Learning Curve
By: Alilacia
Rating: PG-13
Feedback:
Spoilers: None that I can think of.
Disclaimer:
I do not own the Lord of the Rings, or anything to do with the film or books. That honour goes to Peter Jackson (et all) and J.R.R Tolkien. I have no permission what so ever to use these characters, will not receive any money for this, and am doing this for my own enjoyment. And to get away from doing my college assignments
Series:
Mortality
Lessons
Wandering
Learning Curve
Summary:
Aragorn's planned journey to Lothlórien lead the ranger to Mirkwood where he struck up a tentative friendship with Legolas, elven prince of Mirkwood.
Now Aragorn desires to return to his home, and Legolas decides to take the journey with him.
But the journey the two princes take is anything but a quiet one…..
Mae govannen!
This is the fourth instalment in The Lennath Series. (I've finally given it a name :does little dance:) According to the site I found on the internet 'Lennath' is apparently journey's in Sindarin. I apologise if it isn't, my elvish skills are not the best in the world.
So in English it is basically 'The Journey's Series'. I decided to call it The Journey's Series, because that is basically what all the stories are about: Legolas' and Aragorn's journey's though life, and the paths it takes them on.
This is the fifth chapter of Learning Curve. I hope you enjoy it, and if there is any mistakes in it I'd be very grateful if you'd let me know. :smiles:
First I am going to make it clear that this is a NON-SLASH, so you won't be finding any relationship between Legolas and Aragorn that is any closer than brothers. I'm sorry if you don't like that, but I'm not going to make it any different.
I've decided to take a leaf out of Cassia and Siobhan's book and put all the answers to the reviews before the story rather than after it as I have done in previous chapters. If anyone does not want to read them simply bypass all the bold print. And unless you want to read them, they are quite long. The story will start though when you skip past all the bold print :sweatdrops:
I'm also running out of time, so instead of listing each review separately with usernames written, I'm going to just answer them all in one big block.
I hope this is okay, and I'll will probably end up doing this in future chapters as well.
As before, just skip past the bold print if you want to get to the story.
More killing of orcs huh, well I did put some in here, although the battle is far from over.
I have not read the Silmarillion, or any of the other history/information books published regarding the Lord of the Rings. So I apologise if there are any mistakes in these stories. Feel free to let me know if there are. I am learning new things each day, and I owe quite a few people major thanks for some of that information.
This story isn't actually beta'd (in fact none of them have been so far) so there are probably quite a few mistakes in them.
I don't know much about the rangers that roam the wilds. I've heard the name Halbarad mentioned several times in various stories, by different authors, so I'm hoping that he is a real character and not just one that was made up by someone else. I would appreciate if anyone could tell me anything else that they know about Halbarad. Aside from the fact he is a ranger, and knows Strider, I know very little about him.
I'm really hoping that I got some of the less well known characters (e.g. Barliman Butterbur) are right. Since I don't fully know exactly when Aragorn met Butterbur (I know they must have met prior to the LOTR's because Barliman was totally afraid of Strider in the books :grins:) and took his first trip to Bree, I'm making it now. I hope this doesn't offend anyone, and if they know the actual dates, I'd be eternally grateful if they could let me know
Namárië nin mellons
Alilacia
Learning Curve
Chapter 5 - Long road to walk
The pair decided to walk down the main road out of Bree, and did not leave the path. From what little Aragorn remembered of this area the road should lead straight to the borders of The Shire. As they walked Legolas saw a large forest in the distance, and even at this distance, something about its age screamed at Legolas. The forest seemed old, very old, but Legolas could not figure out what was giving him that impression.
Legolas' gaze was brought away from the woods in the distance by an oily sounding voice. Aragorn turned to look as well, and both saw a man leaning against the walls of his house. Legolas was wary of the men around Bree, and didn't say a word.
That wouldn't have mattered anyway, for this one had not given either the elf or the ranger a moment to speak since he'd opened his mouth. Legolas stared at the man as he turned to address Strider. Heavy black eyebrows were drawn in a frown over a pair of dark eyes. He didn't look too pleased to see either of them, and his lips were curled into a sneer around the small black pipe at his lips. Legolas recognised the smell as that of what most of the men is Bree had been smoking all morning.
"Morning travellers! You wouldn't be interested in buying these two fine horses now would you?"
Legolas turned to look at the 'fine horses'. They didn't look that bad, the elf supposed, but they could really do with some good food. Both of them looked too thin.
Aragorn thought about the offer for a minute and turned to Legolas. The elf was looking at the horses, an unreadable expression on his face. Aragorn shook his head and turned away. He wasn't going to get anything out of Legolas when he had that look on his face. Aragorn glanced at the direction of The Shire. It was a long way to walk, and their journey would definitely be quicker on horseback.
Aragorn turns back to the man and nodded. A greasy smile spread over his face, and he pushed himself away from the wall.
"Good to hear. Names Bill Ferny. You won't find a better horse merchant in these parts." Somehow looking at him, Aragorn didn't really believe that, but didn't say anything. "You gonna tell me your name, stranger?"
Aragorn stared evenly at Bill for a moment before turning away to look at the horses again. "I'm Strider, ranger of the north. And how much are you charging for these?"
The smile spread and Bill sucked at his pipe. "24 silver pennies."
Both Legolas and Aragorn were stunned at the high price, and Legolas tuned both of them out as Strider started to haggle with the man. Bill didn't look to happy, and told them that he was not going to go lower than 24 silver pennies. An outraged look crossed Aragorn's face and he turned to leave. Legolas was still looking at the horses when Aragorn strode past him. He quickly reached out with his hand and grabbed Aragorn's arm, drawing him in close.
"I think you should buy these ones Aragorn." Legolas spoke quietly in elvish, and glanced back at Ferny who was staring closely a them. "The horses are not looking so well, and it would be better for them of they were out of Ferny's possession."
Aragorn glanced back at the horses and saw that Legolas was right. With a small sigh the ranger reached into his pocket and drew out the 24 pieces of silver. Bill snatched the coins out of Strider's hands with a smirk, and untethered the two horses. Aragorn and Legolas each stepped up next to a horse and smoothly swung into the saddle.
Aragorn tensed his legs and bade his horse move into a steady trot.
"See you round, Longshanks!"
Aragorn rolled his eyes, and urged the horse faster. If he ever met Bill Ferny again, the human hoped it wasn't for a while.
The pair found that the horses were actually quicker than they looked, and certainly a lot fitter. Thanks to this both man and elf made good time and arrived at the borders of The Shire.
Dismounting from his horse, Legolas glanced around. He could hear and see nothing that indicated that the orcs had walked this path before they arrived.
Just to the south of the pair was a large hill. Neither Aragorn nor Legolas knew the name of the hill, but the slopes would offer protection from the harsh winds should storm suddenly arise.
Legolas moved towards the slopes, and set his pack down against the gently sloping hill. The elf turned back, and his blue eyes sought out the ranger who was lifting his pack from the horse.
"This spot would be the best place to set up camp Strider. And I cannot see any damage to The Shire. It appears that we did indeed arrive first."
Aragorn nodded, and turned to face The Shire. Although Aragorn's sight was not as good as his elven companion's, he could still see that there was very little damage to the grassland. And the orcs were not known for their love of nature.
Despite their elven beginnings, they still did not share the same love of nature.
"Let's set up camp then, and wait for them to get here." Aragorn pulled his pack onto his shoulders and moved to stand next to Legolas. Together the pair soon had a camp set up. They elected not to light a fire because it would point them out from miles way.
Legolas requested to go on watch first, and Aragorn didn't argue. The ranger was more weary than he cared to admit, and he knew he would need to be alert for his own watch.
The ranger allowed himself to drift into sleep, content in the knowledge that he was safe with his friend watching over him.
The moon was high in the sky, and Aragorn walked up to Legolas. A touch on the elf's arm turned Legolas' head towards him, but the elf did nothing more than nod. He had been aware of the moment that Aragorn first woke up, and he relinquished his spot on the slopes of the hills behind them.
Footsteps echoed faintly in the ground, and Aragorn quickly looked around to see where they were coming from. His silver eyes caught a group of people walking in the direction of The Shire. They looked too small to be orcs, and the ground did not groan under their feet. Aragorn breathed a sigh of relief and wondered if the group would notice their camp.
Swords scraped against sheathes as the figures walked towards their camp. Moonlight glinted off the blades, and Aragorn rested his hand on the hilt of his broadsword.
A slight shifting behind him let Aragorn know that Legolas was awake, and although the elf hadn't made a move, Legolas was only seconds away from drawing his bow and arrow if the people even so much as breathed threateningly.
The men stepped into the moonlight, and Aragorn relaxed. The garb that these men were wearing was the same as his own.
They were rangers.
The light in the rangers eyes showed that they too recognised Aragorn for what he was, but that vital trust between the men was not there, and so the swords were not lowered.
Aragorn saw that he would have to be the one to make the first move, and so he removed his hand from the hilt of his sword. With a small motion of his hand, he gestured for Legolas to relax. The narrowed eyes showed that Legolas was not too happy with the turning of the situation, but he did let his hands rest on the ground.
"Greetings Rangers. I am Strider. Might I have the pleasure of learning your names?"
Aragorn's tone was light and friendly. But inside the ranger was nervous. This was his first encounter with the rangers when he could actually speak their language, and the human had no desire to make enemies of these men.
"I am Halbarad. I lead these men." The man called Halbarad gestured with a large fist back to the other rangers behind him. "And these are Geomyr, Yricyn, Gaenry and Roryn. What is the name of your friend ranger?"
Aragorn cast a glance back at Legolas who was watching the men with a steely expression. Trust was still something that Legolas handed out to very few men.
"This is Legolas of the woodland realm." Strider kept the introductions brief and turned back to face the other rangers. "Will you put away your weapons now, or will you keep them out all night. You are among friends here."
Halbarad thought about this for a minute before sheathing his own sword. The other rangers followed their captains example and soon no sword was drawn.
"'Tis rare that an elf is seen this far from the woodland realm." Halbarad commented casually.
"We are travellers my friend. We decided that it was about time to see the world." Aragorn replied for Legolas, and pointed at the rangers sitting in a circle around Halbarad. "I heard that you were amongst the rangers that had chosen exile in the north. What are you doing this far south?"
Aragorn neatly intercepted the conversation, and turned it back on the rangers. Halbarad didn't see anything wrong with the small change in topic, and thought about this for a minute.
"We were travelling like you, and caught sight of a band of orcs pillaging one of the villages near the Bruinen." Halbarad didn't catch the look Aragorn and Legolas exchanged as he was looking at the wilderness around them. "We got to the village just as the orcs were leaving and followed them. We were held up a little bit getting over the plains when a sudden storm hit. The orcs continued regardless, and we were forced to take shelter. When the storm passed the orcs were a few hours ahead of us, and we followed them to Bree. The orcs were attacking the village. We joined the battle to help fight them off but were forced to leave after to follow the group as they headed west. Another storm in the plains held us off for a few more hours, and we headed here as soon as we could."
"We too heard of a band of orcs heading this way, but we have not seen any sign of tracks leading here. In fact, you are the first people that we have seen since we arrived in these parts." Said Aragorn. He was going to say more, but Legolas suddenly stood, his eyes darting about in the moonlight.
"What do you see Legolas?"
"I see naught Strider. But the earth groans under heavy footsteps. They are coming." Legolas warned as he pulled out his bow and arrow. "The earth screams and trembles in their wake."
Aragorn nodded at his friend's words, and turned to look at the rangers. Halbarad nodded back and motioned to his men to draw their swords.
Steel scraped across metal as swords were pulled from their sheaths. The men stood nervously, waiting for some sign of what the elf could sense. Legolas suddenly turned his body so it faced the corner of the hill they were camped next to. Aragorn noted this change and turned to follow his friends wordless warning. Seconds later heavy footfalls echoed in the air around them, and black hulking figures rounded the corner.
Time seemed to almost stand still as the orcs caught sight of the group standing in its way. A guttural growl moved its way through the group, and neither group made an effort to attack first.
Legolas' fingers tightened on the bow, and his eyes narrowed. This was the only sign that the elf was ready to attack. Legolas gave the group no time to react, and one of his elven arrows sung through the air. It speared straight through the chest of one to land in the chest of the orc behind it.
The arrow that Strider had notched into his own bow followed soon after, and another orc fell to the ground dead. The orc in front snarled at the men and charged. With a cry, Aragorn slung his bow over his shoulder and pulled out his broadsword. The metal arched a deadly path through the air, and an armoured arm fell to the ground by his feet. The orc cried in pain, and pulled the ranger close with his free hand. Aragorn felt his sword fall to the ground as the hand on his wrist tightened and he twisted his wrist painfully in the orcs grip; and grabbed the orcs wrist with his right hand. The weight of the orc suddenly pressed into his own, and gravity worked against the human. The pair fell to the ground, and Aragorn gasped briefly as the air was forced from his lungs. Strider forced his body to take a breath, and putting all his weight onto his feet, Aragorn swung backwards, and brought his feet up to rest on the orcs legs. The motion propelled the orc off his feet, and over Aragorn's head. The grip on his wrist loosened and Aragorn let go himself. The orc sailed through the air and landed with a thump near the slopes. With another deep breath, Aragorn staggered to his feet.
Both the man and elf were determined not to let the orcs get any closer to The Shire, or to the Hobbits.
Aragorn gasped in pain as the sharp edge of the orcish broad sword bit into his skin, and he pushed away from the ranger he had taken the cut for. With a fierce look in his eyes, Aragorn ignored the blood dripping down his arm, and the pain lancing up his nerves, and turned to face the orc. It snarled menacingly in his face, and raised the sword again. Aragorn brought his own sword up to block, and used his free hand to grab the elven dagger he kept at his waist, and slid it into the unprotected thigh. The orc snarled in pain, and Aragorn swiftly pulled the dagger out. The orc had no time to even move as he quickly brought the dagger up and slammed it with all the force his injured arms could muster in the muscled chest.
Aragorn felt a wave of despair wash over him as the orc continued to growl and pulled out the dagger with his remaining hand. Time seemed to almost slow as the orc raised the dagger and turned it in his hand. Black blood was dripping sluggishly down the blade, and Aragorn tried to move out of the way of the blade. It was then that Aragorn realised that he wasn't going to be able to get out of the way in time, and a sense of irony struck him as he realised he was about to be killed by his own dagger.