CHAPTER 11
Acting purely on instinct, both companions tried to follow the arrow, but as soon as it left the being's bow, it disappeared. Still, Elrond knew the danger and tried to protect his friend. Even as he managed to get in front of Legolas, he felt great cold rushing through his chest. Before he could even wonder at what had happened, he heard the sickening impact of wood and flesh. Then his left shoulder erupted with such pain that he gasped, and he heard a cry of agony behind him. He lurched forward, feeling something being wrenched from his shoulder, and ignoring the pain and dizziness, and tried to turn towards where the sound had come from. Then, before he knew what was happening, he saw the floor rushing at him.
By this point Aragorn also had acted, running towards his friend, but being beaten by the elf. Then, to his horror, he saw Elrond jerk violently back and thought that some spell had bewitched him, freezing him in place. Then, right before he reached the elf, he saw him pull himself forward, almost as if off something, then turn and fall. Again he found himself standing over the elf lord, right before Legolas.
He knelt. Elrond was frozen to the touch, and seemed lifeless, but as Aragorn laid him down, he felt warmth upon his hands. Rolling the elf onto his side, he saw a gaping wound, not that deep, but massive all the same, bleeding profusely. Still looking down, he didn't see an entrance wound, and he wondered as to what had happened, when his attention was drawn back to Legolas. There, lodged deep into his chest, was the black arrow. .
Seeing that there was nothing he could do for the unconscious elf in his arms, and ignoring the figure still watching over the scene, he stood up, and went to his friend. He's dead. Not seeing any movement, and remembering the cry of pain he had heard, Aragorn felt as if his heart had been torn. At his feet lie a wounded friend, and here before him hung a dead friend.
"What did you do?" was all he could manage.
Chuckling once again, amused at the scene playing before him, the shadow creature replied, "Why, even you heard the elf state that he couldn't be turned, and I was bored. Oh, and the reason your friend there, on the floor, is hurt, is because of his own foolishness. Quite amusing."
Getting angrier by the word, Aragorn restrained his fury, for he knew that to act to soon, and out of pure emotion, would get him nowhere. He still had a mission to complete, to destroy this darkness, but with Legolas now gone, he didn't quite understand why the creature still existed. For it fed off the life of Legolas, used him as sustenance, and in doing so was to destroy what once had been his friend, and filling the empty shell of a body with the evil of this darkness.
But the creature remained. Has it grown that strong? Surely not. But he still had doubts, and now honestly had no idea what to do. He could try to kill it, hoping it had the same physical features as those attacking shadows he and Elrond had fought earlier, or some weakness he could play upon. He still couldn't sense it, or the darkness, as the elves had, but his unease grew greater with its closer proximity. Eyeing the creature before him, he tried thinking of what he could do, but his grief and shock were muddling his mind. He tried to shake off the feeling, but it wouldn't dislodge.
The creature moved forward, and he stepped back, standing protectively over and in front of his friends. He would not let this vile creature destroy such light and beauty. Even in death, Legolas seemed to glow. His heart cried at his friend's vicious and torturous demise, and it angered him. As an elf, mortal wounds should not have been the death of him, a simple arrow wound painful, but not fatal. Yet the darkness under which he had been forced must have weakened him, and probably it was that darkness which in the end killed him.
As he had with Boromir's death, he felt tears in his eyes, but unlike that time, his threat had not been subdued. It was actually approaching closer, seeming to glide rather than walk. Taking another step back, he bumped into Elrond's body, and almost jumped when he felt a slight squeeze on his ankle. He was aware, if not awake, but Aragorn had to test him. He took another pace back, as if wanting to get closer to Legolas, and felt Elrond squeeze twice more.
He was awake, and aware, and ready. As man, he couldn't think of anything to destroy this darkness, but possibly Elrond could. He stood straighter, and moved off to the side a bit, again as if to get closer to Legolas, but also to free Elrond's path towards the creature, which had remained silent during it's approach.
Taking advantage of this, Aragorn thought quickly. "What are you, or were you?" It was a long stretch, but knowing how Orcs were once elves, maybe this creature had once been something beautiful also. He doubted it.
It stopped its advance. "Ah, but I see you still have nerve, and are able to speak. I had thought maybe you to be to scared to act. And look at you, standing there all protective over your friends. They're dead, you know, or will be soon enough. As will you be." And with that, it attacked.
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He felt his friend's hand cradling his body, but was unable to respond. He was aware, but so cold was he that he couldn't get his body to work properly. Desperately wanting to let the man know he was ok, he fought to resume control, but met only dead weight. Then the hand quickly but gently set him back down on his side, facing the creature.
Sensing it as it watched Aragorn take care of Legolas, as he was certain the man had moved to do, he studied what he felt, looking for a weakness. It seemed to be only a shadow, but to speak as it had with Aragorn, for with him it had simply established a telepathic link, it had to have form. He couldn't see any weakness, short of it being as vulnerable as those beings they had fought earlier. But even those, although possible to kill, had been elusive at best. He knew that Aragorn, not able to sense them as he had, was in grave danger.
Still he fought the darkness, and soon realized that he had some feeling back in his limbs. Not enough to move, but at least he was aware of them. His shoulder wound seemed the center of the darkness, but as he thought of his friends and the peril they were in, it seemed to recede slightly. It was as if his thoughts were light and the wound a shadow.
Sensing Aragorn move back to protect him, he felt the man's boot brush his hand, and so trying his hardest, he forced his fingers to contract, hoping that the man would feel it.
The lack of response disappointed him, but then the man again stepped back, unnecessarily, so he knew it was a test. Again he focused all effort to his hand, and repeated his squeeze twice. He was here, ready to help. He now found his way clear to the monster, but remained still, hoping to be looked over. He heard Aragorn ask something of the shadow, and it paused. As it halted, Elrond slowly tested to see if he could move. Although sluggish by elven standards, he indeed could move. Then, right as he collected himself, he saw the shadow launch itself towards Aragorn.