Mistress of the Fellowship (LOTR)

* 40 * Pains and Poison

Kordelia's heart stopped as her eyes locked with the good-turned-wicked wizard's eyes down the arrow she had notched and ready to release. Yes her plan of catching him a bit off guard was a miraculous success but she knew what was to happen now. Before her eyes she was to witness the death of a friend. Yes she had only discovered a few moments ago that he was in fact her friend but friends were the most rare and precious in her life.

She knew the wizard had the upper hand and as he tried to read her soul through her eyes she could tell he was confident in his abilities and his surety that she was to die in this tower.

But she would not allow him to see inside of her! She was going to make him work for the satisfaction of her death and the final purge of the Alexzandron people!

Thayonidas was on his knees and clearly in pain as Saruman's staff stood next to him and in his other hand the wizard held an Alexzandron blade which was much more familiar to her than the one which weighed on her hip. The cursed wizard was in fact cunning as he stood proudly with the sword of the Alexzandron Chieftan's sword, her father's blade.

The sword, Altotaltheo, was one of legend which went clear back to the creation of the warrior race and the blood that had been shed by it could fill oceans. The steel was one of great mystery as it danced and shimmered like fire and no matter how talented the craftsman, man, dwarf, or elf, no one could find the metal or recreate the magnificent steel that seemed to never dull.

The wizard spoke. "At last, our paths have come together. In these final days it would seem fate has a cruel twist. You come with beasts to destroy Isenguard, and you bring before me all of the remaining blood of the Alexzandron people to once and for all smite from this world."

"I've been anxiously awaiting the day I might be in your presence and the cruelest thing of all-" Kordelia paused and gave him a quick look over, "the cruelest thing is the disappointment. I was anticipating the greatest of wizards but what I see before me is nothing but a blinded and cursed old man."

Saruman was not at all amused by her words and in his anger he did something and Thayonidas let out a howl of pain causing Kordelia's insides to freeze for a moment before they thawed from her boiling anger.

"Foolish child!" Saruman hissed, "Foolish and barbaric just like your kin! This world has no place for you and your people! All you care for is war."

She kept her ground and kept her arrow trained on him even though she knew that his magic would not allow it to penetrate his body. "It is clear who the foolish one here is. It wasn't until after the cowardly massacring of my passionate people that the end of the world has come so close. It wasn't until after their deaths when your cowardly master, Sauron, emerged from the shadows in which he hid. It took dastardly actions of poisons to slay my people without their knowing because evil feared them. Fear of the fearless. Your hopes of ruling along with Sauron are the ones truly foolish. Your decision to murder my people was perhaps the most foolish. I may be one and I may be small but I will stand up to you without fear."