I know it's been awhile since I last updated this story; I just got incredibly busy over the last two weeks, it will say in my profile what I've been up too. And now, that I have a free minute, my mind turns to the stories I've neglected and the readers who have waited patiently for the next chapters.
I wish to thank all those that have read this story and I hope you will enjoy this next chapter too. An especial thanks to my reviewers from the previous chapter: DawnStrider, IWishSan, Kaytee, Where Tears Fall, Invisigoth3, Galadriel Kenobi, Carloquin.
For Galadriel Kenobi - I'm glad your enjoying the story...I hope you like this chapter too. Thanks for the review.
As always I appreciate every kind word you say about my writings. As always I will respond to any review I receive.
I am sorry for the delay in this chapter. I found this fight scene very difficult to write and it took me awhile to figure out how I wanted it to progress. I apologize for the delay and thank you for your continued patience.
As a side note, I'm realizing that I am missing some of the mistakes in grammar and spelling, I'm not the best at noticing when I replace words with others or if I miss punctuation. In short, I'm asking if anyone's interested in becoming a Beta for this story and the ones that follow in this series. Email me, or review if you're interested.
Aragorn dove, barely avoiding the deadly strike of the spiders' mouth, instead the creature bit down on the sword he carried. It screamed in anger and agony as its fangs broke off and fell, useless to the grounds of Arda. Before it could attack once more, the ranger spun from the position he had found himself in and his elven sword embedded in the creatures' throat, cutting off its shrieks of rage, black blood leaked from the injury he had caused.
It fell, stumbling backwards as air escaped without traveling to its lungs first. The spiders' struggles grew less as the moments passed. But he did not have time to watch, for as soon as he had retrieved his weapon from one creature, another replaced it.
Aragorn was aware of the air whipping around his ears, as he turned once again in his desperate dance to avoid being bitten. He spun once more and his long sword found another insect. The creature shrieked in pain as his smooth blade streaked through and destroyed its left eye, leaving blood spilling from the wound and slithering down the sword to Aragorns' covered hand.
Despite the smell of more blood spilt the ranger ripped the sword free from where it lay. In response to being free the spider stumbled back and out of reach from the swing Aragorn took to end its life. It screamed once more, as it realized the damage that he had caused to it. The spiders' anger died off and was replaced with a scream of pain as its front leg rubbed to close to the wound and cut more damage to its useless eye.
It redirected its gaze on the human; and from the one eye it had left, all Aragorn could see was malice and hate, directed solely at him. He resisted the urge to shiver as the monster focused its rage on him alone. It screamed in rage once more, its pain swallowed up by hate. Aragorn knew he had only moments before the insect charged him once more.
His attention wavered suddenly, from the one threat ahead of him, to another he sensed coming from either side. Two dark creatures were charging him, their speed matching the thudding of his heart against his chest. They were so close…
It was his reflexes that saved him, for if he had been a moment slower he would have been struck in the side by one of the fell creatures' touch. In the last moment before the fangs could touch his side he ducked to his knees landing solidly on the dark ground. Just as he fell he heard two screams echo from the spiders surrounding him.
The first came from the spider as it missed its target and the second from its companion insect as it was struck instead. With their attention diverted off of him for that instant Aragorn lashed out with his blood darkened elven sword.
He caught the first in the throat, its shrieks died off as the sword impaled through its vocal cords. It lifted its forearms towards the weapon that had just ended its existence on Arda, as if it wanted to remove the offensive weapon itself. Aragorn watched as blood ran freely down the sword once more.
The spiders' gaze locked on his and the human was sure he saw a look of stunned disbelief that it had lost its' pray. The dark limbs touched the sword but did not have enough strength to pull it out, Aragorn pulled it free seconds after.
He met the attack of the second spider, and it flinched back at the bite of the sharp metal, hissing in anger. Aragorn did not wait, blocking the flickering blow of its left arm against his sword. It grazed the length of the sword, but did not meet his skin.
The spider hissed in impatience as it could not lend its arm enough strength to push past the obstacle in its way. For a moment they both struggled, the spider trying to push the weapon out of its way, and Aragorn seeking desperately to hold its course.
The spider hissed once more and lashed out with its second arm. Aragorn watched it descend towards him, and in the last moment he jumped backwards, avoiding both arms of the spider. It stumbled forward trying to keep up with his evasion only to lose balance. The spiders gaze seemed to darken as it began to pull its arms up for another attempt at pinning him.
It attacked once more, its left arm lashing out like a bolt shot from an elven bow. He jumped to the right and it sailed harmlessly past his form. The spider did not give him a moment to prepare as its second forearm shot out towards him. Aragorn went to dodge to the left, but as he moved out of the range of the second strike he sensed a motion in that direction. He did not hesitate and withdrew in the opposite direction.The spider screamed in rage as its counter attack failed.
Screaming once more, the insect swung its right arm at him. Aragorn lept again, but despite the evasion the arm grazed his tunic. He watched as the arm retreated, pulling shreds of his shirt with it.Any closer and it would have grazed his chest.
Sensing that a third strike would not end in him evading the creatures' attack Aragorn reacted to the threat ahead of him. He was not sure what instinct brought this about, but he watched as his sword swung in an arc, gaining momentum as it traveled through the air. In the last moments before the spiders forelimbs could leave his range, he attacked.
Following their course back to the insects' body, Aragorn and his sword flew through the short distance between them. Without thought he brought the sword whistling through the air and down. The spiders shrieked in fury and pain as its arms were severed, leaving bleeding stumps where they had sat before.
In anger the spider lunged forward, with its mouth, its poisoned fangs glinting in the light that the trees did allow in. Aragorn stood still for a moment, before the sword rose again; almost of its own incline. As the spider bore down on him, he danced forward with a speed he did not know he had, and instead of catching the fangs on the sword, he impaled the beast through its mouth.
The battle seemed to slow for a moment in his minds' eye, as the spiders died. Without even realizing the battle continued, Aragorn pulled back and his sword fell free.
Catching the motion of another approaching, Aragorn turned and met the charge of the one he had blinded. The ranger dodged, staying in its blind spot. The creature slowed and then stopped, as its prey seemed to vanish before it. Its dangerous head flickered around, trying to catch sight of where he was. Aragorn moved just moments before it could catch him in his sight once more. Moving cautiously closer and closer as the seconds passed. It screamed in anger and frustration as its prey did not reappear.
As close as he dared be, Aragorn rose from where he had been, ducked on the ground. As he expected the spider recoiled at his sudden appearance. It was that second of surprise that Aragorn needed, and without giving the wounded animal a moment to recover he ended its life too. His sword ran though the damaged eye and into its primitive brain, within seconds it had died.
Whatever adrenaline was leaving him, as he struggled to pull his sword from its new host. As he pulled he was aware that he was vulnerable and an easy target for the spiders. If he could not get his sword free, he would be virtually defenceless against their advance.
He looked up desperately once, and watched as the dark insects noted his presence. He continued to watch as they began to approach him, hissing in satisfaction that one would fall. And with their party weakened, it would be more likely that the others would fall too. Yet, as Aragorn feared for his life, and how the spiders may kill them all; he feared more for his friends than himself.
Aragorn wrenched his gaze from those that stalked towards him and back to the sword that could save his life. 'Elbereth….Grant us your protection. Do not let them hurt my friends…'
He could sense them, so close now, and he prayed for the safety of his friends at this moment. Just as one was about to reach for him, it fell back violently, its satisfied hissing falling to surprise, then pain, then nothing as it died.
More fell from his side, and Aragorn risked a glance upwards. Something whistled past his face, so close that it only missed by inches. It flickered by so quickly that he could not make sense of what the slender object could be.
Just as the object registered on the rangers' mind, another spider fell, hissing in anger as its life ended. Aragorn followed the course of the object and saw an elven bolt protruding from the direct center of the creatures' eyes. More flew past, their aim true, and more spiders' fell.
Aragorn glanced back for a second. Directly behind him stood Legolas, bow drawn and arrow notched, seeking another target. His golden lit by the sun that flickered through the trees and his eyes serious and threatening. His expression seemed to darken as more spiders approached and just as rapidly fell to his skill. For the first time since they had met; Aragorn saw the Prince of Mirkwood in his friend, and not just an elf that wanted to have fun.
When they had met, in Imladris; Legolas seemed to have shrugged off his role as Prince of Elves, and seemed content to forget his responsibilities. He even joked about it, and accepted being teased back. Because of this, Aragorn never saw him as a Prince, but as an equal, and a friendship had blossomed between two reluctant royals.
Aragorn glanced around in shock as another hand touched the sword , and settled into a grip above his own. Daemaenas glanced towards him and smiled. "If we both try…" The dark haired elf trailed off.
"Hannon le." Aragorn responded.
Under their combined strength his sword soon was returned and under his complete control once more. Quickly they both retreated under the cover that the Golden Prince gave and closer to the circle of elves.
"Legolas." Daemaenas said in passing. "Fall back to the center of the group. Everyone give your bolts to the Prince."
"Why?" Legolas asked and Aragorn was wondering the same.
"You are the best archer out of everyone here. You can cover us, and kill the ones that lie further out."
"That is not the only reason you wish me in the center!" The blond Prince retorted.
"Nay, it is not."
"Why are you doing this?" Legolas asked his tone becoming sad.
"We will then push to the side of the battle." Daemaenas continued as if he had not heard the question. "Towards the direction we were traveling in originally."
"They will not allow us to flee!" Aragorn pointed out. "They will just surround us once more!"
"Not if some stay to distract them, and to guard the path."
"No!" Legolas burst out. "I will not let you die for me!"
"Prince Legolas…You and Aragorn will flee into the forest. We will stay here and guard your exit."
"I am not your Prince!"
"Yes, you are." Celegwath answered; his tone serious. "I value your friendship more than anything, and value it even more because you see everyone as your equal. But we are not. You have a greater calling, a greater destiny then we."
"You must survive, Prince of Greenwood. Lest this realm fail without you." Esgalent broke in. "You are our hope! Do not fail us!"
"Adar will not let Greenwood fall."
"Aran Thranduil will fade if he loses you. And we will be lead by no other; then you or he." Celegwath spoke again. "You know this is true."
"I…." Legolas trailed off.
"You will flee…and Greenwood will survive." Celegwath answered. "You are our Prince. We have sworn oaths before your Father that we will allow no harm, that we can prevent, befall you. I beg you, Prince, in love and friendship. Do not let our realm fail."
"Why me?" Aragorn asked suddenly. "Another should go in my place. I would slow him down."
"You already know the answer to that Estel of Imladris, Aragorn of Gondor. Because your future ties you to another realm, also one that cannot fail." Daemaenas answered.
Aragorn flinched at the elf's words, and the reminder they brought of his ancestors' failure…how that blood flowed in his veins too. He could not argue, for in that moment he relived the scene between him and the elf he had called Ada when his true past was revealed.
Elrond had let him go, let him return to the rangers and assist them in their tasks. He returned both because they called for him; called for his leadership, despite knowing he had never led before. He also returned because he did not wish to be Aragorn, King of Gondor and of Arnor; and to live with the failure of his past. Aragorn wished another name, and became Strider.
Yet soon he had realized that another name would not hide him from his fate, and soon allowed those that knew him as Estel of Imladris to address him by his real name.
"Aragorn?" Legolas addressed.
In response the ranger blinked and turned his attention back to the battle. Legolas stood, with quivers full of bolts surrounding him. Their eyes met, and their friendship deepened in that second. Aragorn knew Legolas saw what was troubling his soul, just as he saw the grief that Legolas carried for those he feared he would lose, and those that had been lost before.
Without thought he reached for some of the quivers that had been offered to Legolas and restocked his own supply. Turning swiftly so he was facing the opposite direction to the Prince, Aragorn began to fire off bolts. He watched as the spiders began to fall. Some from the elven warriors that surrounded them, and some that found the tips of the deadly bolts.
Aragorn watched as Celegwath loosed one of his white tipped daggers. It flew through the air and impacted into the spiders eyes. It hissed in rage, desperately trying to claw the dagger free from its eye. Its attempts weakened quickly, as it lost more and more of its blood. Soon it lay dead, another corpse on the ground.
Without missing his chance, Aragorn shifted his direction and turned his attention to the spiders that clawed their way over the one that had just died. The human focused, pulling all his concentration away from the battle around him; he tuned outthe shrieks of the spiders and the flashes of sun on weapons; and focused soley on his targets. He breathed out, and the bolt flew from his bow and embedded into the first spider to climb above the others.
The spider fell with a horrible crash and was soon surrounded by a pool of its own blood, followed quickly by the bodies of others. Cautiously, the circle of Elves began to push towards the outskirts of the battle. They moved gently, but quickly, not wanting to give the spiders a sense of their intent. It would not be long before he and Legolas would flee the group, and leave them to their fates…
Well…That's it. It was supposed to be a little longer…but this sounded like a good place to end a chapter. Please leave a review…and tell me what you think. Next chapter will be up by next Wednesday at the latest.
