Chapter 21
Legolas' POV
Together they scanned the cliff above them. At first sight it looked alarmingly sheer, then Legolas noticed Eruanne tense beside him as if she had noticed something.
"Over there, behind that ivy – there is a narrow crack. I think we might be able to climb it." Legolas nodded and the two moved there.
Both were shod in the typical light, leather-soled shoes favoured by elves.
"After you, my fair lady of the daggers," said Legolas, with an elegant bow, but it was obvious that his words were a joke at his own expense. He watched as Eruanne moved up the rock face with a graceful fluidity. Her feet seemed to find tiny ridges to stand on, her fingers seemed almost to caress the rock as she climbed. At one point, the rock became almost featureless, but, hands thrust deep into the crack, she walked her feet up the wall, relying solely on the friction between rock and leather. Then she reached a small overhang. Legolas couldn't help but be impressed by the way she moved up this, twisting cleverly so she could place the outside of her foot in a slight indentation, allowing her to keep her arms straight and make her legs do most of the work despite the steepness of the rock. She pushed up on one leg, and reached almost effortlessly over the lip of the overhang, before pulling herself smoothly onto the rock above.
One final obstacle remained – an overhanging flake between the top of the crack Eruanne had just climbed and the ledge which led behind the waterfall to the near-invisible window. Legolas watched as the fiery-haired elleth reached out with her left hand, weight suspended from her other hand while she delicately lifted her right leg out across the smooth rock as a counterbalance, toe pointed. For a heart-stopping moment he thought she couldn't reach, but then her fingers closed over the top of the flake and she swung herself across. Feet smearing on the smooth rock she moved her hands across the top of the flake, edging nearer to her goal, then finally lifted her leg high and hooked her heel onto the narrow ledge before rocking her body up and over, onto the safety of the passage way behind the falls. Arranging herself comfortably on her rocky eyrie, she looked back down at him, her emerald eyes sparkling like the droplets of water blown from the edge of the falls. He could have been imagining it, but he was sure her cocksure gaze held a look of slightly arrogant challenge.
Legolas let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. He became aware of something brushing his leg, and suddenly realised that Naurwen was circling him, seemingly almost as anxious as he had been. Almost absent mindedly he reached down to ruffle the soft fur behind the great beast's ears, and to his immense surprise was rewarded with something uncannily like a purr.
"Well, Master I'm-the-best-archer-in-the-world, are you coming? Or do your climbing skills not match your skills with a bow?"
Legolas gave a cocky grin of his own, and his long legs ate up the few yards to the foot of the crackline.
Eruanne's POV
It seemed the work of a few minutes before Legolas too had scaled the crack and swung himself across the flake to land next to her on the ledge. Far below her she saw Naurwen slink into the undergrowth, standing guard beneath them. Cautiously, the two elves made their way along the slippery wet ledge to the window they had glimpsed from below – and there to the far side of it, was a door.
"The work of the stone masons of ancient Gondor, who learned their craft from those who escaped the inundation of Numenor," said Legolas, running his hand over the finely carved and dressed stones.
"How do we open the door?" asked Eruanne.
"We don't," said Legolas with a grin, and pointed upwards to where a narrow slit window could be seen above the door, an unglazed window, narrow, but not so narrow that a slender elf could not slide through it. Nonetheless, even for elves it was a slightly ungainly scramble, and the two landed on the floor within somewhat out of breath. It took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the gloom, but they found themselves in a cave, with low wooden tables and benches round the edges and a door leading through to a dormitory beyond. At one end of the main cave was a recess with a carved archway, and in it some sort of shrine. Carved round the archway were letters in Elvish, or at least a form of Elvish.
"The men of Ithilien speak a form of Elvish," Eruanne explained, having on occasion encountered troops of men and eavesdropped on their conversations. She traced some of the words with her fingers. "It is a prayer to Elbereth, asking for her starlight to grace them and protect them." She paused, then said, "If the artefact I seek is anywhere, here seems as likely a place as any. It is a sacred thing, and this is a sacred place."
The two of them looked at the small antechamber through the arch. The only thing of note was a dais with a stone slab upon it. The elves circled it, looking for clues. It was Eruanne who spotted the slight scuff marks on the topmost step of the dais, as though at some point in the distant past, the stone slab had been moved.
"I think this is it – the hiding place. Beneath this slab..."
With Legolas' help, she managed to shove the stone slab to one side. Suddenly the cave was bathed in a radiant silvery light. Squinting, Eruanne peered into the niche revealed by their efforts. There glowing in the darkness was a finely wrought vessel. Its luminous surface, silvery and opalescent all at once, revealed it to be mithril – solid mithril. Holding her breath, she reached in and lifted it out of its resting place, raising it reverently in her hands.
"Such beauty," said Legolas, his voice awed. "A goblet – but wrought in such a curious shape. Strangely reminiscent of something..."
Eruanne turned it gently in her fingers. "A calla lilly. It is like a beautiful flower, its petals curling round to form the flute of the goblet. So delicate, the way the two sides of the petals cup together, meld into one, then fold over at the front to form this delicate, rounded prow. And so beautifully wrought. It seems to cry out to be touched, to be stroked beneath eager fingertips."
"Wait!" said Legolas. "There is a parchment in here." He dipped his hand into the niche and gently retrieved the scroll. Spreading it carefully upon the ground, he weighted the edges with pebbles. His brows knitted as he tried to puzzle out the words.
"It is written in Quenya, that most ancient of tongues. Let me see if I can puzzle out its meaning..." And with that, he started to read, hesitantly.
Behold, oh brave adventurer, the sacred pukku, wrought in honour of the goddess Yavanna, bringer of fruitful harvests and of all things that grow upon the earth. My brother Feanor wrought it from pure mithril. For Feanor had learned his artisan skills sitting at the feet of Aule, spouse of Yavanna. And it seemed to him fitting to model this sacred vessel upon the mystic and magical pukku of Yavanna herself, that from which she poured the precious life-giving liquid which brought fertility to the whole of Arda.
But when Aule beheld the copy which Feanor had made, he was filled with wrath, sore and dangerous. For its likeness to the original was startling, and Yavanna's sacred vessel was precious to him, and him alone. And Aule in his rage cast Feanor from his presence and cursed him, decreeing that henceforth he should know no peace upon the face of Arda, but would be cast out, a cursed slayer of his own kin. But the artefact itself, made in a time of innocence before Aule's jealous rage, knew no stain. It remained pure, and if filled with water from the fountain of the water of life, would be capable of healing any hurt.
"The water of life," said Eruanne, her face lit with wonder.
"Wait, there is more," said Legolas. "It continues in a different hand... Annotations of much more recent date unless I miss my guess. Yes, millenia later, the work of someone who had traced this and followed up the clues to its whereabouts and that of the fountain..."
Through many perils and dangers I have finally found this, Yavanna's sacred vessel. And the final piece to the puzzle I discovered only days ago, in the archives of Minus Ithil, the tower of the moon...
"Minas Morgul as it now is... how long ago since it was last called the tower of the moon?"
"Many, many lives of men," said Legolas. He continued to read.
I offer the sketch of a map. But I was sore hurt yesterday by the servants of the Lord of the Shadows who is growing in strength once more. Alas, if I could muster the strength to make my way to the fountain, I could be healed of these grievous wounds. But I am sore hurt and my time is nearly done. All I can do is to hide this precious, beautiful, magical cup, and hope that it will be found by those of good intent. Then take myself from this place in the hope of drawing the eye of the enemy elsewhere, that this vessel may rest safely in its hiding place. Think well of me and offer a prayer to the Valar for me.
Legolas turned the parchment over. There, on the reverse, was a map, showing their current position and the lands to the north-east. He could see the inland sea of Rhun, with mountains to its west, and thick forests to its east.
Author's note. First off sorry for the massively long gap. But I have what I hope will be good news for all you lovely people who've been following this story so faithfully. I've now drafted out the whole of the rest of it, even the epilogue, so I hope to post a chapter a week from now on till it's done.
Anime Chick – hope you've come round from your swoon... There will be more!
Bad Ass Female Fighter – I feel so bad for leaving you hanging for so long, but I hope you enjoyed the moment of truth!
LilliannaStone – your review made me so happy. I'm glad that I'm making it convincing that Legolas is moving towards genuine affection.
Bereth – yes, he is finally turning into a good guy. How is your fic coming along?
Dragon Master – thanks for your kind words! It is really nice to have people say good things about my writing.
Tauriel Hathaway (great name, btw) – thanks. I'm so happy you like this, and that you like Naurwen.
Windsongspringheart – Trouble is Legolas' middle name ;-D
GirlfromH – glad you liked it. And you're not alone in liking that bit. I enjoyed writing it. More soon.
And a big thank you to all my new follows and favourites: IceRose66, Evangeline Pond, Tauriel Hathaway, packchick94, XxNaiXx, K9Train, killerxkoala23, Elainecreek, amariabt, mijibates513, leagogo, tigereyeshb, dephie, Bookgeekgirl, SmileyXs Ice-cream Sprinkles.