Stand not alone: Chapter 4:
"It would not"
"It would"
"WOULD NOT!"
"And you know this, how?"
"Because I know"
"How?"
"I JUST DO!"
"No, tell me, how?"
"If you wont listen to me, maybe you will listen to my axe!" The two strode into the clearing and together stood in the shadow of the great White Mountains, and both were silent for a moment as the mighty mountain glared down at them, speaking silently of the great city the other side.
"Your axe said you could if you tried," said Legolas eventually.
"Listen, Elf, I have no desire to start talking to trees, and even if all sanity left me and I DID, then there is no tree in Middle-earth who would share its secrets with a dwarf!"
"I think it would" smiled Legolas. "Dwarves are living creatures…for the most part… and I do not feel trees hold the same prejudices that I fear have sunk in the harts of many of our kin. Have you ever tried talking to a tree?"
"You don't quit, do you?"
"No."
"Damn." A slight breeze picked up and leaves spun through the air and between the friends.
"They are upset you don't want to talk to them," joked the elf.
"Very well, if I can learn to talk to trees, then YOU can learn to get your hide down a mine and quarry for Mythril." Gimli decided, looking rather smug at the thought of the dirt-covered elf digging down a mine.
"I think not, my friend," said Legolas, "I'd suffocate before I got the hang of using that thing-"
"It's called an axe"
" And it really isn't befitting an elf to be swinging round such a thing-"
"-Axe"
Surely, I wouldn't even be able to so much as pick it up."
"Now there you are true" smiled Gimli, "It takes a great deal of strength and skill to wield this axe, and don't you forget it, it's not a toy like that thing you carry" he said, gesturing to Legolas's bow. Legolas shot Gimli a sideways threat.
"My, my, if I didn't know better, I'd think you two were about to duel over this quarrel!" The shadow that had gone un-noticed behind them seemed to come into the light, and not disappear as shadows would, but to shine with an even brighter light as it took form.
"Gandalf!" called Legolas as Gimli's face twisted into a huge smile at the sight of the wizard who had, it seemed, appeared out of nowhere behind them.
"Aye, 'tis Gandalf" he smiled. It was still unusual, even to him, to have an Elf call him by that name. "You two would be travelling to Gondor? I should have expected you to be in each others company, and indeed I was correct to think that we would be on this road together." He looked at each of them closely for a moment, "and so I should have expected that the two of you would find trouble even on such a simple journey." It was hard to tell whether he was smiling inwardly or not. Gimli and Legolas looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes, half wondering what to say next to the man; obviously Gandalf was not in the dark as to the events of their journey
"What do you mean by that?" spoke Gimli, knowing full well that they were (as always) unable to hide anything from the white wizard.
"You heard of our encounter with the sorceress and Gawl?" asked Legolas. Gandalf didn't reply, but his look told them that he had.
"How?" asked Gimli,
"I have my ways," said Gandalf. "Tell me everything."
As they walked the wizard listened intently as the two told of how they met on the road and how all was going well until their encounter with the mysterious Lord and Lady. Gandalf's brows narrowed at hearing of the spell that they had used, but he said nothing until Legolas and Gimli felt they had no more to say.
"So?" asked Gimli, studying the look on the Wizard's face after a moment or two of silence. "What do you think? You know of these people and their magic?"
"Indeed, I know of them, and the tale you tell is little different from that which I have already heard."
"Who are they?" asked Legolas, who, as well as Gimli, was still frustrated at the lack of knowledge they had on the people who seemed to know so much of them and their business.
"They are" said Gandalf, "of a family of beings who have long had the ability to read."
"Big deal" spat Gimli, I can read, you can read, even the elf there can manage it sometimes." Legolas narrowed his eyes at the dwarf, but said nothing and inwardly chuckling at his friends attempt at an insult.
"I do not mean read as in script, my friend" smiled Gandalf, catching the look Legolas gave to Gimli, knowing that the elf would want to get his friend back for that one later.
"They can read minds?" asked Legolas, sparking Gimli to remember the Ladies voice in his head.
"They can read minds," nodded Gandalf, "minds, faces, the very air of the land can tell them what they wish to see. Master Dwarf, they could look at your axe and say how many it felled at Helms deep, indeed they could look at your axe and see how many Legolas here felled on that day."
"She said" spoke Legolas, worry again creeping back to his features, "that blood would be spilled, and a race would be forever wiped from this Middle-earth, but she did not know which race that would be."
"Indeed, they can see many things," said Gandalf thoughtfully. "But what she spoke to you of, has not yet come to pass. She may indeed have seen and read these events, but as they have not happened they remain shadows, and shadows are not always true to their shade, master elf."
"Riddles you speak in Wizard, although that is not unusual" said Gimli. "Tell us" he spoke slowly. "Are our people to be at war?" Legolas looked at Gimli, and the dwarf looked at Gandalf. The grave look on the wizards face was not what either of them wanted to see. "She did not use those words, I know, but I believe it was that which she was telling us. What of it Gandalf?"
"It is" the old man sighed, "A possibility indeed."
"But it is madness!" Cried Legolas, not believing the idea that war could indeed fall between the two people. He knew there was more he wanted to protest, but the words did not come to him and he fell silent as an air or realisation fell over him.
"Indeed, it is madness" nodded Gandalf, "which is why I do not believe it to be untrue." The elf and the dwarf exchanged looks, horror, fear evident in each, although their usually calm masks remained well in place, each could read the others eyes. "There is, I feel" said Gandalf, watching the two intently, "there is something missing, something of great importance which has not let its self be known to us. That is the piece that holds the answers. We will find it, in time, or it will find us."
"You believe there is time?" Gimli arched a hopeful eyebrow.
"As you said, Son of Gloin, 'if a war was brewing between your people, it would not have gone unnoticed by its Lords and Princes." Indeed, there was nothing Gandalf couldn't happen to over hear in some way or another if he wished so.
"Maybe we were wrong to decide to continue to Gondor and should have instead gone back home," sighed Legolas.
"I don't feel so, I think that this council might indeed give us some of the answers we want, Aragorn has called together all the rulers of the kingdoms of Middle-earth so that they may once and for all be unified."
"Sounds like something Estel would do"
"Aye" smiled Gimli.
"I think that we would get more answers in Gondor than we had expected to."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"My lord," the elf bowed as he greeted the king in the Woodland Hall. "Groups of dwarves have been seen, within our borders." King Thranduil rose from his throne (where he had been sitting quite peacefully for the last hour or so) to speak to the other elf. He was taller and broader than the other elves and his robes of deep red and green fell to the ground and lightly swept it as he walked. On his head he wore a crown of woven twigs and blood red berries and leaves, entwined with gold and silver. On his shoulder, keeping his red and golden cloak in place was a green leaf, wrapped in glistening silver, entrusted to him by his son.
"They are not spiders, and they are not Orcks, so why bring me this news?" The kings tone was powerful yet not altogether unkind. Indeed, he had no great fondness for dwarves, but as of now, he could tolerate them.
"But sire, they seem to be hunting parties." Thranduil looked a bit more interested, but still this was no great news to him.
"Hunting parties have strayed beyond our boarders in search of prey for many a year-"
"-But they do not seem to be hunting for food, my Lord." The elf dared risk a more urgent tone of voice with the king than maybe he should have, but the moment passed and Thranduil seemed unbothered. However, he dropped the other elf a look, commanding him to continue. "We believe they were hunting elves, my Lord."
"What?" The king was outraged and confused, "but that makes no sense, we have had peace with the Grey Mountains for years. They would defy that now? For what reason?!" He seemed to be asking himself allowed as well as his subject.
"We know not, My lord" said the elf, who had now been joined by three more, each of whom wore the emblem of the Royal guard. Thranduil seemed to think to himself for a long moment, occasionally looking as though he were to command them, and then thinking again and not. Eventually he told them:
"You will go to the Mountains, there you will request that the Dwarf Lord Gloin will journey into Mirkwood for an audience."
"Sire."
"Arm yourselves well, but do not provoke an attack, we know not yet what the situation is."
"Yes, my King." The guards bowed low and then made their leave of the palace. The hall again fell silent and the king sat back on his throne, fingered his eyebrows and sighed. Legolas was never in Mirkwood at the right time, if ever there was an elf that could understand the ways of dwarves, then surely it was his son.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I have seen them with my own eyes!" the gruff young dwarf barked at his elders who seemed not to believe the news he was bringing them. "Those elves are trespassing on our land and they are putting those foul arrows of theirs in the backs of our men!"
"I don't believe it!!" scoffed another, "they wouldn't have the guts!" The room of glistening stone erupted with voices as an argument broke out between the dwarves, the roar of the mighty fire behind them lost in the din and tankers of ale being spilled as they were swung in protest.
"Enough!" The figure at the far end of the room who had until now been listening intently in silence spoke for the first time.
"Lord, the Mirkwood elves are in our lands, and they are trying and succeeding in killing our men!" The young dwarf sounded desperate in his plea to the other. "I speak the truth, as I said, I saw it with my own eyes." For a moment his gaze held that of the Lords, but then fell away almost as if tears were filling up inside him. "They killed my cousin and my friend." The hall fell silent, and the lord leaned forward, stroking his beard as he became lost in thought. Finally he took a breath and rose to his feet. His robes were fine but well worn, his heavy boots were tipped with metal and his beautifully calved axe hung from his heavy belt.
"I am sorry for your loss, Son of Borg." He said sadly. "I do not believe you the type to make up such events. However, Thranduil would not dare send his men into these parts."
"Then how do you explain-"
"-I said Thranduil would not dare, that does not go to say that there are not those in Mirkwood who would not. Thranduil may or may not know of this." He paused and his brows narrowed into the flames of the fire. "Whether he knows or not, he will be accountable." He chose four of his men who readily prepared for the journey to Mirkwood. These men were some of the best warriors he had to offer, edging their roles as messengers, but that was Gloin's intention. He was just annoyed at that moment that his son was not amongst those going. Maybe he could influence Thranduil somewhat through his son; then again, Gimli would not want to use his friendship with the elf to bend the will of the king, if that was even possible.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
This is taking longer than I thought!! Bugger!! I've got a TONNE of homework to get through, a portfolio to get ready for an interview and an art exam to work on!! *Head-butts screen* oo000oo, that's better.
Again, sorry for any dumb spelling mistakes!! Not my strong point, I know, I'm grateful for anyone who points out errors and such!! :o)