The Unexpected | LotR Fanfiction

Chapter 22

A minute passed by but I couldn't hold my tongue any longer, "what? What's interesting?"

She merely smiled. Is she always going to be like this? "You're power. What is it? What has the Valar gifted you with?"

I held out my hands, summoning my power for her. But none showed. "I would show you if I could. But ever since I was caught, I haven't been able to summon it."

Melnárë motioned to my leg with her chin, "show me your leg." My leg... why?

"Show me your leg," she repeated. "I don't care how hairy it is."

Brows furrowed, I leaned over, pushed up my pant leg--and gasped. A black symbol lay on the side of my shin.

"Just what I thought. That symbol suppresses your power for a limited amount of time. It will return to you shortly. Though, I warn you to not use it too much after first gaining it back."

"Why?" So many questions.

"Because if you use too much of your power well after it has been suppressed, you may become fatigued. So fatigued that you may just lay down to sleep and never wake again."

"How do you know this?" I wasn't questioning her word for it--I trusted her, strangely enough--I was just curious.

"It happened to a friend of mine." Her voice became as hard as stone, as cool as ice. I shut myself up.

Melnárë turned around and said, as if reading my mind, "You'll have to use the pail to relieve yourself if you don't want your bladder to burst. That would be most unpleasant for me and for the orcs who would have to clean you off the walls."

I had a feeling Melnárë would become a nuisance.

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Nuisance indeed. I would ask her questions, because what else am I supposed to do? And she would completely ignore them. Occasionally she will answer a few or she will answer vaguely. For example, I asked how old is she, she answered with, "older than you." I'm not an idiot! I can tell she's older than me just by looking at the way she holds herself and those eyes that seem to hold so much.

The only good thing coming out of this is that I can use the pail in the corner without her looking my way. Thank the Valar.

The coolness seeping into the place told me that night has fallen over us. The cement ground didn't help much as I sat shivering in the corner. The cold seemed to seep into my bones, making even them shiver. My breath collected in front of me in cool mist.

I didn't dare close my eyes to welcome sleep. I was actually grateful for the wintery harsh air, for it kept me awake. Too many nights have those nightmares plagued me. But sleep tugged at the edges of my consciousness, and I knew my body would have to yield to sleep at some point.

"Take my cloak, child." My head snapped up at the sudden voice. Melnárë's voice sounded unnaturally loud as it pierced the silence like a knife.

From where I sat in the corner, up against the cement wall, I shook my head. "No, you need it more than I. I'll be dead soon, anyway." Because if Saruman doesn't kill me soon, then hyperthermia and infection from whatever down here will.

"Child, do not think about your own death and pain. Only think about what you can do for everybody else in need. I know life when I see it and I know you'll make it out of here alive." A pause. "Now get over here and take my cloak before you freeze yourself to death.

Silently I obeyed, even though my muscles cramped up and protested. I watched as she slowly took off the cloak, as if she too were in pain. She scuttled herself closer to the bars separating us and reached through, the fabric hissing against the bars. As I took the dark blue cloak, with some effort--seeing that the cloak did not want to come through--I asked carefully, "will you not be cold?"