Chapter 7: Tess' Story Continues

-The last thing that I remembered happening was getting smacked in the head with a chunk of ice, next thing I knew I was opening my eyes to this place...-

Plip...plip...plip...PLIP

Ice cold water splashed against Tess' forehead harshly, each droplet feeling like a ball of hot lead being hurtled at her. Frowning she slowly raised a stiff hand and wiped her wet face. Gradually she managed to rip apart her eyelids, her brown orbs burned and behind that there was a throbbing. Temptation to close her eyes again was lost when another water droplet splashed against her forehead. Sitting up was a task that took much persistence, all her muscles ached and after she had finally pulled herself up her stomach lurched.

Her ears were ringing so badly that she raised her hands around them as she threw up anything and everything that was in her stomach. Tears dropped down from her eyes and when she squeezed them shut a horrid pain split across her forehead above her right eye.

She gasped for breath between retching, but found she just couldn't manage it, her vision blurred and as hard as she tried she couldn't keep her eyes open.

-I think I must have gone in and out of consciousness several time, each time I would try to sit up, would hurl, and would fall back down again. Then finally I managed to stay upright and awake, though I think being under was better, it meant I didn't have to know about the Goblins and Orcs...-

Tess' head spun as she dragged herself through the strange halls, her eyes had adjusted fairly well and she could make out features, including the ones that were following her. With short desperate breaths she twisted and turned between boulders and columns in a half collapsed hall way, bare feet slapping over the rough rocks as she ran. The creatures behind her were screeching and whooping, but they were clumsy in their armor compared to Tess whom was weaving for her life. Taking a sharp turn she dove for an archway, only to find that it was a dead end room. High pitched wails made her turn once she had checked and checked again for a way out, only to have found none.

"P-Please! I don't mean an-any harm!" She pleaded breathlessly, which only made the creatures wail louder before they raised their weapons and ran at her. Tess looked around desperately and gripped onto the first axe she found (not that they were in short supply). As soon as a Goblin was in reach she swung, the axe sliced across the things chest and it dropped like a stone. There was no time for relief however as another one came after her, to which she sliced up at. Blood flicked over her clothes and face as that Goblin dropped too. Tess had no style or skill as she swung at the enemies, just praying that her axe would connect with them and that none of their sharp objects would touch her.

-It was only a scouting party so there weren't all that many, and I think what happened was that I got lucky with my terrible swinging. In fact I think I had the best luck because not only did they all drop, but one of them was carrying a package of...well...it tasted like food and it stayed in my stomach as I continued to wander around trying to find something, anything that would help me. When I was running from a particularly large group I managed to find this storage room, the Goblins thought I had run straight past the room downstairs so I was once again lucky. The next thing was to try and survive, there's all sorts of stuff in here, but there's no water or food. That stuff I had to look for, and over time I gained all this armor. I think the Goblins mainly rely on smell and vague outlines, because it suddenly became a lot easier to slip passed them when I was covered in grime, Orcs were easy enough to fool in dire situations as well...-

"No...no...raw...indigestible...what the hell is that?" Tess murmured to herself as she rifled through the last pack of six dead orcs. She had managed to fill her own with two flasks of (drinkable) water and a few of strips of dried meat that didn't have mold on it. Suddenly a light shone from down the hall.

"Crap," Tess murmured lowly before winding her hair up and stuffing her helmet on. Wincing she wiped a hand in orc blood and wiped it across her face, utterly disgusted but knowing it was necessary or they would smell her. They she heaved up her pack and an unused orc blade before running down the hall towards the light. Once she was in hearing distance she called in a high pitched rasp.

"Dead! They's all dead! Dunno what got 'em but is big!" Her throat killed her but she could see the the orc holding the lamp acknowledged her not as a human but a comrade.

"I smell blood, it's on you too," The filthy, dirty creature said holding his torch up.

"NO! No! The light hurts my eyes," She said quickly coming up with an excuse for her to not be in the light. It worked and the torch was lowered, but the sneer on the orc's face didn't budge.

"What are you creature? Why are you down here?"

"Covered in blood after tripping over those back there, didn't know they was there! I'm a Goblin, orders from the master to scout around for any problems, and problem I have found!" She rasped, her voice was cracking now and she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep it up, the smell of orc blood filled her lungs and the metallic taste was dripping into her mouth. She tried extremely hard not to spit.

"That you seemed too! How far away are our comrades?" The orc said squinting into the darkness beyond Tess.

"Just a bit back tha' way, careful, creature that got 'em might still be round!" Tess said raising her hand and walking down the left corridor, whilst the band of orcs went down the one she'd just come from. She breathed out a sigh before spitting and spitting and spitting and taking a gargle of water and spitting again.

-Little did I know that there are worse things than orc blood in your mouth. I still have no idea what it was, I didn't stick around to find out, but it scared several squadrons worth of Goblins away and for that I am thankful. After that I spent most of my time scouting around the places near-by, finding hiding spots and stealing packs when Goblins and Orcs weren't watching. I was about to go and scout around today for more food when I found you guys...or rather you guys found me. You gave me half a heart attack!-

Tess finished strapping on the quiver she had, grasped onto the handle of the Orc blade and made her way down the stairs until she was in the darkness. Ducking next to a rock she listened for any abnormal sounds, and she got a fair share of them.

Footsteps.

But not heavy orc steps, and they were too quiet and heavy to be Goblin steps. The slap of skin on stone confused her as she drew an arrow into her bow and aimed it at the door, interested in what was coming but not wanting to take any chances. A strange white light illuminated the hall and Tess had to turn away when it burned her eyes, the arrow slipped through her fingers and zoomed off through the door, colliding with something.

"The door!"

"Quick! Before it gets away!" Two voice called out, Tess still couldn't see right, white splotches danced across her sight as she dropped her bow and grasped the blade. The sound of two swords being drawn and the nearly silent sound of a bow string stretching indicated that only a few had entered and that the others were outside. The sound of footfalls caught her ears and the wall behind her lit up.

'Damn it! Why did the one with the light have to come in!' Tess though angrily as she blinked furiously, trying to see past white. Footsteps moved closer and closer to where she was hiding, and fearing that they would catch her before she had a chance she sprung up and swung. The black rusty blade that Tess had met with the clean, silver blade of a man.

He gasped, two other figures by the white gasped, and the one holding the cursed light spoke out urgently.

"Don't hurt it!"

'It!' Tess thought indignantly as she threw her blade at the light source, as expected the person holding the lamp moved and the light around the room titled. Tess quickly disappeared into the shadows behind a different rock. Her head was spinning from the exposure of something so bright and she thought she was going to be sick. The light dimmed however as the person holding it walked out through the door to talk to some others. Slow footsteps walked inside and tried to figure out exactly how many.

"We shan't hurt you, please come out," An old voice called.

~*~
"And the rest you guys know," Tess shrugged, the armor on her right shoulder clinking with the movement. Everyone was silent for a few moments, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

"So what about you guys?" Tess asked, patting Naomi's back when she started to cough again. The group looked to one another unsure as to tell this strange girl about the Ring.

"She trustworthy," Naomi managed between gasps afterwards, her eyes watering slightly. Tess held a flask to Naomi's lips and she took a large gulp and almost hurled it back up again. Her throat burned and an acid taste sank into her tongue.

"I take that back!" Naomi spluttered as she whipped her mouth on her sleeves, preferring the taste of dirt. Several in the room chuckled at Naomi's reaction, Tess laughing the most.

"Who knew Naomi couldn't hold her liquor?" Tess stuck her tongue out at Naomi before taking a swig from the flask herself. Naomi stared at her friend bewildered as she continued to wipe her mouth, Tess had never been much of a drinker yet here she was chugging it back like it was water.

"…That's not normal," Naomi muttered eyeing her friend suspiciously. Tess just grinned at her as she placed the cork back into the flask.

"I've been here a while, and it was a very effective way to make myself go to sleep, it seems I have grown somewhat immune to it," She explained, her grin falling to something smaller and less cheerful. Emotion stabbed into Naomi's stomach as painful questions spun around her mind. What if they had taken the passage south? What if they had made it over the mountain? What if they had walked straight passed that room and Tess had still been asleep? Naomi's gloved hand gripped her friends arm in an attempt to ground herself against the bile that rose in her throat.

"So how come you're all down here?" Tess asked again and was yet again met with silence. Frodo looked over the Gandalf who was watching Tess carefully whilst absently stroking his beard; said girl fidgeted under his gaze and cleared her throat absently, unsure as to whether she should meet the old wizards eyes or not.

"It all began with the forging of the Great Rings…"

HEEEEEEEEY! WAZZZZAAAAAAA! Sorry about not getting this out sooner, and sorry about how small it is, but I guessed that I should sake your thirst before someone comes hunting with a knife for my head. Exams and infected eyes aren't the best conditions under which one can write Fanfcition I must say. Anyways, thankyou so much to all those that are watching my story, I hope to get out more (and longer!) chapters soon.

Reviews make AxM happy and make her right more faster XD