Disclaimer: AU Story. Why don't I own Lord of the Rings? *sigh* Well, until
maybe the Tolkien family takes pity on me, I do not own any of the
characters or places mentioned in this story. Please don't sue me! I know I
am cruel to them but I swear I will try to save them. Hope you enjoy!
ARG! No, the evil 13. WARNING: Chapter may be jinxed with bad luck. :-( Damn my superstitions! But HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!
~ Chapter Thirteen ~
The light spilled about them and rocks fell away. Merry grabbed at Legolas' and clung on tight. Legolas grabbed Pippin to stop him going higher. The light became almost unbearable and they had to close their eyes against the white blaze. It flowed about them, engulfing them and tearing apart the walls of the tunnel.
"Climb higher, friends!" someone called.
"It's Gandalf!" Pippin cried excitedly, "Merry, Legolas- it's Gandalf!"
"Be quiet and get climbing," Legolas shouted but he was not angry. He was overjoyed! Relief flooded through him. They had found them all at long last. He squinted up and through the dust and debris, he could see the wizard standing tall on the shelf, his staff pointing downwards, penetrating the darkness with its brilliance.
The three of them were helped up by willing hands. They collapsed, exhausted from their mad chase to the mithril room. Frodo was carefully lifted from Legolas' back and helped up the shaft above. Aragorn and Boromir were there, lifting the hobbits after him. They guided Legolas to his feet.
"Are you hurt?" asked the ranger.
"No, no, I am alright. But Frodo- Frodo, he-"
"We have you back and you are all safe now. Do not worry, friend," said Boromir. The two of them assisted him up into the chamber above and there they sat for a while, catching their breath. Gandalf arrived soon after. He looked very weary and sat himself down on a rock and closed his eyes. He remained that way for some time.
"The orcs. What about them?" Legolas persisted. Gimli held up a hand.
"Calm yourself, friend. It took us much time to find you but when we did, we knew what we should do." He glanced at Gandalf worriedly and lowered his voice. "Gandalf has expended much of his power for this. All those orcs are dead. The chamber no longer exists."
"But, Gimli," Legolas said, "That chamber was filled with mithril."
He expected the dwarf's face to fall but it did not.
"Yes. I know. But that is an easy sacrifice to make for friends. I am an old dwarf. What uses would I have for it?"
He turned away and moved off to where Merry and Pippin were resting by the wall. Now Aragorn came across. He was bearing a long coil of bandages.
"Your foot," he said. Legolas looked surprised and he glanced down at his toes. He laughed.
"It looks like it has been to the worlds end and back again!"
"It has been into the depths of the earth, which is far enough if you ask me. After Merry and Pippin had gone after you, well, we could no longer sit and wait for news. Far too long," Aragorn muttered again. He knelt down and wound the bandages round the wounded foot then pinned it shut. Then he got up to sit down beside his companion. "Legolas," he said, "I know Gandalf would not approve of my asking you but- I need to know what happened down there. What happened to Frodo?"
"Is Frodo alright?" Legolas interrupted.
Aragorn let his head fall to his knees.
"From what I've seen- he has been poisoned-"
"Poisoned! But how on-"
"Let me finish, Legolas. There is not much I can do. I do not know what yet it is. I could be wrong and it might just be an ordinary fever. I need to find out what he has. So, you can help but telling me what happened in the mines."
The elf took in a deep breath and began in grudging tones.
"When I fell through the tunnel, I was separated from Frodo. I think he fell with me and was sent off down another passageway. But I heard his voice and so I set off in search for him. I was at the junction when I received your message. I made my way down to the chamber below where Frodo had been and I followed him up a long set of levels, broken of by staircases and stone shafts. I heard him again and we met. I swear, Aragorn, he was fine when I was there. He was a touch bruised and wounded but so was I from the fall. And he was terrified. Pure terror. And he told me that I must go and- and that I had to take this."
Legolas undid the clasp on the chain and held forth the Ring. Aragorn looked up at him and then at the Ring. He eyes flicked from one to the other, disbelieving. But he collected his thoughts and told his friend to continue.
"I had to go. I was so afraid for him that I did run." Legolas shook his head as if playing out the whole scene for himself again and was astounded at what he had done. "Oh, I was such a coward. And I only realised that when I reached the next level so I turned back and- but- he was gone. Just like that. And then I heard voices. Orc voices. They had taken Frodo. They must have met him coming the other way. I followed them to a door leading into another corridor. I managed to get a sword off a guard and I used that to make one of the orcs take me to where they were keeping Frodo. There was an old dwarf with him and Frodo was on the floor- looking as if he were asleep. I managed to get him away and back to the corridor outside and we started running down. But I could see Frodo was ill but he refused to tell me. Then he just collapsed and began throwing up. He fell unconscious after that. I met Merry and Pippin making their way up and we all had to run from the orcs pursuing us. And then, well, you found us."
Aragorn was looking hard at Legolas. His eyes were hard and stern. Then he put his hands on his thighs and pushed upwards.
"Rest," he said, his back turned, "You will need your strength."
"What will you be doing? I mean, you have worked hard too today," Legolas replied.
"I will try and heal Frodo."
ARG! No, the evil 13. WARNING: Chapter may be jinxed with bad luck. :-( Damn my superstitions! But HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!
~ Chapter Thirteen ~
The light spilled about them and rocks fell away. Merry grabbed at Legolas' and clung on tight. Legolas grabbed Pippin to stop him going higher. The light became almost unbearable and they had to close their eyes against the white blaze. It flowed about them, engulfing them and tearing apart the walls of the tunnel.
"Climb higher, friends!" someone called.
"It's Gandalf!" Pippin cried excitedly, "Merry, Legolas- it's Gandalf!"
"Be quiet and get climbing," Legolas shouted but he was not angry. He was overjoyed! Relief flooded through him. They had found them all at long last. He squinted up and through the dust and debris, he could see the wizard standing tall on the shelf, his staff pointing downwards, penetrating the darkness with its brilliance.
The three of them were helped up by willing hands. They collapsed, exhausted from their mad chase to the mithril room. Frodo was carefully lifted from Legolas' back and helped up the shaft above. Aragorn and Boromir were there, lifting the hobbits after him. They guided Legolas to his feet.
"Are you hurt?" asked the ranger.
"No, no, I am alright. But Frodo- Frodo, he-"
"We have you back and you are all safe now. Do not worry, friend," said Boromir. The two of them assisted him up into the chamber above and there they sat for a while, catching their breath. Gandalf arrived soon after. He looked very weary and sat himself down on a rock and closed his eyes. He remained that way for some time.
"The orcs. What about them?" Legolas persisted. Gimli held up a hand.
"Calm yourself, friend. It took us much time to find you but when we did, we knew what we should do." He glanced at Gandalf worriedly and lowered his voice. "Gandalf has expended much of his power for this. All those orcs are dead. The chamber no longer exists."
"But, Gimli," Legolas said, "That chamber was filled with mithril."
He expected the dwarf's face to fall but it did not.
"Yes. I know. But that is an easy sacrifice to make for friends. I am an old dwarf. What uses would I have for it?"
He turned away and moved off to where Merry and Pippin were resting by the wall. Now Aragorn came across. He was bearing a long coil of bandages.
"Your foot," he said. Legolas looked surprised and he glanced down at his toes. He laughed.
"It looks like it has been to the worlds end and back again!"
"It has been into the depths of the earth, which is far enough if you ask me. After Merry and Pippin had gone after you, well, we could no longer sit and wait for news. Far too long," Aragorn muttered again. He knelt down and wound the bandages round the wounded foot then pinned it shut. Then he got up to sit down beside his companion. "Legolas," he said, "I know Gandalf would not approve of my asking you but- I need to know what happened down there. What happened to Frodo?"
"Is Frodo alright?" Legolas interrupted.
Aragorn let his head fall to his knees.
"From what I've seen- he has been poisoned-"
"Poisoned! But how on-"
"Let me finish, Legolas. There is not much I can do. I do not know what yet it is. I could be wrong and it might just be an ordinary fever. I need to find out what he has. So, you can help but telling me what happened in the mines."
The elf took in a deep breath and began in grudging tones.
"When I fell through the tunnel, I was separated from Frodo. I think he fell with me and was sent off down another passageway. But I heard his voice and so I set off in search for him. I was at the junction when I received your message. I made my way down to the chamber below where Frodo had been and I followed him up a long set of levels, broken of by staircases and stone shafts. I heard him again and we met. I swear, Aragorn, he was fine when I was there. He was a touch bruised and wounded but so was I from the fall. And he was terrified. Pure terror. And he told me that I must go and- and that I had to take this."
Legolas undid the clasp on the chain and held forth the Ring. Aragorn looked up at him and then at the Ring. He eyes flicked from one to the other, disbelieving. But he collected his thoughts and told his friend to continue.
"I had to go. I was so afraid for him that I did run." Legolas shook his head as if playing out the whole scene for himself again and was astounded at what he had done. "Oh, I was such a coward. And I only realised that when I reached the next level so I turned back and- but- he was gone. Just like that. And then I heard voices. Orc voices. They had taken Frodo. They must have met him coming the other way. I followed them to a door leading into another corridor. I managed to get a sword off a guard and I used that to make one of the orcs take me to where they were keeping Frodo. There was an old dwarf with him and Frodo was on the floor- looking as if he were asleep. I managed to get him away and back to the corridor outside and we started running down. But I could see Frodo was ill but he refused to tell me. Then he just collapsed and began throwing up. He fell unconscious after that. I met Merry and Pippin making their way up and we all had to run from the orcs pursuing us. And then, well, you found us."
Aragorn was looking hard at Legolas. His eyes were hard and stern. Then he put his hands on his thighs and pushed upwards.
"Rest," he said, his back turned, "You will need your strength."
"What will you be doing? I mean, you have worked hard too today," Legolas replied.
"I will try and heal Frodo."