Hooray, chapter two!

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Dreams Are More Precious

by Caelhir

Chapter Two

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The elves accompanied a group of men up to the caves, and they split into five groups, one elf with each. These men were open and friendly, and made introductions readily. Legolas felt unease at being separated from his companions, but he rolled his shoulders back, shaking off the doubt. Children, he thought sternly. This is for the children.

Lindir's group headed off to the topmost caves on the hill, and Elrohir's went with them, stopped a level of caves below. Elladan and Glorfindel followed their human guides to the caves on the left and right sides of the hill, which left the bottommost level for Legolas and his group. Without any further ado, the searchers got to work.

It was long work, painstakingly slow, and very delicate. Any of the caves might have been weakened in the earthquake, and the searchers had to be very careful when entering any of the caves.

Finally, just as the midday sun reached its highest point in the sky, Legolas stopped walking and listened intently to what he thought was a voice. The other men went silent as well, watching the elf close his eyes and lean his head towards the back of the cave.

"Help! Help!"

Legolas opened his eyes and looked around at the men.

"They're back there," he said simply, pointing at the back of the cave, before setting off that way himself. The men followed.

He called quietly as they got closer.

"Hello? Can you hear me?"

Excited voices reached him through a seemingly unmovable pile of rocks.

"Yes! Yes! Help! We're trapped, and Petey hurt his leg!"

A man called Tomas pushed past Legolas to stand closer to the rock. "Petey? Petey, m'boy, can you hear me, son?"

A frightened voice was heard.

"Papa! Papa! Get me out, please! It's dark!"

The men around Legolas surged forwards and began to dig. One went to alert the others to the presences of the children. Legolas joined the men in their efforts to free the children. He had been trapped in dark places before. He knew how it felt, and he'd want to be released quickly as possible.

Half an hour later, the men finally broke through the pile of rocks, and they heard the children cheering. The hole was enlarged, and a small face poked through. One man, called Matthew, cried out.

"Georgie! Georgie, son, how are you? Is everyone there?"

George nodded.

"Yes, papa. We're all here. Will you get us out now?"

"Hold on, son," the man said. "Hold on."

The hole grew larger, and as soon as it was big enough, the children gathered at its entrance, desperate to get out. Just as the first was about the crawl through, an ominous rumble sounded from above them. The men looked up as one. Legolas recognized the sound. Quietly, as to not panic the children, he spoke to the men.

"The cave is collapsing. Grab the children and get out. Be safe and quick, I'll watch your backs." The men nodded gratefully and pulled their children from their dark prison. Once they were all six accounted for, the men, children and elf began to make their way back out. They kept their pace at a controlled walk, though it was clear then men desired nothing more than to sprint from the place. The place rumbled again, and a man called Nathan panicked. Grabbing his daughter, he scooped her into his arms and fled. The other children began to cry, and the men looked at the elf for help. Legolas spoke to the children.

"It's all right, you know. If we walk quietly, nothing can harm us. If the rumbling can't hear us, it can't hurt us. Let's be very quiet and careful, all right?"

Now that it was a contest to see who could be the quietest, the children seemed reassured. They tiptoed along and soon enough, the group found the mouth of the cave. As they emerged into the fresh air, Legolas saw Lindir's group standing thier waiting. Two men jumped forwards and grabbed their children, pulling them into hugs and holding them tightly. One men stepped forwards and looked among the children anxiously.

"Where's Will?" he said worriedly. "Wasn't he there?"

One boy, the one called Petey, answered him. "He was with us. Didn't he follow us out?"

Legolas turned back to the cave in horror. He could still hear the earth shifting and groaning. Meeting Glorfindel's eyes, he grabbed Lindir's arm and the two headed back to the mouth of the cave. Glorfindel met them there.

"No, absolutely not."

Glorfindel, please," Legolas spoke quietly. "There's still a child in there. He's alone, and he could die."

The serous tone in which Glorfindel spoke left the two other elves in no doubt that the older elf was unwilling to let them go into the cave. "If you can't find the child, come straight back out, understand? No lingering, no poking about."

Lindir nodded, and the two ran back into the cave, their fleet feet making no imprint on the ground.

"Where were the children?" Lindir asked quietly, wincing when his voice echoed nonetheless.

"Back here," said Legolas, leading his friend into the small pocket where the children had been. Sure enough, curled in the corner was a small brown-haired boy, curled and whimpering in fear. Legolas knelt next to him.

"Will?" he asked softly. The boy looked up at him, one big blue eye peeking out from his arms.

"That's me. Will you take me out of here?"

Legolas smiled. "Lindir and I are here to rescue you. Have no fear." Lindir stepped forwards and gathered the boy into his arms. The ground above them creaked, and a chunk of the ceiling fell to the ground where Will had been just a moment before.

Not a moment too soon, Lindir stood and turned to leave the small space, Legolas on his heels. Their situation was getting more and more dangerous by the minute, and they needed to get out as soon as possible.

The ground rumbled more furiously, and Will began to wail with terror, squirming in Lindir's arms so furiously that he was forced to set the boy down.

"Will," said Lindir, masking the mounting panic he felt, "please cooperate. We need to get out of–"

Before the Imladrin warrior could finish his sentence, there came a grinding, crunching noise and larger chucks of the ceiling began to fall around them. The boy screamed in fright and rocketed away down the passage to the outside light. The elves met eyes and followed, their progress hampered by their height. Will was much smaller than they were, and was more easily able to avoid the falling rocks. Legolas and Lindir, both very tall, were having difficulties.

Without warning, the noise around them increased, and far in front of them, they could see a veritable wall of rock cascading down upon the tunnel.

Legolas shouted to Lindir, "Faster!" but the encouragement wasn't really necessary. Both elves were sprinting as fast as they could. Lindir pulled ahead of Legolas slightly and they were nearly there when Legolas felt a shiver of foreboding hit him. He slowed slightly, then realized what he was doing. He raced on.

Rocks were sailing past them, flying form the walls and the ceiling now. They needed to get out. This was too dangerous. Legolas prayed that Will had made it out all right.

And then, just as the two elves rounded the last corner and saw the light of the outside world far ahead of them, the tunnel began to literally fall apart. Lindir looked back and called out a warning to Legolas but it was too late. A rock slammed into Legolas' head, and he heard Lindir calling as if from very far away. Then he knew no more, and darkness claimed him.