Gwin faces Saruman once more, and tries her best to keep quiet about their errand. How well will she do? As with their first encounter, it was tricky to write, and I hope it turned out decent. Read on to find out what happens next!
Chapter 116I tried to stand tall as he beckoned me forward, and I felt compelled to sit in an uncomfortable-looking chair, across from his. He gave me what I am sure he thought was a disarming smile, and my lips copied it involuntarily as I felt compelled to do so. I knew deceiving Saruman was not truly possible, unless you were exceedingly powerful. Maybe Gandalf could have managed it…but I was certainly not a wizard, nor gifted with any skills of persuasion.
I would need to be on my guard, even more so than the first time we spoke. I was weaker now, having been here for some time and eating much less while working hard. Despite my cushier assignments, they were still difficult at times, and I was very tired at the end of each day. Isengard also had a way of sucking the hope out of you, and it made my spirit heavier.
"Gwinthilnel, we meet again," he began, his tone pleasant.
"Indeed," I replied dreamily, with a nod of my head in his direction. "What can I do for you?"
"Have you had time to consider my proposal?" He asked, his beguiling eyes meeting mine.
With much effort, I looked away and down at my hands. "I have."
There were a few moments of silence before Saruman said, "And?" There was a flicker of impatience in his tone.
Gathering my courage and force of will, I stated, "I cannot give you the knowledge you seek, for I do not know many details."
I could almost feel how he narrowed his eyes at me, "You travel with these Dunedain rangers, yet do not know of their errand?"
I shrugged uncomfortably, "They had not intended for me to come along at all. I was curious, so I followed them and eventually joined their company." This was mostly true, so it wasn't too difficult to say.
"Hmm," Saruman mused. "Surely you have learned more since you set off from Imladris." I tried not to react to this surprising information; he knew where we had departed from! I wondered if Elrond had suspected this.
"All I know is that we are to head South; their chieftain asks for their aid." I felt like he was pulling the words out of my mouth, for I had not intended to say quite this much.
"Yes, you said so the last time we spoke," he replied drily. "Yet, I feel there is more you are not saying." I tried to resist, but my eyes raised to meet his, and I was drawn into their swirling colors. It had me spellbound, and I could not look away. "Tell me what you know."
"I…t-there is evil to f-fight in G…," I stammered. "We…we go to help."
"Gondor?" his tone was sharper now.
I felt myself nodding, and hated how my body betrayed me.
"Who are you helping? The Steward?" he stood, and came closer at an achingly slow walk. "He has the blood of Numenor in his veins, however diluted; the Dunedain have this also. Yet, how would he get such a message to them?" I remained silent with great difficulty, and I felt my nails cutting into my palms hard enough to draw blood. "You will answer me, Gwinthilnel."
My eyes darted around the suddenly stifling room, and landed on what I suspected was the Palantír; it was under a black cloth on a dark, circular pedestal. Saruman noticed my gaze, and raised an eyebrow. "Ah, you have noticed my Palantír?" I nodded, suddenly unable to take my eyes off of it. "Why not have a look, then? Surely you are interested to see what lies within?"
"I…I don't…" I stammered, but the truth was that I was interested. I knew it could not present lies, but it could twist the truth enough to make things seem more dire than they were. Yet, could knowing present and future events gain us some clarity? Or…would the Eye of Sauron be staring back at me? I shuddered violently at the thought, which seemed to amuse Saruman. Instead of replying, he took my hand and suddenly I was standing and moving slowly towards the Palantír.
Irmo, guard my thoughts. With this likely pointless request to the Valar, Saruman settled me right in front of the Palantír, and threw off the cloth in one smooth motion.
At first, nothing happened, and I could see my drawn reflection in the dark, polished globe in front of me. Then smoke began to appear, swirling inside of it. It parted to reveal what I had already seen in person; Mirkwood covered by darkness and my kinsmen fighting the forces of Dol Guldur. It can also show the past? This was not something I had known.
In fact, I could see myself there, fighting with a large group of Malledhrim and Galadhrim as we pushed back against the forces of the Witch King. It had seemed hopeless, and I could feel the familiar despair creeping over me as I watched the two groups crash together as we fought for our lives. At the time, I had no clue if we would be victorious, and in fact, we only just managed to push them back. Time seemed to move forward quickly before my eyes, and my people continued to fight. I knew there would be another great battle under the trees; would I be there to aid them?
Shivering at the chill in my bones, the picture changed. All across Rohan, the Uruk-hai and orcs were going from village to village, burning them to the ground and laughing as they killed the townspeople…or worse. I dimly wondered if this was what Lothrandir had seen. Yet, I knew there was hope to be found in Theodred; the people were stronger than Saruman thought. The same strength could be found in the Dunlendings, who replaced the dark creatures as the ones attacking the Rohirrim. I also knew there were good people among them who would fight against Saruman, despite his best efforts to persuade them to do otherwise. The knowledge of these positives made some of the icy feeling dissipate.
So far, so good. Despite seeing these distressing images, I had found ways to combat the despair using logic.
"Gwin, what is going on?" I froze. This might be the worst possible time for him to interject my thoughts.
"I must put up the barrier, meleth nin. I will explain later."
"Wait-" With that, I threw up the 'wall', but was worried it perhaps was not very strong, due to being drawn into the Palantír.
Unfortunately, Saruman must have sensed Candaith's presence, or at least, the Palantír somehow picked up on it. Rohan shifted out of focus, and Candaith appeared. My eyes widened as I saw the cursed sword plunged into his chest on the Forsaken Road; I had not been present for it, and a verbal description paled in comparison to the horror that was unfolding before me. He screamed and crumpled to the ground, blood pooling around him as he shuddered.
"Please…stop," I choked, tears running down my cheeks. Yet, I was unable to tear my eyes away as I watched him drag himself across the dusty ground, pure agony on his handsome face. I rubbed my chest, and it hurt more and more as it seemed the pain Candaith had felt was transferring to me. Soon I was gasping as waves of agony coursed through me, and I almost lost my footing as I scrabbled to hold onto the pedestal.
He's alive he's alive he's alive! I kept up the mantra even as the darkness hovered around my vision, and I knew that it must be starting to swirl around me. "Ah, it has returned," Saruman murmured, somewhere behind me, but I barely heard him.
And then He was there.
Fire. All I could see was an Eye of fire, and I could not tear my gaze away. Sauron's voice was in my head once more, first speaking in the Black Speech, but then I could understand him. Your ability to resist my curse is strong; you would make a powerful ally, should you choose correctly. I see your suffering, but it does not need to be this way, she-elf. Tell us what we need to know, and you will be rewarded.
"You…you lie!" I was shaking, and covered in a cold sweat. My head felt like it was going to explode, like the black powder Saruman used for his weapons.
You have hindered me for too long; aid me, or face unending punishment. If not, I will find you, and bring you to my tower, and you will answer my questions, or face death.
Drawing on what little ability to use my brain that I had left, I pushed forward the image I could recall of Námo. "He would welcome me, for he has already offered me a place in his Halls. I have spoken with the Valar, and they will aid me in my aims to see you thrown down, along with all who follow you, Saruman included." I couldn't believe what I was saying; it was either a ridiculous gamble on my part, or the words were coming to me from some outside source. Were the Valar truly with me, helping me through this struggle? The thought was overwhelming, and holding onto this was just enough to allow me to break away from Sauron's sway on my mind.
I fell to the ground, gasping for breath and shivering on the hard marble. The darkness, which had been swirling around me, once again was reabsorbed by the Palantír. Feanor would have been appalled by how his creations were being used.
Unfortunately, I was abruptly pulled to my feet; Saruman's grip on my arm was painful. "What have you done, she-elf!" He was furious, but I could hear an undertone of fear in his voice.
My energy was nearly spent, but I managed to collapse into a nearby chair. "I…I told S-Sauron the truth…I will n-not bow down to him or a-anyone, you included."
"There was more to it than that," he hissed, and he put his face close to mine. "Tell me what it was."
His eyes were black as night, and full of rage. It was terrifying to see, for I knew how powerful he was. I could be dead in an instant, should he choose to kill me.
And then…
I felt a wave of warmth flow through me. Despite my efforts to keep him away, Candaith was there in my soul. He did not speak, for he must have sensed the dire straits I was in, but his added strength was just enough to center me. I straightened up with great difficulty, and my breathing was even as I whispered, "You will have to ask him. Surely you share all you know with one another, so it should be no trouble to learn what we spoke of."
Saruman seemed taken aback by my calmer demeanor, or perhaps my words. "I will do so. You, however, will return to the dungeons, far away from your rangers and in the darkest, coldest cell I have. We are not through here, and I will get what I need from you," he growled, and I knew it was no idle threat. "Galthrod!" The door opened and the dark Numenorian entered silently. "Take this Elleth to the mubullat kolauz (dark cell)."
Galthrod looked briefly surprised before the calm mask slid back into place. "Very well, my lord." He bowed respectfully, before pulling me to my feet. "Come along." As he escorted me out of the horrid chambers, I became weaker and weaker. Once the door shut, I staggered into the wall. Luckily for me, Galthrod held me up and prevented me from collapsing to the ground. "So I take it you did not tell him what he wanted to know," he drawled.
I shook my head and stuttered "I c-couldn't. The Palantír…it was s-so horrible."
He sighed and tsked-tsked at me, "It did not need to be so difficult, Gwinthilnel. It is your own fault he made you look into the Seeing Stone."
"I know," I said, my voice sounding small.
"Now, before you ask," he lowered his voice. "The plan will need to wait."
"What?" I asked with some dismay. "I held up my end."
"Saruman is placing you in a special cell. I must see it done, or I would face my own consequences," he explained, sounding a little frustrated.
I sighed, "Despite your freedoms, Saruman is still the leader of all who dwell here, it seems."
He waved a hand dismissively, "Do not worry, once the wizard puts his plan into motion, I will slip out of here, unnoticed, and return to my people in the south."
"His plan?" I asked faintly, still trying to focus on walking in a straight line.
Galthrod huffed a laugh, "Where do you think he intends to deploy all these vermin? They will not simply sit here idle." There were a few moments of silence where he helped me navigate some tricky stairs. "No, they have been bred to destroy Rohan, killing the Prince and eventually the King, along with all of their people."
"How do you know this?" I exclaimed, shocked.
"I listen, and pay attention when no one is looking," he said airily. "The best way to gain intelligence is to act like you could care less what others are saying and doing. By knowing what goes on around here, I can plan my own actions."
"Hmm," I murmured. "Seems like a good strategy." It was strange having a civil conversation with a man who I considered an enemy, or at least a tool to achieve my own aims. I wondered if he was trying to get me off my guard. I hid a smile as I felt another wave of comfort come from Candaith.
"I agree," he replied, before settling us on a bench. "You are about to collapse, and I have no interest in carrying you all the way to the dungeons," he said drily.
"I can make it on my own, if you have better things to be doing," I argued, and attempted to do just that. Unfortunately, my legs nearly gave out beneath me, and I shuffled back to the bench, cheeks burning in embarrassment. Galthrod held what looked like waybread in his hand, and offered it to me. "What is this?" I asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Cram," he said, raising an eyebrow. "I do not intend to poison you, for clearly Saruman still thinks you have some use, and I find your company rather…pleasant." I took it uneasily, not liking the way he said 'pleasant'. I nibbled on it, secretly grateful for the food; I hadn't eaten since the day before, as I would have received my daily gruel once I returned to my cell at the end of the day.
"Now would be the perfect time to escort me outside the gates," I argued, trying once more to prove my point. "I look a mess, and you could convince any lesser creature you come across that my usefulness has run out and Saruman decided to throw me into the wilds to die."
"You likely would die, if I did that, and then where would that leave the two of us?" he murmured, stroking my hand; I suppressed an uncomfortable shiver at the gesture. "No, it would be better for you to regain some strength before I pull you away from some job tomorrow."
I raised an eyebrow, "You think spending the night in whatever dark cell I am to be placed in will help me regain my strength?" I scoffed. "Doubtful."
He gripped my wrist, not too tightly, but enough to act as a warning. "Those are my terms. I return tomorrow, let you outside of the gates, and decide on a meeting place for later, where we can…get better acquainted." He had leaned closer, his lips right against my ear as he spoke. "I promise I am worth the wait."
Forcing myself to relax, I leaned away slightly and gave him what I hoped was a coy smile, "I think it is rather the other way around, my lord."
His lips quirked up and before I could stop him, he brushed them lightly against mine. "We will find out soon enough." His voice was beguiling, and I had to shake myself to break free of its hold. "Feeling stronger?"
I nodded, wanting to move on from this intimate encounter, and he pulled me to my feet. I remembered little of the journey to the dungeons, for I was placing all my focus on putting one foot in front of the other. It wasn't until I heard Lothrandir call my name, clearly concerned, that I snapped out of my dazed walk. When I met his eyes, he looked startled. "What has happened?" he asked, but Galthrod had already led me past, and I just shrugged helplessly.
Candaith however, would not be so easily shaken aside. "What have you done to her, filth?" he hissed angrily, eyes flashing.
Galthrod seemed to be unable to pass up the chance to needle the ranger. "I have done nothing but…comfort her. Saruman had some questions, and she clearly did not answer them to his satisfaction." He gave Candaith a mocking smile. "Do not worry, I will take care of her."
I felt horribly guilty for my behavior, and I wondered what he saw in my eyes. As we went to move past and Candaith realized I would not be joining him in his cell, he shouted, "Where are you taking her?" My heart constricted at the anguished panic in his tone.
"Oh, Saruman has prepared another cell for her. I will say it will be a rather unpleasant experience for her, in the mubullat kolaoz, but oh well. I will make sure she gets settled in." Galthrod smirked, making Candaith even angrier. So much so, that it flared through our bond like a flame, and I gasped at the intensity of it.
"Meleth, what is going on?!"
"I will explain once I'm in my cell. Do not worry for me." I sighed inwardly, knowing there was no chance of that.
"Something is very wrong, I can tell!"
"Please be patient, and I will tell you what happened." He must have sensed the exhaustion and despair in my tone, for I felt what was like a warm hug in my soul.
"I am afraid of what he will do to you." It was a valid concern, but I had no good answer for him.
Instead, I simply replied, "Le melin, Candaith."
"Le melin," At his comforting 'words', a small smile formed on my face, but I made sure Galthrod could not see it.
It was wiped off my face when the two of us approached a thick, iron door with a sturdy lock on it. Galthrod pulled it open and grabbed a torch on the wall. Further and further we went, and even the Numenorian seemed to get uneasy as the darkness grew ever closer, until it felt heavy in the air.
Finally, a cell appeared. It was smaller than the one I shared with Candaith, and I noticed bemusedly as Galthrod's shaking hand unlocked and opened the door for me. I felt myself trembling in the cold air, and wrapped my arms around myself as I tried not to panic.
"I…I am sorry he put you here," he murmured, surprisingly looking quite worried for me. "No one deserves to be in this darkness."
I shrugged, trying to stay calm. "It will make me even more glad to see you tomorrow," I said lightly, which was not entirely a lie, as it would get me out of this hellish place. He frowned, and nodded before closing the door and lock with a click. "There are no torches." I stuttered, feeling dread settled in my heart.
"No, there are not," Galthrod whispered. "I must take mine with me."
"V-very well," I stammered. "Farewell, G-Galthrod".
"Farewell," he said softly, nodding his head before walking away.
I flinched as the heavy iron door swung closed, and I was left in total darkness.
I know that in canon, the Palantir don't show you the past or the future, just current events, but I wanted to throw in some of the characteristics of Galadriel's Mirror, for fun! The mubullat kolaoz is a place of my own invention and nowhere to be found in the books or the game, in case you're confused.
I reworked portions of this several times, hence the posting delay, because I didn't want Gwin to be too strong or too weak during this confrontation with Saruman. Despite being a strong, capable Elleth, she's only an Elf. Not a super powerful one like the legendary heroes of the Elder Days, but she's gone through a lot and faced enemies of great evil. If you play the game, you know the absurdly powerful creatures she has faced, although often in the company of others who could aid her. It's a delicate balance, but I'm doing my best to make it realistic.
Thanks for reading, I appreciate it so much!