Many thanks to Kali for the amazing beta work and the inspirational challenge!

Thanks for the reviews! A little warning – if you needed any tissues for my last chapter, I'm afraid you might need a few for this one as well. I'm sure some of you aren't happy that 'the only way to kill the dragon' led to 'the two ways to kill an elf', and I sincerely hope that at the end of this chapter you won't come up with 'the numerous ways to kill the author'. Just be patient and wait for the following chapters.

Chapter 10: The Two Ways to Kill an Elf

"Guards!" Dolen called once again and was pleased to see several men rushing urgently to his quarters. "Prepare to travel to Sbatha's cave! Talk to Lord Gimli; he will tell you what supplies you need to take. Aslan," he addressed one of the younger guards. "Go and bring me ink, quill and parchment. I have a treaty to write."

The young man nodded eagerly and rushed to follow the orders. The rest of the guards exchanged confused glances, but quietly obeyed.

"There is one more thing that still bothers me, Prince Eldarion," Dolen said after everyone else departed. The boy hid a smile. It was the first time Dolen addressed had him in this way. "When your father returns, he will surely want revenge for poisoning you and sending the elf to his death. Does the treaty guarantee my people and my safety?"

"It does," Eldarion replied with a nod. "If I sign a treaty while my father is gone, it holds the same power as if he has signed it himself. By the laws of Gondor, my father will need to respect it."

Dolen sat on a chair and absently scratched his cheek. He still had his doubts about giving Sbatha a means to escape, but the young prince was right. If he did not do it, his people would be left at Gondor's mercy. And he had done nothing to deserve any mercy.

"Thank you," he murmured as Aslan came back and brought him the quill and parchment. The Lord of Shapkar moved to his desk and started scribbling down the treaty. Eldarion approached him and rose to his toes, looking over the man's shoulder, nodding in approval as he read the neatly written lines.

Dolen finished and handed the treaty to Eldarion to inspect.

"There is one more thing that I want to add," the child whispered and his voice trembled slightly. "When we find my father and Legolas, they…they might need a healer. I want you to provide all the healers' aid you can give and let them stay here until they are fully healed."

The man blushed guiltily. This was the least he could do. He added the new clause, and both of them signed below.

"Lord Dolen!" A young servant suddenly rushed inside. His hair was sweaty and his cheeks were flushed as if he had been running long and hard. "My Lord, the Queen wishes to see you and I cannot stop her!"

"Where is he?" Arwen's scream was heard from down the corridor. "Where have you taken my son?"

"Nana!" Eldarion exclaimed and rushed towards his mother, who was being held by two guards, who had trouble restraining her. "Nana, I am here!"

A strangled sob of relief escaped the Queen's lips as she saw that the child was alive and safe. She collapsed on her knees, and the guards released their hold.

"Why did they take you here, my love?" she whispered as she pulled the boy in her embrace and stroked his tangled, dark locks. "What did they do to you?"

"Do not worry nana, I am well. I am well." The child wrapped his little arms around his mother's neck and touched his forehead to hers. "I am here, and all will be well. I made Dolen promise me to help us save ada and Legolas."

Arwen gasped and pulled back, her moist silver eyes locking with her son's. "It is true, nana!" the boy reassured her. "I am not giving you false hopes. We will save them!"

"The boy speaks the truth, my Queen," Dolen said and bowed slightly. "We have reached an agreement. I will follow Lord Gimli's plan, and I will do what I can to save your husband and your friend. Speaking of Lord Gimli, where is he?"

"Gimli was asleep when I woke up and saw that Eldarion was missing," Arwen replied and frowned in confusion. Why had she been sleeping in the first place? She had not fallen asleep since this whole nightmare had started. Her eyes widened as realization struck her. "There was something in the water you gave us!" she murmured in shock.

Eldarion shrugged innocently. "I am just a child. How could I possibly know what was in the water?"

"Whatever has been in this water, we better hurry," Dolen interrupted them. "Let us wake Lord Gimli and kill this dragon! Enough time has been wasted!"

It was empty. Just like it had been for so many years. The tall throne of the King was empty. The Steward's throne, however, was occupied by a humped figure with tousled hair and face buried in his hands. People were staring at the miserable creature, murmuring softly.

He could hear them. Oh yes, he could hear them all, and he could hear every word they said about him. After the death of the King, the Steward had fallen into despair. He was leading Gondor to destruction, and they had to stop him. They had to take the power in their own hands…

Faramir woke with a start. Morning had not come yet, and the stars above seemed to be laughing merrily, unaware of his inner turmoil. The man rose from his bedroll and looked around the camp. Everyone was asleep, except for the two sentries, standing at the opposite ends of the camp.

The Steward rubbed his sleep-laden eyes and rose up. The army had stopped to rest for the night, and he knew that the men needed their sleep, but he could not ignore the dark voices in his mind. Voices, telling him that he was too late.

"Rise!" he called loudly and strode towards his horse. "We must go on." The two sentries looked at him in surprise, and several men rose, yawning widely. They started moving over to the men still sleeping and shook them awake.

"My Lord?" One of the soldiers, who had served under the Steward's command for long years, dared ask what was on everyone's mind. "It is not yet sunrise."

"I know," Faramir murmured. "We will rest after we have reached Shapkar. After we have seen the King." His eyes turned southward, where their destination lay. "I am coming," he murmured in the night. "I will not fail you. I am coming."

But even as he mounted his horse and led the men forwards, Faramir's heart was clenched in fear. He was coming. But was he coming soon enough?

Gimli was delighted to hear the news, and as soon as he grabbed the heavy pickaxe in his hands, he was almost willing to forgive Dolen. Almost. The evil this man had done, however, was too great, and for his sake Gimli prayed that Legolas and Aragorn were unharmed. Otherwise, he swore, the rocks would not be the only ones to feel the sharpness of his pickaxe.

A group of men was quickly assembled and equipped with all tools necessary. They traveled to Sbatha's cave, not bothered by the darkness of the moonless night, led by Dolen and Gimli, and accompanied by Arwen and Eldarion. It did not take the dwarf a long time to find where the cave wall could be easily breached, and everyone set to work.

Arwen and Eldarion worked together with the men, and their spirits boosted everyone else's. Some of the men still questioned the wisdom of giving the dreadful dragon a means to escape, but as they watched the Queen and Prince work side-by-side, eyes shining in silent determination, they felt that their deed was worth doing.

Gimli inspected the trap and nodded in satisfaction. Rocks were collected on the wooden platform, ready to fall upon the dragon. Time had come to breach the wall. With their combined efforts, the cave finally gave in, and stones and gravel collapsed with a tired moan.

Everyone exchanged a wary glance. Now came the hard part. They still needed to kill the dragon.

Aragorn clasped the knife in his right hand, but paused, struck by a sudden thought. With his free hand he reached out and grabbed the torch, bringing it closer to the trapped elf's face.

"I wish to bring you light in our last moments, Legolas," he said softly. "I do not want this foul darkness to be the last thing you see. I would have brought you the stars, but I cannot. This is all I can give you. I am sorry."

"You are giving me more than what I have hoped for," Legolas whispered. "Thank you, Estel. You told me that you were glad that I was here with you. I am glad also. And I would not exchange you for the brightest stars. Since I was trapped here, I have been wondering if it is day or night up there. Now I know that it does not matter. It is day here. You have brought me the Sun."

The man brought the knife closer to the elven throat, desperately trying to control the violent shaking of his hand. He feared that the longer he waited, the more his resolve would crumble. "May the stars forever shine on your path, my friend. And may you find peace. And…and…" he paused to shallow his tears, "and don't forget me."

"I will never forget you! I told you I would visit you in your dreams. And I mean to keep my word!"

Suddenly the sound of falling rocks reached their ears. It sounded like a cave-in in one of the distant tunnels. Perhaps when Legolas had made the entrance collapse other parts of the cave had become unstable? The elf sighed sadly. Why did the cave-in have to be so far away? He wished that the hall where they were had collapsed. He wished that the rocks above them would fall and kill them, sparing Aragorn the horror of killing him. But this was not to be.

And then there was a different sound.

"Did you hear that?" Aragorn asked urgently. "The dragon! She is turning back!"

The false hope in the man's voice made Legolas cringe. "She has gone to investigate the cave-in," he murmured. "She will be back."

"This gives us more time!" Aragorn cried, and his eyes were bright in the darkness. The elf looked away.

"How much more time do you think we have?" he asked bitterly. "She will look at the fallen rocks and come back again. It is mere minutes that we gain. There is no need to wait for her anymore. Do it now, Aragorn! Finish it! To prolong this is torture."

The man looked at him pleadingly. "I will do it. But we still have time! Why do you want to cut short the already shortened time that we have?"

Legolas met his gaze and shook his head. "I know that you do not want to do this. And I can never tell you how much I hate asking this of you. But we gain nothing if we delay the inevitable."

"I know," Aragorn said. "And I will do it, I told you. I…I just need some more time. Please, Legolas, give me time."

The elf sighed in defeat. How could he deny his friend any wish after he had asked so much of him?

"As you wish," he muttered quietly. "But when we hear the dragon turn back, you will do it."

"I will," the man whispered weakly. "I will help you leave. I promise." As he spoke, he rested his head on a stone and let his lids slowly slide down. He was tired. So tired…

And as he made his promise, he could not begin to imagine in what way precisely he would help his friend depart.

"This will do," Dolen declared, staring at the newly-opened entrance. "But Sbatha is no fool. She will probably suspect a trap. We need a bait to lure her out." His eyes passed over his men, locking gazes with each of them. All of them bowed their faces, refusing to meet his stare. "One of you will have to do it. He will stand in front of the entrance and lure Sbatha out. If everything goes as planned, he will be in no danger, and Lord Gimli promises that his trap will work."

Everybody shifted uneasily and looked down. "I will do it," Gimli said and strode forward.

"No." Dolen shook his head. "You will be needed to make sure the trap is properly released. You have to look at what my men are doing. I can't risk letting Sbatha escape." He turned towards his men and his gaze grew hard. "Men of Shapkar! You are a shame to me! Gather your courage and stand before the dragon!"

Unfortunately, the terrifying dragon had plagued those people for too long, and the fear they all bore in their hearts was too great. No one lifted his eyes, and some of them took a few steps backwards.

"I will do it," Arwen said suddenly. "This is my fight, not theirs."

"No," Dolen stated firmly. "You and your family have suffered enough because of me. If none of my men can overcome his fear, I will have to do this."

Murmurs of disapproval passed through the men, and yet no one said anything. Arwen shook her head. "It is my husband that is inside and might be killed by the dragon. It is my right and duty to do this."

Dolen's dark eyes locked with hers. "It is my wife who was killed by Sbatha months ago. It is my people the dragon has been tormenting. It is I who sent your husband to death. If we talk about right and duty, they are both mine."

The Queen looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. "Very well, Lord Dolen," she said and bowed slightly. "Thank you."

Gimli moved towards the stone-laden platform, instructing the men holding the ropes. Arwen held Eldarion's hand and pulled the child away from the entrance. Dolen walked a few steps and faced the dark entrance. "Sbatha!" he called loudly. "Sbatha, I have come to face you! Answer me if you are not afraid!"

There was no reason to shout and challenge the beast. The dragon had heard the falling rocks and was swiftly making her way towards the group of men. When she reached them, she froze in one place and her yellowish eyes fixed on the man.

"So we meet again, Lord Dolen," she hissed. "It is a strange choice that you have made. Is it not enough for you that I ate your wife? Do you want to turn into a meal yourself? Yes, I still remember her. Tasty, though I prefer them younger and fresher."

Dolen felt his rage boil, but tried to keep it below the surface. Mariel and his unborn son would soon be avenged. Sbatha's death was coming near. "I will not be your next meal, Sbatha," he said. "And neither will anyone else. Your time has come."

The strange sound that escaped the dragon's mouth was possibly laughter, although no one could tell for sure. "You think me a fool, my lord Dolen. Did you truly believe that I would simply walk out? You think I would believe that after you had me trapped here, you suddenly decided to set me free, so that you could fight me? Have you not tried to fight me futilely so many times before?"

Arwen was watching the scene with growing concern. If Sbatha refused to come out, there was no way they could save Estel and Legolas. Perhaps Sbatha was not tempted enough? What were they trying to lure her with? Man-flesh? Hardly a good bait! Sbatha had tasted men too many times. But what about elves? Would she be so tempted to eat an elf that she would forsake all caution? There was only one way to find out.

"This is precisely what we want, Sbatha," she stated suddenly as she walked beside Dolen. "We have come to fight you. We did not believe that a few rocks would keep you trapped for a long time."

The dragon hid her surprise. An elf. Tasty and fresh. She could easily imagine her sharp teeth piercing the smooth skin and going deeper and deeper… Unintentionally she took a few steps forward, but managed to stop on time. "Interesting," she murmured. "Another elf."

Arwen gasped and froze in horror. Another elf? Sbatha had met Legolas! But if elf and dragon had met and the dragon was alive, what did it meant about the elf? She did not wish to imagine.

"He was dear to you, I see," Sbatha continued sweetly. "Perhaps both of them were."

Arwen felt the world swim around her. Both of them! She could not help the weakness that suddenly spread thought her body and sank to her knees. "Where are they?" she managed to whisper, dreading the answer.

"Ah, I see that they were indeed dear to you. Then you will be delighted to hear that they were both very tasty."

All color drained from Arwen's face and her body shook helplessly. "You lie!" she breathed.

"I lie?" Sbatha sounded offended. "Tell me then, if I had never tasted them, how would I know that the human has elven blood?"

The heartrending scream that tore from Arwen's lips made all the men's blood turn to ice. She collapsed on the ground and then rose, her body shaking and tears streaming down her cheeks. "No, no, nooo! Estel, no! You are lying! You are lying!" She rushed towards Sbatha, stroking the air with her fists, as if battling invisible foes. "It's not true, it cannot be true!"

Gimli rushed to her side and he and Dolen managed to restrain her before she had entered the cave. She felt to her knees, sobbing violently. "He is not dead…he is not…he…he cannot be…I would have known it…he is not dead…she is lying…he is not dead…"

"I believe that I proved to you that I was not lying," the dragon said smugly. "How would I know that he had elven blood if I had not tasted it? But I thought you wanted to fight me, and now you do not wish to enter my cave. It seems you want me to come out. I wonder why? Unfortunately, I will never find out. I do not see why I would risk this. Besides," Sbatha added cheerfully and turned her back towards them. "I have a meal to finish. I believe I have an elven leg and a human arm still uneaten." With those words, the dragon disappeared into the dark depths of the cave, leaving Arwen and Gimli stare after her in numb terror.

"I cannot hear if she is coming back," Legolas murmured, "but we have waited long enough. I do not wish to wait anymore. This is torture! Please, Aragorn, do it now and let us be done with it. Aragorn?"

The elf frowned as he heard no response and looked at his friend. The man was lying still with his eyes closed. He had grown quiet a while ago, and Legolas had assumed that he needed some time to think of Arwen and Eldarion before he left them forever and had left him alone. Now, however, he was beginning to fear that the reason for this silence was much more sinister.

"Aragorn!" Worry and confusion swiftly turned into alarm as his panicked cry received no response. Legolas held his breath and examined his friend more closely. The man's face was deadly pale, and if his chest was rising and falling, it was so slightly that the elf was unable to detect it. "Aragorn, answer me!"

No response. Not even the slightest movement, the tiniest sign that his friend had heard him. Legolas felt bitter tears sting at his eyes and blinked rapidly to keep them there, but it was of no use. The salty droplets rolled down his cheeks, but his hands were trapped and he could not wipe that away. "Aragorn, please! Do not leave me! Mellon nîn, stay with me!"

No response. He could feel only horror and pain. Unbearable pain. Why? Was he not supposed to be glad that his friend had found an easy death and had escaped the horror awaiting them both? Had they not just accepted that they would both die in this cave? But no matter how prepared they had been to die, nothing – nothing! – could have prepared Legolas for the raw pain he felt as he gazed at the motionless body.

Since the moment the elf had learned that Aragorn had entered the cave, he had had one greatest fear. That he would die second. But now, as it came to be reality, the horror he felt surpassed his wildest imaginations.

"Oh, Estel…" He wanted to reach with his hand and brush a wavy strand of hair from the man's pale forehead, but he could not move. He wanted to rise and kiss this dark hair and whisper a final goodbye, but all he could do was stare helplessly. "I am sorry, mellon nîn. You should never have come here. Remember that I told you that I was glad you were here with me? I did not mean it. True, a part of me was glad, but the truth is that I never wanted you to be here. I wish Gimli had never overheard this conversation. I wish you were home with Arwen and Eldarion, thinking that I had sailed to the Undying Lands, being angry with me if need be. I wish you were anywhere but here with me. And yet you came. You came because you did not want to leave me alone in the dark. Then why do you leave me alone now? Why, Aragorn?"

Grief and anger were mixed in the elf's voice, and his body was trembling with emotion. Suddenly he realized something that made the breath hitch at his throat. Aragorn was gone. There was no one to kill him now. He had to wait for the dragon to come back and his worst nightmares would come true. His friend had promised to kill him and spare him all this terror! How could he break his promise?

And then he knew that Aragorn had not broken his promise. On the contrary, he had fulfilled it completely. There were only two ways for an elf to die. Aragorn had promised him one of them. Unintentionally, he had given him the other.

The pain of watching his friend's still body was too much for the elf to bear. "Le hannon, Estel," he whispered. "Thank you for setting me free." Legolas closed his tear-filled eyes, sighed, and let his heart break.

The light of the torch went out.

TBC