Both Fang and Fire

by Erestor


Disclaimer: I own nothing pertaining to Lord of the Rings. All the Elves, Men, Hobbits and Dwarves belong to Tolkien. All the dogs and most of the horses belong to me. All mistakes are my own unless I can find someone else to blame them on.

CHAPTER NINE

"Erestor!" Glorfindel gasped out as he dashed towards to the injured Elf. Carca only felt a dropping sensation, worse than the time when she had fallen down a pothole. This time she was scared.

"It was that. . .spider," Erestor whispered, his eyes turning towards a huge dead monster of an arachnid. "I got it though. . .It made a mess. . .of my arm."

Glorfindel bit his lip nervously. "I'm not a healer, Erestor. I'll do my best."

Erestor's eyes were fogging over. "Legolas, do you know how to treat these wounds?" asked Glorfindel, almost frantically. But not quite. Glorfindel was never frantic.

"Yes," Legolas replied. "You can't let the venom spread."

Carca heard a rustling sound in the trees above her.

"Am I. . . going to. . .die?" asked Erestor, his dilated eyes frightened.

"No," said Glorfindel. "The venom may put you to sleep, but it will not kill you."

"Put to sleep?" Carca thought. All the dogs that she had heard of had died when put to sleep. Maybe it was different for Elves. Suddenly she whirled around. She was sure that there was something threatening nearby. In Mirkwood, that wouldn't surprise her.

Legolas had several bandages his pack. He pulled some out and bound them tightly round the top of Erestor's arm. Then he checked the wound. It was a long jagged gash, beginning to turn a little black with the poison. Even as he worked, the advisor's eyes closed and his breathing became deeper, though still shaky.

"It's serious," Legolas said softly, "but it still won't kill him. Truly these spiders are becoming more dangerous."

Glorfindel poured some of his drinking water onto a bit of cloth and began to clean the wound. "This will delay our return. How long will he sleep?"

"Maybe a day or so. For some Elves it is not so bad. For some Elves it is worse," Legolas shrugged. "He will have a headache when he wakens though."

A spider leapt out the trees, clicking menacingly.

Legolas jumped backwards in one graceful movement, avoiding the spider's sharp sting. Glorfindel dragged his unconscious friend away, reaching for his sword. Carca was barking uselessly, trying to scare it. It looked bigger than the other ones. Perlomë panicked as the spider neared him. His eyes rolled and he reared and stamped, snorting with terror.

Glorfindel turned to see another spider in the act of pulling Erestor into the bushes. He stabbed it angrily, kicking its body away before its blood could stain Erestor's clothes.

Carca finished killing a spider and glanced around anxiously just in time to duck out of the way of another arachnid. Legolas was about to sheath his knife when a fourth spider lowered itself slowly down behind him.

"Look out!" screamed Carca's mind. Legolas did not understand her, of course, but Glorfindel did. He severed the spider's webbing from the branches and it dropped to the ground, bouncing off the earth and onto its feet easily. It latched itself onto Legolas's boot. Glorfindel was afraid to chop the spider so securely fastened to his friend, but Carca did not need to worry about things like that. She pounced on the spider savagely, and it let go. She worried it with her nose until it tried to retaliate, and then Legolas chopped it in half. Carca panted with relief. That had been touch and go.

Glorfindel flashed the dog a smile before gently pulling the limp Erestor unto Asfaloth and turned to Perlomë, Erestor's horse, who had finally calmed. Carca could hear his silent thoughts.

"Your rider is injured, Perlomë. You must follow me instead." "Yes, my lord," replied the horse. Glorfindel turned to Carca.

"Do not worry," he commanded. "Erestor will be all right. We must get to Imladris quickly."

.

Glorfindel and Legolas rode swiftly after that, Carca running alongside them. Sometimes she got very tired, but most of the time the clean pollution-free air kept her going. And her fear for Erestor.

Sometime the second day, Erestor woke up. His head was terribly sore and he felt stiff and uncomfortable.

"Don't worry," Glorfindel said softly. "I have you. You will not fall."

"What happened?" asked Erestor.

"You were bitten," Glorfindel replied, "by an enormous spider. But you killed it. Do you remember?"

"I do now," Erestor answered. "It was very big indeed."

"You were brave."

"Am I getting in the way?"

"What did I say about that? You are not a burden at all. I did not mind carrying you."

"I will ride Perlomë now."

"Do you feel able to do that?"

"Yes. Thank you very much, Glorfindel," Erestor said.

"You're welcome," Glorfindel said, halting Asfaloth and helping his friend down.

.

They entered Imladris triumphantly on the twelfth of December, according to Carca's mental calculations. The Elves did not use the same calender she had been accustomed to. Erestor was still very pale after his injury, but apart from that, well recovered. Lord Elrond met them.

"I will be part of the Fellowship, Lord Elrond," said Legolas softly, "if you still ask it of me."

"I do, if you truly wish to be a part of the endeavor," Elrond replied. He was a kind, tall Elf, very handsome, Carca thought. After a few greetings were exchanged, the Elf-Lord asked, "Have you seen my sons or had word from them?"

"No," Glorfindel shook his head. "They have not returned?"

"They have not. I fear that they have run into trouble," Elrond said. "It would be very like them."

"They will come back soon, I am sure," Glorfindel said. "Sometimes the Dúnadain are hard to find."

"Perhaps that is it," Elrond answered dubiously. "I hope so."

.

The next day, several horses clattered into the courtyard of Imladris. Elladan dismounted, followed by Estel and Elrohir. Carca was barking from where she stood along the pathway.

Erestor hurried down to meet them. "Are you hurt?" he asked. "What happened?"

"Orcs," replied Elrohir, his hard grey eyes flashing sparks. "And wargs."

"We ran into a little trouble. None of us were wounded though," Elladan answered. "Badly," he added. "A few cuts and bruises of course. Nothing serious."

"Thank the Valar," Erestor murmured gratefully.

Glorfindel dashed down the steps as well. "Where is Gath?" he demanded.

Estel sighed sadly. "He is gone."

"Dead?" asked Glorfindel levelly.

"No, but I wish he were. He has the Madness," Elladan said.

A shudder went through the golden haired Elf, but his voice was very controlled. "Oh," he said. And then, "You did not kill him?"

"We could not. He ran away after being bitten by a warg. We did not know he had been infected," said Elrohir. "I'm sorry."

Carca turned sorrowfully away. Her heart was breaking.

.

That night, Gath returned to Imladris.

Carca sensed him before Erestor did. She felt the stir he caused. She heard his howls before the Elf. She knew she would never forget the sound of a dog stricken with the Madness.

She ran swiftly to the courtyard, only to be halted by Erestor, who had bounded along behind just as quickly. "Don't go near him," the advisor whispered.

Carca had already frozen staring at the writhing form in the courtyard. Gath was twisting and turning, foaming at the mouth, and panting horribly. "He is mad," she realized. "He has rabies."

Suddenly Glorfindel had entered the courtyard as well, a silent bright figure surrounded by shadows. Erestor ran to the Elf's side. "Do not go near your dog!" he cried. "The Madness will kill you! It does horrible things to Elves."

Glorfindel shook his head. "Gath will not bite me," he said.

Carca remembered that she had had her rabies shot. The dog could not infect her either. Her every instinct told her to keep away, but she could not. But somehow she sensed that Glorfindel was the one who should stay away. Elves were very much at one with nature, (silly as it sounded) and she figured that rabies would ravage them horribly. She did not want that to happen to Glorfindel.

"Gath," she thought, "are you all right?"

He howled. Carca shivered. "Can you think straight?" she asked.

"I want to die," came his one clear thought amid a jumble of pain. "Let Glorfindel kill me quickly. Please!"

Glorfindel took another step towards his dog. Erestor might have followed, but he looked very afraid. Carca leapt between the mad dog and the Elf.

"Don't touch him, Glorfindel!" she thought frantically. "The Madness would kill you. You must kill him."

Glorfindel nodded. "Tell Gath I'm sorry," he thought.

"He will do it, Gath, he will do it."

The sane part of Gath's mind would welcome oblivion, but the rabies made him act differently. The dog half-jumped away, snarling, foam trickling down his once well-groomed face. Glorfindel unsheathed his sword slowly and Carca wondered why he still had it with him.

"Gath," she thought, "I love you." Then she turned and raced back into Imladris as fast as she could, trying desperately to shut off her mind from his last thoughts.

"I love you, Carca," she heard him think back and then she felt an emptiness in her head. He was dead then. Glorfindel had killed him.

.

Erestor came back to his room a few minutes later, walking slowly and thoughtfully. He gently stroked Carca's head. "I'm sorry, Carca," he said quietly. "I'm sorry he had to die."

Carca curled miserably in a corner, her head resting on her paws. If Gath had been allowed to roam Imladris, many Elves might have been infected. That would have meant that many Elves would have died horrible deaths later. She was glad that had not happened. She was glad that Glorfindel had possessed enough common sense to kill his beloved dog. She was glad that she had not had to watch. But the rest of her was very, very sad. Gath had been wonderful, and though at first he had been annoying, she had grown to love him.

"He was too much like Glorfindel for his own good," she thought. "How I loved him."

.

Arwen sat in her room, choosing thread for her new task. She would be sewing a banner and she needed to get to work. Erestor entered suddenly.

"Something is wrong with Carca, Lady Arwen," he said quickly.

Arwen stood. "Carca, the dog?" she asked. "Why are you asking me? Do you think I could be of service?"

"Yes," Erestor said. "I knew that you are a healer. And you have always loved animals. . ."

Arwen smiled. "I will go and examine your dog."

.

A few minutes later, Arwen looked up at Erestor with a grin, quite unlike the serious Elf the advisor had usually seen. "My dear Erestor, Carca is going to be a mother soon. She has been pregnant for some time now. Maybe about two or three weeks. You did not realize until now?"

Erestor sat down on his bed, completely stunned. "Children?"

"Puppies," said Arwen.

Carca looked up at Erestor with a half-smile. She could have told Erestor that herself. . .if she had been able to speak to him. She lay carefully on her side, and planned what brave dog-names she would give her puppies.

Gath's puppies.

TBC