Rise (Lord of the Rings)

41 - A New Task

            My head pounded ferociously, as if someone was playing it like a drum. I could hear my pulse, it dominated my ears. Why was my head throbbing so much? What had I done?

My hearing got stronger; I could hear voices, murmurs. I focused harder. They sounded feminine. Somewhere close to me, women were near. My fingers twitched, my mind was starting to wake up.

Realizing that nothing would get done pretending to be sleeping, I slowly peeked open my eyes. They were met with a staggering rock ceiling.

I squinted my eyes, befuddled. I was in a cave? I didn't think the Shire had any caves within it. It was mostly countryside. Unless I had wandered off into the woods, I saw no explanation as to why I was staring at a cave ceiling.

Afraid to attract attention, I performed small movements. I turned my head to the right, alarmed. There seemed to be hundreds of women, some with children. They weren't Hobbits; they were of the human race. Was I dreaming? Why else would women be here? Rarely did humans ever come across the Shire.

But wait, I'm not in the Shire. I'm in a strange place with a bunch of strange humans who I don't know.

One thing was certain: I was frightened.

Carefully, I sat up, instantly regretting it. I stayed upright, though my back throbbed faintly. What had I done to that? First my head hurt and now my back. Did I get into some horrible accident?

I put a hand to my forehead and took it away when I didn't come into contact with skin. I tenderly felt the fabric on my forehead. It felt like...dressings.

I assessed the damage to the rest of me since apparently some had been dealt, even though I had no idea how. I touched a spot on my left arm. It, too, was a bit tender. My clothing was covered in blood, and the majority of my body throbbed in pain.

Panic seized my heart. Just what did I get myself into?!

"I still cannot believe you let her go." The voice echoed in the caves, making me snap my head to my left.

Ambling down the way were two Men, one way more ancient-looking than the other, a woman, an Elf, and a Dwarf. The company of five contrasted greatly. The woman looked as though she had no injuries to her; she had a kind face and mid-back length golden hair. I envied her, she was beautiful.

The Man strolling beside her looked to have seen better days. He looked rugged; there was a hole towards the shoulder on his right sleeve, and, if I assumed correctly, there was faint smudges of blood on his hands.

I quickly looked away; hoping none of them noticed me. I needed to get out of this place—wherever I was—and find my way back to the Shire.

"You should have seen her," the woman whimpered. "She longed to go fight alongside you. Preventing her from fighting seemed like an awful thing to do to her."

In what world did women fight alongside men? The idea sounded ludicrous.

"You said her injuries weren't as bad as you thought?" the elder of the two Men asked.

"She's lucky she's alive," a deep voice noted. For some reason, I put the voice with the Dwarf.

"She's awake!" the woman gasped. Her voice sounded close...as if...as if...

As if she was standing less than a foot away from me.

Terrified to interact with her and the other four beings, I curled myself into a ball, resting my chin on my knees, glaring down at the cave floor in front of me.