Chapter 15
At last Voronda turned back and cautioned the dwarves to silence.
Helena didn't need to be told twice. Quietly Voronda took Legolas's hand
and moved the final twenty feet and vanished into the cave.
Gimli turned toward Helena and held out his hand. She didn't move. He motioned for her to come but all she could do was stare straight ahead at the cave. Gimli grabbed her ice-cold hand and gently moved her face toward his, forcing her to meet his gaze, "I'll protect you Tarin, we must go." She gazed at him blankly for a moment before a faint smile reached her lips, slowly Helena began to move forward, clutching Gimli's hand as she thought, protect me? From bees with an axe? Well, at least the thought is there.
The noise was worse than before. To Gimli it seemed that the bees were angrier and so much more active. He firmly grasped Helena's hand and his axe and continued his firm, steady tread through the cave. To Helena it seemed like the bees were enraged and ready to kill her at any moment. She squeezed her eyes shut, I'm going to die here, I didn't want to die here . . . like this Gimli moved almost blindly through the cave. Both kept moving forward, Gimli's sharp eyes finally spotted the morning light filtering out of the exit and his step quickened. Helena squeezed here eyes even tighter if it were possible, we're going to die . . . all of us . . . in this cave . . . Tears were running down her face. Suddenly the buzzing stopped. Feeling the sun on her face Helena opened her eyes. Legolas had kneeled down before her and was gently shaking her, looking slightly worried. Helena moved away from him and quickly and wiped her face dry, embarrassed to have shown herself as a terrified little girl.
When she had calmed herself down a few minutes later she walked back to her group. The entire group was speaking in very rapid elvish. Legolas looked very excited and he seemed to be asking things from Voronda, who appeared reluctant to answer and a bit sad. Gimli mainly watched, adding his own commentary every now and then, he seemed to be troubled but resolute. Feeling not a little left out Helena cleared her throat and announced her presence. Gimli and Legolas jumped back looking guiltily at their feet. Helena directed a questioning look at Voronda, "What's going on?" Voronda looked at her feet also, "maybe we should be going . . . " "No. . Gimli what were you saying?" Like hell I'll be moved now Gimli met her eyes, there was a deep sadness in them, he remained silent. Feeling very lost she turned in desperation to the last member of the party, "Legolas?" she whispered. Legolas met her gaze and whispered, "we think we may have found a way for you to go home."
"WHAT??????" she ran at Legolas and stopped only a few inches from his face, "HOW????" Legolas grasped her by the shoulders to try and calm her down, also to move her backwards a bit. "Calm yourself Tarin, we only said might. But Voronda has told us that Elrond has recently succeeded in communicating with the Valor."
Legolas glanced at Gimli where he stood behind Helena. He was staring intently at her from his vantagepoint. Legolas looked back to this once- upon-a-time human, now dwarf, her eyes clouded with confusion but a glimmer of hope within their depths. Legolas stared at her evenly, "With Lord Elrond's help the Valor could be contacted . . . and you could go home, do you want to go home Tarin?" Helena's eyes lit up and her face broke into a huge smile as she exclaimed, "of course I want to go home! How far is Rivendell from here? Let's go!" She grabbed his hand to set him in motion. Voronda stopped Helena with her hand, "Tarin, Gimli goes to his father's house in the Iron Hills, he isn't going to Rivendell like we are." Tarin barely heard her, her mind rushing with the idea of finally going home, "Yeah yeah, let's go!" With that Helena ran ahead, with a look of regret Voronda followed her. Legolas whispered, "farewell mellonamin," to his friend and followed after his wife and looked back only once. Gimli stood watching the small group leave, his feet were set apart and one hand rested on his ax and the other lay at his side, his eyes were moist but he didn't allow a single tear to fall. Legolas turned back to look at Helena, his heart filled with anger. She had never looked back she didn't see Gimli.
As soon as they were out of sight Gimli turned to go. The day had turned gloomy and his footsteps were heavy. One tear escaped his eye, one . . . and then he swallowed his grief and moved on towards the Iron Hills.
Gimli turned toward Helena and held out his hand. She didn't move. He motioned for her to come but all she could do was stare straight ahead at the cave. Gimli grabbed her ice-cold hand and gently moved her face toward his, forcing her to meet his gaze, "I'll protect you Tarin, we must go." She gazed at him blankly for a moment before a faint smile reached her lips, slowly Helena began to move forward, clutching Gimli's hand as she thought, protect me? From bees with an axe? Well, at least the thought is there.
The noise was worse than before. To Gimli it seemed that the bees were angrier and so much more active. He firmly grasped Helena's hand and his axe and continued his firm, steady tread through the cave. To Helena it seemed like the bees were enraged and ready to kill her at any moment. She squeezed her eyes shut, I'm going to die here, I didn't want to die here . . . like this Gimli moved almost blindly through the cave. Both kept moving forward, Gimli's sharp eyes finally spotted the morning light filtering out of the exit and his step quickened. Helena squeezed here eyes even tighter if it were possible, we're going to die . . . all of us . . . in this cave . . . Tears were running down her face. Suddenly the buzzing stopped. Feeling the sun on her face Helena opened her eyes. Legolas had kneeled down before her and was gently shaking her, looking slightly worried. Helena moved away from him and quickly and wiped her face dry, embarrassed to have shown herself as a terrified little girl.
When she had calmed herself down a few minutes later she walked back to her group. The entire group was speaking in very rapid elvish. Legolas looked very excited and he seemed to be asking things from Voronda, who appeared reluctant to answer and a bit sad. Gimli mainly watched, adding his own commentary every now and then, he seemed to be troubled but resolute. Feeling not a little left out Helena cleared her throat and announced her presence. Gimli and Legolas jumped back looking guiltily at their feet. Helena directed a questioning look at Voronda, "What's going on?" Voronda looked at her feet also, "maybe we should be going . . . " "No. . Gimli what were you saying?" Like hell I'll be moved now Gimli met her eyes, there was a deep sadness in them, he remained silent. Feeling very lost she turned in desperation to the last member of the party, "Legolas?" she whispered. Legolas met her gaze and whispered, "we think we may have found a way for you to go home."
"WHAT??????" she ran at Legolas and stopped only a few inches from his face, "HOW????" Legolas grasped her by the shoulders to try and calm her down, also to move her backwards a bit. "Calm yourself Tarin, we only said might. But Voronda has told us that Elrond has recently succeeded in communicating with the Valor."
Legolas glanced at Gimli where he stood behind Helena. He was staring intently at her from his vantagepoint. Legolas looked back to this once- upon-a-time human, now dwarf, her eyes clouded with confusion but a glimmer of hope within their depths. Legolas stared at her evenly, "With Lord Elrond's help the Valor could be contacted . . . and you could go home, do you want to go home Tarin?" Helena's eyes lit up and her face broke into a huge smile as she exclaimed, "of course I want to go home! How far is Rivendell from here? Let's go!" She grabbed his hand to set him in motion. Voronda stopped Helena with her hand, "Tarin, Gimli goes to his father's house in the Iron Hills, he isn't going to Rivendell like we are." Tarin barely heard her, her mind rushing with the idea of finally going home, "Yeah yeah, let's go!" With that Helena ran ahead, with a look of regret Voronda followed her. Legolas whispered, "farewell mellonamin," to his friend and followed after his wife and looked back only once. Gimli stood watching the small group leave, his feet were set apart and one hand rested on his ax and the other lay at his side, his eyes were moist but he didn't allow a single tear to fall. Legolas turned back to look at Helena, his heart filled with anger. She had never looked back she didn't see Gimli.
As soon as they were out of sight Gimli turned to go. The day had turned gloomy and his footsteps were heavy. One tear escaped his eye, one . . . and then he swallowed his grief and moved on towards the Iron Hills.