OUT OF HARM'S WAY
May 7, 3020
Since Lilandra and Aldir had been imprisoned by Maugoth Vartang on November 11th, 3019, the little creature had traveled up each level of the city of Minas Artano on the seventh day of every month to beg King Varyon and his Steward Maugoth Vartang for their release. Every month, the halfling's pleas had been unheeded and he had had to turn back sorrowfully and travel back down the four levels to his house.
The day of May 7th would probably be like every other day - he would try and again he would fail - but still the halfling resolved in his mind to journey once more up to the Citadel where King Varyon and the Steward Vartang held court. The line ahead of them was a long one, but it usually was, and Frodo resolved to wait patiently until each ahead of him was seen in his turn. Two guards stood outside the building, and when it would be the turn of the next man in line, he would ask the guard to ask the doorman so that he could be granted admittance. However, each time one of the guards took the request to the doorman, the guard came back and either spoke a few words or nodded his head back and forth in a "no." So far, no one had been granted admittance to the hall since Frodo had been waiting and all had been turned away without being granted entrance.
When it came Frodo's turn, he stood humbly outside the gates to the Tower of Guard and asked the guard to inquire of the doorman if the King and the Steward would speak to him. The guard, who by this time had become accustomed to the monthly pilgrimage and the ensuing disappointments, usually laughed at the halfling, but today the guard must have been feeling ill because his countenance was grim when the usual request was made.
"Wait here," he said curtly, "and I will go inside and inquire of the doorman." It was some time before the guard returned.
Lilandra portrayed by Madurz
Frodo portrayed by Hobbitness
Guard and Finduilas portrayed by Eowyn
Narrator and Annosh portrayed by Angmar
Guard: *When the guard returns,
he looks at the small Halfling before him and asks gruffly* Is
your business the same as usual?
Frodo: *Stifling a sigh, Frodo nods to the guard* Yes,
to speak to the King about my servants.
Guard: *The guard sighs heavily, feeling much put upon.
Then turning, he nods to the other guard and tells him to allow
the halfling entry.*
Frodo: *Frodo brightens considerably and actually smiles
at the guards*
Guard: *The other guard opens the door for Frodo, glaring
at him. His cheer is unwanted and unappreciated.*
Frodo: *meekly walks past the angry guard into the
Tower*
Narrator: *Inside the door, the doorman says to Frodo*
Be quick with your business!
Frodo: *It will probably be all too quick, Frodo thinks
sadly*
Narrator: And I assume that you have no weapons, or should
I have you searched?
Frodo: No, I have no weapons. *he holds up his hands
to show they are empty*
Narrator: Hmmm... *the doorman looks at him* perhaps a
hidden weapon. Guard! Search him!
Frodo: No, really, I don't have any. Vartang doesn't
let...
Guard: *Two guards from inside rush upon Frodo and
lay hands upon him. Quickly and roughly, they search him, dragging
him off his feet and shaking him rudely.*
Guard: We will see about that! *one of the guards exclaims
as they rip Frodo's shirt open*
Frodo: Hey!!
Guard: *They drag his coat off his back and turn it
upside down, shaking it and feeling the pockets*
Frodo: *He wonders if this is a trick...what if they
imprison him again? He stands there disheveled, shaken, and very
upset, holding his shirt closed as they search his coat.*
Guard: *The other guard pats down the halfling's trousers
and then inspects his foot hair with disgust*
Guard: *The guards look at each other* No hidden weapons.
He can pass
Frodo: *He holds out his hand, glaring at them* Can
I at least have my coat back?
Guard: *The guard who had been searching Frodo's coat
throws it back at him, hitting him in the face with a soft thud*
Narrator: *The doorman yawns and says* He can pass
Frodo: *Frodo sputters as he bends and picks up the
coat. He buttons the coat to hide his torn shirt which now hangs
open. He walks up to the doorman and silently waits for him to
open the door, as these doors are much too heavy for a halfling.*
Guard: *The guards open the door for him, glaring at
him suspiciously*
Narrator: When Frodo is ushered into the hall, he sees
that the King's Throne and the Steward's Chair are vacant, unoccupied,
but a man who looked something like a scribe sits on a stool near
the king's chair. A small, portable desk is before him, and on
it is an inkwell and a sheath of parchments. He sits writing on
another parchment with a quill, and along the walls sit other
scribes writing at their desks, tended by servants who, after
one scribe is finished rolling a parchment and inserting it in
a tube, take the tube and leave the building. Other men stand
around the sides of the room, talking in hushed tones and shaking
their heads. Although all talk and all business in the hall is
conducted with the hush that comes to solemn public buildings,
the hall seems charged with unspoken excitement and alarm.
Frodo: *Frodo stops a little way into the hall, wondering
is going on. He looks around at all the scribes, the people talking
with quiet urgency, but is afraid to ask anyone what is happening.*
Annosh: So you are Shakh Baggins. *the gray haired man
said more as a statement of fact than a question.* I am Annosh,
Chamberlain of the King. I regret to inform you that Varyon, King
of Forogondor, the Northern Province of West Mordor, and Lord
High Governor of Minas Artano, left last night with his household
and his escort to go to his summer home on the sea. The date of
his return is not known.
Frodo: What?! *his palm flies to his forehead. He squeezes
his eyes shut and breathes heavily, trying to compose himself*
What...why? Why did he go, and without any plans to return?!
Annosh: Shakh, I am sure he will return.... sometime,
someday. But you are to deal with me until such a time that he
does. The King's Steward Vartang was called to the north... to
inspect the troops. Well? *he asks and looks to Frodo*
Frodo: *He feels a great burden lifted and a great
worry descend at the same time. Vartang and Varyon are gone!
But why? What are they plotting now?* Well...well, have they
told you about my servants?
Annosh: Now *he says, looking down at his desk* I have
a paper here somewhere that I am supposed to read
Annosh: *He looks over the scroll tubes on his desk
and finding one, he takes the end off the tube and shakes out
the scroll. He runs his finger under the seal, opening the scroll,
and begins to read*
Annosh: "To all those who are concerned in this
matter: let it be known that the slave Aldir and his wife Lilandra
have been pardoned by order of the military commander at Newburg.
The woman is to be released to the care of her master, Shakh Baggins,
and the man Aldir will be released as soon as he can be brought
from his work party at Osgiliath. Signed, Captain Delath, Military
Commander of Newburg."
Annosh: *Annosh looks at Frodo* I shall have the woman
brought forth. *He turns and looks at the guard* Go to the Steward's
quarters and fetch the woman!
Guard: Right away, my lord. *the guard says, bowing,
and leaves the hall.*
Frodo: *Frodo gasps in absolute delight* Oh! Thank
you! How...? I don't believe it! *He has to keep himself from
jumping up and down for joy. He wrings his hands, rocks on the
balls of his feet, and looks where the guard left, torn between
worry and joyful expectation*
Annosh: Now *Annosh says, tapping the scroll tube up
and down on the desk top* that concludes the matter and you are
free to leave at any time, shakh.
Frodo: I'll wait for her to come. I want to take her
home! How will I know when to come and fetch Aldir?
Guard: *Soon, the guard returns to the citadel hall
with Lilandra, touching her on the arm to guide her.*
Annosh: *Annosh looks down at his papers. Then he dips
his quill point into the ink and begins writing again*
Frodo: *Frodo forgets about his question when the guard
brings Lilandra in. Frodo feels about to burst. He wants to run
up to her, but he feels frozen where he stands. He takes slow
steps towards her, wanting to say a million things, not knowing
what to say.*
Lilandra: *Lilandra held her breath when she heard the
door open as she always did...though she always expected anything...but
this time she was taken aback as she saw the guard and was led
out with him through paths she did not expect at all to take and
she felt a knot in her stomach as she waited with nervous anticipation
and then she gasped when she finally saw Frodo standing before
her. Her eyes were wide and filled with tears as she looked around
in disbelief*
Guard: *The guard guides Lilandra over to where Frodo
stands, and then steps away from them, waiting for them to finish
speaking.*
Frodo: *Frodo's eyes glisten with unshed tears as he
walks up to her. He smiles up at her for long, awkward moments,
then tenderly touches her arm*....I've come to take you home!
Annosh: *Annosh looks up, almost absentmindedly at them,
and then waves them aside* You may leave the hall now. Guards!
Open the door for them!
Lilandra: *Her mind races as he says he is to take her
home...the tears spill down her cheeks but she says in small voice*.....Aldir?
Frodo: *Frodo shakes his head slowly when Lilandra
asks for Aldir* Not yet, but they said he is coming back too!
Lilandra: *She could not believe this was possible...she
had almost lost all hope...though she would always despair..this
was a sliver of light... she places her hands on Frodo's which
rests on her arm and she nods..wanting to leave his place...hoping
so much this was the truth about Aldir and that he was safe after
all...and well...if possible*
Frodo: *Frodo's lip trembles and his forehead crinkles
slightly, but then he takes a deep breath. He takes her hand,
smiles reassuringly, and begins to lead her toward the door*
Guard: *The guard who brought Lilandra into the hall
looks to her and Frodo, saying* I am to escort you home.
Frodo: *Frodo nods to the guard, then turns to Lilandra*
Are you ready? Can you walk that far?
Lilandra: *her heart pounds as she moves towards the door
with Frodo..her hand shakes and looks to the guard.....home*
Guard: *The guards standing on either side of the large
doors that lead to the citadel open them before Frodo, Lilandra
and the guard.*
Lilandra: Frodo...*she sniffs and she places her other
hand on her stomach* yes..I can make the walk home. Perhaps slowly
though
Guard: *The guard looks Lilandra up and down and sneers*
You look stout enough to walk by yourself.
Lilandra: *She looks away almost seeming unaffected by
the comment*
Frodo: *He cannot believe that she is really here,
that it is really her voice. He looks to her hand on her stomach,
where her baby is, then coldly to the guard* She is with child.
We must go slowly!
Guard: They do not go slowly when they work in the
field. *he says gruffly* Come on now with you. I do not have all
day!
Lilandra: *she holds onto Frodo's hand...she has not known
a friendly touch save for some of the women who have come to check
on her while she was held*
Guard: I am tired of listening to the both of you.
Make haste, make haste!
Frodo: *Frodo follows the guard, but does not try to
make Lilandra move quickly.*
Guard: Come on, come on, unless you want stay here
all night, and whilst you might like my company, I do not like
yours!
Frodo: We're going as fast as we can *he snaps at the
guard, then touches Lilandra's arm again to gently urge her to
go a little faster.*
Lilandra: *She walks at a steady pace..leaving her cell
(as she felt it was) filled her with enough motivation to walk
with haste*
Guard: *He thinks to himself: "Why did I get this
duty, to escort a Tark woman and a dwarf back to their home?!"*
Lilandra: *She rubs her stomach assuring herself and in
a way the child that this exertion was worth it for she would
be leaving the torment she knew......for now anyway*
Narrator: *The guards hold the doors open for them and
Lilandra, Frodo and the guard who is escorting them pass through.
Then the guard leads them down the four levels of the city to
Baggins' Hall. Upon reaching the hall, the guard commands the
doorman to let them enter.* All right, you are back. My duty is
done. *The guard says and leaves them.*
Frodo: *Frodo eyes the guard suspiciously, then sighs
with relief when he leaves. Looking up at Lilandra, Frodo tries
to read her expression...does she need some time, or should he
take her to her room?*
Finduilas: *Finduilas hears the commotion at the door and
rushes out of the kitchen. Upon entering the hall, she sees Frodo
and Lilandra. Her mind goes blank a moment and she stands there,
staring. Then she shrieks in surprise and joy, barely believing
what her eyes see. She rushes over to Lilandra and hugs her gently*
My dear! My dear! You are home at last! *she cries with tears
in her eyes*
Lilandra: *Suddenly...when she had forgotten the smells
and sights of what she knew as home...they all come back in a
rush and she can feel a lump in her throat of emotion... She is
hit with relief and a sort of comfort of the things she knew and
also a sadness...for she was missing the one thing she needed
and thought of most...the arms of Aldir...his secure embrace...*
Lilandra: *But there was the familiar warmth of a woman
she did think of while she was away...she she held her tightly
and closed her eyes...it was almost strange to her to feel again...
she had built up a numbness in her...outside..inside...and with
the months she almost willed herself to forget the things that
would make her crumble if she dwelt on them too long... safety
for the baby....hope for Aldir....but this seemed to be the day
when she maybe could let the barrier come down a bit and in the
house now...with the smell of bread...and the arms of Finduilas..
Frodo beside them....and knowing she was without her husband still....but
that maybe soon, he too would be holding her...she wept*
Finduilas: We were all so worried *she cries, her voice
choking up with emotion* we feared you would not return. The winter
was very dire and we were so afraid. But here you are, with the
master! Oh my dear, my dear! *she gasps, and then whispers* We
must get you to your room, so you can rest, for both you and the
little one have been through quite an ordeal! *she steps back
from her slightly, taking her hand.*
Lilandra: *Lilandra feels a bit weak...exhausted from
walk and release of emotion...her hand trembles in Finduilas'*
Frodo: *When Lilandra starts to cry, Frodo bows his
head, bites his lip and drops a few silent tears on the ground.
He has memories of his own that he tries not to remember, but
they come back now... and tell him what Lilandra has been through.
His heart just breaks to think of her suffering like that...
He cannot help but think of Elfhild, Elffled and Arnasa, still
in Minas Morgul...if only they were here, and if Lilandra had
her husband, the reunion would be complete... But the unthinkable
has happened. Lilandra is back, and she is safe! Perhaps he
has succeeded in protecting at least one of his dear friends...
He takes his place beside Lilandra, smiling as Finduilas embraces
her, ready to follow them into the house.*
Finduilas: You are safe now and there is no more need
for fear *Finduilas says as she leads Lilandra towards her room.
Ever since Frodo had told her that Lilandra was with child, she
had worried constantly about her, for Lilandra.... was helpless
and in the hands of cruel and merciless enemies.* A baby, think
of that. A little one! *she murmurs softly, to try to distract
her friend from thinking about what evils befell her whilst a
captive of Vartang* Tis been so long since Anborn and Targon were
little.
Finduilas: You are trembling! *concern and worry is in
her voice* Here, We are almost to your room... *she opens the
door for Lilandra, and guides her inside.* Sit, sit. *she commands
gently* How are you feeling? Do you need anything?
Lilandra: *Those who came in to check her and tend to
her, said little...emoted nothing...only did their duties. Now
she was with a woman she adored very much and felt a bond with
even more now... She always respected Finduilas and marveled at
how hard she worked and how well she raised her children in such
a situation. She envied her for a time as she watched Aldir with
her children.. never thinking she would bear her own. And she
was glad to have her now when she needed her most. Understanding
between women... She sits and she looks over to Frodo then into
Finduilas's eyes which are filled with something she has not seen
in a while.... genuine concern and care. Her own eyes are glazed
over with a dull darkness...hollow...her whole appearance was
one of months of distress. She stares deep and long and then
says something she could not admit to anyone in some time* I am
scared.
Finduilas: *The deep worry upon Finduilas' face is apparent
as she hears Lilandra's quiet admission* Oh, no, do not be. *she
says comfortingly, squeezing her hand as she stands by her chair*
you are safe now. No one will hurt you!
Lilandra: *Lilandra wraps her other arm around her stomach
and shudders*
Frodo: *Concern for Lilandra blocks out all other emotions.
But Frodo feels strangely out of place. He senses the bond between
the two women and feels somewhat of an outsider. What should he
say to her? How will he avoid making her even more uncomfortable?
He feels a strong responsibility towards her, as towards all of
them. He wanted to protect them from the horrors of last year,
and since that crisis, he has done all he can to try and repair...
the damage, but how can he repair someone's heart? He remembers
how she risked her safety and that of her baby to protect him,
and he wants to thank her...but that would bring back bad memories,
and she should rest now. He almost wishes he were the same height
as she is, so his reassurances would be more convincing. He folds
his hands over her knee. His expression is one of understanding
as he smiles to her.*
Frodo: You don't need to be afraid. We're here now.
Whatever you need, we will do. We'll look after you.
Lilandra: *she removes her hand from her belly and places
it on Frodo's and her lips curl into a small smile and she says
in low, breathy voice* Thank you. I know you both will
Finduilas: *Seeing that Lilandra shudders, Finduilas says*
Oh dear, you are cold... *she takes a blanket from the bed and
drapes it gently over her lap* This should make you feel better.
*She smiles reassuringly* Nay, there is no longer anything to
fear. You are safe now, and among friends.
Lilandra: *She holds the blanket around her...her eyes
flutter closed after she looks around the room and thinks of the
last time Aldir and her were together in it. She opens her eyes
and looks to Frodo* Frodo... what exactly was said about Aldir?
Frodo: The King's scribe said that Aldir was pardoned,
and that he will be released from his work in two days.
Lilandra: *She emits an exhale in relief and shivers still
under the blanket from anticipation and places her hand to her
mouth* Oh! *her eyes fill again. Could it be real? In two days
she will be in his arms again?!*
Finduilas: Oh, that is wonderful! *Finduilas cries, squeezing
Lilandra's hand gently* Soon he will return to you! But - now
- let me make you some tea... it will help warm you up and calm
your unease. I will not be long.
Lilandra: *she smiles up to Finduilas* Tea would be very
good indeed. Thank you Finduilas. I...I have always felt so much
comfort around you. I am very happy and grateful that I have you
to care for me.... at this time *her voice seems strained and
breaks a little*
Finduilas: *Lilandra's words warm her heart and bring a
smile to her face* I am glad that I could be of help, and I will
help you in any way I can. I will not be long with the tea and
will bring it right away! *she says, and leaves the room.*
Frodo: *Left alone with Lilandra, Frodo is overcome
with the urge to thank her for protecting him...but he is still
afraid to awaken bad memories. He takes her hand and squeezes
it... but does not say anything, knowing she can probably guess
his meaning through their strange....connection.*
Frodo: *Then he pats her hand and brightens his voice
and manner* Perhaps you would like to lie down? You must be
very tired, and your little one. *nods toward the bed*
Lilandra: *Lilandra looks over Frodo's face and squeezes
his hand...so glad to be among those who mean her no harm. She,
now, for the first time beamed with joy of carrying her and Aldir's
baby as Frodo and Finduilas referred to it with a sweet tone and
a smile....rather than a tool used for threat* I am a bit tired....overwhelmed
really at the day's events. After the tea...I hope to find a restful
sleep
Frodo: You will, my dear. I think you will sleep better
than you have in a long time *his smile widens*
Lilandra: *She thought so too...but the most peaceful
sleep will come when it is wrapped up in Aldir's arms*