Aragorn opened his eyes and spied his surroundings. Even though most of it lay in darkness, scattered fires dotted the landscape. He could see darkened figures huddling over the little warmth fires provided.
His breath came out a cold blue stream, frozen against his face. He breathed in and out, trying to clear his aching head. He brought one bloodied hand to his face, wincing at the touch against his forehead. His hand came back red.
With a heavy sigh, he tried to stand, only to find his feet were laden with a heavy iron ball, tied sharply to a stake dug deep into the ground.
He reached over and tugged at the stake, trying to draw it from the ground. His hands were aching and with the cold air, were becoming increasingly numb. With a sharp grunt, he flung the heavy chain back and leaned against the rock he'd been thrown against.
The orc wouldn't be long. They were notorious prison guards.
Aragorn could have hit himself. He should have known that the orc would have been tracing their movements. He should have prepared the men better, rallied their support. "They should have at least been armed," he muttered in disgust.
He knew it was his youth that had summoned the aggressiveness inside of him. But watching those men, all brave, capable youth, fall one by one to the knifes and ax of the orc was unsettling. Aragorn himself had been rendered unconscious after taking out a dozen and a half. But one had placed an arm around his neck, choking the air of him.
As he had collapsed, he opened his eyes. He saw the bodies of men, his men, the Sons of Gondor, falling one by one to the cruelty of the orcs.
And then darkness overcame.
--
Legolas slowly descended the staircase, his eyes on the dozen heads in front of him. Even in darkness, firey sconces lit the dim halls, providing adequate light. His gaze travelled to the White Wizard, who towered them all.
"Gandalf?"
"We have been called here to answer the threat of Mordor," Gandalf began, speaking with his eyes that he and Legolas would speak later.
Theodén, King of the Rohan, stood on the other side of the wizard, surrounded by his top men and his nephew, Eomer. "We have already received a call to assist at the eastern border. The steward of Gondor is preparing to make his last stand to protect what little they can. If Sauron overcomes his forces, Gondor will fall."
The halls were quiet a long moment.
"You must go," Legolas said, his voice echoing eerily in the rocky expanse. "Minas Tirith stands by the whim of a few."
"We intend to go," Eomer spoke up. "I have spoken with my men. The Rohirrim will march come morning. Or what remains of it. Our concerns now rest with Lord Aragorn and his predicament."
"What shall we do?" Legolas asked, turning to Gandalf, as he usually did, for guidance.
"There is little we can do," Gandalf replied. "It is more than likely that Aragorn was killed in the ambush."
"If the human was killed, we would have known," Haldir said, coming down the hall, a delegation of elves behind him.
Legolas turned and grasped Haldir's hand, muttering an elvish greeting. He turned back to the men. "You know that if he were in our position, he would not stop until we were safe from harm. He would die for any one of us, yet none of us has the courage to step the line and help a friend in need."
He knew it would be easier to sway the elves because they knew the position that Aragorn held in their society. But he knew that the humans would refuse to save another man, especially if in the hands of the enemy. Gandalf would be the most difficult.
"He has most likely passed through the Black Gate," Gandalf reasoned. "Any man or elf who pursues will likely perish in the struggle. And once inside, as you recall Master Boromir once spoke, evil rests there that does not sleep."
Legolas nodded. He understood how difficult it was for Gandalf to reason saving one man's life. "For the sake of the one," Legolas whispered, turning to Haldir. Convincing his elder that saving the ranger was the best course of action was all he could do.
"Folly," another voice spat out. "Complete folly."
A dozen pairs of eyes glanced up as two small hobbits drew closer.
"Merry! Pippin!" Gimli and Legolas's voice joined as one in their relief to see the two small hobbits alive. "When did you arrive?"
"You know that if Aragorn knew your lives were in danger, he would not fall until every last enemy was dead," Peregrin said instead. "We arrived this morning, while you were resting Gimli, Legolas."
"He stands alone while we quarrel among ourselves," Haldir reminded them.
Gimli went and stood by the hobbits. "I believe we are needed elsewhere."
Legolas turned to Haldir as the elder elf nodded slowly. "We are not under your rule or guise," Legolas began slowly. "But what Aragorn did during the battle, he proved once and again that he is the King of Gondor."
The men quickly murmured their response.
"As a delegation of elves, we will attempt to find Aragorn," Haldir replied. "We will go alone. If he has passed the Black Gates, we will meet you at Minas Tirith."
Gandalf sighed, dropping his gaze. He quickly raised it, leveling his eyes on the two elves. "Be that as it may, you two cannot go alone."
"My delegation is prepared to go," Haldir responded. "And I will be in contact with Celeborn."
There were tears in the eyes of those closest to Aragorn. The hobbits, the elves, and, of course, Gandalf, who still averted his eyes to the rocky floor, his staff tapping out an even beat on its cold surface.
"Bring him back," Theoden said, speaking for the race of man. "We are a small union. The world of man needs its King."
"It will have its King," Legolas promised him, promised them all.
With that, the elves divided and retreated back down the halls, leaving the men and the other few gathered deep in thought.
"You will leave for Minas Tirith come daybreak," Gandalf said. "Theoden, gather your men. We will leave at dawn." He turned to Gimli. "Sound the horn, Master Dwarf."
Gimli nodded, the mischevious glint in his eyes sparkling.
Gandalf turned to the two hobbits. "You will come with us."
"I will come with you, too," Eowyn said from behind them. Her eyes were set with fire on her brother. "You know that I care for him more than I care for anyone."
Eomer nodded. "I understand."
Eowyn tossed her head proudly and faced the wizard for the first time. "I will only go if you will allow me. Lord Aragorn would claim that it would be too dangerous. But you need all of the able fighters you can get. I offer myself to you freely."
Gandalf nodded. The humans and Gimli then dispersed, heading the opposite direction from the elves.
The two hobbits and Gandalf remained. "I wish for you two to tell me about the battle of Isengard."
Merdiadoc smiled, his eyes lighting up. "With pleasure..."
His breath came out a cold blue stream, frozen against his face. He breathed in and out, trying to clear his aching head. He brought one bloodied hand to his face, wincing at the touch against his forehead. His hand came back red.
With a heavy sigh, he tried to stand, only to find his feet were laden with a heavy iron ball, tied sharply to a stake dug deep into the ground.
He reached over and tugged at the stake, trying to draw it from the ground. His hands were aching and with the cold air, were becoming increasingly numb. With a sharp grunt, he flung the heavy chain back and leaned against the rock he'd been thrown against.
The orc wouldn't be long. They were notorious prison guards.
Aragorn could have hit himself. He should have known that the orc would have been tracing their movements. He should have prepared the men better, rallied their support. "They should have at least been armed," he muttered in disgust.
He knew it was his youth that had summoned the aggressiveness inside of him. But watching those men, all brave, capable youth, fall one by one to the knifes and ax of the orc was unsettling. Aragorn himself had been rendered unconscious after taking out a dozen and a half. But one had placed an arm around his neck, choking the air of him.
As he had collapsed, he opened his eyes. He saw the bodies of men, his men, the Sons of Gondor, falling one by one to the cruelty of the orcs.
And then darkness overcame.
--
Legolas slowly descended the staircase, his eyes on the dozen heads in front of him. Even in darkness, firey sconces lit the dim halls, providing adequate light. His gaze travelled to the White Wizard, who towered them all.
"Gandalf?"
"We have been called here to answer the threat of Mordor," Gandalf began, speaking with his eyes that he and Legolas would speak later.
Theodén, King of the Rohan, stood on the other side of the wizard, surrounded by his top men and his nephew, Eomer. "We have already received a call to assist at the eastern border. The steward of Gondor is preparing to make his last stand to protect what little they can. If Sauron overcomes his forces, Gondor will fall."
The halls were quiet a long moment.
"You must go," Legolas said, his voice echoing eerily in the rocky expanse. "Minas Tirith stands by the whim of a few."
"We intend to go," Eomer spoke up. "I have spoken with my men. The Rohirrim will march come morning. Or what remains of it. Our concerns now rest with Lord Aragorn and his predicament."
"What shall we do?" Legolas asked, turning to Gandalf, as he usually did, for guidance.
"There is little we can do," Gandalf replied. "It is more than likely that Aragorn was killed in the ambush."
"If the human was killed, we would have known," Haldir said, coming down the hall, a delegation of elves behind him.
Legolas turned and grasped Haldir's hand, muttering an elvish greeting. He turned back to the men. "You know that if he were in our position, he would not stop until we were safe from harm. He would die for any one of us, yet none of us has the courage to step the line and help a friend in need."
He knew it would be easier to sway the elves because they knew the position that Aragorn held in their society. But he knew that the humans would refuse to save another man, especially if in the hands of the enemy. Gandalf would be the most difficult.
"He has most likely passed through the Black Gate," Gandalf reasoned. "Any man or elf who pursues will likely perish in the struggle. And once inside, as you recall Master Boromir once spoke, evil rests there that does not sleep."
Legolas nodded. He understood how difficult it was for Gandalf to reason saving one man's life. "For the sake of the one," Legolas whispered, turning to Haldir. Convincing his elder that saving the ranger was the best course of action was all he could do.
"Folly," another voice spat out. "Complete folly."
A dozen pairs of eyes glanced up as two small hobbits drew closer.
"Merry! Pippin!" Gimli and Legolas's voice joined as one in their relief to see the two small hobbits alive. "When did you arrive?"
"You know that if Aragorn knew your lives were in danger, he would not fall until every last enemy was dead," Peregrin said instead. "We arrived this morning, while you were resting Gimli, Legolas."
"He stands alone while we quarrel among ourselves," Haldir reminded them.
Gimli went and stood by the hobbits. "I believe we are needed elsewhere."
Legolas turned to Haldir as the elder elf nodded slowly. "We are not under your rule or guise," Legolas began slowly. "But what Aragorn did during the battle, he proved once and again that he is the King of Gondor."
The men quickly murmured their response.
"As a delegation of elves, we will attempt to find Aragorn," Haldir replied. "We will go alone. If he has passed the Black Gates, we will meet you at Minas Tirith."
Gandalf sighed, dropping his gaze. He quickly raised it, leveling his eyes on the two elves. "Be that as it may, you two cannot go alone."
"My delegation is prepared to go," Haldir responded. "And I will be in contact with Celeborn."
There were tears in the eyes of those closest to Aragorn. The hobbits, the elves, and, of course, Gandalf, who still averted his eyes to the rocky floor, his staff tapping out an even beat on its cold surface.
"Bring him back," Theoden said, speaking for the race of man. "We are a small union. The world of man needs its King."
"It will have its King," Legolas promised him, promised them all.
With that, the elves divided and retreated back down the halls, leaving the men and the other few gathered deep in thought.
"You will leave for Minas Tirith come daybreak," Gandalf said. "Theoden, gather your men. We will leave at dawn." He turned to Gimli. "Sound the horn, Master Dwarf."
Gimli nodded, the mischevious glint in his eyes sparkling.
Gandalf turned to the two hobbits. "You will come with us."
"I will come with you, too," Eowyn said from behind them. Her eyes were set with fire on her brother. "You know that I care for him more than I care for anyone."
Eomer nodded. "I understand."
Eowyn tossed her head proudly and faced the wizard for the first time. "I will only go if you will allow me. Lord Aragorn would claim that it would be too dangerous. But you need all of the able fighters you can get. I offer myself to you freely."
Gandalf nodded. The humans and Gimli then dispersed, heading the opposite direction from the elves.
The two hobbits and Gandalf remained. "I wish for you two to tell me about the battle of Isengard."
Merdiadoc smiled, his eyes lighting up. "With pleasure..."