The Unexpected | LotR Fanfiction

Chapter 26

Told y'all I'd get it up before Sunday!

The blow from Gandalf's staff sent me tumbling off Aragorn. Quickly, I returned to a crouched defensive position. I could still feel the blood on my face from where Gandalf's staff had split my cheek.

It was only when I saw Mithrandir and Gimli leaning over Aragorn, where he lay panting in a puddle of blood, that I realized what I needed to do: go with them to Isengard. On the journey, there I can leach off their supplies of Lembas bread, storing it away until it's time to begin my journey to Mordor. Once in Saruman's domain maybe—

No, can't do that.

Maybe I can convince Lum to go with me, she can help protect the Ring from those who would want to steal it.

And then, while we're still at Isengard, I... I can dispose of the hobbits.

But first I had to gain my adversaries trust back.

So, I dropped the dagger. I stumbled back until I tripped and fell on my bottom. I stared at my bloody hands in horror.

"What have I done?" I whispered in faked agony.

"What have I done?"

I looked up, eyes wide, to see the dwarf and wizard staring at me with mistrust in their eyes.

"Forgive me," I pleaded.

Only stares.

"Forgive me, please, I-I—the Ring—I-it took control. I-It—" I took in a shuddering breath and ran a bloody hand through my hair, only to have my fingers get caught in the tangles.

I started to shake—I stood and unbuckled the sheathed daggers (now just dagger) and threw it to the ground, along with my arrows. Along with the knife that was strapped to my thigh. I kicked the weapons away from me.

"Take them—I don't want them near me." They only stayed hovering over the panting human.

"Please!" With my eyes wide, I cradled my hands to my chest as if I was afraid my hands would reach out and hurt them.

The dwarf lumbered forward, keeping one eye on me, and took my weapons.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to him before he returned to his friend laying in a puddle of blood, still keeping that eye on me.

I waited, making sure I kept well away, eyes as wide as ever.

The wizard put a hand over the human's arm, making the human groan, and started to mutter a spell. The human's eyelids fluttered and his breathing speed up to the point of hyperventilation. He started to writhe and he began making weird sounds of humanly pain.

The dwarf held him down, "hold onto life, my friend. The pain is almost gone."

Then, when the human's breathing returned to normal and when he fell into unconsciousness, the dwarf spoke again. "What of his ear?"

They both looked to where part of his right ear lay in blood. "I cannot fuse it back to his ear... maybe stiches could work..." he shook his head, "but we don't have the materials."

"What if you used the string from my bow?" I stepped forward.

The wizard assessed me, seemed to like what he saw.

Good.

He shook his head, "too big—and I won't risk infection."

"H-how can I help...?"

Again, the wizard assessed me, "carry Aragorn to the alcoves."

I did as I was told.

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