***Chapter 17***

**Saffy's POV**

My body ached as pain laced through my head. I felt like fire all over, bruises sure to be forming on my ribs and shoulders. My throat was raw from dehydration, I felt as though I had slept for days. A groan made its way from my mouth as I attempted to open my eyes.

"Don't try to move too quickly." A soft feminine voice said as they gently pressed down on my shoulders to keep me lying in the bed.

"Water." I pleaded, only to be rewarded with the cold touch of wet glass on my lips. I greedily gulped down the icy liquid. "Where am I?"

"You are in the healing halls of Mordor." She stated gently probably trying to dull my reaction to hearing that I was in Mordor and not safe.

As soon as those words left her lips though I jolted upright in the bed, causing the mild throb in my ribs to turn into full screaming of the flesh. Just as I was about to collapse back onto the bed, her hands caught my back and placed several pillows to brace me upward.

"Why am I not dead?" I asked her, leaning heavily into the cushioning behind me.

"The Lady insisted that you and your party were to be healed before being kept in the cells. The Lord has not yet regained his full strength, so she reigns in his stead for the time." The healer explained, filling the now empty glass with water before passing it back to me.

"Where are the others?" I asked her, finally scrutinizing the woman before me.

She looked to be older than I am, probably around 30 or 40 years old, her hair was strictly pulled back in a bun behind her hair, not letting a single of the brown strands loose. Her skin was almost grey in pallor, with wrinkle about her face framing her eyes and mouth as well as lining her forehead. Her dress was also a dull grey color, dulling her brown eyes to a muddy tone.

"There are also being tended to before being brought down to the dungeons." She answered plainly.

I took the water and drank more slowly this time, savoring the feel of the cold water flowing down my throat. I didn't want to think about how long it would be before I felt the comfort of cold water and a soft bed once I'd be placed in the dungeons.

"How are you feeling? Any pain more than stiffness?" she questioned.

"My ribs are burning as are my shoulders, and my head is throbbing." I replied, taking in some more of the water.

"Your head will feel better with the more water you drink and sleep that you get." She commented as she brought the pitcher back to the glass. "Your right shoulder was dislocated during the battle, so there will be some tenderness for about a week. Your ribs on the other hand are bruised, it will hurt to breath for a time, try not to breathe too deeply or quickly and the pain will subside."

I nodded my head at her, testing my right shoulder with a roll only for it to sear in pain. She clicked her tongue when she saw me do this, but did not offer any more information. Instead, she rose from the bed and walked over to the door, sticking her head out and giving a call.

An orc with slight armor and a sword at its belt strode through the door a moment later, staring at me.

"You will be brought to the dungeons now that you have awoken. I will be down to check on your progress around nightfall." She said as she walked over to the bed and took my hands.

I moved my legs out of the bed so that I could follow her and my bare feet touched the cold stone. She pulled me a little away from the bed, holding my hands to make sure that I didn't stumble before she left me standing there.

I looked down at my appearance, slightly shocked that I was wearing clothing similar to what I wore in battle. The pants were loose on my, leaving air room around my legs and I wore a large brown shirt. The healer returned to me with a pair of boots and a cloak. She placed the cloak around my shoulders and then knelt down to place the boots on my feet.

The orc continued to stare at me through this process, waiting impatiently to take me down to the dungeons. Once I was fully garbed, she led me over towards where the orc stood.

"Don't try to fight back on your way down now. You haven't the strength to manage it and it hasn't the mercy not to beat you until you're back here." She ordered me.

I simply nodded my head before following the orc out of the door; it kept its eyes on me but refrained from placing hands on me. It was a long trek down to the dungeons, it probably took longer than it should have because I could only walk so fast without stumbling. Finally, we descended down the last flight of stairs into a darkened hallway there were cells placed on both sides, going down for several hundred feet. I was walked passed the first cells, which held men with bruises and bandages on their bodies and faces. They must have been men who had given up once the battle had turned to losing. Finally, we reached the end of the hallway. There were cells built on every side of the wall, all facing each other. I was shoved into one of the corner cells, before the orc slammed the door shut and strode back down the long, dark hallway.

I sank down to the floor, staring outside the bars at the other cells, I could see Aragorn across the way from me, leaning back against the back wall of his cell, his head tilted upwards. Gimli was in the cell two down from him, thick bandages covering his arms and legs and a sling holding his arm tight to his chest. In the cell beside him was Merry, there was a bandage wrapped around his head as well as his ankles.

No one had stirred since I was placed in my cell, so I merely sat there waiting for the cell between Aragorn and Gimli to be filled as well as for someone to make a sound.

Hours passed before the light in the hallway increased marginally, it was accompanied by the sound of footsteps making their way down the corridor along with the sound of feet being dragged. I pressed my face closer to the bars, watching as two orcs dragged a figure with pale blonde hair towards the cell. One let go of the one side to throw the door open to the vacant cell, the figure brought their hand up in an attempt to strike the remaining orc grabbing it. But instead they were thrown unceremoniously into the cell. The iron door slamming shut ominously.

The blonde inside lifted off the ground, rising into a sitting position before facing the bars. There sat Legolas, his face was bruised and blood trailed down from his lip. He must have been fighting back as he was clearly beaten recently. There was a large lump where bandages were covered by clothing on his left arm. Misery coated his features as he sat there staring into nothingness.

A cough brought all of our attention to the figure in the cell at the end of the hallway. Previously they had stayed back in the shadows of the cell, it was by far the largest of all ours. Mine was approximately 5 feet wide at the door but went back a good 15 feet. Yet the end cell was 10 feet wide and easily 20 feet back. Inside the large cell stood a beaten looking Gandalf, his beard was covered in mud and his once magnificent white robes had been replaced with dingy grey robes. He was the only one of our group, that I could see, who stood before the bars now.

"Now that our party is assembled." He began. "Is everyone alright?"

Aragorn moved to the front of his cell showing that he was not asleep, he placed his hand on the bars so that the other people on his side could see that there was someone within the cell. Legolas copied the movement, followed by Gimli and Merry. I mimicked the same on my side of the hallway, looking down to see four more hands emerge on my side of the hallway and another hand was beyond Merry.

"I am relatively unharmed." Aragorn said.

It seemed a roll call of some form letting everyone know where you were. It started at Aragorn, followed by Legolas stating that he was without major injury. Gimli continued with a gruff "I could be worse". Then Merry commented that he would be better with food but would survive. This call was also taken up by apparently Pippin next to him, who expressed his similar desire for food. Sam was at the end of my row stating that he was fine but for a head injury. Then Nimiwen was next to him, announcing she was fine. The unknown person in the cell beside me was Eomer, his voice was rough from lack of water but he said he was also mostly unharmed.

"I'll live." I concluded.

Gandalf nodded his head when I had finished off the group. His hand moved up to stroke the hair of his beard in the least matted part, under his chin.

"The good news is that from what I have heard that Sauron has not yet fully retained his form, which leaves Deirdre in rule of Mordor for the moment. Though I have asked about Frodo, all I was told is that he still slumbers and is not expected to wake for at least another day."

As Gandalf gave his report of his own findings, the door down at the end of the hallway swung open, giving more light to the room. By the time he had finished reporting on Frodo, the sound of footsteps had drawn down to the end of our group. I saw that hands of Merry, Pippin and Sam pull back into their cells first as the footsteps passed them. Gimli and Nimiwen withdrew their hands as well. But I saw that Legolas left his hand where it was as the figure came into my view.

"Well isn't this cozy?" A sarcastic voice stated, emanating from the face of my former best friend.

There stood Deirdre, in her dark glory the necklace which hung at her neck glowed with the red color of blood. A harsh smirk crossed her face as she regarded each of us individually. She lingered for a moment longer on Legolas' cell before turning to face Gandalf fully.

"It will please you to know that Frodo has awakened earlier than anticipated." Her voice was cold as she said this.

"And what do you intend to do with us now, Deirdre?" Gandalf asked boldly.

"That's not for me to decide, wizard." She spat like a curse. "My lord will once he has retaken his form."

A chill passed over me as she said this, but it was counteracted by the anger boiling within me. "And you will keep us in this dungeon for however long it takes." I snapped.

Deirdre turned to me, her eyes cold as she regarded me. "Don't worry, Saffron. You won't be kept waiting long."

And with those words she turned and strode away her black cloak trailing after her.

**End Chapter**

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