A/N: I'm terribly sorry for the delay before posting this chapter. I had to prepare my moving out, so my computer has been in boxes for a few days (quite literally), add to that a slight writer's block and a few friends coming back to homeland, and you get that kind of delay. Anyway, I'd like to warmly thank my reviewers again. It's really great to know you enjoy this story, and I find it being a great motivation for me.
I won't delay any further, so here is the new chapter.

Chapter 5:
Friendships and Losses


Several days passed by without much trouble. During all the journey they had followed Anduin river northward, and many times had Aragorn wondered if the creature knew where it was going. Did it have a specific destination or was it just walking aimlessly?

West of them was Fangorn, north laid the Golden Forest, while north-east and beyond the river the south of Mirkwood could be found. All three forests were approximately at the same distance from where they were now, but the creature seemed decided to go north though, and Aragorn tried to guess what it could be seeking there.

The elven realm of Lorien? Since Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn left their lands for Aman, the realm was slowly fading, and there no more was much to find there. If it really was power that the creature was looking for like Crireth had suggested it would probably not acquire it there. Maybe he had to look farther north. The Lonely Mountains, Mirkwood? No matter what the creature's destination was if it had one, as long as they would not know what it was searching they would not be able to foresee the way to follow.

During the last days, they had only crossed the path of a group of Orcs, but had had no problem to subdue them. Since the fall of both Sauron and Saruman, Orcs were no longer united to obey a master and were now organized in less large companies, easier to hunt down. The travelers endured no losses, only a few light wounds. On that occasion, the Noreans showed their knowledge about healing, though Aragorn's would have been largely sufficient. But the King of Gondor was glad to see they were healers indeed, comforting him in thinking they had told the truth in the first place.

There were still a few tensions between Aragorn's soldiers and the Noreans, but their relationships were definitely improving. Nonetheless, Gimli still showed his distrust, which was not really surprising for one who knew the Dwarf's stubbornness.

On their part, the Noreans were beginning to show serious signs of fatigue. Two nights out of three they had to keep watch, and despite the turnover they could not get as much sleep as they needed. But now they were drawing really close to the creature, they could not allow themselves a single night of inattention…

* * * * *


It snorted, still walking forward. Stupid humans. Following it had been foolish of them. They might know where it was, thanks to its host's abilities it knew exactly where its pursuers were as well. And it knew they were getting closer.

It should have killed them all before leaving.

It hated them so much. Those grotesque beings, always having to feed and to sleep, it thought, cursing the incompetence of its host. The latter was hungry and exhausted, but the few stops it had allowed to content its human host's needs exasperated it.

It needed a new host. More tough. More powerful.

As it heard noise around it, it smirked. Now that was getting interesting… It stayed still, exposing its host without cover, looking round as Orcs came out of bushes and quickly circled him.

"Look who is here…" one of the foul creatures hissed, probably their leader. "A man wandering alone…" he added, slowly and cockily stepping towards the Norean. The Orc unsheathed his sword with unconcealed delight. "This is going to be a real feast…"

As soon as he had finished his sentence, the young man threw his arm out in front and laid a hand on the other's shoulder, a smirk on his face.

The Orc stared at the hand, ire flashing in his eyes. He growled in anger, showing his sharp teeth, and cast the darkest look to the man, meeting his eyes and lifting his sword. As he was about to strike, the Orc suddenly froze, staring at the man as if hypnotized.

After no more than two seconds and before his fellows could finish unsheathing their own swords to take care of the impudent, the Orc leader seemed to regain consciousness as in a harsh movement he pushed the man away, making him fall back.

The Norean looked up, dazed, observing his surroundings as if he was seeing them for the first time. The sight of the many unfriendly warriors circling him brought panic upon his face.

The Orc looked at his fellows around him. "Kill him," he ordered coldly, taking a step backward.

With horror in his eyes, the young man watched defenseless as Orcs rushed towards him, while their leader enjoyed the vision, a smirk appearing on his lips.

This new host was so much more convenient… At least for the time being…

* * * * *


All three Noreans suddenly stopped at the exact same moment with faraway looks. Gimli, walking right behind Qeladon, almost collided with the old man. Aragorn, leading the way, immediately turned back when Crireth no longer was at his side. The soldiers of Gondor looked at them warily while the trio exchanged worried glances.

"What is going on?" Aragorn asked, voicing everyone's silent question.

Crireth turned to face him and sighed. "I fear we might have a problem." He paused, hesitant. "Ederis is dead."

Rumblings rose among the soldiers. The host was dead? What did that mean then? That the creature was dead too?

"Maybe he is not," Cindra protested rather vehemently. "Maybe he just –"

"Cindra," her father interrupted, "you felt him fade as I did. Probably even better than I did."

"There might be another explanation. With this mind-controlling creature's tricks we can not be sure about –"

"You know it is the only possible meaning," Crireth interrupted once more but with irritation this time, insisting more strongly.

His daughter took a step toward him. "I refuse to believe he is dead, and I will not give up all hope until I see his dead body!"

"Look, I know he was your friend, but keeping any hope would be foolish of you. Ederis is dead," Crireth concluded, emphasizing the last word.

Sentence after sentence the tone rose, the tension between father and daughter almost palpable. It reached a height when the young woman coldly answered something in her own language, and the bitterness in her voice made it obvious they were no tender words.

At the sight of Crireth's outraged expression, no one around dared ask her to speak in Westron, and actually most of the persons witnessing the argument even wished them to go on in Norean.

"May I remind you," Crireth began calmly but as coldly as his daughter had talked to him, "that I am your father and the chief of your clan. And as such I await that you show the respect you owe me!"

"I will show you the respect you think you deserve when you –"

"Peace, my children," Qeladon quickly interrupted to everyone's relief, stepping between them. "This is an ill moment for that kind of quarrel. We have important concerns that require our full attention."

Aragorn stepped towards the group as well. While he could guess they were dealing with personal issues that were none of his business, he could not let them fight like that. They needed to remain united no matter the problems. "Whatever is the reason behind your disagreement," he began, "may I suggest that you keep it for a more suitable moment and place?" Aragorn knew his words to be a bit harsh, but he had no other choice. No matter what those Noreans had been through of late, he had to make sure the message got through. Aragorn was not sure what was exactly going on between father and daughter, but they would have to keep it aside for the time being.

Crireth took a few deep breaths and rapidly calmed down. He nodded. "You are both right. We have no time for this. Please accept my apologies for allowing that to happen," he said, looking mainly at Aragorn. When he turned his gaze to his daughter, she stubbornly averted her eyes.

An awkward and embarrassed silence settled, while Aragorn gave a look at the sun approaching the skyline. "We should set up a campfire," he simply said as if naught had happened.

* * * * *


The whole area around the campfire was uncomfortably silent. The violent dispute between the two Noreans had spread an ill ambiance that had lasted until nightfall. Even Gimli and Legolas had not dared start an argument of their own, even if between the two of them it was naught but a game.

As for Legolas, he was really worried by that quarrel. First of all, any kind of dissension could become extremely harmful to their association. If the creature had survived to its host, it was now dangerously close, and it was a bad moment to divide the few forces they had. Also, never would he have dared stand up to his own father like Cindra had, and he feared that the real issue between the two of them laid much deeper than what met the eyes.

On the opposite side of the fire, Aragorn sat near the Norean clan's chief. "Crireth…" he said with a formal nod.

"My Lord…" the other man answered, mirroring the King's nod.

Aragorn hesitated a few seconds before talking. It was none of his business. Yet in a way it was. "Crireth, do you feel there is anything I should know before we continue this journey?"

Crireth laid a puzzled look on him. "I am afraid I do not understand, my Lord."

"What happened with your daughter. We can not allow that to happen again."

"I know, my Lord. It will not. Cindra's reaction was only due to grief or exhaustion. Or most probably both. We have all been through a lot lately. There is no need to worry about what she said."

Aragorn kept a scrutinizing look on the Norean. He was right, the young woman would probably not have reacted the same way had she not endured all those tiring night watches. But that could not be the only reason. "Allow me to ask you that question again. Is there anything I should know?"

Crireth answered with a hint of irritation in his voice. "Nothing that would endanger anyone here, if that is what you are wondering."

"Crireth, anything that can provoke any kind of tension can potentially endanger someone. We are dealing with a mind-controlling creature here. We have to trust each other. I am responsible for everyone's safety here, and if something can put it at stake I should know about it."

The Norean sighed. "You are right. I should tell you. The origin of our argument might come from the fact that I never was very fond of Ederis."

Aragorn stared at the other man. "Said you not he was a good man?"

"I did. But I never said I appreciated him." He paused. "The reasons are various and personal, and if you do not mind I do not wish to talk about that."

Aragorn nodded. It was not necessary to go through those details.

"All that you might need to know is that his friendship with Cindra has always been a source of tension between my daughter and I. She probably thought I never intended to find Ederis alive. But do not worry, King Elessar. I know my daughter. She will come over it soon enough."

Aragorn frowned. "She is impulsive," he stated.

"She is young. She will learn." The Norean sighed. "But I am afraid our presence is no longer much needed as we are not able to help you locate the creature any more, and we are now more of a burden in this quest. Ederis is dead, King Elessar. Cindra might refuse to acknowledge it, but he is. And with him dead, we have no way to know where the creature is."

"Do not despair, Crireth. You will lead us to the last place Ederis was, and we will try to find out what happened. Maybe we will discover clues about the fate of the creature."

"May you be right, King Elessar. But I fear we have already irremediably lost its track."

* * * * *


They were so close to where the creature had been that before the end of the next day they reached their destination. They came across a recent campfire, established in a clearing near the river.

Aragorn knelt near the remains of the fire, taking a handful of ashes. "The ashes are still hot. They were here last night." His gaze wandered around, examining the ground carefully. "Thirty to forty Orcs rested here," he added. A detail suddenly caught his attention and he walked there, careful to not destroy any clue on his way.

Everybody around watched him expectantly, knowing he might be the only one to be able to give a meaning to all those indicators. Hence they all stayed at a respectful distance, making sure they did not hinder the King's moves.

Aragorn knelt again near the spot he had noticed, brushing the tip of his fingers against the grass blades. Blood had dried there. Gathering all the clues around, he finally said: "There has been a fight here, a lone man against many Orcs." His eyes followed a hardly visible trail of blood that only the most experienced eyes could have detected. The slightly flattened grass indicated that the body had been dragged farther from the clearing. He followed the almost imperceptible path, and quickly found what he was seeking.

Slightly beyond the border of the clearing laid a lifeless body. It carried marks of mutilation Orcs often inflicted to their victims. Obviously they had taken a lot of fun with this one… Aragorn immediately guessed he was the Norean they had been following and seeking.

As he stood still for a few seconds, his companions walked closer to see what had caught his attention and discovered the scene. Among the Noreans, the men did not seem shocked by the vision as they somewhat expected finding their fellow dead. Only the woman was visibly moved, taking in the sight for no more than a heartbeat and immediately averting her eyes. She brought a hand to her mouth, looking as if she was about to throw up, and began to take deep breaths. Her father wrapped an arm around her shoulders, whispering quiet words at her ear, and led her away from that place.

"Now we know for sure what happened to that man," Gimli told the King of Gondor, "but we have no way to know if the creature is still living."

"That is why we have to find that band of Orcs," Aragorn stated. "If the creature is still alive, it can only be among them. We will stay here for the night, and track them down as soon as the sun rises tomorrow. They must not be very far, and I am sure we will soon catch up with them."

Legolas frowned. The tension he could sense in the trees around them talked of a dark presence, which meant Aragorn was right. Those Orcs were still close. But once they would have chased them, how would they ever be sure they got rid of the creature?

* * * * *


Legolas inhaled the fresh air of the falling night from a high branch in a tree. Looking down, he could see the campfire, established at the same place than the one of the Orcs the night before.

Surprised, he noticed Cindra walking away from the fire, alone, towards the woods. As she passed below his tree he could not help warning her. "You should not venture there."

With a slight amusement, Legolas watched her look around in an attempt to locate him. Only someone who knew Elves well would look up to find one. "Up here in the tree," he added.

She eventually looked up, but it took her several long seconds to discern his silhouette. "Oh," the young woman just said.

"You should not venture in those woods," the Elf repeated. "It might be dangerous."

"I… huh…" she hesitated. "I am just going to collect some wood… For… the fire…" Cindra finally stuttered.

A quick glance at said fire was more than enough for Legolas to see that there was already a pile of wood ready near it, sufficient to last the whole night.

Cindra did not wait for an answer and continued on her way, but the moonlight was briefly mirrored by a tear beginning to roll down her cheek. It confirmed Legolas' thoughts. Since the discovery of the Norean's body, the young woman had done her best to hold back a grief that could be expected as she was Ederis' best friend. But her pride probably did not allow her to grieve publicly, and now the night had fallen she was seeking some solitude.

The Elf kept a close eye on her as she advanced and eventually sat at some distance. Probably a bit too far from the campfire for her safety he estimated, but he did not wish to call her back. She most likely thought to be out of sight, and stopping her would be extremely rude and out of place.

Soon she wrapped her arms around her folded legs, rocking back and forth, and allowed herself to cry freely at last.

Legolas immediately averted his eyes to allow her some privacy, though because of his keen elven senses he could still hear her sobs. His gaze unconsciously laid on Gimli, and the thought of loosing one's best friend immediately came back to his mind.

He could not imagine how he would endure the loss of the Dwarf. He would never admit it to anyone, but their friendship had grown unbelievably strong along the years. Even if most of the words spoken between the two of them were harsh ones, it was only a facade that hid a deep yet surprising understanding for ones belonging to so different races.

Befriending mortals could reveal extremely dangerous when you were an Elf. Many times had his father warned him about those risks during his younger days, but it was only now that Legolas was beginning to understand the full significance of Thranduil's sayings. He had of course always known that he would eventually loose the Dwarf one way or another, be it in a battle or of aging, and that there was nothing he could do about it. But he had always dismissed the thought, even when the odds of a fight made death likely.

But witnessing the grief of someone who had just lost her best friend reminded him of the fragility of any relation with a mortal. The fragility of their lives. And that thought revived old fears coming from the past.

The Dwarf's eyes suddenly rose to meet his. He had probably felt his gaze, and returned a questioning look. Legolas decided to get down from the tree, and walked towards his friend to eventually sit near him. Gimli's gaze was still a questioning one.

"Is there anything wrong?" the Dwarf asked in a low voice.

Legolas turned to face his friend, surprised by the question. His unease must have been really evident if Gimli felt the need to ask. Especially since he usually never voiced that kind of question. Not that he did not care, the Elf was sure, but it was part of their unspoken common plan to not show their friendship too openly.

Some friendships were built on discussions. Theirs was one made of silence, built on trust. During battles you had to know your ally's thoughts and to anticipate his intentions without any word spoken. They could share more in one look than in many sentences.

Yet there were things that could not be said in a gaze.

"Do you remember the battle in Helm's Deep?" Legolas eventually asked.

Gimli smiled. "You still owe me a visit of the glittering caves…" But why was his friend suddenly evoking those old memories? the Dwarf wondered.

"I know." The Elf took a deep breath. "At some point during the fight, we were separated."

"This is when I ended in the caves."

"Exactly. As we had not had news from the groups of warriors you were with, for a moment I…" He hesitated and sighed.

First questioning, Gimli's gaze became worried, but he remained silent, hoping the Elf would go on. He was usually able to guess his thoughts, but for once he found himself unable to do so.

"For a moment I thought you dead," Legolas finished in a whisper. He went on almost inaudible: "But I dismissed the thought, and decided I would not consider you dead until I had an undeniable proof."

Gimli stared at him with surprise. "I… I did not know about that."

"Of course. You eventually came back alive. There was no need to tell you."

For a second Gimli wondered why the Elf was telling him now, but he suddenly understood, seeing the analogy with the Norean's death. Cindra had first refused to acknowledge the latter's death, until they found the body of her best friend. Her best friend… The notion echoed in the Dwarf's mind. Making the analogy implicitly meant Legolas considered him as his best friend.

That thought never really occurred to him before. He himself considered the Elf as his best friend, the only one he could trust in a battle with complete confidence – save maybe Aragorn – but he was never totally sure about the other's feelings. He sometimes had doubts because of Elves strange moods, and he already considered himself lucky to have the archer's trust and friendship.

But Legolas had just virtually admitted he considered him, an ordinary Dwarf from the Lonely Mountain, as his best friend.

"Thank you," Gimli finally said, to the Elf's greatest astonishment.

"What are you thanking me for?" Legolas inquired at a total loss.

The Dwarf smiled. The Elf had no idea how much what he had just said meant to him. "For being my friend," he just said.

It was Legolas' turn to stare at him with surprise. A mischievous smile suddenly appeared on his lips. "If you think you – " He suddenly broke off and his smile disappeared as he pricked up his ears as if he had just heard something.

"What is going on?" Gimli wondered. "Is there – "

The Elf interrupted him with a movement of his hand while concentrating on his senses. He quickly identified the origin of the noise. "Orcs…" he hissed, and got up swiftly. "Orcs!" he repeated aloud this time for all their companions.

He immediately caught Aragorn's attention. The former Ranger gave orders to his men, trusting fully the Elf's senses. While everyone prepared their weapons, the man walked to Legolas. "Where?" he asked.

"Right over there," the archer answered, indicating the west with his free hand while the other held his bow.

It did not surprise Aragorn, as the signs of leaving he had noted indicated the Orcs had gone westward. But to the east laid the river, and there would be no retreat possible for them if need be. "How many?" he enquired again.

"The whole company that rested here yesterday, I would say."

Near them, the two Norean men prepared their daggers, but Crireth seemed rather worried. He was looking around as if searching for something. "Where is Cindra?" he eventually asked with concern.

Legolas suddenly froze at hearing that question. He knew all too well where she was. His gaze turned to the direction where he knew her to be. The direction the Orcs were coming… "She is –"

He was not given the time to finish his sentence as a female scream rang out from the distance.

----------------------------------
End of Chapter Five...

Hope you liked it! And that the scene with Legolas and Gimli discussing their friendship didn't sound too dull. I've just always wanted to acknowledge the moment during Helm's Deep battle when Legolas thought Gimli dead (and basically said "too bad Gimli might be dead, I won't be able to tell him my new killing score")(one of the few lines in the books that made me smile, along with the one where Merry kicks Pippin to wake him up when they have to greet King Theoden in Isengard...)

Anyway, let me tell you that real big stuff is coming in next chapter (and by real big stuff I mean THE real big stuff). There are some tricky parts to write, so it might take me a while to have it done and make it sound right. But in the meantime, I'd love you to give me your opinion so far. And I'm also quite open to suggestions. I have a few next chapters already planned out (yes, I actually know where I'm going, can you believe that?), but I could still add in some details (and you know how much I love details...).

Next chapter: "Possession" (and yes, I love to tease my readers with the titles of the next chapters!)