Chapter 21
It was not long before Aragorn found fresh signs. At one point, near the bank of the Entwash, he came upon footprints: hobbit-prints, but too light for much to b made of them. Then again beneath the bole of a great tree on the very edge of the wood more prints were discovered. The earth was bare and dry, and did not reveal much.
"One hobbit at least stood here for a while and looked back; and then he turned away into the forest," said Aragorn.
"Then we must go in too," said Gimli. "But I do not like the look of this Fangorn; and we were warned against. I wish the chase had led anywhere else!"
"I do not think the wood feels evil, whatever tales may say," said Legolas. He stood under the eaves of the forest, stooping forward, as if he were listening, and peering with wide eyes into the shadows. "No, it is not evil; or what evil is in it is far away. I catch only the faintest echoes of dark places where the hearts of trees are black. There is no malice near us; but there is watchfulness and anger."
"Echoes? Hearts?" Christina scoffed. "Anyone would think you were talking about people. They're trees! They don't have feelings! They're here to provide us with oxygen and that's it!!!!!!"
"You see, that's where you're wrong," said Legolas, matter-of-factly. "They DO have feelings. And at the moment they feel watchful and angry."
"Well, they have no cause to be angry with me," said Gimli. "I have done it no harm."
"That is just as well," said Legolas. "But nonetheless it has suffered harm. There is something happening inside, or going to happen. Do you not feel the tenseness? It takes my breath."
"Then go die someplace and let get on with finding Pippin and Merry!" Christina snapped.
"I can't, I'm an Elf," he replied. "Elves can only die of grief or by being slain."
"Then hand me my sword and I'll gladly do the honours!"
"Shut up, Christina," said Aragorn. "You're not going to kill anybody."
"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try and stop me!" She stood glaring at Aragorn. "See, I said you couldn't do it!"
"Well, I can't stop you if you don't do anything," he said.
"Oh.. shut up! We're meant to be finding Pippin and Merry! This wood is horrid and stuffy! If that's what you meant by tenseness then yes, I feel it! Now can we please move on?!" she moaned.
"I also feel the air is stuffy," said the Dwarf. "This wood is lighter than Mirkwood, but it is musty and shabby."
"It is old, very old," said the Elf. "So old that almost I feel young again-" Christina choked back a laugh "-as I have not felt since I journeyed with you children."
"Children?!" cried Christina, indignantly. "Children?! I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'M NOT A KID!!!!!! The only reason you feel old is because you ARE!!!!!!"
"I'm really-" Legolas began but she turned her back and obviously wasn't listening. "You're being-" but she stuck her fingers in her ears. Legolas turned to Aragorn. "Could you kindly inform her 'highness' that I am really losing my patience?! It's only a matter of time before I-"
"Before you what, Legolas?" she sniped. "You wouldn't hit a woman now, would you? What would that say to the rest of your loyal subjects? Their youngest Prince, heir to the throne of Mirkwood, hitting a woman-"
"You're really grasping at straws, Christina!" he hissed.
"Oh, get over yourself, Legolas! You wouldn't dare touch me, especially in my homeland. They may not particularly like me here, but they wouldn't accept harm to one of their citizens. I'd have you clapped in irons before you could say 'bow and arrow'!"
"Both of you shut up!" said Gimli. "Let us go! But keep your bow ready to hand, Legolas, and I will keep my axe (A/N: Sorry Tafi!) loose in my belt for I do not wish to meet that old man again!" With that the four companions (if you could call them that at the moment) plunged into the forest of Fangorn. Christina, Gimli and Legolas left the tracking to Aragorn, though there was little for him to see. The floor was dry and covered with leaves but he guessed the fugitives would stay close to water and returned often to the banks if the stream. So it was that he came upon the place where Merry and Pippin had drunk and bathed their feet. There, plain for all to see, were the footprints of two hobbits, one somewhat smaller than the other.
"Yes, good-tidings they are," said Gimli, "but they have evidently left the waterside from this point and we cannot pursue them through the whole fastness of Fangorn. We are ill supplied. If we do not find them soon, we shall be of no use to them, except to sit down beside them and show our friendship by starving together."
"If that is indeed all we can do, then we must do that," said Christina, quietly.
"Let us go on," said Aragorn. They came at length to the abrupt end of Treebeard's Hill and looked up at the rock wall with its rough steps leading to the high shelf. Gleams of sun were striking through the hurrying clouds and the forest now looked less grey and drear.
"Let us go up and look about us," said Legolas. "I still feel my breath short. I should like to taste a freer air for a while." They reached the top and looked about, but they saw nothing of use. The shelf faced southward and eastward; but only on the east was the view open. There they could see the heads of the trees descending in ranks towards the plain from which they had come.
"We have journeyed the long way round," said Legolas. "We could have come here safe together if we had left the Great River on the second or third day and struck west. Few can foresee whither their road will lead them, till they come to its end."
"But we did not wish to come to Fangorn," said Christina.
"Yet here we are - and nicely caught in a net," said Legolas. "Look!"
"Look at what?" said Gimli.
"There in the trees."
"Where? I have not elf-eyes."
"Hush! Speak more softly! Look!" said Legolas, pointing. "Down in the wood, back in the way we have just come. It is he. Cannot you see him, passing from tree to tree?"
"I see! I see!" hissed Gimli. "Look, Aragorn! Did I not warn you? There is the old man. All in grey rags: that is why I could not see him at first." Aragorn looked and beheld a bent figure moving slowly. It was not far away. It looked like an old beggar man, walking wearily, leaning on a rough staff. Gimli gazed with wide eyes for a while, as step-by-step the figure drew nearer. The suddenly, unable to contain himself, he cried out:
"Your bow, Legolas!"
"What about it?" replied Legolas.
"Bend it! Get ready! It is Saruman. Do not let him speak or put a spell on us! Shoot first!" Legolas took his bow and bent it, slowly and as if some other will resisted him. He held the other arrow loosely in his hand but did not fit it to the string. Aragorn stood still and silent, his face was watchful and intent. Christina sat down on a rock and started examining her nails. She really couldn't care less. If she was about to die, so be it, she couldn't be bothered with life anyway.
"Why are you waiting?" said Gimli in a hissing whisper to Legolas. "What is the matter with you?"
"Legolas is right," said Aragorn, quietly. Christina muttered something under her breath about that comment but it went unnoticed. "We may not shoot an old man so, at unawares and unchallenged, whatever fear or doubt be on us. Watch and wait!" At that moment the old man quickened his pace and came with surprising speed at the foot of the rock wall. Then suddenly he looked up, while the others looked down, standing motionless. There was no sound.
**********
A/N: Again, I know it's a crud place to leave it but its 10:25pm, I only had five hours sleep this morning and I'm knackered! I also think I've written enough for this chapter anyway! Luvs Elfie xXxXx
It was not long before Aragorn found fresh signs. At one point, near the bank of the Entwash, he came upon footprints: hobbit-prints, but too light for much to b made of them. Then again beneath the bole of a great tree on the very edge of the wood more prints were discovered. The earth was bare and dry, and did not reveal much.
"One hobbit at least stood here for a while and looked back; and then he turned away into the forest," said Aragorn.
"Then we must go in too," said Gimli. "But I do not like the look of this Fangorn; and we were warned against. I wish the chase had led anywhere else!"
"I do not think the wood feels evil, whatever tales may say," said Legolas. He stood under the eaves of the forest, stooping forward, as if he were listening, and peering with wide eyes into the shadows. "No, it is not evil; or what evil is in it is far away. I catch only the faintest echoes of dark places where the hearts of trees are black. There is no malice near us; but there is watchfulness and anger."
"Echoes? Hearts?" Christina scoffed. "Anyone would think you were talking about people. They're trees! They don't have feelings! They're here to provide us with oxygen and that's it!!!!!!"
"You see, that's where you're wrong," said Legolas, matter-of-factly. "They DO have feelings. And at the moment they feel watchful and angry."
"Well, they have no cause to be angry with me," said Gimli. "I have done it no harm."
"That is just as well," said Legolas. "But nonetheless it has suffered harm. There is something happening inside, or going to happen. Do you not feel the tenseness? It takes my breath."
"Then go die someplace and let get on with finding Pippin and Merry!" Christina snapped.
"I can't, I'm an Elf," he replied. "Elves can only die of grief or by being slain."
"Then hand me my sword and I'll gladly do the honours!"
"Shut up, Christina," said Aragorn. "You're not going to kill anybody."
"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try and stop me!" She stood glaring at Aragorn. "See, I said you couldn't do it!"
"Well, I can't stop you if you don't do anything," he said.
"Oh.. shut up! We're meant to be finding Pippin and Merry! This wood is horrid and stuffy! If that's what you meant by tenseness then yes, I feel it! Now can we please move on?!" she moaned.
"I also feel the air is stuffy," said the Dwarf. "This wood is lighter than Mirkwood, but it is musty and shabby."
"It is old, very old," said the Elf. "So old that almost I feel young again-" Christina choked back a laugh "-as I have not felt since I journeyed with you children."
"Children?!" cried Christina, indignantly. "Children?! I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'M NOT A KID!!!!!! The only reason you feel old is because you ARE!!!!!!"
"I'm really-" Legolas began but she turned her back and obviously wasn't listening. "You're being-" but she stuck her fingers in her ears. Legolas turned to Aragorn. "Could you kindly inform her 'highness' that I am really losing my patience?! It's only a matter of time before I-"
"Before you what, Legolas?" she sniped. "You wouldn't hit a woman now, would you? What would that say to the rest of your loyal subjects? Their youngest Prince, heir to the throne of Mirkwood, hitting a woman-"
"You're really grasping at straws, Christina!" he hissed.
"Oh, get over yourself, Legolas! You wouldn't dare touch me, especially in my homeland. They may not particularly like me here, but they wouldn't accept harm to one of their citizens. I'd have you clapped in irons before you could say 'bow and arrow'!"
"Both of you shut up!" said Gimli. "Let us go! But keep your bow ready to hand, Legolas, and I will keep my axe (A/N: Sorry Tafi!) loose in my belt for I do not wish to meet that old man again!" With that the four companions (if you could call them that at the moment) plunged into the forest of Fangorn. Christina, Gimli and Legolas left the tracking to Aragorn, though there was little for him to see. The floor was dry and covered with leaves but he guessed the fugitives would stay close to water and returned often to the banks if the stream. So it was that he came upon the place where Merry and Pippin had drunk and bathed their feet. There, plain for all to see, were the footprints of two hobbits, one somewhat smaller than the other.
"Yes, good-tidings they are," said Gimli, "but they have evidently left the waterside from this point and we cannot pursue them through the whole fastness of Fangorn. We are ill supplied. If we do not find them soon, we shall be of no use to them, except to sit down beside them and show our friendship by starving together."
"If that is indeed all we can do, then we must do that," said Christina, quietly.
"Let us go on," said Aragorn. They came at length to the abrupt end of Treebeard's Hill and looked up at the rock wall with its rough steps leading to the high shelf. Gleams of sun were striking through the hurrying clouds and the forest now looked less grey and drear.
"Let us go up and look about us," said Legolas. "I still feel my breath short. I should like to taste a freer air for a while." They reached the top and looked about, but they saw nothing of use. The shelf faced southward and eastward; but only on the east was the view open. There they could see the heads of the trees descending in ranks towards the plain from which they had come.
"We have journeyed the long way round," said Legolas. "We could have come here safe together if we had left the Great River on the second or third day and struck west. Few can foresee whither their road will lead them, till they come to its end."
"But we did not wish to come to Fangorn," said Christina.
"Yet here we are - and nicely caught in a net," said Legolas. "Look!"
"Look at what?" said Gimli.
"There in the trees."
"Where? I have not elf-eyes."
"Hush! Speak more softly! Look!" said Legolas, pointing. "Down in the wood, back in the way we have just come. It is he. Cannot you see him, passing from tree to tree?"
"I see! I see!" hissed Gimli. "Look, Aragorn! Did I not warn you? There is the old man. All in grey rags: that is why I could not see him at first." Aragorn looked and beheld a bent figure moving slowly. It was not far away. It looked like an old beggar man, walking wearily, leaning on a rough staff. Gimli gazed with wide eyes for a while, as step-by-step the figure drew nearer. The suddenly, unable to contain himself, he cried out:
"Your bow, Legolas!"
"What about it?" replied Legolas.
"Bend it! Get ready! It is Saruman. Do not let him speak or put a spell on us! Shoot first!" Legolas took his bow and bent it, slowly and as if some other will resisted him. He held the other arrow loosely in his hand but did not fit it to the string. Aragorn stood still and silent, his face was watchful and intent. Christina sat down on a rock and started examining her nails. She really couldn't care less. If she was about to die, so be it, she couldn't be bothered with life anyway.
"Why are you waiting?" said Gimli in a hissing whisper to Legolas. "What is the matter with you?"
"Legolas is right," said Aragorn, quietly. Christina muttered something under her breath about that comment but it went unnoticed. "We may not shoot an old man so, at unawares and unchallenged, whatever fear or doubt be on us. Watch and wait!" At that moment the old man quickened his pace and came with surprising speed at the foot of the rock wall. Then suddenly he looked up, while the others looked down, standing motionless. There was no sound.
**********
A/N: Again, I know it's a crud place to leave it but its 10:25pm, I only had five hours sleep this morning and I'm knackered! I also think I've written enough for this chapter anyway! Luvs Elfie xXxXx