Sarah, the everlasting-nuisance has arrived! May all tremble behind their keyboards. What long-winded nonsense will she spout today? ;D
Mariana Nimeneth: There, there, Lindamar was *meant* to be confusing! ;) No, I don't think we could have left Erynbenn behind even if we'd wanted to. As for your pleas on his behalf… *grimaces and sighs* I wish I could just tell you, but I can't. We made a no spoiler policy. :| *watches Mariana writhing in hysterics over giant flamingo* Maybe your mind should cut the vacation short after all… :P Yeah, we knew about Kemen! Generally we pick an English word, translate it into elvish, and if it sounds like a good name, we tack it to a character. In this case: Kemen was a farmer, so it seemed just right. ;) So, since your mind is on vacation… now your stomach is talking to you? *confused face* And yes: the strongest guards the tunnel. What? You really think it would sound nearly as exciting if we had the wimpiest guarding the tunnel? ;D Oh, and you ought to work for Nwelmai Reform International. I hear they have openings just now: too many volunteers eaten, or something. ;P Neat trick with the paper! You got one for protecting your keyboard from tears? (note: this is not intended as hint that there is angst ahead… although I think there might be some in these next few chapters somewhere.) ;)
Cassia: *tries to hide uncontrollable fit of laughter as Cassia tries to eject pleading bunnies from her lap* And I used to wonder how you and Sio came up with so many plots! I suppose I ought to be asked why your series hasn't already reached fic #47. ;P *cracks up over idea of Jaclyn, Jack's Mary-Sue daughter* What's more, your siblings sound freakily similar to mine… ;D What does 'lo siento' mean? (sorry, I'm the girl who gave up Spanish right after learning her nouns.) :P About Mora: I'm pleased that you're pleased! Really, seriously, Hannah and I have always liked Mora, always wanted to see more of him, and have, since inserting him in this fic, always been on pins and needles lest we misuse the guy! *whew* Yup, Aragorn is a handy guy to have along; their own personal Numenorean translator. ;D *hugs Cassia* Golly galoshes, girl! You have said you liked my landscape descriptions, my portrayal of Aragorn's leadership role, my chilling-ness, and my ability to make you jump! All combined that means I am currently floating a good four feet off the floor. Do you have any idea how hard it is to type up here?? ;D
Lady Sandry: Hm. I hadn't considered that little problem; Hannah and I are not exactly the kind of folks you can point to as pillars of sanity and reason either, and the whole fan fiction thing… Yeah, life is tough. ;) Oh, I really liked that line when and read it!! And don't worry: there are worse books to quote! ;D I am SOO pleased you noticed and liked Idhrin!! The poor guy was supposed to get a good deal more development, but somehow it seems he fell through the cracks until the end here… Glad he managed to put across his character in spite of us! :) *looks at the word 'subtlety' as if it were worth its weight in gold* To us, it is! :D LOL! Poor Pursued-Aragorn! Yes, he doesn't seem to get much of a break from the monster population of M.E., does he? :P *looks through cabinet of Anti-Angst Kits* Sure, here's another — though I don't think this next chapter is too bad. Still, better get one before the rush starts… :P
Hiro-tyre: It's okay if you missed a few chapters — just so long as you're not dead! ;D Glad we saved you from a wild-Lindamar chase through FotR! We were kind of surprised how many people got caught up in our little clues (because, of course, we knew all along what they were talking about), but we're glad you approve of the mystery's solution! We are ever so pleased that you approve of our Dúnedain!! We rather like them ourselves. ;) Yeah, Kemen does seem a bit like Kelegalen in some ways, doesn't he? If Kelegalen had been a Breeland farmer anyway. :) *dodges Hiro* EEP! Now you say we're going to kill Idhrin? *ducks another blow* IKE! :{ This is no Southron-chipped-gilded-spear-at 45 degree incline-three-foot-left-side-plantation fight. Oh. Good! I think… *wipes expression of 'what the heck?' from her face and hugs Hiro* Thankyouthankyou! You make the exhaustion of writing such scenes worth it! :D *makes a face* Actually, the Nwelmai's vitals are in places where most creatures keep them (head, throat, chest, etc.), but with the evil-dark-magic-whatcha-may-call-it thing going, they can't be killed even if you *do* slice their throats open. Discouraging, ain't it? *Aragorn and Legolas nod vigorously* Honestly, I don't think we researched what language the Numenoreans used exactly… I suppose, unless it was Sindarin, Legolas wouldn't be likely to understand it anyway (since he was a wood elf), but that'd be an interesting thing to look up! :)
Lurker_elf: Poor Cassia is being besieged by lock-picking bunnies at this very moment! We should suggest the Maglor one — who knows? ;D *spends a few seconds in giggles over new chapter title* Okay, where was I? Ah yes, 'Middle-Earthy'! I like that. :) *sniff* Friendship... Loyalty... That's what this series is all about. That and the insane amounts of angst and torture, of course. *grins like a shark* LOL! So true. *grins like a Nwelmai* Umm… *has a hard time getting over the image of Sauron doused like a candle under a sprinkler hose* Most villains do seem to favor dehydration, don't they? :P Another reader who likes Idhrin!! *squeezes Lurker* I only wish I could tell who exactly dies, but that falls under the 'Non-Humerous, Altogether Serious, Quite Spoiler-ish Clues' heading. :{ *blushes* Glad you approve of our battles! Even if you don't approve of some of the other things we do… *dashes off to put a trampoline under Lurker* Just in case! :) For the record: I feel your pain. On Cassia and Sio's fics, I *live* on a cliffie. Just ask Cassia: she put in flowers and a mailbox for me. :P
Maranwe: With 'shouted pointlessly' we were trying to imply that there was no where else TO run except 'this way'. After all, the other route was blocked by teeth… :P Yeah, it was supposed to be something like the Moria doors. We actually mentioned at an earlier point that the Witch-king hired black dwarves to build much of his tower for him, so it seemed logical they'd just go ahead and warp the good dwarves ideas. :) We happen to enjoy the cave jokes too! Though I guess that's kind of obvious, huh? :P
Belothien: Is that the only condition you'll accept for your silence? :| Yeah, mental pictures are dangerous things — especially where big Nwelmai are concerned. And this one is indeed big! ;D Yet another Idhrin lover!! *hugs Belothien* We really didn't want him to be overlooked. :) Unfortunately, the Nwelmai aren't actually attracted to the ring of Barahir but a ring that Kallomore has. Raane just got the two mixed up. *bangs head on table* We're going to have to come up with some new punishment for FF.Net. :{ Good thing your waterpolo trainer's name wasn't actually Willem! ;D
Suzi: *glances ruefully at Hannah/Siri, Cassia, and Sio* We do our best! ;D Some early retirement for Elrond might be good, but I'm trying to picture Aragorn, Legolas, and the twins down in Lothlorien and the only mental images I'm getting are of disaster… :O Thank you for the compliment on our writing flow! And I'll pardon your caffeine if you promise not to mix it with something else even more potent — like sugar, or whatnot. ;)
RainyDayz: *grins in delight at Rainy's reappearance, but promptly sighs in bewilderment* Fish paste?? Oh dear. ;D I was there! I was IN the cave with them and I couldn't see worth beans! We shall take that as a compliment! ;) *deftly deprives possibly dangerous reviewer of her weaponry* I'm afraid that, alas, Aragorn and Legolas don't get much recovery time in this fic. After the twins, we felt it would be anti-climactic to the point of being unappreciated — and if you're about to say that YOU would appreciate it (*winks knowingly*) then don't worry: we'll try to do some in the next fic. ;D
Oooooooh!! You are all so wonderful to us!! After posting chapter fourteen we wound up being gone all the rest of that day, so when we came home we had almost all of your feedback waiting for us — stacked up in Hannah's inbox like so many chocolate chip pancakes! Mmm. A great way to end our day!
Oh, and sorry we didn't post this yesterday like some of you requested. We'd meant to, but then we thought Cassia had posted the first chappy of Curse of Angmar and the *last* thing we wanted to do was swamp you for time by loading you with a second chapter to feedback in the same day. Only it turned out she had posted they day before yesterday, and has now posted again today, meaning that we have succeeded in creating the exact mess we were hoping to avoid!! AARGH! Hopefully, since Cassia's going to be gone for a few days, or whatnot, we'll get it all straightened out then. :} SO SORRY!
Now then, there seems to be a cliffy that people want fixed!
______________________________________________________________________________
Darkest Night
By Sarah and Hannah (Siri)
(disclaimers, explanations, and summaries
available at the top of chapter 1)
Chapter 15
The Nwelmai
On the two companions ran, up and in. Somehow, perhaps because they had injured it, they managed a short lead on the creature and they attempted to keep it. Rock slid away beneath them, shafts opened in front of them, but sheer desperation kept their balance and never did there seem to be more than one tunnel. Then, after what seemed miles of rocky passageways, the tunnel abruptly split, left and right.
"Aragorn, which—"
"Left," the ranger replied promptly, noting the way the right had been more evenly carved out, as if by orcs or humans, whereas the right had higher, domed ceilings, as if it had been an air pocket enlarged by the Nwelmai themselves instead of by their masters.
They were about to turn to the left when Aragorn paused, slit a piece of his tunic off and with a wince wiped it hastily across the wound above his ear before dropping it just within the right hand tunnel. Slitting another piece of tunic free, he wrapped it around his head to stem the bleeding as he ran.
"Do you think that will draw it away?" Legolas asked quietly, trying hard to run silently in spite of the loose stones.
"Not for long," Aragorn shook his head. "I can only hope it will delay it a few minutes at least before it realizes we are no longer in front of it. It is too clever to be fooled so simply."
It was after another half hour of running in silence without a breath of air stirring at their backs that Legolas again looked at his friend, "Where did it go?"
Aragorn's brow furrowed. "I don't know; I still cannot imagine it falling for so ridiculous a ruse, especially not for this long. It must still be behind us. Perhaps it is moving silently in hopes of sneaking in upon us."
It was an unnerving thought. The claustrophobia that Legolas had been holding at bay seemed to well up inside him. Forcefully, almost angrily, he struggled to contain it again. Nodding his head once hard, he caught a glimpse of something glittering in the ceiling above him. For only a second, he wondered at the thought of diamonds in such caves as these, and then he leapt forward reflexively. He nearly collided with his friend and Aragorn shot only a quick glance back at him before the elf pushed him sharply forward.
"Look out!"
Like a stone in weight, but more like a fetid waterfall, the Nwelmai pounced from the overhead tunnel way and screamed so loud their ears rang and dust fell from the ceiling. It seemed the right hand tunnel had been a short cut. Faster than lightening it sprang after them, hissing between glittering razor teeth and breathing in gusts they could feel rustling their hair.
Its claws snaked out and tangled with Aragorn's legs, bringing the human crashing to the ground. An eerie familiarity washed over Aragorn as the Nwelmai's front legs flipped him over and then pinned his shoulders to the ground. Its snout came within inches of his face, breathing death over him. Last time Elladan and Elrohir had saved him from this very predicament; now he had to survive to save them. Arching his lower back, he hooked his boot under the torch he had dropped and threw it up towards the creature's belly. The fur did not truly ignite, but embers caught in it and the stink of burned flesh filled Aragorn's nostrils as the Nwelmai jerked again. This time, however, it was apparently not surprised enough to let him free.
With a running leap, Legolas sailed into the air and landed upon the creature's massive back. It's steel muscles moved beneath him and the cloud of fear about it froze his fingers where he gripped its fur. Withdrawing his knives he plunged them in quick succession into the back of the creature's neck, not far above where his arrows still protruded. Plunging them in again, he hauled back hard on their ivory handles, dragging long slashes down the Nwelmai's shoulders. This time the creature leaped back, freeing its human prey accidentally as it tried to crane its neck and snap at the elf. Legolas had assumed it would try such a tactic and had shifted himself backwards out of reach.
Lancing fire like a brand upon his back reminded him suddenly of the tail.
Aragorn heard his friend cry out involuntarily and swung the Numenorean blade in an attempt to distract the Nwelmai from the elf clinging to it. Almost lazily, the creature snapped at him, its glittering eyes seeming to twinkle with mirth. In spite of all possible pain that had been inflicted upon it, Aragorn could almost feel its enjoyment washing over him. Somehow, it had never lost control of the human and the elf. It was playing with them.
Yelling a battle cry, Aragorn swung again at its snout and missed by a few inches as it sprang back like a cat. Its tail came whistling around to strike at his head, but while his first swing had missed, his back cut struck flesh. The jolt traveled up his arm and in the split second of silence before the shriek of rage, he felt a heavy thud on his boot as the severed tail claw fell. Instinctively, he dodged back away from the Nwelmai's rush.
With the tail now useless, Legolas again dug his knives in and dragged them out, occasionally hanging onto the imbedded knives' handles for balance when the creature turned a sharp corner in pursuit of Aragorn. Somehow, he had to make it halt again! After perhaps eight more stabs, the creature finally did halt, but a premonition of danger flooded the elf's senses as he felt the Nwelmai's muscles bunch beneath him.
From in front of the beast, Aragorn saw it first. "Legolas, jump!" he yelled, but too late.
The creature thrust itself straight up off the ground. Its back slammed against the tunnel ceiling, sending shockwaves through the rock and crushing the elf's body against the rough stones.
With his hands still laced into the Nwelmai's hide and his eyes turned toward its back, his face and chest were cushioned by the creature's flesh, but his head and back hit the ceiling hard enough that his grasp on consciousness slip wildly. His whole back throbbed dully in a way that assured him it would have hurt worse had his head not been ringing. He had to get off and quickly before the Nwelmai leapt again.
Rolling unsteadily to the side, he tried to twist his body so that he landed on his feet, but he miscalculated in his disorientation and crashed instead to his hands and knees. Ahead of him he could hear Aragorn yelling again, and the sounds of steel against claws and flesh connecting with flesh confused him. Clawed feet moved over and around him and he found himself dodging near blows as he tried to recover full grasp of his senses.
With a shallow swing, Aragorn struck a slicing blow across the beast's muzzle and it twisted away, seemingly running half way up the wall before turning in midair to land on all fours again. Before it could land, Aragorn caught his friend's elbow and hauled him to his feet and down the passage once again.
Using Aragorn's grasp as a reference in a world that was spinning too fast, Legolas soon managed to blink away the dizziness and turn his attention from seeing to running.
"It knows its way," Aragorn was saying, his voice labored as he ran. "We can't outrun it all the way to the tower, we'll have to—"
The elf didn't hear the last part because the tunnel opened out into a wide room, like another air pocket, and he automatically jerked his friend up against the wall so as to give the creature no time to come alongside them. With the tunnel no longer keeping it strictly at their backs, their situation suddenly became even more deadly than before.
The Nwelmai sprang into the room, its blackness billowing up high, expanding to fill the larger space. Aragorn had been right: before the pursuit had been almost a game. The beast had been confined for hundreds of years, its only role to remain within the tunnels and hold them against any foe, and the human and the elf were the only ones to ever attempt such a thing. Though the Dúnadan's blood was demanding a swift kill, the Nwelmai's own boredom had led it to allow them a certain leeway in the chase. Now its tail throbbed and bled behind it as it pursued them and its wroth burned high. The game had ended.
Aragorn watched in fascinated horror as the creature reared again and came around in front of them, blocking access to the dark opening opposite them that showed where the tunnel continued on. Its lashing tail spattered black blood across the ceiling. Running still, trying to get around the Nwelmai, Aragorn searched with half an eye for any other exits. There were none.
"Legolas, can you shoot at its eyes?" he called.
The elf did not answer, moving instead to draw his bow and string an arrow. There was a faint glitter, invisible to all but elven eyes, that seemed to mark where the weak torchlight reflected from jet black pupils. Drawing the arrow back to its full length he fired. The shot did not strike its target, for the beast moved its head, but it found a mark in the area of the Nwelmai's shoulder. The creature did not react.
"No," the elf shook his head, reaching out a hand to pull Aragorn down as the bloody, swinging tail lashed past them at head height.
In return, Aragorn shoved him to the right, throwing himself to the left as a clawed foot raked the stone between them. The creature had sprung, its fangs bared and dripping with blackness as if it had bitten something in its own mouth. Two more slashes separated them even further, and then Aragorn gave a startled gasp as a gap in the ground opened beneath him. It was not a deep crevice — only seven feet — but he was still holding the torch, and as he fell into the narrow space, the rest of the cave was plunged into near darkness.
Legolas' eyes burned bright as he moved quickly along, the beast still behind him. A dim orange glow issuing from the ground in the direction Aragorn had run was the only sign he had that his friend had not disappeared for good. There was the all too familiar sound of the beast lifting itself into a spring, and then the elf was brought up short as the Nwelmai landed a mere foot in front of him. Spinning about, he ran the other direction, only to be cut off again. The near invisibility of the creature in the dark made it impossible to tell where it was aiming next. He was too far below, and too close to the beast to aim accurately for anything vital.
The elf backed against the wall and felt the press of a stone edge against his spine. It sent pain slicing through the gash on his back, but without taking any more attention from his attacker than he could help, he ran a hand hastily up the outcrop. It was maybe nine inches wide, and that was wide enough.
The Nwelmai had drawn back for another spring. Running swiftly forward, the elf spun on his heel and ran straight back at the wall, leaping upwards and twisting in mid-air to land hard on the narrow ledge. For a man the feat would have been impossible. For an elf it was very nearly so. As he ran up the sloping track, it occasionally widened and occasionally dropped off all together. It took several nerve-wracking jumps to get him far enough up the wall for a bow shot to be feasible. Finding himself then at a place where the ledge jutted suddenly out into a short finger of rock, he braced his feet and drew an arrow.
In spite of the swiftness of his ascent, the beast had already come back once to take a ranging leap at him. It came up short, but it now knew where he was.
The wood elf took as careful aim as he could with no light, knowing he would have perhaps two shots before he was thrown from his perch. Letting the arrow free, he drew another and only then looked up to see whether his first shot had struck home. He blinked. He could no longer see the Nwelmai below him. He hastily searched, his aim following his gaze as he tried desperately to see into the blackness. Where was it? What was it preparing to do? He needed light… he needed the torch!
"Aragorn," he called desperately, "throw it here!"
Across the cavern Aragorn had finally hauled himself out of the rift and he drew his sword again, staring about before turning to retrieve the torch. The elf's incomplete request arrested him mid-motion and he left the torch behind as he ran to his friend's aid
There was a sibilant hiss from the direction of the floor. With a rush of horror, Legolas looked straight down and finally saw the Nwelmai crouched silently beneath him. His body reacted in spite of his frozen mind. Aiming the arrow down he let it fly at the back of the creature's skull— and then the Nwelmai twitched to the side, faster than even Legolas could track, and caught the arrow in its mouth. The shaft cracked in between the strong jaws. A glimmer of triumph flickered in the beast's eyes. Rearing again, it brought its front feet to rest on either side of the trapped elf and screamed one last time.
As Legolas reached for his knives and simultaneously felt the blast of the cry hammer into his sensitive ears, the Nwelmai jerked suddenly back. Legolas could hear his own blood flowing in his ears, but all else was silent as he stared ahead in bewilderment. The creature stood, balanced on its back legs, and opened and closed its mouth as if it were making sounds, though Legolas could not hear them. Its claws came up to tear at its own throat and at something sticking there, but the elf could not tell what it was. Then, with a crash that shook the walls, the beast fell over backwards and lay writhing.
Legolas braced himself against the cavern wall, trying to see a way down and wishing his hearing would return. If he called for Aragorn now, he would not hear any answer that might be given. He frowned down at his feet, wondering why the stone outcropping beneath him was still trembling when the Nwelmai had already been felled…
"Legolas! Get down from there!" Aragorn yelled again, wondering why his friend had not moved. The echoing sounds of stones cracking blasted around him like sharp bursts of thunder. The shock of the Nwelmai's fall seemed to be growing in intensity. In a moment, the whole cavern might drop itself inward on them.
With a rush, Legolas' hearing returned, bringing with it at last the ranger's warning, "— down from there! Jump!"
Trusting instinctively, the elf leapt from the wall, feeling the outcropping crack and drop away from beneath him as he jumped. It was a fair drop and Legolas rolled a short way before painfully coming to a stop against a large chunk of stone. He pushed himself upright and turned to run with his friend towards the far tunnel.
Aragorn paused only once, dodging in amongst the flailing limbs of the Nwelmai to haul his sword from its throat.
Running then even faster than when the creature had been pursuing them, they wove between the rocks now tumbling from the ceiling like rain and ducked into the protection of the tunnel. Even then they did not cease their flight. It was only when the echoes of the cave-in were becoming distant that Aragorn was at last forced to call a halt. With the torch deeply buried in the cavern behind them, the ranger sank onto a short boulder and gasped for breath in the blackness. His only way of determining that Legolas was still nearby was the elf's own quick breathing. They had not run far, but they had run hard.
"Is it dead, do you think?" Legolas whispered.
"No," Aragorn shook his head, the elf's keen hearing catching the sound of his hair brushing his shoulders. "Without some way to break the witchcraft that controls them, there is no way to slay them. After a while it would have recovered enough to pursue us, but hopefully the added help of the cavern falling in will hold it there for a few weeks at least."
The elf nodded in understanding. "Then we'd best press on before those weeks are up."
The human rose to his feet to signify his agreement, but paused as he felt his friend's hand on his shoulder. "Only one more question," Legolas gave a half smile which the ranger heard, though he could not see it. "How did your sword find its way to the Nwelmai's throat?"
Aragorn gave a shrug to match the elf's smile. "You told me to throw it."
After a quarter mile or more, the tunnel seemed to suddenly end. Aragorn reached out and touched the smooth dead end, his filthy hands finding a narrow seam in the stones. Bracing his feet, the Dúnadan pressed his palms on either side of the crack and pushed firmly outwards.
And with a crash, the two stone doors swung back.
TBC…
Hm. That didn't really fix the cliffie, did it…?