The prisoners continue to work on their escape plans, Lothrandir has a difficult time, and Gwin has a disconcerting encounter with one of her least-favorite people. Enjoy!

Chapter 115

Unfortunately, it took what I determined to be a full week before we were able to make much progress with the plan. Luckily for me, I interacted with Morflak directly more and more often, and gained his trust as I did what he asked. Ulguth brought me to do certain tasks that were less and less undesirable; I had not been back to clean up the slop in the mess hall since that first day. Cleaning weapons and gear was easy enough, and when I would carry barrels of them around to their various destinations, I made sure not to overly fill them, due to their weight. I eventually was delivering them outside on the surface, which was the goal. It allowed me to get a clearer picture of the layout, and I determined where the best place for the distraction would be.

There was a small grouping of ballistae and a massive tower, with many ladders leaning against it. All were made of wood and steel, and would go up in flames if we managed to set them on fire. At first, there was no powder to be found as I wandered around carrying my barrels, and I tried not to get frustrated. However, eventually they started testing it outside, creating iron balls covered by thick ropes and the black powder. They would burst into flame, and I knew that the enemy could kill many by using these weapons. It made my heart squeeze, thinking of how many would die. I hoped our actions could play a tiny part in somehow hindering them, but Saruman was churning out endless numbers of weapons and fighters. More and more Uruk-hai and orcs filled the caverns and outdoor ring every day, and Saruman had established hidden camps on the road leading up to the Ring of Isengard. From what I had overheard, the road would look deserted, but if anyone were to travel upon it, they would be ambushed by hidden enemies.

I and the others gathered as much information as we could about what was going on outside, and things sounded grim. The Rohirrim were spread far afield, and Prince Theodred's forces were constantly battling against Saruman's creatures. Small skirmishes so far, but Candaith heard tell of a plan to kill the Prince by luring his men to Isengard with a deceptively small force, and then surrounding the Rohirrim at the Fords of Isen. We felt helpless to do anything to stop them; I hoped we could escape and warn the Prince before the battle happened. However, he knew nothing of us; why would he trust the word of strangers?

"Ergothorn mentioned going to Theodred's camp in the Gravenwood, did he not?" Candaith asked. My eyes lit up at this realization. "He would vouch for us."

"Hopefully he got there safely," I murmured, feeling a little worried. He was skilled in traveling through Dunland, but it was a far distance to get to the Gravenwood.

We had both had busy days, and I had been able to place two powder and weapon-filled barrels at the designated location for the distraction. I jumped as I heard Lothrandir's cell door open and he stumbled inside, falling to the ground. "Lothrandir!" I hissed, once the guard was gone. The ranger did not move for a moment. I called his name again, and he groaned pitifully before dragging himself across the floor to his pack. He was fumbling with the ties, and his hands were shaking as he trembled. He pulled out a packet of what I realized was pipe weed, and eventually he had his pipe lit, crawling into the darkest part of his cell to hide from any enemy who might want to investigate the smell. However, the caverns had a perpetually smoky smell (although not at all pleasant), so I wasn't too worried.

"Candaith, what do you think happened?" I whispered anxiously.

"Let us give him a moment to collect himself, and then I will ask," Candaith answered, a frown on his face. I wrung my hands and resisted the urge to jump up and start pacing. I barely noticed as he took my hands in his and tried to relax my clenched fingers. "Meleth, try and stay calm."

"Stay calm?" I replied, perhaps a little hysterically. "Something has happened to him, and I sense it is more than just physical injury."

"We will help him through it," Candaith murmured. "Although it will not be quite as easy from this distance."

After what felt like hours but was likely only fifteen minutes, I noticed Lothrandir set his pipe carefully on the ground and run a now steadier hand through his tangled brown hair. I was about to call his name again, but he turned a bit to meet my eyes. I startled, for they had a haunted quality about them. He looked drained of all energy and hope. "What happened to you, mellon nin?" I asked worriedly.

He blinked slowly at me, as if he needed time to absorb my question before answering, "Saruman."

My heart squeezed, knowing some of what he would have faced. "He spoke with you then." Lothrandir nodded. "About the quest?" Another nod. I decided perhaps we should switch to Sindarin, as I realized it would be safer. As much as I hated to ask, we needed to know what he said. "Did...did you tell him anything?" A pause, and then a shake of his head in the negative. I let out a slow breath, feeling relieved. "I know how difficult that must have been, for I also faced his interrogation." He shrugged, but again did not reply with words. I wondered what was going through his mind.

Candaith sighed. "I am proud of you, for it took much strength and resolve to stand against him."

A quiet, "You give me too much credit," was heard, and he clenched his hands in frustration. "He played as many cards as he could. First, he crafted an image of me doing great deeds, and being rewarded for helping him. All I needed to do was answer a few questions, and I would be free to leave and become a warrior beyond reckoning. When I pushed those away, he told me of the suffering my friends and family would endure." His voice broke, and his eyes met mine. "I...he forced me to look into his Palantír." I gasped; that must have been the object on the pedestal which had absorbed the darkness when I had spoken with the wizard. "I saw Gondor's armies being overwhelmed, and Osgiliath in flames as it burned. Villages razed to the ground, women and children fleeing for their lives as orcs pursued them on wargs." Tears rolled down his cheeks now. "Yet, even those visions were not enough to break me, somehow. Aragorn would not wish for me to give in to despair, and it is my duty to do whatever I can to help him succeed." He shuddered. "It was painful to resist, and I worry I will face more of it, should we not escape from this place soon."

"We will," I said earnestly. "There is a plan in place; I had not told you of it yet." I laid out Acca's plan, explaining its current status, and how we were close to enacting it. "It has been difficult to wait, but everything needs to be in place or it will fail." It could still fail.

"You think tomorrow will be the day?" Lothrandir asked, brow furrowed.

Candaith shook his head. "Gwin wants to put at least one more barrel of weapons in place, but it should still work well even with the ones already there. We need a little more time."

"Do the other prisoners know of this plan?"

"It has been carefully spread to the others. Baldgar, the Rohir with the keys, will let us all out the evening after next, when we have been returned to our cells. Acca will find a way to quietly escape from whatever Uruk is escorting him, and go on ahead of us to set the distraction," Candaith explained.

"We will need to move quickly once Acca has set the explosion off," Lothrandir mused, looking pained.

"He will explain the route we should take to get as close to the entrance to the surface as we can, before he does his part," I said with a sigh, still upset about his decision to sacrifice his life for this.

Candaith slid an arm around my waist and pulled me close. "Let us rest, so we are ready for another day." Lothrandir and I nodded, and settled ourselves to sleep. I found myself lying awake despite my best efforts, eyes trained on Lothrandir as he twitched in his sleep, clearly having nightmares. I sent a little prayer to Irmo, asking him to settle Lothrandir's dreams, but it felt pointless. Lately it seemed as if the Valar didn't care about what was happening outside of their realm, and perhaps that was true.

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Sure enough, Morflak had me up on the surface again the next morning. "Plenty of armor scattered around; those orcs deserve a thrashing for leaving them on the ground instead of putting them where they belong." Morflak's expression brightened. "Maybe they'll let me do the honors."

Speaking of orcs, they would shy away from the large Uruk-hai whenever the two of us would come upon them…or perhaps they wanted to avoid an Elf. Either way, I didn't complain about them staying away from me; it made my job easier if I was able to keep a low profile. I subtly looked over to where I had been placing the barrels which had the black powder in them, pleased to see they were still exactly where I put them.

"Here you go, she-elf," Morflak said, pushing a barrel into my hands. "If the orcs give you any trouble, threaten to send them to me." My eyes widened as he slipped me a knife. "Or you can do the honors." He gave me a terrifying grin. "Someone will come find you at the end of the day, like usual."

I nodded my understanding, and he wandered away. I could hear him threatening orcs as he went, and I shook my head at his behavior. He gave me a knife! Sure, it wasn't one of my own, but it could do much damage in my hands. I had been trained in the art of stealth in the Guard, which included killing enemies quietly and unseen. Prince Legolas had referred to is as being like a 'thief in the night.' I knew he was not fond of the strategy, but it had been very useful in defeating the orcs and spiders which roamed in Mirkwood, unsuspecting of their enemy, which hid just out of sight. If I needed to, I would use such methods here.

Looking as unobtrusive as possible in my drab grey outfit, I collected the armor, and nicked little bags of powder whenever I got the chance. They were usually sitting next to one of the ballistae, which was a foolish place to keep them, due to their flammability. I was able to fill four more barrels, as there were even more pieces of armor and weapons than usual on the ground. I knew Saruman had been training huge numbers of orcs and Uruks, and instead of putting things where they found them, they just left them on the ground. If I had more places to hide them on my person, I would take a few more weapons for myself.

I had just finished placing the last barrel when I turned around and came face to face with my least-favorite Numenorian. Trying to look as relaxed and meek as possible, I bowed my head, "Galthrod."

"Hello Gwinthilnel. I have not had the…luxury of seeing you since we last spoke," he murmured, the subtle power of his voice echoing despite its quiet volume.

Shaking off the cobwebs and without raising my eyes, I said "Well met, Galthrod." Unsure what else to say, I paused. When he did not reply, I added, "What can I do for you, my lord?"

"Saruman wishes to see you," he drawled. I felt a shiver of panic run down my spine. "No need to be afraid, for he will not harm you if you give him what he wants."

"What does he want?" I asked, cursing how my voice shook.

I flinched as he tipped my chin up with his gloved fingers, his dark eyes locked onto mine. His lips quirked up in a mocking smile. "Don't worry, I will escort you safely. None of this rabble will bother you." He motioned around us with a wave of his hand. I would rather deal with hordes of orcs than Saruman, but I kept the thought to myself. I would be facing the wizard whether I wanted to or not. He held out his arm and tucked my hand into it. "Shall we?" Without giving me a chance to reply, he started leading us to the stairs, which would take us to Saruman's quarters. "They are more intimate; I am sure you will be more comfortable there than in the drafty throne room."

"Will you be joining us?" I asked, not really sure why I cared.

Galthrod looked amused. "While I would love nothing better, I have other things I must attend to."

"More important than me?" I quipped back, thinking rapidly. Perhaps I could soften him to my cause, by being friendly?

His dark lips curved up in a sly smile, and stroked my fingers lightly, "You certainly have a high opinion of yourself." He's flirting. What on earth?

Deciding I should take advantage of this unanticipated behavior, I willed myself to blush and murmured in a low tone, "I know of how others view me, and I am more than just any Elleth."

Galthrod's eyes darkened, and it made me a little uneasy. Was I playing with fire here? "I must admit to having little experience with your kind; there are none in the South, and you are the first of Saruman's…guests, to be an Elleth. I wonder why he desires your knowledge. What do you have to offer him?"

"I cannot say, for it is a secret," I replied, reluctantly putting a small, flirtatious inflection in my voice. It couldn't be too obvious, for he likely suspected I was romantically involved with Candaith or Lothrandir. I had also expressed distaste for his company in the past; it would be suspicious if I threw myself at him in an obvious way, especially when it was just for show.

He raised an eyebrow, and whispered, "Is it now? Well, perhaps there is something you could offer me."

"And what would that be, my lord?" I said lightly, somehow preventing my voice from shaking. I was nervous now, and worried I was getting myself into something I could not get out of easily.

Pulling us into a darkened alcove, he raised a gloved hand and tucked some hair behind my ear, brushing the point; I tried not to shudder in discomfort. This was nothing like when Candaith would do it, and I wanted to squirm away from him. "A kiss, perhaps? I have never done so with an Elf before."

Taking a shaky breath, I forced a coy smile, "I will grant it, if you would do something for me." I was surprised at how I was able to add a sultry tone to my words, and knew it was making him more interested than he already was. I twirled a piece of his long, dark hair around a finger, and his smile widened.

"What would that be, my lady?" he breathed, leaning a little closer.

Our lips were inches apart, and I whispered, "Get me out of here. Look the other way, and come find me when I am outside of the walls of Nan Curunír. Perhaps I will repay you with more than just a kiss." This was a risky proposition, and he might call my bluff. It was not part of our current plan of escape, but if I could get word to an ally, and possibly prevent an attack on Theodred's Riders, it would be worth it. The others could still follow the original plan, and I would be able to tell Candaith what I was up to through our bond. Not sure he would like this plan very much.

There was a moment where neither of us moved or spoke, and I knew he was considering my words carefully. After an agonizing moment of waiting, he said, "First you must see Saruman, but then I will grant your wish." My heart fell, but I realized this was likely the best I could have gotten. I just needed to survive this encounter with the wizard, and hopefully find my freedom after.

However, I had to seal this deal. "Do you promise, my lord?" I found myself brushing my fingers over the back of his neck, and was mildly alarmed at how easily this came to me. I knew he had the skill to persuade people to do things, as his words held power. I wondered how much of my actions were being influenced by him.

"I promise, the true Heir as my witness," he whispered. "Now, allow me to do the honors." And then his lips were on mine. There was a beat where I did not respond, and hated what I was doing. Forgive me, Candaith. I could have told him this through our bond…but I was ashamed at my actions. Perhaps they would lead to my release, but the methods were shady, and I felt like I was betraying Candaith by kissing another man. Then Galthrod was trying to deepen the kiss, and I put on a show of welcoming this advance as I kissed him back. I hoped it did not seem forced to him.

After what felt like forever, he slowly pulled back, nipping at my lip before whispering, "I look forward to more of this; you taste delicious." His voice made me shiver in discomfort, but a smirk was on his face as he likely interpreted it the wrong way. We both straightened up, and he tucked my hand under his arm as we continued our ascent, like the encounter had never happened.

But it did, and I wanted to scrub my lips, as if that would get the memory of it to disappear.

Suddenly I was pulled from my thoughts when we stopped in front of an ominous-looking, black door. "Here is where I leave you, Gwinthilnel," Galthrod said. He must have caught something in my expression, for he scoffed and said, "Do not worry so much; just tell him what he wants to know, and you will be rewarded. Simple as that." With a smirk and a wink, he kissed my hand before opening the door and announcing me. "Farewell, for now."

With that, I shuffled inside and the door shut behind me with a gentle 'click'. I took a deep breath and looked forward, where Saruman was waiting for me, his eyes appraising me.

Eru, guide my steps.

Well. That wasn't exactly what Gwin had expected to do today, but deep down, she knows she will do whatever it takes to get out of here and help whoever she can. Is she playing with fire, like she worries she is? Will Candaith find out about this, and if so, how will he react? Next chapter, Gwin will have another meeting with Saruman, which is sure to be difficult. Thanks for reading, and leave a review!