Disclaimer: AU Story. My third large LOTR fic. I can't stop! None of the
characters or settings are mine. They all belong to Tolkien. I wish I were
related to Tolkien, don't you? It would be so cool! Oh, and the plot here
is derived from my own imagination. Hope you enjoy.
Lil*bee: I know, I know, I've been tapping away all weekend! OK, I suppose you can now officially say that they are in a series. I'll probably bulk it out with the rest of my beloved AU's later
Holly Wood: Yay! My cliffhangers return! Poor old Frodo- I never give him a break
MagicalRachel: Gimli torture...I can't see it becoming incredibly popular but you never know! Oh, I'm sorry that I'm such a sadist. I will try hard to be a good, kindly author. Yep, you guessed right. Angst all the way!
Vedgiegirl: Glad you like the story! I try and pack my suspense in with every page. I'm feeling like a warg...
Alatariel: Run, hobbits, run! Yeah, my soulmate! Lossa angst-y Frodo- perfect end to the day. *cringes under the lash* I'm writing, master!
~ Chapter Twenty-One ~
Legolas was still running. He did not know how long he had run but light was in the air now. The sun was up. But the wargs still pursued, their howls echoing in his ears. Even now, even as an elf, he was growing tired. His strides longer and slower. Gimli had not stirred and in the dawn, Legolas could see the dark patches of blood that stained his tunic.
"Oh, Gimli," he murmured. There was a growl right at his heels. Legolas tripped and fell head over heels, trying to curl his body round his friend to protect him. He lay very still as he heard the approach of heavy paws. Legolas held his breath. He felt the wet nudge of a nose and a low, menacing growl. Teeth brushed his shoulder and the elf winced. There was a loud bark right by his ear. Legolas knew that the warg was no longer fooled. He stumbled to his feet as the teeth came down where his head had been a moment before, with a snap that rung about the plain. A drumming filled the air. More wargs. It must be. They approached slowly, teeth bared, muscles tense. Their fur was black and dappled with light brown. Their faces were twisted like coils of flame, eyes like coals that burrowed through him.
Legolas had no where left to run. He was alone.
"Well, Gimli," he said bravely, "I am glad that it is with you that I should die."
The drumming was growing stronger and a cry went up far behind. He was surrounded. The wargs appeared to smile. The pack leader was almost upon them. Legolas prepared for the attack... closed his eyes and gripped the dwarf in his arms tight.
But the attack never came.
Something swooped overhead, giving a brief rush of hair. There was a whinny and a frenzy of barking. Legolas opened one eye. He saw four hooves positioned in front of him that suddenly rose up on two. A voice- a real voice- let rip a battlecry.
"Elendil!"
He watched in amazement as Aragorn leaped from the horse's back to the ground. Using only a small knife produced from his boot, the man swept round the wargs. They were mostly intimidated by the horse, who reared up and brought his diamond-hard hooves down into the earth with terrifying force. The blade cut through flesh and a squeal went up from the leader. The wargs fled back towards the mountains.
Aragorn waited until the enemy were long gone before he turned to examine Legolas. The elf was shaking and bending over Gimli, checking for any injury. The dwarf's breathing was slow and even but he would still wince on occasion. Aragorn knelt down.
"It's alright," he said softly, "You need not be afraid."
"Aragorn!" Legolas laughed, "Afraid? Of you?"
"Legolas! By all the stars..."
The man seemed too excited to speak. He got up then sat down again and beamed at his friend. "It has been too long," he said. He reached forward to embrace Legolas but he was stopped. Aragorn's face fell.
"Gimli..." he breathed, "What- what on earth happened?"
"There was a landslide in the mountains. Our horse rode away and then those wargs came. Aragorn, we truly owe you our lives."
There was a lot of pain in the man's face. He put a hand to his brow and let out a long and aggravated sigh. But then he shook his head and the smile lit his features once more.
"The news I tell you now will stun you beyond anything that has happened to you so far. But we must get Gimli onto Brégo first."
The companions gently lifted Gimli into the saddle. He groaned a little and his eyes flickered. Aragorn put his hands on his face.
"No fever has risen."
He carefully pressed the wound at the stomach, which elicited a short cry from the dwarf. He nodded, drawing back.
"Just physical injuries. They will heal on their own. When I reach the north, I will be able to give him something for the pain. Meanwhile, we must let him sleep- gather his strength. Now, Legolas, I will need you to support him. Up you get."
"North?" the elf asked in wonder as he climbed up to join his friend. "Why there? You are visiting Anor?"
Aragorn shook his head again and laughed.
"Patience, friend. We have much to speak of and a whole day to do it in." He pulled himself up by the reins and seated himself in front of his two comrades. "But for now, we will ride. On, Brégo! To the Shire!"
"The Shire!" Legolas exclaimed, "Aragorn, I no longer care what you say, you will tell me everything!"
--
Arwen was standing with Eowyn upon the battlements, gazing down to the city below them.
"I do not envy you, Lady Undomiel," the woman said after a while, "To be a queen."
"I am glad!" her friend laughed, "It is really quite unimaginably dull."
"I guessed that might be. I expect that Lord Arago- Elessar dislikes it just as much! Such a wild sort he was."
"And always will be. Sometimes, I just wish I could tether him down. He never stands still for a moment- always too full of life. I never thought that the title of King suited him at all."
The two of them laughed, then continued to watch the dawn break. After a long time of silence, Eowyn murmured,
"I just hope Frodo will calm him down somewhat."
Arwen frowned, her ageless face becoming stern and her shining eyes growing distant.
"I think Frodo will have many things to deal with. My lord Elessar should not have gone. It will bring back terrible memories for the Ringbearer. He will remember little enough."
"I do not believe that Ara- his highness will wish to distress Frodo. They were close friends," Eowyn said, looking at her carefully. Arwen glanced at her out the corner of her eye.
"Yes. That is what I mean."
~
Hmm. I don't know what I thought of that chapter. Sort of confusing...
Lil*bee: I know, I know, I've been tapping away all weekend! OK, I suppose you can now officially say that they are in a series. I'll probably bulk it out with the rest of my beloved AU's later
Holly Wood: Yay! My cliffhangers return! Poor old Frodo- I never give him a break
MagicalRachel: Gimli torture...I can't see it becoming incredibly popular but you never know! Oh, I'm sorry that I'm such a sadist. I will try hard to be a good, kindly author. Yep, you guessed right. Angst all the way!
Vedgiegirl: Glad you like the story! I try and pack my suspense in with every page. I'm feeling like a warg...
Alatariel: Run, hobbits, run! Yeah, my soulmate! Lossa angst-y Frodo- perfect end to the day. *cringes under the lash* I'm writing, master!
~ Chapter Twenty-One ~
Legolas was still running. He did not know how long he had run but light was in the air now. The sun was up. But the wargs still pursued, their howls echoing in his ears. Even now, even as an elf, he was growing tired. His strides longer and slower. Gimli had not stirred and in the dawn, Legolas could see the dark patches of blood that stained his tunic.
"Oh, Gimli," he murmured. There was a growl right at his heels. Legolas tripped and fell head over heels, trying to curl his body round his friend to protect him. He lay very still as he heard the approach of heavy paws. Legolas held his breath. He felt the wet nudge of a nose and a low, menacing growl. Teeth brushed his shoulder and the elf winced. There was a loud bark right by his ear. Legolas knew that the warg was no longer fooled. He stumbled to his feet as the teeth came down where his head had been a moment before, with a snap that rung about the plain. A drumming filled the air. More wargs. It must be. They approached slowly, teeth bared, muscles tense. Their fur was black and dappled with light brown. Their faces were twisted like coils of flame, eyes like coals that burrowed through him.
Legolas had no where left to run. He was alone.
"Well, Gimli," he said bravely, "I am glad that it is with you that I should die."
The drumming was growing stronger and a cry went up far behind. He was surrounded. The wargs appeared to smile. The pack leader was almost upon them. Legolas prepared for the attack... closed his eyes and gripped the dwarf in his arms tight.
But the attack never came.
Something swooped overhead, giving a brief rush of hair. There was a whinny and a frenzy of barking. Legolas opened one eye. He saw four hooves positioned in front of him that suddenly rose up on two. A voice- a real voice- let rip a battlecry.
"Elendil!"
He watched in amazement as Aragorn leaped from the horse's back to the ground. Using only a small knife produced from his boot, the man swept round the wargs. They were mostly intimidated by the horse, who reared up and brought his diamond-hard hooves down into the earth with terrifying force. The blade cut through flesh and a squeal went up from the leader. The wargs fled back towards the mountains.
Aragorn waited until the enemy were long gone before he turned to examine Legolas. The elf was shaking and bending over Gimli, checking for any injury. The dwarf's breathing was slow and even but he would still wince on occasion. Aragorn knelt down.
"It's alright," he said softly, "You need not be afraid."
"Aragorn!" Legolas laughed, "Afraid? Of you?"
"Legolas! By all the stars..."
The man seemed too excited to speak. He got up then sat down again and beamed at his friend. "It has been too long," he said. He reached forward to embrace Legolas but he was stopped. Aragorn's face fell.
"Gimli..." he breathed, "What- what on earth happened?"
"There was a landslide in the mountains. Our horse rode away and then those wargs came. Aragorn, we truly owe you our lives."
There was a lot of pain in the man's face. He put a hand to his brow and let out a long and aggravated sigh. But then he shook his head and the smile lit his features once more.
"The news I tell you now will stun you beyond anything that has happened to you so far. But we must get Gimli onto Brégo first."
The companions gently lifted Gimli into the saddle. He groaned a little and his eyes flickered. Aragorn put his hands on his face.
"No fever has risen."
He carefully pressed the wound at the stomach, which elicited a short cry from the dwarf. He nodded, drawing back.
"Just physical injuries. They will heal on their own. When I reach the north, I will be able to give him something for the pain. Meanwhile, we must let him sleep- gather his strength. Now, Legolas, I will need you to support him. Up you get."
"North?" the elf asked in wonder as he climbed up to join his friend. "Why there? You are visiting Anor?"
Aragorn shook his head again and laughed.
"Patience, friend. We have much to speak of and a whole day to do it in." He pulled himself up by the reins and seated himself in front of his two comrades. "But for now, we will ride. On, Brégo! To the Shire!"
"The Shire!" Legolas exclaimed, "Aragorn, I no longer care what you say, you will tell me everything!"
--
Arwen was standing with Eowyn upon the battlements, gazing down to the city below them.
"I do not envy you, Lady Undomiel," the woman said after a while, "To be a queen."
"I am glad!" her friend laughed, "It is really quite unimaginably dull."
"I guessed that might be. I expect that Lord Arago- Elessar dislikes it just as much! Such a wild sort he was."
"And always will be. Sometimes, I just wish I could tether him down. He never stands still for a moment- always too full of life. I never thought that the title of King suited him at all."
The two of them laughed, then continued to watch the dawn break. After a long time of silence, Eowyn murmured,
"I just hope Frodo will calm him down somewhat."
Arwen frowned, her ageless face becoming stern and her shining eyes growing distant.
"I think Frodo will have many things to deal with. My lord Elessar should not have gone. It will bring back terrible memories for the Ringbearer. He will remember little enough."
"I do not believe that Ara- his highness will wish to distress Frodo. They were close friends," Eowyn said, looking at her carefully. Arwen glanced at her out the corner of her eye.
"Yes. That is what I mean."
~
Hmm. I don't know what I thought of that chapter. Sort of confusing...
