Chapter 8
Aragorn dropped his sword and ran in after Legolas's. He grabbed it on the way, the screams and hollers of the group behind him were now turning to him. Legolas was behind pulled out to the sea of mud and water. Aragorn could see him fighting, wrestling against the powerful tentacles.
Legolas screamed just once, when more tentacles wrapped themselves around him. He was now kicking and screaming. Aragorn was waist-deep in the bog when he was at the nearest tentacle. He took Legolas's sword and sliced the tentacle in half. A pinkish liquid sprayed at him, but he was in a too urgent mood to care.
Aragorn had sliced off to tentacles, releasing Legolas halfway. Legolas began to slip through the grasp. Aragorn sliced another, letting Legolas fall into the marsh. He landed going into a more watery part of the bog. He was under for a moment, but reemerged. He was dripping with greenish water and plants clung to his blonde hair. Aragorn stopped attacking. Legolas kept still. Silence stood in the swamp.
The swamp stopped moving in splashes and ripples as the tentacles shrunk into the waters. Legolas sighed in relief. Aragorn motioned for him to head to the bank.
Five minutes later, Legolas was hugging his wife, reunited a second time. Andréa was crying as she jumped into her father's lap. Legolas smiled as he held her.
"Hush, Andréa." he said. "It's all right, we're all here now, it's all right." Andréa continued to sob. Eventually Legolas let her go, and she stopped. Frodo was breathing hard, and Sam was also crying.
"Oh, Legolas, sir!" he sobbed. "I thought we lost you." Legolas smiled at him and turned to Aragorn. He was speckled in pink and black, mud and blood.
"Thank you, brother." he said. Aragorn smiled at him.
"You're welcome, brother." They smiled and hugged each other.
***
Mordor. Smoke rose from the foundation of mountains, and small tremors shook the ground. There were ruined buildings that had collapsed over their defeat. Aragorn and Legolas lead the way across the Plateau of Gorgoroth. Their weapons were out, ready to fight at any attack. There were few buildings that even left remains, but there was a tall tower that seemed rather sturdy. Aragorn picked up a rock and threw it at the base. Nothing happened. He stepped closer and pressed against it.
"It's safe." he determined. He turned to the group. "You can sleep in here if you want." he nodded to Mt. Doom. "Unless you want to get hit by that." Joanila carried Andréa to the entrance. She went inside, followed by the two hobbits, Aragorn, and Legolas.
"There's a place to sleep in here as well." she said, setting Andréa down in a pile of cotton drapes. The room on the bottom floor was very large. A staircase that was definitely unsteady was in the middle of the floor, near a fire place. There was a crack in the floor across the front of the door. Legolas bent near it.
"You can't sleep here." he said, rubbing his finger along the crack.
"Why not?" asked Sam.
"Fire or lava could pop out of the crack any minute." A tremor determined the fact. The crack grew slightly wider. "Grab those drapes and anything that could be used for shelter.
The group quickly scavenged drapes, pots, chairs, and a bucket. That was all that seemed useful in the room. Legolas took the group out, just as steam began to rise out of the crack.
"Maybe you should camp near the Sea of Nûrnen." suggested Aragorn. Joanila seemed to be okay with that plan.
"There may be some vegetation there, and we could cleanse-boil the water." she explained. Legolas agreed.
"Yes, that could very well be safe."
The group walked for the rest of the day towards the Sea of Nûrnen. When they got there, the water was steaming, but there were plenty of trees where they could set up camp. And there was, to their luck, a bush of Fur Berries. Sam and Andréa picked some and placed them into the bucket while Frodo, Legolas and Aragorn out the drapes over the branch of a tree for shelter. Joanila was making a fire.
Everyone was soon done their jobs, but Joanila. Legolas went to help her. They knelt with their hands together over a pile of wood.
"That's not how you start a fire." complained Frodo. The two elves continued to stare at the pile of wood. Soon there was a spark, then a small flame. Legolas and Joanila started to work on getting it bigger.
When dark fell, shelter was made, food was available, and a large fire was burning. The collected driftwood from the water's edge and used it to feed the fire. Legolas was explained to Joanila what they would do the next day.
"Legolas, you should wait until I get the right herbs to heal your wound!" complained Joanila.
"We have to leave as soon as possible." said Legolas. Joanila sighed.
"I'm gonna go find the herbs." she said. She picked up a piece of driftwood and lit the end.
"Mrs. Greenleaf," Frodo stood. "You wouldn't mind if I accompanied you, would you?"
"Of course not, Frodo." she smiled at his urge to go with her. He smiled anxiously and hurried with her to the north of the sea. Legolas smiled after them. Frodo was such a kind young hobbit.
"In the morning?" asked Aragorn.
"Yes." said Legolas. "We leave for the Vistan Lands of Borg in the morning."
Aragorn dropped his sword and ran in after Legolas's. He grabbed it on the way, the screams and hollers of the group behind him were now turning to him. Legolas was behind pulled out to the sea of mud and water. Aragorn could see him fighting, wrestling against the powerful tentacles.
Legolas screamed just once, when more tentacles wrapped themselves around him. He was now kicking and screaming. Aragorn was waist-deep in the bog when he was at the nearest tentacle. He took Legolas's sword and sliced the tentacle in half. A pinkish liquid sprayed at him, but he was in a too urgent mood to care.
Aragorn had sliced off to tentacles, releasing Legolas halfway. Legolas began to slip through the grasp. Aragorn sliced another, letting Legolas fall into the marsh. He landed going into a more watery part of the bog. He was under for a moment, but reemerged. He was dripping with greenish water and plants clung to his blonde hair. Aragorn stopped attacking. Legolas kept still. Silence stood in the swamp.
The swamp stopped moving in splashes and ripples as the tentacles shrunk into the waters. Legolas sighed in relief. Aragorn motioned for him to head to the bank.
Five minutes later, Legolas was hugging his wife, reunited a second time. Andréa was crying as she jumped into her father's lap. Legolas smiled as he held her.
"Hush, Andréa." he said. "It's all right, we're all here now, it's all right." Andréa continued to sob. Eventually Legolas let her go, and she stopped. Frodo was breathing hard, and Sam was also crying.
"Oh, Legolas, sir!" he sobbed. "I thought we lost you." Legolas smiled at him and turned to Aragorn. He was speckled in pink and black, mud and blood.
"Thank you, brother." he said. Aragorn smiled at him.
"You're welcome, brother." They smiled and hugged each other.
***
Mordor. Smoke rose from the foundation of mountains, and small tremors shook the ground. There were ruined buildings that had collapsed over their defeat. Aragorn and Legolas lead the way across the Plateau of Gorgoroth. Their weapons were out, ready to fight at any attack. There were few buildings that even left remains, but there was a tall tower that seemed rather sturdy. Aragorn picked up a rock and threw it at the base. Nothing happened. He stepped closer and pressed against it.
"It's safe." he determined. He turned to the group. "You can sleep in here if you want." he nodded to Mt. Doom. "Unless you want to get hit by that." Joanila carried Andréa to the entrance. She went inside, followed by the two hobbits, Aragorn, and Legolas.
"There's a place to sleep in here as well." she said, setting Andréa down in a pile of cotton drapes. The room on the bottom floor was very large. A staircase that was definitely unsteady was in the middle of the floor, near a fire place. There was a crack in the floor across the front of the door. Legolas bent near it.
"You can't sleep here." he said, rubbing his finger along the crack.
"Why not?" asked Sam.
"Fire or lava could pop out of the crack any minute." A tremor determined the fact. The crack grew slightly wider. "Grab those drapes and anything that could be used for shelter.
The group quickly scavenged drapes, pots, chairs, and a bucket. That was all that seemed useful in the room. Legolas took the group out, just as steam began to rise out of the crack.
"Maybe you should camp near the Sea of Nûrnen." suggested Aragorn. Joanila seemed to be okay with that plan.
"There may be some vegetation there, and we could cleanse-boil the water." she explained. Legolas agreed.
"Yes, that could very well be safe."
The group walked for the rest of the day towards the Sea of Nûrnen. When they got there, the water was steaming, but there were plenty of trees where they could set up camp. And there was, to their luck, a bush of Fur Berries. Sam and Andréa picked some and placed them into the bucket while Frodo, Legolas and Aragorn out the drapes over the branch of a tree for shelter. Joanila was making a fire.
Everyone was soon done their jobs, but Joanila. Legolas went to help her. They knelt with their hands together over a pile of wood.
"That's not how you start a fire." complained Frodo. The two elves continued to stare at the pile of wood. Soon there was a spark, then a small flame. Legolas and Joanila started to work on getting it bigger.
When dark fell, shelter was made, food was available, and a large fire was burning. The collected driftwood from the water's edge and used it to feed the fire. Legolas was explained to Joanila what they would do the next day.
"Legolas, you should wait until I get the right herbs to heal your wound!" complained Joanila.
"We have to leave as soon as possible." said Legolas. Joanila sighed.
"I'm gonna go find the herbs." she said. She picked up a piece of driftwood and lit the end.
"Mrs. Greenleaf," Frodo stood. "You wouldn't mind if I accompanied you, would you?"
"Of course not, Frodo." she smiled at his urge to go with her. He smiled anxiously and hurried with her to the north of the sea. Legolas smiled after them. Frodo was such a kind young hobbit.
"In the morning?" asked Aragorn.
"Yes." said Legolas. "We leave for the Vistan Lands of Borg in the morning."