Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope yours was good. Guess what? My sister gave me The Silmarillion for one of my gifts! So now, I can catch up on some Middle Earth facts!
Alasse had taken the dawn night watch, unable to sleep. She prayed every second that Aragorn was alive, and that he was safe! But her gut said otherwise, literally. She kept singing the lullaby she'd learned from Eowyn, hoping that if the majestic beings called angels were real, that their great Master would send them to aid Aragorn and watch over him. But his battered body and that helpless, pleading look in his eyes from her vision would not leave her mind. Aragorn was always strong, always collected even under the most trying of circumstances and danger, always the leader, and the level-headed one. But not this time! Alasse shuddered at how vulnerable Aragorn had appeared, like a defenseless child begging his parents for help. It broke her heart to see Aragorn that way, and to think of him even put in that position. "Don't lose hope, Estel. We're coming for you." Alasse whispered in Elvish. "I do not know where you are, or how this happened. But we'll find you and get you out. I promise, my love. We'll find you."
"The rain has stopped." Legolas stated with relief, peering out of the cave. "All of you, wake up!" He ordered. "Bellethiel, take four scouts with you and survey the road ahead, then report back. We shall have a quick breakfast then break up camp."
"I will go with the captain." Elrond offered. Legolas gazed at him quizzically but nodded.
"Nay, not necessary, Master Elrond." Gimli disagreed. "I will go."
"Gimli?" Legolas cocked his head.
"These elf younglings have a bad reputation of getting themselves into nasty scrapes." Gimli boasted. "It'll be up to me to look after them, and make sure they don't get themselves too banged up. But, if that be the case, we shall need a healer on hand to fix up their bumps and bruises, do you not think?"
"Someone has been tasting the results of our prince's recklessness." Elrond teased Legolas. "You are right, Gimli. I will remain here."
"Gimli, are you sure you are not trying to avoid being seen conversing with a certain she-elf?" Legolas grinned. Gimli's face blushed nearly as red as his beard.
"Watch your tongue, laddie!" He vented. Legolas giggled.
"Let's head out." Bellethiel commanded her scouts. Gimli cantered beside her out of the cave.
"We must follow the Great River. Let's hope it is not too badly flooded from the heavy rains, or we may have to detour before crossing, which we may not have time for." Legolas said.
"Breakfast is ready, my lord." Tatsu announced.
"Thank you, Tatsu." Legolas nodded. Pippin was the first one at her side.
"Easy, small one. There is plenty." Tatsu giggled at the hobbit.
"Ai, but Mr. Legolas said we are to eat quickly, and I prefer to get my share before it is unevenly distributed!" Pippin remarked. "We hobbits must have our fill. We are hearty eaters, you know."
"Hobbits." Elrond shook his head. Legolas made his way over to Alasse.
"You'd best eat, sister. We'll be moving out very soon." He said.
"Food does not concern me." Alasse shook her head. Legolas sighed with his arms crossed and knelt beside her.
"We have a long journey, Alasse." He murmured softly in Elvish. "Besides, I am concerned for you. You need your strength."
"I am fine," Alasse looked at him. Legolas glared. Boy, was she stubborn! But so was he, even more so. He reached into his pocket and shoved a small package into her hands.
"Make sure you eat this." He said and stood back up as Alasse just stared glumly at the Lembas bread. After serving everyone, Tatsu sidled next to her.
"You must eat, young one." The older elleth said.
"Later." Alasse replied.
"We shall not set foot out of here, until you have taken nourishment!" Tatsu told her sternly. Alasse gaped at her incredulously. Then she noticed Elrond standing there too.
"That's right." He said, with 'the look'. "Your brother's orders. You could save all of us a lot of time and frustration by just doing as he says." Alasse was very embarrassed. She was holding up the entire company because she was feeling down? She shook her head and looked away, slowly biting down on a Lembas bread cake. Elrond nodded and shuffled away.
"Don't fret so, love. From what everyone says of King Elessar, he is very brave." Tatsu said encouragingly.
"Mmm." Alasse nodded. "He is. But, Tatsu mellon nin, you did not see what I saw. He must be in deep peril."
"You must have hope." The old nursemaid kissed the princess on the head.
"I'm trying." Alasse sighed. "But it is so hard, when he could be far, far away. We don't know where he is, or if he's dead or alive!"
"What does your heart tell you?" Tatsu asked.
"That he is alive, but indefinitely." Alasse said.
"What would he say, if he was here?"
Alasse smiled a little. "That there is always hope." She answered.
"Then we should hold to it." Tatsu spoke softly. Legolas had heard every word, and he felt a lump in his throat. He hoped the nursemaid was right about this!
"The roads ahead appear clear, my lord." Bellethiel reported to Legolas.
"Very good, Bellethiel." Legolas approved. "Eat, but quickly." He instructed the scouts and Gimli. Alasse ventured over to Legolas's side.
"How do you expect the Great River fares?" She asked him.
"I do not know for certain." He replied. "But we must prepare for a delay, which I pray will not be the case." Alasse could see the anger, determination, and worry in his eyes.
"You're just as worried as I am." She stated.
"Well, I would feel more at ease if he had at least left us a note to where he was going!" Legolas spoke lightly, hoping to not show his dread for his friend's fate.
"Valar willing, if anyone can find him, it's you, Gimli, and Elrond." She said encouragingly.
"And you, sister." Legolas said.
"Oui, now! Leave some for us, ye young rascal!" Gimli scolded Pippin. "We dwarves need a decent meal for all the impossible work men and elves leave us to do."
"But it was getting cold." Pippin whined. "You wouldn't want good food such as this to go bad and rot, now would you, Mr. Gimli?"
"No time for meaningless arguments." Gimli said.
Soon, they were on their way. The roads were muddy from the heavy rains, so they kept to the path but walked alongside it so that their horses wouldn't get stuck in the mud. The day was gray and damp, but thankfully they didn't see signs of any approaching storms. It took four more days to reach the Great River. To their relief, it was not running as high as they'd expected. But, it was still flowing faster than normal. Legolas tested the crossing of it first. He and his steed made it to the other shore, but it had taken longer than he'd wanted. Elrond crossed over next, with Pippin astride against him. Then Alasse and Gimli attempted it, with Tatsu right behind them. Bellethiel and the soldiers from Gondor and the Wood followed in the rear.
Once everyone was safely across and accounted for, Legolas led them off again. "Well, we made it across. That is one obstacle out of our way." He said encouragingly.
"Yes. We must make haste." Elrond declared. He was deeply worried about his human son. He had not had the visions that Alasse did. He tried to shut out the ugly possibilities Aragorn might be in that ran through his mind. He couldn't bear to picture his Estel in any of those situations, but in his heart he knew that at least one of them was true: Aragorn was being held somewhere against his will and being tortured in the process. And for what? Information? His throne? His allies? A dirty deal? Who would do this? And why? Aragorn was a brave soldier. Whoever had taken him had planned this out very carefully to be able to snatch the king of Gondor away in the night! So, there must be a plan behind it. But, what kind of plan? Did Aragorn's kidnappers want a king's ransom? Was that was this was all about, all Aragorn's pain for? Money? Elrond cringed at the thought.
Elrond also worried for the people of Gondor. Surely by now they'd noticed that their beloved king was not around! That had to be unsettling. Had Faramir told them the truth without giving too many details? Or had he made up a story so as not to alarm the citizens? And once Elrond, Legolas, and their party arrived, what would the people think when they saw them? Faramir has been the king's steward for ages. He is wise. He'll look after them, was Elrond's only comfort regarding that predicament.
Legolas, Gimli, and Alasse recognized the mountainous countryside that they and Aragorn had traveled in pursuit of Merry and Pippin during the War of the Ring. To keep everyone's spirits up, Gimli told tales of their pursuit of the Uruk-hai, making it sound exciting and less dramatic. Pippin was thrilled to hear about it again, as was Tatsu. Legolas and Alasse remembered Aragorn's tenacious spirit and his wise leading as they tried to rescue the hobbits. It burned in their chests all the more to find Aragorn, quickly! But...how?
Four days since they'd crossed the river, Bellethiel returned with her scouting party. "Hir nin Legolas! We detected a company of travelers up ahead." She explained.
"Who are they?" Legolas asked.
"A wagon caravan. But the most startling thing about it all, is…they have people: men, woman, even children, mostly men, chained to the wagons!" Bellethiel exclaimed.
"What?!" Legolas, Pippin, Alasse, Gimli, Elrond, and Tatsu gasped.
"They have guard with spears, bows, swords forcing the people on their feet. My eyes did not deceive me, my lord." Bellethiel said flatly. Legolas turned back to his friends.
"Gimli, you, Alasse, Pippin, and Tatsu stay here. If you hear a ruckus, get them to safety and wait for us to follow." Legolas ordered.
"Legolas, let's all just go together." Alasse said.
"No. Elrond, Bellethiel, and I will investigate." Legolas answered. Alasse sighed but relented. Legolas took a fourth of the human and Elven soldiers. He and Elrond followed the captain back up the path.
"They're below that ridge." Bellethiel told him when they'd ridden two miles.
"Dismount. We'll check on foot from here." Legolas commanded. After getting off the horses, they crept up the ridge and peeked over. Sure enough, there was a wagon train calmly journeying toward the East. And sure enough, there were people chained and tethered to the wagons! Men, women, and even young children were bound and forced to walk on their sore feet wherever the wagon drivers were taking them. The children were crying and looked terribly frightened. The women, some of them, cried also while others silently bore the burden. The men appeared angry, and so trapped, like helpless animals. The guards looked as hard as stone and were adequately equipped to handle an ambush.
Suddenly, a small bob of red, curly hair popped up in front of the elves. "Oui. Who is it? Do you know?" Pippin piped up.
"Pippin! I told you to stay behind!" Legolas scolded.
"Hobbits are very curious, Mr. Legolas." Pippin replied.
"Obviously." Elrond grumbled.
"You were right, Bellethiel." Legolas glowered.
Elrond swore icily under his breath. "What is it?" Pippin asked frightfully.
"Slave traders!" Legolas gasped.