Love of thy Father (4?)
Note: Again sorry for my terrible spelling.
Disclaimer: See previous parts
To Rache (who will undoubtedly read this): Cliffhanging IS a competitive sport! If it were in the Olympics I'd be on the British team, lol.
Standard Threat: No Review, No chapters and I give Leggy a haircut...
Aragorn felt fit to growl when the messenger - one of Mirkwood's large spiders - was winding down. There had been a great deal of boasting, threatening and insults from it before it finally got to the point.
"It's a game, my...lords." the pause was enough to get it's thoughts across without the contemptuous tone "Merely a Game."
"What kind of game?" Legolas had demanded. Perhaps to the spider and even to Gimli he had seemed perfectly calm and reasonable, but not so to Aragorn. He spied the way the elf's hands shook slightly, the near imperceptible tightness around his mouth and dark eyes as hard and sharp as the tips of his arrows. Oh, Greenleaf was as angry as any of them but, the King of Gondor mused, Thranduil had taught his son well. Gimli on the other hand was quite visibly shaking with rage and his hands gripped the handle of his axe so hard that the dwarf's knuckles were quite white. He was silently snarling at the Spider too, but it ignored him. Thankfully. As for himself, Aragorn could not have said whether or not his anger was visible, but he could not recall feeling such a rage since the War of the Ring. He hoped he appeared as cool as Legolas did.
"A Game to see how well you love your children. If you can find them and defeat my Masters, you...Well if you do that, there won't be anyone who will stand against you at any rate. Your crowns are forfeit in addition to your children's lives."
There was silence for a few long moments before the Spider once again broke it with its almost shrieking hissing voice. "Your answer?"
"A bet! A bloody bet! You stupid ugly-" Gimli began, but was interrupted by both Legolas and Aragorn.
"Be silent Gimli."
"How are we meant to find them?" Aragorn continued, gratified that his voice was steady and that Legolas' glare at Gimli had silenced the dwarf. The last thing they wanted, they had decided, was for whoever this Ackler was to realise just how much they were affected. If he knew that then he would be able to manipulate them, they were certain of that.
"A riddle."
"Let us hear it."
"Past the flowing river hobbit wide, Mountain mist, Woodland dark, in the Darkened Fortress they hide. There should they die, forever in thrall shall they abide."
The creature looked unspeakably pleased with itself when it finished, and even more so perhaps for the flashes of confusion on the faces of Dwarf, Man and Elf alike.
"Tell your Master that we accept your terms." Legolas intoned after a nod from Aragorn and fierce growl from Gimli that might have been 'bloody spiders' or 'tare their hides off', either way the Elf interpreted it as a positive response. "Go, quickly, before I change my mind and turn you into the newest spider shaped pin cushion in Mirkwood."
It scuttled away before his hand had even reached his bow.
Gertol was a grumpy know it all, Orcs smelled and Alleria too nosy for her own good, Lothlorn decided from the confines of his self-induced haze. The two girls had been spouting drivel for the past hour and if they did not shut up soon he would be forced to knock his friends out. The orcs were making them walk today, chained together and in turn chained to a horse. It did not help matters that they now had to walk blindfolded. He tuned back into their current conversation. About their fathers. Again.
"...do you think they'd have gone there Alleria? My da' would be more likely to go charging in I'm sure."
"Of course they would! Father's always on about how there's no decent trackers in Gondor, and nothing to track besides. He'd head straight for Mirkwood, your father too. King Legolas is his best friend, so of course he'd go there for help!"
"Well, it makes sense, I suppose. I just hope they get here before we end up orc 'sup."
"They won't kill us." Lothlorn said, quietly but firmly. He turned his head in the general direction of his two friends.
"How d'ye know?"
Lothlorn smiled a fatalistic smile and rolled his shoulders, knowing that they couldn't see the shrug. "We're not dead yet."
The one known as Ackler grinned. Oh how easily the Sons of Oropher bent under doubt and rage! They ever had been fools, though dangerous ones. Indeed yes. He looked either side of him at his weaker companions in Lob and Hersh, each of whom had their own grievances toward either Gimli or Aragorn. For himself he intended to have the Elven King's head on a spear. Aye, and put there by his own beloved son too.
Perchance he should begin his 'adoption' of the young Lothlorn this eve... The orcs dropped a pace behind as a mad cackling laugh suddenly escaped their leader.