Article: 212040 of rec.arts.books.tolkien Path: uchinews!newsfeed.stanford.edu!newsfeedZ.netscum.dQ!netscum.int!news.algonet.se!newsfeed1.telenordia.se!algonet!uni-erlangen.de!lrz.de!news.rz.uni-passau.de!132.231.41.226 From: <<>> (Karim Arain) Newsgroups: alt.fan.tolkien,rec.arts.books.tolkien Subject: etext Book 2 Chapter 8 Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 07:05:59 GMT Organization: [posted via] Leibniz-Rechenzentrum, Muenchen (Germany) Lines: 200 Message-ID: <3959a185.489664@nntpserver.rz.uni-passau.de> Reply-To: Karim.Arain -aaatt- uni-passau -daht- de NNTP-Posting-Host: news.rz.uni-passau.de X-Trace: wsc10.lrz-muenchen.de 962175966 13643 132.231.51.57 (28 Jun 2000 07:06:06 GMT) X-Complaints-To: news -aaatt- lrz-muenchen -daht- de NNTP-Posting-Date: 28 Jun 2000 07:06:06 GMT X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.11/16.235 X-Original-NNTP-Posting-Host: 132.231.41.226 Xref: uchinews alt.fan.tolkien:35797 rec.arts.books.tolkien:212040 Well, here it is, Chapter 8 of Book 2. No poetry this time, though, as I'm not very good at it. Hope you enjoy it. *** Book II, Chapter 8 Fare badly, Lorien That night the Company was again summoned to the ramshackle tree hut of Galadriel (and Dullborn the Wise). There Dullborn the Wise spoke to them and bade them to hasten their departure for "the time to leave draweth nigh", as he said. "But before thou leavest (and we can finally get rid of this bothersome dwarf) thou must decide where to make for when thou set forth." Then Galadriel looked at each of the Company and said "They are as yet undecided, every one of them." Aragon at once spoke up. "As leader of this Company I deem it best if we make directly for ... eh ... for ... eh ... Mordor! Yes! Mordor! We have to destroy the Ring. It is too dangerous a thing for Elf or mortal to wield. And we have to claim Frodo's inheritance, of course". At the mention of his name Frodo looked up smiling. "Inheritance. Oh yes. Blue niphredils in high fields of green. Purple waters of Nurnen reflecting the starlight of Varda in clear skies. Horses thundering over yellow fields of corn..." Into the ensuing silence Pipsqueak peeped "But what about Isengard? What about Aruman's subpoena? Don't we have to go there first?". "Well, yes", Aragon said, "Isengard. Of course we are going to make for Isengard first. Never meant to do anything else". "Subpoena. You're gonna bow before some stupid law? I'll do this to your stupid subpoena!", Morrie brawled and flashed one of his knifes menacingly while Lego-lass asked "But how do we know Aruman is still in Isengard and hasn't been summoned to Mordor?", Boromir(tm) declared firmly "I think we should make for Gondor(tm), for my home town of Minas Tirith(tm)." and Giggly giggled excitedly. Arwen nudged Aragon sideways and Aragon decided that he best reassert his authority and fast. He spoke up and decisively said "Eh... I ... eh ...". "At least thou shouldst decide which side of the River thou wantst to take", Dullborn the Wise's deep voice broke into the confusion. Everyone looked up at him except Frodo who was studying the ceiling and smiling. "Well, that's easy", Aragon declaimed firmly, "we will take the west side... No, I meant the east side... Or west?". Galadriel spoke up. "Well, apparently you need time yet to decide. But my wise husband has thought of a way to help you.". Dullborn the Wise looked perplexed. "They will be travelling along a RIVER", Galadriel nudged, "and don't know which SIDE to take.". Dullborn the Wise stared blankly at her. "With RIVERS you don't need to take SIDES.", Galadriel looked imploringly at her husband. "With the right EQUIPMENT you can delay the choosing". Still nothing. "You can just FLOAT along". "Ah, yes.", Dullborn declared wisely, "we will lend thou rafts. Then thou canst travel ON the river and needest not make so portentous a decision hastily as which side thou wouldst take". Galadriel sighed, "What the wise and noble Dullborn meant is we would have lent you rafts if we still had enough trees to fell and build them with. Instead Dullborn the Wise generously lets you take some of our fast elvish rowboats. They need rowers, yes, but we can bind three of them together and then your manservant, Sam, can row all of you." They accepted the offer gratefully (except for Sam who muttered something about imperialist opressors and revolution). "All that is", Galadriel amended, "except for you, Arwen.". She looked at her granddaughter. "Your father El Rond has sent an Eagle from Rivendell with a message ordering you to come home at once.". "Eagle", Boromir(tm) cried the same time as Giggly, jumping excitely up and down, asked, "Is it still here? Is it?". "Why, no, I sent it back". Galadriel looked flustered, "Did you want to send a message back?". "We thought", Aragon began, "We could have ... Oh, never mind..." Arwen's face had darkened during this conversation. Now she spoke up. "I am definitely NOT going back. Now when things get interesting and I even might become the heroine of the upcoming movie instead of a sidekick, I'll definitely NOT be going home!" Galadriel smiled benevolently at her. Lights played on her hair and the soft music of violins welled up from the background. "Well, yes, I can see that a chance at fame cannot be passed over.", she said, "I will write a letter to El Rond and explain. He will understand". "And now", Galadriel continued, "it is time for presents.". She clapped her hands and fair Elf maidens entered bearing the presents of Galadriel and Dullborn for the company of the Ring. To Aragon as leader of the party she gave a green gem and said "This is the Elfstone foretold of old, heirloom of the House of Gil-Gallamine. May it bring you more luck than its last bearer and may it be a warning to you: The time of relaxing is not yet at hand. Beware of Orc maidens!". "And I have something else to give you", she continued, "something that might save your sword from breaking again." She smiled and handed him a small silver key. Aragon blushed furiously, then a big smile crept across his face. He bowed deeply and then beamed at Arwen who winked back at him. Galadriel then turned to the rest of the company. To Boromir(tm) she gave a Golden Warhorn of Summoning and Morrie and Pipsqueak were gifted with a Silver Belt of Restoration each while Lego-Lass received a Composite Elven Long Bow +3. Her granddaughter Arwen she presented with Winged Leather Boots of Speed. Then she looked at Giggly. "And what gift would a Dwarf ask of the Elves?", she asked. "None", Giggly giggled, "for I already received more than I ever dared to hope". "Hear all ye Elves", Galadriel cried. "Let none ever say again that all Dwarves are grasping and ungracious.". "Well, not ungracious, at least", she amended. "Nonetheless a gift you shall have", Galadriel said and handed him an autographed poster of herself (a VERY limited collectors edition, only genuine with a strand of original hair of Galadriel interwoven into its fabric). Giggly gasped, then started excitedly to jump up and down. "What joy, what joy. I shall take it with me always and when I come home to the Dwarvish Mines of Erebor at last, I shall encase this treasure in imperishable crystal and it shall be a heirloom of my house!". Galadriel then turned to Sam. "I don't have much I can give you to help you serve your betters in this quest and besides, it wouldn't be proper, of course. Only by exhausting themselves in the service of their masters can true servants show their worth, after all, and receive praise. But I do have something that might help you ease the life of your master after the quest is done.". And she handed Sam a small box. "In this box", she said, "is collected the essence of the trees felled for constructing the famous Golf course of Lorien, bespoken with potent spells. When your master settles down in Nurnen after this quest he may be missing the woods of the Shire. Then open this box and spread its contents. There a forest will grow such as the deforested shores of Nurnen have never seen before. Elvish Mallorn trees will grow there, high and mighty, and no axe nor chainsaw may fell them for the spells laid on the contents of this box protect them from any harm. Eternally they will stand on the shores of the beautiful Lake Nurnen and your Master will enjoy taking a respite from the southern heat there while you faithfully toil in his service.". Sam silently took the box and bowed as well as he could. Finally, Galadriel turned to Frodo who was still smiling at the ceiling. "And you, Ring-Bearer", she said, "I come to you last who are not last in my thoughts. For you I have this", and she handed him a small white stone. "This is an old heirloom of the Elves and came to us under mysterious circumstances from far away. I has waited here for you since the beginning of time. It is a light imperishable that will shine for you in the dark when all other lights have gone out. But you must name it first.". Frodo smiled at her. "Al'Tsahir", he said and the stone glowed brightly and leapt into his hand. "All the saws here", he corrected himself, "endlessly cutting trees of golden mallorn. Lights glowing brightly with neon colours of white. Pink slippers of glorious shine on wandering Santas of rosemarin..." At the mention of The Clause all fell silent. The festive mood vanished. The spirit of the audience was broken. They dispersed and the Company went to bed. The next morning they were woken by Halfwit, Rummage and Orphan, the Elves who had first met them after they entered Lorien. They led them a last time through the fabled Golf course of Lorien and down to the Silverlode where three boats had been readied for the Company (tied together with the fabled Elven rope, a distant ancestor of modern Nylon). They were stocked with food and water and contained an Elven Cloak of Near Invisibility for each of the Company. Pipsqueak at once tried the food. "Hmm, Crap", he said, "Good". "Enough, enough", Halfwit laughed, "This is not Crap, these are Twinkies which are a lot more nutritionally balanced than Crap. You have already eaten more than you need in a whole day!". The company then entered the boats. In one boat Aragon, Pipsqueak and Morrie climbed, the second one was taken up by Boromir(tm), Lego-Lass and Giggly. The third one (with the paddles) was manned by Arwen, Frodo and Sam, who took up the paddles. They pushed off from the Shore and the current at once swept them downriver. As they drifted down the Silverlode and into the Great River they saw the last edge of Lorien, a tongue of land between the Silverlode and the Great River, coming towards them. There the players clubhouse was situated and out on the lawn a big picnic had been readied. Galadriel and Dullborn stood at a small pier waiting for them among a company of brightly garbed Elves and waved at them. But just as the current had swept them almost past Galadriel and Dullborn and Sam started turning the boats around and making toward the pier they felt a tingle, a golden flickering and suddenly time seemed to speed up... The current of the River became a torrent... It swept them past the pier and down the Great River. Before they could react they passed a bend in the River and Lorien was out of sight. Frodo passed out. "Well", thought Sam, "so much for the good. At least I don't have to deal with those snobbish imperialist Elves again, and that's a fact. Giving me a box of FOREST ESSENCE for the delight of my MASTER." He shook his head. The ruse with the autograph hadn't worked, but this... He smiled and took the box out of his pack. It was much lighter now. Well, he had made good use of its original contents. Let them try to play golf in a dense forest of uncuttable trees, those greedy capitalists! After all, what did HE need forest essence for. No, he had replaced this crap in the box with something far more useful... END OF CHAPTER 8 Cliffhanger! Cliffhanger! ;-) -- Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're NOT out to get you.