Summary: Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli take Eldarion down the path of the fellowship to teach him of sacrifices made and things forgotten.
Disclaimer: I do not own them, a pity
A/N: This is an AU fourth age fic, the times to get to many places may not be exact. Oh and brokenwind, Haldir does not die in the Two Towers, that is movie verse not bookverse. I will enjoy any reviews, and flames will be shared with friends for amusement.
Chapter 21
Eldarion could not sleep that night, asking his father how they would know when it was morning since he could see no light anywhere. His father had reassured him that they would know, but Eldarion did not think even the elven eyesight of Legolas could penetrate the dark halls of Moria. Somewhere close to dawn he drifted off, his mind refusing to shut down, but it was not long before he found himself being shaken awake.
"Come it is morning," his father ushered him awake, but his father did not have the smile on his face that usually came along with morning. Eldarion already missed that smile that used to wake him up in Minas Tirith.
He saw in just a few short minutes why they all were so moody, so quiet, for he saw up ahead a light and ran towards it, grateful for any light in this dark place. Once inside the room Eldarion saw the light and stared at it, not noticing the room itself. It was not until he heard the sniff from Gimli that he stared down at the room and saw the tombstone on top of the slab.
Immediately Eldarion jumped back, eyes now wide staring about the room. It too was littered with skeletons, some with arrows through their eyes, some face down as if they ran from their attacker. Eldarion began to back away, his heart racing with the thoughts of what happened in this room, a feeling of claustrophobia overtaking him suddenly, when he tripped over something and went crashing to the floor.
Eldarion put his hands down to brace himself and found they were laid on another bone, one that was too large to be human or any other form of man or elf. He jumped up, brushing his hands on his tunic and ran from the room. He didn't care where he was running, only that he was running far away from there.
Eldarion did not heed the shouts coming from his father and the others. He ran and ran until he found himself in a great hall surrounded by mighty pillars, and he veered off to the right, running as fast as his legs could go.
Gimli had no hopes of catching the boy, his shorter legs having him lag behind the others, and even Aragorn could not catch his son. Eldarion's youth, an elven agility inherited from his mother keeping the boy just out of reach. Legolas was the only one that had any hope of catching him. He was just about to grab Eldarion when the boy fell to his knees, the sobs that came from him echoing off the stone walls.
Aragorn and the others caught up to him, but neither Legolas or Gimli approached the sobbing child. It was Aragorn who knelt down and pulled his son into his arms, rocking him until the sobs quietened some.
"I can't stay here anymore Ada. It is too dark, too many people died here. I feel the death in the air, in the silence," Eldarion choked through his tears. It was then Eldarion looked to Gimli.
"I'm sorry Uncle Gimli, but I just don't want to be here anymore. I know it was your kin that lived here, and it must be hard for you to come here, but I don't want to be here anymore."
Eldarion's heartbreak was catching for soon all had tears in their eyes as well.
"Can we leave here Ada, please? Can we go from here and never come back?"
Aragorn had not seen Eldarion this way ever, not when they visited the other places and never at home. If he knew nothing else he knew he had to get his son out of Moria.
"Gimli, long has it been since we entered here and I know no other way out except the way we entered last. Is there another way?"
"Aye, since we last traveled here I have been back and found a second way out of Moria. It is not a long journey perhaps a days walk. If we leave now we can be there by tomorrow morning."
Aragorn nodded and found they were all in agreement. He scooped the still sniffling Eldarion into his arms as if he were a toddler and followed Gimli down a side walkway. He hoped they would not run into anything more foul that what they had seen, for he didn't think Eldarion could take much more of Moria.
The four of them walked all night, Eldarion visibly shuddering each time he came across another of the dwarves that had dwelt there. He avoided the remains, sometimes walking way out of the path to go around them. It did not sit well with Legolas either, for he had never wanted to enter here in the first place, and had only entered this time for Aragorn.
It was a welcome sight when they saw the glint of sunlight just ahead, and all the tiredness seemed to seep from them as they ran, heading for the glimpse of the outside world. Legolas was first to feel the winter's sun on his face and he breathed in a lungful of the crisp air. He was followed by Eldarion and then the others. Everyone was happy to be out of the gloom of Moria, but none more than Eldarion who now was sitting on his knees in the snow filled area, his hands running along the snow.
"Nothing has ever seemed so wonderful," he muttered. "I shall never again complain about the sun waking me too early for now I know what it is like to not see the sun for days."
No one disagreed with him. Moria had lost its appeal even to Gimli who found that looking at so much death of his own kin was reason enough not to venture into its halls again. He would fill his hours in caves less littered with the remains of the dead.
"We shall make camp just over there under the cover of the trees."
No one argued, as a matter of fact no one spoke at all. Aragorn started a roaring fire while Legolas laid out the bedrolls on the ground that Gimli had cleared of snow. The ground was not totally dry yet, but the fire had soaked up most of the wetness, so that by the time they would lay down later their beds would be dry.
Aragorn shivered in the cold and wrapped his cloak tighter around him. It was now in the dead of winter and he was looking forward to the warmth of Spring. Legolas didn't seem to feel the cold just yet, and Gimli if he did, had not complained, but it was Eldarion that he worried about now.
Eldarion had not truly spoken since he left the mines of Moria and it disheartened Aragorn. He had wanted to show his son everything, not just the things that were beautiful about Middle Earth and their journey, but the tragic demise of those things that had once been beautiful. He wondered how far was too far. How much could one child take in? The question burned in his mind, and soon he found himself sitting by his son who gazed out over the moutain tops ahead of them.
He placed his hand atop Eldarion's and turned the child to face him. What he saw broke his heart, for in Eldarion's eyes that used to shine so brightly were now tears.
"I did not mean to cause you such pain my son. I went into the mines to show you what hatred can do, to show you the sacrifices made, but I did not finish my story. Would you like to hear it now?"
Eldarion shook his head yes, but he huddled closer to his father.
Aragorn pulled Eldarion into his lap, wrapping his cloak around them both before he began.
"I told you of the the moster of the lake, but I did not speak of anything else. Inside on the stairs, there was another creature, more powerful and more frightening than anything I have ever seen in all of my days."
Aragorn noticed Gimli and Legolas had moved closer to hear his words but said nothing.
"This creature was a balrog and he stood before us higher than a tree and more fierce than any orc. It was Gandalf who stood before him, telling the creature he could not pass to harm us."
"Why did Gandalf stand in his way?" Eldarion whispered.
"Had he not the balrog would have killed us all in our attempts to flee. Do not get me wrong Eldarion for it was Frodo who screamed for Gandalf to follow us, to take a chance on getting out."
"Why was it the hobbit Ada?"
"Frodo and Gandalf were friends, much like we are here now. He valued Gandalf almost more than his own life at times. Frodo ran towards Gandalf, his courage strong, but Boromir held him back. It would have been a futile error on his part, we know this now."
Eldarion did not understand, "Why Ada, why would you not let him go to his friend?"
Gandalf was no mere wizard, in fact he was much more, for he held one of the elven rings of power, forged long ago. He stood before the balrog, his staff and sword held high, and we watched as the balrog fell, but it was not the end. The balrog in its fury made one last attempt at Gandalf, his rope of fire catching him about the foot and dragging him into the abyss of Moria."
"You watched him die?" Eldarion said, the tears flowing anew.
"Aye, we watched him fall to what we thought was his death, but Narya saved Gandalf from a fiery death long enough to fight the balrog atop the mountain and smote his ruins down its side. It was only then that Gandalf the grey died."
Eldarion sobbed again, and Legolas and Gimli sniffed behind them, their own memories of the event bringing back flashes of the distraught hobbits.
"Do not cry just yet my son for Gandalf had yet another purpose to fulfill. He was sent back to us, a more powerful wizard, one who helped us to defeat Sauron's forces."
"He came back from the dead like Glorfindel?"
"Aye, he did indeed. Do not mourn the dead for they are in a better place Eldarion. A place where no more war or death is upon them, and where wounds are healed and youth is returned."
"Where is Gandalf now Ada?"
Aragorn grew silent then, his thoughts wandering to his final goodbyes to his own father.
"He sailed to the Undying Lands with Frodo and your grandfater and grandmother. There he will heal along with the others."
Eldarion's head hung low, his shoulders showing the sobs that they could not see for themselves.
Aragorn lifted his face, "Why do you cry now? Gandalf has gone to the Undying Lands."
"Eldarion wiped his tears, "Because it is a place I cannot go. I will never see grandfather or grandmother or even Gandalf. They are lost to me because I am not an elf."
Aragorn understood his son's heartache for he too cursed his adan bloodline. He did not know how to reply to such a thing, but it was Legolas who came up and knelt down beside Eldarion.
"Do not question death now little one for we do not know what fate has in store for us. Just as Frodo is now in Valinor so someday you may be. It is not for us to question how or why what will happen in the end."
Eldarion seemed to feel much better after their talk and dried his tears.
"Come let us sit by the fire and get warm, for my beard feels frozen but no more than my arms and legs." Gimli said.
All sat by the fire its warmth lulling them to sleep. They feared nothing for no creature lived here that they could see. All were soon asleep, but Eldarion was wrapped up in his father's bedroll with him, Aragorn not ready to let his son go just yet.