At Your Service

10. The pen is sharper than the sword

After almost a year of training, Saruman deemed me ready for a next step.
According to the wizard every creature had the aptitude for magic. He started with simple exercises that should strengthen my inner magic. Meditation, complete focus over my body and mind was the beginning of everything.
I listened to my breathing for hours, banishing every distracting thought from my mind. A next step was sensing the space around me, Saruman moved silently through the room, each time I had to point out where he was. Even later, he used his staff to give me taps against my arms, legs and back, I had to sense blindfolded where he would hit me in time to fend him off.
Slowly but surely I got the hang of this after which it was time for the harder work. Connecting my soul to Sauron. I would never possess the same magic as Saruman, making fireballs, summoning gusts of wind was not something I could just learn, but connecting my head with other beings in Middle Earth and having conversations that they too could hear. That was something I could learn.
At first I laughed at the wizard, how could I connect with another being outside my field of vision.
For the first few weeks, nothing happened either, no matter how hard I concentrated or tried to pick up Sauron's voice in my head, I just couldn't manage.
Whenever I sat on my bed in my room for the umpteenth time with my eyes closed, completely focused on the ruined halls of Dol Guldur, I suddenly felt dizzy and before I knew it gravity seemed to fall away and I felt sucked into a black hole only to suddenly wake up again in Dol Guldur.
"Look at that, who would have thought a dwarf girl would get this far." I heard Sauron speak. Startled, I turned around which almost made me fall over.
"I did it." I grinned in utter disbelief.
Sauron nodded. "Go back to Saruman, you will soon be ready for your first real assignment. He'll know what to do." Said the shadow before I closed my eyes again and before I knew it, I woke up back in my room. Full of pride, I went to the wizard telling him the good news.

"Now as a next step we'll work on your manners and social skills. You are doing your best, but if you are to become a right hand to Sauron you'll need to be more than polite. You need to understand the way all races and classes communicate and more important you have to think and act like them." He spoke. I nodded understandingly.
"You are very strong minded which is in your dwarven nature, you have a short-temper which is also a dwarfish thing. I'll need you to learn to control your emotions. You need to start thinking before you act." Saruman continued. I nodded again.
"Follow me." He said taking me upstairs to a room he called his library. I had never seen this many books in one room. We stood in the highest chamber of the tower, the ceilings seemed to be at least 5 metres high and all around, the walls were covered with bookshelves chaotically overloaded with books. Long ladders and platforms gave access to the different sections all the way to the ridge of the room.
Until now I had only been in my room, the kitchen, the study and training room. Saruman kept me busy enough so I wouldn't venture to parts where I shouldn't be. Yet this library didn't just look magical, it even felt magical.
Soon the wizard started gathering books of all races, their history and other important facts.
"Let's begin." He spoke as he pushed a bundle of books in my hands, so heavy I nearly stumbled forward.

Saruman made me read through every single book and questioned me thoroughly to make sure I remembered all important details.
After months of reading he made me practice in behaving accurately to infiltrate any royal family. I learned to address royals, learned to use their titles and habits. I learned to walk and talk like them, even eat and drink like them. Elves, Dwarves, humans, hobbits or even Ents and Orcs. None of the races had any more secrets from me.

"I believe you are finally ready Fia. Come with me as we must speak to Lord Sauron." Saruman eventually spoke one morning as I had just prepared breakfast for him.
I felt nerves coursing through my veins. I had been living and training with Saruman for nearly two years now, this place had just begun to feel like a safe haven to me and I wasn't sure how I felt about leaving. I always knew I trained for a purpose, I swore to serve Sauron and I could not do that from within this tower.
Yet going back out into the world scared me a little, of course I wouldn't admit this as I did not want Sauron to think of me as a failure.
I followed Saruman into the room next to his library. Here he kept the Palantir, high in his tower.
He guided me towards it before ordering me to lay my hand on top of it. I looked at the Palantir in doubt for only a second before I gritted my teeth and placed my palm on top. The ball lit up in flames that licked the palm of my hand. It felt uncomfortably hot, but I refused to pull back.
After a couple of seconds Sauron appeared.
"There you are. It has been a while Fia." He spoke his voice vibrating through me.
"Yes indeed my lord." I spoke to him, my voice deeper and calmer than he heard it before.
"Well look at that. With your dress, the braids in your hair and the royal attitude I would barely recognize you. Saruman really did use his magic on you." Sauron spoke, I wasn't sure if I should take it as a complement, but I decided to accept it.
"Thank you my lord. I certainly have changed a lot since my stay." I agreed.
"Are you ready for your mission?" He questioned his shadow stepping closer to me inside the Palantir.
"Certainly, my lord." I spoke bowing my head respectfully, awaiting my further command.
"Very well. I have a very important mission Fia. You have become one of my most trust worthy servants. Saruman has spoken very highly of you. Now that you have concluded your training I will sent you to a place where you can prove to us just how much you learned." Sauron started his tone sounded more joyous, but still had a pressing edge to it.
"You will serve me by going to Erebor. The mountain has become a powerful trade centre and it gives us access to the entire North. A long time ago all of the North belonged to me. If we get access to Erebor than the North can become mine once again. I already have the southern border on my reach. If you succeed Fia, you will be commander of legions." Sauron spoke.
I somehow felt a power surge through my entire body. I gasped for air before a grin appeared on my lips.
"What must I do once I get to Erebor lord? The mountain is inhabited by the dwarven folks." I questioned.
"You get rid of them. I do not care how you do it, I will check up on you regularly, but it is your choice what you do with the dwarves. Make them flee, make them bow, kill them for all I care. Your task is to get me the North!"
I bowed my head deeply as his words echoed through my mind.
"I am at your service, my lord Sauron." I spoke my voice confident and strong.
"Good, Saruman you will make sure she has a steed that can take her as fast as possible." Sauron ordered the wizard.
I looked aside to see Saruman bowing his head as well.
"Of course my lord." He agreed.
"Good. Go both of you get to work." Sauron spoke before the Palantir went dark again and I lowered my hand turning to face Saruman.
"You heard him, let's get to work." I smiled before walking back down the stairs towards my room to grab my backpack again.