Chapter 3
The royal company had been riding now for nearly a week and crossed the Elven lines the day before last. Now they drew near to the Palace of the King Elrond and Queen Galadriel. They rode up to the great gates that were covered in autumn leaf and ivy but the gold bars shone through like sunlight through the clouds. The horses stopped at the bottom of the steps and Aragorn, his son and the Royal guard were the only ones allowed to go into the chamber were the high Elves sat. They walked in to meet the Elves.
"Its good to see you again, Aragorn." Galadriel spoke first: setting her gaze upon the aging king.
"Indeed, it has been far too long." Elrond added.
Aragorn knelt before them, "It is good to see you."
"Rise Aragorn, the floor is no place for a king of Men just as it is no place for us."
With this he stood and they talked of the smoke on the horizon, the Elves brought tidings of it to him and his son, long they talked of how it had turned from the direction men had seen it travelling and now it had turned on the Elves.
"Two shadows have been following you, you know who they are." Elrond said.
"Yes but." Aragorn tried to interrupt.
"But nothing, on this I will not argue with you Aragorn, whether they were once friends or not they must be killed. There are no such beings as Wizards anymore and Elven magic is beginning to fail." Elrond quickly retorted.
"Well no man shall kill them, once before you abandoned us to the will of the Dark lord and neigh more than a few hundred were able to escape that forsaken land." His heart pounded with passion and anger and his elderly body tensed with the hatred growing inside of him.
Galadriel went and stood between them, "I stand like a line drawn between the lands of Men and Elf. Elrond, Aragorn, will you not shake hands and be united once more?" She turned to the guard that accompanied Aragorn and then to the Elven guard, "Do you all stand on separate sides or will you fight as one?"
Aragorn stretched out his hand but the sound of an unsheathing sword on his forward right made him pull it away suddenly. As he looked to see who had drawn the sword he saw the chief guard of Elrond standing his sword stretched out across the line, as Galadriel stood. At length he spoke "I stand here, why should we protect them, are Sauron's slaves not Elves themselves? If they turn on us we will fight for ourselves but too often I have stood by Elrond in battle to save men that will die but a few years later. Why should we bother?" His short speech was met not by applause, or by booing but by the ringing of Elven blades being drawn. Like spears from a wall they lined up crossing the line. At this Aragorn scowled and his guard, and his son drew their sword which came clattering upon the others. Galadriel fell to her knees looking at Elrond.
"Is this it then? Do you also cross the line with swords and not friendship?"
Elrond drew a small dagger from his belt and held its point to the tip of Aragorn's nose.
"So you have gone the way of Issilidur." Elrond said with disgust.
"Do not cast those words upon my father!" Indiana brought his sword from the chief guard's blade and across Elrond's shoulder.
Everyone's heads turned for no one had ever seen a drawn sword in the houses of Elrond never mind bringing it down upon the King. But never before had the King challenged the King of Men and now to everyone's surprise Elrond stood bleeding from the shoulder, his arm lying on the feet of Galadriel, staining her pure white dress scarlet. The shock wore of and in a sudden fit of rage the swords crossed and clashed. The red robed guards jumped and spun, literally running rings around the Elves, but the golden clad Elves could not be undone that easily. The sunlight flashed off the silver blades as they cut air and flesh, in the midst of the battle Elrond went to his knees and Aragorn knelt in front of him, looking into his greying eyes the two Kings said fare well, neither could stand to see what was unfolding around them and thus the head of Aragorn and Elrond rolled to the ground by the sword of Galadriel. When Indiana saw this his sword flared and cut and stabbed, Elves fell around him as he forced a path towards the Queen, no ring nor spell could save her now as the infuriated man charged at her. She looked up but before her arms lifted the sword to the oncoming attack she felt the cold metal slice into her throat, the blood spewed and ran like a crimson river down the blade, the pure blood burned the blade away and steam and burst into flame as it cut its way through the back of her neck. Indiana threw the weapon to the floor and picked up his father's sword.
Horns rang out and the sound of Elven cries could be heard coming nearer and nearer. Indiana turned, strapping the sword to his waist, to the only two Royal guards and pointed at small door behind the late Elrond's chair. They ran for it making it through the small gap moments before the main door burst open and Elves leaped in pointing sword and arrow around the room. In the mean time the men found themselves falling. The door had been a trap and now they fell, deeper than any had ever been, deeper than the Dwarves of Middle-Earth had ever delved, how fast and to where they fell it could not be told but they heard the springing bow strings as elves high above tried to shoot them in their fall but each arrowed turned and broke on the sides of the cavern. Still they fell and they became drowsy and soon they not only fell into the darkness of this pit but also into the darkness of unconsciousness.
The royal company had been riding now for nearly a week and crossed the Elven lines the day before last. Now they drew near to the Palace of the King Elrond and Queen Galadriel. They rode up to the great gates that were covered in autumn leaf and ivy but the gold bars shone through like sunlight through the clouds. The horses stopped at the bottom of the steps and Aragorn, his son and the Royal guard were the only ones allowed to go into the chamber were the high Elves sat. They walked in to meet the Elves.
"Its good to see you again, Aragorn." Galadriel spoke first: setting her gaze upon the aging king.
"Indeed, it has been far too long." Elrond added.
Aragorn knelt before them, "It is good to see you."
"Rise Aragorn, the floor is no place for a king of Men just as it is no place for us."
With this he stood and they talked of the smoke on the horizon, the Elves brought tidings of it to him and his son, long they talked of how it had turned from the direction men had seen it travelling and now it had turned on the Elves.
"Two shadows have been following you, you know who they are." Elrond said.
"Yes but." Aragorn tried to interrupt.
"But nothing, on this I will not argue with you Aragorn, whether they were once friends or not they must be killed. There are no such beings as Wizards anymore and Elven magic is beginning to fail." Elrond quickly retorted.
"Well no man shall kill them, once before you abandoned us to the will of the Dark lord and neigh more than a few hundred were able to escape that forsaken land." His heart pounded with passion and anger and his elderly body tensed with the hatred growing inside of him.
Galadriel went and stood between them, "I stand like a line drawn between the lands of Men and Elf. Elrond, Aragorn, will you not shake hands and be united once more?" She turned to the guard that accompanied Aragorn and then to the Elven guard, "Do you all stand on separate sides or will you fight as one?"
Aragorn stretched out his hand but the sound of an unsheathing sword on his forward right made him pull it away suddenly. As he looked to see who had drawn the sword he saw the chief guard of Elrond standing his sword stretched out across the line, as Galadriel stood. At length he spoke "I stand here, why should we protect them, are Sauron's slaves not Elves themselves? If they turn on us we will fight for ourselves but too often I have stood by Elrond in battle to save men that will die but a few years later. Why should we bother?" His short speech was met not by applause, or by booing but by the ringing of Elven blades being drawn. Like spears from a wall they lined up crossing the line. At this Aragorn scowled and his guard, and his son drew their sword which came clattering upon the others. Galadriel fell to her knees looking at Elrond.
"Is this it then? Do you also cross the line with swords and not friendship?"
Elrond drew a small dagger from his belt and held its point to the tip of Aragorn's nose.
"So you have gone the way of Issilidur." Elrond said with disgust.
"Do not cast those words upon my father!" Indiana brought his sword from the chief guard's blade and across Elrond's shoulder.
Everyone's heads turned for no one had ever seen a drawn sword in the houses of Elrond never mind bringing it down upon the King. But never before had the King challenged the King of Men and now to everyone's surprise Elrond stood bleeding from the shoulder, his arm lying on the feet of Galadriel, staining her pure white dress scarlet. The shock wore of and in a sudden fit of rage the swords crossed and clashed. The red robed guards jumped and spun, literally running rings around the Elves, but the golden clad Elves could not be undone that easily. The sunlight flashed off the silver blades as they cut air and flesh, in the midst of the battle Elrond went to his knees and Aragorn knelt in front of him, looking into his greying eyes the two Kings said fare well, neither could stand to see what was unfolding around them and thus the head of Aragorn and Elrond rolled to the ground by the sword of Galadriel. When Indiana saw this his sword flared and cut and stabbed, Elves fell around him as he forced a path towards the Queen, no ring nor spell could save her now as the infuriated man charged at her. She looked up but before her arms lifted the sword to the oncoming attack she felt the cold metal slice into her throat, the blood spewed and ran like a crimson river down the blade, the pure blood burned the blade away and steam and burst into flame as it cut its way through the back of her neck. Indiana threw the weapon to the floor and picked up his father's sword.
Horns rang out and the sound of Elven cries could be heard coming nearer and nearer. Indiana turned, strapping the sword to his waist, to the only two Royal guards and pointed at small door behind the late Elrond's chair. They ran for it making it through the small gap moments before the main door burst open and Elves leaped in pointing sword and arrow around the room. In the mean time the men found themselves falling. The door had been a trap and now they fell, deeper than any had ever been, deeper than the Dwarves of Middle-Earth had ever delved, how fast and to where they fell it could not be told but they heard the springing bow strings as elves high above tried to shoot them in their fall but each arrowed turned and broke on the sides of the cavern. Still they fell and they became drowsy and soon they not only fell into the darkness of this pit but also into the darkness of unconsciousness.