I am a Dúnedain - Aragorn love story

13

After the battle of Helm's deep, the people of Rohan go home. With Éomer and Éowyn to lead them. We are going to get Merry and Pippin back.

Finally! I missed those rascals.

We approaching Orthanc and when I see the tower. I feel my mind go back to the day is was captured. I begin to shiver. 'Melamin!' Aragorn leads his horse next to mine. He lays his hand on mine. 'Melamin, breath' I take a deep breath. But the panic, the weight on my chest, it is still there. Panic, that is the only feeling I feel. 'My Lord and Lady, welcome to Isengard!' Merry's voice sounds. I look up and realize we are standing before the two young hobbits. They sit on a stone wall, smoking a pipe.

Do they look taller?

'You young rascals! A merry hunt you've led us on, and now we find you, feasting and smoking!' Gimli says irritated. Pippin is eating a piece of, of pork? 'We are sitting on a field of victory, enjoying a few well-earned comforts. The salted pork is particularly good' He says with is mouth full.

'Salted pork?' Gimli sounds interested and I look at Aragorn, my breathing is back to normal and he smiles lovingly at the sight of me. He takes my hand of the reins and kisses the back of it. Gandalf is shaking his head at the sight of the hobbits and I can hear Théoden laugh a little. 'We're under orders, from Treebeard, who's taken over management of Isengard' Merry says as the two boys jump of the wall and climb each on a horse. Pippin with me and Merry with Aragorn. Gandalf leads us through the flotsam and jetsam which floats upon the muddied waters surrounding the tower. Then a giant Ent strides towards us. Is this Treebeard? 'Burarum ... Young Master Gandalf. I'm glad you've come. Wood and water, stock and stone, I can master, but there's a Wizard to be managed here locked in his tower' His rusty voice sounds loud.

So he is still alive? And what of Gríma? Aragorn looks up to the tower, if he heard my thoughts' 'Show yourself!' He yells with an angry voice. 'Be careful, even in defeat, Saruman is dangerous' With those words spoken. I feel suddenly all eyes on me.

'Well then let's just have his head and be done with it' Gimli snorts and takes his axe in his hand.

'No, we need him alive. We need him to talk' Gandalf warns him. I lock eyes with Gandalf. He smiles at me, like he want to give me courage. I smile back, uneasy. A door goes open. And He appears. Saruman, once a great wizard, the wisest of them all. 'You have fought many wars and slain many men Theoden King and made peace afterwards. Can we not take counsel together as we once did, my old friend? Can we not have peace you and I?' He says to us or more to Théoden. His voice sounds sweet, like a snake who want to eat his prey.

'We shall have peace. We shall have peace when you answer for the burning of the Westfold and the children that lie dead there! We shall have peace when the lives of the soldiers whose bodies were hewn even as they lay dead against the gates of the Hornburg are avenged! When you hang from a gibbet for the sport of your own crows we shall have peace!' Théoden king answers him.

'Gibbets and crows! Dotard! What do you want Gandalf Grahame? Let me guess the key of Orthanc? Or perhaps the keys of Barad Dur itself? Along with the crowns of the seven Kings and the rods of the Five Wizards!' Saruman yells now, angry. 'Your treachery has already cost many lives. Thousands more are now at risk. But you could save them Saruman. You were deep in the enemy's counsel' Gandalf says, looking back at us, at me.

'So you have come here for information. I have some for you' Saruman stands suddenly with a bulb in his hands. 'Something festers in the heart of Middle Earth. Something that you have failed to see. But the great eye has seen it! Even now he presses his advantage. His attack will come soon' Gandalf rides forward. Is he afraid of the bulb? 'You are all going to die! But you know this don't you Gandalf? You cannot think that this Ranger will ever sit upon the throne of Gondor. This exile, crept from the shadows will never be crowned King' Aragorn looks at Saruman. 'Gandalf does not hesitate to sacrifice those who are closest to him. those he professes to love! Tell me, what words of comfort did you give the Halfling before you sent him to his doom? The path that you have set him on can only lead to death' Saruman laughs sinister. 'And then, the women' The feeling is back. The pain is overwhelming. My hands fly up to my head. To steady, to hold it. to ease the pain 'Stop it!' Aragorn yells. I hear him jumping of his horse and make his way to me. His arms around my waist, he drags me of the horse and holds me close. 'Saruman! Your staff is broken!' Gandalf screams with fury. Gimli also screams something and Legolas reaches for an arrow. Théoden looks with wide eyes at me and I hear Merry and Pippin plea for me. But Gandalf words about a broken staff fly through the air and the staff of Saruman burst. Behind Saruman a man appears. The dirty man; Grima Wormtongue.

'Grima! You need not follow him! You were not always as you are now. You were once a man of Rohan. Come down!' His king yells to him. And Grima looks like he wants to come down. 'A man of Rohan? What is the house of Rohan but a thatched barn where brigands drink in the reek and their brats roll on the floor with the dogs? A man who is raped the women the ranger loves. Who made her evil?' Saruman laughs sinister. And the pain becomes worse. I hear myself scream in agony. 'Stop it!' Aragorn yells again, his voice sounds like he is crying. 'Saruman! You were deep in the enemy's counsel. Tell us what you know and free the girl!' Gandalf says with a dark demanding voice. 'Free the girl now!'

'You withdraw your guard and I will tell you where your doom will be decided. I will not be held prisoner here! And the girl, she can only be freed by dead' Grima suddenly rises up behind Saruman and starts stabbing him twice in the back with a knife. Legolas fires an arrow at Grima who is shot in the heart and falls on the ground, dead. Saruman falls with still the bulb in his hands from the tower. He is impaled on a great wheel below. But still his voice is echoing in my head. Only by dead I shall be free. I feel the grip of Aragorn around me tighten, but the pain in my head is to much. I feel like my head is going to explode. And with that I faint.

I wake up in my room. Music sounds from the golden hall. The voices of merry and pippin singing. With that I fall asleep again, more at ease now.

Again I wake up, the feast has ended. I slip out of bed and walk in my white nightgown to the sleeping quarters of my fellowship. 'What are you doing?' I hear Merry whisper. I open the door 'Pippin!' Merry warns his friend again. Pippin is holding the bulb from Saruman in his hands. He looks sick and his eyes widen. 'Pippin!' Merry panics. Pippin starts to hyperventilate, he staggers backwards. I run to him and wrenches the bulb from his hands. Everything disappears and the only thing I see is the eye again. The same I saw in my father's study. 'You shall never be his, you are mine. Elarinya Caladwen. You shall me my queen, the queen of Mordor. Not Gondor. You are Mine!' I feel him, his hands on my body. But he has no hands. It feels like I am on fire. I can't hide. He sees me. I am naked. Naked in the dark.

Then he is gone and Aragorn falls on the ground next to me, shaking and the bulb falls from his hands. I lay on the ground, still feeling the dark lord his hands on my body, my throat.

'Fool of a Took!' I hear Gandalf yell. 'Mellon' Legolas. 'Lass, lassie' Gimli. Legolas lifts my head so I lay more comfortable. 'Gandalf! Forgive me' Pippin says in a trembling voice.

'Look at me! What did you see?'

Still I can feel him, burning.

'A tree ... There was a white tree ...in a courtyard of stone... It was dead!' Pippin says absent.

The voices of Gandalf and Pippin sound dull in my hears. And I am picked up from the ground into the arms of Aragorn. He is pale from before but still he thinks of me. Footsteps moving to me and there is Gandalf. 'Verya, did you tell him about Frodo?'

'No, I told him nothing. He just said. I was his queen and not Gondor's queen. I was the queen of Mordor' My voice sounds so broken. I begin to cry. Gandalf whispers something. A spell to make me calm.

It helps and Aragorn and Legolas bring me back to my room. Legolas stays and Aragorn goes.

'Verya, go to sleep. I am here. We are all here to protect you'

'There was a time I didn't need protection' I scoff. Legolas chuckles. 'I know mellon. You are strong. We know that. But you had a rough time. And Aragorn loves you. Remember that. We all love you as a sister and dear friend'

'So do I'