Tolkien University (Modern LOTR AU)

Chapter 6 ~ The Messenger

~Callie's Point of View~

Song: "Next to Me" by Imagine Dragons

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Thoughts swirled through my head- most of it profanity- but I remained in my hiding place, wondering why Samuel was protecting me. And what was that cold draft? So many questions swirled through my head at once, but I went still as a voice hissed,

"Baldor. I didn't expect to see you down here. And so soon, too." It was a man's voice, but it sounded as if whenever it spoke, frost would come from his mouth. Chills went down my spine. I did not like this. At all.

Baldor? Was that his name?

"And I didn't expect you to be down here at all." Samuel replied dryly. A thump on the table- his book, I assumed- and a chair sliding back with a screech. "What do you want?"

"I have word from your father." The voice hissed. Now it sounded like it had a liquid in its mouth. A peeked through a crack in the boxes to catch a glimpse of black shadowy cloaks and long, bony white fingers. The floor had drops of red around it's bare blue feet.

Blood.

"Which one? The one back in Middle Earth or the puppet?" Samuel asked. "Because I can rarely tell which one wants me to work with them more nowadays." The Son of Sauron said with an edge to his voice. Was he...annoyed?

"My lord, the Dark Lord himself on his tower in Mordor." The newcomer hissed. More drips splattered on the floor. "Has no one told you you are late?" The man hissed.

"Has anyone ever told you you look like shit?" Samuel growled. "What does my great father wish to talk to me about?"

"In regards to his Ring."

There was a pause.

When Samuel spoke, it was softly. "I already told him I would find it. I have this whole damn campus being searched. I'll tell you once I've found it."

"Hmmm. He is growing impatient."

"And I am growing annoyed."

"He has instructed me to inform you, Baldor, that your protection of the Heir is getting old to him. He doesn't appreciate secrets."

"I told him he should leave her out of this." Samuel snarled. "She doesn't know anything and it will remain that way."

The man hissed, a screeching sound that made me clamp my hands over my ears. Warmth flooded the room suddenly. I squeezed my eyes shut, and when I opened them again, a pair of hands were on my shoulders.

I jumped and skittered away from whoever was touching me, but then I realized it was Samuel. There was a gash on the side of his head that was bleeding heavily.

"Oh my gosh what happened to you?" I asked, standing up in a rush.

He raised an eyebrow, stepping back. "That's your first question?"

"Sit down." I ordered him and he did as told, wincing a little. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" I demanded as I rummaged through my purse and pulled out a pack of tissues.

"Physically or emotionally?" He asked and looked at me with a little smirk, his gray eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Hold still." I commanded and poured some water from my water bottle onto some tissues and began to carefully dab at the wound. He hissed with pain and went to pull away, but I planted my other hand on his cheek. "What did I say about holding still?" I grumbled.