Our Sponsor Sideshow Send us News
Lord of the Rings Tolkien
Search Tolkien
Lord of The RingsTheOneRing.net - Forged By And For Fans Of JRR Tolkien
Lord of The Rings Serving Middle-Earth Since The First Age

Lord of the Rings Movie News - J.R.R. Tolkien

  Main Index   Search Posts   Who's Online   Log in
The One Ring Forums: Tolkien Topics: Fan Art:
LOTR fan fiction: The Witch of Angmar - Part #20

SamJCharlton
Bree

Mar 24 2014, 12:11pm

Post #1 of 9 (298 views)
Shortcut
LOTR fan fiction: The Witch of Angmar - Part #20 Can't Post

The Witch of Angmar

Legacy of the Fellowship

Part Twenty

Secrets and Betrayal



Rose turned to Azil, her heart still hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.

“What in the name of the Shire was that foul thing?”

“A wight,” the goblin replied grimly. “One of the undead that feeds on the living to stay alive.”

Rose shuddered at these words. A wight. She had heard that some inhabited the Barrow Downs, far to the south, but had never thought to encounter such a being here.

“What is a wight doing under Carn Dûm?”

Rose sagged against the wall and attempted to catch her breath. She had a painful stitch in her side. They had fled along a series of damp, dark tunnels, and up a spiral staircase that seemed to go on forever. However, it had been a long while before the enraged, pain-filled wails of the wight had faded.

“‘Tis a gate-keeper – from the time of the Witch-king himself, I’d guess,” Azil replied, his yellow gaze flicking around the shadowy landing, on which they rested. “Once, that creature would have been a man.”

Azil’s explanation chilled Rose. What a terrible existence, living in that gallery, year after year, century after century, scavenging on rodents – and waiting...

However, her attention could not remain on what they had just survived; instead, she had to focus on what lay ahead.

First though, she had someone to thank.

“You saved my life, again, Azil,” she smiled at the goblin. “How will I ever repay you?”

Azil shook his head, avoiding her gaze. “I don’t want repayment,” he replied. “Enough said, she-hobbit.”

“But you followed me – why?”

The goblin gave an impatient hiss, their gazes momentarily meeting. “I don’t know.”

Rose was flummoxed by his reticence. Yet, she could see that Azil had no desire to explain himself further so she let the matter drop.

“Whatever the reason, I thank you,” she said gently. “I will never forget this.”

“Come,” he replied, still avoiding her gaze. “We cannot linger here.”

The hobbit and goblin made their way up the last set of steps and emerged into a wide corridor. The fresh air, after many hours underground, made Rose inhale deeply. They were now inside Carn Dûm’s keep. A chill wind ruffled Rose’s hair and made her eyes water.

Rose’s gaze moved around the lofty corridor, taking in the piles of rubble and the sight of the washed-out sky through the arched windows. Judging by the light, it was late afternoon. She had spent most of the day wandering under Carn Dûm. They would have to be very careful now – this area of the fortress would be crawling with guards.

They needed to make their way to the Witch Tower – but which way was it?

“Azil,” Rose whispered. “Do you know which way to go?”

He nodded, his thin lips compressing. The goblin’s thin body was taut, his right hand sitting on the hilt of his iron sword. “Follow me.”

They turned right and made their way down a long, straight corridor.

The pair had only walked a short distance when the rough sounds of men, and the cackle and hiss of goblins, broke the silence. Rose and Azil halted.

Rose looked around frantically. It sounded as if the voices were coming from behind and in front of them.

Moments later, a company of goblins, their armour jangling noisily, rounded the corner ahead. The goblins skidded to a stop, their goat-like eyes fastening on the two figures standing before them. Panic flared, and Rose turned to flee in the direction they had come. However, she came face-to-face with a company of men wearing filthy boiled leather armour.

They were trapped.

Rose turned to Azil, her hand reaching for Sting’s hilt. This time, there would be no running away. This time, they would both need to fight.

However, Azil did not respond as she had expected. Rose had thought he too would draw his sword. Instead, as quick as a striking adder, he leapt towards her, pinioning her arms against her side.

“I have her!” he cried, his thin voice high with panic. “This is the she-hobbit our Lady seeks. Take us to Morwyn!”

Rose writhed in Azil’s grip, astonished by the sheer strength of such a slight creature.

“No!” she screamed.

She could not believe it. He had saved her life, and put his own at risk. Yet, he had done it to win her trust – it had all been a ruse. The goblin had not returned to help her out a sense of responsibility, or out of worry for her. He had seen a chance to win back his king’s favour, to return from exile.

Azil had betrayed her.


***


Peri and Salrean watched, neither daring to utter a word, as Morwyn – the Witch of Angmar – glided across the cavernous chamber to the stone plinth where the red book sat. Behind her, arms folded across his broad chest, stood Targkok, the Goblin King.

Peri had never seen a goblin so massive. He was easily twice the height and width of Azil, the only other goblin he had been able to study at close quarters. At first glance, Peri had thought that Targkok was overweight, but on closer inspection, he saw that the Goblin King was all muscle and brawn. He wore a sleeveless chain mail vest and iron bands decorated his huge, scarred arms. A heavy broadsword hung at his side.

Targkok had a heavy-featured, pugnacious face, and a collection of brass rings decorated his large, pointed ears. His bald head gleamed in the silvery light filtering in from the thin windows that ringed the chamber. Aware that he was being observed, Targkok’s gaze, narrow and calculating, met Peri’s.

The hobbit swallowed nervously and looked away.

“The Red Book,” Morwyn’s voice was once again, soft and beguiling. She had stopped before the plinth and was running her hands – beautiful hands with long tapering figures – over its worn leather cover. “Long have I coveted it.”

Morwyn opened the book; the creak of its spine and the rustling of its pages was the only sound in the deathly quiet.

“Ever since my servant brought the book to me, I have pored over its pages,” she continued, “I have read it all, suffered through the tale of these ridiculous hobbits and their adventures.”

Her mouth twisted as she uttered the last word, as if she had just tasted something vile. Listening to the witch, Peri felt a rush of anger at her derision. However, he wisely held his tongue.

Ignoring the other occupants of the chamber, Morwyn opened the book near the end, her gaze fastening upon a page.

“Often have I read this page,” she mused. “It tells of my brother’s death – at the hands of a woman and a hobbit nonetheless. What an irony.”

Her gaze swivelled then, to where Peri and Salrean stood, flanked by goblins. “He feared women, you know. That’s why he never married. Then, he took Sauron’s ring and became his creature, and his dislike for women turned to hatred.” Her gaze fastened upon Salrean then. The ranger stared back at Morwyn, her face like stone. The witch’s angular face split into a smile; an expression that chilled Peri to the core.

“He especially loathed strong women, which is why he rid himself of me,” Morwyn concluded, turning back to the book, her gaze resting once more on the page. “I should have been the one to end his miserable life.”

Silence followed her words. There was nothing for any of them, the Goblin King, included, to say. The Witch of Angmar reeked of bitterness and rage. One wrong word and she would turn that fury upon them.

“I digress,” Morwyn sighed, as if realising she had an audience. “What matters most, is that the Red Book is mine – and that I must know its secret.”

The witch glanced over her shoulder then, her gaze snaring Peri’s.

“Pericles Took,” she murmured his name as if they were old friends, although her eyes were like pieces of flint. “I have read this book again and again – but cannot find the secret I seek.”

She then flicked back to the start of the book. “Come here, Pericles,” she ordered.

When Peri did not move, the goblin flanking him shoved him between the shoulder blades. Stiffly, Peri walked forward and stopped at Morwyn’s shoulder.

“Find it for me,” she hissed, her hand fastening on his shoulder like a claw. “Look and tell me what you see.”

Her proximity caused Peri’s heart to race. She smelt dry and musty – with a faint trace of iron. Her nearness made his skin prickle with alarm, and her grip on his shoulder hurt. It took all his will not to shrink away.

“Find me this secret,” she demanded, her voice suddenly harsh. Her fingers bit cruelly into Peri’s flesh. “I must know it.”

The hobbit reached out and began to leaf through the pages. The tale of Bilbo’s journey through Mirkwood, to the Lonely Mountain, and the defeat of Smaug, greeted him. He continued to search the book, noting the change in handwriting as he began Frodo’s tale. When Peri reached the part where the Fellowship found themselves lost inside the Mines of Moria, he paused and dared look up into Morwyn’s face. Her expression was hard and hungry.

“Have you found it?”

Peri shook his head. “There is no secret,” he told her, his voice trembling. “‘Tis an epic tale, nothing more.”

A terrible silence followed his words. Finally, Morwyn replied, her voice low and threatening. “You lie.”

“It appears you have wasted your time.” Salrean spoke for the first time since entering the chamber; her voice was sharp with victory. “How disappointing for you to discover you went to so much trouble, for nothing.”

Morwyn moved then.

She released Peri and swivelled towards Salrean – and before anyone in the chamber had time to inhale – the witch flung her outstretched hand at the ranger. A column of fire erupted from her finger-tips. It shot across the wide space and hit Salrean in the centre of the chest.
Salrean cried out, although the sound was cut off, as the column of fire lifted her into the air and flung her across the chamber. She hit the far wall before crumpling like a broken doll to the ground.

Peri stared at the ranger’s unmoving form, aghast. He moved towards her, but Morwyn’s hand shot out, her fingers grasping his shoulder and pulling him up short.

At that moment, the boom of a heavy fist knocking on the door to the chamber, interrupted them. Still gripping Peri’s shoulder, Morwyn swivelled towards the sound, her face twisted in rage.

“Who dares interrupt me?”

The door swung open and Peri turned cold when he saw who stood before them.

There in the doorway, her dirt-smudged face streaked with tears, stood Rose. Azil was at her side, but Peri saw immediately that the goblin was not captive, for he wielded an iron sword in one hand and gripped Rose’s arm with the other.

“Rose,” Peri whispered, torn between joy to see her alive, and despair that she too had been captured. His gaze then flicked to Azil.

“Traitor,” Peri hissed at him. The goblin looked away, avoiding his accusing glare.

“Azil,” Targkok spoke for the first time since the captives had been brought before them. His voice was deep and powerful. “So you dare show your face before me again.”

“Sire,” Azil’s voice was a plaintive whine. “I apologise for deserting you, but I brought you a prize – one that I hope will earn your forgiveness.”

The Goblin King’s gaze narrowed. “Spineless worm,” he growled. “Do you think I am so easily appeased?”

Targkok was about to say more but Morwyn interrupted him.

“Rose Fairbairn,” the witch’s gaze was riveted upon Rose’s face. “You will be of more use to me than this dolt.” With that, she shoved Peri away, back towards the goblin guards. She pushed him with such force that he stumbled and fell. Ignoring him, Morwyn beckoned to Rose.

Peri climbed to his feet, wincing at his skinned knees. He looked at Rose and saw that she looked on the verge of fainting. Her eyes were huge on her pale face; her body trembling.

“You know of the Red Book’s secret, don’t you?” the witch crooned, a cruel smile spreading across her face. “Your forebears were clever, weren’t they? They wove the secret into the words of this book, and passed the secret down the generations.”

Rose’s face twisted in confusion.

“What secret?” she stammered as behind her, the door to the chamber boomed shut. “It’s a story book, nothing more.”

Morwyn of Angmar shook her head, the smile still plastered to her face. However, Peri saw the look of vicious desperation in her eyes.

“There is a secret,” she told Rose, her voice harsh. All pretence at civility was now gone, “and you will reveal it to me.”

'All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.'


elaen32
Gondor


Mar 24 2014, 10:07pm

Post #2 of 9 (207 views)
Shortcut
So..... [In reply to] Can't Post

Is Azil a double double agent?
Is Salrean really dead?
What is the secret of the book? Does Morwyn want " the power of another kind, hidden in the Shore" that Gandalf mentions?

So many questions!Smile Looking forward to the next chapter Sam!


Is there a Tolkien topic that you have wanted to look into more deeply and write about your thoughts on it? If so, we'd like to hear from you for the next TORn Amateur Symposium- coming in April. Happy writing!



nandorin elf
Bree


Mar 24 2014, 10:33pm

Post #3 of 9 (213 views)
Shortcut
Wow [In reply to] Can't Post

It just gets better and better. Poor Rose, I knew she shouldn't trust Azil. At least they're all three together again, assuming Salrean is okay. Fingers crossed.
Can't wait for the next one. Smile


SamJCharlton
Bree

Mar 25 2014, 7:07am

Post #4 of 9 (198 views)
Shortcut
All will be revealed soon... [In reply to] Can't Post

Thanks following the story elaen32! Smile

'All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.'


SamJCharlton
Bree

Mar 25 2014, 7:08am

Post #5 of 9 (199 views)
Shortcut
We've finally got to the best part! [In reply to] Can't Post

Thanks nandorin elf - so glad you're enjoying it! Cool

'All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.'


boldog
Rohan


Mar 25 2014, 8:28am

Post #6 of 9 (207 views)
Shortcut
I really adore this! [In reply to] Can't Post

SamJcharlton, this is such a masterpiece! Im always eagerly waiting to read whats next. I really dont see Azil betraying so easily. I deem that there is something good for him yet to do.....

I believe that Azog and Bolg are possibly the only two orcs who may be an exception to the typical evil nature of an orc. Azog had brought up his son, well enough that he actually acknowledges him as his own son. That is a first for any orc. And Bolg sets out to march upon Erebor in vengeance of his fathers death. How many orcs will Try and avenge another dead orc? Most will just forget about the dead one. This gives me hope that Orcs, have some traits of good in them, even if it is small aspects.


SamJCharlton
Bree

Mar 26 2014, 7:18am

Post #7 of 9 (194 views)
Shortcut
Thanks boldog! [In reply to] Can't Post

Yes - you're right. Azil still has a part to play in what's to come! Wink

'All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.'


KasDel
Rivendell


Apr 2 2014, 6:53pm

Post #8 of 9 (182 views)
Shortcut
Well done Sam... [In reply to] Can't Post

me thinks that there is still more to Azil then meets the eye.Wink
Love it!!!!
Eddie

KasDel the Last

"Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger." Gildor


SamJCharlton
Bree

Apr 2 2014, 8:07pm

Post #9 of 9 (239 views)
Shortcut
Thanks Eddie! [In reply to] Can't Post

Next installment will be up in a few days! Cool

'All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.'

 
 

Search for (options) Powered by Gossamer Forum v.1.2.3

home | advertising | contact us | back to top | search news | join list | Content Rating

This site is maintained and updated by fans of The Lord of the Rings, and is in no way affiliated with Tolkien Enterprises or the Tolkien Estate. We in no way claim the artwork displayed to be our own. Copyrights and trademarks for the books, films, articles, and other promotional materials are held by their respective owners and their use is allowed under the fair use clause of the Copyright Law. Design and original photography however are copyright © 1999-2012 TheOneRing.net. Binary hosting provided by Nexcess.net

Do not follow this link, or your host will be blocked from this site. This is a spider trap.