the plague, giving her a wide berth and the leader had put his helmet back on and had gotten back on his horse, staring haughtily around him. The sun was starting to rise, a pale red colour that still managed to make her hair shine blue, and slightly greasy at this stage.
She had been put on a horse; the man who had tied her hands had walked off, as if not wanting to be in her presence for too long. They were all silent, though Rosalie didn't have much of a choice, as the flames grew. Their leader barked a command and smoothly, the riders mounted their horses, the man climbing in front of Rosalie cautiously, as if she could rip through her bonds and kill him. With a click of his heels, they rode off and away from the burning Orcs, and her unsuccessful rescue operation.
"A red sun rises..." Legolas said, looking to the rising sun. "Blood has been spilled this night." His ears twitched and he snapped his head around to the noise. Thundering hooves sounded in the distance, nearing rapidly and he dragged his companions behind a large stack of rocks. As he heard, hundreds, perhaps thousands of riders galloped past, a mass of brown, black and white. Suddenly, Aragorn stepped out and walked past him and Gimli, heading towards the riders. "Riders of Rohan!" He called and the men started to slow while Gimli and Legolas joined the ranger. "What news from the Mark?"
The horses turned faster than the elf thought was possible. They started to circle the trio, a swirling equine vortex until they closed in on them, a wall of spears facing them. One horse rode up to them, breaking through the wall of weaponry. "What business does an elf, a man and a dwarf have in the Ridermark? Speak quickly!" The man ordered and beside him, Aragorn could feel Legolas bristle. "Give me your name horse master, and I shall give ya mine."
The girl was still sulking, slouching as the men circled some creature but perked as she heard them speak. Is that... Gimli? She shot up, craning her neck and startling the rider she was with. He was whispering furiously at her, probably wondering why her sudden change but she took no notice, trying to hear the conversation better. She could not understand their words but she knew if Gimli was there, Legolas and Aragorn must be there as well.
The leader dismounted, stalking towards the trio. "I would cut off your head, dwarf," He sneered out his race, "If it stood but a little higher from the ground." Legolas lost his patience and his cool. Using lightening quick speed, he pulled an arrow from his quiver, fitting it into his bow. "You would die before your stroke fell." He almost snarled and the spears were raised, mere inches from his head. Aragorn forced him to lower his bow but the elf continued to glare daggers at the man.
Rosalie watched from the back, a partial view of what was happening but she heard the leader of the riders speak again, the tone venomous and she heard Legolas answer back angrily. Suddenly, the spears had risen and she started to struggle and wriggle around, not only trying to get a better view but to try and protest. God, how British am I? A stray thought entered her mind but she banished it quickly. The horse underneath her responded, stirring and whinnying, drawing the attention of other riders and the man in front of her. He was saying something under his breath, almost soothingly, as if she was a wild animal and she stared at him strangely. She started pointing her bound hands in the direction of her friends, mumbling from under her gag wildly, trying to get her point across. The men around her stared at her in two different ways: quizzically or suspiciously, but turned their focus back to the group in the middle of their circles.
Aragorn looked at the leading rider. "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Glóin and Legolas of the woodland realm. We are friends of Rohan, and of Théoden, your king." The man seemed to mull this over before answering. "Théoden no longer recognises friend from foe." The iciness from his voice had gone, becoming quieter and friendlier as he took off his helmet. "Not even his own kin." As if on command, the spears were lifted, pointed skyward, and the leader continued. "Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and has claimed lordship over these lands. My company is loyal to Rohan, and for that, we were banished." He leaned in to Aragorn.
"The white wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, they say, as an old man hooded and cloaked. And everywhere his spies slip past his net." He stared directly at Legolas who stiffened but didn't look away, hatred still burning in his eyes. "We are no spies," Aragorn said softly, and the man turned to face him. "We track a party of Uruk-hai westward across the plains. They have taken three of our friend's captive." At this, the man frowned. "The Uruks are destroyed." He said bluntly. "We slaughtered them during the night." Gimli started to splutter.
"There were two Hobbits; did you see two Hobbits with them? And a woman?" The man raised an eyebrow, confusion momentarily sweeping over his face and Aragorn cut in. "The Hobbits would've been small, only children to your eyes, and the woman has hair the colour of the midnight sky and flashes like wild fire in the sunlight." The man considered for a moment and ordered for another man to be brought forward.
The men around her turned to stare at her, the hardened mask still staring at her but the horse was in motion, walking forward and the rest of the crowd parted for them. Her view of them got better and all of them turned to her, relief sweeping across each of their faces but disappeared when they saw her state.
A horse came forward, with two riders. The first slid down revealing a familiar face. Her clothes were torn and dirty and her face was smudged with dirt and she was glaring at the leader. She had been gagged, her hands tied and instantly, Legolas strode over to help her down and take the rope and rags away. "Are you okay?" He murmured quietly, looking her in the eye as he gently moved her back to the protection of their friends. Aragorn and Gimli crowded around her.
It was really them. Three pairs of concerned eyes looked at her, expecting an answer to whatever question Legolas had asked her. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you. But we seem to have a problem." She said seriously, and the faces around melted from relief to confusion. "But, it does mean that I am now speaking a new language that I like to call Gibberish. It also means I can say whatever I like and no one will understand me. Like that man who was sat in front of me really needed a bath. But I probably do as well." She nodded as she finished and reached up, brushing the skin against her bare neck and Aragorn's eyes widened in realisation.
"What is she talking about?" Gimli muttered under his breath about the girl's strange babbling. The ranger turned to the rider. "She has a necklace- a blue stone on a golden chain. It is very important to her." The man turned up his nose. "I have not seen any stone or necklace like that and none of the men in my company are thieves. Besides, why would reunite the witch with her trinket?" He asked scornfully, staring at Rosalie. Legolas' head snapped up but Gimli was the one who replied. "Witch?" He growled and the man looked him like he was stupid. "She does not speak any known language and has blue hair? What else is she?" This was where the elf stepped in. "A scared woman who was imprisoned by Orcs then released only to be taken prisoner again. What she looks like or what language she speaks does not make her evil or an enemy- merely different." His voice managed to stay level and the man seemed to be digesting it.
"What about the Hobbits? You do not have them with you?" Aragorn asked urgently, trying to get back on topic. The man hesitated, shaking his head. "We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them."This startled the trio, Rosalie oblivious, desperately trying to read their facial features. Apparently, the man had said something they did not like. This is frustrating! Why did I have it lose it?!
"Dead?" Gimli whispered hoarsely, looking up at the rider in despair. "I am sorry." The rider said, looking like he truly meant it. He glanced at his men and whistled. Another armoured man brought two horses forward. One was pure white, the other a chestnut colour, both wearing the riding gear of the Rohirrim. "May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Farewell." He nodded, returning to his horse. Turning back to them, he leaned down slightly so they could hear. "Look for your friends, but do not trust a hope. It has forsaken these lands." He muttered and then looked to his company. "We ride north!" He shouted and with a tug of his reins, his mount sped into the distance, leaving the four of them alone with two horses and the faint drumbeat of thundering hooves.
Gently, Aragorn tugged on Rosalie's arm, pulling her towards the chestnut horse. He helped her up and seemed a little startled when she offered a hand to help him up as well. Graciously, he took it, as Legolas and Gimli mounted the white horse and together, they rode off in the direction of the white smoke billowing into the sky like an old train.
The elf and the man were exchanging words, Rosalie and Gimli watching them like a tennis match but only one of them understood the conversation. What am I gonna do? Rosalie thought to herself, blanking the chatter she couldn't understand. How do I communicate with them now? I don't understand them and they don't understand me! I know I'm not the most social of people but that doesn't mean I don't like talking! And people understanding me is generally nice as well!
A tap on her shoulder brought her out of her thoughts. She blushed slightly, and slid off the horse after the rest of her group. The fire had died, changing from burning flames to flying white smoke. Ash filled the air and her nose, the rancid smell of cooking Orc making her retch. The head of the leading Orc had been put on a spike, a terrible warning that could've been comical in other situations because of the stupid face it was pulling. Rosalie stayed away from the pyre, rubbing her arms unconsciously while the other three moved closer, the dwarf even picking something out of the pile.
"It's one of their wee belts." Gimli was holding the burnt remains of a leather belt. "We failed them." He said sadly, staring at his feet. Aragorn let out a shout and kicked a helmet in frustration, narrowly missing the girl who jumped out of the way with a yelp. The elf sighed, shifting his feet but stopped when he saw something glitter in the grass. He paused, softly kicking the yellowing grass to the side to reveal a gold woven chain with a hint of blue shining through. Smiling faintly, he picked up the necklace before putting it into his pocket and stroll backwards.
Legolas walked over, putting a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. The girl looked up and smiled faintly, before looking back at the burning pile. Slowly, he pulled the necklace out of his pocket, dangling it near her face. "I think I've found something you might find interesting." He whispered as she twisted to face him when he started talking. Her face lit up and she grinned, laughing before putting it back on. She sighed at the familiar weight.
Rosalie turned to face him, her face growing more serious. She stared him dead in the eye. "Now, please tell me that you can understand this." The elf's smile widened and Rosalie mirrored him but tried to stay serious. "Well that's good. Good for me at least. You now have no choice but to listen to me." She said earnestly, glad when he laughed quietly. She heard the ranger sigh and she was reminded of the situation they were in.
Aragorn sighed, glancing down at the ground before doing a double take.
"A Hobbit lay here. And the other..." He murmured, taking a step, then another. Legolas glanced up at him, causing Rosalie to turn as well. "They crawled, their hands were bound. Their bonds were cut." He said, holding up a piece of mouldy rope, causing Rosalie to shiver. "I remember that," She spoke softly, walking over to Aragorn. By this point, Gimli had caught on and was now following the ranger avidly. "They ran over here... they were followed. The tracks lead away from the battle." Aragorn was jogging alongside the tracks, eyes still glued to the floor. Suddenly, he stopped, and looked up. "And into Fanghorn Forest." He mumbled, eyes widening.
Rosalie looked at each of them. "Why are you saying that like it's a bad thing? Is it because of the magical water Merry warned us about last night?" She asked quickly and they all turned to stare at her like she was crazy. "You found your necklace?" Aragorn asked at the same time Gimli said "Magical water?" The girl flushed, running her hand over the newly discovered necklace. "Merry was saying that there was something in the water that made the forest come alive. Is that what you are scared of?" The men looked at each other uneasily and Gimli was grumbling.
"It's an old wives tale."Gimli dismissed, waving his hand but his eyes were saying something else. "There is no such thing as your 'magical water'... it's just that..." He had started to trail off, the bravado he had used before wearing thin. "Well, people tend to disappear in there... it's just not a nice place alright!" He was huffing and glaring at the girl who was currently fighting to suppress a few giggles. Aragorn shook his head, growing impatient. "We must go now." He said simply, striding forward, letting the other three catch up with him.
Rosalie could now see why Gimli was reluctant to travel through this forest. Fanghorn was dark and gloomy, shadows rising and falling and shifting whenever she turned her back. The trees had thick trunks, wrapped in moss and branches that reached for the sky and overlapped with each other, creating an interlocking lattice of foliage. Dark leaves covered this woven creation, blocking the light except through the smallest of cracks, creating strange patterns on the forest floor. Rosalie was creeping beside Gimli, the dwarf inching along, keeping his eyes peeled.
Just like last night, creaking and groaning echoed through the forest, ice sliding down Rosalie's spine and she sped up, closing the space between herself and Aragorn and Legolas. There were no other noises apart from that and loud breathing of the dwarf behind them. No animals or birds to fill the quiet. There were gnarled roots that stuck up at odd angles, perfectly shaped to get your feet stuck in, browning, flaked leaves that crunched under foot in the quiet of the forest and layers upon layers of mud and murky water that joined in dips and holes in the ground that made you think about where you would next step.
Sometimes, she would feel her feet sink into the ground and she would cringe before pulling it out and keep walking, but as far as they would go, it seemed that Fanghorn was never ending, no unusual features, like a creepy dream sequence, or some sort of horror movie where the people are trapped in a labyrinth. Finally, after several hours of walking, the strange path the group were carving into the forest ended into an almost clearing.
The almost clearing had dips and bumps in the ground that made Rosalie feel her footing was shaky. A few bushes were grouped together in a clump off to the side, dark green leaves shining slightly from light escaping a tiny hole in the canopy above. A few of the leaves were covered in a black sticky liquid, slowly falling to the ground where it had pooled. Gimli crept up to it, wiping it with his finger. He held it up to his face, inspecting it for a second before his tongue darted out, touching his finger. The girl crinkled her nose and the dwarf spat on the ground.
"Orc blood." He growled, tightening his grip on his axe and another groan echoed through the forest, along with some sort of hushed whispers, air whipping around them and the group looked at each other. Aragorn crouched, gently running his fingers over deep ridges in the mud. They look almost like claw marks... What the hell lives in this forest? She was started to panic. "These are strange tracks..." Aragorn murmured, still staring at the marks on the floor. Unconsciously, she had started to walk backwards. "The air is so close in here." Gimli was still holding his axe, spiralling around, as if searching for the Orc that was hiding in the shadows.
"This forest is old, very old." Rosalie turned to the elf that seemed lost in his thoughts. Thanks for stating the obvious, can we all leave now?! Her mind was screaming at the blonde elf and when he saw her staring, he shot her a quizzical look that she waved off. Legolas wasn't done. "Full of memory and hate." Another groan rocked through the clearing and the strange whispers came as well and Rosalie gulped, shivering slightly. "The trees are speaking to each other," Legolas murmured, eyes wide. The girl turned to him. "Is that what the noises are? The whispers and the groaning?" She asked, and Legolas nodded.
The dwarf moved closer to the group, raising his axe and the groaning and whispers became louder. "Gimli, lower your axe!" Aragorn said sharply and reluctantly, the dwarf did as he was told. Suddenly, the air grew colder and the shadows seemed to rise. Someone tugged on her arm, dragging her back to form a circle as the shadows started to shift, great shapes and creatures rising from their depths. Legolas and Aragorn started to speak in whispered Elvish and simultaneously, they both turned to face a small hill at the other end of the clearing, striding forward but still keeping their hands on their weapons. Gimli joined them with Rosalie trailing behind; still weapon less from her last encounter with the Orcs. It was then she realised that everything had gone silent, the trees becoming quiet and only the other three people with her was making any noise at all.
"The white wizard is approaching," With those words, Aragorn and Gimli stiffened, both raising their weapons and moving to put themselves in front of Rosalie. Are they talking about Saruman? The girl thought to herself and Legolas notched an arrow in his bow. Aragorn raised his sword and a strange humming noise sounded. "Do not let him speak; he will put a spell on us. We must be quick." The ranger spoke urgently as the humming got louder.
Light flashed, bright and harsh and though the light, Rosalie thought she could see a figure. Gimli ran forward, screaming and his axe left his hands when the figure raised a finger. The elf let his arrow fly and it sped past the wizard in the light, knocked off course as Aragorn's sword began to glow until the man cried out, dropping it. Disarmed, the group moved to each other, away from the wizard. The light still shone, as if trying to blind them and as his deep voice rang out, Rosalie felt her stomach knot. How are we going to get out of this one?