*~*From time immemorial man has maintained an ambivalent relationship with
the world of Faerie, for while faerie contact can unquestionably be
beneficial, it is just as likely to be baneful. Brian Froud & Alan Lee
"Faeries"*~*
The Faerie Goblet
Chapter 15 ~ "The Lights Are On . . ."
"Finally!" Gimli exclaimed as they crested the edge of the valley of Imladris and started down the winding path. "I look forward to getting off the back of this infernal beast!"
"And I look forward to not hearing you complain about it!" Legolas cried. "Would that there had been sheep upon the moors so that I might have stuffed my ears full of wool and saved them from weariness."
"Ha! Your head is full of wool as it is, if you think my justified complaints wearisome. No doubt it is your lack of stamina that is truly at fault!"
"Lack of stamina?" Legolas questioned. "If I am so lacking then why is it that I sit a horse easily while you whine like a babe?"
"A babe! It is your lack of stamina that requires you to use the feet of a beast instead of your own. While, I . . ."
Before Gimli could finish his retort, Alede interrupted, partially out of concern and partially to save her own weary ears.
"Strange that we have seen none of the sentries."
"I was thinking that as well," Legolas said turning to her. "Though it was difficult to hear if there were any close by because of all this dwarvin chatter."
"Mmph!" Gimli tried to cuff the Elf along side the head, but Legolas ducked out of long practice, laughing as he did so.
It was good to hear the Elf laughing again, Gimli thought.
There had been a change in Legolas since that day of the heavy rainstorm. Gimli had not forgotten that when his two companions had crawled down from their lofty perch in the dead tree both of them had shown signs of bruised lips and intimate caresses.
But Gimli thought it must have been more than just a kiss in confined quarters. Legolas seemed easier than he had for many years. Gimli could swear that his friend was nearly back to normal.
Except when Legolas looked at Alede.
There was an odd mixture of emotions in his expression that Gimli could not decipher and he did not know if it was for good or ill. What hold did the woman have over Legolas? Did she manipulate him with her love? But if so, then why did Legolas seem better?
At least at times.
The Dwarf had interrupted two disagreements in the past couple of days. Legolas and Alede had both glanced at him uncomfortably before parting. Gimli hated feeling like an intruder. Legolas was his friend. He'd been his friend, watched his back, stanched his wounds and ridden into battle with him long before the interfering female had shown up.
Despite Legolas's words, Gimli feared for that friendship. Alede had made great pains to include him in conversations and Legolas had in no way altered his mannerisms toward the dwarf but Gimli could feel the connection between the other two. It reminded him a little of the connection between Aragorn and Arwen, though that had never troubled him. Aragorn was a well- loved friend. But Legolas . . .
*Well, Legolas is . . . Legolas.*
"Does anything appear to be amiss?" Alede asked Legolas, breaking into Gimli's thoughts.
"The valley is strangely quiet," Legolas said his head cocked to one side. "I hear birds and beasts and the murmur of horses. But no sounds of people."
Alede was troubled. "There are many who probably went on the ice run but enough warriors would remain to protect the valley."
"Perhaps they have gone on a hunt," Gimli suggested. "After all, isn't this spell you are casting supposed to protect the valley?"
"Oh of course," Alede said with relief. "Perhaps Father and Cyrus have progressed so far that sentinels are no longer needed. The spell, once complete should be strong enough to hide the valley even from Orcs."
"Then let us hurry and see what news there is to be had," Legolas said urging Aransûl into a trot and making Gimli groan.
They met no one on the way to the stable and once there found it unattended.
"How very odd," Alede said looking around. She saw no movement anywhere. "Legolas, would you mind rubbing down Faunlend? I'd like to take a look . . ."
"Not by yourself," the Elf said in a tone that brooked no argument. He too was looking around suspiciously.
Strangely enough Alede did not argue with him. They hastily rubbed down the horses and unpacked the tired little pony before climbing the path up to the last Homely House.
"It is deserted," Legolas said quietly. "I can hear no movement anywhere."
"Do you think there has been an attack of some sort?" Alede asked worriedly.
Legolas shook his head. "I have seen no signs of battle . . ." They entered Elrond's former home. Everything appeared to be in order. Furniture was dusty but not disarranged. Alede looked fearfully for signs of bloodshed, but there were none. The place was simply empty as if everyone had stepped out for a moment.
Suddenly a thought came to Alede. "Oh dear," she said. And then a smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
"What could possibly be amusing?" Gimli asked irritably. The deserted Elvin stronghold was playing on his nerves.
Alede's small smile broke into a grin. "I'm wondering if Father and Cyrus went a little too far with their concealing spell. They were always arguing about it . . ."
"Meaning what?" Legolas asked.
"Well, our task here is to conceal Rivendell and all its inhabitants from the outside world. Possibly they took it a little too far. Everyone may still be here, we just can't see or hear them. They may be invisible."
"But how will you get them back?" Gimli asked in alarm.
"Oh, it will be well," Alede said still amused. "Something like this has happened before. You should have heard Elrohir when we finally found him. He claimed that he kept bumping into himself while he was invisible." She chuckled softly at the memory. "But since I am not affected, I can counteract it. I'll just check my father's rooms. If there's been an accident, he'd leave word for me in his journal. Who knows," she said with a twinkle in her eyes, "he may be in there invisibly writing me a message right now."
Gimli shuddered at that comment. He didn't care for the idea of invisible people, even if it was just Alede's venerable old father.
The wizardess led them down a long corridor and up a flight of stairs. Legolas was quiet during their walk. Something felt very wrong about the place. It might be attributed to the spell that Alede was talking about or it might be something different altogether. Not wanting to take a chance, he unslung his bow. Gimli looked up at him in surprise and Legolas gave him one of the tiny looks they'd learned over the years.
Gimli pulled his axe from his belt and rested it on his shoulder.
Alede glanced at both of them. "I'm sure it's alright," she said.
Pushing open a door, she stepped in and walked over to a desk near the window. A quill lay across an open journal. As she stepped up to it, Legolas froze. Across the white pages of the journal lay a dark stain.
A wine stain.
And lying on its side nearby was the strange silver goblet he'd brought from Minas Tirith.
Alede pushed the goblet aside and picked up the journal. She read for several moments and gasped when she came to the final page. Her face turned a deathly white, the journal fell from her hands and Alede fainted.
~ ~ ~
"Gimli, move the bed curtains aside for me, would you?"
The dwarf hastened over to Radagast's bed while Legolas carried Alede to it. The Elf set her tenderly upon the coverlet and laid the back of his hand against her cheek. "I think she will be alright," he said uncertainly.
"But what sent her into a fit of vapors?" Gimli asked worriedly. "I'll have a look at that journal."
"Don't touch that goblet," Legolas warned as the dwarf walked back to the desk.
"I'm not a fool," Gimli retorted.
"Bah!" the Dwarf said a moment later. "Radagast wrote in Sindarin. Why can't wizards write in Common?"
"Let me see it," Legolas said, rising from Alede's side. Gimli handed it to him and the Elf scanned the pages while the dwarf waited impatiently. When Legolas came to the end, he looked as stricken as Alede.
"What?!" Gimli exclaimed.
Legolas grimaced. "I'll read you the last entry. It is dated nine days ago . . . 'I am the last, it seems. When I woke up this morning Cyrus had vanished. The goblet was sitting innocently on his bedside table. I am no closer to solving the riddle than I was the night Elrohir disappeared.
The goblet seems capable of disguising itself as any vessel. We had all taken to drinking from bowls instead of cups or goblets, thinking that that would fool the magic. But it did not work. Many of the Elves stopped drinking from vessels altogether and have taken to kneeling at a stream for their water. But even that did not save them, for 25 of them vanished on the way back from the river. Though in that case I do not suspect the goblet but rather the ring . . .' "
"The Ring?!" Gimli interrupted. "By Aulë! Is there another magical ring of the Dark Lord that we did not know about?"
"Peace Gimli. I know not. But allow me to finish this page . . . 'The clue, I am certain lies in the talisman that Alede prepared for Legolas. The goblet tried its trick with the young prince the night he dined with us, but failed. Somehow Alede's green magic deflected it where our sorcery cannot touch it. This confirms the theory I have developed. I have been reading in the library, and as unlikely as it seems, I am now convinced that . . .'"
"Convinced what?" Gimli asked when Legolas stopped reading.
The Elf shook his head. "The entry stops there. The last word is smudged, as if Radagast were yanked from his chair as he wrote it."
Both of them turned grimly toward the desk. The goblet still lay on its side, winking brightly in the afternoon sun.
~ ~ ~
A/N: The lights are on, but no one is home. I know this is a nasty place to leave you. But I'm sure by now you've learned what an evil person I am. *grin* Chapter 16 coming soon on Friday!
Special thanks to all of you who reviewed for chapter 14, or any chapter for that matter. Your reviews are the stuff of life for me!! :D
The Faerie Goblet
Chapter 15 ~ "The Lights Are On . . ."
"Finally!" Gimli exclaimed as they crested the edge of the valley of Imladris and started down the winding path. "I look forward to getting off the back of this infernal beast!"
"And I look forward to not hearing you complain about it!" Legolas cried. "Would that there had been sheep upon the moors so that I might have stuffed my ears full of wool and saved them from weariness."
"Ha! Your head is full of wool as it is, if you think my justified complaints wearisome. No doubt it is your lack of stamina that is truly at fault!"
"Lack of stamina?" Legolas questioned. "If I am so lacking then why is it that I sit a horse easily while you whine like a babe?"
"A babe! It is your lack of stamina that requires you to use the feet of a beast instead of your own. While, I . . ."
Before Gimli could finish his retort, Alede interrupted, partially out of concern and partially to save her own weary ears.
"Strange that we have seen none of the sentries."
"I was thinking that as well," Legolas said turning to her. "Though it was difficult to hear if there were any close by because of all this dwarvin chatter."
"Mmph!" Gimli tried to cuff the Elf along side the head, but Legolas ducked out of long practice, laughing as he did so.
It was good to hear the Elf laughing again, Gimli thought.
There had been a change in Legolas since that day of the heavy rainstorm. Gimli had not forgotten that when his two companions had crawled down from their lofty perch in the dead tree both of them had shown signs of bruised lips and intimate caresses.
But Gimli thought it must have been more than just a kiss in confined quarters. Legolas seemed easier than he had for many years. Gimli could swear that his friend was nearly back to normal.
Except when Legolas looked at Alede.
There was an odd mixture of emotions in his expression that Gimli could not decipher and he did not know if it was for good or ill. What hold did the woman have over Legolas? Did she manipulate him with her love? But if so, then why did Legolas seem better?
At least at times.
The Dwarf had interrupted two disagreements in the past couple of days. Legolas and Alede had both glanced at him uncomfortably before parting. Gimli hated feeling like an intruder. Legolas was his friend. He'd been his friend, watched his back, stanched his wounds and ridden into battle with him long before the interfering female had shown up.
Despite Legolas's words, Gimli feared for that friendship. Alede had made great pains to include him in conversations and Legolas had in no way altered his mannerisms toward the dwarf but Gimli could feel the connection between the other two. It reminded him a little of the connection between Aragorn and Arwen, though that had never troubled him. Aragorn was a well- loved friend. But Legolas . . .
*Well, Legolas is . . . Legolas.*
"Does anything appear to be amiss?" Alede asked Legolas, breaking into Gimli's thoughts.
"The valley is strangely quiet," Legolas said his head cocked to one side. "I hear birds and beasts and the murmur of horses. But no sounds of people."
Alede was troubled. "There are many who probably went on the ice run but enough warriors would remain to protect the valley."
"Perhaps they have gone on a hunt," Gimli suggested. "After all, isn't this spell you are casting supposed to protect the valley?"
"Oh of course," Alede said with relief. "Perhaps Father and Cyrus have progressed so far that sentinels are no longer needed. The spell, once complete should be strong enough to hide the valley even from Orcs."
"Then let us hurry and see what news there is to be had," Legolas said urging Aransûl into a trot and making Gimli groan.
They met no one on the way to the stable and once there found it unattended.
"How very odd," Alede said looking around. She saw no movement anywhere. "Legolas, would you mind rubbing down Faunlend? I'd like to take a look . . ."
"Not by yourself," the Elf said in a tone that brooked no argument. He too was looking around suspiciously.
Strangely enough Alede did not argue with him. They hastily rubbed down the horses and unpacked the tired little pony before climbing the path up to the last Homely House.
"It is deserted," Legolas said quietly. "I can hear no movement anywhere."
"Do you think there has been an attack of some sort?" Alede asked worriedly.
Legolas shook his head. "I have seen no signs of battle . . ." They entered Elrond's former home. Everything appeared to be in order. Furniture was dusty but not disarranged. Alede looked fearfully for signs of bloodshed, but there were none. The place was simply empty as if everyone had stepped out for a moment.
Suddenly a thought came to Alede. "Oh dear," she said. And then a smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
"What could possibly be amusing?" Gimli asked irritably. The deserted Elvin stronghold was playing on his nerves.
Alede's small smile broke into a grin. "I'm wondering if Father and Cyrus went a little too far with their concealing spell. They were always arguing about it . . ."
"Meaning what?" Legolas asked.
"Well, our task here is to conceal Rivendell and all its inhabitants from the outside world. Possibly they took it a little too far. Everyone may still be here, we just can't see or hear them. They may be invisible."
"But how will you get them back?" Gimli asked in alarm.
"Oh, it will be well," Alede said still amused. "Something like this has happened before. You should have heard Elrohir when we finally found him. He claimed that he kept bumping into himself while he was invisible." She chuckled softly at the memory. "But since I am not affected, I can counteract it. I'll just check my father's rooms. If there's been an accident, he'd leave word for me in his journal. Who knows," she said with a twinkle in her eyes, "he may be in there invisibly writing me a message right now."
Gimli shuddered at that comment. He didn't care for the idea of invisible people, even if it was just Alede's venerable old father.
The wizardess led them down a long corridor and up a flight of stairs. Legolas was quiet during their walk. Something felt very wrong about the place. It might be attributed to the spell that Alede was talking about or it might be something different altogether. Not wanting to take a chance, he unslung his bow. Gimli looked up at him in surprise and Legolas gave him one of the tiny looks they'd learned over the years.
Gimli pulled his axe from his belt and rested it on his shoulder.
Alede glanced at both of them. "I'm sure it's alright," she said.
Pushing open a door, she stepped in and walked over to a desk near the window. A quill lay across an open journal. As she stepped up to it, Legolas froze. Across the white pages of the journal lay a dark stain.
A wine stain.
And lying on its side nearby was the strange silver goblet he'd brought from Minas Tirith.
Alede pushed the goblet aside and picked up the journal. She read for several moments and gasped when she came to the final page. Her face turned a deathly white, the journal fell from her hands and Alede fainted.
~ ~ ~
"Gimli, move the bed curtains aside for me, would you?"
The dwarf hastened over to Radagast's bed while Legolas carried Alede to it. The Elf set her tenderly upon the coverlet and laid the back of his hand against her cheek. "I think she will be alright," he said uncertainly.
"But what sent her into a fit of vapors?" Gimli asked worriedly. "I'll have a look at that journal."
"Don't touch that goblet," Legolas warned as the dwarf walked back to the desk.
"I'm not a fool," Gimli retorted.
"Bah!" the Dwarf said a moment later. "Radagast wrote in Sindarin. Why can't wizards write in Common?"
"Let me see it," Legolas said, rising from Alede's side. Gimli handed it to him and the Elf scanned the pages while the dwarf waited impatiently. When Legolas came to the end, he looked as stricken as Alede.
"What?!" Gimli exclaimed.
Legolas grimaced. "I'll read you the last entry. It is dated nine days ago . . . 'I am the last, it seems. When I woke up this morning Cyrus had vanished. The goblet was sitting innocently on his bedside table. I am no closer to solving the riddle than I was the night Elrohir disappeared.
The goblet seems capable of disguising itself as any vessel. We had all taken to drinking from bowls instead of cups or goblets, thinking that that would fool the magic. But it did not work. Many of the Elves stopped drinking from vessels altogether and have taken to kneeling at a stream for their water. But even that did not save them, for 25 of them vanished on the way back from the river. Though in that case I do not suspect the goblet but rather the ring . . .' "
"The Ring?!" Gimli interrupted. "By Aulë! Is there another magical ring of the Dark Lord that we did not know about?"
"Peace Gimli. I know not. But allow me to finish this page . . . 'The clue, I am certain lies in the talisman that Alede prepared for Legolas. The goblet tried its trick with the young prince the night he dined with us, but failed. Somehow Alede's green magic deflected it where our sorcery cannot touch it. This confirms the theory I have developed. I have been reading in the library, and as unlikely as it seems, I am now convinced that . . .'"
"Convinced what?" Gimli asked when Legolas stopped reading.
The Elf shook his head. "The entry stops there. The last word is smudged, as if Radagast were yanked from his chair as he wrote it."
Both of them turned grimly toward the desk. The goblet still lay on its side, winking brightly in the afternoon sun.
~ ~ ~
A/N: The lights are on, but no one is home. I know this is a nasty place to leave you. But I'm sure by now you've learned what an evil person I am. *grin* Chapter 16 coming soon on Friday!
Special thanks to all of you who reviewed for chapter 14, or any chapter for that matter. Your reviews are the stuff of life for me!! :D