A/N: Because of lack of time, I won't answer the reviews individually, but I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed. I'd also like to apologize for the *awfully* long delay before posting this chapter, but I couldn't do otherwise. Anyway, this chapter is longer than the previous ones, so I hope it was worth the wait.
I'm also a bit disappointed no one answered my stupid question, though... Oh well. :-p
Enjoy!
Chapter 7
Of Suspicion, Distrust and Loneliness
Aragorn gave a quick look around and nodded with satisfaction. All his men were ready to leave. All they needed to do now was to wait for Crireth to come back.
His attention was suddenly caught by Cindra. She had suddenly stumbled back and supported herself on the nearest tree. Her gaze was faraway and she seemed paler than ever. The last time he had seen her like that was when… This boded no good. This boded no good at all. He hurried to her side and examined her features. She looked as if she could break down any moment.
Definitely no good at all, he thought. "Cindra, is Crireth -" he began.
"He is dead," the young woman stated, spitting the words out rather than actually speaking while her eyes remained firmly set on the ground.
It was what Aragorn had feared. "Where did -"
He was interrupted once more by the Norean, this time by a vague wave of the hand indicating the direction Crireth had followed when leaving the campfire. Never did she look up at him. Either the ground had become incredibly interesting some time along the night or she wanted to avoid his gaze at any price.
As the King of Gondor and under other circumstances, he might have been offended by her attitude. But at the moment it was the least of his concerns. Maybe a couple of Orcs had escaped from the previous day's battle. Maybe the one hosting the creature was amongst them. And maybe it had just attacked Crireth… So many hypotheses… Too many hypotheses…
He gave a new look around, and realized everyone was staring at them, almost holding their breaths. They had probably all heard. He mentally counted the men in front of him, checking everyone - save Crireth - was still there and safe. The three remaining soldiers of Gondor, looking back at him expectantly. Gimli, casting him a questioning look.
Aragorn frowned. "Where is Legolas?"
"I am here," a voice answered behind him.
He turned round and quickly spotted the Elf, his back against a tree and his arms folded across his chest. Aragorn nodded at him. As a Silvan Elf Legolas had the ability to merge into the landscape, managing to make his presence forgotten - and it would not be the first time the archer managed to trick the former Ranger.
Aragorn sighed. He had to know exactly what happened to Crireth in order to know whether the creature was responsible for his death or not. "Let's find Crireth. All of us," he added for the attention of the young Norean since the latter did not seem too keen on moving right then. Understandable attitude though since he was basically asking her to follow him towards the dead body of her father. "I will not allow anyone to remain behind while we ignore what evil might still be lurking around," he continued. "We must stay grouped," he finished with a circular look.
He walked towards the river in the exact same direction Crireth had left earlier. With a quick look over his shoulder he ensured that everyone was following him, even Cindra - though visibly reluctantly.
Aragorn found no hard task in trailing the track the Norean had left. Nonetheless, soon after leaving the campfire he stopped to give a closer examination to the ground, while his companions stopped a few steps behind him, immediately guessing what he was doing and leaving some space around him.
The King of Gondor slightly shook his head. He had no doubt about it - there was a new set of footsteps joining the first one. He was not sure what puzzled him the most though. The fact that it seemed to appear out of nowhere, or the characteristics of the steps - too light to belong to a Man but too heavy to belong to an Elf. The latter most probably, for it questioned the race of the footsteps' owner. Neither a Man nor an Elf, an Orc - too light - or a Dwarf - too long. The only guess Aragorn could make at that point was that they belonged to the creature itself, under its real features and not the ones of an host.
But still…
Without a word he continued his way, while all his companions exchanged quizzical looks - all but Legolas, even if no one noticed - wondering what had stopped him in the first place.
Soon they reached their destination and Aragorn quickly located the Norean's body on the ground. While he knelt near it, he noticed from the corner of his eyes that Cindra was standing as far as she could and looking the very opposite way. From the movement of her shoulders he could tell she was taking would-be relaxing deep breaths.
Aragorn turned his attention back to the corpse next to him. Marks of strangulation, he noted. Not much signs of struggle, he remarked with a frown. As he looked at the footsteps close by, his astonishment increased. Crireth had walked up to there, then turned around. Only and simply turned around. No attempt to flee - which meant no surprise at the sight of the one following him. A familiar face. Someone he would not suspect.
The creature, and a familiar host.
He saw both Gimli and Legolas drawing near him.
"Any conclusions?" the Dwarf asked.
"The creature is still alive."
"What about the identity of the host?" Legolas enquired.
"No longer an Orc - assuming an Orc ever was its host." Aragorn paused. "Not a Man either."
Gimli shuddered. Considering the few people that were likely to be around, that left only himself and Legolas. "Do you mean -"
"Nor a Dwarf or an Elf," Aragorn interrupted, knowing what he had been about to ask.
"A Hobbit?" Gimli offered half-jokingly before shrugging when the King of Gondor stared at him. "Honestly Aragorn, if the host of this creature belongs to none of the races you mentioned, could you please point out to me what kind of host it could be?"
Aragorn let go a sigh of powerlessness and answered in a whisper. "If only I did know, Gimli… If only I did know… As far as I can tell, it could be anywhere now…"
"Or anyone…" Gimli remarked with soundness.
All three of them looked at each other. And then at their companions. It could be just anyone…
Aragorn looked up to see Cindra slowly walking towards them - or more exactly towards her father's body - her gaze shifty and a bit lost.
"Would you like to spend some moments with him before we give him a proper burial?" he spoke to her gently.
The young woman hesitated a few seconds, looking up at him with confusion, before nodding shyly. Aragorn turned towards his friends, and with a tilt of his head invited them to follow him farther enough to give the Norean a last private moment with her father.
Once they had moved away she knelt next to him, her eyes filling with tears as she silently examined his features. She said a few quiet words in her native language - obviously farewell words to her departed father. Her tone was first calm and sad, but was quickly filled with grief and despair as she could not hold her tears any longer.
Once she was done talking, she stayed there, still, a few more seconds before quickly drying her eyes and cheeks with the back of her hands. Then, she seemed to take something from the older Norean, and added a couple of words. She finally got up and, after a last look on her father, turned to join her traveling companions.
* * * * *
The creature slowly followed everyone back to the campfire after the burial of the Norean, displaying a smirk on its host's lips.
After its little escapade in the forest it had returned to the camp just in time. No one seemed to have noticed its absence, and no one seemed to suspect that its host was the Elf. After all it had been an advantage to not master its host's skills to their full range… It would have completely given it away…
Everything was unfolding absolutely perfectly, it mused.
* * * * *
Aragorn waited until all his companions gathered in an half-circle in front of him. The gazes of most of them indicated that they knew not what to expect.
"Listen to me carefully," he spoke. "The creature is more than likely still alive. As far as we can tell it could be hosted by anyone. It is somewhere around here, probably very close." He paused. "We can not allow it to reach any of us," he articulated slowly. "Hence I will ask all of you to apply the following instructions to the letter. At any price we must stay grouped. No one shall leave the campfire alone. Always form groups of two individuals minimum. This stands for the night watches as well. That way we will always be able to know if something happened to one or the other. Is that clear?" Aragorn looked at all of them individually. The younger of his men and Cindra both seemed a bit overwhelmed. "Is that clear?" he repeated louder, glaring at them until everyone nodded in agreement. "All right. We will remain here for the moment. There is no way we are going to Mirkwood before taking care of this creature."
With a slight movement of his head the King of Gondor dismissed them. Both Gimli and Legolas stepped towards him while the others retreated farther.
"Nice plan, Aragorn," the Dwarf began. "If two of us leave the campfire and only one comes back, we will know for sure who the host is…"
The irony in his words was not lost on Aragorn. The latter turned to Legolas. The Elf had been oddly silent since the death of Crireth, even when considering he was not the most talkative one. "And what think you, Legolas?"
The Elf looked at him for a few seconds before answering rather blankly: "We must spare as many lives as we can."
Aragorn nodded. They had already lost too many.
* * * * *
When evening came, it was decided that Aragorn and Gimli would keep watch that night. Nonetheless, even once darkness had invaded the camp illuminated only by the dim light of the fire, few were those who could be found sleeping.
As Aragorn noted, Ethiannor, the highest ranked of his men, was sitting and looking around nervously, as if hoping to spot an enemy in the shadows. Niyan, the youngest one, was lying in his bedroll awake, eyes wide open and staring at the starry sky above. Raighad, the third one, was the only one that seemed to be sleeping. At least if he was, he was not sleeping well - the man kept turning from side to side in his bedroll, agitated by some thought or unpleasant dream.
The knowledge that a creature able to take possession of any of them was more than likely around added to the darkness of the night obviously made all three of them nervous.
As for Cindra, she was clearly only pretending to be sleeping. One paying enough attention would be able to hear stifled sobs coming from the form warmly wrapped in a bedroll. Aragorn was sure she was trying to make her cries the least audible possible, but it was no use. She was still grieving the loss of her father, probably Qeladon's and her friend's as well. From what Aragorn had gathered from Crireth, his two older sons - her brothers - and his wife - her mother - had died at the hands of the creature as well. While she had managed to maintain her composure until then, the accumulation of losses within a couple of weeks combined to exhaustion made grief too strong to bear.
Aragorn's thoughts brought him back to his own family. How would he feel if anything happened to them? Would he even be able to keep on living without them? No, he would not. Arwen, Eldarion, Enariel… He was aching to go back to Minas Tirith, to make sure all of them were faring well.
The King of Gondor gave a new look around. Legolas was standing at some distance, his face unreadable. And next to himself was Gimli, staring intently at a squirrel on the ground, though Aragorn had no idea what could possibly be going on the Dwarf's mind at the sight of the small animal.
Indeed, Gimli thought, such a small being… So innocent looking… That was how the creature operated. Choosing an host that would look innocent to his fellows, one that would not be suspected for they *knew* him personally. Really wicked.
A sudden thought crossed his mind. Could the creature take possession of an animal as well, like this squirrel, allowing it to go unnoticed, and above all unsuspected?
Gimli shook his head. He was really getting a bit too paranoid.
* * * * *
Everyone greeted the sunrise the next morning with relief. All seemed tired, dark circles under their eyes betraying a sleepless night, and somewhat tensed.
Gimli walked to Legolas, confident that jesting with the Elf would lighten his mood, as it always did. He noticed the archer was repairing some of his arrows, and smiled.
"If I were you, Master Elf, I would not bother with those. Considering your efficiency on a battle ground, you obviously have not figured how to properly use -"
"And if I were you, Master Dwarf," Legolas interrupted harshly, "I would mind my own business."
Gimli searched for the tease in the Elf's eyes. And found none. Only then did the sharp words made their way to his brain. The Dwarf quickly turned round and walked away, commenting that someone got down of a tree on the wrong side that morning.
* * * * *
As soon as the day began, Aragorn instructed his companions for the search of the creature. They had to find it as soon as possible. They should keep an eye for any clue they could find while all keeping grouped - they had to mind for their safety as well.
For hours, they tensely explored the surroundings. Aragorn's attention was mainly focused on the ground, hoping to find footsteps that would lead him on the track of that creature. But the only ones he found were their own and those of the Orc company they had encountered a couple of days before.
Nothing that could help their search.
When it became obvious they would find naught and when the sun was eventually setting, they decided to stop for the night - again. They spent the end of the evening sitting around the campfire. While both Legolas and Gimli were at his sides, Aragorn examined his other companions again.
He first observed Niyan. The young man was quietly discussing with Cindra on the other side of the fire. Despite his young age, Aragorn had not hesitated a single second when deciding to bring him along. Niyan was very skilled with a sword. A very promising warrior. Discreet, a tad shy maybe, but always considerate - as proof of this trait his kind talking with Cindra. Aragorn suspected the Norean's cries were what actually kept the young man from sleeping the night before, and were the reason of his comforting her now.
Actually Aragorn held high hopes for him. When more experienced he would willingly consider to promote him and entrust him with more responsibilities.
He then turned his attention to Ethiannor. An experienced warrior of Gondor, and now a captain in his personal guard. A man that carried in his flesh the marks of his past battles. Aragorn would entrust his life to him without an afterthought - he had already done so before.
Now Raighad. Not as experienced as Ethiannor, but still a great warrior, always showing the best calm in the worst situations.
That was why he had chosen them when forming the company. They were the most capable of enduring those moments of doubts. Yet they had already shown clear signs of tension since the night before. But who would not when learning that a kind neighbour one has known for years could transform into a killing monster with no warning?
Then he looked at Legolas and Gimli. His brothers in arms. He had shared too much with them to have any single distrustful thought.
"Aragorn?"
The King of Gondor looked down at the Dwarf next to him. "Aye?"
"How look will we remain here?"
Aragorn hesitated. To be honest, he knew not. All he did know was that they had to catch that creature, no matter the time they needed to achieve that.
"As long as is required."
"As long as is required to what? We will soon be short on lembas, and this area is not very appropriate for hunting," the Dwarf remarked with an almost reproachful tone. "Aragorn, if the creature was near us yesterday, it is most probably gone now. Why would it stay around while we are obviously hunting for it?"
"It would not. Unless it wished to reach one of us. It had an opportunity to leave, yet it remained around and killed Crireth. I believe it is still near, somehow managing to escape our searches."
The concept of escaping their searches easily had Gimli think again about the creature possibly being able to possess an animal's mind. However, the mental image of a squirrel trying to strangle the tall man Crireth was was more than enough for him to dismiss the thought. Way too paranoid, indeed…
Nonetheless, the light smile that appeared on his lips at that moment made Aragorn wonder what the Dwarf could have found funny in their lack of success at flushing the creature out.
Aragorn was about to enquire about it - these days he would have loved to have a happy thought shared - when his attention was pulled back to Ethiannor and Raighad. The pair, who had been until then discussing somewhat quietly, had suddenly broken out in a noisy quarrel, standing up to face each other.
The tone quickly worsened and the two men began to push one another violently, menacing both in their attitudes and words, before unsheathing their swords.
Aragorn immediately stood up and rushed towards them. Niyan though had seen the pair as well, and being nearer and having quick reflexes he was already between the two, trying to prevent them from killing one another, by the time Aragorn arrived.
"Gentlemen! Gentlemen, please!"
Suddenly realizing that it was their King talking to them, Ethiannor and Raighad quickly broke apart.
"Have you all lost your mind?" Aragorn asked, his fists clenched. "Now will you please inform me about the reasons of your quarrel?" Seeing both men were intentionally looking away, he added coldly: "I will not leave the issue without addressing it so you had better tell me now."
It was Ethiannor who finally hissed: "Raighad accused me of acting oddly."
"Well it was not meant to be an accusation until you pointed out I had behaved strangely of late," Raighad replied dryly.
"Had you not insinuated that I was -"
"Do you think I am stupid enough to have not noticed how you -"
They both spoke at the same time, the tone rising, and soon it all became an unintelligible flow of speech.
"Enough. ENOUGH!" Aragorn yelled, and the two soldiers stopped at once. All his kingship, conveyed generation after generation through his blood, could be heard in his commanding tone. "I expected better from you than this display of childishness." He alternately glared at them until they looked down sheepishly - such an unusual attitude for warriors of their calibre. "Of course you found one another acted oddly. We are all acting oddly. Nervousness makes us act oddly. And as a matter of fact, in case you have not noticed, we are *all* nervous."
"My Lord," Raighad began, though almost stopped dead in his tracks when Aragorn glared at him for daring answer back. "How are we to know the creature is not already among us? I mean… Send me to an army of Orcs, and I will know how to handle it. But this," he said, pointing at nothing in particular, "is like fighting a ghost. Never sure where it is, or if it has been defeated… You even said yourself it could be anyone. How are we to know… How are we to know it is not *you*?"
Aragorn boiled in anger at the lack of respect. While the situation could explain some lack of reserve, he was certainly not going to forget *that*.
"You can not," he admitted coldly, "though I am confident the creature is still not among us. Remember, when Crireth was killed we were all here, at the campfire." He paused. "It is very important that you do *not* accuse anyone recklessly. We *must* remain united. As for trusting me, you had better do so, *soldiers*," he ended, intentionally leaving their ranks out. "Was that clear enough?"
As the warriors only muttered something along the lines of it being 'very clear', Aragorn insisted. "I beg your pardon?"
"Aye, my King," both Ethiannor and Raighad eventually answered. Aragorn nodded. "That is much better."
He stared at them one last time. The way people reacted to the most tense situations always held much surprise… Those behaving the most rationally were not always the ones expected, he thought with a last look at Niyan. He should really consider promoting him some day…
* * * * *
He was sinking. Inexorably, desperately sinking further into the darkness with nothing to hang on to.
How could he ever be able to look himself in the face again? Legolas thought. His own hands had taken the life of an innocent, and he had not been able to prevent it.
After a life several millenniums long, and while he could still be considered young for an Elf, he was meant to have an advanced command over his body and mind - even when sleeping. How strong could this creature possibly be to make him feel so… so weak? So abnormally, painfully weak?
Would this nightmare ever end? Or would it get worse? Could it even get any worse? He had lost every single control over his body to this creature. He knew not where he was, what he was doing, if he was talking and to whom.
For all he knew they were probably still heading for Mirkwood, bringing him, a latent danger, with them. What would happen once they reached his homeland? What would *he* do? Would his friends still be alive by then, or would the creature have had him kill them?
It was more than Legolas could stand. He could not allow himself to feel sorry for himself and despair while his friends could be in mortal danger - because of him, because of his weakness and his incapacity to get rid of this creature. He needed to know what it was doing. What it was having him do. What it was having him do *to his friends*.
His resolve firmly set, he started to struggle his way back to consciousness, unsure which path to follow. It would be tricky. The creature had probably already made itself at home by then. But he would not give up any time soon. If fighting was required, then fight he would.
The path was unclear, but Legolas soon found an opening. He knew it was there. He could feel its sinister presence, and he knew it could feel his. He resolutely marched ahead, ignoring the creature's attempts to push him away. A stronger blow made him loose some ground, but his resolution was unchanged. Creature or no creature, he would get his body - his life - back.
As he went on, the assaults became more and more tough and frequent. Yet he was still progressing, getting closer and closer to his goal, while he could feel the creature getting more and more annoyed with him.
The creature's resistance increased until the struggle became even. He was close, so close… He could almost hear the sounds of a conversation near him. Just one more step… He redoubled his efforts, wrestling with the powerful presence. So close…
As if a string had suddenly broken and released him, all his senses unexpectedly came back to him. Legolas gave a look around, and saw his traveling companions. He had won, he thought with relief. He -
An invisible force violently yanked him back to the darkness. It felt as though after drowning he had finally surfaced but had been suddenly pushed back under the water even before being able to take a single breath - and it was an awfully frustrating feeling.
Nonetheless, he had had the time to take in his surroundings. They had not moved since he had killed Crireth - no, not him he corrected, the creature. He had to keep in mind it had not been him.
And his friends were alive.
He could do it. He knew he could. Once more, he marched forward. Nothing would prevent him from reaching his goal.
Do not push your luck, Elf.
The words echoed in his mind. Aye, he would push his so-called luck, no matter the obstacles that creature put in front of him. Hence push forward he did.
He was suddenly overcome by a shooting pain, as though he was burning away slowly. He knew it was induced by the creature. Every single effort to get closer to an escape brought a new wave of pain. He continued, ignoring the ache until it became almost unbearable. He would not give up. He could not. Fighting both the creature and the pain, he went on, aware that had he been conscious right then he might well have been agonizing on the floor in pain. But he could not let it win.
As the pain grew absolutely insufferable and as he was beginning to consider withdrawing, he eventually did it. Legolas suddenly recovered his senses while the pain abruptly vanished. He could see. He could hear. He could… He could even move… Nonetheless he could already feel the creature trying to pull him back, the burning sensation raising and growing more and more yet again.
He did not want to loose. He did not want to go back there. He did not want to feel that way again. Feel so weak. So lost. So lonely.
It was probably the only occasion he would have.
Unconsciously he reached out and clutched at Gimli's shoulder next to him, his muscles a bit more strained than they would normally be, as though his friend was a lifeline he should hang on to.
"Gimli," he called almost hopelessly.
Legolas was never given the chance to see his friend's reaction to his move for he was dragged back as the Dwarf turned to look up at him. The words he had been about to say died in his throat. 'Help me'.
* * * * *
Stupid Elf. How was it going to explain his behavior, now?
Never had one of its former hosts truly rebelled against its presence - not that strongly anyway. Many had tried to get over its control, but none had ever succeeded.
It did not know whether it should curse or praise his determination and courage. The pain should have been enough to have him abandon. On one hand it was impressed by his resistance, however on the other hand he had almost managed to warn the Dwarf, putting it at stake.
Stupid, reckless Elf.
It would not give him another occasion to get past it.
* * * * *
Gimli watched as Aragorn got up to go talk to his men - he trusted him fully in solving the problem and lessen the tensions - and listened with attention to what he told them from the distance.
He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, and heard a familiar voice call his name. "Gimli."
As he turned and looked up to Legolas, he briefly read in the Elf's eyes something that disappeared immediately. Something he had never found there, even before the worst of battles. Could it have been… fear? Fear of what?
"Aye?" Gimli asked with a frown.
Legolas looked as if he had just remembered his hand was on the Dwarf's shoulder, and immediately withdrew it. "I am sorry," he mumbled, "I… had a cramp."
Gimli stared at him and cocked a disbelieving eyebrow. A cramp? Really? An Elf having a cramp? Well that was unusual for sure. Nonetheless he was not given the time to tease Legolas about it as the latter brusquely rose to his feet and walked towards Aragorn and his men.
Gimli noted absentmindedly that the Elf was moving less gracefully than usual. It took a little while until that notion and a previous information connected in his brain. And then various other observations rose as well. Legolas' late behavior was beginning to look incredibly strange to him. While he was reluctant to be suspicious about his friend, especially under circumstances that did not allow anyone to suspect another without due consideration - he still had Aragorn's speech to his men in mind - but there were facts.
First, Aragorn said the steps of the one who killed Crireth were too deep to be the ones of an Elf. But now Gimli saw the way Legolas was moving… It could well be his…
Then there was his coldness. Had it been the only clue, Gimli would have dismissed it. The Elf sometimes had his moods. But it was not the only one.
All the more, for having traveled for years with the Silvan Elf, Gimli knew the latter could not live without keeping a contact with nature. Sometimes the slightest touch on the bark of a tree while walking could be enough. But now he thought about it, when was the last time he had seen his friend anywhere near a tree? Certainly not since Crireth's death, and as far as he could remember, not since their last encounter with Orcs…
The Orcs.
Gimli was no young lad. He could put one and one together - it had all begun then.
The creature had found an host among them. And it was Legolas…
Gimli suddenly remembered the tension in the hand on his shoulder. The fear in the Elf's eyes. The desperation in his tone that the Dwarf was noting only then. He had found a way past the creature to communicate with him. And he was in pain…
He had to do something, Gimli thought firmly.
He was not given the occasion to push his thoughts forward as Aragorn called him.
"Gimli, we need wood for the campfire. Would you mind taking care of that?" As the Dwarf nodded, Aragorn turned to the Elf. "Legolas, could you go with -"
Cindra interrupted the King. "I will go with him," she stated with insistence.
Aragorn looked at her during a few seconds and finally nodded. "All right," he said and then turned back to his men.
Gimli and Cindra exchanged a long look before walking together towards the woods.
----------------------------------
End of Chapter Seven...
I hope you liked this chapter, it took me some time to try to make it sound right (I hope it did). I also took time to think about the upcoming chapters, so hopefully the delay should be shorter.
Anyway, I know it's been a while, but I hope you can still figure out where the review button is... ;-) I'd like to hear a bit about what you guys think before writing too much of chapter 8.
Bad news: I announced in the previous chapter that I might have no TV for the next 5 months, which meant more free time to work on this story. Well the thing is, I *do* have TV... (But the programs are crap these days anyway...)
Next chapter: "The Plan of a Friend" (rather obvious title, yay me!)
I'm also a bit disappointed no one answered my stupid question, though... Oh well. :-p
Enjoy!
Of Suspicion, Distrust and Loneliness
Aragorn gave a quick look around and nodded with satisfaction. All his men were ready to leave. All they needed to do now was to wait for Crireth to come back.
His attention was suddenly caught by Cindra. She had suddenly stumbled back and supported herself on the nearest tree. Her gaze was faraway and she seemed paler than ever. The last time he had seen her like that was when… This boded no good. This boded no good at all. He hurried to her side and examined her features. She looked as if she could break down any moment.
Definitely no good at all, he thought. "Cindra, is Crireth -" he began.
"He is dead," the young woman stated, spitting the words out rather than actually speaking while her eyes remained firmly set on the ground.
It was what Aragorn had feared. "Where did -"
He was interrupted once more by the Norean, this time by a vague wave of the hand indicating the direction Crireth had followed when leaving the campfire. Never did she look up at him. Either the ground had become incredibly interesting some time along the night or she wanted to avoid his gaze at any price.
As the King of Gondor and under other circumstances, he might have been offended by her attitude. But at the moment it was the least of his concerns. Maybe a couple of Orcs had escaped from the previous day's battle. Maybe the one hosting the creature was amongst them. And maybe it had just attacked Crireth… So many hypotheses… Too many hypotheses…
He gave a new look around, and realized everyone was staring at them, almost holding their breaths. They had probably all heard. He mentally counted the men in front of him, checking everyone - save Crireth - was still there and safe. The three remaining soldiers of Gondor, looking back at him expectantly. Gimli, casting him a questioning look.
Aragorn frowned. "Where is Legolas?"
"I am here," a voice answered behind him.
He turned round and quickly spotted the Elf, his back against a tree and his arms folded across his chest. Aragorn nodded at him. As a Silvan Elf Legolas had the ability to merge into the landscape, managing to make his presence forgotten - and it would not be the first time the archer managed to trick the former Ranger.
Aragorn sighed. He had to know exactly what happened to Crireth in order to know whether the creature was responsible for his death or not. "Let's find Crireth. All of us," he added for the attention of the young Norean since the latter did not seem too keen on moving right then. Understandable attitude though since he was basically asking her to follow him towards the dead body of her father. "I will not allow anyone to remain behind while we ignore what evil might still be lurking around," he continued. "We must stay grouped," he finished with a circular look.
He walked towards the river in the exact same direction Crireth had left earlier. With a quick look over his shoulder he ensured that everyone was following him, even Cindra - though visibly reluctantly.
Aragorn found no hard task in trailing the track the Norean had left. Nonetheless, soon after leaving the campfire he stopped to give a closer examination to the ground, while his companions stopped a few steps behind him, immediately guessing what he was doing and leaving some space around him.
The King of Gondor slightly shook his head. He had no doubt about it - there was a new set of footsteps joining the first one. He was not sure what puzzled him the most though. The fact that it seemed to appear out of nowhere, or the characteristics of the steps - too light to belong to a Man but too heavy to belong to an Elf. The latter most probably, for it questioned the race of the footsteps' owner. Neither a Man nor an Elf, an Orc - too light - or a Dwarf - too long. The only guess Aragorn could make at that point was that they belonged to the creature itself, under its real features and not the ones of an host.
But still…
Without a word he continued his way, while all his companions exchanged quizzical looks - all but Legolas, even if no one noticed - wondering what had stopped him in the first place.
Soon they reached their destination and Aragorn quickly located the Norean's body on the ground. While he knelt near it, he noticed from the corner of his eyes that Cindra was standing as far as she could and looking the very opposite way. From the movement of her shoulders he could tell she was taking would-be relaxing deep breaths.
Aragorn turned his attention back to the corpse next to him. Marks of strangulation, he noted. Not much signs of struggle, he remarked with a frown. As he looked at the footsteps close by, his astonishment increased. Crireth had walked up to there, then turned around. Only and simply turned around. No attempt to flee - which meant no surprise at the sight of the one following him. A familiar face. Someone he would not suspect.
The creature, and a familiar host.
He saw both Gimli and Legolas drawing near him.
"Any conclusions?" the Dwarf asked.
"The creature is still alive."
"What about the identity of the host?" Legolas enquired.
"No longer an Orc - assuming an Orc ever was its host." Aragorn paused. "Not a Man either."
Gimli shuddered. Considering the few people that were likely to be around, that left only himself and Legolas. "Do you mean -"
"Nor a Dwarf or an Elf," Aragorn interrupted, knowing what he had been about to ask.
"A Hobbit?" Gimli offered half-jokingly before shrugging when the King of Gondor stared at him. "Honestly Aragorn, if the host of this creature belongs to none of the races you mentioned, could you please point out to me what kind of host it could be?"
Aragorn let go a sigh of powerlessness and answered in a whisper. "If only I did know, Gimli… If only I did know… As far as I can tell, it could be anywhere now…"
"Or anyone…" Gimli remarked with soundness.
All three of them looked at each other. And then at their companions. It could be just anyone…
Aragorn looked up to see Cindra slowly walking towards them - or more exactly towards her father's body - her gaze shifty and a bit lost.
"Would you like to spend some moments with him before we give him a proper burial?" he spoke to her gently.
The young woman hesitated a few seconds, looking up at him with confusion, before nodding shyly. Aragorn turned towards his friends, and with a tilt of his head invited them to follow him farther enough to give the Norean a last private moment with her father.
Once they had moved away she knelt next to him, her eyes filling with tears as she silently examined his features. She said a few quiet words in her native language - obviously farewell words to her departed father. Her tone was first calm and sad, but was quickly filled with grief and despair as she could not hold her tears any longer.
Once she was done talking, she stayed there, still, a few more seconds before quickly drying her eyes and cheeks with the back of her hands. Then, she seemed to take something from the older Norean, and added a couple of words. She finally got up and, after a last look on her father, turned to join her traveling companions.
The creature slowly followed everyone back to the campfire after the burial of the Norean, displaying a smirk on its host's lips.
After its little escapade in the forest it had returned to the camp just in time. No one seemed to have noticed its absence, and no one seemed to suspect that its host was the Elf. After all it had been an advantage to not master its host's skills to their full range… It would have completely given it away…
Everything was unfolding absolutely perfectly, it mused.
Aragorn waited until all his companions gathered in an half-circle in front of him. The gazes of most of them indicated that they knew not what to expect.
"Listen to me carefully," he spoke. "The creature is more than likely still alive. As far as we can tell it could be hosted by anyone. It is somewhere around here, probably very close." He paused. "We can not allow it to reach any of us," he articulated slowly. "Hence I will ask all of you to apply the following instructions to the letter. At any price we must stay grouped. No one shall leave the campfire alone. Always form groups of two individuals minimum. This stands for the night watches as well. That way we will always be able to know if something happened to one or the other. Is that clear?" Aragorn looked at all of them individually. The younger of his men and Cindra both seemed a bit overwhelmed. "Is that clear?" he repeated louder, glaring at them until everyone nodded in agreement. "All right. We will remain here for the moment. There is no way we are going to Mirkwood before taking care of this creature."
With a slight movement of his head the King of Gondor dismissed them. Both Gimli and Legolas stepped towards him while the others retreated farther.
"Nice plan, Aragorn," the Dwarf began. "If two of us leave the campfire and only one comes back, we will know for sure who the host is…"
The irony in his words was not lost on Aragorn. The latter turned to Legolas. The Elf had been oddly silent since the death of Crireth, even when considering he was not the most talkative one. "And what think you, Legolas?"
The Elf looked at him for a few seconds before answering rather blankly: "We must spare as many lives as we can."
Aragorn nodded. They had already lost too many.
When evening came, it was decided that Aragorn and Gimli would keep watch that night. Nonetheless, even once darkness had invaded the camp illuminated only by the dim light of the fire, few were those who could be found sleeping.
As Aragorn noted, Ethiannor, the highest ranked of his men, was sitting and looking around nervously, as if hoping to spot an enemy in the shadows. Niyan, the youngest one, was lying in his bedroll awake, eyes wide open and staring at the starry sky above. Raighad, the third one, was the only one that seemed to be sleeping. At least if he was, he was not sleeping well - the man kept turning from side to side in his bedroll, agitated by some thought or unpleasant dream.
The knowledge that a creature able to take possession of any of them was more than likely around added to the darkness of the night obviously made all three of them nervous.
As for Cindra, she was clearly only pretending to be sleeping. One paying enough attention would be able to hear stifled sobs coming from the form warmly wrapped in a bedroll. Aragorn was sure she was trying to make her cries the least audible possible, but it was no use. She was still grieving the loss of her father, probably Qeladon's and her friend's as well. From what Aragorn had gathered from Crireth, his two older sons - her brothers - and his wife - her mother - had died at the hands of the creature as well. While she had managed to maintain her composure until then, the accumulation of losses within a couple of weeks combined to exhaustion made grief too strong to bear.
Aragorn's thoughts brought him back to his own family. How would he feel if anything happened to them? Would he even be able to keep on living without them? No, he would not. Arwen, Eldarion, Enariel… He was aching to go back to Minas Tirith, to make sure all of them were faring well.
The King of Gondor gave a new look around. Legolas was standing at some distance, his face unreadable. And next to himself was Gimli, staring intently at a squirrel on the ground, though Aragorn had no idea what could possibly be going on the Dwarf's mind at the sight of the small animal.
Indeed, Gimli thought, such a small being… So innocent looking… That was how the creature operated. Choosing an host that would look innocent to his fellows, one that would not be suspected for they *knew* him personally. Really wicked.
A sudden thought crossed his mind. Could the creature take possession of an animal as well, like this squirrel, allowing it to go unnoticed, and above all unsuspected?
Gimli shook his head. He was really getting a bit too paranoid.
Everyone greeted the sunrise the next morning with relief. All seemed tired, dark circles under their eyes betraying a sleepless night, and somewhat tensed.
Gimli walked to Legolas, confident that jesting with the Elf would lighten his mood, as it always did. He noticed the archer was repairing some of his arrows, and smiled.
"If I were you, Master Elf, I would not bother with those. Considering your efficiency on a battle ground, you obviously have not figured how to properly use -"
"And if I were you, Master Dwarf," Legolas interrupted harshly, "I would mind my own business."
Gimli searched for the tease in the Elf's eyes. And found none. Only then did the sharp words made their way to his brain. The Dwarf quickly turned round and walked away, commenting that someone got down of a tree on the wrong side that morning.
As soon as the day began, Aragorn instructed his companions for the search of the creature. They had to find it as soon as possible. They should keep an eye for any clue they could find while all keeping grouped - they had to mind for their safety as well.
For hours, they tensely explored the surroundings. Aragorn's attention was mainly focused on the ground, hoping to find footsteps that would lead him on the track of that creature. But the only ones he found were their own and those of the Orc company they had encountered a couple of days before.
Nothing that could help their search.
When it became obvious they would find naught and when the sun was eventually setting, they decided to stop for the night - again. They spent the end of the evening sitting around the campfire. While both Legolas and Gimli were at his sides, Aragorn examined his other companions again.
He first observed Niyan. The young man was quietly discussing with Cindra on the other side of the fire. Despite his young age, Aragorn had not hesitated a single second when deciding to bring him along. Niyan was very skilled with a sword. A very promising warrior. Discreet, a tad shy maybe, but always considerate - as proof of this trait his kind talking with Cindra. Aragorn suspected the Norean's cries were what actually kept the young man from sleeping the night before, and were the reason of his comforting her now.
Actually Aragorn held high hopes for him. When more experienced he would willingly consider to promote him and entrust him with more responsibilities.
He then turned his attention to Ethiannor. An experienced warrior of Gondor, and now a captain in his personal guard. A man that carried in his flesh the marks of his past battles. Aragorn would entrust his life to him without an afterthought - he had already done so before.
Now Raighad. Not as experienced as Ethiannor, but still a great warrior, always showing the best calm in the worst situations.
That was why he had chosen them when forming the company. They were the most capable of enduring those moments of doubts. Yet they had already shown clear signs of tension since the night before. But who would not when learning that a kind neighbour one has known for years could transform into a killing monster with no warning?
Then he looked at Legolas and Gimli. His brothers in arms. He had shared too much with them to have any single distrustful thought.
"Aragorn?"
The King of Gondor looked down at the Dwarf next to him. "Aye?"
"How look will we remain here?"
Aragorn hesitated. To be honest, he knew not. All he did know was that they had to catch that creature, no matter the time they needed to achieve that.
"As long as is required."
"As long as is required to what? We will soon be short on lembas, and this area is not very appropriate for hunting," the Dwarf remarked with an almost reproachful tone. "Aragorn, if the creature was near us yesterday, it is most probably gone now. Why would it stay around while we are obviously hunting for it?"
"It would not. Unless it wished to reach one of us. It had an opportunity to leave, yet it remained around and killed Crireth. I believe it is still near, somehow managing to escape our searches."
The concept of escaping their searches easily had Gimli think again about the creature possibly being able to possess an animal's mind. However, the mental image of a squirrel trying to strangle the tall man Crireth was was more than enough for him to dismiss the thought. Way too paranoid, indeed…
Nonetheless, the light smile that appeared on his lips at that moment made Aragorn wonder what the Dwarf could have found funny in their lack of success at flushing the creature out.
Aragorn was about to enquire about it - these days he would have loved to have a happy thought shared - when his attention was pulled back to Ethiannor and Raighad. The pair, who had been until then discussing somewhat quietly, had suddenly broken out in a noisy quarrel, standing up to face each other.
The tone quickly worsened and the two men began to push one another violently, menacing both in their attitudes and words, before unsheathing their swords.
Aragorn immediately stood up and rushed towards them. Niyan though had seen the pair as well, and being nearer and having quick reflexes he was already between the two, trying to prevent them from killing one another, by the time Aragorn arrived.
"Gentlemen! Gentlemen, please!"
Suddenly realizing that it was their King talking to them, Ethiannor and Raighad quickly broke apart.
"Have you all lost your mind?" Aragorn asked, his fists clenched. "Now will you please inform me about the reasons of your quarrel?" Seeing both men were intentionally looking away, he added coldly: "I will not leave the issue without addressing it so you had better tell me now."
It was Ethiannor who finally hissed: "Raighad accused me of acting oddly."
"Well it was not meant to be an accusation until you pointed out I had behaved strangely of late," Raighad replied dryly.
"Had you not insinuated that I was -"
"Do you think I am stupid enough to have not noticed how you -"
They both spoke at the same time, the tone rising, and soon it all became an unintelligible flow of speech.
"Enough. ENOUGH!" Aragorn yelled, and the two soldiers stopped at once. All his kingship, conveyed generation after generation through his blood, could be heard in his commanding tone. "I expected better from you than this display of childishness." He alternately glared at them until they looked down sheepishly - such an unusual attitude for warriors of their calibre. "Of course you found one another acted oddly. We are all acting oddly. Nervousness makes us act oddly. And as a matter of fact, in case you have not noticed, we are *all* nervous."
"My Lord," Raighad began, though almost stopped dead in his tracks when Aragorn glared at him for daring answer back. "How are we to know the creature is not already among us? I mean… Send me to an army of Orcs, and I will know how to handle it. But this," he said, pointing at nothing in particular, "is like fighting a ghost. Never sure where it is, or if it has been defeated… You even said yourself it could be anyone. How are we to know… How are we to know it is not *you*?"
Aragorn boiled in anger at the lack of respect. While the situation could explain some lack of reserve, he was certainly not going to forget *that*.
"You can not," he admitted coldly, "though I am confident the creature is still not among us. Remember, when Crireth was killed we were all here, at the campfire." He paused. "It is very important that you do *not* accuse anyone recklessly. We *must* remain united. As for trusting me, you had better do so, *soldiers*," he ended, intentionally leaving their ranks out. "Was that clear enough?"
As the warriors only muttered something along the lines of it being 'very clear', Aragorn insisted. "I beg your pardon?"
"Aye, my King," both Ethiannor and Raighad eventually answered. Aragorn nodded. "That is much better."
He stared at them one last time. The way people reacted to the most tense situations always held much surprise… Those behaving the most rationally were not always the ones expected, he thought with a last look at Niyan. He should really consider promoting him some day…
He was sinking. Inexorably, desperately sinking further into the darkness with nothing to hang on to.
How could he ever be able to look himself in the face again? Legolas thought. His own hands had taken the life of an innocent, and he had not been able to prevent it.
After a life several millenniums long, and while he could still be considered young for an Elf, he was meant to have an advanced command over his body and mind - even when sleeping. How strong could this creature possibly be to make him feel so… so weak? So abnormally, painfully weak?
Would this nightmare ever end? Or would it get worse? Could it even get any worse? He had lost every single control over his body to this creature. He knew not where he was, what he was doing, if he was talking and to whom.
For all he knew they were probably still heading for Mirkwood, bringing him, a latent danger, with them. What would happen once they reached his homeland? What would *he* do? Would his friends still be alive by then, or would the creature have had him kill them?
It was more than Legolas could stand. He could not allow himself to feel sorry for himself and despair while his friends could be in mortal danger - because of him, because of his weakness and his incapacity to get rid of this creature. He needed to know what it was doing. What it was having him do. What it was having him do *to his friends*.
His resolve firmly set, he started to struggle his way back to consciousness, unsure which path to follow. It would be tricky. The creature had probably already made itself at home by then. But he would not give up any time soon. If fighting was required, then fight he would.
The path was unclear, but Legolas soon found an opening. He knew it was there. He could feel its sinister presence, and he knew it could feel his. He resolutely marched ahead, ignoring the creature's attempts to push him away. A stronger blow made him loose some ground, but his resolution was unchanged. Creature or no creature, he would get his body - his life - back.
As he went on, the assaults became more and more tough and frequent. Yet he was still progressing, getting closer and closer to his goal, while he could feel the creature getting more and more annoyed with him.
The creature's resistance increased until the struggle became even. He was close, so close… He could almost hear the sounds of a conversation near him. Just one more step… He redoubled his efforts, wrestling with the powerful presence. So close…
As if a string had suddenly broken and released him, all his senses unexpectedly came back to him. Legolas gave a look around, and saw his traveling companions. He had won, he thought with relief. He -
An invisible force violently yanked him back to the darkness. It felt as though after drowning he had finally surfaced but had been suddenly pushed back under the water even before being able to take a single breath - and it was an awfully frustrating feeling.
Nonetheless, he had had the time to take in his surroundings. They had not moved since he had killed Crireth - no, not him he corrected, the creature. He had to keep in mind it had not been him.
And his friends were alive.
He could do it. He knew he could. Once more, he marched forward. Nothing would prevent him from reaching his goal.
Do not push your luck, Elf.
The words echoed in his mind. Aye, he would push his so-called luck, no matter the obstacles that creature put in front of him. Hence push forward he did.
He was suddenly overcome by a shooting pain, as though he was burning away slowly. He knew it was induced by the creature. Every single effort to get closer to an escape brought a new wave of pain. He continued, ignoring the ache until it became almost unbearable. He would not give up. He could not. Fighting both the creature and the pain, he went on, aware that had he been conscious right then he might well have been agonizing on the floor in pain. But he could not let it win.
As the pain grew absolutely insufferable and as he was beginning to consider withdrawing, he eventually did it. Legolas suddenly recovered his senses while the pain abruptly vanished. He could see. He could hear. He could… He could even move… Nonetheless he could already feel the creature trying to pull him back, the burning sensation raising and growing more and more yet again.
He did not want to loose. He did not want to go back there. He did not want to feel that way again. Feel so weak. So lost. So lonely.
It was probably the only occasion he would have.
Unconsciously he reached out and clutched at Gimli's shoulder next to him, his muscles a bit more strained than they would normally be, as though his friend was a lifeline he should hang on to.
"Gimli," he called almost hopelessly.
Legolas was never given the chance to see his friend's reaction to his move for he was dragged back as the Dwarf turned to look up at him. The words he had been about to say died in his throat. 'Help me'.
Stupid Elf. How was it going to explain his behavior, now?
Never had one of its former hosts truly rebelled against its presence - not that strongly anyway. Many had tried to get over its control, but none had ever succeeded.
It did not know whether it should curse or praise his determination and courage. The pain should have been enough to have him abandon. On one hand it was impressed by his resistance, however on the other hand he had almost managed to warn the Dwarf, putting it at stake.
Stupid, reckless Elf.
It would not give him another occasion to get past it.
Gimli watched as Aragorn got up to go talk to his men - he trusted him fully in solving the problem and lessen the tensions - and listened with attention to what he told them from the distance.
He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, and heard a familiar voice call his name. "Gimli."
As he turned and looked up to Legolas, he briefly read in the Elf's eyes something that disappeared immediately. Something he had never found there, even before the worst of battles. Could it have been… fear? Fear of what?
"Aye?" Gimli asked with a frown.
Legolas looked as if he had just remembered his hand was on the Dwarf's shoulder, and immediately withdrew it. "I am sorry," he mumbled, "I… had a cramp."
Gimli stared at him and cocked a disbelieving eyebrow. A cramp? Really? An Elf having a cramp? Well that was unusual for sure. Nonetheless he was not given the time to tease Legolas about it as the latter brusquely rose to his feet and walked towards Aragorn and his men.
Gimli noted absentmindedly that the Elf was moving less gracefully than usual. It took a little while until that notion and a previous information connected in his brain. And then various other observations rose as well. Legolas' late behavior was beginning to look incredibly strange to him. While he was reluctant to be suspicious about his friend, especially under circumstances that did not allow anyone to suspect another without due consideration - he still had Aragorn's speech to his men in mind - but there were facts.
First, Aragorn said the steps of the one who killed Crireth were too deep to be the ones of an Elf. But now Gimli saw the way Legolas was moving… It could well be his…
Then there was his coldness. Had it been the only clue, Gimli would have dismissed it. The Elf sometimes had his moods. But it was not the only one.
All the more, for having traveled for years with the Silvan Elf, Gimli knew the latter could not live without keeping a contact with nature. Sometimes the slightest touch on the bark of a tree while walking could be enough. But now he thought about it, when was the last time he had seen his friend anywhere near a tree? Certainly not since Crireth's death, and as far as he could remember, not since their last encounter with Orcs…
The Orcs.
Gimli was no young lad. He could put one and one together - it had all begun then.
The creature had found an host among them. And it was Legolas…
Gimli suddenly remembered the tension in the hand on his shoulder. The fear in the Elf's eyes. The desperation in his tone that the Dwarf was noting only then. He had found a way past the creature to communicate with him. And he was in pain…
He had to do something, Gimli thought firmly.
He was not given the occasion to push his thoughts forward as Aragorn called him.
"Gimli, we need wood for the campfire. Would you mind taking care of that?" As the Dwarf nodded, Aragorn turned to the Elf. "Legolas, could you go with -"
Cindra interrupted the King. "I will go with him," she stated with insistence.
Aragorn looked at her during a few seconds and finally nodded. "All right," he said and then turned back to his men.
Gimli and Cindra exchanged a long look before walking together towards the woods.
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End of Chapter Seven...
I hope you liked this chapter, it took me some time to try to make it sound right (I hope it did). I also took time to think about the upcoming chapters, so hopefully the delay should be shorter.
Anyway, I know it's been a while, but I hope you can still figure out where the review button is... ;-) I'd like to hear a bit about what you guys think before writing too much of chapter 8.
Bad news: I announced in the previous chapter that I might have no TV for the next 5 months, which meant more free time to work on this story. Well the thing is, I *do* have TV... (But the programs are crap these days anyway...)
Next chapter: "The Plan of a Friend" (rather obvious title, yay me!)