CHAPTER 22 - To the sea, to the sea
The following day she indeed felt redressed, the weakening spell caused by the freezing water having subsided. And so Kal walked with renewed strength, the travelers placing many leagues behind them for days on end as they went south along the Great River. They went undisturbed but cautious through the grey and now faded green wood, the river ever within their sight.
"Keep your wits sharp, patrols line this area more so than before," the elf said one afternoon.
"How so?" asked Kal.
"We have traveled close to a great port city. One laden with corsairs. As all else, it has fallen to the Shadow, and it rules there."
And indeed as they drew closer and traveled farther south, Kal could see glimpses through bending trees, of both small and large vessels. She discerned a fleet of great ships laid in dock and ready to sail on the right bank of the river. It had been a wonder to her, having not seen such large sea bearing contraptions before. None ventured too far into the dark waters of Lake Núrnen in Mordor. The elf had told her of the men of Umbar, and orcs and other beasts of the Enemy now walking the streets and flooding the courts of Pelargir, and how the once bright city had darkened with each time he laid eyes upon it from a distance.
"How much longer do we have?" Kal asked looking to the elf as they strode swiftly one bleak afternoon through the wood. The air had gotten colder, and strange winds filtered through the trees and seeped through her garments. She felt a new and foreign smell infuse her senses. This was also strange but good, in complete opposition to the faint scent of putrefaction lining the immediate vicinity of the Black Land.
"Judging by our position, we should be nearly arrived," said Legolas. Then, possibly owed to a new thought, he added, "Feeling unease?"
"More than you know," Kal answered truthfully, somewhat pleased when the elf shook his head and smiled. She found it was better when he did.
"You have defeated Uruk-hai in battle."
"And still I knew what to expect. Not so here," Kal rubbed the back of her neck. "But I mean to attempt this."
The elf said nothing more on the topic, but attuned his hearing and raised a hand, calling to Eron in his lilt of a language.
"What is it?" Kal asked, seeing the wolf cease his advance and return to them.
The elf was looking upward through the trees, his eyes narrowed, apparently searching for aught Kal could not see.
"Nothing, I thought I heard-," he looked back to her wondering eyes, "It is nothing."
The half-orc raised an eyebrow but did not inquire further. "How is it that you speak and the wolf listens?" she asked instead, his uncanny ability a mystery.
The elf appeared truly confused at her question, his brow slightly furrowed in thought. "It is our way," he said looking back to her. "Have you never tried?"
It was her turn to frown. "I do not possess your abilities. And either way, there was little practice to be had on the wargs of Mordor," she said with half a smile pulling at her lips, revealing one pointed fang.
"But have you ever tried?" the elf insisted, causing her to cease her stride and look at him.
"I have not," Kal said into his blue-grey stare.
"Call to him," the elf urged, tilting his head in the direction of the wolf.
Kal tried, calling Eron by his name, though her entreaties were left unheeded as the beast now ran farther and farther ahead of them.
The half-orc nearly jerked when she felt his hand on her arm. "Call to him, as if it were you, returning to yourself. Call not with your mind."
His words were foreign, and spoken strangely. "I do not understand," Kal said softly, unsure why she could now scarcely look away.
"We are one and the same with the life of Arda," the elf continued, "such as it is. Think of him as a part of you. Your will," he pointed towards the wolf, "is his will."
"You make it sound so effortless, but I am sure it is anything but," Kal replied with no little pique. She was no elf, how could she manage what he described?
Legolas released his light grip. "You could have drowned for this beast. It is there, you merely lack the practice for it."
Her gaze swept back to Eron some ways ahead, and with little conviction Kal tried doing as the elf said. She called to the wolf in her mind, no, her center, thinking of how it felt against her, how she had found and cared for it. She wanted it there, with her.
Nothing happened, no thought returned and she felt no different. Kal sighed. "Perhaps, I shall try another time," she said ruefully.
"Are you certain?" Legolas asked with a smile, and Kal looked to see Eron swiftly advancing towards her, his shrewd eyes boring into hers.
Bewildered she knelt and allowed the wolf to greet her as it usually did, its growling increased with the excitement of being close to its companion. The beast then pounced and ran ahead in a playful spree, and Kal followed through the wood, laughing brightly for the first time she ever remembered. Gone as she was the half-orc did not catch the astonished mien of the elf at the novel sounds.
"Kal, wait!" Legolas called after a while, but his voice was lost on her as she ran, and ran, the fresh and queer scented breeze filling her with new strength. As Kal followed the wolf she saw the darkness of the forest lift, making way to lighter surroundings. She soon stopped short beside the wolf at the sight which greeted her.
A great gulf was before her eyes, and as she gazed upon it Kal saw the endless expanse of water which could only be a great sea. And within those waters stood a mountainous strip of land. An island. Before and beyond it, there was nothing but dark water. She saw the great river flow into this boundless sea, and it was akin to nothing Kal had ever witnessed. Endless, grey and black depths, as far as the eye could see under ashen murky skies. Never have I seen such fairness! She was entranced, could not look away and stood there trapped by this first vision of a new world. Forgetting all else Kal spread her arms wide and closed her eyes, allowing the winds to lash at her face and garments, carrying and engulfing her in the now familiar scent. This must be the scent of the sea. Any darkness within dispersed akin to the winding gales, and who she was, what she was, the Tower, the Uruk-hai, death, all of it... for those few passing, weightless moments, Mordor was forgotten.
But then the spell was broken with the foreign voice risen behind her, and the tip of an arrow digging into the back of her neck.
"Slowly turn and face me, orc," the male voice spoke in heavy accented common.
She heard Eron growling but the wolf only stood curled and ready to pounce, and did not attack the new presence. Kal turned as bidden, and her eyes fell on light blue ones.
Fair of hair and face and clad in grey, the new presence looked upon her with poorly veiled disgust. Her eyes strayed to his ears and widened in astonishment. An elf?
The arrow he had nocked was now pointed at her chest. Looking to her right Kal felt more movement and saw another similarly clad presence having appeared from seemingly nowhere. Daring to look that way her vision strayed over long dark locks, and the brightest emerald eyes she had ever seen along with the startling realization that she knew those features. Those features-
"Tadion, Orophin!" a familiar voice cried then, drawing the attention of her captors.
Kal saw them tense, turning to see Legolas swiftly approach the strained group. She took this chance and swiftly crouched down, kicking one's legs from under him even as the fair-haired one brandished a long knife and lunged at her.
"Daro!" Legolas called haltingly, and Kal saw the two elves exchange equally confused and bewildered glances.
Her eyes were still locked with those of the fair-haired one, now holding the long knife to her throat.
"Orophin, leithio den," she heard Legolas say, and slowly, as a wary predator the elf addressed relinquished the stance on his blade.
"Stay still," he then told the half-orc as warning in the common speech.
Kal heard them utter his name in a greeting of sorts, and as she stood there under their watchful faces full of resent, Kal waited as Legolas convened swiftly and determinedly with the two other elves.
The stern elves listened in disbelief, then in displeasure, their mouths agape as their eyes flickered to her from time to time. The fair-haired one was vehement and shook his head, while the dark-haired one stood silent, but ever watching her with a hatred to rival that of the Uruk-hai towards humans.
Much time passed before the half-orc saw Legolas sigh and turn to face her. "They will not harm you." Indeed the elves had both lowered their weapons, though the dark-haired one still held his arrow nocked and ready.
"They could tell me so themselves," Kal seethed, not a little unnerved at the thought of being at the mercy of three elves. Nay, there were three of them, and yet one of these elves would never bring her to harm. Somehow she knew it to be so. And still her heart beat to break her ribs, and her limbs stayed taut and ready for battle, her hand on the hilt of Faramir's sword.
"Kal," Legolas spoke, seeing her wound state. "You will have to be blindfolded."
"Wh- I refuse, I am no slave nor am I a prisoner!" Kal cried in disbelief. "I thought we were going to a safe place-"
"That is where we are heading." Under the vicious, scathing gaze of the dark-haired elf Legolas neared her. "You asked for my trust once. Will you not offer the same?" he nearly whispered to her as they stood facing each other.
Kal found those otherworldly eyes shadowed by a new shade, and despite it all felt herself mellowing; her mind released of its dread, her chest rose and fell free of tension.
The dark-haired elf then muttered in their language, sounding ill pleased at the least.
"We cannot linger," said Legolas. "It is perilous here. Come," he urged and hesitating at first Kal followed, with no little amount of trepidation as she was flanked by the grim and sullen elves.
Legolas handed the half-orc a cloth which she pulled over her eyes. "I will guide you if you need it," he said afterwards, receiving a nod in response.
And so they went, though for the first time Kal truly began to wonder, whether this had been the right path for her to take.
A/N:
Well, it wasn't Lothlórien! Here we are, at the Mouths of Anduin. I have surprises.
"Daro" = "Halt/Stop" (Sindarin)
"Leithio den" = "Release her" (Sindarin)
To add a note on the elvish speech in this fic: I try to keep actual elvish words to a minimum, as I do want people to understand the dialogue! When we see words in elvish it's usually when Kal is around, so the reader can experience what this foreign language sounds like to her ears. However, when there are only elves engaged in dialogue in a scene (and there will be) you can go by the assumption that they converse in their own language and not Common. Just felt I had to mention that.
Niko (Guest): I nearly forgot to thank you! I'm glad you think so.