Disclaimer: I do not own Legolas, Gimli, or any other recognizable characters from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. I merely wish to play with them a bit and put them back in (more or less) one piece:) I'm not making any money off this.
(*) indicates thought
"I wish you would let me accompany you, Legolas"
"Your obligation is here, Aragorn. You yourself were just muttering the other day of all that remains to be done."
"I am beholden to my friend..."
"But your responsibility to your people out weighs that," interrupted Legolas.
"I find this duty is heavy and chafes at times," growled Aragorn, turning to stare out the open window. Legolas placed a soothing hand on Aragorn's shoulder.
"He agrees it is best that you remain. No one thinks you insult Gimli by staying."
"How does he fair?" asked Aragorn, standing up straight. "He seems to be handling this well, but I know he would never let anyone see otherwise, save you." Legolas sighed softly and closed his eyes for a moment before joining Aragorn at the window to watch the preparations in the courtyard below. Nine dwarves stood, readying their packs to leave in the early dawn light.
"As well as can be expected, I think. He would have left last night, if I would have allowed him to. He is more than ready to leave this instant."
"I see that," remarked Aragorn. Gimli stood in the courtyard, axe in hand and pack already on his back. He cast an impatient look up at Aragorn and Legolas. "You are certain you do not want more soldiers?"
"Nay. We stand against four dwarves, so numbers are in our favor. Gimli and the others believe a smaller group is best."
"This Midpath Cave is known to them?"
"Yes, it is a long abandoned mine that is still used by traveling dwarves for camping," said Legolas, struggling to keep his voice smooth. Aragorn was not fooled.
"What is it, Legolas?"
"I fear what traps have been laid there. The moment we enter the cave, it could be brought down about our heads. And I fear what Gimli will do when he gets there." The elf shook his head, blonde hair swaying. "This is an ill situation, Aragorn. No matter how we approach it." The king nodded thoughtfully.
"That it is. How long do I give you ere I send out the army?" Legolas could not help but smile.
"It should take no more than a day and a half's ride to reach this cave, if not less. I am told we should return in three days, no more. If we fail to appear, I leave your response entirely up to you, King Ellesar."
"Take care, my friend. Bring them both back safely. I will watch for your return." Legolas dipped his head and bounded down the steps to the courtyard. The dwarves that Gimli had chosen to accompany him had mounted their ponies, eager to depart as soon as the elf was ready. Legolas quickly secured his pack and his bow, and swung easily up onto Arod. He reached down and pulled Gimli up behind him.
"Ready, Gimli?"
"Do not waste time with words, elf. Let us move as quickly as this beast of yours is able." Legolas gave small smile and with a soft word, Arod leapt forward. To his satisfaction, Gimli gave a bit a yell and tightened his arms around Legolas' waist. They did not go as fast as he could have normally, the ponies of the dwarves would have fallen behind. The strange troupe of mounted dwarves and lone elf trotted quickly through the quiet streets of Minas Tirith, towards the Gates. They opened as they approached, soldiers standing at attention as they left the walls of the city and began to follow the path the ill-fated company of dwarves had taken nearly two days before. Legolas did not turn, but he felt Gimli do so. The dwarf did not face forward again until the gleaming Gates had vanished from his sight.
"NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Legolas jerked awake from his elvish dreams and was on his feet with an arrow notched before he knew why. He saw others opening their eyes, searching with startled looks. Those who had been keeping watch during the night stood with axes ready. Legolas saw then, the cause of the commotion. Gimli sat straight as a board, his skin pale beneath his beard. He was staring at his hands as if he had never seen them before and what he saw terrified him.
"Gimli? Gimli, what is it?" The dwarf did not answer. He simply stood and walked away from camp. Legolas put down his bow, but took care that his knives were on his back before he followed Gimli into the forest. He did not have far to go. Gimli had walked to a nearby stream where he knelt scrubbing his hands in the water. Legolas walked to his friend's side and knelt beside him. "Gimli, what troubles you?" The dwarf never ceased his scouring as he spoke in a low tone.
"Gaila stood before me, begging me to help her. They'd cut her hair. She wore rags. She pleaded and cried. Legolas, I have never seem my sister cry." Gimli's breathless whisper tore at Legolas' heart, but he waited for the dwarf to finish. "No matter how she screamed and begged, I could not move. I could not reach her." His hands still scrubbed at each other relentlessly and Gimli's voice was ragged as he continued. "She held out her hands to me then. They were mangled and useless stumps. She looked at her own bloody hands and then held them up for me to see. I could move at last, but I did not go to her. I looked down at my own hands. They were covered in blood. Gaila's blood." Legolas shivered in the warm night air at the horror of Gimli's nightmare. He reached out gently and took Gimli's hands in his own, stilling their constant scouring.
"Gimli, my friend, there is no blood on your hands, there is no guilt upon you."
"I should have gone with her. I should have heeded the warning in my heart. I knew something was wrong, I could feel it."
"There is no way you could have known what Thror was planning."
"I should have!" roared Gimli, startling Legolas, but the elf did not flinch, nor did he release Gimli's hands. "Something was not right," said Gimli, much softer. "I should have gone with her."
"Then you would be as dead others of your kin," said Legolas flatly, deep eyes boring into Gimli's. "As would Gaila. And there would be no hope. Hope remains, Gimli." The elf reached out and gently ran a thumb across Gimli's cheek. "You must see that if you are to save your sister." Gimli looked down at his hands, laying open in his lap.
"There is no blood." The dwarf stated it clearly, as if commenting on the weather.
"There is no blood, elvellon."
"Not yet," whispered Gimli. He looked up and met Legolas' gaze. The dwarf's eyes were as the hardest stone, his voice like velvet over steel. "But there will be, one way or another. All that remains is to whom it will belong." Legolas blinked at the fierce hardness he saw in his friend, where moments before had been guilt and sorrow. The elf was not sure which troubled him more, Gimli lost in culpability or the vengeful dwarf who was rising to stand before him. Legolas had seen Gimli fight with relentless brutality, but there had always been a sense of control. Legolas felt a spark of recklessness in Gimli's words he had never before known in the dwarf. He hid his discomfort by rising to his feet and by the time he stood facing Gimli, the ember of frenzy was gone and the dwarf seemed the same as he had days before.
"Come, Friend Legolas. The others will wonder where we have made off to," said Gimli, almost cheerfully, as he made off toward the camp. Legolas followed wordlessly, still uneasy at the flashes of Gimli's mood. *Someone will perish in this. Blood will stain his hands. May it not be his own.* Legolas shuddered at his dark thoughts and continued after Gimli.
They broke camp at dawn and continued toward Midpath Cave, at Gimli's direction. The dwarf's mood seemed to have settled into a calm but fierce resolve. It was well before noon when Gimli called the company to a halt and slid from Arod's back. He directed Legolas' gaze across an open meadow. The elf then saw a small opening in amongst what looked like a pile of boulders. The entrance to the cave. The dwarves led their mounts to a rock sheltered area, tethered them and looked to Gimli with the same determination on all their faces. Legolas followed suit with Arod, but could not help but feel that he was missing something. He had tried to convince Gimli to tell what he planned, if he planned anything, but the dwarf had stubbornly refused to tell the elf anything, save he would be told later. *A
curse on the stubborn necks of dwarves,* thought Legolas fervently to himself. *I do not like this sense of walking into a snare blindly.* It had not escaped the elf that the other dwarves did not look anxious or uncertain. It was almost as if they already knew what was going to happen...
"Gimli, what are you planning," said Legolas, his voice much sharper than he had intended, but he did not look away from Gimli's dark expression.
"What must be done, Master Elf." Legolas strode up to Gimli and fixed him with his coldest Elven gaze, not a trifling thing. He lowered his voice till it was little more than a hissed whisper, but the elf's anger lost none of its heat.
"That is not an answer, Dwarf. I do not know what you are playing at, but it appears I am the only one who does not know the game. This is not the way a friend behaves."
"Do you trust me, Legolas?" The elf blinked, but did not soften his gaze. This was not what he had expected.
"I trust you with my life. It also changes nothing. I cannot aid you unless you tell me what you propose to do." Gimli heaved a great sigh as he turned to gaze across the meadow. The other dwarves set about sharpening their axes, checking the ponies, obviously giving the friends a moment of privacy. That was not a sign that Legolas was going to like what he was about to hear.
"When we reach the main cavern," began Gimli, his voice steady, "Doin and the others will escort Thror's companions out of the cave and hold them if necessary, but I do not believe it will be. They will get what they want."
"What they want? Gimli, you do not mean to face Thror in combat."
"That is precisely what I mean to do."
"I was under the impression that we came to get Gaila," said Legolas, struggling to hold his self-possession. "Not to maintain Thror's claim that you still owe him his honor, which you do not."
"We did come to get Gaila," said Gimli. "That is where you will hold to your word to help me, Legolas. No matter what else may happen, you will find my sister and take her away from here. I will face Thror alone, as custom dictates." Legolas closed his eyes for a moment, firming his grip on his patience.
"Gimli," said Legolas, his voice low, "you propose to follow your codes of honor and then expect Thror to do the same. Nothing he has done thus far suggests that he has any honor left. Your dwarves out number his, that is true, but he has been here for some time longer than we. There may be traps, elvellon. Things we do not anticipate. More than that, Gimli," Legolas put a hand on Gimli's shoulder, "I do not like this idea of my leaving you with no one to watch for these traps. I should remain by your side." Gimli looked up at Legolas and smiled fondly, placing his own hand over Legolas'.
"I managed to grow to adulthood without your aid, my friend. I think I can manage without you for a short time. I do not anticipate this taking terribly long. I will do what I have to do. This will never end if I do anything less. You will find my sister and take her to safety, and you will not interfere." Legolas started to object, but the dwarf overrode him. "No matter what happens, Legolas. No matter what you hear, no matter what you see, no matter what Gaila says and I imagine she will bloody you a bit when you try to stop her." Gimli smiled wryly. "I have your word, Master Elf. No matter what."
Legolas stared down at Gimli for a long moment, holding the other's gaze. Gimli showed no
sign of fear or relenting. The elf exhaled and nodded once.
"I will hold to my word to help you, Master Dwarf. No matter what, I will do nothing until I see Gaila safe."
Legolas forced his hand to loosen on his bow as they entered the cave. Caves made him uneasy enough, without expecting an attack from behind every formation. The dwarves seemed relaxed enough as the troupe proceeded down a dark tunnel lit by the occasional torch. *Am I the only one who does not trust Thror?* Gimli seemed to sense his thoughts and spoke in a soft rumble.
"It will go as I say. There will be no trouble." Legolas sniffed softly.
"As you say."
"You do not know about dwarven customs, Legolas. This happens not often, but it does happen. There are protocols."
"Do they involve abduction?" Gimli said nothing; they had reached the main cavern. A tall ceiling arched overhead and the room was lit by many torches. Legolas could see tunnels leading off in several directions, but he spared little time examining their surroundings. The four dwarves in the center of the room held most of his gaze. Thror stood flanked by dwarves on either side. He did not look angry or particularly deranged. His face was as hard and as determined as Gimli's. Gaila was nowhere in sight.
"It is long past time for this, Son of Gloin."
"No, the time for this passed long ago. It was ended then, but you have given me little choice." Gimli leaned on his axe, no, it was Gaila's axe, Legolas realized. Thror had not taken it when they had taken Gaila. There was little doubt what Gimli intended it for. His voice was the coldest Legolas had ever heard it. "Where is Gaila?"
"Down that tunnel, take the right fork and pass three passageways. The key to the bars hangs next to the gate." There was only a hint of smugness in Thror's voice. He turned to his companions and gave a short nod. Without preamble, they walked from the room, followed just as wordlessly by Gimli's guards.
"Legolas, go and get Gaila." Gimli's voice remained cool and terribly calm. Legolas clenched his bow so hard he thought it would crack in his hand.
"I do not like this, elvellon."
"You do not have to. We will discuss this later." Gimli looked up at the elf with soft eyes. "Please just go, Legolas. Remember your word." Legolas put his hand on Gimli's shoulder and squeezed.
"We will discuss this later. I will see you outside," said Legolas, as firmly as he could manage, meaning so much more than just the words he spoke. With a last press of his best friend's shoulder, he turned and trotted to the tunnel Thror had indicated. He forced himself not to listen to what was behind him. To turn his back had been hard enough. Legolas followed the passage some minutes before he came to a fork and turned right. The elf counted off the three tunnels and finally came to the place where Gaila was being held. The dwarf maiden lay on the ground, her hands bound firmly behind her back. Her eyes
were closed. Legolas put his hands on the bars of the cell and leaned forward, swallowing a lump he had not noticed.
"Gaila?" To Legolas' immense relief, her deep blue eyes opened immediately and
focused on him.
"Legolas?" She began struggling to sit up, muttering all the while. Legolas quickly unlocked the barred gate and went to her side. "You should not have come, Legolas."
"Did you truly believe we would not?" said Legolas, smiling grimly. He took a knife to the ropes that held her, wincing at the blood on her wrists. The elf tossed the bindings away and gently helped her to her feet.
"No, but I had still hoped you would make Gimli see sense. This is a foul deal." Gaila swayed slightly, but managed to right herself. Legolas quickly took in the cut on her head, blood matting her wild, tangled hair, and the way she favored her right leg. "I am fine, Master Elf. Where is Gimli?" Legolas grimaced and motioned back the way he had come.
"Fighting Thror." If he had expected her to look shocked or upset, she did not. She merely nodded curtly and began moving out of the cell and up the passage, limping substantially. Legolas was quickly at her side, but she waved him off.
"Where is my axe?"
"Gimli has it." Gaila did pause at this, brow furrowed, but she continued on, as quickly as she could. Wondering what that meant, Legolas continued after her.
The site that met them when they reached the main chamber set Legolas' hands to clenching again. Thror and Gimli were in heated struggle, their axes locked. They broke apart and stood measuring one another, when Gimli saw them standing there.
"Legolas, go!" roared Gimli, never taking his eyes from Thror.
"Gimli, that is my axe, he owes honor to me now!" shouted Gaila.
"Aye, he does, and I will take it, but first I will exact what is owed me first." With that, Gimli flung himself at Thror, axes clanging. "Legolas, your word!"
"Gaila, come, we must go." The she-dwarf turned and fixed Legolas with such a glare, he paused.
"You would leave Gimli? Why are you not helping him? Find me an axe, Elf, and I shall fight. I will not turn my back on him."
"I gave him my promise, Gaila, to see you safe and not to interfere. And I shall keep it." Legolas took hold of Gaila's arm and proceeded to drag her toward the exit tunnel.
"NO! Legolas, stop! No!" Gaila tried to plant her feet, but her right leg crumpled beneath her. She continued to kick and try to pull away from him. "Do not leave him! Gimli!" Legolas gritted his teeth against Gaila's struggling and the sounds of combat, and continued pulling. He was strong, but he doubted he could carry the stout dwarf even if he had tried. And that was if she hadn't been trying to beat him senseless.
"Legolas, how can you do this?" He did not turn or stop, but her words ripped at his heart. *How can I leave him? One arrow...* Legolas shook his head against that thought and forced himself to ignore Gaila's cries. *Gimli would never forgive me if I did not do as he asked.* Finally, they broke into sunlight and Legolas continued on, toward where the horses were hitched. The other dwarves stood a distance from the entrance, and seemed slightly startled when he came out, tugging a loud, furious she-dwarf behind him. It was then Gaila quit fighting. She went limp and fell to the ground. Legolas was at her side
instantaneously; worried he had been too rough. He gently pushed her snarled hair back from her face and peered at her worriedly. The elf was rewarded by a smart punch to the nose. He fell back and put a hand to his face. It came back bloody
"I am fine, you stubborn dolt, I just had to get you to stop, since you obviously would not listen." Gaila raised herself to her knees and motioned around her, "I am here, I am safe. Now go help Gimli!"
"Your brother did not want my help, Gaila," sputtered Legolas thickly through his shock. Valar, his nose hurt.
"I do not care what he wants!" bellowed Gaila, in a voice to rival Gimli's. "I want you to go back and help him." She softened her voice and gazed at Legolas with pleading eyes. "Please, Legolas. I do not trust Thror not to do something dishonorable." Legolas paused a moment before he jumped to his feet and headed toward the cave. *I have done as he asked, Gaila is safe. I am not breaking my promise, I will not interfere.* Legolas had not traveled far enough into the cave to be out of sight of daylight when he felt the ground begin to shake beneath his feet. Stones and dust began to rain down upon him from the tunnel's ceiling. Legolas realized what was occurring and could not move. *NO.* This was not happening, not here, not now. His best friend was down there. A rock striking his head set Legolas to running from the cave. He ran into the entrance just as a great thunderous boom nearly shook him to the ground and dust came billowing from the entrance. He turned and stared in horror at the huge bowl-shaped pit in the earth far from where they stood. Legolas did not need to hear Gaila's screams to know what had happened.
The main cavern had collapsed. With Gimli inside.