Chapter 7
Nightmare
The wind slapped them hard from the left along with the icy chill of the wind. Estel squinted and grit his teeth. His exposed face and hands felt numb and sore. The bedroll and food bundles were soaked and weighed him down. His cloak was glued to him and the wetness penetrated his tunic. He knew that he and Arwen were traveling extremely slow and at a great risk. Lightening struck to the west and thunder rolled to their ears, but there was no sign of relief to the east where the storm blew in from. He lead the way and Arwen was close behind. She wore a long cloak over her dress the flapped in the gusts of wind that caught it.
Estel tripped once and landed facedown in a puddle. He pulled his head up as a retched stink filled his nose. Lightening flashed and lit up something before him. His eyes widened to see a swamp that stretched the distance of the shallow gully.
'We went the wrong way!' he yelled to Arwen. 'We can't weather the storm! We have to wait it out!' Arwen nodded and the turned towards the slope where outcroppings of stone would give them a small shelter.
Estel fell against the boulder and gasped for breath. He felt himself shivering violently. Arwen collapsed beside him and dropped her bag. Estel turned on his side and went through a violent coughing spasm. Arwen gently touched his shoulder.
'Do you still have the sword?' she asked. Her voice showed she was clearly exhausted. Estel nodded and reached in his tunic pocket. He pulled out the slick crystal figurine she had given him. He suddenly felt full of warmth and strength. He turned onto his back and stared at it.
'What is this?' he asked. Arwen carefully took it from him and felt the same restoration as Estel.
'I carved this while in Lorien.' she said. 'The crystal was from the caves in the Misty Mountains. I cut it while thinking about my father and brothers. I don't know how, but it was somehow filled with an elvish power. It always worked. It's part of the reason most of father's treatment work. The crystal kept them alive long enough for him to help them. He told me that I could give it to whoever I wish since it was mine.' she gently pressed it back into Estel's palm. 'I chose you.' Estel stared into her glittering eyes. He felt suddenly full of desire and compassion. His heart lifted and his eyes twinkled. He felt warm all over, and he knew it wasn't from the crystal. 'We better get some sleep.' she said. Estel blinked.
'Yeah. We should.' he didn't bother unrolling the bedroll since he knew it was soaked. He used it as a pillow and began to drift. His mind was racked with thoughts about Elrohir and how he thought he should be at Rivendell with him.
'He's dead.' Elladan said to him in a low, toneless voice. 'He tried to hold on till you got here, but you were too late.' He could see Elladan's sorrowful, angry eyes. They suddenly changed to Elrond's brightly colored irises.
'You handled him too roughly.' he said. 'You should have come here slowly and smoothly instead of hurrying. He died hoping his prayers to see you one last time would come true.' Estel felt a heavy weight of guilt dam up inside him. Then, he saw Elrohir's cold, pale face. The eyes were gently shut and his lips cracked. A stench overcame him that made him gag. He began to choke on it and cough up his lungs. He fell by the coffin, clutching his throat and fading slowly.
'Ah!' Estel sat straight up. The wind gently touched his face along with the sharp smell of the rain. He felt strangely drier then he had before. The storm had passed. There was no thunder and the downpour had stopped. Estel could see the form of Arwen sleeping beside him. She stirred slightly and sighed. Estel looked around.
He was still in the gully and the marsh was still sitting where it had before. A heavy mist clogged his vision. There was a strange smell to it. He took a great smell and felt goose bumps rise on his arms.
'Estel...' he thought Arwen had said something to him, but the source of the familiar voice was coming from the swamp. He stared out among the patches of reeds and mud. 'Come here, Estel.' Estel stood.
'Is someone out there?' he called. He took several steps forward.
'Estel, we need your help!' Estel's eyes widened. He had suddenly placed the voice, or voices. They were so alike that it was difficult to realize there was more then one person in there.
'Elladan! Elrohir!' He burst into a run towards the swamp. The steaming waters splashed over his trousers and boots. He could feel the mud sucking his feet down. The mist hovered around him and made the air dank. 'Where are you?'
'Over here!' Estel followed the voice, but it only seemed farther and farther away. 'Please! We need your help!' that was Elrohir. They must've journeyed into the swamp and got stuck somewhere. He squinted into the mist.
'I can't find you!' he cried.
'Please! You have to help us!' It seemed to be coming from a completely different direction now. Estel turned around.
Before him was a mangled shape. There were strings of vapor for hair and glowing black eyes. The mouth was a sucking hole with sharp teeth. The lips shriveled inward in several wrinkled folds. The skin was decayed and falling from the skull. A hand reached up with long, yellowed fingernails.
Before Estel could issue a cry for help, the hand closed over his face and he fell into the swamp.
.
.
Next chapter has the most Estel Torment you'll see.
Nightmare
The wind slapped them hard from the left along with the icy chill of the wind. Estel squinted and grit his teeth. His exposed face and hands felt numb and sore. The bedroll and food bundles were soaked and weighed him down. His cloak was glued to him and the wetness penetrated his tunic. He knew that he and Arwen were traveling extremely slow and at a great risk. Lightening struck to the west and thunder rolled to their ears, but there was no sign of relief to the east where the storm blew in from. He lead the way and Arwen was close behind. She wore a long cloak over her dress the flapped in the gusts of wind that caught it.
Estel tripped once and landed facedown in a puddle. He pulled his head up as a retched stink filled his nose. Lightening flashed and lit up something before him. His eyes widened to see a swamp that stretched the distance of the shallow gully.
'We went the wrong way!' he yelled to Arwen. 'We can't weather the storm! We have to wait it out!' Arwen nodded and the turned towards the slope where outcroppings of stone would give them a small shelter.
Estel fell against the boulder and gasped for breath. He felt himself shivering violently. Arwen collapsed beside him and dropped her bag. Estel turned on his side and went through a violent coughing spasm. Arwen gently touched his shoulder.
'Do you still have the sword?' she asked. Her voice showed she was clearly exhausted. Estel nodded and reached in his tunic pocket. He pulled out the slick crystal figurine she had given him. He suddenly felt full of warmth and strength. He turned onto his back and stared at it.
'What is this?' he asked. Arwen carefully took it from him and felt the same restoration as Estel.
'I carved this while in Lorien.' she said. 'The crystal was from the caves in the Misty Mountains. I cut it while thinking about my father and brothers. I don't know how, but it was somehow filled with an elvish power. It always worked. It's part of the reason most of father's treatment work. The crystal kept them alive long enough for him to help them. He told me that I could give it to whoever I wish since it was mine.' she gently pressed it back into Estel's palm. 'I chose you.' Estel stared into her glittering eyes. He felt suddenly full of desire and compassion. His heart lifted and his eyes twinkled. He felt warm all over, and he knew it wasn't from the crystal. 'We better get some sleep.' she said. Estel blinked.
'Yeah. We should.' he didn't bother unrolling the bedroll since he knew it was soaked. He used it as a pillow and began to drift. His mind was racked with thoughts about Elrohir and how he thought he should be at Rivendell with him.
'He's dead.' Elladan said to him in a low, toneless voice. 'He tried to hold on till you got here, but you were too late.' He could see Elladan's sorrowful, angry eyes. They suddenly changed to Elrond's brightly colored irises.
'You handled him too roughly.' he said. 'You should have come here slowly and smoothly instead of hurrying. He died hoping his prayers to see you one last time would come true.' Estel felt a heavy weight of guilt dam up inside him. Then, he saw Elrohir's cold, pale face. The eyes were gently shut and his lips cracked. A stench overcame him that made him gag. He began to choke on it and cough up his lungs. He fell by the coffin, clutching his throat and fading slowly.
'Ah!' Estel sat straight up. The wind gently touched his face along with the sharp smell of the rain. He felt strangely drier then he had before. The storm had passed. There was no thunder and the downpour had stopped. Estel could see the form of Arwen sleeping beside him. She stirred slightly and sighed. Estel looked around.
He was still in the gully and the marsh was still sitting where it had before. A heavy mist clogged his vision. There was a strange smell to it. He took a great smell and felt goose bumps rise on his arms.
'Estel...' he thought Arwen had said something to him, but the source of the familiar voice was coming from the swamp. He stared out among the patches of reeds and mud. 'Come here, Estel.' Estel stood.
'Is someone out there?' he called. He took several steps forward.
'Estel, we need your help!' Estel's eyes widened. He had suddenly placed the voice, or voices. They were so alike that it was difficult to realize there was more then one person in there.
'Elladan! Elrohir!' He burst into a run towards the swamp. The steaming waters splashed over his trousers and boots. He could feel the mud sucking his feet down. The mist hovered around him and made the air dank. 'Where are you?'
'Over here!' Estel followed the voice, but it only seemed farther and farther away. 'Please! We need your help!' that was Elrohir. They must've journeyed into the swamp and got stuck somewhere. He squinted into the mist.
'I can't find you!' he cried.
'Please! You have to help us!' It seemed to be coming from a completely different direction now. Estel turned around.
Before him was a mangled shape. There were strings of vapor for hair and glowing black eyes. The mouth was a sucking hole with sharp teeth. The lips shriveled inward in several wrinkled folds. The skin was decayed and falling from the skull. A hand reached up with long, yellowed fingernails.
Before Estel could issue a cry for help, the hand closed over his face and he fell into the swamp.
.
.
Next chapter has the most Estel Torment you'll see.