Chapter Seven: Evil Endures

They had been making decent progress. That was they were, until they ran into a landside and a group of unruly dwarves who were bickering rather loudly with one another.

"Perhaps," Frodo said slowing his pony and urging the others to follow his lead, "if we ask nicely they'll let us pass?"

Aragorn regarded the hobbits for a moment and then the horses. "It is unlikely that they wouldn't let us through, Dwarves are generally good people, but it's doubtful our horses would make it over."

Frodo looked dejected. Sam smiled at him reassuringly, "Don't worry, Mr. Frodo. We'll get through soon enough."

Frodo nodded as they stopped just behind the dwarves. Aragorn dismounted and walked towards the small group. "I'm sure you're right, Sam," Frodo told him as they hung back from Aragorn.

"Excuse me," Aragorn said coming up to the group. The dwarves fell silent and looked at one another.

"What?"

"We were trying to get through here, but it seems as though the way is blocked, perhaps…"

"You noticed, did you? Very observant of you. Men!…" Another mumbled turning back toward the pile of rock and rubble shaking his shaggy head.

"Yes. Indeed the way is blocked, that's why we're still here, and not over there," a third yet said waving past the pile.

"Do you plan on tunneling through?" Aragorn asked glancing about the six faces.

"Yes, yes."

"Don't bother us now, we'll finish faster that way!"

"Yes, do shoo we'll send someone to fetch you when we're finished."

"Go away now."

Aragorn decided not to argue and he walked back to the hobbits and offered a shrug. "It'll be a while."

Over his shoulder, the dwarves continued their arguing.

~*~*~

Wazurk had stopped his horse on a nearby hill. He surveyed the way they were traveling and saw nothing. Where had that thing gone with his elf?

He threw his head bitterly around not really looking when a fortunate sight caught his eye. A landside, far off in the distance and what looked like Dwarves tending to it. But this was not was what pleased him. His pleasure was owed to the three figures, two quite tiny, sitting upon the ground waiting for the slide to be cleared.

Wazurk was so happy he nearly fell off his horse. The prey had been found, now it was a simple matter of catching it.

He raised his thumb and forefinger up to his left eye, which was locked upon the minute Man who'd taken his elf away. He smashed his fingers together in a crushing gesture then laughed wickedly. This would be too easy.

~*~*~

A fat Dwarf ambled over to the hobbits and the Man, stroking at his rust colored beard and looking a cross between smug and upset. But it was hard to tell because only his eyes and nose were visible behind the facial hair.

"The others in my party requested me to convey to you that they will soon be able to commence their labor, and then it shall only be a matter of a few hours time," said the dwarf as quickly as he possibly could. He bowed softly as he finished and then thunked himself upon the ground next to Sam.

Sam looked over curiously at him. "Aren't you going to help?" he asked picking through the dirt with a formerly clean fingernail.

The dwarf seemed to scowl under his mass of hair. "They claim I am an interference. Not that they know anything!" He crossed stout arms across his chest and settled into the large rock behind him. Clearly meaning that the conversation was over.

Aragorn sighed softly and took to rubbing his temples and pacing about. Frodo was watching him worriedly but Aragorn didn't seem to notice. Hours. It would take hours. So many things could happen in that amount of time. And in the case of this journey he doubted they'd be good.

~*~*~

They drew closer to where Wazurk had seen the despicable Man and hobbits. Wazurk could already taste victory burning in this mouth.

Surprise was their ally. They would be victorious. A vicious smile crossed his thin lips as he signaled to his men.

~*~*~

Aragorn had stopped his pacing a few minutes before and was now standing behind Frodo, Sam and the dwarf tapping his foot. Dust was flying everywhere from the dwaves efforts. Sam coughed but kept his mouth shut. Frodo looked anxiously to Aragorn, he'd never seen the Ranger act like this before. It was starting to get to him. And the dwarf just growled in his sleep and rolled over on his newly appointed rock-pillow.

Had Aragorn been listening, and had Frodo not been so anxious, Sam not so preoccupied and the dwarf not asleep and snoring loudly, they might have heard it. It was silence.

No bird chirped, no leaves rustled. The only sound was of the working Dwarves, their grunts echoing softly.

But none realized what was happening until it was too late. Arrows streamed down on them and knives careened through from behind trees.

Sam's scream pierced the silence as a knife slammed into his shoulder.

"Sam!" Frodo yelled as an arrow whizzed by his ear. He ran toward his friend and pulled him behind the relative safety of a large tree.

Aragorn had become alert immediately and started to berate himself for letting his guard down. But he pushed that out of his mind and looked toward the trees where the attack was coming from.

~*~*~

Their last arrow spent, Wazurk gave the signal to go in with knives and swords. An arrowed zoomed into the foliage and struck Oltrak in the eye. He howled in pain, the arrow protruding grossly.

Wazurk gasped softly as Oltrak fell to the ground where three of the others already lay, one howling, two silent and one writhing in what seemed agony. He, Wazurk, bellowed in anger as knife soared through the trees and another fell. That left him and Shaurzk.

Wazurk nodded with his head and they started through the trees.

~*~*~

Aragorn had managed to let several arrows fly. And one of his knives. But now the silence had settled again. He looked from side to side until two figures lunged at him.

But this time Aragorn was ready. Both fell to the ground with grievous knife wounds. He did not take a second look; instead he rushed to the hobbits. Frodo was crouched over Sam who looked quite pale.

"I will tend to your wound when he are a bit farther off, Sam," Aragorn told him hoisting the small figure to his feet.

He jumped onto his horse, carrying Sam in his arms while Frodo mounted his pony. With a wave and an exclamation of thanks to the awestruck Dwarves, the three were off through the newly finished tunnel.

But evil does not die so easily. Behind them Wazurk rose in the shadows of the trees and went to see about his men.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~