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A/N: Okay, kidz...this chapter's the last of my 'buffer', so you gon' have to wait a bit for the next part...won't necessarily be that long, though. Hopefully... *sweat drop*

My thanks to all who've reviewed (saw them all, btw, even though not all got archived here). 'Addictive', eh? Got more than one comment recently mentioning that. All I can say is... MWAH HA HA! But... I'll be good and not charge $, so....read on and enjoy! And now, I'm off to my weekly 'cliff-hangers anonymous' meeting... ^_~

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The Nightmare - Part 18

by Bex

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I surfaced back out of unconsciousness with only the greatest reluctance, badgered by a persistence that eventually formed into words...

"Lady Sarah, you must wake! You must awaken now! There is no time!"

Something in the urgency of those words reached me; I blinked, light stabbing through slitted eyes, then lurched internally in horror as memory flooded me--

"Please!" the voice said quickly, "Do not--"

The shriek burbling its way up out of me never surfaced; a finger tapped my forehead once, a voice quietly yet insistently said, "Be calm."

The horror dropped away, back into the depths, shut away.

I blinked again, heart still pounding, but realizing that wherever I was, the abhorrent Presence, the Eye that had hung before me was not here.

I was safe.

Well, as safe as I could be, back in the room I'd woken up in earlier, with Radagast the Brown, traitorous Istar, crouched before me.

"Come; we must leave now," he said, reaching for me.

I made an incoherent sound of protest, scrambling back on the pallet the best I could, but again, there was only wall behind me.

His expression shifted. "If I could undo what I did earlier, I would. In the meantime, know that I truly mean you no harm. There is great peril now; you must trust me!"

I was simply staring at him, my sluggish brain working to process his words, when a sensation of terror stabbed into me and I tensed. Like the horror from earlier, if lesser in magnitude.

Something Bad was coming.

The wizard's gaze sharpened. "You sense it. The Nazgul. Come, we must be away ere it arrives."

The I truly mean you no harm and We must be away ere finally sank into my mind, and as he reached out again, I did not resist, but let him pull me to my feet and keep hold of one hand.

Pulling me to the doorway, he paused, peering quickly out and up the stairway curving up to the left, before leading me out and starting down the stairs to the right. My mind whirling, I sluggishly followed, my steps leaden.

Outside the doorway against the wall was slumped Martz, head lolling, apparently fast asleep. I blinked, too subdued by whatever the wizard had done to me to feel any real fear.

Radagast saw my glance. "He sleeps." Not a natural sleep, apparently.

We started down the stairs, as rapidly as I could go. Despite the urgency of our departure, I could not help but ask. "What are you doing--?"

"Saruman waits above, to greet Sauron's messenger. I told him I would go retrieve you. He assumes I will bring you up to him. I do the opposite." He punctuated that explanation with a grim smile.

I was really very Slow that day, though I suppose it could be forgiven, given what had happened. "Why--?"

He shot me a sharp glance, which softened as he perhaps realized how very strung out I still was. "I am not quite the Traitor I may have appeared to be. Nor the simple Fool that Saruman in his arrogance takes me for. But the time for that Ruse is over. Now we must go."

To that I could only gawp, then hurry along beside him as quickly as I could.

*****

We passed several other Uruk Hai on the stairs and corridors; too numb to feel much, I watched dully as Radagast made a curious gesture with his free hand.

None of them made a sign of having seen or heard us as we slipped quietly by, and into the circular interior room I'd been in earlier, which was thankfully empty of guards at the moment. Radagast released my hand and told me to wait there. "There is something I must retrieve ere we leave."

A woven fabric wallet hung around him, strap across his chest; he strode over near Saruman's chair, and I caught a flash of glassy sheen as he carefully removed something from a pedestal there and deposited it into the pouch.

When he turned back, I was backpedalling. "Be at ease," he said, quickly, perhaps seeing the expression on my face. "No more harm will come to you from this, I promise." I paused, heart hammering. "We dare not leave this in his hands," he said then. My eyes met his, and he added, more quietly, "I believe it was also an integral part of how he managed to draw you and the others here, from your own realm."

Then he would no longer be able to... I thought of all the others, how many I did not know...who had been brought here, and used... and then disposed of.

But no more. That particular horror could end.

Even though I said nothing, he seemed to sense my change of heart. He nodded, and hurried towards me, and the exit--

I felt rather than heard a wordless SHOUT, a pulse of pure rage...from way up somewhere atop the tower. Oh, my God...such rage...

"Our flight is discovered!" Radagast cried. "Quickly, now!"

He grabbed my hand, and we ran.

*****

The Isengard that I saw spread out below us as we left the tower was as grim and sinister a fortification as I'd ever seen. Not that I'd seen that many, but...

A miniature version, a mockery of Sauron's home, Tolkien had called it. I glanced out over the avenues of stone and metal stretching before us, the vapors and steams and clanks, and glimpses of forge-light...

And prayed I'd never have cause to see the original.

And then I remembered something - there was only one way in and out of the city - one gate.

"How're we going to get out of here?!" I gasped. Surely the city would be raised against us before we even made it half-way--

Radagast wasn't listening to me; he had paused, and was staring back at the tower. I followed the direction of his gaze, and quailed at what I saw.

Lightening crackled, playing around Orthanc's summit. One mad Istar, at the height of his rage--

Even as dread seized me, Radagast snatched his staff from the carrying strap from which it had been hanging and gave me a hearty shove, sending me sprawling away--

--the next moment, the very air crackled, a bolt of lightening striking from above, the air concussing in a violent thunderclap that drew an answering wail out of me even as I hit the ground--

I was still alive. Blinking, dazed, I saw before me that Radagast still stood, face grim, staff in hands, raised as if daring another bolt from above. As I stared in awe, he answered the attack, hurling something unseen but felt, a bolt screaming towards the pinnacle of Orthanc--

Despair galloped into my mind as the lightening nevertheless continued to play about the pinnacle, as if gathering for one last bolt that would surely incinerate us the moment we tried to escape down the wide avenue to the gates. Saruman was too strong; too strong - he was mad, after all--

Then I heard a sound that symbolized perfectly everything I felt in that moment - all the despair, all the fear--

Something large and dark sped shrieking through the air towards the tower's top, bringing terror with it.

And I realized this was the source of the worst of my sudden fear. The Nazgul had arrived.

But, in an amazing Irony... it proved to be our salvation.

Radagast secured his staff on the strap slug over his back next to his bag, and hurried over to me, helping me up. "Now, while he is distracted!"

And so he was. The energy still pulsed around the tower top, but the malevolence was no longer focused on us. For a few precious minutes, we sprinted, sore, battered but desperate, down the main avenue. What few were abroad were too busy to take much notice of us; most were staring, slack-jawed, at the flying shape circling the tower. I glanced back in time to see the lightening arc out at it, be repulsed, reach out again.

They're fighting! I realized. Why?!

Radagast glanced back once, as if sensing my awe before explaining quickly, "He has angered his master. The Nazgul is here partly to chastise him."

We suddenly turned aside, as Radagast, still hanging onto my hand, darted into a stone building. By the rich aroma, a stable or barn of some kind. "What are you doing?" I cried.

"My steed, Edis!" he replied fiercely. "I will not leave him to them! And without him we will not get far!"

It was dim within; nevertheless the Istar went unerringly to one stall, spoke soothingly to the beast within as he backed him out. A honey-colored stallion.

A figure suddenly shuffled into view from around one corner. I had only the energy left to stare.

Human, by the look of him. Swarthy. One of those orc-like Southroners. He stopped at the sight of us, of me gawping, of Radagast rapidly and expertly securing the tack on his steed. "Ho, what is this?"

"I ride at my Lord Saruman's request," Radagast said coolly. "As you can see it is urgent." He paused long enough to send a gaze the Southron's way. "Would you have me tell him you delayed me?"

"Nay, of course not." The stablehand or whatever he was rapidly backed away and vanished back into the stable's depths.

I blinked and swayed. Too many adrenaline rushes in one day; too little strength left...

An arm suddenly caught at me, pulled me over to the horse, encouraged me up. "Just a little further, Lady Sarah." I climbed and sat quiescent, as he hoisted himself up behind and draped a cloak around me, somewhat hiding my form and features.

We exited the stables and cantered to the city gates. "It is I, the wizard Radagast! I ride on behalf of your Lord, Saruman!" he bellowed, playing his role one last time. "Open the gates immediately!"

And it worked. The guards there, long trained into obedience, especially of Istari, quickly activated the gate mechanism. We trotted into the tunnel, then under the raising gate on the other end.

And then we were on the other side of the city wall, galloping hell bent for leather down the paved stone highway.

You might say...as if the Nine themselves were after us.

~End Part 18~