Hope - A Lord Of The Rings Chronicle

Leggy and Co

"What? Impossible?!"
"I'm afraid not, Aredhrel." Elrond stands and places a hand on her shoulder "There was no lie in her eyes."
"No." She whispers, before shrugging him off "No!" She screams "No!No!She's lying. She has to be!"
"I'm so sorry." Gandalf bows his head solemnly.

"No!" No!" She whispers, shaking her head. Esteldir places a arm round hers, bows and begins to drag her away.
"Please you can't do this!" Her voice cries as she reaches the door "She killed him! I know that she did!"

Esteldir just managed against her struggling to close the door, and her cries become muffled against the wood. But, when the noise finally seems to have died down, they're flung open again, and Aredhrel storms in.
"Aredhrel!" Cries Esteldir desperately
"Woman.." Aragon begins

She marches purposefully up to me and stops. Her eyes, two burning embers are staring right into my soul. But underneath, all the fury and passion, all I see is hurt. Deep wounds I've inflicted. And my heart melts for her.

But then she strikes. She grabs me by my t-shirt and throws me to the floor. Chairs scrape backward and shouts are heard all round.
"Don't!"
"You fool!"
"Aredhrel!"
"This isn't the way!"
"Gandalf! Do something!"
"Ada!"

But no one shouts my name. I stumble onto my knees, but before I can get up she grabs me by the collar of my shirt, and hauls me around to face her where she punches me in the face. This time my glasses break and tumble onto the floor in two, and blood begins to trickle down my nose. I fall backwards onto my bum, pain searing up my leg. She moves to strike again, but thankfully Esteldir and Aragorn lift her upward.
"I'll kill you!" She screams struggling against them "One day, when you're all alone, when everyone has forsaken you, I'll find you. I'll kill you the same way you killed him. Then you'd wish you had never been born!"

My heart hammers in my chest, my breaths racing, I rub my upper lip, the blood tickling me. Every eye lingers on Aredhrel as she is pulled from the room.

She screams in response as the door closes, and her chance to seek revenge is taken from her. Her screams echo across the halls, invading my ears, hurting my head. They soon change to wailing, making me feel even more guilty than I already do. Soon enough though, they stop altogether, and I know she must be gone.

I stand up silently, despite the intense pain. I wipe more blood off my lip onto my denim jacket, all the while ignoring the stares of the others who have now turned to face me. Frodo still clutches at the ring around his neck, Merry and Pippin eye me warily and Sam watches suspicious. I retrieve my glasses and groan, finally upward.

"Errr." I begin nervously, shuffling my feet. "I guess I'll just leave now then."

I attempt to limp out of the room.

A voice breaks me from my thought.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Gandalf says. I look at him, but ignore him and carry on.
"I've been vindicated. " I reply "You can't keep me here."
"That is true, but with that wound, you won't get far." He replies as I near the door. I stop and pivot round to him "It needs redressing."

The door creaks, bringing me out of my gaze and signalling the arrival of Aragon. He closes the door behind him and leans on it, signalling that I must stay. All these strangers looking at me like I'm scum increases my discomfort and my cheeks are burning. All I want to do is leave. I sigh.
"What do you want from me Gandalf?" I ask him
"Well, firstly how, somebody I have never met before, claims to know my name?" He raises his right eyebrow at me. My heart begins to thunder. My palms are sweaty. I can barely move. Finally, I gulp and speak.

"I-I plead the 5th!" I burst out.
"Eh?" Pippin cocks his head to the side confused. It takes everything within me from laughing at his childish demeanour.
"It means.." I mumble "it means that I refuse to say anything."
"Why?" Elrond asks me.
"Well," I begin before noticing his gaze and my hand wafts to Legolas "What with Leggy here shooting daggers at me-
"What did you call me?!" He rises from his seat, eyebrows furrowed threateningly, furious. I almost stop speaking but I continue.
"Boromir looking at me like I'm the horse droppings on his shoe, and Samwise Gamgee eyeing me like a spoiled potato, you can't really blame me if I don't want to say anything to you.They don't trust me."
Gandalf moves to stand right in front of me. He smiles slightly.
"But I do." He says before directing his gaze to Elrond "Clear the room."