Mistress of the Fellowship (LOTR)

* 18 * Silver and Green Dragon

February 25th the fellowship made it to Parth Galen where a fire waited for the companions as they pulled the boats ashore but of course there was no sign of Ryker which made them wonder if this was in fact a fire built by the warrior woman.

Nonetheless they kept a keen eye out and soon Legolas approached Aragorn and expressed his feeling of something coming just as Ryker had before she unleashed her words of fury and pain upon the rightful king of Gondor, her betrothed.

Legolas did not hear her confession of having the same feeling and so Aragorn knew something was stirring and moving quickly. When he turned to the rest of the company he was pleasantly surprised to see Ryker standing amongst them as if she has just emerged from the rocky shore but there was something not right this time. Her mere stance was different as was the spirit she portrayed making Aragorn wonder if she was turning to darkness.

Legolas stared at her with an aching feeling penetrating the depths of his soul. Under her cloak he met her eyes and was filled with a feeling unlike any he had ever felt. Her pale hands were for the first time visible to them all but the sight was one that pained and made him feel pity as he realized just how frail she was.

"Something is close." she stated in a voice that was clearly forced and betrayed weakness and once she had said it her fire flashed like before as she angrily jerked off the bandage in which the elves had placed upon her to help heal the wound from the arrow she had received when escaping Moria.

She threw it to the ground and began breathing fast as if she had just been doing something exasperating. Blood began to ooze from the bare wound but she put her hand over it before looking at Aragorn with contempt.

Aragorn knew her feeling was something serious and had promised himself that for now on he would listen. He stepped forward but to his surprised a small voice stepped forward and said, "Is that a Green Dragon leaf?" he was pointing to the bandage in which Ryker had just removed and she raised an eyebrow at him not understanding and Aragorn appeared the same. What was a Green Dragon leaf?

Legolas stepped forward with Merry and approached the bandage and Legolas swore under his breath as a horrified look washed over Merry's face.

Merry turned to the elf and said, "It is."

"What is green dragon leaf?" Ryker demanded as she slightly swayed.

"It is a rare leaf that is used in ale at The Green Dragon pub." Merry began

"Why yes!" interrupted Pippin. "It's a fabulous ale that will make you think you can fly at times. It is really strong and the effect lasts for a day or so depending on how much you drink but it is rather good and perhaps the best ale there ever was."

"Pippin!" Merry nearly shouted. "It is fine when mixed with certain plants such as barley but by itself or with some plants it is poisonous."

Ryker now looked like she wanted to kill someone as her face filled with furry and rage radiated from her body. "The elves have poisoned me." she stated in a tone that made their blood run cold and when she had said it she was glaring at Legolas.

"It is possible you brushed a dragon leaf tree and a leaf slipped into your bandage?" Aragorn asked knowing the elves couldn't make such a mistake and also to defend them for he knew just how great of a people they were.

She glared at him under dark eyelashes letting him know by just a look that the possibility was impossible. "You are completely foolish!" she hissed as a harsh cough rampaged through her chest taking her to her knees. Once the episode had passed she wiped her mouth and when she removed it she looked and there on the back of her hand was blood causing her to scoff.

Legolas stated, "There are only 3 dragon leaf trees and they are nowhere near here."

She looked up at Legolas snarled, "Tell me elf, why am I wanted dead."

Her eyes were filled with hate as they bore into him like the fires of hell. Legolas was left without an answer. He did not know why or who would have done this. He was baffled and could not defend his kin.

Merry looked up at Legolas and said, "Would kingsfoil help?"

Legolas shook his head crouched down and pointed at the weed in the bandage. "when mixed with dragon leaf it is deadly. I have known..." he stopped regretting what he was going to betray, "elves have used the two plants together as a poison in which they would cover their arrowheads with."

"Again I ask, why do the elves want me dead?"

"I wish I had an answer for you but I do not know. What I do know is how to help you. We need to find a silver aspen, if there are any left here."

"What makes you think I will allow you to use anymore of your evil elf leaves? I may have never heard of green dragon leaf but I do know that silver aspen leaves are poisonous. The smoke from burning their bark is just as deadly."

"You are right about that but I do not intend to use the silver aspen in such ways. I will shave the silver off the bark and mix it with the moss in which grows at the base of the tree. Next thing to do is dry the moss with the silver in it which will turn the moss grey. It will look like burned weeds but then will find a wild white lily and put the silver moss in the lily and press it against the wound and keep it there until the silver is gone and the petals are wilted. It may not take away all the poison but the worst of it. The rest will withdrawal out of your skin and the best way to do it is in a steam lodge which I can make out of my cloak."

Legolas then turned to the two hobbits and said, "Meriadoc, Peregrin, go now and search for the tree."

Immediately the hobbits went in search leaving Ryker and Legolas there staring at each other but their looks were anything but alike. Legolas looked down on her with pity and heartache but she looked up at him with hate and disgust before she hissed in a low voice. "Know this elf. If I get the slightest inkling that you have tried to deceive me, I will kill you before I die."

Legolas had no answer and so he turned and went in search of the silver aspen but the search did not last long.

It happened so fast and so furiously that it was difficult to see straight. The beasts brought an intensity that surpassed goblins and orcs as they bellowed and screamed their war cries. So many against so few.

Hope seemed to be lost as the Uruk Hai came down upon them in a swarm of madness.