Thanks to the ones who reviewed! Look what you did – you made me finish this chapter before I leave :-) I not only managed to finish this chapter, but I also completed my next Teitho entry and will be able to send it while I'm still here. Thanks for the inspiration.
Unfortunately, this is the last chapter I post before I leave. I don't know when I'll be able to post the next one.
Note: The two poisonous snakes of Harad are my creation, so don't try this at home. Yes, they will play a role in the story. Guesses are welcome although I'm afraid that what I have in mind is too horrible for any of you to imagine :-)
Chapter 4: Misunderstandings and Bad Timing
"I will meet with your Lord if he wishes so," Legolas said. Gimli also rose, but the guard raised his palm to stop him.
"Lord Dolen wishes to speak to Lord Legolas alone."
Gimli glared at him, slightly suspiciously, but sat down. The elf turned back and winked at him, but this didn't pacify him the slightest. Something told him that he shouldn't leave his friend alone.
"I wonder what this mindless elf will get himself into this time," he murmured to himself. "It is a good thing I am here to protect him."
The dwarf waited for the guard and Legolas to disappear from sight and silently followed. The man's behavior had appeared very unusual. Why would Dolen want to meet with the elf in private?
Gimli took a left turn and suddenly froze and went back to hide himself behind a wall. He had seen the elf talking to several guards in front of a door, and hoped that no one had noticed him. There are certain advantages to being short, he thought with a smile.
The sound of a closing door was heard and soon the dwarf gathered his courage and took a look. There was no one in the corridor, and he quickly walked forward.
Some voices could be heard from one of the rooms, and Gimli approached as silently as possible. If the elf was inside and didn't hear him, he would be able to brag about that for ages. He pressed his ear against the door and listened carefully. He hoped that he had not missed anything important.
"…there was poison in one of the pieces of cake that were given to the child," Dolen was saying. Gimli suppressed a load gasp and frowned. This was much worse than he had expected. The man continued immediately. "I have never done anything like that before, and I hope I will never do it again, but it was necessary."
"Necessary? Necessary for what?" Legolas' voice asked.
Good question, Gimli thought approvingly.
"Necessary for saving my people," Dolen explained. "Let me tell you a tale, Master Elf. The tale of Sbatha."
The dwarf listened to the story in wonder. He was not surprised that there were still dragons left in Middle-earth, but he expected them to dwell far away from where people lived. But obviously this one was very close, and was a real threat. For a moment he felt pity towards Dolen and his people, but it all vanished when the man suggested that his friend should give his life to destroy the monster. And when the man explained his arrangements to use his army to keep the king and his escort in the town, Gimli's anger only grew.
"You are right about one thing," Legolas' voice was heard once again. "There is indeed a monster in this town. But it is not the dragon. It is you."
This is a very good answer, Gimli thought, overcome with pride with his fair friend. For an elf, that is. He must have learned to be so witty during the time he had spent with me. Of course, the elf must never learn that I have felt proud of him. That would only spoil him.
He continued listening carefully, and when Legolas said that he accepted, the dwarf needed his entire self-control to restrain himself from storming into the room. And when the elf stated his condition, he clenched his fists in determination. Foolish elf! He thought angrily. He will be in serious trouble once I get my hands on him!
But how can I make him give up this mindless decision? I could threaten him that I will tell Aragorn if he goes. But he will go anyway – if he doesn't, the lad dies. I must find a way to save Eldarion. How can I make Dolen gives us the antidote?
No answers came, and he reached a simple decision. I will tell Aragorn, he will know what to do. But just when he was about to go, several guards came out of one of the rooms, and he had to hide quickly in a nearby alcove.
The men started talking just in front of his hiding place, and Gimli nervously played with his beard. They had to leave! He didn't have a minute to lose.
But the minutes went by mercilessly, and he was forced to stay hidden, hoping that when he eventually came out, it would not be too late.
"It was not your fault," Arwen repeated for the fifteenth time that day. She sighed tiredly and bowed her head. The past few hours had drained her completely. Not only did she have to face her son's grave illness and the loss of a friend who had left forever, but she had to find strength to comfort her desperate husband.
"How can it not be my fault?" Aragorn muttered. "I told him to go away! I accused him of not caring enough about Eldarion! And he was hurting. I should have helped him!"
"There is nothing that would have kept him here if the call is too great," Arwen said. "Though I am surprised that he didn't say a final farewell to Gimli and me."
"He might have told Gimli," Aragorn suggested, and threw a worried glance at Eldarion. The boy had finally fallen asleep after he had drugged him, and he hoped that the rest would help his son recover. All the other healers had retired, and he and his wife were alone. "They spent most of the morning together," he added. "And I am sure he would have talked to you as well, had I not chased him away!"
Arwen wrapped her arms around his shoulders and squeezed him gently. "How many times do I need to tell you that you didn't chase him away? The decision to go was his own, and it was better for him to leave."
"Perhaps you are right," Aragorn muttered weakly. "Perhaps he will feel better where he is going, and I should feel happy for him. But we shouldn't have parted the way we did. He thinks that I am angry at him and that I would never forgive him. In all the ages he will spend in Valinor, he will never know." He rested his head on Arwen's shoulder, suppressing a sob. "He will never know how much I want him to be happy. And how much I want him to be safe. He will never know how much I hope that he will meet no evil on his way to the Havens, and that the Sea will be calm while it bears his ship."
"He knows," Arwen said soothingly. "He knows you too well, meleth nîn."
"I miss him already," Aragorn admitted. "We have been parted for long years, but I have always known that I would see him again."
A soft moan made him quickly compose himself. There would be time to grieve later. His son needed him now.
Eldarion had woken, and looked at him with scared eyes. "Ada, it hurts!" He whispered and tried to brush a tear before anyone could see it. Arwen knelt down next to the bed, trying to comfort him, and Aragorn hastened to bring a potion he had prepared. It would settle the child's stomach in case he had eaten something rotten.
"Estel!" The frightened shout made him turn around. Arwen was squeezing Eldarion's hand, and the child had paled and was shaking violently.
Aragorn rushed to their side and felt his son's brow, expecting to find high fever. To his surprise, it was cool. He frowned in confusion and looked at his wife.
Their eyes met. "This is no cold," he said, and Arwen nodded.
"And no one around us is showing similar symptoms," she added. "He couldn't have contracted the illness from someone else."
Aragorn stood up and walked towards the door. "Stay with Eldarion!" He said. "I must talk to Dolen."
But then the door opened with a loud crack, and before he could realize what was happening, he was knocked down to the ground.
"This way," Malak said. "We are close to the cave, Master Elf. It is just beyond this hill."
Legolas looked at the man and couldn't help pitying him. The guard was obviously frightened to go close to the cave. There was always a chance that Sbatha would come out.
He followed silently, torn by guilt and doubt. He had believed that he was doing the only right thing, but he was not so sure anymore.
Your leaving hurt him, a little voice inside his head whispered. It hurt him a lot.
But I had no choice, he tried to reason. I couldn't tell him the truth. He would hurt even more then.
The little voice laughed mirthlessly. That is true, but he would have known the truth then. He would know how deeply you care about him and his family. And now he feels betrayed. He thinks that for you the Undying Lands are more important than him and the life of his son. Do you know how much betrayal can hurt?
I know, Legolas thought bitterly. But the hurt will disappear with time.
The little voice sighed. As you wish, let us imagine that this is true. But what of your father? Surely, he will learn that you are dead. Aragorn will tell the other elves in Ithilien that you have sailed, and one day they will go west and meet your father, expecting to find you there as well. Then he will know what had happened. Or worse, he will never learn your fate for certain, and will be tortured by fears and doubts.
There is no sorrow in Valinor, Legolas replied. Ada will feel none.
But he knew that a father's grief followed everywhere, and no place, no matter how beautiful, could diminish it.
What am I doing? He wondered in exasperation. Only a day ago I was worried that I was speaking to a horse, and here I am now, talking to myself. But talking to himself or not, he knew that everything the little voice had said was true.
He turned his face away, so that the man would not see his tears. He had made his choice, and there was no turning back.
"Gimli!" Aragorn rose and looked in shock at the frantic creature that had stormed into the room, knocking him down. "What happened?"
The dwarf didn't look like himself. His face was flushed, and his hair and beard were disheveled and plastered on his sweaty cheeks. His breathing was labored and rapid, and it was obvious that he had run here faster than he had ever run before.
He tried to speak, but no coherent words could come out between his rapid gasps. "The elf…," he finally managed to say, but continued panting, "… dragon… cave… left," separate words could be heard, but the dwarf was still unable to form a complete sentence.
Arwen knelt before him and clasped his shoulders. "Easy, Gimli. Calm down, and then tell us what happened."
The dwarf listened to her and tried to control his breathing. "Legolas is gone!" he cried when he was finally able to speak.
Aragorn sighed sadly. Of course it was hard for the dwarf to accept that his friend has decided to sail so suddenly. "I know, Gimli," he said softly.
The dwarf's eyes widened. How could the man know? Legolas had not wanted to tell him. But obviously he had changed him mind. "You know?" He asked in disbelief and Aragorn nodded. "And you didn't stop him?!" Gimli's words were filled with shock and horror.
"Why would I stop him?" The king said bitterly. "It was his choice to make."
The dwarf gaped in complete shock. "What?!" He could not believe his ears.
The man sat next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know that it is hard for you that he has left forever. But it was his choice and we must accept it."
"We must accept it?" Gimli shook his head in denial and snorted in disgust. "Very convenient, isn't it? I cannot believe I have been so wrong about you!"
Aragorn looked at his friend worriedly. The dwarf wasn't making much sense, but it was understandable. "You haven't been wrong about me, Gimli," he said. "It was hard for me to let him go. Very hard. But there was nothing I could do to stop him."
"You didn't even try, did you?" Gimli hissed in anger and stormed out of the room.
"I am afraid I will leave you here," Malak said, trying to control his trembling. "It is easy to find the cave now. You only need to follow the path."
Legolas nodded. "When will Dolen give Eldarion the antidote?" He asked.
"In a few hours he will send men to see if the entrance had been sealed," the guard replied hastily. He wanted to go back as soon as possible. "If the entrance is sealed, he will give the child the antidote immediately. It will be put in one of the potions our healers will feed to the child. The king will never know that it had been an antidote, and he will never learn that his son had been poisoned. He will believe that it had been a simple illness."
"How can I trust Dolen's word?" The elf asked.
"You can trust Lord Dolen," the man said. "He didn't want to poison the child, and he certainly doesn't want to kill him. Once the dragon is done with, he would have no interest in the boy's death."
Legolas wasn't particularly satisfied with the answer, but he had to accept what he had. Without speaking a word he turned his back to Malak and walked slowly towards the cave.
He could not believe this. It made no sense. He had often witnessed to what extend Aragorn would go to keep his friends safe, and he knew that the elf was very dear to him. And yet he had let Legolas walk to his death, claiming that the elf had chosen thus.
Gimli clenched his fists and stood up in determination. He would go after his friend and do everything in his power to stop him. He would do what Aragorn had failed to do. He would beg Legolas to stay if need be. True, it would be humiliating to admit openly how much he cared about the elf, but if it would bring him back, he would do it.
And the laddie won't be able to say 'no'. The temptation of mocking me until the end of my days would be too great.
A sudden knock at the door took him out of his thoughts and he quickly answered. Arwen entered and looked at him compassionately. "I know that it is hard to accept, Gimli," she said softly. "But Legolas felt the need to sail and he couldn't fight it."
The dwarf jumped up and stared at her. "Sail? Did you say 'sail'?"
"Yes," Arwen replied surprised and looked at him insecurely.
Gimli suddenly started laughing, but it was a strange and mirthless laughter. "Legolas is not sailing anywhere," he said.
The elleth frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?" She asked worriedly. Was the dwarf going mad?
"He is not sailing," he repeated. "I thought that you knew."
"Apparently I don't," Arwen muttered.
Gimli looked at her, and his brown eyes were shining ominously. "He has gone to his death."
"Estel?" Arwen gently cupped her husband's cheek and tried to meet his eyes. She was seriously worried about the man. He had paled visibly and hadn't moved at all after she and Gimli had retold him the news. He did not even appear to be breathing. "It is not too late to set things right, meleth nîn."
"I am so sorry I doubted you, laddie," Gimli said regretfully and clasped his forearm. "I should have known better."
"It is not you who should apologize, Gimli," Aragorn spoke for the first time, and his voice sounded distant and hollow. "How could I doubt him? How could I think that he would leave me in a time such as this? I should have known that he was lying!"
"His story convinced me as well," Arwen admitted. "Although I found it unusual."
Aragorn stood up and briefly swayed on his feet. Gimli was quick to support him, but he refused the help. His eyes were shining in determination.
"I will kill him," he said, his voice a little stronger this time. The dwarf could not help but wonder if he meant Dolen or Legolas.
"There must be a way to make Dolen give us the antidote," he continued, "but it is not the one Legolas had chosen. We must discuss it all together. You said that the town's army is also involved?" Gimli nodded, and he sighed. "Then the situation is grave indeed. This is what we shall do. I will go after Legolas and bring him back. Arwen, you must stay with Eldarion. He needs you now. Make him drink a lot of liquids and feed him a lot of milk, it helps against some kinds of poisons. It is not an antidote, but hopefully it will slow down the poison, and according to what Dolen had said we have a few days. Do not let any of the local healers come near him. Gimli, you will go and inform all of the men in my escort of what is happening. Be careful; no guard must see you or hear you. No one must know that we suspect something is amiss. Legolas and I will be back before nightfall. Then we shall decide how to proceed."
Gimli and Arwen nodded in unison. Then the queen suddenly remembered something and looked up. "Estel, the dragon might have gone out of the cave before you manage to reach Legolas," she said. "We don't know what damage might have been done when you arrive there. I suggest you take your healing supplies."
"This is a good advice," Aragorn said approvingly and started putting in his pack everything he could think of. Herbs that fought infection. Fever-reducing herbs, in case infection had already settled. Pain-reducing herbs, quite useless in the long term, but he did not wish to imagine being hurt and not having a few of those. Herbs that would put you in deep sleep immediately if the pain was too great to bear. Bandages to stop the bleeding. And then he was struck by a sudden idea.
"Are dragon bites poisonous?" He asked.
Gimli contemplated the idea. "I have never thought about that, but they appear so similar to snakes, it is possible."
Arwen tried to remember all tales she had heard about Glaurung, and Smaug, and every other dragon anyone had ever heard of, but she could not recall anything about the bite. Besides, dragons could possibly be of different kinds. "Do you have anything against snake poison?" She asked.
Aragorn rummaged through his supplies and took out two small vials, one filled with bright red liquid, and one with black. The red one was half-empty. "These two are very old," he said. "Your father gave them to me when I was departing for Harad."
"The desert is a dangerous place, Estel, and I am sure you are well aware of that," Lord Elrond said. "But it is not the extreme temperatures and the lack of water I am worried about. For these you are prepared, and I am sure you will find a way to cope with them. But Harad is filled with numerous hidden dangers, ones you will never expect.
"I can prepare you for one of them. There are two kinds of poisonous snakes that live in the desert – the Red Manua and the Green Death. Their poison is potent and always lethal. For decades various healers have tried to device an antidote, but all trials had been fruitless. Until a young boy was bitten by a snake and survived."
"Which one of the two snakes bit him?" Aragorn asked.
"Both." Elrond smiled mysteriously. "Do you understand now?"
The ranger's eyes were shining in understanding. "There are poisons that can easily kill you," he said. "But sometimes if they are of the same kind and cause similar symptoms, they cannot exist together in the same body. Therefore, if you take only one of the poisons, you will die. But if you take both, they will destroy each other and you will be unharmed."
"Exactly." The elf nodded. "And it was discovered that each of the poisons could serve as the other poison's antidote. Take these," he took out two vials, one filled with red, and the other one with black liquid. "If you are bitten by one of the snakes, you must drink the other one's poison or pour it on your open wound. It has the same effect if it is swallowed or if it has entered the bloodstream directly. But you must remember very well which poison comes from which snake.
"The black one is the poison of the Green Death. This snake is very bright green, and its back is decorated with yellow triangles. If you are bitten by this snake, you must drink the red poison. It comes from the Red Manua. It is red, with black stripes. If you are bitten by any other snake, it is not poisonous. Don't take any of the poisons in this case."
"The red is half-empty," Arwen observed.
"I was bitten by the Green Death," Aragorn replied simply.
The Queen had to suppress a shudder. She sometimes forgot how many dangers her husband had lived through, and it was a true miracle that he had survived until their wedding. She could not express how thankful she was for that.
"But you don't know if the dragon's poison is similar to any of these two!" Gimli said. "And even if it is, you don't know which one of the two will neutralize it. And you don't even know if the bite is poisonous at all!"
"Then let us hope no one is bitten," Aragorn said and stood up, ready to go. Suddenly he stopped and looked back, and both Arwen and Gimli were shaken by the sorrow on his face. "I accused him of betraying me," he said softly. "I accused him of not caring about Eldarion. Of not caring if he would live or die. And he is dying to save him!"
Arwen took a step forward and held his arm. "There will be time for this later, meleth," she said. "You must find Legolas now, and you don't have a moment to spare. He might be near the cave already."
"You are right," Aragorn said with a quick nod and turned his face away to hide his anguish. He strode out of the room without looking back. When he and Legolas came back, they would have to decide how to make Dolen give them the antidote. But he remembered very well what Gimli had told him Dolen had said on that matter.
Only I know the location of the antidote, and no force can make me share it with anyone while the dragon's cave is still open.
While the dragon's cave is still open.
He had to find a way to close it then. And he had found a way.
Surely Dolen did not care who would sacrifice himself to make the entrance collapse, whether it would be an elf… or the King of Gondor. If this was the only way to save both his son and his friend, he would do it.
But Arwen didn't need to know yet. Nor did Legolas, not until he had persuaded him to return. They would all learn when time was right.
The gloomy morning had turned into a beautiful sunny day. This autumn had been cold, and so this day was especially welcomed by the people of Shapkar. About a dozen of young maidens had gone to the river, and were now standing in the knee-deep water, washing bed linen and gossiping cheerfully.
"Do you know with whom Lilal danced on the wedding yesterday?" An auburn-haired woman asked the girl next to her. Then she leaned forward and whispered something in her ear. The two giggled.
"Hey, I want to know as well!" A younger girl called and splashed them with cool water, and jumped as she was splashed back.
Soon the washing was forgotten, and everyone was splashing and laughing merrily.
Laughter.
This was a sound almost forgotten by the people of Shapkar in the past five months. And even if laughter was heard, it was always darkened by the knowledge that Sbatha could always appear and put an end to the merriment.
But why shouldn't we laugh? One of the girls wondered. Silence will not save us from the dragon. She will eat us all the same no matter if we laugh or cry. Then we can laugh anyway. It is a beautiful day, and I don't want the sun to see us sorrowful.
Suddenly all sounds ceased as they realized that someone was watching them. They turned to the shore and stared at the two silver eyes, fixed on them.
The man was tall and appeared to be strong although his body was hidden by a long cloak. Unruly locks of dark hair were falling around the handsome face, and his eyes were shining with a mysterious sorrow the maidens could not understand.
They exchanged glances and giggled softly. Finally, the bravest one spoke. "Well met, my lord," she said. "You appear to be a stranger to our land for I have never seen you before. Is there anything we can help you with?"
"Good afternoon, my ladies," he said, and his voice was thick with the same grief they had seen in his eyes. "Indeed, you can help me. I wish to know how I could find the cave of the dragon."
All maidens suddenly sobered and exchanged horrified glances. "Sbatha's cave?" The girl who had spoken first asked in terror. "Why would you need to go there?"
"I know!" A younger girl cried. "Lord Dolen has always tried to find a way to kill the dragon. And at last he had found a brave warrior from a distant land to fight Sbatha." She turned hopeful eyes towards the stranger. "Have you come to free us of the dragon?"
Aragorn wished he could say 'yes'. But in fact he had come to do exactly the opposite. Dolen had indeed found a way to kill the dragon, and he had come to deprive these people of their only salvation. Did he have the right to do that? Would they help him find the cave if they knew what he was going to do there?
Of course they would, he thought angrily. Not all people in this town would approve of Dolen's plan if they knew it. Not everyone would agree to have someone be forced to die for them. Not everyone here is so heartless. I refuse to believe it!
Suddenly he felt a desire to help these people. He could not just make Legolas come back, force Dolen to give him the antidote, if he was able to, and return to Gondor. He could not leave the entire town helpless before the monster. But what could he do? How could anyone kill a dragon?
"Perhaps," he replied instead. "But now I need to find the cave as fast as possible. Will you help me?"
The girls exchanged fearful glances. "It is not far from here," one of them finally said. "You need to go beyond this hill, and then you will see a path going through the forest. Take it, and when you go out of the woods, you will see a large rock. Go to the left, and soon you will find a large opening. This is where Sbatha lives." She hesitated. "My lord, please be careful!"
"I will," Aragorn said. "Thank you for your help. It will not be forgotten." And he ran up the hill, disappearing as suddenly as he had appeared.
This must be it. Legolas stared in horror at the black hole in the rock. He had never imagined that everything would end here, like this.
He looked back, desperately hoping for someone to come, to tell him that everything had been a bad joke, that Eldarion is healthy and that he did not need to go into that terrifying pool of darkness. But no one came and no voice was heard. This was it then.
He walked to the entrance and fingered his bow. Dolen had allowed him to take his weapons, not that they could be of much use. After he had made the entrance collapse and ensured that Sbatha would torment the people no more, Dolen would give Eldarion the antidote. He would put it in one of the potions his healers fed to the boy, and Aragorn would never know that his son had ever been poisoned. They would complete the coal negotiations and the royal family would return to Gondor, where their life would continue. Without him.
Legolas had to blink back a tear. This was the way it should be. With time, his friend would be able to overcome his loss, especially if he believed that he was in Valinor. But a parent could never overcome the loss of a child, no matter how much time had passed. Eldarion had to life. This was so unfair – the boy was not even ten yet, and he had seen so little of life! Yes, this was the way it should be. Painful or not, he had made the right decision.
I only hope that he will forgive me.
Aragorn jumped over a log and continued his wild rush through the forest. The wind wiped in his face, and he was panting heavily. He could not remember the last time he had ran that fast.
He had been running most of the way, while Legolas had probably only walked, which would have given him a certain advantage. However, he had lost so much time before he had learned the truth. But he did not know when Legolas had left; perhaps the elf had needed to receive additional instruction from Dolen. Maybe his friend was behind him, or had not even left yet. He truly hoped this was the case.
Finally he left the forest, and just as the young woman had said, there was a large rock. He turned left and suddenly froze as he saw the dark entrance. Especially disturbing was the blur of gold disappearing into the blackness.
"Legolas!" He screamed and doubled his speed.
The elf was entering the cave, when he had the strange feeling that someone had called his name. You wish you had heard him, the annoying little voice inside his head said. You wish you had heard his voice, but you will never hear it again. Ever. Legolas sighed and shook his head to clear his thoughts. There was no point in prolonging this self-torture. He had to put and end. Now.
Clenching his fists, Legolas entered the cave of the dragon.
No… no… no! Aragorn was running at the maximum of his abilities. The cave entrance was getting closer, but it seemed to him that his friend had disappeared there ages ago.
He stumbled on a root and fell face-down, but jumped up and continued with a speed he had thought impossible. The entrance was just in front of him. "Legolas!" He screamed again.
The elf had walked several steps into the cave, when he had to make a turn. He was following the path Malak had described to him, but he did not like it. The entrance was not visible anymore, and the darkness was almost complete. It was suffocating.
Legolas had considered lighting a torch, but had quickly rejected the idea. The light might attract Sbatha, and it would do him no good if he was eaten before he had managed to make the entrance collapse.
He walked deeper inside and saw the boulder. It was too far away from the entrance, and he knew that he would not be able to run out alive after he had pushed it.
Perhaps I have to try this anyway, he thought. Then the falling rocks would kill me. It would certainly be a better death than being eaten by a dragon or dying slowly in the darkness.
Once again he heard a familiar voice call his name. He closed his eyes in pain. Yes, he knew very well why he kept hearing Aragorn's voice. The terrible guilt would not leave him alone. He had left his friend when he had needed him most, and although Legolas knew that he had had no other choice, he could not help the regret that he felt. But it all had to end.
He placed his hands against the boulder and pushed.
Aragorn had arrived at the entrance when he heard a disturbing sound coming from above. He jumped to his right just on time to avoid being crashed by a large rock. But the falling stone hit his shoulder and he gasped in pain. With painful clarity the man realized what was happening. The entrance was collapsing.
Thousands of thoughts flew through his mind for a fraction of a second. If he stayed where he was, he would soon be crushed by the falling rocks. He had two possible directions to run to – in or out of the cave.
If he ran out, he would be saved, Dolen would give Eldarion and antidote, but Legolas would be trapped alone in the darkness, waiting for his death. If he ran into the cave, he and the elf would both die, and he would be unable to help his son. But Arwen and Gimli knew what was wrong, and they would find a way to make Dolen give them the antidote. Besides, the task was completed. Sbatha was trapped, so the man had no reason to refuse the antidote anymore.
But even if he entered, he could still not save Legolas. Whatever choice he made, the elf would die. His decision could only change if he was going to die as well. And still, he could not let his friend die alone in the dark, especially after he had failed to tell him so much. Rocks were falling all around him, and he quickly made up his mind.
Aragorn ran into the cave. The entrance collapsed in seconds, burying him inside together with his friend and a very angry dragon.
TBC
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