Thanks to everybody who reviewed !!!!!!
Ithilien: yes, yes someone will get into trouble… they always do :-)
The Barrow-Wight: you will get to see her, I promise!!!
Jevvica: I finally finished OTRA… so I can post this next chapter
without fearing your wrath :-)))))
Carys: well, I will try to keep you sucked in…. :-)
Arwyn: special thanks to you for all the reviews on all my stories… I
am glad you like them !!!
Regina: yes, you are right Legolas will finally go to the Lonely
Mountain – how he will be welcomed there we will see :-))))
So… up to the next chapter?
Here we go…..
___
Many nights had passed, and it had found enough prey to restore most
of its strength. Its hunger still burned as it always did, but no longer
with the same searing intensity. Looking for prey had taken it further
and further away from its former hiding place, and it needed to find a
new one. A dark place it would prefer, to hide itself from the light and
warmth of the sun. Places that offered protection were not so hard to
find but always the lack of prey forced it to leave again, to keep on
hunting and searching.
This night was different - it could feel the presence of many minds not
far away. Not having encountered so large a group before, it stopped,
surprised, and exited its lair at once. But excitement quickly turned to
disappointment. Elves. These were elves, all of them.
Its mind reached out nevertheless, trying and probing, but it found
itself unable to break the mental barriers of any of them. It withdrew
when it feared its presence would be felt. Had it been more hungry
and desperate, it might have picked out the most vulnerable to try and
shatter the barriers protecting the mind. An elf wandering in his elven
dreams would be less guarded, but still it would be a hard fight to
break in. One it would not dare if it was not truly necessary, no matter
how delectable the intense emotions of an elf would be.
So it slipped away again through the night, leaving the elves behind to
continue its search.
@@@
The day had grown late and darkness had already fallen when Aragorn
finally found time to have his talk with Legolas. Between his wife
expecting their first child and his duties, he hardly found time for
anything at all.
He found his friend in the garden talking to Arwen. Both had smiles on
their faces and were laughing when he joined them. Gimli had left in
the morning, eager to go home. Legolas' wide smile and enthusiasm in
seeing him go had been most unusual, and Arwen was trying hard to
find out the reason for his strange behavior. Until now, Legolas had
managed to withstand her interrogation skills and she was slightly
disappointed when Aragorn's approach gave the elf an opportunity to
escape her.
'Gimli is not here?' Aragorn asked, his eyes searching the garden.
Legolas looked with surprise at his friend. There was hardly a time
when Aragorn missed anything going on around him. But he had to
admit he had never seen him so absorbed in his duties before.
Something seemed to be going on here, apart from Arwen expecting a
child, that occupied the king's attention.
'He left in the morning to return to the Lonely Mountain,' he explained,
not missing the flicker of surprise in the man's eyes.
'I wished he would be here, for this matter might concern him as well.
Alas, that I did not tell him. I am too used to always having both of
you around. It hardly happens that one of you travels alone.'
Legolas chose to ignore the question hidden in this statement and only
looked at him with unfathomable eyes. Accepting that the elf would
not tell him about the dwarf's reasons for leaving so quickly, the man
continued.
'I do not like to disturb you but I have an important matter to discuss
with you, my friend.'
Legolas nodded and followed him as he led the way to his study.
Eomer, the king of Rohan was already waiting for them, a goblet of
wine in his hands and a solemn look in his eyes. A map of Middle Earth
was pinned to one wall and Aragorn stepped in front of it, staring at it
with a dark look in his eyes.
The smile faded from Legolas' face as he took in the somber mood of
his friends. 'It is nothing good you wish to speak of?'
'Nay, it is not,' Aragorn sighed.
The door opened once more and Faramir entered, causing a feeling of
dread to form in the elf's heart. So they had not only gathered to
attend the celebration last night. Greetings were exchanged and finally
Aragorn turned to Legolas once more.
'For two weeks now we have observed disturbing happenings in
Gondor as well as Rohan. Dead bodies have been found, with no mark
or wound on them that would explain their death. But their faces… it is
said that they carry an expression of utter fear and terror, as if in the
moment of death they had seen something terrible. What caused their
deaths can not be told, but one man who has seen them said it looked
to him as if they had died of fear. If this is possible.'
'I have seen one of them with my own eyes,' Faramir said softly. 'I
have never before seen an expression of such fear on a dead man's
face.' He shuddered at the memory.
The elf sat down on a chair, his face paling slightly. 'Does Arwen know
of this?' he asked.
'I talked to her only briefly but she knew of nothing that could aid us
here. I do not know what it may be that caused people to die like this,
for I have never seen or heard of anything like this before. Have you?'
'It may be…' Legolas slowly answered, his eyes far away as if looking
for a memory. 'Old tales tell of creatures of the dark, that came into
existence when the world was still young. They are said to be evil and
ever hungry. They invade the mind and torment it. They feed off the
emotions, the fear and pain they evoke sucking the strength of their
victims until there is nothing left. But they have vanished long ago.'
All three men had listened closely as they found their hope confirmed
of finding an explanation, although this was not exactly a relief upon
hearing Legolas' words.
'Maybe one of them survived, hidden away in the dark. The mountains
of Mordor would offer enough places for a creature like this to hide.
Even orcs know fear and pain, so there would have been plenty to feed
on,' Eomer mused.
The elf nodded, a frown on his face. 'It is not impossible. And as orcs
no longer exist to fulfill its needs, it left its hiding place to hunt for
prey to still its hunger. It could be,' the elf admitted.
'The first dead body was found in Southern Ithilien, close to Mordor.'
Aragorn pointed at a mark on the map. Legolas stepped up next to
him. He could see other marks there as well, and he paled further.
'It left a trail,' he stated. 'Along the borders of Mordor, through Ithilien
and further.'
'Aye. And its speed increases the more victims it finds,' Eomer added.
Legolas' fingers followed the direction the marks on the map took. His
fingers came to rest and he whispered, 'Greenwood. If it continues, its
way it will lead it to my fathers realm.'
His hand fell away again and he shook his head. 'We cannot say what
it is that caused these deaths. It might be the creature I told you
about, but it may be something completely different as well.'
'I know this, my friend. But for two weeks now we have found no other
explanation. Gandalf is on his way here and I will talk to him about it,'
Aragorn spoke. 'But I felt the need to warn you, for with the speed it
travels it might have already reached Greenwood.'
'I do not know much of this creature, but I remember that it prefers to
attack during sleep. Mortals are much more vulnerable for they have
no control over their minds in sleep. Elves are better guarded, for we
do not lose control over our dreams so easily. '
'So you do not think it will pose a danger to your people?' Faramir
asked, his eyes studying the calm face of the elf.
Sudden distress appeared on Legolas' features and his eyes returned
to the map in sudden realization.
'The Lonely Mountain. It will not turn on the elves but on the dwarves,
for they are easy victims and they dwell in the darkness this creature
prefers,' he cried.
'I fear you are right,' Aragorn answered, his voice heavy with worry.
'They need to be warned. If only Gimli had not left he could have
taken this bad news to his comrades. I will send a messenger.'
'There is no need for that,' Legolas' voice interrupted him. 'For I will go
there myself. I will be able to travel much quicker than any man could,
and am in less danger of falling prey to this creature should it cross
my way.'
There was no real argument against the elf's words, although Aragorn
would not have wished for his friend to face such danger.
'Can it be destroyed?' Eomer asked.
Silence fell while Legolas thought, the perfect memory of the elves
aiding him in recalling even the tales told to him long ago.
'It does not like the light of the sun but it will not die of it,' he
remembered. 'Weapons might kill it, but I am not sure. But fire as I
recall is able to destroy it fully.'
He shrugged and added, 'But if this is true, I do not know. What I
remember are tales told to me long ago when I was still quite young.'
A smile crossed Aragorn's face at that, for looking at the elf who
appeared even younger than himself, it was hard to imagine how long
ago this had truly been. The expression of wonder on Faramir's and
Eomer's faces told him they had no idea how old their friend really
was.
'I hope that Gandalf might know more about this,' the king of Gondor
finally said. 'If it is indeed the creature you told us about, we will need
to find a way to protect us against it ere we can try to destroy it.'
'The best protection surely is not to sleep,' the elf dryly retorted. 'If
awake and warned, you might be able to fight it off.'
Silence fell over them as they pondered what they had come to know.
Finally Legolas addressed Aragorn.
'I will leave immediately. The dwarves need to be warned as soon as
possible, for I doubt they would recognize it for what it is should the
creature start to attack them.'
'Whatever you need for your travel shall be given to you. I wish I
could come with you but I need to met Gandalf ere I can leave here.'
'I do not doubt your skills, my friend, but even you would slow me
down,' the elf smiled.
Knowing this to be true, Aragorn only smiled back at him. 'Farewell
then, Legolas. We will follow you as soon as we can to aid the dwarves
in this, should it be needed.'
Bowing to his friends, Legolas left, intent on getting on his way as
quickly as possible for fear filled his heart. Gimli was out there alone,
and in danger of coming across a foe he did not know about.
Ithilien: yes, yes someone will get into trouble… they always do :-)
The Barrow-Wight: you will get to see her, I promise!!!
Jevvica: I finally finished OTRA… so I can post this next chapter
without fearing your wrath :-)))))
Carys: well, I will try to keep you sucked in…. :-)
Arwyn: special thanks to you for all the reviews on all my stories… I
am glad you like them !!!
Regina: yes, you are right Legolas will finally go to the Lonely
Mountain – how he will be welcomed there we will see :-))))
So… up to the next chapter?
Here we go…..
___
Many nights had passed, and it had found enough prey to restore most
of its strength. Its hunger still burned as it always did, but no longer
with the same searing intensity. Looking for prey had taken it further
and further away from its former hiding place, and it needed to find a
new one. A dark place it would prefer, to hide itself from the light and
warmth of the sun. Places that offered protection were not so hard to
find but always the lack of prey forced it to leave again, to keep on
hunting and searching.
This night was different - it could feel the presence of many minds not
far away. Not having encountered so large a group before, it stopped,
surprised, and exited its lair at once. But excitement quickly turned to
disappointment. Elves. These were elves, all of them.
Its mind reached out nevertheless, trying and probing, but it found
itself unable to break the mental barriers of any of them. It withdrew
when it feared its presence would be felt. Had it been more hungry
and desperate, it might have picked out the most vulnerable to try and
shatter the barriers protecting the mind. An elf wandering in his elven
dreams would be less guarded, but still it would be a hard fight to
break in. One it would not dare if it was not truly necessary, no matter
how delectable the intense emotions of an elf would be.
So it slipped away again through the night, leaving the elves behind to
continue its search.
@@@
The day had grown late and darkness had already fallen when Aragorn
finally found time to have his talk with Legolas. Between his wife
expecting their first child and his duties, he hardly found time for
anything at all.
He found his friend in the garden talking to Arwen. Both had smiles on
their faces and were laughing when he joined them. Gimli had left in
the morning, eager to go home. Legolas' wide smile and enthusiasm in
seeing him go had been most unusual, and Arwen was trying hard to
find out the reason for his strange behavior. Until now, Legolas had
managed to withstand her interrogation skills and she was slightly
disappointed when Aragorn's approach gave the elf an opportunity to
escape her.
'Gimli is not here?' Aragorn asked, his eyes searching the garden.
Legolas looked with surprise at his friend. There was hardly a time
when Aragorn missed anything going on around him. But he had to
admit he had never seen him so absorbed in his duties before.
Something seemed to be going on here, apart from Arwen expecting a
child, that occupied the king's attention.
'He left in the morning to return to the Lonely Mountain,' he explained,
not missing the flicker of surprise in the man's eyes.
'I wished he would be here, for this matter might concern him as well.
Alas, that I did not tell him. I am too used to always having both of
you around. It hardly happens that one of you travels alone.'
Legolas chose to ignore the question hidden in this statement and only
looked at him with unfathomable eyes. Accepting that the elf would
not tell him about the dwarf's reasons for leaving so quickly, the man
continued.
'I do not like to disturb you but I have an important matter to discuss
with you, my friend.'
Legolas nodded and followed him as he led the way to his study.
Eomer, the king of Rohan was already waiting for them, a goblet of
wine in his hands and a solemn look in his eyes. A map of Middle Earth
was pinned to one wall and Aragorn stepped in front of it, staring at it
with a dark look in his eyes.
The smile faded from Legolas' face as he took in the somber mood of
his friends. 'It is nothing good you wish to speak of?'
'Nay, it is not,' Aragorn sighed.
The door opened once more and Faramir entered, causing a feeling of
dread to form in the elf's heart. So they had not only gathered to
attend the celebration last night. Greetings were exchanged and finally
Aragorn turned to Legolas once more.
'For two weeks now we have observed disturbing happenings in
Gondor as well as Rohan. Dead bodies have been found, with no mark
or wound on them that would explain their death. But their faces… it is
said that they carry an expression of utter fear and terror, as if in the
moment of death they had seen something terrible. What caused their
deaths can not be told, but one man who has seen them said it looked
to him as if they had died of fear. If this is possible.'
'I have seen one of them with my own eyes,' Faramir said softly. 'I
have never before seen an expression of such fear on a dead man's
face.' He shuddered at the memory.
The elf sat down on a chair, his face paling slightly. 'Does Arwen know
of this?' he asked.
'I talked to her only briefly but she knew of nothing that could aid us
here. I do not know what it may be that caused people to die like this,
for I have never seen or heard of anything like this before. Have you?'
'It may be…' Legolas slowly answered, his eyes far away as if looking
for a memory. 'Old tales tell of creatures of the dark, that came into
existence when the world was still young. They are said to be evil and
ever hungry. They invade the mind and torment it. They feed off the
emotions, the fear and pain they evoke sucking the strength of their
victims until there is nothing left. But they have vanished long ago.'
All three men had listened closely as they found their hope confirmed
of finding an explanation, although this was not exactly a relief upon
hearing Legolas' words.
'Maybe one of them survived, hidden away in the dark. The mountains
of Mordor would offer enough places for a creature like this to hide.
Even orcs know fear and pain, so there would have been plenty to feed
on,' Eomer mused.
The elf nodded, a frown on his face. 'It is not impossible. And as orcs
no longer exist to fulfill its needs, it left its hiding place to hunt for
prey to still its hunger. It could be,' the elf admitted.
'The first dead body was found in Southern Ithilien, close to Mordor.'
Aragorn pointed at a mark on the map. Legolas stepped up next to
him. He could see other marks there as well, and he paled further.
'It left a trail,' he stated. 'Along the borders of Mordor, through Ithilien
and further.'
'Aye. And its speed increases the more victims it finds,' Eomer added.
Legolas' fingers followed the direction the marks on the map took. His
fingers came to rest and he whispered, 'Greenwood. If it continues, its
way it will lead it to my fathers realm.'
His hand fell away again and he shook his head. 'We cannot say what
it is that caused these deaths. It might be the creature I told you
about, but it may be something completely different as well.'
'I know this, my friend. But for two weeks now we have found no other
explanation. Gandalf is on his way here and I will talk to him about it,'
Aragorn spoke. 'But I felt the need to warn you, for with the speed it
travels it might have already reached Greenwood.'
'I do not know much of this creature, but I remember that it prefers to
attack during sleep. Mortals are much more vulnerable for they have
no control over their minds in sleep. Elves are better guarded, for we
do not lose control over our dreams so easily. '
'So you do not think it will pose a danger to your people?' Faramir
asked, his eyes studying the calm face of the elf.
Sudden distress appeared on Legolas' features and his eyes returned
to the map in sudden realization.
'The Lonely Mountain. It will not turn on the elves but on the dwarves,
for they are easy victims and they dwell in the darkness this creature
prefers,' he cried.
'I fear you are right,' Aragorn answered, his voice heavy with worry.
'They need to be warned. If only Gimli had not left he could have
taken this bad news to his comrades. I will send a messenger.'
'There is no need for that,' Legolas' voice interrupted him. 'For I will go
there myself. I will be able to travel much quicker than any man could,
and am in less danger of falling prey to this creature should it cross
my way.'
There was no real argument against the elf's words, although Aragorn
would not have wished for his friend to face such danger.
'Can it be destroyed?' Eomer asked.
Silence fell while Legolas thought, the perfect memory of the elves
aiding him in recalling even the tales told to him long ago.
'It does not like the light of the sun but it will not die of it,' he
remembered. 'Weapons might kill it, but I am not sure. But fire as I
recall is able to destroy it fully.'
He shrugged and added, 'But if this is true, I do not know. What I
remember are tales told to me long ago when I was still quite young.'
A smile crossed Aragorn's face at that, for looking at the elf who
appeared even younger than himself, it was hard to imagine how long
ago this had truly been. The expression of wonder on Faramir's and
Eomer's faces told him they had no idea how old their friend really
was.
'I hope that Gandalf might know more about this,' the king of Gondor
finally said. 'If it is indeed the creature you told us about, we will need
to find a way to protect us against it ere we can try to destroy it.'
'The best protection surely is not to sleep,' the elf dryly retorted. 'If
awake and warned, you might be able to fight it off.'
Silence fell over them as they pondered what they had come to know.
Finally Legolas addressed Aragorn.
'I will leave immediately. The dwarves need to be warned as soon as
possible, for I doubt they would recognize it for what it is should the
creature start to attack them.'
'Whatever you need for your travel shall be given to you. I wish I
could come with you but I need to met Gandalf ere I can leave here.'
'I do not doubt your skills, my friend, but even you would slow me
down,' the elf smiled.
Knowing this to be true, Aragorn only smiled back at him. 'Farewell
then, Legolas. We will follow you as soon as we can to aid the dwarves
in this, should it be needed.'
Bowing to his friends, Legolas left, intent on getting on his way as
quickly as possible for fear filled his heart. Gimli was out there alone,
and in danger of coming across a foe he did not know about.