MALTRIEL PREPARES TO LEAVE

April 20, 3019

Angmar: *Sam, who has been stabbed by a Morgul blade, has been renamed "Bughnrakh," or "Potato," and will now be servant to Angmar*
Angmar: *Eowyn has been called to Angmar's private chambers*
Angmar: *Angmar hopes that Bughnrakh will prove an adequate servant*
Angmar: *Maltriel stands before Angmar*
Maltriel: *her dress is of black, the silver-grey sleeves of her chainse peaking from beneath her overdress sleeves. she smells faintly of the flowers of the east*
Angmar: *Angmar sits in a chair at a table*
Angmar: Wine, Bughnrakh, for the lady and me, and see you spill none of it!
Bughnrakh: *Sam cowers before Angmar remembering Peter's warnings about him*
Angmar: This is the lady Maltriel, who is my betrothed
Bughnrakh: Wh..where is the wine kept, my lord?
Bughnrakh: *bows to the lady wondering at her beauty*
Maltriel: *she smiles when she hears herself mentioned and nods to bugrhakh* yes.. we are to be wed
Angmar: It is in the cabinet on the wall, you fool! Why are you so slow?
Bughnrakh: *Sam remembers Rosie and tears start to his eyes...he would've married her*
Bughnrakh: I'm sorry
Bughnrakh: *He runs to the cabinet and grabs a bottle of wine*
Angmar: If there is none left, which I doubt unless you drank it, go to my cellars below and tell the orcs I wish a bottle of the red wine that smokes when opened, and a bottle of Nurn 2850 for the lady
Bughnrakh: *Sam's head swims and his heart pounds...he tries to concentrate on the wine labels*
Maltriel: *she looks to angmar adoringly... thinking what a strong man he is*
Bughnrakh: *He realizes he is holding a bottle of Nurn 2850*
Angmar: My lady, you look lovely tonight *He takes both her hands into his and kisses her fingertips*
Bughnrakh: *and he picks the reddest wine*
Bughnrakh: *Luckily, it does smoke when he opens it*
Maltriel: thank you my lord *she smiles and blushes* i love you ever so much
Bughnrakh: *He wrinkles up his nose at the smell, thinking of the ale at the Green Dragon*
Angmar: Bughnrakh, you and Maltriel will be moving with my escort tomorrow
Bughnrakh: *Looks up with wide eyes*
Bughnrakh: ...What?
Maltriel: yes.. *she says excitedly* we go to fight against the west
Bughnrakh: We're going away?
Angmar: Bughnrakh, Khamul has already gone ahead of us to make preparations
Angmar: Yes, Bughnrakh, we are going to Gondor
Bughnrakh: *Longing for Frodo fills him like a poison*
Maltriel: *she is excited.... for she is going to fight in the wars like a man and not stay at home to guard the house*
Bughnrakh: *He lowers his head and hugs himself trying not to cry*
Angmar: Bughnrakh, you will also be expected to attend the lady
Angmar: And bring her food and wine, only the best for her, my dearest love
Maltriel: *she smiles adoringly at angmar*
Bughnrakh: *He looks up at the lady and nods unsteadily*
Angmar: Bughnrakh, can you ride a horse?
Bughnrakh: *He finally pours them the wine*
Bughnrakh: Well, I once owned a pony
Bughnrakh: Bill his name was, a right good pony
Maltriel: my lord, i have learned much about how to use a sword in the time i have been with you... but it is strange... it seemed almost natural to me after a while.... i do not know why
Angmar: Bughnrakh, we have no ponies. You will ride a horse
Bughnrakh: But...they are so big!
Angmar: It will be good to get to Gondor. We have much to do there
Angmar: And you are so small
Bughnrakh: *nods*
Angmar: You must learn!
Angmar: My lady, a gentle kiss from your tender lips for your lord would be most welcome
Bughnrakh: *He tenses. Hobbits are afraid of heights*
Angmar: *Angmar is sitting down and Maltriel stands beside him*
Maltriel: *she puts her hand lovingly upon his shoulder and bends down and kisses him*
Angmar: All you have to do, Bughnrakh, is sit in the saddle, hold the reins, and kick the horse in the ribs. Can you not do that?
Bughnrakh: *He turns away, overcome with longing for Rosie, the Shire, his old Gaffer, Frodo...he looks forward to his next meeting with Peter when he will be able to voice his frustrations*
Bughnrakh: I think so
Maltriel: *she resumes her standing position* he could ride on the horse with me, my love
Bughnrakh: But won't the horse run fast?
Bughnrakh: How will I stay on?
Maltriel: he is too short to reach the stirrups
Angmar: Then I give permission, my lovely lady, for him to ride with you upon your horse
Bughnrakh: *feels better about this arrangement*
Maltriel: *she smiles... she softly places her hand upon his shoulder again* thank you my lord
Bughnrakh: *grudgingly he bows to them* Thank you my lord and lady
Bughnrakh: *the words taste foul in his mouth*
Bughnrakh: *As always his mind goes to Frodo*
Angmar: *Angmar seeks to deceive Eowyn even more by feigning kindness to Bughnrakh*
Bughnrakh: *He imagines Frodo chained in a dungeon in a filthy cell, with no food or water, and he is so tired from their journey already*
Angmar: *All that will change in the future, as we shall see when the tale unfolds*
Angmar: Ah my darling lady, that is most kind of you to offer him a seat
Bughnrakh: *His heart races... He wants to run out of the room and find Frodo as he did at Cirith Ungol*
Maltriel: *she smiles* thank you my lord... if he wishes to fight for our just cause then he is most welcome
Bughnrakh: *Lost in his own thoughts, he imagines Frodo weeping and calling for him*
Angmar: Yes, my lady, but you will have to teach him the use of the sword, for he has not been with us long. I understand he is better than cooking than fighting, so he will cook for you
Angmar: Bughnrakh, tell her some of the things that you will cook for her
Bughnrakh: *startled out of his thoughts, breathing hard*
Maltriel: *her hand still upon his shoulder, she absentmindedly twirls what she perceives as his long black hair between her fingers*
Bughnrakh: What I cook, sir?
Bughnrakh: Well, for Mr. Frodo I used to cook lots of things
Bughnrakh: But you can't beat a coney stew with some nice taters
Angmar: Yes, Bughnrakh, what you cook. Lord Sauron tells me he has seen your thoughts and there he finds that you are a good cook
Maltriel: that will do very nicely, but what else can you cook?
Bughnrakh: Or some cooked fish and some nice fried tater chips.
Bughnrakh: I can cook most anything, ma'am.
Maltriel: we need everyone in the service of mordor, whether it be to cook or to fight, but fighting is preferable
Bughnrakh: Begging your pardon
Maltriel: in our most just and outnumbered cause
Angmar: Yes, my lady, it is indeed a just cause
Bughnrakh: I think I will be much better at cooking than fighting, if you take my meaning.
Angmar: *Angmar seems to flinch at that, but perhaps it is just a trick of the light on his robes that seems to cause it*
Angmar: *To himself, he thinks... that miserable Shire rat... why did Sauron inflict this thing upon me!*
Bughnrakh: *Sam thinks back to Weathertop*
Angmar: *Just because I took him with the blade did not mean I had a fondness for him!*
Bughnrakh: *He thinks...this is the same demon that stabbed poor Mr. Frodo! And I am calling him lord!*
Bughnrakh: *He wipes his eyes feeling he has betrayed Mr. Frodo*
Maltriel: *she say to bughrakh* well, still your services as a cook will be needed. *to her lord* he is quite short though, isn't he?
Bughnrakh: *nods absently*
Angmar: Aye, my lady, he is miserably short, but he is supposed to be a good cook. If he does not cook to your liking, scold him. He must obey you
Bughnrakh: *He remembers the sight of Angmar towering over him*
Maltriel: *still she twirls his hair between her fingers* my lord, is he a child?
Bughnrakh: *and the cold, cruel blade thrust slowly into his heart*
Angmar: Nay, he is no child. He is what they call a Halfling, a thing of the Shire. Insignifcant
Bughnrakh: *He thinks how Mr. Frodo will weep when he sees him again...if he sees him again...for Sam is invisible now*
Angmar: *Bughnrakh is wearing a cloak, for he is having dealings with the living*
Bughnrakh: *The word "Shire" jolted him out of his thoughts*
Bughnrakh: Yes, we hobbits usually keep to ourselves, ma'am and aren't a trouble to nobody.
Maltriel: *she looks at bughrakh, and it seems to her that she sees him... and then a vision comes to her, and she sees no longer of the room she is in*
Bughnrakh: *His brow furrows as the lady's expression changes*
Maltriel: *her gray eyes glaze over and she starts to whisper a word...* mer...? *but the memory passes and she is once again back with her hand upon angmars shoulder*
Angmar: *Angmar can read both their thoughts and is not pleased, especially with Eowyn*
Bughnrakh: Are you talking of my friend Merry, my lady?
Bughnrakh: He is a fine hobbit!
Angmar: My lady, my dearest one, my frail flower, you seem to be flushed. I fear that fever comes back upon you and you will need more of your medicine
Bughnrakh: It would be so wonderful to see Merry and Pippin again
Maltriel: my lord i feel cold... perhaps i have a chill?
Angmar: *Angmar's eyes flame*
Bughnrakh: *Sam recoils*
Angmar: *He looks at Bughnrakh*
Bughnrakh: *He has done something wrong...but what?*
Maltriel: *she thinks, her eyes glazing over again* merry and pippin? i do not know..
Bughnrakh: *He remembers Peter's warnings again and quakes*
Angmar: *He sends a thought to Bughnrakh's mind... and Bughnrakh sees himself plunging head first into a well in the Shire*
Angmar: *To Eowyn he sends a thought that clears her mind of everything she heard*
Bughnrakh: *Sam gives a cry and falls to his knees, but then comes to himself and realizes he is still in the room*
Maltriel: *she shakes her head and rubs her eyes with her other hand... confused*
Bughnrakh: *He wonders what that vision was...It is powerful strange*
Angmar: *Once again, Bughnrakh has plunged headfirst into the well and he feels he is drowning and suffocating. He commands Bughnrakh's tongue to silence*
Bughnrakh: *Sam is a gasping little heap on the floor*
Angmar: *Into the well, Angmar commands a vision of snow that packs down upon the smothering Bughnrakh*
Bughnrakh: *He begins to shiver*
Maltriel: *she blinks repeatedly trying to clear her vision and her mind*
Bughnrakh: *He tries to call for Mr. Frodo, but he cannot speak*
Angmar: *The well opens up before Bughnrakh head and he is taken down deeper and deeper, down into the depths of the earth where the unknown creatures that even Sauron is unaware of chew at the foundations of the earth*
Angmar: *They all turn to Bughnrakh and chew upon him*
Bughnrakh: *Sam screams*
Angmar: *Then he gets up and goes to a cabinet*
Maltriel: *she moves her hand from his hair as he gets up*
Angmar: *He goes to his cabinet and brings forth the silver vial once again*
Bughnrakh: *He thrashes on the floor in terror having no idea what is happening to him*
Angmar: My lady, you must drink this. All of it. It will help you. You have fever and imagine things
Angmar: *He hears Angmar's voice down deep in the earth... NEVER SAY ANYTHING ABOUT HOBBITS AGAIN OR YOU WILL STAY THERE FOR ETERNITY!*
Maltriel: *she walks towards angmar and smiles* thank you my lord.. ever you watch out for my health. i do hope it will not prevent me from fighting in the war...
Angmar: *He once again gives Sam/Bughnrakh the power to speak*
Bughnrakh: *Sam thinks* What about Mr. Frodo? What if I see him again? And what about Mr. Bracegirdle, if I see him again, can I say nothing to him?
Angmar: *He hands her the vial* Drink, my lady, for your health
Maltriel: *she takes the vial and drinks it*
Bughnrakh: *Sam thinks of the Elvish song he sang at Cirith Ungol and it gives him hope*
Angmar: My lady, my dear, dear, sweet, gentle, lovely lady, those names he said, Pippin and Merry, are evil. They try to fight us
Angmar: Merry tried to poison you, my lady, and that is why you are so ill, and his cousin, Pippin, is no better. He would kill you too, though he would try to trick you with fine words
Maltriel: *the potion makes her feel cold.... she turns pale at his words* my lord, that is horrible!
Angmar: Indeed it is, my lady.
Angmar: *Angmar is disgusted and very angry with Bughrakh*
Bughnrakh: *Sam drags himself to his feet, exhausted*
Angmar: *And he decides to keep the vision upon Bughrak for long days to come*
Bughnrakh: *Through his torment Sam pictures Mr. Frodo's face and Mr. Frodo's voice speaking words of encouragement*
Maltriel: and you say they made an attempt upon my life? then i shall be wary of them and kill them if i by chance meet them
Angmar: *Angmar considers sending Bughrakh back to Sauron so that he could smash his mind with one thought*
Angmar: *Instead, he contents himself with the thoughts that his mind will betray him into thinking he is trapped in a well somewhere deep under the earth and will keep quiet*
Bughnrakh: *He tries to remember the feel of Mr. Frodo's hand in his, and how happy he was when Mr. Frodo slept safely beside him*
Bughnrakh: *He can no longer see the room, only the deep walls of a dark well*
Angmar: *He sends this thought to Bughrakh. Will you keep your silence, knave, or will you keep your place beneath the earth?*
Maltriel: *she rubs her arms, feeling cold*
Bughnrakh: *They cannot conquer forever, they cannot conquer forever... Help me Mr. Frodo!*
Angmar: *Angmar takes back his seat upon his black chair*
Angmar: *Frodo is deep within the dungeon of Lugburz, knave. He can hear nothing but screams*
Maltriel: *she follows him back to the table and sits across from him*
Bughnrakh: *If I keep silent, will you keep him safe?* You won't hurt him?*
Angmar: *You do not bargain with me, Shire rat*
Bughnrakh: *His eyes sting*
Angmar: *I will ask Sauron to kill him right now if you do not change your ways!*
Angmar: My dear lady, I trust the chill has left you now?
Bughnrakh: *Then I will never say anything about hobbits in your presence again.*
Angmar: *That is not enough, Bughrakh. You must never say the name to anyone... EVER*
Bughnrakh: *He begins to cry*
Angmar: *Or I will ask Lord Sauron if I may slay your friend myself!*
Bughnrakh: *Then I'll...I'll never say "hobbits" ever again*
Bughnrakh: *Don't hurt my master!*
Maltriel: *she looks to him* my lord, i am still cold, but i am sure the wine will make me feel warm *she smiles*
Bughnrakh: *He marvels that he is having this conversation on some supernatural plane, without moving his lips*
Bughnrakh: *Sam hugs his knees and tries to comfort himself with the possiblity of seeing Mr. Frodo and Mr. Bracegirdle again*
Angmar: *Angmar is in constant mental communication with Sauron and asks him to send great pain to Frodo in the place in his shoulder where the Morgul blade once bit into it. He relays that same thought to Sam*
Bughnrakh: *Sam can hear Frodo screaming, and his screams echo off the walls of his cell and mingle with the screams he hears*
Maltriel: *she knows not of the conversation going on between the two wraiths*
Bughnrakh: *He can see Mr. Frodo doubled over in pain and he longs to comfort him*
Bughnrakh: *He sobs*
Angmar: *Angmar flashes this mental thought to Sam. Frodo will be here with Sauron forever. If you wish to see no harm come to your master, you will be a very good snaga. He laughs*
Bughnrakh: *Please don't hurt him! Please stop!*
Angmar: *Angmar commands an orc to bring a cloak and drap it around Maltriel's shoulders to keep her warm*
Bughnrakh: *I will be good, please stop hurting him*
Angmar: Lovely lady, I would die before I would see harm come to you *he hisses these words but to her it sounds as pleasant as the wind in spring blowing through the threes*
Maltriel: *she nods to the orc as he drapes the cloak around her shoulders... turns to angmar* thank you lord angmar *she smiles* you will make a wonderful husband for me, so kind and caring
Bughnrakh: *Sam continues to see Frodo in pain in the dungeon*
Bughnrakh: *Frodo is thinking of the pain Sam must have suffered from the Morgul blade and amid his tears Frodo repeats Sam's name*
Bughnrakh: *But Sam thinks Frodo is calling for him*
Angmar: Ah, my lady, I look forward to the day of our wedding, and you will be my wife at last. May the day come soon that we know the full joy of each other's embraces
Angmar: *Snaga, rememebr your master and what fate will await him if you fail us*
Bughnrakh: *I will not fail!*
Angmar: *And with that, he commands the vision to come forth from Sam's mind and draw him out of the well and back into the room*
Bughnrakh: *Sam seems to land heavily on the floor of the room*
Bughnrakh: *He is still weeping*
Bughnrakh: *He realizes now that the well was a vision from Angmar to torment him, but he knows the vision of Frodo was real, and that causes him to sink into a chair and sob*
Maltriel: *she smiles at him* we ride both into war.... and it is my hope that we will both come back alive. but if we do not i hope we go out in a blaze of glory against the treacherous west
Angmar: Now my lady, you must sleep. The draught you took will help you. Now come, let me take you in my arms and kiss you goodnight
Bughnrakh: *Sam remembers the many times in the past when Frodo's shoulder has pained him*
Maltriel: *she gets out of her seat, using the table to support herself as she walks to him*
Bughnrakh: *Frodo always used to come and sit next to him and Sam would hold his hand and speak comfortingly to him*
Angmar: *He rises to meet her, and when she is standing in front of him, he takes both hands and holds her face in his, then tilts it up to him*
Bughnrakh: *Sam hopes the memory of this will comfort Frodo now*
Maltriel: *her soft golden hair brushes his hand as he tilts her head to his*
Angmar: *He takes his hands away from her face and wraps them around her waist, drawing her to him*
Angmar: *Then he kisses her fully and passionately*
Maltriel: *she embraces back and kisses him*
Bughnrakh: *He hopes that the Elvish power that has aided them in the past will help Frodo now, but he finds the thought burns his mind*
Angmar: *Then he steps back and says* Burz tor, lovely lady
Angmar: *He summons an orc to take her back to her room*
Angmar: *Then he turns to Sam* You will sleep under my chair from now on, dog
Bughnrakh: *Anger rises in him*
Maltriel: *she follows the orc back to her room, wraping the cloak around herself tighter, stifling a yawn*
Bughnrakh: *But he remembers...Frodo will suffer if he rebels*
Bughnrakh: *He curls up on the hard floor under the chair, seething*
Angmar: *He calls to her* My lady, pack your things. We ride at dawn
Bughnrakh: *Perhaps he can sneak off in the night to see Mr. Bracegirdle, but then again, that would be a big risk and they would hurt Mr. Frodo if they found out*
Maltriel: *she turns back to him and waves* goodnight my love... i will be ready.. for we go to war and ride to battle for the glorious cause of mordor
Bughnrakh: *He sighs and bunches his cloak into a pillow*
Angmar: *he calls back* Yes, for the cause, my lady

Packing for the Journey
By Eowyn

eowyn groggily gathered together her scant posessions..... a few black dresses and chainses of lighter colors, assorted odds and ends of clothing and a few smaller items. she fought the heavy sleep that came upon her for she was eager to have her things ready for the morning.

despite her potion-enduced exhaustion, she felt excited.... she was going to fight in the war.... perhaps beside her beloved angmar. she hoped they would ride into battle side by side, to victory and triumph, and if not that, to death in a blaze of glory.

because of numerous potions and enchantments, eowyn believed herself to be a lady of gondor, and she believed gondor to be a vassal state to mordor, a wonderful country ruled by a kind and belevolent king, lord annatar the fair. horrendous numbers of enemies from the evil west waged war upon mordor, and it appeared that all traces of hope were being blown away by a western wind. she wanted to take an active part and fight in the war against these wicked enemies of mordor..... not stay behind and do nothing until all hope was gone and the fair city of lugburz was besieged.... and her betrothed, lord angmar, has allowed her to do what she wants.... to go to war and serve the liege lord of her country lord annatar the fair.

of course she does not remember her past.... the true fate of her uncle and her friend merry the hobylta from the legends of the north... or that mordor is really evil and the west is good.... her own torment at the hands of mordor.... nor even standing before the lidless eye in all of his fiery horror. all she knows is what the witch-king angmar tells her, and she believes his every word.... only in a vague passing thought does she wonder why her "medicine" makes her feel only more confused.... or why sometimes the world does not appear as it does at other times... and things seem unreal as though in a dream and she hears only the words of her lord....

finishing packing her things, she walks over to her window and looks out the bars.... fire and smoke ever come forth from the mountain.... she pulls the heavy dark curtain back and then walks over to her bed, almost collapsing before she gets there. she pulls the warm covers up around herself, and quickly falls into a deep slumber filled with dreams of the man whom she perceives lord angmar to be .... her hand trembling at the touch of his as he takes a cup from her hands.... his soft gray eyes gazing upon her... he stands before her, a tall and noble figure, like the numenorian kings of old.... then the dream changes and the memory passes, but still she smiles in her sleep.

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