Disclaimer: Still not Tolkien.

AN: Soe of the dialogue for "Equivocate" was taken from the movie Return of the King.

Enervate – to weaken

Sam caught Frodo as he stumbled forward in the dust.

"Steady there, Mr. Frodo. You wouldn't want to end up with a mouthful of dirt," said Sam. He glanced at Frodo and knew they were not going to travel any further that day.

Frodo was physically and mentally exhausted. His feet dragged, his shoulders slumped, and his eyes were slightly glazed over.

The sooner we can destroy the Ring, the sooner things will get better, thought Sam.

However, that was the problem: every step toward Mordor enervated Frodo.

Ennui – restlessness caused by boredom

Eowyn groaned and snapped her book shut. This was the fifth time she had read it, and it did not improve with the repetition

Eomer was chasing orcs in the Westfold, Theodred was guarding the Isen river, and her uncle had not left his room in several days. There was nothing for her to do besides sew, cook, and evade Wormtongue.

If she was a man, she could fight alongside her brother, someone else would cook for her, and she could kill Wormtongue. Or at least maim him. Eowyn grinned at the thought.

Eowyn could no longer suffer the ennui. She escaped the hall with no one knowing. She was good at sneaking, the benefit of being stalked. She reached the field where the Rohirim soldiers trained with their broadswords. She approached the weapons rack, picked up a sword, tested its balance, and declared, "I'll bet any man a copper piece that I can beat him at swordplay."

The soldiers paused and looked at her. "And I'll do it while wearing a skirt."

Equivocate – use ambiguous language to deceive

Pippin marveled at the formidable city carved out of white rock. He was so very excited to be in Minas Tirith and so very relieved not to be riding a horse, that he almost forgot about Frodo, Mordor, and the War. Almost.

When they reached the Citadel, Pippin paused when he saw a familiar image.

"It's the tree, Gandalf. Gandalf!"

"Yes, the White Tree of Gondor, the tree of the King. Lord Denethor however is not the king. He is a steward only. A caretaker of the throne," Gandalf replied. Gandalf stopped Pippin at the doors to the Citadel. He bent down and looked into the hobbit's eyes, "Listen carefully: Lord Denethor is Boromir's father. To give him news of his beloved son's death would be most unwise."

Pippin nodded sagely. Boromir had saved Pippin's life at the cost of his own.

Gandalf straightened up, then thought again and turned back, "And do not mention about Frodo or the Ring."

Pippin nodded again, this rule was obvious, almost patronizing.

"And say nothing of Aragorn either."

This rule did not make sense, but Pippin trusted Gandalf, so he nodded again.

Gandalf started to go through the tall double doors, but then he stopped again and looked at Pippin, "In fact, it's better if you don't speak at all, Peregrin Took."

"What if he asks me a question?" said Pippin.

"Make something up!" Gandalf said, becoming ruffled.

"But I'm not a very good liar. Everyone says so! Daisy, my second cousin on my father's side once said…"

"Enough! Fool of a Took! If you can't say something deceitful, don't say anything at all."

"In that case, may I equivocate?"

Erudite – scholarly, learned

Erestor paced in front of the desk in the open-air study. He was quizzing his two pupils from a thick volume in his hand.

"What year did Prince Feanor finish creating the Silmarils?" he asked. "Elladan," He glanced at the young elf.

"Feanor finished the Silmarils in 4950," said Elladan, pleasantly surprising his tutor. Elladan was a soldier, not a scholar. He detested history.

"How long was Maedhros held prisoner by Morgoth?" Erestor asked the twins.

"Seven years," Erestor was again surprised when Elladan spoke up with the correct answer. Elrohir snorted.

"What marked the end of the First Age?"

Elrohir opened his mouth to reply, but Elladan beat him to the answer, "The first rising of the moon." Elrohir muffled a laugh and his brother smacked him not-so-subtly.

Erestor knew the twins well enough to know when something was up. He closed his volume and looked at them. "You are quite…erudite today Elladan."

Elrohir snickered openly and Elladan turned red. "I've been…studying," he mumbled.

"With Nedieth!" gaffawed Elrohir.

Nedieth was one of Elrond's librarian's. Even though she was young, she was considered an expert of Feanoran history. She was also very beautiful.

Erestor sighed. Elrohir was unsuccessfully trying to evade his brother while reigning in his laughter. There would be no more history learned today, so Erestor decided to dismiss his class.

Exculpate – clear of blame

It was his fault.

Legolas surveyed the scene before him. A forest now covered much of the recent battlefield. Boulders and rubble were strewn around the once-impenetrable fortress of Helm's Deep. Bodies covered in black Urukhai steel, glistening Elven silver, and sturdy Rohirric chainmail lay intermingled. So much blood. So much death. So much devastation.

And it was his fault.

Legolas once again saw the Uruk torchbearer, sprinting toward the gap in the wall. He saw his arrow hit the beast, but it was not a kill-shot. It should have been. He was the finest archer in Greenwood, probably in Middle Earth. He could shoot a sparrow out of the sky, he could split an acorn as it fell to ground, and he could hit the eye of a charging warg. He had made many shots much more difficult than this one, but none that had mattered so much.

Perhaps there was nothing he could have done. Saruman's army would have found a way inside the fortress, whether or not he had hot his target.

Even so, he could not be exculpated. It was his fault.

Exigent – urgent

Denethor interrupted his sons' victory celebration. "Boromir, you are an excellent tactition. I am so proud of you!" He caught Faramir's eye and said, "Your men arrived late. Pathetic! If it wasn't for your brother's skill, this victory dance would be a funeral dirge." Faramir dipped his head. Denethor took Boromir aside to speak with him.

"Father! That's completely unfair! Faramir's company had to fight their way through a company of orcs. He fought bravely." Boromir defended his brother.

"Yes, yes," Denethor waved his hand in dismissal. "Right now I must speak to you about something much more exigent. Lord Elrond has called a council, and I want you there to represent us. It is rumored Isildur's Bane has been found."

Boromir was wary about what his father wanted. Had not Sauron's Ring been the cause of great suffering? But Boromir was not a scholar, he was a soldier. He would obey the Steward's wishes. Maybe his father was right after all. Maybe bringing the Ring to Gondor would be best. Whatever the case, it was his duty.

Feanor - Elven prince from the First age

Silmaril - the jewel that Feanor created

Maedhros - Feanor's eldest son

Morgoth - Bad guy from the First Age, he was Sauron's boss