Chapter IV: Ethelas and Tiama

"Why did I ever agree to going into Fangorn.." Latriel sighed between heavy breaths.

"Hurry up! They are gaining!" Toron yelled as an arrow impacted harmlessly on a rock nearby.

The two ran around a large corner, into a great open space on the mountainside. Toron quickly grabbed Latriel's collar and pulled him to the wall, so approaching goblins would not see them from the path.

"Toro.."

"Shh! Get your bow ready!" Toron whispered. "Here they come." He said when he heard footsteps coming near.

The troop of goblins turned the corner and emptied into the open space. Toron noticed that there were only fifteen, and not fifty. "I should have checked. That was foolish of me." He said to himself. "Latriel, you cover me. I'll come in from the right." Toron quickly ran into the clearing, and even as he was doing so, three goblins fell from Latriel's quick hands.

Toron leaped into the group of goblins, swinging his sword this way and that. Six were slain with minimal effort. Toron was preparing to hew another, when he was tackled by a goblin. He grunted as the goblin punched him straight in the face. Toron was dazed for a second, just long enough for the goblin to retrieve a small dagger from his belt and shove it into Toron's side.

Toron screamed in agony, and kicked the goblin right in the stomach, causing him to fly two feet away. Toron leaped to his feet, grabbed his sword, and stabbed the goblin right through the chest. The goblin's face was that of pain and agony, but Toron wasn't finished. He pulled his sword out, but from his chest to the right, causing his chest to be wrenched open. The stunned goblin grabbed his open chest, looked at Toron in shock, and fell to the ground in a puddle of black blood.

Toron stood over the goblin in triumph, but a wave of pain swept over him, and he fell to the ground. Latriel leaped from his spot from the wall, and brought out his sword. He was not as gifted in the area of swords as Toron was, but he had some talent. He charged the remaining goblins, and hewed them all. He stood over the last goblin and put his sword away in its sheath. He then ran to Toron.

"Toron! Are you alright?"

Toron squirmed in discomfort. "It hurts.. Take this dagger out of my side." Latriel leaned over and yanked a small dagger from his side, and Toron winced in pain. "Latriel.. Tell me.. Is the tip black?"

Latriel held the dagger in his hands, observing it, and looking very closely at the edges. "Yes, it does. There is also etches of black along the edges of it also."

"Goblin poison. Latriel, you must get us to a solitary place.. Somewhere where goblins cannot reach."

"There is a shelf just above this alcove, very hard to see even for us."

"Let's go." Toron wheezed.

Latriel attempted to help Toron up, he was wincing in pain every move he made. They slowly made their way up the rocky wall to the shelf above the alcove. Latriel set Toron down and gave him his bag to rest upon.

"Get some Ethelas and some Tiama from my bag."

"Yes sir." Latriel responded, and he went into Toron's bag and returned with a handful of green herbs.

"Crush them in your hand." Latriel did so. "Now take half of it, put it in your mouth." Latriel divided it evenly, and put half in his mouth.

"mmhmm.." Latriel responded.

"Now take it out of your mouth, make sure it is like a thick paste."

Latriel spit it out into his hand, and it was like a paste. "Alright."

"Now put it into my cut, and around it on the skin." Latriel lifted Toron's Elvish shirt, and saw the cut from the dagger. It was two inches long, and very thin.

"Your wound is still open," Latriel sighed as he placed some herbs in the wound. Toron tensed for a moment, and relaxed. "Just a little more," Latriel assured, as he placed some more herb mixture on the darkened area around the wound. "Done. Now what do I do with the rest of these herbs?"

"Place them in a bowl of warm water."

Latriel stood and made a small fire. He took a flask of water from his bag and heated a small portion of it. As the water was boiling, he put the Ethelas and Tiama in it. The smell spread through the entire area, rejuvenating anyone who smelt it. He picked up the bowl, and brought it over to Toron.

"What now?" "Put it on the ground. The smell is very refreshing."

"Master," Latriel sighed as he sat down. "Out of curiosity, why was there Tiama in the mixture?"

"The Ethelas will purge the poison from the wound, and the Tiama helps the wound heal."

"I understand now," Latriel said as he turned to face the fire. There was a long silence, and Toron closed his eyes. Latriel turned back to Toron.

"Master, why did we go to Fangorn anyway?"

"Tealbon wanted to test you." Toron wheezed as he sat up.

"Test me for what?"

"To see if you would stay true to your apprenticeship to me, and trust me."

"Did I?"

"Yes," Toron placed his hand on Latriel's shoulder. "You did." A smile crept onto his fair Elven face. "It's not easy being a ranger. But you're taking to it rather well. That's why I had you do all those drills in Fangorn the day before we left."

"Ahh. I understand now."

"Yes. Your interest in being a ranger is astounding, and your skill with a bow is even more so. But.." Latriel joined in. "there's more than fighting to being a ranger."

"I know, Toron." Latriel sighed.

"You know.. I never told you.. but.." Toron stopped suddenly. His face was serious, and very intent on whatever he was listening to. "put out the fire. Quickly!" he whispered.

Latriel ran over to the fire, and drenched it in water. "What now?" he asked.

"get down." Toron ordered. Latriel fell flat on his face.

"What is it?"

"Another troop of goblins. Quiet."

"Why does the boss want us to come up here?" One goblin asked as they made their way up the path.

"I don't know, he wants us to check on the troop he sent up earlier." Said another.

"Why should we waste our time? We're supposed to get to the old Black Gate before tomorrow night!"

"I guess he just wants us to.." the goblin was stopped short as they turned into the open space on the mountainside. They saw all the dead goblins lying here and there, and black blood scattered on the ground as if it were dirt. "So much for the first troop.." the goblin said.

"O well! Too bad for them. Let's get back to camp."

The small troop of goblins turned and made their way back down the trail, arguing and cursing as they went. Latriel and Toron were on the shelf listening to all of this, and they were amazed and confused.

"Why would they want to go to the old Black Gate?" Latriel asked.

"I don't know. But I don't want to stay and find out." Toron said as he stood, and put his shirt back on.

"Are you going to be alright?" Latriel asked.

"Yes, I feel tenfold better than I did. Come, for today we must face the long pass of Caradhras."

The two got up, and they went side by side to face the Mountain of Caradhras.